Walking the peninsula: Korea’s ambitious trail project comes to fruition

Oct 21, 2024

Korea has officially opened the 4,500-kilometer Korea Trail that circles the entire country. This ambitious project, completed after 15 years of development, consists of four routes that connect the outer edges of the Korean Peninsula, linking the East Sea, West Sea, South Sea, and the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Information about the Korea Dulle Trail can be found on the Durunubi website and app. (Screenshot from the Durunubi website) Initiated in 2009, the trail aims t

Jecheon’s Koryo-saram initiative: Revitalizing rural Korea through migration

Oct 21, 2024

Jecheon was recognized for its population-decline countermeasures by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in 2023. (Photo courtesy of Jecheon City) The central Korean city of Jecheon has recently received international recognition for its innovative approach to addressing population decline. The city’s migration and settlement policy, which focuses on supporting the relocation of Koryo-saram (ethnic Koreans from former Soviet countries), has been spotlighted by major me

Art speaks in Hangeul: Korean Cultural Center New York unveils groundbreaking global installation

Oct 21, 2024

A poster for “We Are Connected,” a retrospective of Ik-Joong Kang’s works (Photo courtesy of the Korean Cultural Center New York) The Korean Cultural Center New York unveiled the monumental public art installation “Hangeul Wall” on September 25. Standing 22 meters tall and 8 meters wide, this awe-inspiring structure consists of over 20,000 blocks inscribed with messages in Hangeul, the Korean alphabet. The wall is a global collaboration among 7,000

“STATION X”: Where artificial intelligence meets K-pop

Oct 21, 2024

The radio show “STATION X” is hosted by Xenique, the first DJ born from generative AI technology in Korea. (Photo courtesy of KBS) KBS has launched “STATION X,” Korea’s first radio program hosted by an artificial intelligence DJ. Created using generative AI technology, the DJ – named Xenique – is portrayed as a K-pop enthusiast from another planet who wants to engage with Earthlings through radio. This innovative AI DJ not only hosts the

Rediscovering Korea’s cinematic gems: The YouTube channel bridging past and present

Oct 21, 2024

The Korean Film Archive runs a YouTube channel devoted to classic Korean movies. (www.youtube.com/@KoreanFilm) The YouTube channel “Korean Classic Film” offers cinephiles and casual viewers the chance to explore the rich history of Korean cinema. Operated by the Korean Film Archive’s Korean Classic Film Theater, it was launched in 2012 with Kim Soo-yong’s film “Bloodline” (1963). Since then, the channel has showcased some 200 classic films th

Traces of ancient giants: Exploring Goseong’s prehistoric wonders

Oct 21, 2024

Sangjogam County Park, one of the world’s largest dinosaur footprint fossil sites (Photo courtesy of Kim Byeong-gu, hongcomm.) Dinosaurs first appeared 230 million years ago, during the Triassic Period, and finally went extinct 66 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous Period. Traces of these ancient reptiles have been discovered in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa since at least 1677. In Korea, the first dinosaur-related find was an egg fossil unearthed in

Autonomous firefighting: Korea’s innovative approach to electric vehicle hazards

Oct 21, 2024

Firefighters extinguish a simulated electric vehicle fire during the 2024 Joint Fire Drill in Jungang-dong, Sejong. (Photo courtesy of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety) The rise of electric vehicles (EVs) has spawned new safety challenges, particularly concerning fire hazards. EV fires, often involving lithium-ion batteries, are notoriously difficult to extinguish. To address this issue, the Korean government partnered with Hyundai Motor Group to develop a special unmanne