Smart packaging is the latest development in the Korean packaging industry ― the technology that enables consumers to connect with and communicate better with products, according to Shim Jin-kie, director of the Korea Packaging Center of the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology.“Technology creates products and packages that are easy and convenient to use. Some packages will be built with a technology that talks to users about product information, such as how to use it and how many days are l

Made of recyclable, safe materials that can be repurposed, packages are no longer a waste

An international conference will be held next week in Seoul to discuss and promote the historic value of the Tripitaka Koreana, one of the world’s oldest Buddhist scriptures, organizers said Thursday. The forum, scheduled for Tuesday and organized as a preliminary event for a global Tripitaka festival kicking off next month, will bring together scholars and experts from the United States, Japan and South Korea at Plaza Hotel in central Seoul to explore the messages and structures of the 750-year

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― In the half century since Martin Luther King’s march on Washington came to symbolize the Civil Rights struggle, black literature has found its place at the heart of American culture.Before the era of King’s march, which was marked on Wednesday when huge crowds returned to the scene of his speech on the National Mall, books by African Americans were little known and rarely studied or celebrated.But, as America learned to accept black citizens into its political mainstream and s

The Dying HoursBy Mark Billingham (Grove Atlantic)British author Mark Billingham’s talent for sculpting intensely dark police procedurals complements his skill at pinpointing believable contemporary nightmares.At the helm is Detective Inspector Tom Thorne, a good cop, an insightful investigator and often a loose cannon, going off on his own hunches. That he often is right still doesn’t sit right with his supervisors. But Billingham uses Tom more as a mirror reflecting the changing times, the hor

The Affairs of OthersBy Amy Grace Loyd (Picador)“The Affairs of Others,” a debut novel by Amy Grace Loyd, former literary editor of Playboy, has such an intense and heady narrative voice that it recalls those occasions when a substance one has just ingested is a whole lot stronger than expected. One is overwhelmed by the scent of a gardenia, by disturbing sounds from the upstairs apartment, or perhaps by the features on the face of the policeman who has just knocked at the door.“ ... (H)e pulsed

NEW YORK (AP) ― Tony Wheeler wrote his first travel book with his wife Maureen in 1973 after driving across Europe and Asia. It sold 1,500 copies in a week and launched a guidebook empire called Lonely Planet. The Wheelers made a fortune when the BBC bought the company in 2007 before the recession, but the BBC sold the company earlier this year at a huge loss. Meanwhile Wheeler, 66, is still doing what he built the brand on: traveling the world and writing about it. His newest book, “Dark Lands,

Recently published book delves into history of Korean-American writers and their literary works

ATLANTA ― Even if you’re not a parent of school-aged children, the traffic and returning road rage has signaled the beginning of a new school year.But what may not be common knowledge, even to parents, doctors say, are the risks associated with lugging around heavy backpacks.According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, backpack-related injuries send an estimated 5,000 children a year to emergency rooms. More than 14,000 children are treated annually for injuries.Carrying a heavy bac

BANGKOK (AFP) ― On a hotel rooftop in Bangkok, dozens of barrels of green liquid bubble under the sun ― the latest innovation in urban farming. Proponents of the edible algae known as spirulina say it could help provide a sustainable source of protein as an alternative to meat.Three times a week, Patsakorn Thaveeuchukorn harvests the green algae in the barrels.“The algae is growing so fast, normally the doubling time is around 24 hours,” said Patsakorn, whose employer EnerGaia uses Bangkok’s roo

Korean and expat musicians will gather to perform at a CLASH charity event Friday in aid of women and children affected by war.CLASH is regular event that brings together Korean and expat musicians in both rock and hip-hop four times a year to raise money for marginalized people. This event is in aid of the Nabi Fund, which was created by two victims of Japanese military sexual slavery, Kim Bok-dong and Gil Won-ok, in coordination with the Korean Council for the Women Drafted into Military Sexua

The family of an American teacher with a rare brain disease is working to take him home so that he can continue treatment.Sean Jones, an assistant teacher based in Gyeonggi Province, was hospitalized in May with encephalitis NMDA, an auto-immune disease that attacks the brain.But treatment has been stopped and, although the U.S. Embassy had arranged for a doctor to fly with him on Sept. 4 to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he will be entitled to state support for his medical care, the hospital will