About 15,000 people took to the streets of Seoul to participate in a 7.6-kilometer walk traversing the city, on Sunday, the last day of September, which saw clear skies. The walk began at 8 a.m., from Gwanghwamun Square to Banpo Hangang Park. Sections of roads were closed off from as early as 7 a.m. to as late as 11:30 a.m. to make way for the event’s participants.The event invited 10,000 walkers, 4,800 cyclists and 200 users of personal mobility devices to sign up online on a first come, first

On the final day of Chuseok holiday, Koreans hit the streets with their families to visit key tourist spots and large shopping districts in Seoul and elsewhere.A large crowd gathered at the Korean Folk Village. Located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, the popular tourist attraction offers various traditional cultural events that date back to the late Joseon period. Parents sat on the ground with their children in their laps as they enjoyed the “jultagi,” or acrobatics on a tightrope, performance up

K-pop boy band BTS at UNKorean pop singers BTS attend the UN Youth Strategy Conference at United Nations headquarters during the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York. (Yonhap)(AP-Yonhap)(AFP-Yonhap)(UPI-Yonhap) (Reuters-Yonhap)

THE SHAPE OF HIS HEART -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju, along with South Korean officials, pose for cameras with the so-called “finger heart” gesture against the backdrop of Cheonji Lake on top of Mount Paekdu on Sept. 20. The related photos, describing the last day of the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang last week, were released by Seoul’s presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Sunday. (Cheong Wa Dae)

The Chuseok travel rush began Friday in Korea as about 36 million travelers head to their hometowns. As of 1 p.m. Friday, a trip from Seoul to Busan took five hours and 20 minutes by car; two hours and 40 minutes to Gangneung; four hours and 10 minutes to Gwangju; four hours and 34 minutes to Daegu; and four hours and 40 minutes to Mokpo, according to Korea Expressway Corp.A survey by the Korea Transport Institute predicted that the traffic volume of cars leaving Seoul and heading back to the ci

On the final day of President Moon Jae-in’s visit to Pyongyang, he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made a surprise trip to Paektusan on Thursday. Moon had originally planned to return to the South following a farewell breakfast at the Paekhwawon State Guesthouse around 9 a.m. Accompanied by first ladies Kim Jung-sook and Ri Sol-ju, the leaders of the two Koreas took the hourlong car ride up to the sacred mountain’s peak, Changgun-bong, in separate vehicles. The four then took a cable car dow

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook received the red carpet treatment upon arriving at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport on Tuesday morning. Dressed in a navy blue two-piece ensemble and matching brooch, the North Korean first lady appeared confident on the runway alongside North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. First lady Kim Jung-sook, in white, also projected an elegant image. While Moon and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong-un, exchanged cheek-to-cheek hugs, th

Before President Moon Jae-in arrived in Pyongyang, hundreds of North Koreans were ready to welcome the South Korean leader.The live broadcast of Moon’s arrival showed North Koreans holding colorful bouquets and waving both the North Korean flag and the Korean Unification Flag. Military honor guards were also seen marching into Pyongyang’s Sunan Airport.Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was also spotted in the airport. Shortly after, Kim and his wife Ri Sol-ju made surprise

SMILEGATE SHOWCASES ‘LOST ARK’ -- Smilegate RPG CEO Jee Won-gil introduces the company’s latest massively multiplayer online role-playing game, “Lost Ark,” during a media event in Seoul on Monday. Smilegate is accepting preorders for “Lost Ark” until Nov. 5. The game will officially be released Nov. 7. (Yonhap)

“Okay, Google. How much time left on the laundry?” Google Korea on Tuesday presented its Google Home and Google Home Mini smart speakers at a company event in Hannam-dong, Seoul ahead of its official release date of Sept. 18. Its new artificial intelligence voice assistant helps users search the web, listen to music, check their calendars, set reminders and many other tasks to make life more convenient. The smart home device also boasts a “voice match” feature that can recognize up to six distin

North Korea on Sunday staged a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the country’s foundation.The parade was attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s special envoy Li Zhanshu. It reportedly started around 10 a.m. and finished before noon. North Korean soldiers march with a float showing late North Korean leader Kim Il Sung during a parade for the 70th anniversary of North Korea`s founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018. North

Eco-Expo Korea 2018, hosted by the Ministry of Environment and organized by the Korean Environmental Industry and Technology Institute, opened at Coex in Seoul, Wednesday. The annual event, which started in 2005, puts together leading experts from environment-related industries to promote eco-friendly products and services.The exhibition presents a variety of activity-centered booths where children can engage in crafting eco-friendly sculptures, generating electricity by pedaling bicycles and pl

BTS was spotted at Incheon Airport on Wednesday evening as it embarked on its world tour. The seven members showed up in casual outfits, along with sunglasses, masks and caps to cover their faces.(Yonhap)(Yonhap)Fans had gathered at the airport since afternoon to get a glimpse of BTS, which was scheduled to depart in the evening. As BTS entered the airport, crowds of fans followed.  (Yonhap)The world tour will see the boy band perform across North America, Europe and Japan, covering 16 cities wi

The first weekend of September in Seoul was greeted by an array of colors presented by the Halloween Party Parade. Featuring performers of Lotte World Adventure, the event was held in Gwanghwamun in central Seoul on Sunday. Participants clad in colorful Halloween costumes danced to music and waved at citizens and tourists. Photos by Yonhap Written by Kim Hye-soo

Heavy rainfall continued to pound the Korean Peninsula with greater concentration in the Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces.The Korea Meteorological Association issued heavy rainfall warnings on Wednesday for the northern and central regions of Gangwon Province. Residents of Cheorwon were affected by the overnight downpour, which caused a number of problems such as flooded roads and soil erosion. The sudden downpour startled many Koreans, especially those who had been on the roads in their cars or b