Old Korean Legation under review for US Register of Historic Places

The Old Korean Legation building in Washington, DC is expected to be registered in the US as a historic place worthy of preservation as early as mid-September. According to a US Federal Register notice Wednesday, the National Park Service plans to gather public input on whether to recognize officially the 19th-century building on the National Register of Historic Places -- the US government list of buildings, sites and structures known for their historic or artistic value. The process will run t

CultureAug. 9, 2024

Software update of Hyundai, Kia cars result in lower theft rates in US

The anti-theft software upgrade for Hyundai Motor Company and Kia vehicles has reduced theft rates by more than half in the United States, according to a new study by the Highway Loss Data Institute. The two Korean automakers came under fire as numerous vehicle thefts among certain models lacking immobilizers grew exponentially after videos of young men stealing the cars went viral on social media platforms in the summer of 2022. In the videos, the thieves would rip off a plastic cover behind th

MobilityAug. 9, 2024

Underdog Kim Yu-jin beats odds to climb to top of taekwondo world in Paris

Of the four members of the South Korean taekwondo team competing in the Paris Olympics, Kim Yu-jin was probably the one least expected to bring home the gold medal. Her Olympic Kyorugi Ranking as of June, which was used for seeding of the Paris event, was No. 24 in the women's -57-kilogram class, far below her teammates Seo Geon-woo, Lee Da-bin, and gold medalist Park Tae-jun -- each ranked No.4, No.4, and No.5 in their respective classes. But Kim used her long 183-centimeter frame to h

More SportsAug. 9, 2024

Sniffer dogs get new missions: Detecting bed bugs, missing people in water

Sniffer dogs are typically tasked with detecting narcotics and explosives, but in South Korea, their roles have expanded to include finding bed bugs and submerged human remains. This week, two dogs made their debut in these new tasks: Ceco, who is trained to detect bed bugs, and Alpha, who locates human remains in water. Commissioned as South Korea’s first bed bug detection dog on Wednesday, Ceco is a beagle owned by local pest control company Cesco. Ceco showcased its exceptional olfactor

Social AffairsAug. 9, 2024

[Photo News] New K8

Kia launched the new K8 on Friday, looking to invigorate the mid- to large-size sedan market with the product enhancement model. The new K8, which underwent a facelift for the first time since its initial release in April 2021, abandoned its old look and adopted the automaker's new star-map signature lighting on the front. The new sedan has been equipped with an advanced driver assistance system to offer upgraded marketability. The price of the new K8 starts at 37.36 million won ($27,338) i

MobilityAug. 9, 2024

Hybe Chairman Bang spotted in LA with livestreamer Seyeon

Chairman of powerhouse K-pop company Hybe Bang Si-hyuk was spotted crossing the street with renowned livestreamer Seyeon and her older sister in Los Angeles. A YouTube video showing a street in Beverly Hills sometime in July captured Bang with Seyeon and her sister crossing at a crosswalk. As the clip went viral online drawing speculations, Hybe told local reporters that “Chairman Bang had met with Seyeon’s older sister in the past in a gathering with his acquaintances during which s

K-popAug. 9, 2024

2 subway workers killed, 2 injured at Guro Station

Two workers were killed and two were injured while performing maintenance on the tracks at Guro Station on Seoul Metro Line No. 1 before dawn Friday, according to fire authorities and Korea Railroad Corporation. The three Korail workers were on a mobile elevating work platform, doing overhead wire maintenance at a height of 5 to 6 meters, when a track inspection train on an adjacent track collided with it at around 2:21 a.m. local time. The collision caused the workers to fall, resulting in the

Social AffairsAug. 9, 2024

Number of COVID-19 inpatients surges sixfold in four weeks

The number of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 has grown sharply in South Korea recently amid a virus resurgence in summertime nationwide, health authorities said Friday. The number of people admitted to 220 hospitals nationwide for COVID-19 came to 861 in the first week of August, the highest level since early February, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The figure has grown rapidly from 148 in the second week of July to 226 in the third week and 475 the following w

Social AffairsAug. 9, 2024

Illegal immigrant from Kazakhstan flees from immigration office in Suwon

An undocumented immigrant from Kazakhstan fled from an immigration office in Suwon while in handcuffs, police said Friday. The Kazakh national in his 20s pushed away immigration officers and ran away right after he was escorted out of a car upon arrival at the Suwon Immigration Office at 8:40 p.m. Thursday, according to police. Immigration officials had earlier taken over his custody from the Suwon District Prosecutors Office after he was apprehended by police for failing to pay fines. Police ar

Social AffairsAug. 9, 2024

[Photo News] More photos of two Koreas' Olympians together

A South Korean athlete takes a photo with a North Korean athlete on the podium at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, after they received bronze medals in the women's 54-kilogram boxing event at the Paris Olympics on Thursday. South Korea‘s Im Ae-ji (25) and North Korea’s Pang Chol-mi (29) were defeated by Turkey’s Hatice Akbas and China’s Chang Yuan, respectively, on Sunday, resulting in Im and Pang winning bronze medals, as the Olympics awards bronzes to boxing athletes

More SportsAug. 9, 2024

[김대균의 영어산책] 영국 속담으로 배우는 영어

지난주에 영국에서 오랜 유학생활을 하신 김문정 영어mc와 아프리카티비 김대균토익킹 영어방송을 진행했다. 이 분이 준비해 오신 속담에 설명과 예문을 추가하여 함께 공부해보자. 필자가 처음보는 아래 3번, 5번 표현도 있어서 신선했다. 새로운 것을 배우는 것을 즐기자! 머리도 좋아지고 좋은 일이 많이 생길 것이다! 1. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder"(누군가의 부재는 마음이 그 사람을 더 사랑하게 만든다) 의미설명: Being away from someone or something makes you appreciate them more. You might miss your loved ones more when they are away, realizing their importance in your life. (누군가 또는 무언가와 떨어져 있으면 그 사람들에 대해 더 감사하게 된다. 사랑하는 사람이 곁에 없을 때 그 사람의 소중

English EyeAug. 9, 2024

Seoul shares open higher on eased recession woes

South Korean stocks got off to a strong start Friday tracking overnight gains on Wall Street on eased recession woes. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 36.85 points, or 1.44 percent, to 2,593.58 in the first 15 minutes of trading. In the United States, stock indices finished higher as better-than-expected unemployment data buoyed investor sentiment. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.76 percent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite jumped 2.87 percent. In Seoul, most share

MarketAug. 9, 2024

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Legoland Korea Resort holds pop-up event for children Legoland Korea Resort in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, presents the new pop-up event “Lego Dreamz,” running until Sept. 12. Children can play with Lego bricks to design their own creations at the pop-up zone. Visitors can also experience the “mission portal” event that allows them to receive "dream chaser" gifts, including a dream chaser license, lanyard and Legoland badge. After completing a survey, visitors

TravelAug. 9, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Hongcheon Beer Festival Beer and barbecue combine for the ultimate summer cookout, one available with a choice of accommodations, either a “hanok,” the traditional Korean house, during the Hongcheon Beer Festival organized by Hongcheon County, Gangwon Province. Book a room in advance to enjoy not only beer and barbecue but also kayaking, a separately charged activity that will be available depending on weather conditions. Stays are possible from Friday to Saturday until Aug. 18.

TravelAug. 9, 2024

[Well-curated] Escape from heat with Samoyeds, nature in a glass, comics

Fluffy happiness In the bustling streets of the Hongdae area, there is a must-visit spot for dog lovers. At the special cafe named Winter’s Village, visitors can meet 11 Samoyeds and one Malamute spread across two floors, all enjoying their free time. While animal welfare is a common concern with pet-related businesses, this cafe is run by the owner who personally raises all the dogs. They limit the number of customers to prevent overcrowding and provide regular breaks for the dogs. To dis

CultureAug. 9, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Revolver” (South Korea) Opened Aug. 7 Crime Directed by Oh Seung-wook Former detective Soo-young (portrayed by Jeon Do-yeon) is released from prison after being convicted of crimes she did not commit. With one goal in her mind -- getting her some 700 million won back -- she visits the people who owe her one by one. “Pilot” (South Korea) Opened July 31 Comedy Directed by Kim Han-gyeol Han Jung-woo (Jo Jung-suk) who, after getting fired from his job and divorced by his w

FilmAug. 9, 2024

[Graphic News] Vietnam named most affordable country for foreign residents in 2024

Vietnam has been voted the most affordable country for expatriates, according to a survey by InterNations, as reported by CNBC. The annual research, which surveyed 12,000 expats across 174 territories, sought insights into the best places to live, quality of life, personal finance and working abroad. In the “personal finance” category, Vietnam ranked first out of 53 destinations, maintaining its top position from 2021, 2022 and 2023. The personal finance index measures respondents&

World NewsAug. 9, 2024

Unheralded athlete reaches top of taekwondo podium after taking detour to Paris

PARIS -- Kim Yu-jin, the latest Olympic taekwondo champion from South Korea, took a far more circuitous road to Paris than her teammates and many others who fancy themselves as medal contenders. Of the four South Korean taekwondo practitioners in Paris, Kim, who won the women's -57-kilogram gold medal on Thursday, had the lowest world ranking position at No. 24. Her three teammates, Park Tae-joon in the men's -58kg, Seo Geon-woo in the men's -80kg, and Lee Da-bin in the women�

More SportsAug. 9, 2024

[Robert Fouser] Some changes in Korean since the 1980s

Languages change all the time, and Korean is no exception. In the age of social media, words that go viral quickly become mainstream, but other changes happen slowly and are hard to notice. I started learning Korean in 1983, and the 41 years since then have revealed a number of interesting changes. The most obvious change is the decline in the use of Chinese characters. In the early 1980s, Chinese characters were much more common in newspapers, books and street signs. Newspapers used vertical te

ViewpointsAug. 9, 2024