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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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Society

Seoul urges transit riders to trade in climate cards ahead of Sept. 1 overhaul

Seoul is ramping up outreach urging users of its Climate Card transit pass to switch to a new nationwide discount program before a major overhaul takes effect Sept. 1, the city government said Wednesday. The new offering, known as the Climate Companion Card — and marketed locally as "Everyone's Card" — combines the national government’s K-pass discount system with Seoul-specific perks, including extending youth fare discounts to residents up to age 39. Launched in January 2024 as Korea's pioneering unlimited transit pass, the Climate Card is now being folded into the broader national framework after the central government introduced its own unlimited-style transit pass under the K-pass umbrella this year. Seoul said it is consolidating the programs to offer nationwide usability, stronger cash-back benefits and its own city-specific perks under a single system. Since the city announced the transition June 17, usage of the original Climate Card has dropped sharply. The number of active 30-day pass holders fell to roughly 530,000 as of Monday from about 900,000 on June 29 — a 41 pe

Aug 12, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul urges transit riders to trade in climate cards ahead of Sept. 1 overhaul
Travel & Food

Seoul to expand nighttime river bus operations starting Saturday

Seeking to turn its iconic river into a major nighttime destination, Seoul is expanding evening ferry services on the Han River. Municipal officials said Wednesday that the Hangang Bus will extend its late-hour service starting Saturday, adding key departures aimed at nighttime sightseers, evening leisure seekers and late commuters. The schedule adjustments focus on the waterway's highest-demand areas. Two extra ferries will run from the southeastern district of Jamsil to the financial hub of Yeouido at 6:50 pm and 7:20 pm, while two late departures will connect Yeouido westward to Magok at 8:25 pm and 8:55 pm. To improve daytime schedules and improve overall passenger convenience, city planners are also adding mid-afternoon trips in both directions, inserting extra runs from Magok to Yeouido at 3:00 pm and 3:30 pm, as well as Yeouido to Jamsil at 4:00 pm and 4:30 pm. The expansion aims to capture a growing crowd of leisure riders, local residents and international tourists looking to catch a glimpse of Seoul's glittering skyline directly from the water. Passengers aboard the evening fe

Aug 12, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul to expand nighttime river bus operations starting Saturday
Companies

Musinsa teams up with Philippine conglomerate Ayala for Southeast Asian push

Musinsa, Korea's largest online fashion platform, said Wednesday it signed an exclusive distribution agreement with ACX Holdings Corporation, the retail arm of Philippine conglomerate Ayala Corporation, to expand its business in the Southeast Asian country. Musinsa and ACX Holdings signed the agreement July 17, and the companies plan to gradually expand distribution channels in the Philippines, including opening offline stores, Musinsa said. Ayala Corporation, founded in 1834, is one of the Philippines' largest conglomerates, with businesses spanning real estate, financial services, telecommunications and energy. ACX Holdings serves as its retail and distribution subsidiary, helping global brands enter and operate in the Philippine market. Under the new agreement, Musinsa becomes ACX's fashion sector partner as the Philippine company expands its distribution business across retail, groceries, wholesale and lifestyle categories. Musinsa said it plans to use ACX's distribution infrastructure and market experience to enter the Philippine market and expand its reach among Filipino consumers.

Aug 12, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Musinsa teams up with Philippine conglomerate Ayala for Southeast Asian push
Companies

Beauty app Gangnam Unni tops 1,600 foreign patient bookings in 5 months

Healing Paper, the operator of Korea's leading beauty medical information platform Gangnam Unni, said Wednesday that its concierge service for foreign patients seeking cosmetic and dermatology treatments in Korea surpassed 1,600 completed cases in the five months since its launch. The service, called Unni Guide, was launched in March to help foreign patients navigate Korea's beauty medical scene, from booking appointments at clinics to providing interpreters who accompany patients on-site. Healing Paper said the service is aimed at removing the language barriers and information gaps that foreign patients often face. It operates through both an online channel and a physical service center. The number of monthly completed procedures booked through Unni Guide has grown by about 30 percent each month since launch, the company said. To date, patients from 73 countries — including Taiwan, the United States, China, Thailand and Singapore — have made more than 1,600 bookings through the service. Korea drew a record 2 million foreign patients last year, according to the company, a surge it sa

Aug 12, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Beauty app Gangnam Unni tops 1,600 foreign patient bookings in 5 months
Companies

Homeplus to reopen all 67 temporarily closed stores

Homeplus will reopen all 67 of its temporarily shuttered discount stores Thursday, resolving a monthlong closure driven by a severe cash crunch. The retail chain, owned by private equity firm MBK Partners, had closed the stores in mid-July as it entered court-supervised rehabilitation — Korea’s equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Ahead of the official relaunch, the chain has been running trial operations since Aug. 7, and final inspections wrapped up Wednesday. Once the doors reopen, 59 of the 67 locations will also resume online delivery and e-commerce operations. Homeplus shut down all of its stores on July 13 after saying it had run out of operating funds to pay suppliers and cover basic costs such as rent and utilities. The company had been under court receivership since March 2025, when it filed for rehabilitation after a credit rating downgrade left it unable to pay short-term debt. The Seoul Rehabilitation Court briefly moved to terminate the proceedings in early July, which would have pushed the retailer toward liquidation, before reversing that decision on July

Aug 12, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Homeplus to reopen all 67 temporarily closed stores
Companies

LG expands B2B medical device lineup with FDA-cleared diagnostic monitor

LG Electronics has launched a new diagnostic monitor cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a medical device, expanding its lineup of business-to-business (B2B) displays for hospitals and clinics, the company said Wednesday. The new 40-inch monitor, model 40HT513D, features a curved IPS black panel with a 21:9 aspect ratio and 5,120-by-2,160 resolution, totaling 11 megapixels — which LG said is enough to replace the work previously done using three separate 3-megapixel monitors. The monitor's central feature is a three-picture-by-picture function that splits the screen into three sections to display different image sources at once. LG said the setup eliminates the visible seams between adjoining monitors that can interfere with reading medical images, along with the need to shift focus between separate screens. For image-based diagnosis, doctors typically need to compare original and previous scans from X-rays, CT or MRI machines alongside a patient's electronic medical records — all of which can now be viewed simultaneously on a single screen without switching dis

Aug 12, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
LG expands B2B medical device lineup with FDA-cleared diagnostic monitor
Korean Heritage

Korea designates Jeju cave massacre site as national heritage

Deep within the volcanic terrain of Jeju Island lies a damp, narrow lava tube known as Darangswi Cave. For more than four decades, it remained a silent, sealed tomb holding the remains of eleven villagers, including women and children, who died from smoke inhalation in 1948 when government forces blockaded the entrance and built fires outside. Long kept in the shadows of national memory, the site of that tragedy is now slated for official government preservation The National Heritage Administration said Wednesday that it will officially list the cave as a National Registered Cultural Heritage site. The move reflects a broader national effort to confront painful historical atrocities, create state accountability and preserve physical spaces that long sat on the margins of official memory. The designation coincides with the prospective registration of Manseojeong, the historic residential quarters of Jang Seok-yeong, a prominent Korean independence activist who drafted the 1919 Paris Petition appealing for national sovereignty during Japan's 1910-45 colonial occupation of Korea. Together,

Aug 12, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea designates Jeju cave massacre site as national heritage
Travel & Food

High above Seoul, fans step into Spider-Man's shoes

For fans of Marvel’s famous web-slinger, the real thrill is feeling what it’s like to swing around above the skyline. At Seoul Sky, the observation deck perched atop the 123-story Lotte World Tower, fans are doing just that. Following the local theatrical release of Sony Pictures’ "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," costumed fans have been flocking to Korea’s tallest building to take photos, shop for exclusive merchandise and soak in panoramic views that mirror the superhero's perspective. According to operator Lotte World, the venue has emerged as a major hub for moviegoers looking to double down on the cinematic experience. Fans are visiting the observatory both to build anticipation before hitting the theater and to extend the excitement after the end credits roll. Through Aug. 31, the observation deck is hosting "Spider-Man: Brand New Day X Seoul Sky," a joint promotional event crafted in partnership with Sony Pictures. Tower officials noted that the event taps into the unique significance that urban skylines hold for the franchise. Spider-Man’s signature move of swinging through

Aug 12, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
High above Seoul, fans step into Spider-Man's shoes
Law & Crime

Over 44,000 ethnic Korean laborers secure long-term visas as gov't speeds up integration

In a major overhaul of its immigration framework, the Korean government is rapidly tearing down long-standing bureaucratic divides to offer permanent settlement pathways for hundreds of thousands of ethnic Koreans returning to their ancestral homeland. According to government figures released Wednesday, more than 54 percent of ethnic Koreans holding short-term H-2 visiting employment visas have successfully transitioned to the status of F-4 overseas Koreans within just six months of a reform implemented in February. The total number of H-2 visa holders dropped from 81,447 in mid-February to 31,186 by the end of July, signaling a swift embrace of long-term residency rights. The shift marks a decisive turn in Korea’s approach to diaspora integration. Historically, ethnic Koreans tracing their roots to former Soviet states (Koryoin) or northeastern China (Joseonjok) faced rigid administrative hurdles compared to those holding passport status from Western nations or developed economies. While some received broad rights as overseas compatriots, others were funneled into restrictive, short-

Aug 12, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Over 44,000 ethnic Korean laborers secure long-term visas as gov't speeds up integration
People & Events

Now ranked No. 2 worldwide, Korea's beauty industry eyes next surge at flagship Seoul expo

Korea’s multibillion-dollar beauty sector is operating at full throttle. Last year, the nation exported $11.4 billion in cosmetics, surpassing the United States to become the world’s second-largest exporter behind France. Surprisingly, this boom hasn't been driven by corporate conglomerates, but by independent brands — small-to-mid-size startups that now generate 72.5 percent of all Korean beauty exports. Now, as the global appetite for Korean cosmetics shifts from internet popularity to a permanent fixture of daily skin care, Seoul is preparing to lay the groundwork for the industry's future. Municipal officials announced Tuesday that the fifth annual Seoul Beauty Week will open on Aug. 22 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza. The four-day trade showcase, organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, will gather a record 152 companies spanning skin care startups, aesthetic medical firms, wellness brands and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven beauty-tech pioneers. Long serving as a crucial launching pad for niche Korean labels expanding overseas, the fair is sharpening its focus on commer

Aug 11, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Now ranked No. 2 worldwide, Korea's beauty industry eyes next surge at flagship Seoul expo
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