Police plan to summon for questioning a teenage boy who allegedly placed a brick-sized rock on a high-speed railroad last week, officials said Sunday. According to Korea Railroad Police and Korail, the state-run railway operator, the incident occurred at around 9 p.m. on Thursday at Singyeongju Station in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. A rail traffic controller who was monitoring the station via closed-circuit cameras noticed the boy trespassing into the restricted railroad area and plac

Hong Kong waffles at Ikseon-dong hanok village It would be a perfect weather this weekend to stroll around the maze-like hanok village at Ikseon-dong in Jongno-gu, central Seoul. The narrow alleys that run through this cluster of traditional houses are paced with hip cafes, restaurants, pubs and shops. Among the cafes is Iksun Jutaek, literally meaning Iksun house, which offers Hong Kong-style bubble waffles. Bubble waffles, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, are a common street sna

An 82-year-old general hospital in central Seoul is in the process of closing its doors, due mainly to mounting losses. Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital’s board of directors will convene on June 20 to finalize the decision, proposed by the hospital’s self-help task force, an official from the hospital said. The hospital, located near Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul’s Jung-gu district, has accumulated a deficit of 174.5 billion won ($135 million) over the past 20 years. Sin

Only approximately one in five fathers in Korea are using paternity leave, despite being entitled to the longest period of child care leave among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's member countries, data showed Tuesday. According to the OECD Family Database, of Korea's total parental leave takers in 2021, 22.7 percent were fathers. This figure differs from countries that implement what is called a "father’s quota" system, such as Sweden, Icela

The 20th Busan International Performing Arts Festival kicked off in Busan on Friday with 41 productions by artists from 11 countries presenting their work over the 17-day festival. A special performance titled "1945," presented by theater company Dongnyok, will be staged at Busan Citizen's Hall from Friday to Sunday. "1945" tells the story of forgotten individuals who embark on a return journey to Korea after the country’s independence from Japanese colonial rule

An exhibition of lotuses is to take place at the Sejong National Arboretum in Sejong City. The Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute announced on Friday its plan to host "Special Exhibition on 700 years of Ara Hongryeon," a showcase of historical Korean lotuses Ara Hongryeon and Beopsu Hongryeon from June 13 to July 31. Ara Hongryeon refers to red lotuses that blossomed from seeds that were discovered during the excavation of Seongsansanseong Fortress in Haman County, South Gyeongsang

Unique scent-themed cocktail bar There are various perspectives on what defines a good drink, but before captivating one's palate, a beverage initially captures the eyes and the nose with its visual and olfactory appeal. Bar Geranium, situated in the posh Rodeo Street neighborhood of Apgujeong, is an exceptional cocktail bar that draws inspiration from the world of perfumes. Opened in late 2021, this unique bar skillfully incorporates a wide array of flowers and perfume elements to craft it

Westin Josun Seoul launches ‘Viva Summer, Edition 2’ package Westin Josun Seoul presents a summer package that offers guests a blend of cultural experiences and a comfortable stay. As part of this package, the hotel will host the Summer Art Festival on Aug. 11 at 8 p.m., featuring Singer Ailee and Tei, at the Grand Ballroom. Guests will receive two concert tickets along with drinks and snacks. For guests staying in Executive Deluxe rooms, additional benefits include the club lounge a

The Busan International Dance Festival 2023 will be held in Busan from Friday through Sunday, aiming to promote dance and to support Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo. Orchestrated by the BIDF organizing committee and the Busan city government, the 19th BIDF will feature performances by some 40 dance troupes from around the world at various venues around Busan, including Haeundae Beach, Busan Cinema Center and Busan Citizens Park. BIDF 2023 is an international event that partners with

Daniel Mayran, the chairman of Bluebell Korea, received the "Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) from the French Ministry of Culture in a ceremony held in Paris on Friday, according to Bluebell Korea on Tuesday. Mayran is also the director of group business development retail and travel retail of Bluebell Group, and founder and president of Luxury Business Group. Thierry Dana, former ambassador of France to Japan, presented h

Paramount+ has unveiled the official poster and trailer for the second season of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," scheduled to be released in June. For fans in Korea, the new season will premiere on Korean streaming platform Tving. "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" is a prequel to the iconic "Star Trek: The Original Series," revolving around beloved characters like Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Commander Una Chin-Riley, commonly known as Number One (Rebecca

Explore history of King Sejong and Admiral Yi Sun-shin Two statues stand at Gwanghwamun Square representing two iconic figures of Korean history: Adm. Yi Sun-shin, a national hero who triumphed over Japanese invaders during the Imjin War (1592-1598), and King Sejong, an ingenious ruler who invented Hangeul, the Korean writing system, in 1443. Two permanent exhibitions have been set up underneath these statues, housed in the basements of Gwanghwamun Square and the Sejong Center for the Performing

Haevichi Hotel & Resort debuts Indian course meal Haevichi Hotel & Resort Jeju presents a dining deal at its restaurant Darangswi. Guests can indulge in an Indian course meal, which features five dishes and four drinks, offering a blend of exotic flavors. Starting with appetizers like papadums and Indian traditional sauces, the course provides samosas and a tandoori chicken platter. The meal concludes with a thali of curry dishes and nan, followed by rice pudding for dessert. Each course

Guests unveil the signboard of Dondeokjeon during an unveiling ceremony on Monday at Dondeokjeon in Deoksugung Palace in central Seoul on Monday. Originally constructed as an event hall to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Emperor Gojong, Dondeokjeon later served primarily as a reception hall and guesthouse for foreign visitors before it was destroyed by Japan in the 1920s. After five years of reconstruction that began in 2017, the building was finally completed in November, almost a century a

South Korea's largest dental implant maker announced Thursday it will discuss the firm's delisting from the secondary bourse Kosdaq at its extraordinary general meeting slated for June 28. Osstem Implant plans to initiate the delisting application process once the resolution is passed at the general meeting that will be attended by private equity funds Unison Capital Korea and MBK Partners, the firm's largest shareholders. The MBK Partners-Unison Capital Korea consortium has acq

LG Water Solutions, the arm of LG Chem specializing in manufacturing seawater reverse osmosis membranes, has secured an exclusive supply agreement for the Ashdod Rehabilitation Project in Israel, aiming at strengthening the company's presence in the Mediterranean desalination market. Under the agreement, LG Water Solutions will supply a total of 30,000 SWRO membranes to the Ashdod plant throughout the year. With a capacity of 336,000 m3/day, this can generate clean water for approximately 1

GS25, the leading convenience store chain in South Korea owned by GS Group, said Tuesday it is launching an artificial intelligence-developed alcoholic beverage -- a first globally -- this week. GS25 has partnered with Brewguru, a startup brewing company, to apply AI-based knowledge in developing and introducing a whiskey highball beverage called AskUp Lemon Sparkling Highball. This offering is the world's first alcoholic drink that incorporates AI’s expertise into its decision-maki

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea held a digital innovation forum on Monday, aiming to foster dialogue and exchange ideas about the rapidly expanding generative artificial intelligence industry with its stakeholders. The AmCham Digital Innovation Forum 2023, which was held for the second time this year at the Grand InterContinental Parnas, focused on the theme “The Industry Application and Popularization of Generative AI,” in response to the recent surge of interest in Micros

SK Group is sponsoring art and cultural festivities in New York as part of business efforts to expand its presence in the US market. The SUPEX Council, the group’s highest consultative panel, confirmed that five SK affiliates -- SK E&S, SKC, SK On, SK C&C and SK Ecoengineering -- will participate as corporate sponsors in the Lincoln Center's Summer for the City festival in New York from June 14 to Aug. 12. It is the group's first time employing the key “Global Sto

Samsung SDS announced Thursday that it has formed strategic partnerships with o9 Solutions, a US-based planning platform provider, and Emro, a Korean Supplier Relationship Management vendor, in a bid to jointly develop global SRM Software as a service solution. Samsung SDS said it plans to complete the development of the SaaS solution this year, and secure customers by 2024 to cement its position as a market leader. SRM has become a crucial factor in strengthening the firm’s competitiven