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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

Seoul Design Foundation boosts circular economy startups with new training program

For years, Korea’s upcycling sector existed largely as a well-intentioned niche, characterized by small-scale artisans transforming discarded materials into eco-friendly novelties. But as consumer appetite for the circular economy matures, a fundamental shift is underway. Local companies are no longer content with merely salvaging waste; they want to build viable, competitive brands capable of capturing mainstream market share. Seeking to accelerate this commercial evolution, the Seoul Design Foundation is launching a comprehensive, six-month entrepreneurship incubator designed to turn sustainable concepts into investable businesses. The initiative, titled “Seoul Design Learn 2026: Upcycling Edition,” will run from June through November at the Seoul Upcycling Plaza, a sprawling public facility dedicated to resource circulation. Beginning this month, the foundation will host intensive sessions on the third Thursday of each month. The program is tailored for active entrepreneurs, aspiring founders and eco-conscious innovators who want to navigate the precarious valley between ideali

Jun 2, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul Design Foundation boosts circular economy startups with new training program
Environment & Animals

Korea declares yellow-throated marten endangered species as habitats shrink

To glimpse a marten, known as "dambi" in Korean, moving through the misty ridges of the Baekdudaegan mountain range is to witness an exquisite contradiction. With its pale belly and striking collar of yellow fur, the creature resembles a plush toy brought to life. But beneath that cute exterior lies one of Korea’s most efficient and calculated apex predators, an agile hunter capable of bringing down prey several times its own size. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment has designated this remarkable mammal, scientifically classified as Martes flavigula, as its Endangered Wild Species of the Month for June. Known by a variety of different regional names, including yellow-throated or continental marten, its official designation has since been unified simply as "marten." Weighing up to six kilograms and measuring nearly a meter from its dark muzzle to the tip of its long, sweeping tail, this medium-sized carnivore occupies a vital niche in the local ecosystem. While martens possess a sweet tooth for seasonal forest fruits, they are also formidable pack hunters. Operating in ti

Jun 2, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea declares yellow-throated marten endangered species as habitats shrink
Travel & Food

Korea’s global cultural push hits new milestones

Korea’s cultural and tourism sectors hit historic highs during the first year of Lee Jae Myung's administration, driven by aggressive fiscal support, relaxed visa requirements and a global surge in demand for Korean entertainment, the government said Tuesday. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism reported that outbound cultural exports, collectively known as "K-content," reached a record $14.9 billion in 2025. Concurrently, international tourist arrivals surged to an all-time high of 18.94 million, putting the country within striking distance of its ambitious long-term travel targets. The figures underscore Seoul’s strategic shift to treat its cultural output not merely as a tool for diplomatic soft power, but as a core engine of economic growth. Faced with a slowing manufacturing sector, policymakers have increasingly leaned into intellectual property, digital entertainment and services to stabilize the economy. To sustain the momentum of K-content, the government is rapidly expanding its specialized policy financing. The state-backed venture capital pool for the creative sec

Jun 2, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea’s global cultural push hits new milestones
Companies

Hyosung funds relief for descendants of Korean independence fighters in Uzbekistan

Hyosung Group has donated funds to support descendants of independence movement figures living in Uzbekistan, the company said Tuesday, marking the beginning of June — designated in Korea as Patriots and Veterans Month, a period of national commemoration honoring those who sacrificed for the country. Hyosung delivered the donation to Good Neighbors, a Seoul-based international humanitarian development nongovernmental organization operating in more than 49 countries, on Sunday. The funds will be directed to 13 households — 33 individuals in total — comprising descendants of Korean independence fighters and stateless Koryo-saram living in Uzbekistan. Koryo-saram is the term for ethnic Koreans, predominantly descendants of those forcibly deported from the Soviet Far East to Central Asia by Joseph Stalin in 1937, many of whom have lived in Uzbekistan for generations. Good Neighbors will conduct on-site needs assessments for each household before disbursing tailored support. Planned assistance includes home heating system installations and other residential improvements, high-efficienc

Jun 2, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Hyosung funds relief for descendants of Korean independence fighters in Uzbekistan
Companies

Incheon airport expands shared bicycle service to mark World Bicycle Day

Incheon International Airport Corp. said Tuesday it is expanding a shared bicycle service around Korea's main international gateway, coinciding with World Bicycle Day — a United Nations-designated observance held annually on June 3 — and in response to the country's energy-saving measures amid rising costs linked to the Middle East conflict. The corporation is partnering with BongMobility, operator of the Ddabong Bicycle bike-sharing service, to extend pickup and return zones across the airport's surrounding area. Previously available only at select docking stations, the service will now allow users to borrow and return bicycles freely at locations including Incheon International Airport Terminal 1, Sky Garden, the cargo terminal complex, Airport New Town and additional sites within the service zone. The most significant addition is a new rental and return zone at Incheon Airport Cargo Terminal Station on the Airport Railroad Express, a dedicated rail link connecting Incheon International Airport to central Seoul, and at the cargo terminal entrance. The locations were selected base

Jun 2, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Incheon airport expands shared bicycle service to mark World Bicycle Day
Korean Heritage

Recreation of King Gojong’s gift marks 140 years of Korea-France ties

When King Gojong sought to solidify Korea’s early diplomatic footing with the West following the 1886 Treaty of Amity and Commerce, he did so through an object of extreme, delicate craftsmanship. The gift he sent to French President Marie Francois Sadi Carnot was a "banwha" — an elaborate court ornament of metal flowers, gemstones and wooden branches symbolizing prosperity and longevity. That historic offering takes center stage, Wednesday, at Deoksu Palace in central Seoul. To mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France, the Korea Heritage Service's Royal Palaces and Tombs Center will open a special exhibition, titled "Gifts and Records: 140 Years of Korea-France Friendship — Banhwa: An Auspicious Heart," at Dondeokjeon Hall. The venue itself carries distinct historical echoes. Dondeokjeon, a Western-style brick pavilion built in the early 1900s, originally served as the ornate reception hall where Gojong welcomed foreign envoys. The exhibition's focal point is a meticulous reconstruction of the original banwha. Gojong's original gift was donated t

Jun 2, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Recreation of King Gojong’s gift marks 140 years of Korea-France ties
Companies

KGM Musso pickup hits 10,000 cumulative sales milestone just 5 months after release

KG Mobility said Tuesday its Musso pickup truck has surpassed 10,000 cumulative vehicles in global sales since its January launch, reinforcing the brand's dominance in Korea's domestic pickup market. The Musso reached 11,538 vehicles in combined domestic and overseas sales through May — 6,642 sold in Korea and 4,896 exported — less than five months after hitting the market. KG Mobility, more widely known as KGM, said the milestone reflects both steady domestic demand and strong export performance. KGM holds an 86 percent share of Korea's domestic pickup market for the January-May period, based on combined sales of 10,360 units across the Musso and its battery-electric sibling, the Musso EV. The company said that figure extends a run of approximately 25 consecutive years as Korea's top-selling pickup. In May alone, the Musso model captured an 88.3 percent share of the domestic pickup segment. The Musso lineup spans gasoline, diesel and electric powertrains, and offers multiple cab and bed configurations with payload capacities ranging from 400 to 700 kilograms. KGM said the breadth of

Jun 2, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
KGM Musso pickup hits 10,000 cumulative sales milestone just 5 months after release
Companies

Johnnie Walker Black Ruby targets younger drinkers with layered highball

Diageo Korea launched a new marketing campaign in Korea for Johnnie Walker Black Ruby Tuesday, positioning the sherry cask-matured Scotch whisky as an accessible entry point into the sherry whisky category for younger consumers. The campaign, titled "Ruby is the New Sherry," centers on a signature serve called the Ruby Floating Highball — a two-layer drink in which the whisky's deep sherry notes sit beneath a lighter, sweeter upper layer, creating a visual ruby-colored float that Diageo Korea says conveys both the flavor contrast and the aesthetic character of Black Ruby. Johnnie Walker Black Ruby is a blended Scotch whisky matured in a combination of Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks, first-fill red wine casks and ex-bourbon barrels. The blend delivers caramel and vanilla sweetness alongside red berry aromas, and is positioned as a more approachable alternative to traditional heavier sherry whiskies. A brand launch event, the "Johnnie Walker Black Ruby Sherry Night," is being held Tuesday evening at Mood Seoul, a venue in Seocho District, Seoul. The event offers attendees the Rub

Jun 2, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Johnnie Walker Black Ruby targets younger drinkers with layered highball
Companies

SK Bioscience wins first UNICEF flu vaccine supply contract

Vaccine maker SK Bioscience said Tuesday it has been selected as a supplier of influenza vaccines to UNICEF for the first time, marking a significant expansion of the company's presence in the global public procurement market. SK Bioscience has begun shipping its cell culture-based influenza vaccine SKYCellflu to countries in the southern hemisphere, including Laos, Myanmar and Fiji, and will begin supplying northern hemisphere markets — including Ethiopia, Lebanon, Albania and the Palestinian territories — in September. Total deliveries are expected to reach approximately 640,000 doses by the end of the year, aligned with each country's vaccination schedule. The company was designated as UNICEF's sole supplier for southern hemisphere demand this season and as a major supplier for the northern hemisphere, an arrangement that SK Bioscience said will allow it to maintain year-round production capacity and accumulate operational experience across different seasonal demand cycles. The UNICEF contract extends SK Bioscience's footprint in international public procurement alongside its exi

Jun 2, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
SK Bioscience wins first UNICEF flu vaccine supply contract
People & Events

Indonesian student groups hold AI ethics forum at Yonsei University

A student-led forum on artificial intelligence (AI) ethics brought together participants from more than a dozen countries at Yonsei University in Seoul on Saturday, with academics, technology entrepreneurs and industry professionals joining undergraduates for a day of discussions and networking. The event, titled "Resilient Future: Reimagining Ethical AI," was the fifth annual networking forum organized by the Yonsei-Indonesia Association (YIA), an Indonesian student group at Yonsei University, and the Seoul National University Indonesian Students Association (SNUnesia). The Yonsei Underwood International College Career Development Center served as co-organizer, and the event received official support from the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Seoul. Students from Indonesia, Korea, Vietnam, India and Russia, among other countries, attended the forum, which was held on the campus of Yonsei University — one of Korea's leading private research universities, founded in 1885 and located in Seodaemun District in western Seoul. The program opened with remarks from John M. Frankl, dean

Jun 2, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Indonesian student groups hold AI ethics forum at Yonsei University
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