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Jhoo Dong-chan

Korea Times AI content 2 team Reporter

Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.

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Trends

Seoul Jewelry Week returns with AI-powered styling pop-up, runway show tied to fashion week

More than 100 Seoul-based jewelry brands are taking part in "Seoul Jewelry Week 2026," a citywide promotional event running Sept. 1-15 that includes storewide discounts, a runway show, an AI-powered styling pop-up and industry seminars, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said. Now in its 11th year, the event is organized through the Seoul Jewelry Support Center, a city-run platform based in Jongno District's Seosulla-gil area — a historic jewelry-making district — that helps small and mid-sized jewelry brands with design, branding and market access, the government said. As part of the event, 80 Seoul-based jewelry brands are offering discounts and gifts with purchase at their stores and online shops through Sept. 15 under a joint promotion called "Ring Week in Seoul," with details available on the event's official website (jewelryweek.co.kr). From Tuesday through Sunday, coinciding with Seoul Fashion Week, a pop-up and runway show will run at Dongdaemun Design Plaza's B the B, a lifestyle space operated by the Seoul Business Agency. Visitors to the pop-up, which features 16 brands, ca

Aug 31, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul Jewelry Week returns with AI-powered styling pop-up, runway show tied to fashion week
Companies

Musinsa enters Malaysia, expands partnership with Indonesia's MAP

Musinsa, a Korean fashion and beauty platform operator, has signed an exclusive distribution agreement to bring its in-house clothing brand Musinsa Standard into Malaysia — its fourth market in Southeast Asia after the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. The company said Monday it signed the deal with PT Mitra Adiperkasa Tbk, commonly known as MAP, the Indonesian retail conglomerate with which Musinsa struck a similar exclusive distribution agreement for Indonesia last month. Musinsa said it chose to expand its partnership with MAP because of the company's retail experience and distribution networks in both countries, and said it would look for further business synergies between the two markets. Malaysia is one of Southeast Asia's major fashion markets, with a large base of consumers with strong purchasing power and well-developed shopping infrastructure, including large malls in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, Musinsa said. The company noted that young, digitally savvy Malaysian consumers actively seek out new brands and fashion trends online, and that demand for Korean fashion and lifesty

Aug 31, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Musinsa enters Malaysia, expands partnership with Indonesia's MAP
Companies

Naver-Kurly grocery venture reports 10-fold rise in 1st-year transactions

Kurly N Mart, an online grocery service launched jointly by Naver and Kurly, saw its transaction volume surge tenfold in its first year, driven by loyal subscribers from Naver’s paid membership program, the companies said Monday. The service launched in September 2025, combining Naver's broad base of online shopping users and its Naver Plus Store app with Kurly's product sourcing and dawn delivery network, a same-day pre-dawn delivery system Kurly pioneered in Korea's grocery delivery market. Naver said users in their 30s and 40s made up more than 72 percent of customers who used the service 10 or more times, with people in their 40s visiting at least once a week on average. More than 80 percent of Kurly N Mart's transactions came through the Naver Plus Store app, the company said. After the company began offering same-day delivery in February, in addition to its existing dawn delivery, order volume placed between 6 a.m. and noon rose 34 percent within a month. The companies also said they are expanding personalized product recommendations based on shopping data and adding more items s

Aug 31, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Naver-Kurly grocery venture reports 10-fold rise in 1st-year transactions
Lifestyle

Director Yoon Ga-eun wins top honors for gender equality in Korean culture

Long before the Korean public started thinking about women being behind the camera as well as in front of it, creative pioneers were quietly reshaping the country’s cultural landscape from the margins. That enduring artistic leadership will take center stage Tuesday, as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism joins the Women’s Cultural Network to honor 19 individuals and organizations at the 19th Gender Equality Cultural Awards at the National Library of Korea in Seoul. Established in 2008, the annual ceremony celebrates figures across arts, entertainment and athletics who have dismantled social stereotypes and championed gender equity. Director Yoon Ga-eun, acclaimed for her nuanced explorations of youth relationships and coming-of-age, was named "Cultural Person of the Year." Yoon, whose past films include "The World of Us" and her recent feature, "The Owner of the World," has consistently centered young women’s perspectives, examining how girls navigate identity, social prejudice and emotional growth on their own terms. The "Cultural Content of the Year" award went to "Remar

Aug 31, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Director Yoon Ga-eun wins top honors for gender equality in Korean culture
K-pop

Stray Kids' Lee Know donates $72,000 for Nepal flood relief

Lee Know of the K-pop boy band Stray Kids donated 100 million won (about $72,000) to support relief efforts for people displaced by severe flooding in Nepal, his management agency, JYP Entertainment, said Monday. Lee Know delivered the donation on Aug. 28 to World Vision, an international humanitarian and development NGO, requesting that it go toward saving the lives of children and families affected by the flooding and helping them sustain their livelihoods. The funds will support food and nutrition assistance, temporary housing and clean water and sanitation programs for flood-affected residents. "I hope my gesture can offer even a small bit of strength to those going through a difficult time," Lee Know said in a statement released through JYP Entertainment. "I sincerely hope that both those displaced and everyone working on relief efforts can return to peaceful daily life as soon as possible." Lee Know has donated regularly to causes at home and abroad. He began sponsoring children overseas through World Vision in 2014. In 2024, he gave 100 million won to the Christian organization's

Aug 31, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Stray Kids' Lee Know donates $72,000 for Nepal flood relief
South Korea

Seoul district steps up housing protections for foreign tenants

Navigating the intricacies of Korea’s residential real estate market is notoriously complex even for long-term local residents. For the country’s steadily growing international population, however, steep language barriers, unfamiliar administrative procedures and unique tenant laws make securing rental housing a particularly daunting endeavor — and one fraught with potential financial risk. To help bridge this informational divide and protect vulnerable foreign renters, Gangbuk District, an administrative district in northeastern Seoul, is expanding a comprehensive municipal program designed to safeguard foreign residents throughout the housing lease process. Under the enhanced initiative, foreign tenants visiting local neighborhood centers to register their move-in address or file for an official "fixed date" status (hwakjeong ilja) will receive automated administrative guidance stamped directly onto their documentation in nine languages. The legal stamp — covering English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Mongolian, Filipino, Uzbek, Japanese, Taiwanese and Thai — outlines essential pro

Aug 31, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul district steps up housing protections for foreign tenants
South Korea

Fake office in Seoul helps reclusive youth fight social isolation

In a quiet community center in western Seoul, 33 young adults recently committed to a novel daily routine: waking up, dressing and reporting for work at a company that exists entirely to help them reenter society. For many, stepping through the front door marked their tentative first foray into the outside world after months or even years spent largely behind closed bedroom doors. They are the newest employees at "NEET Company," a virtual firm operating in Seodaemun District through Oct. 19. Despite its corporate veneer, this office imposes no sales targets, demands no career milestones and measures no corporate performance metrics. Designed specifically for reclusive youth and those classified as NEET — an acronym for adults not in education, employment or training — the municipal initiative acts as a low-stakes buffer zone. Its goal is to help participants rebuild daily life rhythms and human connections without the overwhelming pressure of traditional competitive employment. The program addresses a silent epidemic sweeping Korea. According to comprehensive national health and welfa

Aug 30, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Fake office in Seoul helps reclusive youth fight social isolation
Health

Less salt, more soul: Korea blends heritage, health at national museum

In a culture where rich, fermented stews and deeply seasoned side dishes define the everyday table, public health officials face a delicate balance: honoring a beloved culinary identity while gently nudging the public toward lighter, lower-sodium eating. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety offered its latest vision Friday at the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, partnering with cultural leaders to frame low-sodium, low-sugar cooking not as a compromise, but as a thoughtful evolution of traditional heritage. At the center of the promotional showcase is "Samsamhan Bapsang" ("The Light & Savory Table"), an annual series of recipe booklets the food safety agency has published since 2012. Derived from the Korean adjective "samsamhada," the name describes a delicate, subtle flavor profile — dishes seasoned just enough to be satisfying without feeling overly salty or heavy. The event coincides with the museum's ongoing special exhibition, "Our Table," which traces the historical, artistic, and folkloric roots of Korean food culture through ancient artifacts. Visitors entering th

Aug 29, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Less salt, more soul: Korea blends heritage, health at national museum
Defense

Drones and robots: Korea tests high-tech delivery in residential neighborhoods

Imagine ordering a bulky 40-kilogram shipment of toys or library books and having a high-powered drone whisk it across a river, deposit it onto an autonomous land vehicle and watch a robot roll directly up to your apartment door. In Jinju, a bustling city in southeastern Korea, that futuristic logistics vision is currently being tested in everyday residential life. The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) said Friday that it is conducting real-world trials of an advanced multimodal delivery system capable of hauling heavy cargo up to 40 kilograms through densely populated urban neighborhoods. Running through Saturday in Jinju’s Innovation City, the field test marks a critical operational milestone: moving autonomous delivery out of isolated rural test zones and directly into crowded high-rise residential complexes. The government-funded project, backed by a 14.9 billion won ($11.2 million) state investment through December, pairs heavy-duty logistics drones with self-driving ground robots developed alongside the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute. The primary goal

Aug 28, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Drones and robots: Korea tests high-tech delivery in residential neighborhoods
Books

Booker Prize winner Paul Lynch, author Danielle McLaughlin to visit Seoul in September

The Embassy of Ireland in Seoul will host Booker Prize-winning novelist Paul Lynch and short-story writer Danielle McLaughlin in September, marking Lynch's first visit to Korea, the embassy said. Lynch, author of "Prophet Song," which won the 2023 Booker Prize — Britain's leading literary award for English-language fiction — will hold a public conversation with readers on Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. at Daesan Hall in Seoul's Gwanghwamun area. The talk, titled "Imagination That Awakens Reality," will explore how literature reflects real-world events and how imagination can offer new ways of understanding the present. "Prophet Song" follows an ordinary family in a fictional Ireland gripped by totalitarian rule, using their experience to examine the spread of authoritarianism, loss of freedom, displacement and human dignity. The novel won international acclaim for its realism and dystopian imagination, alongside the 2023 Booker Prize and the 2024 Dayton Literary Peace Prize. McLaughlin, author of the short-story collection "Dinosaurs on Other Planets," will give a lecture and creative-writing wo

Aug 28, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Booker Prize winner Paul Lynch, author Danielle McLaughlin to visit Seoul in September
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