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Lee Kyung-min

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People & Events

Gwanghwamun memorial garden draws 500,000 visitors, celebrates Swedish ties

Seoul’s Garden of Gratitude has drawn more than 500,000 visitors in its first 160 days, as the memorial space prepares to celebrate its ties with Sweden through a weekend of cultural events, performances and a special light display. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said the garden recorded 500,157 visitors as of Monday, according to an automated counting system. Located at Gwanghwamun Square, the garden honors countries and veterans who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War and invites visitors to reflect on freedom, peace and international solidarity. Its outdoor installation, “23 Lights of Gratitude,” symbolizes appreciation for the countries that supported Korea during the war, while an underground exhibition hall called Freedom Hall uses digital media to tell the story of the conflict and Korea’s transformation from an aid recipient into a donor nation. Sweden has added a new element to the memorial, donating syenite quarried in Ekeröd, Sweden, in August, the city said. The dark stone, flecked with green and shimmering silver, purple and gold crystals, marks the first stone donat

Oct 21, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Gwanghwamun memorial garden draws 500,000 visitors, celebrates Swedish ties
People & Events

Seoul Wellness Travel Week brings meditation, food, art to city

Seoul will turn meditation, traditional cuisine and live music into a citywide invitation to slow down as it hosts Seoul Wellness Travel Week beginning Saturday, with programs centered on Gangnam District and eight wellness destinations across the city. Organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the 12-day event, running until Nov. 4, will showcase experiences designed around three themes: rest, food and culture, under the slogan “Seoul, Defines the Next Wellness.” At Bongeunsa Temple, visitors can join sound-bowl meditation, yoga, tea gatherings and restorative exercise on Saturday and Sunday, with 15 wellness programs planned across the two days. Highlights include a meditation session led by Ven. Geumgang, chair of the Jogye Order’s Seon Meditation Committee, and an evening walking meditation through the temple grounds. Most temple programs cost 5,000 won ($3.60), while Ven. Geumgang’s meditation session is free. At Pilkyungjae, a traditional Korean house in Gangnam with a history spanning about 500 years, artist Kim Won-cheon’s handmade "hanji" (traditional Korean paper

Oct 21, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Seoul Wellness Travel Week brings meditation, food, art to city
Korean Heritage

Digital technology brings Korea's architectural heritage to life

Korea’s ancient architecture is moving beyond the ruins, with digital technology offering new ways to preserve historic sites and bring them to life for modern audiences. The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage will host an international symposium on digital documentation and use of architectural heritage Nov. 4 at the WesternLife Hotel in Iksan, North Jeolla Province. The event will examine how digital records of historic buildings can support preservation, reconstruction and public engagement, drawing on examples from Korea, France and China. The symposium will also explore how cultural heritage data is being used beyond academic research, including in video games and immersive media, as researchers seek new ways to connect audiences with historic sites. The program features a keynote address by Kang Hyun of the institute on preserving and using architectural heritage through digital technology, followed by five presentations. Min Hwang-sik, also of the institute, will discuss findings and challenges from digital reconstruction research at Mireuksa, an ancient temple site

Oct 21, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Digital technology brings Korea's architectural heritage to life
People & Events

Gwanghui Road Festa launches Seoul's downtown 'Gourmet Silk Road'

From Mongolian lamb ribs to Uzbek shashlik and Russian Napoleon cake, a unique food festival in central Seoul’s Gwanghui-dong neighborhood will offer visitors a taste of five cultures on Saturday, aiming to transform the multicultural district into a prime destination for global cuisine. The 2026 Gwanghui Road Festa will run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., taking place across the commercial alleyways near Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station, according to the Seoul Credit Guarantee Foundation’s Myeongdong Comprehensive Support Center. Organized with Jung District, the festival is part of Seoul’s local-brand development initiative, which aims to promote the Central Asian street in Gwanghui-dong as a commercial district where food and cultures converge. The event will introduce Gwanghui Road, a new brand inspired by the Silk Road and its historic role in connecting people, goods and culinary traditions across regions. The area near Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station has about 250 businesses, including restaurants and grocery stores serving Uzbek, Russian and Mongolian specialti

Oct 21, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Gwanghui Road Festa launches Seoul's downtown 'Gourmet Silk Road'
South Korea

Korea expands farm technology support for war-scarred South Sudan

Korean peacekeepers deployed under the United Nations Mission in South Sudan are leveraging advanced agricultural science to help improve food security in one of the country's most vulnerable regions. The initiative, led by Korea’s Rural Development Administration in partnership with the military’s Hanbit Unit, integrates high-yield crop technologies into civil-affairs operations to help local communities work toward long-term agricultural self-sufficiency. Rather than relying solely on short-term food aid, Korean agricultural experts are embedding field-tested farming techniques into military civil assistance, establishing a scalable model for military-led development assistance. South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011 following decades of conflict, continues to suffer from severe food insecurity compounded by seasonal flooding, internal instability and economic shocks. The ongoing crisis in neighboring Sudan has further strained local resources as more than 1.4 million refugees and returnees have poured across the border since 2023, swelling demand for basic staples in alre

Oct 21, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Korea expands farm technology support for war-scarred South Sudan
Companies

Cosmax joins Harvard-affiliated hospital network to pursue anti-aging, metabolic research

Cosmax Group is moving beyond cosmetics into medical and biotechnology research through an expanded partnership with a Harvard-affiliated hospital network, targeting potential treatments and health products for aging, weight management and metabolic health. The Korean cosmetics manufacturer said Tuesday it signed an agreement Oct. 13 in Boston with Mass General Brigham (MGB) to launch the second phase of their joint microbiome research, known as the VIVA project. The partnership builds on research conducted from 2024 to 2026 that identified how a substance derived from certain microorganisms eased symptoms in an atopic dermatitis model and improved skin barrier function, according to Cosmax. The findings were published in Allergy, an international journal covering allergy and clinical immunology, and Cosmax has filed a Korean patent application related to the microbial technology. Under the second phase, running from 2026 through 2029, the companies plan to broaden their work beyond cosmetic ingredients to functional ingredients for health supplements and potential drug candidates. The re

Oct 21, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Cosmax joins Harvard-affiliated hospital network to pursue anti-aging, metabolic research
Business

Genon expands in Indonesia after successful Nike production validation

Artificial intelligence (AI) solutions company Genon is expanding its manufacturing automation business in Indonesia after passing production validation for Nike footwear inspections and securing follow-on projects covering additional quality checks and robotic automation. The company said Wednesday that its AI vision inspection system detected defects in Nike outsoles with accuracy rates of 99.7 percent and 99.2 percent across two footwear styles, clearing final validation for Nike footwear production. Genon began developing the system last year, using high-resolution industrial cameras and specialized lighting to capture product surfaces, which AI analyzes to identify defects and classify products according to quality standards. The validation was designed to assess performance in real production conditions, rather than merely test technical capabilities, Genon said. The company is preparing to develop production-ready models this year, with plans to deploy the technology on manufacturing lines beginning in 2027 and gradually expand its use across products and facilities. Building on th

Oct 21, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Genon expands in Indonesia after successful Nike production validation
Companies

Hankook Tire expands EV partnership with Volkswagen compact vehicles

Hankook Tire is extending its electric vehicle (EV) partnership with Volkswagen, supplying specialized tires for two upcoming compact EVs as the German automaker seeks to broaden its electric lineup. Hankook Tire & Technology, part of Hankook & Company Group, said the iON evo summer performance tires and iON i*cept winter tires will be fitted as original equipment on Volkswagen’s ID. Polo and ID. Cross. Both vehicles are built on Volkswagen Group’s next-generation MEB+ electric vehicle platform and are designed to bring electric mobility to a broader market. The ID. Polo is the production version of the ID. 2all concept and an electric counterpart to Volkswagen’s established Polo nameplate, while the ID. Cross is a compact sport utility vehicle aimed at urban drivers. Hankook Tire will supply 18-inch iON evo summer tires and 17-inch iON i*cept winter tires for the ID. Polo, while the ID. Cross will use 17-inch and 19-inch iON evo tires. The products incorporate the company’s iON Innovative Technology, which is designed to balance low road noise, extended tread life, grip and reduc

Oct 21, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Hankook Tire expands EV partnership with Volkswagen compact vehicles
Companies

POSCO International earns top AAA rating for customs compliance

POSCO International, the trading and energy arm of steelmaker POSCO Group, has secured the highest rating under the country’s Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program — a top-tier certification set to streamline customs clearance and bolster its global supply chain network. The company said Wednesday it received the AAA certification at a ceremony held at Incheon Customs, following years of improvements to its import and export management systems. The AEO program, established under World Customs Organization standards, evaluates companies on regulatory compliance, internal controls, financial soundness and security management, assigning ratings of A, AA or AAA. POSCO International first earned an A rating in 2013 before advancing to AA in 2022, continuing to refine its trade processes and internal oversight before achieving the top tier this year. The company handles about 40,000 import and export customs declarations annually, making faster clearance procedures a potential source of greater logistics efficiency and lower operating costs. Under the AAA rating, the proportion of ship

Oct 21, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
POSCO International earns top AAA rating for customs compliance
K-pop

R&B hitmaker Crush and IU reunite on soulful new single 'Seesaw'

R&B singer Crush is back with “Seesaw,” a charming new duet with pop icon IU that captures the delightful awkwardness of falling in love — marking his first solo release in more than a year. Set to be released Wednesday at 6 p.m., the single follows his August 2025 EP “FANG” and its lead track, “UP ALL NITE,” featuring SUMIN. In an interview ahead of the release, Crush discussed the song’s creation, his collaboration with IU and his hopes for the music he leaves behind. Q. What does it mean to release new music under your own name after such a long break? Crush: I’m excited and happy to share new music with listeners again. I’ve spent the past year exploring different musical ideas and thinking deeply about what kind of music I can express most confidently. “Seesaw” grew out of that process, and I hope it becomes a song that stays with people in their everyday lives. Q. What inspired the song, and what did you focus on while making it? Crush: It captures the little misunderstandings and awkward moments that two people experience when they fall in love, in a cute and

Oct 21, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
R&B hitmaker Crush and IU reunite on soulful new single 'Seesaw'
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