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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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People & Events

Busan to host 21st International Magic Festival with competition, gala shows

The city of Busan and the Busan International Magic Festival (BIMF) Organizing Committee will hold the 21st annual Magic Convention from June 26 to 28 at the Busan Cinema Center, organizers announced Monday. The three-day indoor program at the Cinema Center's Sky Theater includes a Magic Gala Show featuring eight top-ranked magicians from Korea, France, Taiwan and Malaysia; the International Magic Competition, which is open to emerging performers; magic lectures by professional magicians; and a Winner Show spotlighting competition standouts. This year's Gala Show will include a performance by Jang Hae-seok, who appeared on the SBS entertainment program "The Magic Star." Yang Jae-hyeok, who won the Stage 1 category at last year's international competition, is set to perform in the Winner Show. The International Magic Competition will be judged under the same rules as the World Championship of Magic run by the Federation Internationale des Societes Magiques (FISM) — the global governing body for magic — making it the last qualifying opportunity before next year's FISM Asia Magic Champ

Jun 22, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Busan to host 21st International Magic Festival with competition, gala shows
South Korea

Seoul's Jung District launches AI platform for Dongdaemun fashion merchants

Jung District in central Seoul said Monday it has launched PROMAX, a free artificial intelligence (AI) image generation prompt platform developed specifically for merchants in the Dongdaemun fashion market, in what officials say is the first initiative of its kind by a local government in Korea. The platform, developed by the district's Dongdaemun Buyer Lounge, provides ready-made text prompts that merchants can copy and feed into generative AI tools with photos of their clothing to produce professional-quality virtual model images. Prompt writing, the process of composing detailed text instructions to guide AI image generators, had been a significant barrier for the merchants, who found trial and error too time-consuming. The Dongdaemun Buyer Lounge, a multi-purpose fashion community space on the fourth floor of Dondgaemun Design Plaza Fashion Mall, began offering one-on-one AI training to merchants in September last year. After seeing that merchants were interested in AI but struggled with actually using it, the district began platform development in May and ran a pilot before the offi

Jun 22, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul's Jung District launches AI platform for Dongdaemun fashion merchants
Companies

Nexen Tire to supply original equipment tires to 2 BYD models

Nexen Tire said Monday it will supply original equipment tires to two BYD electric vehicles — the Seal 6 and the Dolphin Surf — marking the Korean tire maker's first original equipment deal with the Chinese automaker. The Seal 6, a high-performance strategic model BYD has developed for global markets, will be fitted with Nexen's N'FERA Sport, a summer performance tire. The tires will be mounted on vehicles exported to Australia and other markets. The N'FERA Sport has received strong ratings in European tire tests for high-speed stability and handling. The Dolphin Surf — sold in China as the Seagull, which Time magazine named one of its best inventions of 2025 — will receive Nexen's N'Blue S for vehicles bound for Europe. The N'Blue S was developed to meet tightened European carbon emission regulations, with reduced rolling resistance and improved wet-road braking performance. It has been adopted as original equipment for a range of European vehicles and electric models. Nexen Tire, established in 1942 and headquartered in Seoul, began supplying tires to overseas automakers in 20

Jun 22, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Nexen Tire to supply original equipment tires to 2 BYD models
Companies

Hyundai Engineering files patents for AI-based leak detection system

Hyundai Engineering said Monday it has filed two patents for an artificial intelligence (AI)-based system that detects water leaks before they occur in data centers and other industrial facilities, developed in partnership with smart control technology firm LJ System. The system departs from conventional leak sensors, which only trigger an alert when water makes direct contact with the sensor. Instead, it continuously monitors multiple data streams — including pressure, flow rate, temperature and humidity — collected through IoT (Internet of Things) sensors, and uses AI to learn normal operating patterns and flag anomalies before a leak develops. A key feature is the system's ability to distinguish between condensation and an actual leak, a persistent source of false alarms in facility management. If humidity rises in a given area but pressure and flow readings remain stable, the AI classifies the event as condensation and suppresses the alert, reducing unnecessary shutdowns in large industrial facilities. The system also uses an on-device AI architecture — also known as edge AI

Jun 22, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Hyundai Engineering files patents for AI-based leak detection system
Korean Heritage

Korea, UNESCO partner ahead of World Heritage Committee session in Busan

Korea's heritage authority and UNESCO signed a memorandum of understanding Friday in Paris ahead of the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, set to open in Busan next month, in what will be the first time Korea has hosted the annual gathering. The memorandum of understanding was signed at UNESCO headquarters by Min Huh, administrator of the Korea Heritage Service (KHS), and Nayef H. Al-Fayez, UNESCO's assistant director-general for culture, along with Kim Ji-hee, Korea's ambassador to UNESCO, and Lazare Eloundou Assomo, director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. The agreement covers operational arrangements for the session, including security, health and personal data protection protocols, particularly given the scale of the event, which is expected to draw roughly 3,000 delegates from the 196 states party to the World Heritage Convention. The 48th session is scheduled for July 19 to 29 at BEXCO, the convention center in the southeastern port city of Busan. The committee — the main governing body under the 1972 World Heritage Convention — meets annually to inscrib

Jun 22, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea, UNESCO partner ahead of World Heritage Committee session in Busan
Arts & Theater

'Amazing Thailand' art exhibition makes Korean debut

The National Museum of Korea will open Amazing Thailand: Masterpieces of Thai Art on Tuesday, bringing 239 works of Thai cultural heritage to Korean audiences for the first time in the country's history. The exhibition, running through Sept. 6 at the museum's Special Exhibition Gallery 1, is organized jointly with the Fine Arts Department of Thailand's Ministry of Culture. Drawn from 21 Thai national museums, including the National Museum Bangkok, the collection spans prehistoric artifacts to contemporary works and includes sculpture, painting and decorative crafts — a breadth rarely assembled even within Thailand. The centerpiece is a 14th-century Walking Buddha from the Sukhothai period, regarded as the most original form of Thai Buddhist sculpture. The figure's fluid, forward-striding posture — unique in Buddhist iconography — represents the Buddha descending from heaven after preaching to his deceased mother. Three thematic sections guide visitors chronologically: prehistoric and prekingdom societies, the classical Sukhothai, Lanna and Ayutthaya kingdoms, and the Rattanakosin (

Jun 22, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
'Amazing Thailand' art exhibition makes Korean debut
Travel & Food

Korea National Park Service to offer themed eco-tours this summer

The Korea National Park Service (KNPS) said Monday it will run a series of themed ecological tours across the country's national parks from July 4 through Nov. 30, offering activities designed around valleys, coastal waters and local culture. The program, called "National Park Themed Ecological Tourism," groups excursions under four categories: ecological travel, historical and cultural travel, scenic travel and family travel. Eight parks are participating, including Juwangsan, Dadohaehaesang, Sokrisan, Gyeongju, Hallyeohaesang, Seoraksan, Woraksan and Wolchulsan. Two tours stand out for summer. At Juwangsan National Park, the "Jeolgol Valley Splash Walk" — a first for KNPS programs — allows visitors to wade through the valley's stream while observing freshwater ecosystems among the park's gorges and cliffs. The program runs July through August; starting in September, it transitions to fall foliage walks and local apple-picking. At Hallyeohaesang National Park, the "Seasonal Hallyeo Journey" takes participants island-hopping among the park's scenic islands — Bijindo, Manjido and Yeon

Jun 22, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea National Park Service to offer themed eco-tours this summer
Health

Korea to sharpen tobacco warnings with blunter labels

Korea is doubling down on its efforts to curb smoking, announcing Monday a sweeping redesign of the graphic warnings plastered across tobacco products. Starting Dec. 23, cigarette packs will feature more visceral imagery and blunter language, a shift intended to shock consumers out of complacency after a six-month grace period for manufacturers. The overhaul marks the sixth iteration of the nation’s warning system since its inception in 2016. Under Korean law, these public health alerts must be refreshed every 24 months to combat "warning fatigue" — a phenomenon where smokers become desensitized to the graphic images. This year’s update, however, is less of a routine rotation and more of a strategic escalation. For traditional cigarettes, the Ministry of Health and Welfare is pivoting toward harsher realities. Out is the warning for erectile dysfunction. In is a new, stark depiction of kidney cancer. Five existing graphics have also been redesigned for maximum psychological impact. More notable than the imagery is the linguistic shift. The ministry is abandoning polite, conditional

Jun 22, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea to sharpen tobacco warnings with blunter labels
Travel & Food

Seoul’s historic heart offers 11 ways to trace its history

In a metropolis dominated by soaring glass towers and subterranean transit arteries, one downtown district is making a refreshing case for slowing down and traveling on foot. This season, the Jung District office in central Seoul is launching an expanded lineup of 11 curated walking tours designed to transform the city's historic core into an open-air museum. Running through November, the initiative builds on a highly successful pilot program that drew more than 9,400 participants last year, boasting a near-perfect 96.9 percent satisfaction rate among urban explorers. The crown jewel of this year’s rollout is the newly minted "Yi Sun-sin Road: Birth of a Hero." The 1.3-kilometer thematic trail traces the early footsteps of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, Korea’s legendary 16th-century naval commander. Starting at Euljiro 3-ga subway station, the 90-minute trek leads history buffs past the admiral's birthplace monument at Myeongbo crossroad, through the bustling aisles of the traditional Jungbu Market, and terminates at the historic Hadogam military camp site. For those seeking a blend of archit

Jun 21, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul’s historic heart offers 11 ways to trace its history
People & Events

Busan brings 'Carmen' to waterfront under summer stars

On a sweeping industrial expanse along Busan’s historic waterfront, workers will soon begin transforming a prominent landmark development site into a massive open-air theater. The production is French composer Georges Bizet's "Carmen," and the backdrop will be the shifting silhouettes of container ships and the night sky over the North Port. The grand-scale staging, scheduled for July 11 and 12, is a calculated cultural overture by Classic Busan, the city’s performing arts body. Conceived as a public celebration ahead of the highly anticipated opening of the Busan Opera House, the two-day festival aims to democratize an art form traditionally sequestered behind gilded indoor walls. At the center of the production is Chung Myung-whun, the renowned conductor and artistic director of Classic Busan. Chung, who led a critically acclaimed concert version of "Carmen" indoors last year, is expanding the opera into a sensory public festival. Director Eom Sook-jung is tasked with adapting the psychological drama of the free-spirited gypsy and her tragic lover to the vast spatial demands of a

Jun 20, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Busan brings 'Carmen' to waterfront under summer stars
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