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Kim Se-jeong

Korea Times K-Culture Reporter

I am covering trend, food and fashion. Previously, I covered diplomacy, city, environment and unification.

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South Korea

'I can't die without getting apology'

Kim Bok-dong, a victim of Japan’s sexual slavery before and during World War II, wearing a yellow vest, participates in a rally outside the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C., Wednesday. / YonhapJapan sex slavery victim holds rally in Washington, D.C.By Kim Se-jeong Kim Bok-dong, one of the Korean survivors of sexual slavery during World War II, demanded an apology from Japan on Wednesday at a rally in front of the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C.“I can’t die without receiving an apology from the Japanese government,” Kim, 89, said. “Japan should not just sit idle after having deceived young women to serve as slaves.” She was joined by Korean activists and supporters.Kim was the first “comfort woman” to protest in front of the Japanese Embassy in the U.S. capital. The rally was organized by the Washington Coalition for Comfort Women Issues, an NGO.In Korea, victims began a rally in January 1992 that takes place every Wednesday outside the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. Activists in the U.S. said they will hold rallies in other U.

Jul 2, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
Travel & Food

Enjoy summer weekend at Park Hyatt Seoul

Park Hyatt Seoul offers the “Summer at the Park” package, which includes a one-night stay at a standard Park King room. / Courtesy of Park Hyatt SeoulBy Kim Se-jeong Are you worried about going somewhere outdoors for the weekend because of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome? If so, a staycation at a hotel might just be what you need.Park Hyatt Seoul offers the “Summer at the Park” package, which includes a one-night stay at a standard Park King room, access to the indoor swimming pool and gym, a bottle of champagne and breakfast for two.If you think this sounds like any other summer hotel package, think again.First off, Park Hyatt is one of the Hyatt brand’s most luxurious chains and provides exceptional service. The staff-to-clientele ratio is 1.5, so the staff members are available almost immediately when you need them.Cornerstone, the Park Hyatt’s flagship restaurant, offers a special deal for summer package guests. A dinner course for two is available at 80,000 won.Each of the 185 rooms is assigned to staff members, who much like your pe

Jul 2, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
Enjoy summer weekend at Park Hyatt Seoul
Travel & Food

Grand Hyatt Incheon earns green building certificate

The Grand Hyatt Incheon had to create a garden with trees on the second floor event deck to cover the wooden floor and keep the building’s temperature low. / Courtesy of Grand Hyatt IncheonBy Kim Se-jeong The Grand Hyatt Incheon has become the latest hotel in Korea to earn a green building certificate for its 500-room new wing which opened in September last year.The hotel received a LEED Gold Certificate from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.“Our LEED Gold Certificate is the result of our efforts, and we will continue to do our best to offer a healthy and clean environment for guests by reducing waste and introducing other eco-hotel practices,” the hotel’s general manager Paul Wright said in a statement.A LEED Platinum Certificate is the highest that can be achieved, followed by the “Certified” and “Silver” certificates.To complete the certification program, the Grand Hyatt Incheon needed to meet the USGBC’s 70 requirements, which start from a bui

Jul 2, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
Grand Hyatt Incheon earns green building certificate
South Korea

1,600 paper pandas on display near Lotte World

Paper pandas made by French artist Paulo Grangeon / YonhapBy Kim Se-jeong A total of 1,600 paper pandas made by French artist Paulo Grangeon will be on display near Seokchon Lake in southern Seoul from today.The free exhibition, which will continue until July 30, follows last year’s successful display of a floating 16-meter rubber duck, the work of Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, according to the Songpa District Office.The opening ceremony is today and the exhibition will be open to the public on Friday. The pandas were previously displayed at Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and Dongdaemun Design Plaza. Outside Seoul, they were also displayed in Busan and Daejeon.The French artist is having a global tour with the paper pandas in an effort to raise awareness for endangered species, in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature.The 1,600 paper pandas represent the number of real pandas left on Earth. The animal originated in southern China. Its population decreased over the years as farming, deforestation and other dev

Jul 1, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
1,600 paper pandas on display near Lotte World
South Korea

Former KNOC CEO detained

By Kim Se-jeongKang Young-wonThe prosecution has detained Kang Young-won, former CEO of the state-run Korea National Oil Corp. (KNOC), over allegations that he inflicted 1 trillion won ($1 billion) in losses on the firm after a failed investment in 2009.Kang’s detention is part of an ongoing investigation into the “failed energy diplomacy” initiated under former President Lee Myung-bak. Kang was summoned for questioning early last month.The Seoul Central District Court issued a detention warrant for Kang, Tuesday.In 2009, the KNOC acquired Harvest Operations, a Canadian oil producer and its refinery unit North Atlantic Refining Limited (NARL) for 4.6 million won and 1.2 trillion won, respectively. The acquisition of NARL was a last-minute decision by Kang.However, the state-run oil company ended up selling the NARL for 33.8 billion won last year after frequent loses by the unit. The sale caused the KNOC to lose almost 1 trillion won.The prosecution’s probe began in January after the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) filed a complaint against Kang for breach

Jul 1, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
Former KNOC CEO detained
South Korea

Seoul, Gyeonggi allowed to use landfill site until 2025

By Kim Se-jeong Incheon has agreed to extend its contract with Seoul and Gyeonggi Province to allow them to use a landfill site there until 2025.Under the contract, signed by Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, Gyeonggi Governor Nam Kyung-pil and Environmental Minister Yoon Seong-kyu, Saturday, Seoul and Gyeonggi will be able to dump household waste in the landfill site.They also agreed to set up their own landfill site which will be used after 2025.The deal came after a yearlong conflict between Incheon and other municipal governments over the use of the landfill site.The landfill site is divided into four sections. The first section was filled in 2000 and was closed. When allowing use of the second section, Incheon said it would allow Seoul and Gyeonggi to use it only until 2016, citing environmental damage and residents’ complaints related to the site.Under the new agreement, Incheon will own more than 16 million square meters of land on the site. Currently, Seoul owns 71.3 percent of the land and the ministry, the rest. Incheon will also take over t

Jun 28, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
South Korea

No new MERS cases reported

By Kim Se-jeong Health authorities said Sunday no additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) had been confirmed.This is the first time in eight days that no more MERS patients were reported.The virus has so far killed 32 people. The number of confirmed cases remained at 182, 91 of whom have recovered. Among the remaining 91 patients, 15 are in critical condition.Despite the optimistic signs, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said it was too early to say that the outbreak had peaked.“We still have several hospitals to keep a close eye on,” an official said.The list of those hospitals includes Kyung Hee University University at Gangdong; Hallym University Kangdong Sacred Heart and Konkuk University Medical Center _ all in Seoul. Two other hospitals _ in Gangneung, Gangwon Province and Guri, Gyeonggi Province _ are also under close watch.Hallym University Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital may potentially become another epicenter like Samsung Medical Center (SMC).The 173rd patient, a 70-year-old woman, who was treated at Hallym, possibly came into contact

Jun 28, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
No new MERS cases reported
South Korea

Ex-green growth chief blames gov't for lowering carbon emission goals

By Kim Se-jeongYoung Soo-gilYoung Soo-gil, who played a crucial role in setting up Korea’s carbon emission goals in 2009, criticized the Park Geun-hye administration Sunday for attempting to lower emission targets for the benefit of businesses.“All four proposals being discussed undermine Korea’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions made before the international community,” said Young in a statement.Young, who headed the Presidential Committee on Green Growth under the Lee Myung-bak government, is currently heading the Korean office of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), launched by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2012. The green growth panel is now under the Office of the Prime Minister.“The SDSN would like to suggest that the government recalculate the numbers using accurate data and open debate to come up with a new reduction target,” Young said.In 2009, the Lee government vowed that by 2020, Korea would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent from the business as usual (BAU) level in 2005, with antic

Jun 28, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
Ex-green growth chief blames gov't for lowering carbon emission goals
Travel & Food

Charm of canal cruise in Amsterdam

Amsterdam’s canals are more than 100 kilometers long, and listed as one of World Heritages by UNESCO. /  Courtesy of www.iamsterdam.comBy Kim Se-jeongAMSTERDAM ― Cruising has gained popularity among travelers over the years. It offers travelers with a perspective that’s different from a walking tour. A traveler can get a broader picture of the place he or she is visiting in a short amount of time. All the necessary services are there, from food to lodging, to accommodate the traveler’s needs.Cruising through canals in Amsterdam has unique charms that attract torrents of visitors who visit the city every year.The canals define the city’s landscape and are all over the city and are interconnected. They are more than 100 kilometers long, with almost 1,500 bridges and 90 islands. In 2010, the UNESCO recognized the canals as one of its World Heritages.The Dutch King’s Day in April is when canals are filled with boats and people. They are an integral part of the city’s history. They were built in line with the city’s expansion i

Jun 25, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
Charm of canal cruise in Amsterdam
South Korea

MERS 'patient zero' recovering

By Kim Se-jeong The first patient confirmed to have Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in Korea is recovering after receiving treatment for over one month, according to health authorities Wednesday.The 68-year-old man who still has pneumonia tested negative for the virus Tuesday. His MERS infection was confirmed May 20.The authorities are waiting for the results of a second test, and if that is negative, he will be discharged from the negative pressure quarantine room at the National Medical Center (NMC) and sent to a general ward where he will be treated for pneumonia. His condition is still uncertain and he is having extracorporeal membrane oxygenation intermittently.He was transferred to NMC from Seoul Medical Center where he was diagnosed with the virus.If he recovers, he will be the second super spreader to overcome the disease. The nation’s 14th patient, a 35-year-old man, who contracted the virus from the first patient at St. Mary Hospital in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, recovered and was sent home Tuesday.What became Korea’s worse infectious disease cr

Jun 24, 2015By Kim Se-jeong
  • No MERS deaths for two days
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