South Korea's new coronavirus cases fell below 5,000 for the first time in three days Friday, but the government decided to extend toughened social distancing rules for two more weeks through mid-January to try to reduce critical cases and contain the omicron variant. The country added 4,875 new COVID-19 infections, including 4,758 local infections, raising the total caseload to 630,838, accordi...

Can Samsung Electronics Co. live up to the expectations and hype that the company helped create in the days leading up to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas next week? Earlier this week, the South Korean tech giant unveiled a teaser video featuring alien employees working hard behind a frosted window on the next innovations. Aliens have been often used by the company in its market...

12월19일 토익시험으로 올해 모든 토익시험을 다 응시하고 마무리했다. 2021년 마지막 토익 시험은 특별히 어느 파트가 쉽다고 말할 수 없을 정도로 어려웠다. 쉬운토익은 물토익 어려운 토익은 불토익이라고 한다. 불토익보다 어려운 토익을 용암토익, 최고로 어려운 경우는 헬토익이라고 한다. 이번 토익은 헬토익이라는 투표 결과가 나왔다. 81%가 어렵다고 하고 특히 헬토익이 40%인 이번 시험은 올해 중에 제일 어려웠다는 평가가 된다. 필자 역시 12월 5일 토익도 만점을 받고 마지막 토익은 부담 없이 보려다가 당황했다. 연말을 정리하면서 속초 여행도 시간을 만들어 다녀오고 쉬엄쉬엄 한 주를 보내다가 시험을 보니 참 어려웠다. 두시간 시험을 보는 데는 집중력과 체력이 필요하다. 독자들이 정신과 함께 체력도...

North Korea has discussed a draft resolution expected to be adopted at the close of an ongoing key party meeting, its state media reported Friday, amid expectations the document could include its foreign policy line for the new year. The North convened a fourth day of the 4th Plenary Meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's 8th Central Committee on Thursday, during which participants "concluded se...

South Korea will extend the current social distancing measures for another two weeks, and the youth vaccine pass will be applied from March 1, a top official said Friday. “It is too early to be sure that we have overcome the crisis,” said Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum at the COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting, explaining the plan to strengthen quarantine meas...

Everland Winter Wishes Everland Winter Wishes started Dec. 3 and will run through March 1 at Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. The festival is a fantastic winter event, where tourists can enjoy various attractions like T-express, Thunder Falls, Lost Valley and Safari Ride more freely than during other seasons. The beautiful lights have a golden concept this year, and create a romantic Chr...

The snow made me do it. After much vacillation over whether to visit the US side of my family over Christmas or to stay in Seoul, I had finally resigned myself to spending the holidays at home. I had booked my flights months in advance, in hopes that the pandemic situation would improve with time. After all, vaccines that can protect against the virus that causes COVID-19, or at least lessen th...

The King’s Man (UK) Opened Dec. 22 Action Directed by Matthew Vaughn In the early years of the 20th century, the Kingsman agency is formed to stand against the worst tyrants and criminal masterminds that joined hands to start a war and wipe out millions of people. Conrad (Harris Dickinson), who had witnessed World War I, hopes to join the army and fight for the country but his dad, Duke o...

The year 2021 began with great hope that vaccines would end the COVID-19 pandemic; it ends in fear as the omicron variant spreads at a torrid pace. As the world welcomes 2022, leaders are running short of political capital to rally weary citizens to cooperate with burdensome public health measures. Amid the dashed hopes of 2021, South Korea pulled through again, much as it did in 2020. The natio...

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents ‘Falling in Love with Strawberry Afternoon Tea Set’ JW Marriott Hotel Seoul’s The Lounge, located on the eighth-floor reception lobby presents “Falling in Love with Strawberry Afternoon Tea Set.” This season’s tea set showcases nine desserts including strawberry mont blanc, crafted from juicy strawberries and almond cream enveloped in rich Chantilly cream; str...

BEIJING , Dec. 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jiading District in east China's Shanghai issued policies for promoting automobile industry development featuring electrification, automation, network connection and sharing on Wednesday at a conference, where an action plan was also released for accelerating development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Photo shows Shanghai Hydrogen Propulsion Technol...

Hidden travel destinations known only to locals residing in the area have become the MZ generation’s most preferred travel routes, a survey data showed Thursday. The Seoul Tourism Organization announced the survey results on the “2021 most-favored online Seoul tourism contents,” conducted on some 9,181 respondents over the month of November via its official website. The survey was carried out i...

A Korean tiger sits behind bamboo trees, glaring as if it is waiting for the perfect timing to make its move. The tiger, however, looks somehow friendly and mischievous, reflecting the painter’s sense of wit. The painting was created in the late Joseon era (1392-1910) by Lee San, known by the pen name “Myeong Dang.” It was unveiled by Lee Young-soo, an emeritus professor from Dankook University ...

With vaccines aplenty and new therapies on the way, South Korea envisions to have less social distancing and more freedom in 2022. In a news briefing Thursday, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Yoo Geun-heag said with the rise of the omicron variant, “when the pandemic will come to an end has become more unpredictable than ever.” Still, Korea will “strive to make headway toward normalcy carefu...