In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Jung-gu, central Seoul, will begin hosting rooftop tours, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Design Foundation on Wednesday. According to the city government and the foundation, the rooftop tours will open to the public from Friday to Nov. 17 as a test run, before officially launching it as a regular tour program in the spring of 2025. “The rooftop tour is a new attempt (by the Seoul Metropolitan

Above-ground railways, station buildings to turn into parks, commercial spaces; construction to begin in 2028

Samsung SDI said Wednesday it has showcased its battery lineup, ranging from the prismatic battery P6 to the next-generation all-solid-state battery, at the Daegu International Future Auto & Mobility Expo. The company’s all-solid-state battery for electric vehicles boasts an energy density of 900 watt-hours per liter with a cathode-free structure. It is known to be theoretically safer than conventional lithium-ion batteries that use flammable liquid electrolytes. It sent samples to cli

Cho Yong-pil, a living legend of the Korean music scene, has returned with his 20th full-length album, “20.” The album is composed of seven tracks, including new songs as well as songs from the project singles “Road to 20—Prelude 1” and “Road to 20—Prelude 2,” which were released in 2022 and 2023. The album spans a variety of genres, including rock, electronica and ballads. Marking the 56th anniversary of his debut this year, the 74-year-old singer

South Korean pharmaceutical company SK Bioscience said Wednesday that its SKYCellflu has become the first influenza vaccine from Korea approved by the Food and Drug Agency of Indonesia. Indonesia’s pharmaceutical market has been growing significantly. According to market tracker Insights10, the country’s flu vaccine market is expected to increase from $38.5 million in 2022 to $69.1 million by 2030. Due to its geography spanning both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, Indonesia re

The Gangbuk-gu office has apologized after coming under fire for releasing a video parodying K-pop group NewJeans’ Vietnamese-Australian member Hanni, who recently appeared at a parliamentary audit. The video, which was released last Thursday, was taken down on Sunday, following backlash from viewers criticizing the video of discrimination against foreign nationals. “We humbly accept the concerns and criticisms that the video’s content could be seen as discriminatory toward for

Low-income patients are less likely to survive any type of cancer, as they have a lower prevalence of cancer screening than wealthier patients, data showed Wednesday. The five-year survival rate for stomach cancer patients receiving medical aid was 22.7 percent lower than for patients covered by health insurance, 20.4 percent lower for colorectal cancer, 27.2 percent lower for liver cancer, 13.5 percent lower for breast cancer and 16.6 percent lower for cervical cancer. The data was presented

As the new trend of spicy-sweet -- "swicy" -- flavors has been gaining ground in the US restaurant scene, Korean gochujang (red chile pepper paste) is gaining popularity. According to a Tuesday report from CNBC, more Americans are seeking bold flavors, and gochujang has become one of the key ingredients fueling this movement. “Common menu items have paired fruity flavors with chili powder or used sauces like hot honey and gochujang, a red chile (pepper) paste that’s a pop

Hana Financial Group announced Wednesday that it has opened the 99th nursery of its "100 Nursery Building Project" in Dongdaemun, central Seoul. The latest facility, "Hoegi Hana Nursery," is a public child care center serving multicultural families, offering space for up to 60 infants and children under five. The five-story building includes playrooms and an outdoor playground. Since launching the initiative in 2018, Hana Financial Group has partnered with regional government

South Korean bakery giant SPC Group said Wednesday that President Hur Jin-soo attended a dinner banquet hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron at Elysee Palace in Paris earlier this week. He was the only Korean business leader to be invited to the exclusive event marking the 60th anniversary of SIAL Paris, one of the world’s largest food trade fairs. The dinner brought together around 40 global business leaders from major food and distribution companies, including the Netherlands&rsquo

Controversy over tattoos is brewing again, following reports about several five-star hotels in Seoul banning customers with "excessive tattoos" from using some facilities. One hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, reportedly has a clause allowing it to restrict gym and swimming pool access to customers with "an excessive amount of tattoos, to the extent of causing anxiety or discomfort to others." Another hotel in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, was reported to ban pool use for those with tatto

South Korea is planning to allow those taking tests for driver's licenses to do so with electric vehicles, the National Police Agency said Wednesday. According to the NPA, the revision of the Road Traffic Act allowing battery-powered cars to be used at state-run driver's test centers was passed at the Korean National Police Committee meeting on Wednesday. The revision is expected to come into effect as early as this year, in which case test-takers will be able to use EVs next year. Und

Incheon Airport said Wednesday it will allow celebrities to use the security lane that had previously been reserved for flight crew, in a bid to prevent fans from overcrowding the gates. The Incheon International Airport Corp. recently sent guidelines for a process that will allow celebrities to use exclusive security lane at the terminal during departure. This is a bid to minimize the crowd-gathering near the entrance, and is expected to be implemented on Oct. 28. "Celebrities tend to at

The South Korean prosecutors said Wednesday they recently requested a two-year prison term for a man in his 30s for giving up his baby for adoption to someone he met online. In a hearing at the Daejeon District Court, the prosecution sought a jail term and a five-year restriction on the suspect's employment at any institutes related to children. They charged the suspect with violating Article 17 of the Child Welfare Act, which prohibits abandoning or neglecting a child. Last year, the suspe

A photo exhibition of prominent South Korean artists opened Tuesday as part of the inaugural Gucci Cultural Month, a campaign launched by the Italian fashion house to promote the diversity and creativity of Korean culture. “Dual Narratives: Honoring the Visionaries,” running for eight days through Tuesday, explores fresh angles to look at film director Park Chan-wook, pianist Cho Seong-jin, conceptual artist Kim Soo-ja and contemporary dancer Ahn Eun-me. Master photographer Kim Yong-