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Seoul's smart watch healthcare program expands to 220,000 citizens

Official poster for the Seoul city government's Smart Doctor 9988 that runs from 2023 until the next year / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan GovernmentReward points offer strong motivation to participants: city gov'tBy Ko Dong-hwanThe Seoul city government on Monday began pooling participants for a smart watch-based healthcare monitoring service. This year, the city aims to enroll 220,000 participants, making it the largest group since the program's inception.Once the first 150,000 participants are confirmed on a first-come, first-serve basis, free smartwatches will be shipped to 100,000 of them and the remaining 50,000 participants will use smartwatches they already own, compatible models being either a Galaxy Watch or Apple Watch. The selection will be based on the city authority's assessment of online registrations submitted via Onhealth.seoul.go.kr.Anyone who received the watch or had their membership activated with their own watches within two weeks after their registration was assessed can initiate the program by installing an app that can be tethered to their watches. The device

Aug 29, 2023By Ko Dong-hwan
Seoul's smart watch healthcare program expands to 220,000 citizens

Ex-Ssangyong Group Chairman Kim Suk-won dies at 78

Kim Suk-won, ex-chairman of the now-defunct Ssangyong Group, is seen in this undated photo provided by his family. YonhapKim Suk-won, former chairman of the now-defunct Ssangyong Group, has died of old age, his aides said Saturday. He was 78.Kim took over the midsized business group, which started as a cement-making company in 1975. The business group went on to aggressively expand into the construction, financial and automaking sectors.In 1986, Ssangyong Group took over a local automaker that focused on producing SUVs. But Kim's empire crashed in the aftermath of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, and he was indicted on account fraud charges in 2005.Ssangyong Motor, the flagship of Ssangyong Group, was sold to China-based SAIC Motor Corp. in 2004, but the Chinese automaker relinquished control of the carmaker in 2009 in the wake of the global financial crisis. SsangYong was placed under a court receivership in 2009.In 2011, India-based Mahindra acquired a controlling stake in SsangYong, but the Indian carmaker unloaded its controlling stake and the company was put on the selling block

Aug 26, 2023
Ex-Ssangyong Group Chairman Kim Suk-won dies at 78

Lawyer-and-mother offers legal guide for parents with digital-native children

By Lee Hae-rinLee Su-ji, a lawyer and a mother of a seven-year-old who co-authored a legal guide for parents with digital-native children / Courtesy of Lee Su-jiLee Su-ji, a lawyer with 10 years of experience who is also the mother of a seven-year-old child, has published a legal guide for parents with digital-native children, who grow up under the ubiquitous influence of modern information technologies, social media and potential exposure to digital crimes. In her first book published last month titled, “My child's SNS that I didn't know: Legal common sense to protect my child on SNS taught by a lawyer and mother,” the partner attorney at the Seoul-based Law Firm Changgyeong who specialized in criminal code and intellectual property rights, now shares legal knowledge based on both her personal and professional experiences.“I was in middle school when I had my first mobile phone and already a university graduate in the workforce by the time I started using a smartphone,” Lee said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. “In contrast, my daughter has g

Aug 24, 2023By Lee Hae-rin
Lawyer-and-mother offers legal guide for parents with digital-native children

Mount Acha moonlight trekking offers temporary escape from urban bustle

Mount Acha Moonlight Trekking course hikers climb a trail in eastern Seoul last Friday. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan GovernmentBy Ko Dong-hwanBreathing inside a metropolis of concrete, traffic and countless strangers can be unbearable to some Seoulites, especially during summer. However, beyond the maze of buildings and crowded streets, the city offers a respite ― a hidden oasis of mountains enveloped in lush greenery, filled with forests, streams, and serene wildlife habitats that promise soothing comfort.These city mountains are more than just a refuge from urban life as they also offer great views of the country's capital that attract trekkers of all ages. With the Han River running through the heart of the city, few can resist the allure of the breathtaking panorama best seen from these local summits. At night, the landscape comes alive, painting a vivid picture of the city in motion that is unlike any other sight during the daytime.For those looking to escape the ordinary urban experience and immerse themselves in the glittering city lights under the moonlit sky, the Seoul cit

Aug 23, 2023By Ko Dong-hwan
Mount Acha moonlight trekking offers temporary escape from urban bustle

INTERVIEW Elite North Korean defector dreams of studying abroad

Kim Gum-hyok, North Korean defector who is now a policy adviser at South Korea's Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs / Courtesy of Kim Gum-hyokBy Kim Hee-suKim Gum-hyok, 31, is a North Korean defector who became a policy adviser at South Korea's Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. Having arrived in the South in 2012, Kim is part of an emerging generation of North Korean defectors fast acclimatizing to life in South Korea. Kim at one time was a former broadcaster, YouTuber and is now a government official. “The North Korean defectors of my generation do not usually meet each other. While the past generation of defectors listen to North Korean music and enjoy eating 'naengmyeon' (Korean cold noodles), my generation is eager to be a part of mainstream society in South Korea. Like myself, they want to enter conglomerates and the Ivy League schools or be a doctor and lawyer,” Kim said in a recent interview with The Korea Times.He also dreams of studying at a U.S. school such as Johns Hopkins University or at Columbia University's School of International and Public

Aug 22, 2023
[INTERVIEW] Elite North Korean defector dreams of studying abroad

2027 World Youth Day will utilize temporary housing in Seoul: archbishop

Peter Chung Soon-taick, the archbishop of Seoul, gives a briefing on the 2027 World Youth Day, which will be held in Seoul, during a press conference at the Archdiocese of Seoul, Aug. 22. YonhapThe 2027 World Youth Day will utilize home stays, churches and schools in Seoul to accommodate young Catholics who will gather for the global event, the archbishop of Seoul said Tuesday.Seoul has been chosen as the host city for the next World Youth Day, becoming the second Asian host following the Philippines in 1995.Peter Chung Soon-taick estimated up to 800,000 pilgrims are expected to attend the closing Mass, saying the organizing committee will arrange accommodations in various forms across the capital city. "In addition to home stays, we will make use of retreat houses and education centers in cathedrals. We will also use school auditoriums and classrooms for sleeping arrangements," Chung said during a press conference held at the Archdiocese of Seoul. For the closing Mass of the event, which is expected to draw the largest number of people, the attendees could camp out or stay in tempor

Aug 22, 2023
2027 World Youth Day will utilize temporary housing in Seoul: archbishop

Revamped TOEFL iBT test aligned with test takers' desired outcomes

A student prepares TOEFL iBT test through the TOEFL® Practice Online, which helps test takers experience what it's like to take a real test. Courtesy of ETSBy Kook Yeon-wooAs part of its effort to create an optimal experience for test takers, ETS has introduced a revised TOEFL iBT® test as of July 26. The test now takes less than two hours to complete, an enhancement from the previous three-hour-long test time. The changes include streamlined instructions and navigation, removal of unscored questions, a shortened Reading Section and a new Writing for an Academic Discussion task.The TOEFL iBT score scale remains unaltered, while the improvements, developed with feedback from ETS customers and stakeholders, address the needs of test takers and help them save time and ease test day stress.So far, the TOEFL iBT test's changes have garnered positive feedback from students with varying goals.Mun So-yeon, a high school student preparing for an undergraduate degree in Japan, said that she had struggled with the lengthy test-taking time in the past. “Personally, I really loved t

Aug 21, 2023
Revamped TOEFL iBT test aligned with test takers' desired outcomes

INTERVIEW Ex-Miss University finalist turns into pro golf teacher

Lee Won-beBy Kim Hee-suLee Won-be, a KLPGA golf pro, is working at Nineplex in southern Seoul's affluent Gangnam District. She is a member of LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals (LPGA T&CP), which is the LPGA's teaching program to become a certified LPGA professional, the most authoritative teaching pro status in the United States. She said she is in the final step to receive Class A.Lee expressed a deep interest in volunteerism. She was the finalist at the World Miss University (WMU) in 2014. That status helped her to pursue her dream of charity and donation. The competition was to select the representatives of the World University Peace Service Corporation Foundation who will later work on the U.N.'s International Year of Peace. “I studied about world peace and my contribution towards it, with a focus on the services and efforts to pursue values such as curbing global warming,” she said.She said her experience at WMU helped boost her golf career. “I could create new relationships aside from golf. I felt refreshed when talking with people from diverse sectors

Aug 7, 2023
[INTERVIEW] Ex-Miss University finalist turns into pro golf teacher
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