[Photo News] Spring blossoms covered in fine dust

Spring blossoms at Sky Park in Sangnam-dong, Seoul, have fought their way out to shine in a city covered in a veil of fine dust.The extreme levels of fine dust in the country are expected to continue for the time being, according to the National Institute of Environmental Research. Ultra-fine dust bypasses the body‘s natural respiratory filter to go directly to the lungs, and can cause cancer in the long run. A safe rule to follow on smoggy days is to wear a mask for outdoor activities and wash

Social AffairsMarch 27, 2018

[Photo News] Seoul switches off lights for Earth Hour

Lights dimmed across the city of Seoul on Saturday in celebration of Earth Hour, a one-hour event that involves switching off unnecessary electricity to conserve energy and take action against climate change.This year’s Earth Hour was at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. From 5 p.m. on the day, people gathered at Seoul’s Cheonggye Plaza to sign a petition board set up by the Worldwide Fund for Nature in celebration of a movement to connect to the Earth. Messages crammed the board, such as “Fine dust, I wan

Social AffairsMarch 25, 2018

[Photo News] Abandoned theme park finds ‘second life’ as photo venue

Yongma Land, a closed down theme park in the northern corner of Seoul, has lately seen an influx of visitors coming around to take photos with the battered vintage amusement rides in the background.The place can be eerie on first impression, with deserted rides standing still as if frozen in time. But since the park began to appear in K-pop videos and dramas, it has gained popularity even among foreign travelers. Perhaps the biggest boost the park received was through K-pop group Crayon Pop’s mu

CultureMarch 23, 2018

[Photo News] Meat Vending Machine

(BGF retail)A customer picks up a box of packaged Korean pork from a vending machine at local convenience store chain CU on Thursday. In collaboration with Nonghyup and telephone company KT, CU said it has invented a “CU Internet of Things smart vending machine” which offers freshly packaged Korean beef and pork. Each box contains 300 grams of meat which is economical and convenient for single-person household, CU said.(khnews@heraldcorp.com)

IndustryMarch 22, 2018

[Photo News] PyeongChang Winter Paralympics pass on baton to Beijing

The PyeongChang 2018 Winter Paralympics wrapped up Sunday, passing on the baton to Beijing, the next host city for 2022. The event in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, set a new record for a Winter Paralympics event with the participation of a total of 567 athletes from 49 countries. In the previous Winter Paralympics held 2014 in Sochi, Russia, a total of 547 athletes from 45 countries had taken part. In addition, North Korea, Georgia and Tajikistan made their Winter Paralympic debuts this year.So

Olympic GamesMarch 19, 2018

[Photo News] Curling team’s long-awaited vacuum ad goes on air

A highly anticipated vacuum TV ad featuring Korea’s women’s Olympic curling team began airing Saturday, according to LG Electronics on Sunday.The commercial uses the Winter Olympic sport as a motif to promote its Cord Zero A9, R9 and T9 vacuums. Starting with a cut of team skip Kim Eun-jung’s piercing stare, the team maneuvers LG Electronics’ vacuums to clean a house the way they maneuver brooms and stones on the ice.The Korean women’s curling team ultimately lost the gold to Sweden during the P

TechnologyMarch 18, 2018

[Photo News] Holi Hai brings first colors of spring to Geoje

International visitors transformed into a palette of vibrant hues at the Holi Hai Festival of Colors, taking place on Wahyeon Beach in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, Sunday. The eighth annual festival, dubbed the “happiest event” in Korea, celebrates the coming of spring, the joy of friendship and values such as equality, while encouraging harmony between ethnicities and nationalities. The festival is held to mark the Indian end-of-winter festival of Holi, which people celebrate by spattering

CultureMarch 18, 2018

[Photo News] Food Delivery Robot

Food delivery robot "Dilly" (Woowa Brothers)South Korean startup Woowa Brothers, which runs food delivery app Baedal Minjok, has developed a test prototype of an autonomous delivery robot, the company said Thursday. The robot called “Dilly” can move at a speed of 4 kph and detect obstacles with a location tracing sensor. It is being co-developed with a research team from Korea University and will be commercialized in two to three years, according to the company. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

IndustryMarch 15, 2018

[Photo News] Samsung Wind-Free at MCE

Models introduce Wind-Free air conditioners from Samsung Electronics at the Mostra Convegno Expocomfort 2018, a biannual trade exhibition in Italy dedicated to residential and industrial installations and air and energy solutions. Samsung Electronics will be presenting products targeting the European air conditioner market at the show, which runs from Tuesday to Friday. (Samsung Electronics)

TechnologyMarch 13, 2018

[Photo News] Letters of hope from Korea to Uganda

Students from Seoul Chungmu Elementary School wrote encouraging messages to Uganda on Tuesday as part of the 10th annual fundraising event of nonprofit organization Good Neighbors.The Hope Letter Campaign began in 2009. This year’s event runs from March 2 through May 31 for students in elementary, middle and high schools nationwide. The students are invited to watch a video on a 10-year-old Ugandan boy named Simon, who works at a dust-filled quarry to make ends meet. Simon’s father, who had also

Social AffairsMarch 13, 2018

[Photo News] Uiseong residents welcome ‘Garlic Girls’

The “Garlic Girls” returned Monday to their hometown of Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, where they received a warm welcome. The members of the South Korean women’s curling team, which won silver at the PyeongChang Olympics, are nicknamed “Garlic Girls,” as all of the athletes, except for Kim Cho-hee, are from Uiseong county, whose specialty is garlic.The North Gyeongsang Province government invited about 300 people, including members of the national curling team and the athletes’ families, f

Olympic GamesMarch 12, 2018

[Photo News] Fine dust blankets Seoul’s weekend

Spring has finally arrived in Seoul, but an uninvited guest let locals down over the weekend: fine dust. The temperature in Seoul went down to 2 degrees Celsius on Sunday, while daytime high peaked at 12 C in the afternoon. As of 11 a.m. on the day, the fine dust level in Seoul remained “bad,” recording 87 milligrams per cubic meter. Clear skies are expected to be seen after 3 p.m. after wind blows away the fine particulate matter. Temperatures are to warm up Monday, with highs ranging from 11 t

Social AffairsMarch 11, 2018

[Photo News] PyeongChang gears up for 2018 Paralympic Games

With the opening of 2018 PyeongChang Paralympic Games just a day away, the city is busy making final preparations for the event. The torch for the games arrived in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Thursday afternoon, on a route that even took a brief trip above the sea via the Aranabi zip-line that connects Amnok and Namhangjin beaches. The torch for the PyeongChang Paralympics arrives in Gangneung via the Aranabi zip-line on Thursday.Athletes from North Korea, China and Uzbekistan made their offici

Olympic GamesMarch 8, 2018

[Photo News] ‘Uncomfort Women’ project in Seoul

On Wednesday, the day before International Women’s Day, protesters gathered in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul with 30 photos of ordinary women’s faces merged with the image of the comfort woman statue. The images were called “Uncomfort Women.”The 30 photos represented the number of the remaining 30 comfort women in Korea. The rest have passed away due to age.“This is a campaign to let the world know that these women are here, the women who were called comfort women but were driven to the

Social AffairsMarch 7, 2018

[Photo News] Dyson V10's Asia Debut

DYSON V10’S ASIA DEBUT -- Dyson’s vice president of floor care and robotics, John Churchill, demonstrates the functions of the new V10 cordless vacuum at the K Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul on Wednesday. Churchill announced that Dyson would no longer be developing corded vacuums, moving completely into the cordless vacuums sphere. On Wednesday, the company revealed the new Dyson Cyclone 10 vacuum and Dyson Pure Cool air purifier for the first time in Asia, following similar events in New Y

TechnologyMarch 7, 2018

[Photo News] Toyota Korea sponsors exchange program for Korean and Japanese students

TOYOTA SCHOLARSHIP -- Kim Soung-soo (third from right), chairman of Youth For Understanding Korea, a nonprofit student exchange organization, poses with Korean and Japanese students selected for the 2018 exchange program sponsored by Toyota Korea. Also present in the ceremony held in Seoul last week were Keiko Enatsu (fourth from left), national director of YFU Japan, and Nobuyuki Takemura (fifth from left), head of Toyota Korea. (YFU Korea)

PeopleMarch 5, 2018

[Photo News] Galaxy S9 shines on Burj Khalifa

GALAXY S9 ON BURJ KHALIFA -- An advertisement for the release of Samsung Electronics‘ latest flagship phone Galaxy S9 is shown on the facade of the Burj Khalifa building in Dubai. The ad was shown five times over two days on March 2 and 3 (local time) on the world’s tallest building, complementing an experience zone where consumers could try out the new features of the Galaxy S9. (Samsung Electronics)

IndustryMarch 4, 2018

[Photo News] In full bloom for March

Graduation and school entrance season, which comes around in March in Korea, has arrived. The record-breaking cold temperatures are slowly fading away as spring creeps up.Along with the change in seasons, people are flocking to the flower market in Yangjae-dong, southeastern Seoul. The Yangjae Flower Market is the largest in Korea, a hub of some 120 wholesale and retail stores, an auction house and greenhouses that sell all sorts of flowers, succulents and bouquet-making material.Customers can b

CultureMarch 4, 2018

[Photo News] Intentional snub? Opposition party chief cuts in front of President Moon

Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, chairman of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, was seen jumping in line ahead of President Moon Jae-in while giving out customary handshakes with participants at the March 1 Independence movement ceremony on Thursday.　Hong was photographed at the head of the long line of politicians sharing handshakes. The front of the line is usually reserved for the person with the highest position -- President Moon Jae-in. (Yonhap)Moon, just behind Hong in the line, appeared to have

PoliticsMarch 1, 2018

[Photo News] Winter returns in Daegwallyeong

In contrast to the clear sky in Seoul, Daegwallyeong township is being covered with snow Thursday. Low temperatures will hover around minus 14 degrees Celsius, with peak temperatures of minus 4 C in the county of PyeongChang, Gangwon Province.With the sudden snowfall and subzero temperatures, many people got stuck in traffic, while snow and ice are being cleared from roads. The snowfall is set to let up by Friday, according to the country’s weather agency. Written by Catherine Chung (cec82@heral

Social AffairsMarch 1, 2018