Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Professor's compliment-rewarding AI wins innovation grand prize

Min Byoung-chul, chair and founder of the Sunfull Foundation and endowed chair professor at Chung-Ang University, received the Grand Prize for AI Innovation and Social Contribution at the 18th App Award Korea 2025 for his work on ChatKind. ChatKind is the world’s first compliment-rewarding AI platform, designed to detect positive comments and convert them into measurable social value. Users earn a "kindness score" for encouraging or appreciative language. Employers and schools can then offer tangible rewards such as coupons, paid leave or volunteer hours. For almost 20 years, Min has combated online hate through the Sunfull Movement, a campaign encouraging constructive digital engagement. Striving to replace cruelty with empathy, he has pressed online communities to reconsider their modes of communication. Positioning itself as a new paradigm for human-centered AI, ChatKind seeks to cultivate more constructive engagement in online spaces by combining a sophisticated filter for toxic remarks and hate speech with a mechanism that incentivizes positive contributions. The idea for the progr

Nov 25, 2025By Jung Da-hyun

Professor's compliment-rewarding AI wins innovation grand prize

The Korea Times joins hands with GR Korea to expand global reach

The Korea Times has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with GR Korea, a government relations and public affairs service provider. Under the partnership, both parties are set to share their expertise to strengthen their competitiveness in the global market. The three-year agreement outlines a framework for nonbinding collaboration focused on enhancing each party’s competitiveness in international markets. While not a legally enforceable contract, the agreement signals both sides’ intent to purse concrete joint projects in the future. “The two organizations may cooperate in several areas, including knowledge sharing on political trends, major policy development and key industrial issues,” the agreement says. It also calls for co-hosting events, policy forums and networking conferences in Korea and abroad. They committed to maintaining confidentiality regarding any sensitive information shared during the cooperation period. Intellectual property rights for jointly developed materials will be subject to separate agreements, and jointly owned in the absence of such agreements. E

Nov 24, 2025

The Korea Times joins hands with GR Korea to expand global reach

Korean activist recognized by church group for humanitarian work in Gaza

Kim Ah-hyun, 27, an activist who was detained by Israel last month after joining a Gaza aid flotilla, was awarded this year’s Korean Churches Human Rights Award, the oldest human rights prize in Korea, given to those who advance human dignity. The Korean Churches Human Rights Center said Monday that Kim was honored for raising awareness of the suffering of Palestinian refugees and actively taking part in humanitarian relief efforts. Kim, a member of Thousand Madleens to Gaza — a volunteer coalition that sends aid flotillas to challenge the Gaza blockade — is the first Korean to take part in such activities. Last month, she was detained for two days by Israeli authorities in international waters about 220 kilometers off the Gaza Strip and released in a voluntary deportation. “Since Gaza has been officially blockaded since 2009, the sea was the only route in,” Kim said earlier this month. “We sailed not only to reach Gaza, but also to stand in solidarity with the small island communities across East Asian waters.” Kim became interested in social issues from her teenage years a

Nov 20, 2025By Park Ung

Korean activist recognized by church group for humanitarian work in Gaza

Global AI race down to control over hardware, algorithms, data: Flitto CEO

In just a handful of years, artificial intelligence (AI) has reshaped how we think and engage with the world. Generative AI has already transformed our digital habits, becoming for many a primary, one-stop source of information. It is remapping the workplace, the classroom, the halls of politics and even the fabric of culture itself. “AI didn’t just change technology; it changed human habits. And once human behavior changes, society moves at an entirely different speed,” said Simon Lee, CEO of Flitto, an AI-powered translation and live interpretation provider. His remarks came Tuesday evening at the Qatari ambassador’s residence in Seoul, during the Corea Image Communication Institution’s (CICI) Korea CQ Forum. Today, the world has moved beyond fascination with the technology’s promise. Leaders now want their companies to stake early claims in the global AI race, with the hope of harnessing its power. The contest to develop and command AI is no longer looming, but is fully underway. This race spans every layer of technology, Lee explained: hardware, algorithms and data. At th

Nov 19, 2025By Park Han-sol

Global AI race down to control over hardware, algorithms, data: Flitto CEO

InterviewFrom fields to fortune: Gangnam District marks five decades of change

Fifty years ago, the newly established Gangnam District — today a major hub of Seoul’s economy and culture — was little more than open fields and farmland. Now the district's mayor, Cho Sung-myung was once a local 18-year-old, growing up as the area around him was being reshaped into a bustling urban landscape. Nearly five decades later, having witnessed Gangnam’s transformation firsthand, Cho takes pride in calling himself “a true Gangnam native” and is already looking ahead to what the next 50 years might bring. “When Gangnam was first developed in the 1970s, the focus was on building as much housing as possible,” Cho said during an interview with The Korea Times. “Cultural, leisure and environmental values were overlooked, but today’s global trend emphasizes quality of life.” Cho believes the district is ready for that shift, pointing to its expanding cultural offerings and growing role as a global medical hub. The 2025 Gangnam Festival, now in its 14th year and featuring programs from music to fashion, highlights this shift. This year’s event to mark the distri

Nov 18, 2025By Park Ung

From fields to fortune: Gangnam District marks five decades of change

Thai student with brain hemorrhage to return home after major donation from actress Lee Young-ae

Korean actress Lee Young-ae is earning praise once again after it was revealed that she personally donated 10 million won ($7,700) to support a Thai student who has been in a coma for months — and said she was “more thankful” to the students who organized the fundraising. According to Chonnam National University on Nov. 14, Sirinya, a Thai national studying Korean at the university’s Language Education Center, was found unconscious in her dormitory room in July. She was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with subdural hemorrhage, remaining in a coma for more than three months. The university’s volunteer club “Rhythm of Hope” began raising funds after learning that Sirinya’s family was struggling financially and could not afford the cost of treatment or medical repatriation. The campaign quickly gained momentum on campus, with students, faculty, and local residents joining the effort. The initial goal of 9 million won was soon surpassed, with donations doubling as word spread throughout the community. Amid the grassroots fundraising, Lee learned of Sirinya’s situation

Nov 15, 2025By Xportsnews

Thai student with brain hemorrhage to return home after major donation from actress Lee Young-ae

Warm potluck marks Howdy Korea's Silver Button milestone

Inside a softly lit party room in Seoul's Mapo District on Thursday evening, steaming Korean dishes, bursts of laughter and a spirited chorus of "Howdy Korea!" set the tone for a warm celebration. Creators and contributors to The Korea Times' YouTube channel, Howdy Korea, gathered for what felt less like a formal event and more like a reunion, sharing homemade dishes, chatting in Korean and English and taking part in lighthearted activities to mark the channel's newest milestone: receiving YouTube's Silver Button award. Launched in July 2024, Howdy Korea has quickly built up a dedicated following by spotlighting Korean culture through approachable, fun and engaging storytelling. Its videos have introduced viewers from around the world to local topics and issues ranging from shamanism and traditional cuisine to face reading and multiculturalism, often featuring a rotating cast of scholars, expats and artists. Several episodes have gone viral, helping the channel surpass 100,000 subscribers earlier this year. That momentum paved the way for Thursday’s gathering, where the on-screen warmt

Nov 14, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min

Warm potluck marks Howdy Korea's Silver Button milestone

Professors at Sejong University gain Korean citizenship

Two professors at Sejong University recently obtained Korean citizenship through the Ministry of Justice’s Multiple Citizenship for Outstanding Talent (MCOT) initiative, which grants citizenship under eased requirements to outstanding individuals in fields such as science, the arts, sports and research. The program aims to support world-class scholars in settling and working long-term in Korea by allowing dual citizenship, thereby helping them contribute to the country’s development and innovation landscape. Nguyen Xuan Mung, a Vietnamese-born professor in Sejong University’s Department of Aerospace Engineering, has devoted more than a decade to advancing research and education in Korea. “This naturalization is more than just obtaining citizenship — it’s the moment I became certain that Korea is my second home,” he said. “It is a recognition of the challenges I faced and the efforts I made here.” Following his naturalization, Nguyen said he now feels a strong sense of responsibility to contribute directly to Korea’s scientific advancement as a citizen, not merely as a

Nov 13, 2025By Jung Da-hyun

Professors at Sejong University gain Korean citizenship

Juice Seyeon, once spotted with HYBE chairman, makes $37,000 from birthday livestream

Internet personality and streamer Juice Seyeon has drawn attention after earning tens of millions of won during a single birthday livestream, marking another chapter in her headline-filled career. On Sunday, Seyeon posted photos from her AfreecaTV broadcast on her social media account, writing, “Thanks to friends who made me happy for 24 hours and fans who were always there — I wrapped it up well!” The images showed her celebrating her birthday while hosting a live session, surrounded by virtual gifts from fans. During the stream, fans sent Seyeon around 500,000 Star Balloons — a virtual currency used on AfreecaTV, each worth 100 won ($0.07). The total amounted to about 50 million won ($37,000) in donations. After fees and tax deductions, her earnings are estimated to be between 33 million and 38 million won. This is not the first time Seyeon’s earnings have made headlines. In July, she appeared on the YouTube channel “This Is the Real Final” and openly discussed her income, saying, “I once made 100 million won in a single day during my birthday broadcast,” and added t

Nov 12, 2025By Xportsnews

Juice Seyeon, once spotted with HYBE chairman, makes $37,000 from birthday livestream

Myongji Hospital chief elected as new leader of Int'l Hospital Federation

Lee Wang-jun, chairman of Myongji Hospital in northwestern Seoul, has been elected president of the International Hospital Federation (IHF), becoming the second Korean to lead the global organization, which represents hospitals and healthcare associations. The Korean Hospital Association announced Tuesday that Lee was chosen during the IHF’s 48th World Hospital Congress held in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday (local time). His two-year term will run from 2027 to 2029. Until then, he will serve in the federation’s six-year executive leadership cycle, a decision-making group consisting of current, former and incoming presidents. Founded in 1929 and headquartered in Geneva, the IHF is a nonprofit organization representing more than 30,000 hospitals and 70 national hospital associations worldwide. It also serves as an official partner of the World Health Organization. Korea joined the federation in 1966, and Kim Kwang-tae served as the first Korean to serve as IHF president from 2013 to 2015. Lee pledged to increase participation in Asia and Africa, stating that he wanted to make the federa

Nov 12, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

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