Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Kim Yuna stuns at Dior event with husband’s discharge just a month away

Former figure skating champion Kim Yuna made a dazzling appearance at a fashion event in Seoul, drawing attention as she counts down the final month before her husband, singer Ko Woo-rim, completes his military service. On Friday afternoon, Kim attended a photo call event at the DDP Art Hall in Seoul’s Dongdaemun District, held to commemorate the opening of a new Dior exhibition. Wearing an elegant ensemble from Dior, Kim posed gracefully for the cameras, captivating onlookers with her trademark elegance. This article from Xportsnews is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

Apr 19, 2025By KTimes

Kim Yuna stuns at Dior event with husband’s discharge just a month away

BLACKPINK’s Jisoo shines with ‘100 percent beauty’ at Dior event

Jisoo of girl group BLACKPINK turned heads once again with her stunning appearance at a high-profile fashion event in Seoul. On Friday afternoon, Jisoo attended a photo call event at the DDP Art Hall in Seoul’s Dongdaemun District, celebrating the opening of a new Dior exhibition. Clad in elegant Dior fashion, Jisoo captivated the crowd during the photo session, drawing praise for her signature poise and timeless beauty. This article from Xportsnews is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

Apr 19, 2025By KTimes

BLACKPINK’s Jisoo shines with ‘100 percent beauty’ at Dior event

Local matchmaking programs make comeback despite past backlash

Spring is in the air, and a renewed wave of matchmaking events hosted by local governments across Korea is gaining momentum. Once criticized as outdated attempts to address the country’s low birthrate, publicly backed dating programs are now gaining traction again, this time with more subtle framing and enthusiastic responses from young participants. In Seoul, the city government is actively promoting a series of meet-up events for unmarried residents, with some likening the initiative to a “Seoul-style ‘I Am Solo’,” referencing the popular dating reality show. This revival comes roughly a year and a half after Seoul scrapped its 2023 “Seoulting” program due to backlash over the use of taxpayer funds and accusations of bureaucratic overreach. So what’s different now? Officials say that distancing the programs from direct low birthrate solutions and minimizing city funding has helped soften criticism. Instead, events are framed as casual opportunities for social connection. That strategy seems to be working. Local districts are also jumping on board, offering their own the

Apr 18, 2025By KTimes

Local matchmaking programs make comeback despite past backlash

Lee Dong-gun’s new cafe in Jeju draws crowds — and complaints from neighbors

Actor Lee Dong-gun’s newly opened cafe on Jeju Island is off to a booming start, but its early success has also drawn complaints from neighboring business owners. Lee recently shared photos and a message on the cafe's official social media, writing, “We had people lining up from Day 1. Thank you to everyone who waited. This is a space for rest and relaxation — a small oasis in an alley, with handmade sandwiches, coffee and desserts. We hope it becomes a place you can always come back to when you need a break.” The cafe, converted from a residential house, features a unique atmosphere with a tropical design and striking night views accentuated by palm trees and ambient lighting. Last year, Lee shared the behind-the-scenes process of launching the cafe on the SBS variety show "My Little Old Boy," revealing that he had taken out a 200 million won loan (about $145,000) to fund the project and sought business advice from comedian Kim Jun-ho and cafe industry experts. At the time, Lee cited the downturn in drama production as a factor in pursuing the venture, saying, “A project I was

Apr 18, 2025By KTimes

Lee Dong-gun’s new cafe in Jeju draws crowds — and complaints from neighbors

Why Korea’s youngest bar exam passer left top law firm for graduate school in translation

Park Ji-won, who made headlines in 2012 after passing Korea’s bar exam at the age of 20, has shared that she left her eight-year legal career to pursue graduate studies in translation and interpretation. Seoul National University’s student-run YouTube channel Studio Sha (@snu_studiosha) released an interview Tuesday titled “Why the youngest bar passer at 20 left Kim & Chang,” featuring Park’s story. Park, then a sophomore majoring in business at Seoul National University, became the youngest-ever person to pass Korea’s 54th bar exam. She later joined the country’s largest law firm, Kim & Chang, where she began her career as a lawyer. But in 2023, she left the firm and started a new academic journey in translation and interpretation — a decision that surprised many. When asked why she decided to leave the law firm, Park said, “The core question was whether this was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.” She added, “If becoming a lawyer had been a goal I pursued entirely on my own, maybe that motivation would have carried me through the hard times. But in r

Apr 17, 2025By KTimes

Why Korea’s youngest bar exam passer left top law firm for graduate school in translation

High school student donates 1 million won to help premature babies

A teenage girl who was born prematurely 17 years ago has donated 1 million won ($700) to help premature babies. According to Busan Paik Hospital on Tuesday, Hong Ah-jin, a freshman student at Hanil Girls’ High School, donated the money to help treat those born prematurely. Hong said she had the same experience. Born at 26 weeks and weighing just 590 grams, she received three months of treatment at the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit. Thanks to the hospital's efforts, her weight increased to 2.05 kilograms, at which point she was considered healthy enough to be discharged. “Thanks to the staff at Busan Paik Hospital, I was able to grow up healthy and strong. I have always wanted to express my gratitude to the hospital, and I am so glad that I was able to contribute a small amount of money to a good cause,” Hong said. “I wanted to help those in need and give them hope that they, too, can grow up healthily even if they were born prematurely like I was. I hope everyone is healthy and thank the medical staff at Busan Paik Hospital once again.” Preterm babies can be defined a

Apr 17, 2025By Jung Min-ho

High school student donates 1 million won to help premature babies

UK shoemaker back in business to disrupt footwear market with AI

For Koreans who grew up in the 1980s, any mention of global sports brand Reebok brings back memories of an iconic TV commercial that played on a loop in their minds. In the ad, Lee Jong-won, a then-unknown model, appeared in a black sleeveless jersey emblazoned with the word “Reebok.” His flawless athletic dance performance — jaw-dropping and powerful — captivated viewers across the country. The routine was said to be inspired by Mikhail Baryshnikov’s dramatic opening dance in the critically acclaimed 1985 film “White Nights.” The TV commercial was a turning point in Lee’s career, launching him into stardom. Virtually overnight, he became one of the most sought-after actors in the country, riding the wave of the Reebok ad’s viral popularity. By the 1990s, the British footwear brand had become a must-have among trendy young Koreans. What’s less known, however, is that Reebok’s global rise had a strong Korean connection: Its shoes were produced by manufacturers based in the southeastern port city of Busan. “In 1979, I met with three factories in Busan and was amazed

Apr 16, 2025By Kang Hyun-kyung

UK shoemaker back in business to disrupt footwear market with AI

Meeting on illegal gambling prevention

Participants of The Korea Times and the Korea Tourism Science Society of Korea's (TOSOK) periodical meeting on development of integrated resorts pose at the newspaper's headquarters in central Seoul, Wednesday. They discussed ways to regulate illegal gambling and foster healthy gaming culture. From left in the front row are Korea Casino Association Secretary General Shin Jong-ho, National Gambling Control Commission Secretary General Lee Jin-sik, TOSOK President Seo Won-seok and Mayfield Hotel Seoul CEO Kim Young-moon. Center in the back row is Kim Jae-kyoung, managing director of The Korea Times' Content & Business Planning Division. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Apr 16, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Dayeon scholarship: A story of dedication and compassion

Choi Jung-sun, 63, who once struggled to pay for her education, is now helping others pursue their dreams. Through the Dayeon Scholarship, she exemplifies perseverance, gratitude and the quiet strength of community. At 45, Choi enrolled in the Department of Korean Language and Literature at Korea National Open University (KNOU), despite already having a successful career and becoming a CEO without a college degree. Yet, prevailing social expectations around education drew her back to the classroom. “KNOU gave me the flexibility to study while working,” she said. “Becoming a Korean teacher was my childhood dream. I loved the language so much that I never had to study for exams,” Choi said in an interview with The Korea Times. But balancing full-time work with her studies was anything but easy. “Studying alone wears you down,” she recalled. It was only after joining study groups and student councils that she realized how much strength came from being part of a supportive community. After earning her undergraduate degree, Choi went on to pursue graduate studies at Dongguk Universi

Apr 15, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

Dayeon scholarship: A story of dedication and compassion

French missionary Bishop Rene Dupont who made Korea his home dies at 95

French-born missionary Bishop Rene Dupont, who devoted over 70 years of his life to the poor and underprivileged in rural Korea and contributed to human rights movements in the country, died Thursday. He was 95. The bishop had been receiving treatment at a hospital in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, after undergoing emergency surgery for a cerebral infarction earlier this week. Born in 1929 in Orleans in north-central France, Dupont entered seminary to become a missionary in 1950. He was ordained a priest in 1953. He was dispatched to Korea in 1954, shortly after the 1950-1953 Korean War. During his seminary years, he worked for the poor and underprivileged in rural areas. He said in interviews with local media that his teenage experiences with World War II helped him understand and sympathize with war-shattered Korea. In his early years of priesthood in Korea, Dupont started pastoral work in Daejeon, where he chose the Korean name “Dubong” and served poor farmers, leprosy patients and people with disabilities as the head of the Korean branch of the Paris Foreign Missions Society. B

Apr 11, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

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