Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Hyun Jin Preston Moon calls on gov't to adopt ‘Korean Dream Vision’ in bold proposal for unification

Global Peace Foundation (GPF) founder and Chairman Hyun Jin Preston Moon has a bold proposal to the Lee Jae Myung administration: It should adopt the GPF’s Korean Dream Vision, transform the current Ministry of Unification into a nongovernmental advisory committee and make its vision a part of the country’s primary education system. The GPF hosted an international forum to offer an ideal course for the possible unification of the two Koreas while celebrating the country’s 80th Liberation Day at Lotte Hotel Seoul last Thursday and Friday. Blue Banner, One Korea Foundation and Action for Korea United co-hosted the forum alongside the nongovernmental organization. Some 200 global leaders and scholars from 20 countries participated in the forum to discuss various efforts by not only civil society but also the international community for a possible unified Korea under the theme of “International Support for a Free and Unified Korea: Catalyst for Global Peace and Development.” Moon called for relentless bipartisan efforts from not only political circles but also civil society during

Aug 20, 2025By Jhoo Dong-chan

Hyun Jin Preston Moon calls on gov't to adopt ‘Korean Dream Vision’ in bold proposal for unification

Singer Kim Ho-joong moved to Korea’s only Christian-run private prison

South Korean singer Kim Ho-joong, who rose to stardom through the hit TV competition “Mr. Trot,” has entered Somang Prison, the country’s only privately operated correctional facility, after receiving a sentence of two years and six months for a hit-and-run while intoxicated. Kim was transferred on Aug. 18 from the Seoul Detention Center to Somang Prison in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, legal sources said Wednesday. Established in 2010, Somang is the first and only private prison in South Korea, operated on a nonprofit basis by the Christian foundation Agape under government supervision. Somang Prison has a reputation for strict entry requirements, accepting only carefully screened applicants. Inmates must be men between 20 and 60 years of age, serving sentences of seven years or less and at least one year remaining in their sentence. Those with more than two prior convictions or whose crimes involved drugs, organized crime or national security offenses are excluded. All applicants are screened by the Ministry of Justice, and admission is only approved after interviews and background

Aug 20, 2025By Hankookilbo

Singer Kim Ho-joong moved to Korea’s only Christian-run private prison

Jeonbuk National University hosts cultural forum for Korean diaspora

Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) hosted a cultural forum for Korean diaspora in Central Asia for five days beginning Aug. 5. According to a JBNU official on Monday, the university hosted the K-NEXT Korean Youth Forum & Camp Jeonju 2025, bringing together young Central Asian Koryoin to explore their identity, experience Korean culture and discuss future opportunities. Koryoin refers to ethnic Koreans of the mainland former Soviet Union who descend from Koreans who lived in the Russian Far East. They started settling in the region in the late 19th century, and later became a major source of Korean liberation fighters, including Hong Beom-do and Chong Sang-jin, during the Japanese colonization of Korea beginning in 1910. They were then dispersed throughout central Asia under Stalin’s forced migration order in 1937. Co-hosted with the Global Koryoin Network (KGN) under a memorandum of understanding signed earlier this year to strengthen Koryoin communities and develop specialized multicultural education programs, the event attracted 80 participants aged between 15 and 25 who come from Ru

Aug 18, 2025By Jhoo Dong-chan

Jeonbuk National University hosts cultural forum for Korean diaspora

FEBC-Korea honors 80th Liberation Day with patriotic concert

A moving and powerful performance by the nation’s leading Christian radio network Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC)-Korea's children's choir marked the 80th anniversary of Korea's Liberation Day on Friday. The annual Children’s Choir Patriotic Concert, held at the Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon, brought together about 6,000 attendees to celebrate a series of significant anniversaries — 80 years since liberation from Japanese colonial rule, 140 years since the introduction of Protestantism's arrival in Korea and the 75th anniversary of the Incheon Landing Operation during the 1950-53 Korean War. The concert, featuring 700 children from FEBC-Korea's regional choirs across the country, was held in Incheon to honor its historical importance as the city where FEBC-Korea first began broadcasting in 1956. Rev. Billy Kim, chairman of FEBC-Korea, said the concert was an opportunity for the next generation to reflect on the joy of liberation and the importance of peace on the Korean Peninsula. The two-hour concert was a dramatic and dynamic journey through Korean history, presented in

Aug 18, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

FEBC-Korea honors 80th Liberation Day with patriotic concert

Rapper Sean raises over $1.6 mil. for descendants of independence fighters

Rapper Noh Seung-hwan, also known as Sean, successfully completed an 81.5-kilometer marathon in celebration of the 80th anniversary of Korea’s Liberation Day and donated over 2.3 billion won ($1.6 million) to build homes for descendants of independence activists, his agency YG Entertainment said Saturday. The 2025 815 Run, hosted by Sean and Habitat for Humanity Korea, is an annual charity marathon held to reflect on the significance of Liberation Day and express gratitude to independence activists. Despite heat exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, Sean completed the run in 7 hours, 50 minutes and 22 seconds. While Sean and 44 others completed the entire distance, a total of 19,450 runners participated in shorter courses, with approximately 4,000 taking part in an 8.15 kilometer run at World Cup Park in Seoul's Mapo District and others doing courses of 3.1 km or 4.5 km. Proceeds from the event, along with donations from 10 sponsoring companies, amounted to 2.38 billion won. The funds were donated to Habitat for Humanity to construct new homes and support housing improvement projects for desce

Aug 17, 2025By Park Jin-hai

Rapper Sean raises over $1.6 mil. for descendants of independence fighters

Bishop Timothy Yu Gyoung-chon dies at 63, remembered for humble service

Bishop Timothy Yu Gyoung-chon, who served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Seoul, passed away on Friday at the age of 63. The Archdiocese of Seoul said that Yu died from an illness at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. He had been battling bile duct cancer, undergoing surgery and chemotherapy last year. Born in Seoul in 1962, the late bishop graduated from Catholic University of Korea. After completing his military service, he went on to study in Germany at the University of Wurzburg. He was ordained a priest in 1992 by the Archdiocese of Seoul and later earned a doctorate in theology from the Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology in Frankfurt. In 2013, Pope Francis appointed him as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Seoul, and he was officially consecrated the following February. The late bishop was known for his modest lifestyle, rarely drawing attention to himself and even driving the same small, old car for decades. Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick of Seoul said that the late bishop aspired to be a priest who stood with the humble, and his frugal life an

Aug 17, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

Bishop Timothy Yu Gyoung-chon dies at 63, remembered for humble service

Yoon Moo-boo, Korea’s beloved ‘bird doctor,’ dies at 84

Yoon Moo-boo, a prominent ornithologist and educator known to many as Korea’s “bird doctor,” died on Friday at Kyung Hee University Medical Center in Seoul. He was 84. Yoon, who had a stroke in 2006 and suffered a recurrence in June, is remembered for his unwavering devotion to the study and preservation of Korea’s birds. He continued his work even after being confined to a wheelchair and developing partial paralysis that forced him to learn to photograph with his non-dominant left hand. Born in 1941 in the coastal town of Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, Yoon grew fascinated with birds as an elementary school student after encountering a hoopoe. He later remarked that, if born again, he would want to come back as a hoopoe, a testament to his lifelong affection for the creatures. Over a career spanning five decades, Yoon traversed the Korean Peninsula, amassing a staggering archive of 600,000 bird photographs and more than 1,300 reels of footage. Yoon held bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology from Kyung Hee University and wrote his doctorate thesis on the geographic va

Aug 15, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Yoon Moo-boo, Korea’s beloved ‘bird doctor,’ dies at 84

From Kim Ji-seok to Han Soo-yeon, actors you didn't know were descended from Korea’s independence heroes

As Korea marks Liberation Day, which commemorates the restoration of sovereignty from Japanese colonial rule, the legacy of independence fighters continues to inspire the public. Some celebrities who are descendants of these patriots have openly expressed their pride in their family history on television programs. Actor Kim Ji-seok is the grandson of independence activist Kim Sung-il, who joined the independence volunteer corps and carried out resistance activities. Kim was arrested alongside patriot Yun Bong-gil and endured harsh torture. On his YouTube channel, Kim appeared with his grandmother to share stories about Kim Sung-il. When he asked, “What kind of work did grandfather do during the independence movement?” His grandmother replied, “He delivered information from Korea to the independence army and raised independence funds from wealthy individuals.” Actor Yoon Joo-bin’s grandfather is the younger brother of Yun Bong-gil. Yun is remembered for throwing a bomb at an event held to celebrate the Japanese emperor’s birthday in Shanghai’s Hongkou Park on April 29, 193

Aug 15, 2025By Hankookilbo

From Kim Ji-seok to Han Soo-yeon, actors you didn't know were descended from Korea’s independence heroes

Indian-born TV personality Lucky to marry Korean woman in September, expecting first child

Indian-born television personality Lucky, whose real name is Abhishek Gupta, is set to tie the knot and welcome his first child. On Aug. 15, a representative from SLL confirmed to Xportsnews that both the wedding and pregnancy reports are true. According to MyDaily, Lucky will marry a Korean non-celebrity on Sept. 28 at a location in Seoul. The bride-to-be is currently pregnant, and the couple is preparing for parenthood while spending time together to build a happy family. During a recent appearance on the YouTube channel “Jodongari,” Lucky shared, “When I meet a Korean person, conversations feel comfortable and it’s easy to break the ice,” he said. Lucky first came to Korea in 1996 and became well-known through appearances on JTBC’s “Abnormal Summit” and “Special Reporter 25hr,” as well as MBC Every1’s “Welcome, First Time in Korea?” In past broadcasts, he drew attention by revealing that he owns nine houses in India. This article from Xportsnews is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

Aug 15, 2025By Xportsnews

Indian-born TV personality Lucky to marry Korean woman in September, expecting first child

Cha Eun-woo’s brother goes viral after 4-second appearance on ‘You Quiz’

Cha Eun-woo’s younger brother has become a hot topic online after making a brief appearance on the tvN talk show “You Quiz on the Block.” According to online community posts, the singer-actor’s sibling appeared in the June 11 episode of the show, which featured Oh Chang-gyu, a former semiconductor company vice president who became an intern in a real-life version of the movie “The Intern.” In one scene, which lasted about four seconds, several company employees were shown walking together. Viewers quickly noticed a man who was later identified as Cha’s brother, drawing attention for his striking resemblance to the star. Despite the blurry image, his facial features, body shape and proportions were nearly identical to Cha’s, prompting comments such as “I’m curious about their parents,” “It’s like there’s another Cha Eun-woo in the world” and “That’s some amazing genetics.” Cha himself had already spoken about his brother during a May 2024 appearance on “You Quiz.” At the time, he revealed a photo of his sibling, then a journalism student in China, a

Aug 14, 2025By Xportsnews

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