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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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South Korea

McDonald's and local farmers: Fast food helps fight rural shrinkage in Korea

In the quiet agricultural expanse of Chungju, local farmers have long cultivated waxy sweet corn — a regional treasure prized for its delicate texture and subtle sweetness. Now, that homegrown staple is making an unlikely leap from roadside market stalls directly into the fast-food mainstream across Korea. Under a public-private pact signed Monday between the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, McDonald’s Korea and four regional municipalities, global fast food is being harnessed as an engine for rural economic revival. Announced at Government Complex Seoul, the agreement connects corporate product design with local produce to inject vitality into shrinking agricultural communities, spanning Chungju in North Chungcheong Province, Hongcheon in Gangwon Province, and Jinju and Changnyeong in South Gyeongsang Province. At the core of the initiative is McDonald’s long-running “Taste of Korea” campaign, which has sourced domestic crops since 2021. Under the expanded partnership, nationwide McDonald’s locations will launch a featured hamburger highlighting Chungju waxy corn, along

Jul 28, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
McDonald's and local farmers: Fast food helps fight rural shrinkage in Korea
Education

Korea rethinks higher education as regional labor shortages mount

Facing a shrinking domestic population and mounting labor shortages, Korea is pivoting its international education strategy. Instead of simply recruiting foreign students for university tuition revenues, the government is building pipelines to convert international graduates into permanent local workers. The Ministry of Education on Tuesday unveiled the winners of its inaugural competition recognizing universities that successfully help international students secure jobs, launch startups and settle in regional communities. Kyung Hee University and Jeonju Vision College took top honors in the general and vocational university categories, respectively, while Kangwon National University, Kyungsung University, Chungnam National University and Kyungbok University earned runner-up awards. The initiative comes as Korea seeks to address a glaring gap in its higher education landscape: Despite rising international enrollment, the post-graduation employment rate for foreign students stands at just 33.4 percent, compared to the overall graduate average of 69.5 percent. "We must expand support so th

Jul 28, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea rethinks higher education as regional labor shortages mount
Education

Seoul AI Foundation, MIT lab launch joint AI talent program for Korean students

In a bid to position itself as a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI), Seoul is turning its urban landscape into a living laboratory for the next generation of data scientists and urban planners. The Seoul AI Foundation said Monday that it has partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Senseable City Lab — one of the world’s foremost research groups studying data-driven urban design — to launch a series of joint global AI education programs for university students in Korea. The initiative blends academic seminars, immersive summer courses, and hands-on capstone internships, giving local students direct access to top-tier researchers from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Earlier this year, the MIT Senseable City Lab established the "Seoul Global AI Lab," its fourth international outpost and its first in Asia. The new joint educational programs build on that research anchor, aligning with Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s strategic push to turn Seoul into an international hub for AI talent. "This is a valuable opportunity for Seoul’s future talent to build global capabilities

Jul 27, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul AI Foundation, MIT lab launch joint AI talent program for Korean students
Environment & Animals

Solar-lit streets protect pedestrians at night in Seoul's Gyeongnidan area

In the hillside neighborhood of Gyeongnidan-gil, a bustling district framed by Mount Nam and vibrant nightlife, the charm of winding alleys and steep slopes has long come with a quiet hazard: dark, uneven curves where sidewalks blend seamlessly into traffic after sunset. Now, a community-led simple innovation is lighting the way forward. Yongsan District said Monday that its initiative to install solar-powered pavement markers along Gyeongnidan-gil was selected by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety as a national best practice in public safety. The project, which placed solar studs along a 940-meter stretch of roadway, traces its roots directly to local residents. Recognizing the risk to nighttime pedestrians, community members proposed the installation through the district’s participatory budgeting program, a system designed to give citizens a direct voice in how local public funds are spent. Yongsan District Mayor Kim Kyoung-dae’s administration embraced the proposal, combining the resident initiative with expert consultations in traffic and urban design. The result was the dep

Jul 27, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Solar-lit streets protect pedestrians at night in Seoul's Gyeongnidan area
People & Events

Young speakers tackle environmental issues at Songdo public speaking championship

The second annual Green Project Public Speaking Championship, sponsored by The Korea Times and organized by New Era Academy, was held Saturday and Sunday at the University of Utah Asia Campus in Songdo, Incheon. The event drew 44 registered participants from across Korea, many of them competing before a judging panel for the first time. Only 10 speakers advanced to the final round. Aimed at speakers between the ages of 9 and 18, the tournament asked participants to present creative environmental solutions in TED-style talks across a five-round format that grew progressively more demanding. In the first two rounds, contestants delivered prepared speeches based on their own research on environmental solutions. In the third and fourth rounds, they were given topics on the spot and allowed four to five minutes to prepare before speaking. In the final round, held before a panel of six judges, contestants had to speak immediately after receiving their topic, with no preparation time. Bae Seo-jun, 13, won the junior category, and Sohn Ye-bin, 14, won the senior category; both attend Seoul Foreig

Jul 27, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Young speakers tackle environmental issues at Songdo public speaking championship
People & Events

Seoul to launch 16-day summer festival along Han River

As summer temperatures rise across the capital, Seoul is offering residents and travelers an expansive escape right in the heart of the city. Starting Saturday, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will kick off the "2026 Hangang Festival - Summer," turning the banks and waters of the Han River into a sprawling, 16-day urban resort designed for budget-friendly summer getaways. Running through Aug. 16 across nine riverfront parks, the annual festival features 16 distinct programs spanning cultural performances, water sports and overnight events. By leveraging the city's primary liquid asset, municipal authorities aim to provide accessible recreation without the hassle or expense of long-distance travel. "The Han River has historically served as a cherished summer retreat for Seoul residents, offering a place for river bathing and boating," said Park Jin-young, head of Seoul’s Future Hangang Project Headquarters. "Through this summer's festival, we hope visitors enjoy a diverse mix of cultural shows and water activities while boosting local businesses around the waterfront." Among the festi

Jul 27, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul to launch 16-day summer festival along Han River
Companies

Hankook Tire to fit Porsche 911 Carrera with original equipment tires

Hankook Tire & Technology will supply the ultrahigh-performance "Ventus S1 evo Z" tire as original equipment for Porsche's 911 Carrera, marking an expansion of its long-running supply partnership with the German sports car maker, the Korean tire company said. The tires will come in two sizes tailored to the 911 Carrera's distinct front and rear specifications: 235/40 ZR19 for the front and 295/35 ZR20 for the rear. Because the 911 Carrera has a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, Hankook Tire said the tires needed to deliver a careful balance of dry and wet performance along with precise steering response, strong grip and stability at high speed. The tire maker said it built the product on roughly a decade of original-equipment cooperation with Porsche, following years of development and testing. The result met the automaker's technical requirements closely enough to earn Porsche's official "NA2" certification marking, which denotes a tire developed specifically for a given model. The front and rear tires use separate tread designs, profiles and rubber compounds suited to their differ

Jul 27, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Hankook Tire to fit Porsche 911 Carrera with original equipment tires
Defense

Korea named inaugural chair of ISO drone cybersecurity working group

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has formally launched a dedicated working group to draft global cybersecurity rules for drones, tapping a Korean cybersecurity scholar to lead the effort. This initiative comes as security vulnerabilities of airborne tech have moved to the center of international concerns, with uncrewed aircraft systems shifting from novelty gadgets to critical infrastructure — delivering packages, conducting industrial inspections and assisting in national defense. At the 21st plenary meeting of the ISO’s uncrewed aircraft systems subcommittee (ISO/TC20/SC16) in Brussels last week, member nations approved the creation of Working Group 10 (WG10), focused exclusively on drone cybersecurity. Lee Jong-hyuk, a professor of information security at Sejong University, was appointed as its inaugural convenor. The appointment marks a key victory for Korea, which has actively lobbied for standardized cybersecurity protocols since 2025. With the formal establishment of WG10, ISO officially initiated work on its first baseline security document, designate

Jul 27, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea named inaugural chair of ISO drone cybersecurity working group
Companies

Sidiz puts office chair on racetrack for launch of new T50 model

Progressive seating brand Sidiz said Monday it marked the launch of its redesigned "T50" office chair with an unusual event: a chair race. The event, called "Sidiz Chair Race," was held Saturday at Sidiz's manufacturing plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, and drew 60 participants who competed in individual and team chair races, along with a fitness-themed event called "Chair Rocks." Rather than a static product showcase, the race let participants experience the chair's durability and handling by riding it through a dynamic course. The T50, launched in 2007, has sold more than 3 million units and become one of Korea's best-selling office chairs. Sidiz said it built the new second-generation model on 20 years of accumulated user data, overhauling its core components, and designed the race to reintroduce the chair as something people could actively move and compete on rather than simply sit in. The competition format was modeled on Japan's office-chair racing event, ISU-1 GP. Participants, recruited through the running media and travel platform CLTOO, formed teams of three and competed

Jul 27, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Sidiz puts office chair on racetrack for launch of new T50 model
K-pop

Hanroro brings modern rock polish to classic 'Evangelion' theme song

Nearly three decades after its release, "A Cruel Angel’s Thesis" — the iconic theme song to the legendary anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion" — is getting a fresh, modern rock revival. Korean singer-songwriter Hanroro has been tapped as the second artist for the ongoing J-POP REMAKE initiative, with her Korean-language reimagining of the 1995 classic set to drop on July 30 at 6 p.m. The choice of artist feels deliberate. Hanroro, who clinched Artist of the Year at the 2026 Korean Music Awards, has carved out a distinct niche in the domestic music scene through her poetic songwriting, delicate vocals and atmospheric modern rock arrangements. Expectations for the official release are particularly high following a viral live performance at WONDERLIVET 2024, where Hanroro first covered the track. Her ability to retain the grand, explosive energy of Yoko Takahashi’s original while infusing it with her own vulnerable, narrative-driven vocal style sparked an immediate wave of fan requests for a studio version. A teaser image released Sunday hints at a concert poster aesthetic, signaling a h

Jul 27, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Hanroro brings modern rock polish to classic 'Evangelion' theme song
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