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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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K-pop

Jennie captivates Chicago with history-making Lollapalooza set

Under the glittering summer sky of Grant Park on Saturday night, BLACKPINK member and fashion icon Jennie entered the history books. Closing out the main Bud Light Stage at Lollapalooza Chicago, Jennie delivered an electrifying, hourlong headline set that solidified her standing as a global star, capping off the night with the surprise debut of an unreleased track. With this performance, Jennie became the first Korean female solo artist to headline North America’s premier music festival. The flagship stage she commanded is steeped in rock and pop royalty, having previously hosted legendary acts like Coldplay, The Cure and The Weeknd. Jennie met the historical weight of the moment with effortless swagger and full live-band backing, powering through an 18-song set list that reimagined her catalog for a festival crowd exceeding 100,000. The performance marked her first live appearance following the release of her hit single, "Less than a Lover." As the opening synth line echoed across the lawn, the crowd erupted into a thunderous sing-along, proving that her solo output resonates as dee

1d agoBy Jhoo Dong-chan
Jennie captivates Chicago with history-making Lollapalooza set
Travel & Food

Beyond palaces, Seoul emerges as undisputed favorite for young global travelers

In the concrete back alleys of Seongsu-dong, affluent young travelers weave through industrial-chic pop-up boutiques testing the latest Korean skin care regimens before drifting toward Gwangjang Market for sizzling mung bean pancakes and spicy rice cakes. By late afternoon, many of those same visitors trade high-fashion storefronts for hiking boots, ascending the granite ridges of Mount Acha to catch sweeping sunset vistas over the skyline — all without ever setting foot outside the municipal limits. This seamless fusion of high-concept retail, neighborhood gastronomy and urban wilderness has propelled Korea’s capital to an unprecedented milestone in international tourism. Seoul on Monday was named Favorite Worldwide City by millennial and Gen Z travelers in the 2026 Trazees awards for a fifth consecutive year, earning an induction into the publication’s Hall of Fame alongside a rare Quint Status distinction. Organized by FXExpress Publications, the parent company behind Trazee Travel and Global Traveler, the annual survey aggregates votes from a highly coveted demographic: 25-to

1d agoBy Jhoo Dong-chan
Beyond palaces, Seoul emerges as undisputed favorite for young global travelers
South Korea

Korea wins key halal concessions from Indonesia to protect K-beauty exports

Korea’s booming cosmetics industry scored a crucial regulatory victory in Southeast Asia on Monday after a Korean delegation successfully negotiated a series of concessions to ease strict halal certification rules in Indonesia. Following high-level bilateral talks in Jakarta, Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced a landmark agreement that slashes administrative red tape just months before Indonesia’s mandatory halal labeling law takes effect on Oct. 18. Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, represents a cornerstone market for Korean beauty exports. However, impending mandates requiring all cosmetics sold domestically to bear official halal certification threatened to stall K-beauty momentum due to stringent labor and facility requirements. In response, a joint public-private delegation led by Korean regulators met with Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH) and the Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) from July 20-22. The negotiations yielded immediate breakthroughs designed to keep supply chains moving smoothly. Unde

1d agoBy Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea wins key halal concessions from Indonesia to protect K-beauty exports
Travel & Food

Korea bridges East Asian divides with 4-nation youth summit in Seoul

Forty young delegates from Korea, the United States, China and Japan convened in Seoul Monday to begin a 10-day exchange program aimed at tackling shared global challenges through cultural diplomacy. Organized by Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism alongside the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, the 2026 Asia-Pacific Youth Exchange Camp brings together 10 participants aged 19 to 34 from each nation to build lasting policy and cultural networks. Korea is using Korean food and culture, as well as cool local sights to provide the 40 young delegates an easy way to break the ice and build real friendships. Running through Aug. 12, the 10-day summer road trip takes the group from the lively streets of Seoul down to the coastal energy of Busan and the historic sights of Gyeongju. The program combines K-pop, local cuisine, gaming and heritage tours with structured policy workshops. Delegates will collaborate in cross-national teams to develop actionable policy proposals addressing five core issues: youth housing and employment, declining birth rates, artificia

1d agoBy Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea bridges East Asian divides with 4-nation youth summit in Seoul
Defense

S. Korea overhauls decades-old demining policy to reclaim borderlands

In a fundamental departure from decades of military-led legacy operations, South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense unveiled its inaugural five-year blueprint for landmine clearance, Monday. The initiative, formally titled the First Basic Plan for Mine Action (2027–2031), marks a historic shift in how the nation handles the hazardous explosive remnants buried across its landscape — transitioning from a reactive military chore to a standardized, civilian-inclusive national project. The scale of the danger remains a stubborn legacy of 20th-century conflict. Across approximately 200 sites covering 85 square kilometers — primarily clustered near the Civilian Control Line bordering the Demilitarized Zone, which separates South Korea and North Korea, and around former rear-area air defense posts — unexploded ordinance and landmines still restrict land use and pose quiet risks to nearby residents. Historically, the South Korean military handled clearance purely through the lens of tactical necessity, deploying soldiers with traditional detectors in broad, uncoordinated sweeps that

1d agoBy Jhoo Dong-chan
S. Korea overhauls decades-old demining policy to reclaim borderlands
Defense

S. Korea deploys next-generation missile defense system as N. Korean threat escalates

In a decisive step to bolster its aerial defenses against an increasingly complex array of airborne threats, South Korea officially deployed the latest production batch of its domestically engineered surface-to-air defense system, Monday. The move marks a significant milestone in Seoul’s decades-long push to achieve strategic self-reliance in high-tech warfare, reducing its dependence on foreign military architecture while fortifying its umbrella against North Korea's ballistic missile program. The system, known as the M-SAM-II, or Cheongung-II, formally assumed combat duty on Saturday following months of rigorous operational readiness simulations in Gyeonggi Province, which cradles the nation's densely populated capital region. Capable of neutralizing incoming short- to medium-range ballistic and conventional threats in their terminal flight phase, the M-SAM-II forms the bedrock of Korea’s lower-tier missile defense network. Military analysts view the operationalization of the 2026 deployment quota not merely as a routine inventory upgrade, but as the centerpiece of a broader, more

1d agoBy Jhoo Dong-chan
S. Korea deploys next-generation missile defense system as N. Korean threat escalates
Travel & Food

Busan draws 2.4 mil. foreign tourists in 1st half of 2026, driven by BTS

Driven by a surge in visitors from across Asia and a blockbuster June stadium concert by K-pop juggernaut BTS, international tourism in the southern port city of Busan shattered postpandemic records during the first half of 2026. According to municipal data released Thursday, Busan welcomed more than 2.42 million foreign visitors between January and June — a 43.9 percent jump compared to the same period of 2025. The strong turnout puts the coastal metropolis well on track to hit its ambitious target of 4 million foreign tourists by year’s end, having already achieved over 60 percent of that goal in six months. Leading the influx were travelers from Taiwan and mainland China, who accounted for nearly 40 percent of total arrivals. Taiwanese tourists surged 54 percent year-on-year to rank first overall, while Chinese arrivals nearly doubled, surging 90.7 percent. Visitors from the United States grew by 76.4 percent, with European markets like France and Britain also posting substantial gains. The surge in foot traffic translated into a massive windfall for the local economy. Foreign cre

Aug 1, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Busan draws 2.4 mil. foreign tourists in 1st half of 2026, driven by BTS
Companies

Spicing up tourism: Korea seeks to turn Buldak Spicy Ramen into gateway for travelers

It begins with a single, tear-inducing bite of searing red sauce in kitchens from Bangkok to Brooklyn. Now, Korean government officials are betting that the global obsession with Buldak Spicy Ramen — the dangerously spicy instant noodle that conquered the internet — can lure those same adventurous eaters straight off their couches and onto flights to Seoul. To turn that viral culinary obsession into real-world arrivals, the government is joining forces directly with the company behind the fiery noodles. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism signed a partnership Friday with Samyang Foods — the manufacturer behind the viral Buldak Spicy Ramen phenomenon — to transform the product’s massive global footprint into a gateway for inbound tourism. Under the agreement finalized at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, the government will pair its promotional cultural assets with Samyang’s vast international retail distribution network. The collaboration represents a novel push to use corporate K-food marketing for public diplomacy. Rather than relying sole

Jul 31, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Spicing up tourism: Korea seeks to turn Buldak Spicy Ramen into gateway for travelers
People & Events

Seoul Botanic Park marks Liberation Day with massive flower showcase

Long before it became the official national flower of Korea, the "mugunghwa" — or Rose of Sharon — held a quiet, defiant place in the country's collective memory. During decades of Japanese colonial rule in the early 20th century, the resilient pink and white blossom was systematically targeted for eradication, viewed by imperial authorities as a dangerous symbol of Korean independence and cultural endurance. As Korea prepares to mark the 81st anniversary of its liberation from colonial rule on Aug. 15, the Seoul Botanic Park said Friday it will open a massive, 18-day exhibition celebrating the historical flower. Featuring 6,086 mugunghwa plants spanning 104 distinct varieties, the outdoor display in the park's Open Forest aims to reintroduce urbanites to a blossom whose story is deeply intertwined with the nation's modern sovereignty. Running from Aug. 1-18, the showcase goes beyond standard horticulture to feature rare floral bonsai and preserved genetic lineages. Among the highlights is the public debut of a "descendant tree" saved through advanced genetic preservation techniques

Jul 31, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul Botanic Park marks Liberation Day with massive flower showcase
Companies

NC, Shengqu Games sign deal to bring Aion 2 to China

NC, the video game company formerly known as NCsoft, entered a partnership with China's Shengqu Games to publish its MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) Aion 2 in China, the Korean company said Friday. The two companies signed the agreement Wednesday at a ceremony in Shanghai attended by NC co-CEO Kim Taek-jin and Shengqu Games CEO Feng Cheng. NC and Shengqu Games have partnered since 2009, when the original Aion launched in China. Under the agreement, Shengqu Games will handle the Chinese publishing of Aion 2. The company opened an official Chinese website for the game Wednesday and unveiled its local service name, Eternal Tower 2. Further details, including a launch schedule, will be announced later, NC said. "Aion 2 realized the ideals the original game sought to achieve at an even higher level of quality," Kim said, adding that NC would do its best to make the game "a title that creates new value in China's MMORPG market and stays in players' memories for a long time." Feng described Aion 2 as more than a sequel, calling it "an innovative new title that combines NC'

Jul 31, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
NC, Shengqu Games sign deal to bring Aion 2 to China
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