The Korea Times

Fountain of Seoul

By Shim Hyun-chul Staff reporter Summer is here. The strong sunrays are hitting the asphalt, turning the ground into virtual hot grills. The traffic is congested and the city is as busy as usual, while a holiday couldn’t seem any further away. All in all, the weather is growing hotter by the day. The only urban sanity-saver these days are the splendid sprays of water from the fountains of Seoul. Get closer to them, and listen to the burst of water soar high up and then fall to the ground with a cooling thump. It will make you forget about the travails of summer in the city. The 286 fountains located at Seoul’s major parks and “green” areas have been in operation since April. They are scattered across Seoul ? from the Ttukseom Seoul Forest and Boramae Park to Mt. Nam Park and even Seoul Plaza in downtown Seoul. In particular, Gwanghwamun Plaza near the Sejong Center for the Peforming Arts is a magnetic draw for both Seoulites and tourists alike. Seoul City makes sure that the water quality of these fountains is on par with that of swimming pools. This year the c

Jun 17, 2010By Shim Hyun-chul

Photo News

Haeundae sand festival

By Shim Hyun-chul Staff reporter The refreshing sound of waves breaking against the shore echoes at Busan's Haeundae Beach. Children build their own respective empires of imagination using the abundant white sand. Sandcastles are piled upward in brilliant shapes, though the walls are covered with decorative seashell jewelry. Holes poked at the bottom of the structures allow a sea-filled moat to form, and the image of the castle is sufficiently convincing. The expression on a child's face building a sandcastle is a sober as an architect's while designing a skyscraper. But as the coming tide destroys the creation, the innocent children patiently begins work on another, unaware of the passing of time. Everyone has at least one nostalgic memory of building a sandcastle on the beach. In honor of these faded, but warm recollections, a festival at Haeundae's beach resort calls adults and children alike to play in the sand. The Haeundae Sand Festival began in 2005, as part of a commemorative event for the APEC summit, before evolving into an annual affair that now attracts

Jun 10, 2010By Shim Hyun-chul

Photo News

Emergency rescue drill for G-20 Seoul summit

By Shim Hyun-chul Staff reporter It's just past 10 a.m. on Monday at a hotel in Seoul. An unidentified terrorist has installed explosives and sprayed chemicals inside the building and goes on to make a scene by threatening a hostage. Upon receiving a phone call from an onlooker, soldiers and police officers arrive in no time to seize the culprit. This is where the Special Rescue Unit and come into the picture. Members of the unit help civilians to safety while the military chemical unit cleans up the chemical mess using specialized equipment. As fire begins to spread inside the hotel, dozens of fire trucks on standby hose it down. Meanwhile the Special Rescue Unit saves hotel guests who were unable to escape beforehand. The training comes to an end as each unit tends to the aftermath of the disaster. This coming November the G-20 summit will be held in Korea, calling for more preparation than ever for ensuring safety and responding to emergency situations. The Monday session was held under the auspices of the Seoul Jungbu Fire Station to counter disasters that could happ

May 27, 2010By Shim Hyun-chul

Photo News

Spring Sneaks In

By Shim Hyun-chul Staff Reporter The long wait for spring has ended. The new season is finally amidst us, sprouting its crown jewels ― the flower blossoms ― here and there in our neighborhoods. One doesn't have to travel far to enjoy the glorious gifts of spring. There are plenty of options here in Seoul. Recently, Seoul City has designated ``100 Flower Roads'' to walk along this season. They consist of 36 lanes within parks, 29 along Seoul's roadsides and 31 along the city's rivers. Some of these have added features, making them good for walking, driving or jogging through, so there is no shortage of selection. For family outings and romantic dates, the flower roads by Mt. Nam, Ttukseom, Seoul Woods and World Cup Park are recommended. In particular, Mt. Nam, situated in the smack center of Seoul, is abundant in its offerings of forsythia, azalea and cherry blossoms. Along the northern part of Mt. Nam, the cherry blossoms are breaking free, akin to snowflakes fluttering in the wind. The Yunjungno in Yeouido is one of the most famous roads for the blossoms. The sm

Apr 22, 2010By Shim Hyun-chul

Photo News

Convering With Stars

By Shim Hyun-chul Staff Reporter Last year, the nation's first rocket, Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1) unfortunately failed to make it into space. Yet scientists are ever busy preparing for a second attempt with the Naro-2, in addition to the launching of the satellite Cheollian. Human civilizations have studied the sky and stars since ancient times, looking to constellations to guide nocturnal voyages and to make choices regarding the fate of kingdoms. Today, space science is the pinnacle of modern technology. The Seoul Museum of History is currently holding a special exhibition, ``Celestial Rendezvous,'' featuring various items related to astronomy that were donated by local citizens. The scale of the event may be small, but a wide-ranging array of objects from different time periods can be viewed. Moreover, the relics reflect not only astronomical technologies but also the thoughts of the time periods from which they originate. Furthermore, they provide a sketch of how East Asian astronomy has evolved. The exhibition is split into three parts: the astronomical c

Apr 15, 2010By Shim Hyun-chul

Shim Hyun-chul

Read more

Fountain of Seoul

Haeundae sand festival

Emergency rescue drill for G-20 Seoul summit

Spring Sneaks In

Convering With Stars

Top 5 stories