GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province -- Lim Hyo-jun secured South Korea’s first medal of the PyeongChang Olympics on Saturday with gold in men’s short track speedskating.Lim won the race in 2 minutes and 10.485 seconds, a new games record, in the final on the men’s 1,500 meters at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. Lim Hyo-jun wins gold (Yonhap)Fellow South Korean and world No. 1 Hwang Dae-heon fell while in third with two laps to go, and did not finish.Earlier in the day Choi Min-je

South Korea won its heat in the women's 3,000-meter short track speedskating relay at the PyeongChang Olympics on Saturday, despite a fall early on.Sim Suk-hee, Choi Min-jeong, Kim Ye-jin and Lee Yu-bin skated to a new Olympic record 4minutes and 6.387 seconds in heat 1 of the competition at the Gangneung Ice Arena.South Korean short track speedskater Lee Yu-bin (left) tags in teammate Choi Min-jeong during heat 1 of the women`s 3,000-meter relay at the Gangneung Ice Arena on Saturday. (Yonhap)L

From superfast delivery to near ubiquitous Wi-Fi, Korea has a wealth of conveniences that would make many rivals blush.But the language barrier and an idiosyncratic internet environment have often made it difficult for visitors to take advantage. With a growing foreign population and tourism industry -- a record 17 million people visited the country in 2016 -- Korea has worked hard to make the country more accessible, with tech a particular plus if you know where to look.Apps and assistance exis

The Korea International Expat Film Festival is inviting entries for its run in September, returning after a year away. The organizers have tried to keep the cost of entry down this year, choosing to seek sponsorship to reduce the festival’s reliance on fees. Now filmmakers have two options, either entering at the usual price, with the complete level of feedback offered before, or at a lower price without a detailed review. The feedback was set up as a selling point of KIXFF, inspired by founder

 Migrant workers and other foreign residents gathered in central Seoul on Sunday to mark International Migrants Day, observed Dec. 18, calling for stronger protection of their rights.Workers, foreign spouses and international adoptees gathered in front of Seoul Finance Center near City Hall, with similar events held in Busan and Daegu on the same day. Several migrant workers carried signs showing the conditions of their accommodation and how much they were charged for it, following a change in t

This article has been edited to clarify that the the items in the gift set have not been tested on animals. - Ed.Those planning to go vegan in 2018 can get a head start on their New Year’s resolution at a Nutty New Year Party in Seoul.In August, organizers Nutties held their first event, a Vegan Cruise Night, and have built on this to bring together a lineup of performances, food and music. The organizers say they have also tried to give the event “a more vibey and trendy style to show that vega

Geumcheon Global Village Center is offering pronunciation workshops for Korean language learners at the end of this month.The classes run from 10-11:30 a.m. on Dec. 27, 29 and 30, and places are open on a first-come, first-served basis. Korean language class (Geumcheon Global Village Center)Elsewhere, global village centers in Seorae, Yeoksam, Yeonnam, Ichon and Itaewon are opening registration for the first term of their free Korean classes for foreign residents.Schedules for classes and regist

The Itaewon Global Village Center will be offering free health checkups in cooperation with Yongsan District Office Health Center. It will be offering the free metabolic syndrome and health check-up for foreign residents. Foreign residents aged from 20 to 64 years old are invited to undergo the checkup, which will include tests for metabolic syndrome, such as blood sugar, blood pressure, neutral fat, cholesterol and body mass index. The session is for examination purposes only. No medical care o

Camarata Music Company and the Christian Business Men’s Connection will hold a Christmas concert next month to usher in the festive season.It will be a larger than usual Christmas performance for Camarata. The company, a group of Korean and expat singers and musicians in Seoul, has traditionally performed Handel’s “Messiah” each year, but conductor and Executive Director Ryan Goessl said he hoped this concert would help the company grow as an organization, while also raising money for good cause

Angle Magazine is returning after a year’s hiatus to stage an Angle X art and music showcase in Busan on Saturday.The Angle X shows grew out of the expat-led online culture magazine’s first birthday show in Busan. Since then the group has held shows in other places in the south such as Daegu.The MagusThe event wasn’t held last year as the magazine went through a quiet period, with magazine founder Philip Brett moving to Jeju Island for a year and other members working on other projects. The maga

Gwangju International Center will run its Kimchi Road program on Nov. 18-19. Held as part of the Gwangju International Kimchi Festival, the two-day tour visits a forest lodge in Mudeungsan, where guests will get an introduction to kimchi and hands-on instruction at making kimchi themselves.The program includes shopping for ingredients and harvesting them from fields as well as making kimchi and a cookery competition using kimchi as an ingredient.Participation is 10,000 won. Registration is open