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WEEKENDER Inside Korea's only prison tasked with handling foreign inmates

CHEONAN, South Chungcheong Province — A roughly 30-minute drive from Cheonan-Asan Station leads to a remote, little-visited area. After surrendering all electronic devices and passing through a security check, visitors navigate a maze-like building and pass through seven or eight heavy steel doors to step inside Cheonan Correctional Institution, Korea's only prison tasked with handling foreign inmates. The prison became the world's first correctional institute designated for foreign inmates in 2010, after the number of foreign nationals in Korea, and crimes among them, rose through the 2000s. As of August, it houses about 500 inmates from 51 countries alongside some 920 Korean nationals. Overcrowding has led to foreign nationals being distributed across multiple prisons, including Daejeon and Yeoju in Gyeonggi Province, but the Cheonan prison is the only one mainly tasked with handling them, complete with an International Affairs division. About 10 staff members speak various languages, including English, Chinese, Russian, Thai, Mongolian and Arabic, helping inmates with personal conce

4 MIN READ

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Genesis GV90 Neolun proves safety of pillarless design

SAN FRANCISCO — Genesis has engineered the GV90 Neolun with a string of hidden structural reinforcements to ensure top-level safety despite the absence of a conventional B-pillar, executives from the luxury carmaker said Thursday (local time). The GV90 Neolun features the Arch Gate, a world-first independently opening coach-door system that eliminates the conventional B-pillar between the front and rear doors, creating a wide, unobstructed opening. Removing the visible pillar, however, does not mean sacrificing structural strength, according to Lee Dae-hee, head of Genesis’ body design group. “We moved the structural functions normally handled by the B-pillar into the doors,” Lee said. “The hidden B-pillar structure uses two 1.8-gigapascal-strength steel beams arranged vertically and horizontally, with upper stoppers and impact hooks reinforcing the structure.” Genesis also incorporated a “hidden roll cage” — a separate structural framework built into the body to surround the passenger compartment. Combined with the hidden B-pillar structure, the system is designed to d

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Magnitude 5.9 earthquake shakes northeast Japan injuring at least 5

TOKYO — A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 rattled eastern Japan , including the Tokyo area, early Sunday, injuring at least five people, officials said. There was no danger of a tsunami. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the quake occurred in the southern Ibaraki prefecture, at a depth of 70 kilometers (42 miles), an area of Japan prone to frequent quakes. The United States Geological Survey recorded a preliminary magnitude of 5.8. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said at least five people were injured in Ibaraki, Chiba and Saitama prefectures northeast of Tokyo. The agency said more people were injured and details are being investigated, the FDMA said. The quake caused delays to express trains serving Tokyo and Narita Airport and other local trains serving northeastern regions, but Shinkansen bullet trains were running normally, their operator East Japan Raiway Co. said. The government set up a task force to assess the extent of possible damage, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on X. The temblor set off emergency quake alerts on mobile phone

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How Hanroro beat K-pop powerhouse HYBE, SM, JYP and YG

Last spring a vocal instructor at a private music studio that trains students for college auditions in the greater Seoul area took a call from a mother. The woman was not asking about admissions to a college music program. She asked the instructor, surnamed Lee, to look out for her child, who was under heavy stress from the college admissions grind. The student Lee met at the studio had started university the year before, found her major a poor fit, became socially isolated and dropped out. She was preparing to apply all over again. At the first lesson Lee showed her a list of songs that work well for training. The student wanted something else. "She told me she wanted to sing the song with those lyrics — 'I won't abandon you. You think the same, don't you?'" Lee said. The song was "0+0," by the rock singer Hanroro. Reached by phone on Aug. 13, Lee explained why that request stood out. "At music academies we don't recommend Hanroro's songs first to students preparing for auditions. Her music isn't the kind of material for showcasing vocal range or building instrumental skill. They're ea

6 MIN READ

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Korean stories becoming Hollywood's favorite sources

Hollywood is showing a growing interest in Korean storytelling that goes beyond K-dramas and K-pop, and the latest adaptation project highlights this expanding focus. While Hollywood previously focused on acquiring finished series for streaming platforms or remaking proven box-office hits, major studios and publishers are now reaching further upstream. Instead of relying solely on mainstream hits, they are trying to secure rights to original literary works and older cult properties to rebuild stories from the ground up. "The DallerGut Dream Department Store," a fantasy novel written by Korean author Lee Mi-ye, is being developed into a live action movie by Disney, U.S. entertainment news outlet Deadline reported Aug. 12. Screenwriter Patrick Ness, known for adapting young adult works, including the "Chaos Walking" trilogy and "A Monster Calls," will write the screenplay for the adaptation. The story follows a protagonist Penny who sells dreams to sleeping customers at a department store, only to face a mystery when strange things begin to happen to the customers. Lee's novel sold more th

2 MIN READ

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Korea, France mark 140 years of ties with women's esports camp in Seoul

France and Korea will bring their top women's Valorant teams together for a two-week training camp in Seoul under a new cooperation program marking the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Women in Esports Camp runs in two stages. National Valorant tournaments open to both amateur and professional teams take place in France on Sept. 5 and 6, and in Korea on Sept. 19 and 20. The winning side in each country earns a place at the camp, to be held at Gen.G Global Academy in Seoul in December. Participants will go through professional training and coaching sessions over two weeks, alongside cultural and professional exchange programs. The camp closes with a friendly match between the French and Korean teams, which will be streamed online. The program is organized by the Cultural and Cooperation Section of the French Embassy in Korea together with Gen.G Esports, Gen.G Global Academy, France Esports, Women in Games France and Riot Games, with backing from the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Institut français and the 140th Anniversary Pat

2 MIN READ

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South Korea to send 1st container ship through Arctic route

BUSAN — South Korea was set Saturday to send its first trial container through the Arctic, as the Middle East war rattles global shipping, while environmental groups warned the route could accelerate polar ice melt. The Middle East conflict, sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, has roiled global shipping, sending governments and shipping firms scrambling to seek alternative routes. Sailing from Busan New Port, the container ship — the PanStar Acro — will sail to Europe via the Arctic, testing whether a route opened by melting sea ice can be commercially viable. "The ship will depart at 8 p.m. (1100 GMT) today unless there are unforeseen circumstances, such as bad weather," an oceans ministry official told AFP on Saturday. The ship will leave for Felixstowe in Britain, Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Gdansk in Poland before returning, with the voyage expected to take about 45 days, according to the ministry. The voyage follows that of the Chinese container ship Dubai Tower, which left the eastern port city of Ningbo for Europe this month, heading north through the Beri

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How did ex-civil servant transition to YouTuber on car-related content?

Cars serve as practical tools in everyday life as well as a popular hobby, particularly among men. New and used cars each have their own appeal, while driving tips and car-maintenance know-how can also attract considerable interest online. Heo Geum, 43, began his YouTube channel Geuma by sharing driving tips. Today, he has gained popularity by posting road tests of vehicles brought to him by subscribers and clients, along with advice on their condition. He spoke with Hankook Ilbo on July 24 at a cafe in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, where he lives. Q. What did you do before starting your YouTube channel? A. I graduated from an automotive engineering department and started my career as an advisor at an imported-car dealership, where I worked until my late 20s. I dealt with customers and handled communications at a service center. I eventually left when the economy worsened. I had always loved driving and cars, so I decided to become a driving-duty civil servant. After preparing for the job, I joined a local government at age 29 and worked as a civil servant for about 14 years. Q. H

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Step inside Gwangmyeong Cave: Former mine transforms into space for meditation, music

Ten beanbag chairs, each large enough for one person to lie down, fill the dark cavern. A single shaft of light filters through an opening on one side, but it is nowhere near enough to illuminate the deep darkness. Even taking a single step requires carefully following the guide's cellphone flashlight. It is hard to believe that this is part of a tourist attraction visited by around 1 million people a year. Yet this is one of the previously inaccessible sections of Gwangmyeong Cave in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province. Gwangmyeong Cave stretches a total of 7.8 kilometers, but only about 2 kilometers are routinely open to visitors. The remaining sections have been closed because they require maintenance, have been flooded or are too narrow for public access. Efforts to make use of the restricted areas began in July 2020, when three previously inaccessible sections were opened. This year, two additional sections — one above ground and one underground — are being opened temporarily. The above-ground section is hosting the Dark Immersive Meditation program throughout August, while the under

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No path for girls in baseball? This 12-year-old is making one

Baseball runs deep in Gwangju. The Tigers, based in the city, have won 12 championships in the 45 years since Korean professional baseball began. Seven of the 30 Koreans who have played in the U.S. Major League Baseball came from Gwangju. Its residents have shared the highs and lows of the sport. Now a 12-year-old here is adding a chapter the sport has never had. This is Choi Seo-yoon's story. Female player in Korea's baseball city The long hair under her cap is already damp and heavy. When she wipes the sweat off the bridge of her nose, dust from the infield dirt comes with it. Leading the warm-up before practice is the captain's job, and the captain is Seo-yoon, a sixth-grader. At her command, her teammates jog end to end across the field. A sloppy stride in the front row catches her eye. "Run all the way to the end!" Between the hard July sun and the chorus of cicadas, her voice echoes through the park. Gwangju Stream splits off to the right of the Yeongsan River and runs through the city. Follow the water and you reach Champions Field, home of the KIA Tigers, and a little beyond it,

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Editor's Pick

Life in Korea

Should Korea cull stray cats to save birds?

As debate intensified over a YouTuber's campaign to ban the feeding of stray cats and reduce their population through culling, Choe Jae-chun, a chair professor at Ewha Womans University and one of Korea's leading ecologists, publicly rejected the proposal. Choe warned that the campaign lacks academic evidence applicable to Korea's ecosystem, making it impossible to conclude that reducing the feline population protects endangered species or aids the environment. Speaking Thursday on his YouTube channel, Choe Jae-chun's Amazon, Choe said the government now needs to respond because a petition informally dubbed the "Cat Mom Ban Law" and a counter-petition opposing it have each drawn more than 50,000 signatures. The YouTuber behind the channel Korean Birder filed the petition on July 10 to prohibit residents from feeding stray cats. The petitioner claims stray cats destroy bird species designated as natural monuments under Korea's heritage protection system, arguing that authorities must replace trap-neuter-return programs, or TNR, with culling. The ban proposal gathered over 50,000 signatur

2 MIN READ

Lifestyle

'Squid Game' star Lee Jung-jae shares skin care advice

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. Actor Lee Jung-jae recently revealed that he makes a point of applying sunscreen because he is still recovering from a skin condition. In a recent video posted on his agency Artist Company’s YouTube channel, Lee was shown getting ready for a scheduled engagement. He had just finished showering at a hotel when a camera suddenly approached him, catching him off guard. “I haven’t even properly dried my hair yet,” he said as he hurriedly tidied himself up. Despite being in a rush, Lee shook the container in his hand and said, “I still have to go out, so I need to put on sunscreen.” He explained, “My skin condition hasn’t completely cleared up yet. It’s still healing, so I have to make sure to apply sunblock.” “Otherwise, I could develop dark spots,” he added. “I didn’t use sunscreen when I was younger, but little by little, I started noticing spots. They bothered me more than I expected. So these days, I try to apply it whenever I can. I somewhat regret not using it when I was younger.” Lee has not disclosed what type

3 MIN READ

K-Culture

Celebrities

G-Dragon says he can't use mobile banking, relies on wealth manager

K-pop star G-Dragon has revealed that he does not use mobile banking and relies on a professional to manage his financial affairs. G-Dragon, Taeyang and Daesung appeared as guests on an episode of web variety show “Pinggyego” on Saturday, as BIGBANG celebrates its 20th anniversary. During the episode, the members discussed how to use kiosks and mobile banking. When the topic turned to mobile banking, G-Dragon said, “I can’t do it,” drawing attention from the other guests. Yoo Jae-suk then asked, “What do you do with your assets if you can’t handle banking?” Haha also joked, “What do you do with all that money?” prompting laughter. G-Dragon explained, “I have someone who manages my assets for me.” He added that while he can handle banking in person by visiting a branch and speaking with a bank employee, he “can’t do anything on mobile.” Daesung agreed, saying that he also finds it most convenient to deal directly with bank employees. “Even when I call, I connect with a customer service representative and handle my business that way,” he said. BIGBANG recent

1 MIN READ