Myeongdong Cathedral situated in the heart of Seoul is a symbolic destination for the Christmas season. The country’s oldest Roman Catholic gothic architecture is now surrounded by soft lights and glittering Christmas trees adding a festive vibe to the city. Passersby in the neighborhood are attracted to the cathedral to take photos against the background of the rose garden, or some would stay for a while in front of the nativity scene set up in front of the cathedral to pray. The manger

Millennial workers flock to seaside vacation homes to beat pandemic blues

Korean Air said Thursday that it has developed drones for airplane inspection. At an airship hangar located in Gangseo-gu, eastern Seoul, Korean Air demonstrated a group of drones inspecting a Boeing 737 aircraft in front of officials from the Ministry of Land and Transportation. The drone used in the demonstration weighs only 5.5 kilograms and is relatively small in size, with the width and length both coming in at 1 meter. Four drones move in groups when they inspect an airplane, sharing

Several years ago, I was on vacation in Korea’s east coast with my family, riding three-wheeled all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). Our guide told us to go up a steep mountain in the rain. Unfortunately I had a very bad fall, which led to a fracture on my upper femur bone right below the socket. Long story short, instead of spending the day riding ATVs we rode ambulances. I had surgery and was hospitalized for a few days. During the hospitalization I lost over 4.5 kilograms due to the stress and

South Korean drugmakers have begun the process to develop COVID-19 vaccines that are effective against the new omicron variant amid concerns that the highly transmissible strain may become a dominant one soon. As the omicron variant fuels fears around the world that the pandemic could rage during the winter season, local pharmaceutical firms have either begun developing omicron-tailored vaccines or studying whether their vaccine candidates are effective against the strain. The country does not

South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed above 7,000 for the fourth consecutive day Saturday and critical cases surged to a record high as the government reimposed restrictions to contain the fast spread of the virus.  The country added 7,314 more COVID-19 cases, including 7,284 local infections, bringing the cumulative total to 558,864, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Saturday's tally is slightly down from the previous day's 7,434 and the record high of 7,850 rep

South Korean stocks are expected to gain momentum next week, as investor sentiment will be buoyed by eased uncertainty about the US monetary policy, analysts said Saturday. The benchmark Kospi closed at 3,017.73 points Friday, little changed from 3,010.23 points a week ago. The key stock index retreated on Monday and Tuesday as investors took to the sidelines ahead of the US Federal Reserve's policy meeting. But local stocks rebounded for three straight sessions to Friday, as the outcome of t

Any future changes to US Forces Korea including troop levels will be made under joint decisions with South Korea, a Pentagon spokesman said Friday. "I can assure you that there's no plans, no intentions to change our alliance posture in any way," Department of Defense Press Secretary John Kirby said when asked if there can be any changes to the US troop level in South Korea in the near future. "And any changes at all, not that I'm predicting any ... will always be done as an all

South Korea is among the world’s biggest seller of green bonds, and one of its top issuers is planning to tap the global debt market more aggressively next year to provide sustainable funds to local companies operating abroad. Export-Import Bank of Korea, the nation’s second-largest issuer of green notes, plans to sell about $12 billion to $12.5 billion of bonds offshore in 2022, compared with around $11 billion this year, said Lee Dong-hoon, the treasurer of the bank. It expects ab

South Korea has confirmed an additional case of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a chicken farm in the central region, the agriculture ministry said Friday. The latest case was reported at the farm where around 344,000 egg-laying chickens are being raised in Sejong, 144 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Health authorities have cordoned off the site and are culling chickens in the farm to prevent the spread of the disease outside t