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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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Companies

NC AI debuts next-gen 3D model with top benchmark scores

NC AI, a Korean artificial intelligence (AI) company spun off from game developer NCSoft, has completed the development of VARCO 3D 2.0, the next generation of its 3D asset generation model, the company said Wednesday, claiming state-of-the-art performance on key global benchmarks. VARCO 3D is a generative AI service that converts images or text prompts into three-dimensional digital assets — objects used in games, films, product simulations and industrial design. The new 2.0 model will roll out through the company's software-as-a-service platform in July. NC AI said the 2.0 model scored 0.449 on the Uni3D metric, a standard measure of geometric similarity between a generated 3D object and its source image — a 40.8 percent improvement over the prior version's score of 0.319. The company said the result surpasses competing open-source models including Trellis2 (0.436), Ultrashape (0.428) and Hunyuan3D 2.1 (0.427). It also claimed top scores on CLIP-N and ULIP-2 evaluations. Key improvements in 2.0 center on shape fidelity — the degree to which a generated 3D model preserves the silh

Jun 24, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
NC AI debuts next-gen 3D model with top benchmark scores
Travel & Food

Daegu launches alliance to draw foreign tourists

For the millions of foreign travelers who land in Korea each year, the immediate itinerary is historically predictable: clear customs, board a high-speed train and head directly to the dense shopping districts of Seoul. But a new coalition of regional aviation, retail and gaming heavyweights is attempting to short-circuit that traditional pipeline right at the arrival gate. The Korea Tourism Organization’s (KTO) Daegu-North Gyeongsang branch said Wednesday that it signed a multilateral alliance with five major regional enterprises to fundamentally reshape how the provincial city captures international traveler spending. The signees include Daegu International Airport, regional shopping titans The Hyundai Daegu, Hyundai City Outlet Daegu and Lotte Outlet Esiapolis, alongside the Daegu Casino. The pact aims to transform Daegu International Airport from a passive transit point into a highly aggressive gateway for regional commerce. Under the new framework, the moment an international passenger steps into the arrival hall, they will be funneled into a coordinated ecosystem of financial in

Jun 24, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Daegu launches alliance to draw foreign tourists
Films

Seoul turns film center into permanent base camp for young directors

Seoul is betting on student directors to secure the future of its cultural exports. By transforming the Seoul Film Center into a permanent base camp equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) training tools, free workspaces and a massive 23-university film network, municipal authorities are launching a major initiative to institutionalize the independent film sector. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Wednesday a major expansion of the Seoul Film Center, positioning the newly opened facility as a permanent, fully subsidized base camp for the next generation of filmmakers. To anchor this strategy, the city will host the Film House Film Project 2026 Film Festival from Friday to Sunday, a collaborative showcase bringing together student creators from 23 universities across the nation. Operating under the slogan “Beyond the Frame: Reconstructing Romance,” the three-day event bridges the gap between raw student enthusiasm and the commercial film market. Instead of relying on isolated student showcases, the festival links student directors from major institutions — including Y

Jun 24, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul turns film center into permanent base camp for young directors
People & Events

Seocho District launches riverside K-dessert festival

Against the neon backdrop of the Han River’s illuminated fountains, a new weekend festival is aiming to capture Seoul’s late-night tourist economy. By pairing viral confections with hands-on cultural pop-ups, city officials are launching a coordinated push to keep global travelers lingering longer. Seocho District announced Wednesday the launch of the “Seocho Sweet Night 2026 K-Dessert Festival in Hangang,” a weekend event designed to turn the country’s booming culinary scene into a permanent tourism asset. Opening Saturday, along the Moonlight Square of Banpo Hangang Park, the twilight festival explicitly targets a shift among modern international travelers away from passive sightseeing toward hands-on cultural participation. Set against the backdrop of Seoul's Moonlight Rainbow Fountain, the festival divides the riverside park into four experiential zones. At the culinary core, 15 curated vendors will showcase a spectrum of Korean confections, ranging from traditional rice crackers and honey-glazed cookies to contemporary, viral social media trends like "butter rice cakes"

Jun 24, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seocho District launches riverside K-dessert festival
People & Events

Korea turns to K-beauty to fuel new wave of tourism

For international fans of Korean pop culture, matching the radiant skin of a K-pop idol or the precise styling of a K-drama lead has long been a digital obsession. Now, Korea’s tourism officials are attempting to transform that fascination into actual footsteps on the ground. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in partnership with the Korea Tourism Organization, officially inaugurated the “2026 Korea Beauty Festival” Wednesday. Running through July 19 at HiKR Ground, a high-tech tourism promotional hub in central Seoul, the event represents a highly strategic push to anchor the nation’s lucrative tourism recovery in the global appeal of K-beauty. Operating under the banner “All about Beauty,” the festival seeks to demystify the country's multibillion-dollar cosmetics, hair, wellness and medical industries for international visitors. Wednesday’s opening ceremony brought out notable cultural star power, including the prominent Korean actress and model Hyeri, alongside international cultural ambassadors from Mexico and Mongolia, signaling the global scale of the cam

Jun 24, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea turns to K-beauty to fuel new wave of tourism
Travel & Food

To draw K-pop fans beyond Seoul, Korea leverages their 'BIAS'

For millions of global music fans, a "bias" is not a prejudice but a favorite K-pop artist. Korea’s tourism officials are betting that the fierce loyalty inspired by these idols can achieve what years of traditional advertising could not: persuade international travelers to venture outside the crowded Korean capital. The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) announced Wednesday the launch of “BIAS (Be In Artists' Scenes),” a major marketing campaign running through November. Developed in collaboration with the country’s titan entertainment agencies — including Hybe, SM, JYP, and Starship — the initiative hopes to use the intense devotion of global fandoms to decentralize tourism, directing traffic toward historic areas and coastal regions. Instead of generic promotional reels, the campaign leans into localized storytelling. High-profile stars have filmed travel content showcasing their personal connections to specific regions. MONSTA X explores the ancient city of Gyeongju. EXO members Kai and Sehun travel through the wetlands of Suncheon. Stray Kids spotlights the port city of

Jun 24, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
To draw K-pop fans beyond Seoul, Korea leverages their 'BIAS'
Environment & Animals

Everland releases first photos of 3-week-old giant panda cub

She began life just three weeks ago as a hairless, pink scrap of a mammal, weighing a mere 171 grams. But on Wednesday, Korea’s newest celebrity resident offered the world a glimpse of her rapidly changing form, debuting the bold, charcoal-colored patches that define her species. Everland, the sprawling resort and theme park south of Seoul, released the latest images of the 3-week-old giant panda cub. Captured during a routine health assessment the previous day, the photos reveal a noticeably plumper cub whose ears, eyes, shoulders and limbs have clearly darkened into the unmistakable silhouette of a giant panda. The female cub, who arrived on the morning of June 3 at 10:53 a.m., represents the fourth giant panda born naturally in Korea. Her lineage is local royalty: She is the offspring of Ai Bao and Le Bao, the beloved resident pair at Everland’s Panda World, making her the younger sibling to the nation's darling Fu Bao, born in 2020, and the celebrated twins, Rui Bao and Hui Bao, born in 2023. Park veterinarians and keepers reported that during her 21-day health check, the cub we

Jun 24, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Everland releases first photos of 3-week-old giant panda cub
Travel & Food

Korea hits 10 mil. tourist milestone month ahead of last year’s pace

Driven by a robust influx of visitors from across Asia, Europe and the Americas, Korea’s tourism recovery has accelerated to historic levels, reaching a pivotal milestone well ahead of projections. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Wednesday that the total number of foreign tourists visiting the country this year has officially surpassed 10 million. The benchmark, passed over the weekend of June 20, arrived roughly a month faster than last year, when the country did not reach the same threshold until mid-July. The sudden acceleration in arrivals has provided a massive windfall for the domestic economy. In May alone, foreign credit card expenditures — including online transactions — skyrocketed to an estimated 2.12 trillion won ($1.53 billion), according to data released by the state-run Korea Tourism Organization. The figure marks the first time since data tracking began in January 2018 that monthly foreign tourist spending has crossed the 2 trillion won threshold, registering a staggering 67.1 percent increase compared to May of last year. "Despite headwinds, such a

Jun 24, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea hits 10 mil. tourist milestone month ahead of last year’s pace
Health

Fine dust is damaging our skin, new study finds

While the hazardous effects of air pollution on the human respiratory and cardiovascular systems have long been documented, groundbreaking new research indicates that the threat extends far beyond the lungs, penetrating the body’s largest organ: the skin. In the largest Asia-based population study of its kind, researchers at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and the National Institute of Health discovered a powerful link between ambient particulate matter and psoriasis, a debilitating chronic inflammatory skin condition. Analyzing a massive national health database of approximately 8.4 million adults over an average of 13.6 years, the study underscores how deeply environmental degradation is rewriting human pathology. The numbers paint a troubling portrait of urban exposure. According to the findings published in The Journal of Dermatology, long-term exposure to fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, increases the risk of developing psoriasis by 19 percent for every incremental rise of 10 micrograms per cubic meter in annual concentration. For coarser particles,

Jun 24, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Fine dust is damaging our skin, new study finds
Companies

POSCO International attracts $2 bil. in 1st global US-dollar bond sale

Demonstrating that high-quality corporate borrowers can still command a premium in turbulent times, POSCO International successfully navigated choppy global markets Tuesday to price its first-ever U.S. dollar bond, drawing an overwhelming wave of international investor demand. The Korean energy and commodities trading powerhouse locked in $500 million in a five-year offering that attracted $2 billion in total orders — exactly four times the amount initially sought. The heavy oversubscription allowed the firm to aggressively tighten pricing to 90 basis points over U.S. Treasuries, signaling strong global confidence in its core businesses despite a backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The deal marks a significant milestone for POSCO International, cementing its status as a standalone investment-grade issuer on the world stage. As the key trading and energy arm of Korea’s steel giant POSCO Group, the firm has increasingly looked to diversify its foreign currency funding bases to shield its expansive global capital expenditures from localized macroeconomic press

Jun 23, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
POSCO International attracts $2 bil. in 1st global US-dollar bond sale
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