Patients opting to die with dignity on steady rise

The number of terminally ill patients in South Korea choosing to discontinue life-sustaining medical treatment has been steadily rising, surpassing 70,000 cases last year alone. According to data provided by Rep. Kim Mi-ae of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, 77,720 patients chose to withdraw from life-prolonging medical interventions in 2023, reflecting a 46.6 percent increase over the past five years. The trend has shown consistent growth, with the number of patients o

Social AffairsOct. 9, 2024

[Herald Design Forum] Lacaton and Vassal pay tribute to what already exists

Humanity lies in the architecture touched by Pritzker Prize-winning architects Anne Lacaton and Jean Philippe Vassal. They pay tribute to what is already existing, whether it is nature, humans or other buildings. “It is about transformation from the existing, and with the existing,” Vassal said at the Herald Design Forum 2024 held on Tuesday in Seoul with the theme of “Inspiration, Limitless?” The duo's renovation of a 16-story, 96-unit social housing tower block, &l

Arts & DesignOct. 9, 2024

[Herald Design Forum] VFX expert says creativity is key to bringing characters to life

Hwang Jung-rock, a senior facial modeler at Weta FX, one of the world's leading visual effects companies, emphasized the importance of artists' creativity in facial modeling during a lecture at the Herald Design Forum 2024, held at the Floating Island Convention Center on the Han River, Seoul, Tuesday. Hwang explained that his role involves creating a digital "puppet" of a character's face for films, designed to capture even the smallest nuances of an actor's perfor

Arts & DesignOct. 9, 2024

[Herald Design Forum] Weta FX CG supervisor Choi Jong-jin on creating photorealistic water in 'Avatar: The Way of Water'

Choi Jong-jin, a CG supervisor at Weta FX, the leading visual effects company in the industry, dedicated significant effort to crafting the realistic and stunning water scenes in the 2022 blockbuster "Avatar: The Way of Water." “The scale of CG work for ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ surpassed anything I’ve encountered in previous films. Two-thirds of all shots in the movie involve water,” Choi explained. “We typically start by shooting reference clips w

Arts & DesignOct. 9, 2024

[Herald Design Forum] Create spaces with purpose, respect, curiosity

Three French architects -- Anne Lacaton, Jean Philippe Vassal and Jean-Michel Wilmotte -- shared their core philosophies that have guided their decades-long careers during an architecture roundtable and Q&A following their presentations at the Herald Design Forum 2024, held in Seoul, on Tuesday. “The most important thing will be for whom we are doing this work,” said Lacaton, the Pritzker Prize-winning architect who received the award with Vassal in 2021. “Architecture is a

Arts & DesignOct. 9, 2024

Unified Korea would be massive market: Yoon

SINGAPORE -- President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday that a unified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace would unlock massive economic opportunities in the Indo-Pacific region. "A unified Korean Peninsula that is free and open will also create a strong impetus for economic development and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific," Yoon said at the 47th Singapore Lecture, organized by the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute that was formerly known as the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. "A

PoliticsOct. 9, 2024

[Herald Interview] Byun Yo-han embraced voice of powerless in ‘Snow White Must Die – Black Out’

Even for Byun Yo-han, an actor with a 14-year career, the role of Go Jeong-woo in “Snow White Must Die – Black Out” was new and challenging. “Every role is a challenge, but this one lingers. Even though he's fictional, I keep worrying about Jeong-woo and hope for his happiness as if he were a real person,” Byun said during a group interview with reporters Tuesday. The MBC series “Snow White Must Die – Black Out,” which aired its last episode F

TelevisionOct. 9, 2024

[Herald Design Forum] Wilmotte highlights natural light for Centre Pompidou Seoul

“The 63 Building is a major landmark in Seoul. It will soon become an icon that promotes the Centre Pompidou Seoul," said Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the celebrated French architect, during a session at the Herald Design Forum 2024. The 76-year-old architect -- with three offices in Paris, one in Nice, two in Italy, one in London and one in Seoul -- has been chosen to refurbish 15,000 square meters of the Yeouido skyscraper, from the underground level to the fourth floor above ground, for t

Arts & DesignOct. 9, 2024

English program on Korean heritage launched

A 12-week English program exploring Korean heritage from food to architecture will take place every Saturday through Nov. 30 for interested foreign nationals living in Korea, according to the Korea Heritage Service. The program, launched last week, features a series of lectures by faculty of the agency-run Korea National University of Cultural Heritage at such historic places as the main Joseon-era (1392-1910) palace Gyeongbokgung and Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul. A field trip to Jinkwansa, a

CultureOct. 9, 2024

[Herald Design Forum] Visual content creators on popular art forms, sources of inspiration

What does it mean to be a visual content creator, such as a webtoon creator, emoji designer or cartoonist? How do these artists, whose work is part of our daily lives, draw their inspiration? A trio of visual artists -- Koo Ji-min, known by her alias, Koohie, Hong In-hye, also known as Lunapark, and Kim Ha-na -- explored the meaning of being a visual content creator at the Herald Design Forum 2024, held Tuesday at the Floating Island Convention Center on the Han River in Seoul. During the spec

Arts & DesignOct. 9, 2024

[Herald Design Forum] Human guides essential to AI development, says Johnny Lee

"Design is not only artwork, but also an experience that integrates technology, creativity and content," Johnny Lee, founder of iStaging, a Taipei-based tech firm specializing in virtual reality solutions, said during his speech at The Herald Design Forum 2024, held at the Floating Island Convention Center on the Han River, Seoul, Tuesday. In his special lecture, "Designing a Journey to See Imagination through XR," Lee outlined the guiding principles behind his approach to

Arts & DesignOct. 9, 2024

[Herald Design Forum] AI composer enhances human creativity, says creator of Korea’s 1st AI composer EvoM

“AI is not a Genie of the Lamp -- it’s more like Jarvis, the intelligent assistant from Iron Man,” Ahn Chang-wook said during his keynote speech at the Herald Design Forum in Seoul on Tuesday. Ahn, a professor at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology and the creator of South Korea’s first AI composer, EvoM, highlighted the supportive role AI can play in the creative process. EvoM, trained to write music at a level comparable to human composers, is one of the wor

Arts & DesignOct. 9, 2024

[LLG] To heal the tiny animals, vet turns to creativity

Veterinarian Choi Young-min is a beloved figure in the animal care community. A regular on popular TV program “Animal Farm,” Choi treats a wide variety of creatures, from lizards to sparrows, turtles and hedgehogs. The sight of tiny limbs taped down for an X-ray, or being gently cradled in one hand for a checkup, often evokes both squeals for their cuteness and a twinge of pity in viewers. "It's adorable to watch, but for a veterinarian, it means the work is more challengin

Hashtag KoreaOct. 9, 2024

New orchid hybrid in Singapore named after Yoon, his wife

SINGAPORE -- A new orchid hybrid in Singapore was named after President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee while Yoon was on a state visit to the Southeast Asian country, according to the presidential office on Wednesday. The orchid was named "Dendrobium Yoon Suk Yeol Kim Keon Hee" on the occasion of their visit to the Singapore Botanic Gardens on Tuesday. Dendrobium refers to one of the genera of the Orchidaceae family, according to Yoon's office. According to Singapore�

PoliticsOct. 9, 2024

Uzbekistan hopes to boost cultural, tourism ties with S. Korea

Uzbekistan's partnership with South Korea is important not economically but also in cultural aspects as the central Asian country hopes to boost tourism, Uzbek Minister of Tourism Umid Shadiev said at a recent event. Speaking to tourism professionals and the media at the Uzbekistan-Korea tourism forum held on the sidelines of "Uzbekistan Roadshow Seoul 2024," Shadiev highlighted the cultural ties that lasted over 2,000 years, via the Silk Road. “Our partnership with South Ko

Foreign AffairsOct. 9, 2024

[영어답게 표현하기] 유용한 비즈니스 영어 표현들

이번 회에는 저희 책 Advanced Vocab에서 소개한 중상급 영단어들을 알려드립니다. 단어의 우리말 뜻을 기억하는 데에 그치지 않고, 난이도 있는 단어를 실제로 활용하는 단계까지 나아가 보기 바랍니다. 〈군집, 모임〉 1. gravitate [ɡrǽvətèit] 인력에 의해 끌리다 ‘중력’을 뜻하는 gravity는 ‘무거운’, ‘심각한’이라는 뜻을 지닌 grave와 어원이 같다. gravitate는 중력에 끌리듯 어떤 것에 마음이 이끌리는 것을 표현하는 단어다. People, like bees drawn to honey, gravitate towards the new and unusual. 사람들은 마치 벌들이 꿀에 이끌리듯 새롭고 평범하지 않은 것에 끌린다. ● 사내아이들은 자연스레 자동차에 끌리고 여자아이들은 인형에 끌린다. Boys naturally gravitate t

English EyeOct. 9, 2024

N. Korea amends constitution at parliamentary meeting without disclosing details

North Korea has convened a key parliamentary meeting to revise the constitution, state media reported Wednesday, without disclosing details about whether it removed unification-related clauses or stipulated territorial boundaries in line with an order by leader Kim Jong-un. At the 11th session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly Monday and Tuesday in Pyongyang, North Korea unanimously decided to amend and supplement parts of the country's socialist constitution, according to the Kore

North KoreaOct. 9, 2024

Blinken to raise NK-Russia cooperation issue at ASEAN gatherings in Laos: State Dept.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to raise the issue of the "concerning" and "deepening" partnership between North Korea and Russia during annual gatherings involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Laos this week, a State Department spokesperson said Tuesday. Blinken is set to represent the US at the East Asia Summit and the US-ASEAN Summit on behalf of President Joe Biden during his trip to the Laotian capital of Vientiane, which lasts u

Foreign AffairsOct. 9, 2024

[Graphic News] Ohtani’s Dodgers jersey tops 2024 MLB merchandise sales

According to MLB.com, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ new superstar Shohei Ohtani topped merchandise sales this season, with his No. 17 jersey being the most popular. Ohtani, in his debut season with the Dodgers, made history by becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. This year, he recorded a .310 batting average, 54 home runs, 130 RBIs, 134 runs scored and 59 stolen bases, positioning him as a frontrunner for his third MVP title. Trailing Ohtani in

BaseballOct. 9, 2024