What if you could locate where satellites are in space just by listening to the sounds they make? The Orbit Pavilion at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, where the sounds visitors hear map out the trajectories of 19 satellites orbiting Earth, offers real-time auditory connections to space. But this experience would not be as compelling without the pavilion's giant seashell design, which transports visitors to the celestial landscape of satellites by representing their chat

Arts & Design Sept. 19, 2023

Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh cherishes the connection to the past and weaves it into her architectural creations for a sustainable future. With a deliberate focus on invoking memory, time, and space from the traces of the past, she aims to bridge the chasm between disparate time frames -- the past and the future -- ultimately unifying the human experience with nature in the realm of architecture. During her presentation at the Herald Design Forum on Tuesday, Ghotmeh expounded on her archi

Arts & Design Sept. 19, 2023

One in 5 drivers in Seoul to have been ticketed has unpaid parking violation fines, resulting in an accumulated unpaid sum of 11.3 billion won ($8.5 million), the city of Seoul reported. According to data released by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Sunday, the capital city witnessed approximately 1.42 million parking violation instances during an eight-month period from January to August this year. A total of 55.2 billion won was levied in fines, but approximately 20 percent, amounting to

Social Affairs Sept. 17, 2023

The act of purchasing Christmas gifts was viewed as a luxurious indulgence for Koreans in December 1997, as the nation was beset by deepening economic woes amid the Asian financial crisis. "Won plunges to record low," was the boldest headline on the Christmas Eve edition of The Korea Herald in 1997, which delivered a news story that was decidedly incongruous with the typical consumerist holiday spirit. The Korean currency, having significantly depreciated, had plummeted to an all-tim

Foreign Affairs Sept. 13, 2023

The South Korean government appears to be reconsidering its earlier plan to introduce a disposable cup return program by 2025, in spite of the country’s proliferation of cafes and their widespread use of single-use cups. Designed by the previous Moon Jae-in administration, the deposit-refund system for plastic cups mandates cafe and restaurant owners to impose a surcharge of 300 won ($0.23) on each takeaway cup, eligible for a refund upon return of the used cup. Ahead of its scheduled nati

Social Affairs Sept. 13, 2023

On the high-traffic Seoul Subway Line No. 2 sits Sillim Station in southwestern Seoul, which recently added the Sillim Line to Seoul’s sprawling web of metro stations. Sillim Station bustles with budding Seoulites, mostly university students and office workers, who take advantage of the neighborhood’s easy accessibility to universities like Seoul National University, as well as key business districts like Gangnam and Yeouido. Yet, it's not solely the location that adds to the

Social Affairs Sept. 10, 2023

The expansion of the Korean fried chicken market has been driven by young Korean consumers using delivery services, with the biggest spenders accounting for nearly half of the sales, data showed Thursday. According to data released by KB Kookmin Card, a subsidiary of South Korea's KB Financial Group, the top 10 percent of individuals who splurge the most on Korean fried chicken constitute 41.5 percent of total fried chicken sales. On average, these individuals shell out approximately 80,0

Social Affairs Sept. 8, 2023

A young Buddhist monk with a strong social media presence has created a sensation by selling out tickets to a temple tour program. According to the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, a free nighttime tour of Hwaeomsa, which accepts 22 participants on a first-come, first-served basis, was fully booked in about four hours after booking opened. The program includes a tea time session with Venerable Beomjeong, who belongs to the temple located on Jirisan Mountain in South Jeolla Province. Venerable B

Social Affairs Sept. 6, 2023

Browsing through a collection of photographs on his smartphone, Kim, a 28-year-old Seoul resident, fondly revisited moments from a recent art exhibition. Before long, some of these digitized memories would find their place on his social media profile, joining the stream of posts from young South Koreans eager to flaunt their recent museum adventures online. “This customary practice of taking artsy photos has taken root fairly recently, ever since I came across my friend’s online po

Hashtag Korea Sept. 5, 2023

Jeju, South Korea's southern resort island, saw a 16 percent drop in domestic tourist arrivals in the peak vacation season of July and August, data showed Monday. According to statistics provided by the Jeju Tourism Association, the volcanic island received some 2.13 million domestic tourists in the two-month period. That is about 397,000 less visits, compared to the previous year's figure of 2.53 million. Total tourist arrivals encompassing both domestic and foreign visitors came in a

Social Affairs Sept. 4, 2023

Seoul City has seen a threefold increase on-year in the number of serious heat-related illnesses this summer, authorities said Friday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Management Headquarters, a total of 158 cases were reported through 911 emergency calls between May 15 and Aug. 31. This year's figure is approximately three times larger than the 50 cases recorded last year. Of those patients, 104 were diagnosed with heat exhaustion, followed by 24 cases of heat stroke

Social Affairs Sept. 1, 2023

Divorced singles looking for new relationships regretted not having been more generous and kind toward their partners during their marriages, a survey showed Monday. According to the survey of 516 divorcees (258 men and 258 women), conducted by South Korean matchmaking agencies Only U and Bien-Aller, the highest percentage of male respondents at 29.1 percent said they should have been "more generous" in their past married life, while 32.2 percent of female respondents regretted not hav

Social Affairs Aug. 29, 2023

From dimly-lit dens shrouded in cigarette smoke in the 1990s to bright, cafe-like environments in the 2020s, South Korea's internet cafes – called “PC bang” in Korean -- have updated their appearance and services to stay relevant amid rapid changes in people's lifestyles and preferences here. These days, PC bang are stocked with state-of-the-art computer equipment and super high-speed internet, offering a myriad of video game titles for players, while serving as s

Hashtag Korea Aug. 29, 2023

"The Korean Zombie," Jung Chan-sung, a 36-year-old South Korean mixed martial arts veteran, lost his battle against former Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight champion Max Holloway at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore on Saturday, seeing the two-time UFC title challenger leaving the octagon for good. Despite being on the losing foot throughout the fight, the Korean Zombie gave his best during the adrenaline-fueled bout. Known for his never-back-down fighting style, J

More Sports Aug. 27, 2023

Contagious laughter broke out among a group of 6-year-olds as 78-year-old Yang Moon-jah energetically narrated a Korean folktale about a fart competition between a man and a woman. The septuagenarian delivered the tale with impeccable clarity, ensuring every word resonated throughout the entire 20-minute storytelling session. Officially known as an "iyagi halmeoni" in Korean, which translates into "storytelling grandmother," Yang boasts nine years of storytelling experience w

weekender Aug. 26, 2023