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Built using AI technology, Eternity is one of the latest South Korean acts pushing the boundary between real and virtual entertainment. And she’s a natural-born actress.”Video Ad Feedback Are AI-powered virtual bands the future of K-pop? Using deepfake and motion capture technology, Pulse9 then produced the band’s first music video (to accompany the ironically titled track “I’m Real”) in 2021. Metaverse EntertainmentMetaverse Entertainment used AI technology to generate faces, merging the features and hairstyles deemed most desirable into four final characters. The music video for MAVE’s first single, “Pandora,” has already racked up 25 million views on YouTube since its release in January.

Persons: “, ”, Ji, Zae, Pulse9, Lil Miquela, “ I’m, Lee Soo, Netmarble, Metaverse, Kang Sung, MAVE’s, Pandora, Kang, Siri, ” Kang, ” Eternity's, — they’re Organizations: CNN, Pulse9, YouTube, South, SM Entertainment, Metaverse Entertainment, SM, Kakao Entertainment, Entertainment, Wall Street, Park Locations: “, South Korean, ”, Indonesian

☆ 12,000 athletes and a lotus-shaped mega stadium. The Asian Games comes to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Jake Kwon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s leader Xi Jinping is to declare the Asian Games open at a lotus-shaped mega stadium in Hangzhou on Saturday. More than 12,000 athletes from the 45 members of the Asian Olympic Council will participate, making it the largest Asian Games ever, the Chinese state media news agency Xinhua reported Saturday. The ceremony will be attended by around 50,000 people, while more than 1,200 volunteers will be at the venue to help, Xinhua reported. To promote environmental responsibility, digital fireworks will be used at the opening ceremony instead of actual fireworks, Xinhua reported citing the ceremony’s director Sha Xiaolan. Hangzhou, the home of Chinese tech-giant Alibaba, aims to demonstrate cutting-edge technologies during the games, including cloud computing and artificial intelligence at the Games Village, Xinhua reported.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Xi Jinping, Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, Bashar al, Assad, Hong, John Lee Ka, Han Duck, Qin Haiyang, Yang Liwei, Sha Xiaolan, ” Sha, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Asian Olympic, Asian Games, Xinhua, Korea’s, Games Locations: Hong Kong, Hangzhou, Cambodian, Syrian, ”, Xinhua, Asia

CNN —North Korean leader Kim Jong Un received body armor and drones as parting gifts as he wrapped up a trip to Russia that has alarmed the West. North Korea is heavily sanctioned and is in need of everything from energy to food to military technology. As he left, the governor of the far eastern Russian region of Primorye gave him a bulletproof vest and a set of drones, Russian state media TASS reported. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, called his meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un "very substantive" on Wednesday. Vladimir Smirnov/Sputnik/APThe North Korean leader visited an aircraft manufacturing plant in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur in eastern Russia on Friday.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Kim Jong, Sergei Shoigu, Putin, “, ” Putin, Vladimir Smirnov, KCNA, Yuri, ” Organizations: CNN, North, Russian, TASS, Russia's, Russian Defence Ministry, Reuters, RIA Novosti, RIA, Putin, Aviation, Russian Defense, Pacific Fleet, Russian Navy, Military Locations: Russia, Korea, Ukraine, North Korea, Russian, Primorye, Artyom, Khasan, Russia’s Far, Komsomolsk, Reuters North Korean, KCNA, South Korea, Japan, Europe

Putin reportedly arrived in Vladivostok on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to state TV Russia 24. Kim, meanwhile, appears to be on a train heading to Russia, a South Korean government official told CNN. With its borders sealed because of that for much of the past three years, North Korea has only recently begun to relax travel restrictions. Vladivostok lies 130 km (80 miles) from the border with North Korea. North Korea is already under United Nations and US sanctions imposed over Pyongyang’s weapons of mass destruction program.

Persons: CNN — Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Donald Trump –, Xi Jinping, Moon Jae, Sergei Shoigu, Jake Sullivan Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, Russia “, Russia, South, North, The North, Russian, White House, United Nations Locations: Russia, Pyongyang, Moscow, United States, North Korean, Vladivostok, Monday, South Korean, North Korea, Singapore, Hanoi, North, South Korea, China, The, The North Korea, Korea, Ukraine

CNN —A group of military officers claiming to represent “defense and security forces” in Gabon announced on Wednesday they had seized power in the African nation, according to a televised address circulating on social media. In the broadcast, the military officer said the election results would be voided and the country’s borders would be closed until further notice. Bongo’s long ruleEarlier on Wednesday, Gabon’s election body said Bongo had won the presidential election with 64.27% of the vote, after a delay-plagued general election that the opposition denounced as fraudulent. The elder Bongo came into power in 1967, seven years after the country’s independence from France. Ahead of the election, the non-profit Reporters Without Borders condemned the Gabonese government for obstructing foreign press coverage of the event.

Persons: ”, Ali Bongo, “, Bongo, Albert Ondo Ossa, Omar Bongo, Ondo, Bongo’s Organizations: CNN, Gabon24, Twitter, Senate, National Assembly, Constitutional, Economic, Social, Environmental Council, Reuters, Union, Borders, United Nations, Gabonese Locations: Gabon, Gabonese, Libreville, West, Central Africa, Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Ondo, France

CNN —Three US marines have been killed and others injured after an Osprey aircraft crashed during military exercises in Australia, officials said Sunday. A history of crashesPrevious crashes of Osprey aircraft, according to CNN reporting and US Defense Department press releases:July 20, 1992: Seven people are killed during testing when an Osprey crashes in Virginia. June 13, 2012: An Air Force CV-22 Osprey crashes during a routine training mission north of Navarre, Florida, injuring five. August 5, 2017: An MV-22B Osprey crashes off the coast of Australia, leaving three Marines deadSeptember 28, 2017: A Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey crashes in Syria, injuring two service members. June 8, 2022: Five US Marines die after an MV-22 Osprey crashes during a training mission Wednesday near Glamis, California

Persons: Darwin, “, Natasha Fyles, ” Fyles, Michael Murphy, Bellows Organizations: CNN, Osprey, Royal Darwin Hospital, Marine, Marines, Northern, Marine Osprey, Northern Territory Police, Australian Department of Defence, NATo, Marine Corps, US Defense Department, US Air Force, An Air Force, Corps Locations: Australia, Melville, Darwin, Tiwi, Glamis , California, Norway, Syria, Virginia, Arizona, North Carolina, Afghanistan, Morocco, Navarre , Florida, Oahu, Hawaii, Okinawa, Japan, Glamis, California

This is Blackswan, a K-pop group whose members hail from around the world. Gabi agreed, chiming in: “Everything that a K-pop group has, we have.”Trained the Korean wayThe four members may not be Korean, but their journey to Blackswan followed a well-worn, uniquely Korean path that involved auditioning to become trainees in a hyper-competitive program. Emma McIntyre/Getty ImagesBy contrast, some of the newer Blackswan members have been training for a year or less. “When I was 15, my friend showed me a K-pop music video … and since then, I kind of got stuck on the K-pop genre,” Fatou said. But the Blackswan members say most of the criticisms come from international observers, while Korean fans and artists have been largely supportive.

Persons: South Korea CNN —, Gabi, Fatou, UNIQ, Blackswan, ”, “, ” Fatou, –, Yoon Deung, “ presentable, Yoon, Blackpink, Emma McIntyre, Lee Gyu, aren’t, they’re, Lee, ” Lee, Kevin Winter, I’m, I’ve, Lee Wool Organizations: South Korea CNN, DR, CNN, Korean, DR Management, Coachella, George Mason University Korea, South, Hockey Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Brazil, United States, India, Senegal, Belgium, Waterbomb, Europe, South America, Indio , California, South Korean, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Los Angeles, West Africa, America

☆ Man arrested after Malaysian Airlines plane from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur forced to turn around mid-flight
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Alex Stambaugh | Jake Kwon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A 45-year-old man has been arrested after he allegedly disrupted a Malaysian Airlines flight from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur, which was forced to turn around mid-flight and land back in Sydney International Airport on Monday. “The man is expected to be charged later tonight,” according to a spokesman for the Australian Federal Police. “Malaysia Airlines flight MH122 on 14 August 2023 returned to Sydney International Airport due to a disruptive passenger on board. Sydney International Airport said in a statement to CNN that 32 domestic flights, including 16 inbound and 16 outbound, were canceled with other domestic flights experiencing delays of up to 90 minutes. “Currently there are no international flight cancellations,” the airport said.

Persons: “ Organizations: CNN, Malaysian Airlines, Sydney International Airport, Australian Federal Police, Police, Twitter, “ Malaysia Airlines, Sydney International Locations: Sydney, Kuala Lumpur

☆ World Scout Jamboree: Extreme weather forces teenagers to leave campsite early in South Korea event concludes early due to extreme weather in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Gawon Bae Jake Kwon Jessie Yeung | Gawon Bae | Jake Kwon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The World Scout Jamboree, held in Saemangeum on the country’s west coast, saw nearly 40,000 teenagers turn up, according to organizers. The event was supposed to feature outdoor activities, cultural performances, sustainability workshops and other offerings for the participants, mostly middle and high schoolers. But extreme weather has put a dampener on festivities and scouts are now leaving the main venue almost a week ahead of schedule. The typhoon is forecast to hit South Korea on Thursday, with up to 6 inches (150 millimeters) of rainfall expected, according to CNN meteorologists. Participants play with a ball at the campsite for the 25th World Scout Jamboree in South Korea, on August 4, 2023.

Persons: Khanun, Kim Sung, Ho, Kim Hong, Kim Hyun, Yoon Suk Yeol, US Army Garrison Humphreys Organizations: South Korea CNN, Organization of, Scout Movement, Government of, CNN, Safety Management, Korean Meteorological Agency, South, US Army, Reuters Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Saemangeum, Republic of Korea, Korea, United States, Britain, Singapore

CNN —The Philippines has accused Chinese Coast Guard ships of firing water cannons and making “dangerous maneuvers” at its ships in the South China Sea. “(China) has no lawful claim to the maritime area around Second Thomas Shoal,” it said in a statement published on Saturday. One of the world’s most contested regionsThe South China Sea has long been a source of tension between Manila and Beijing. Beijing claims “indisputable sovereignty” over almost all of the 1.3 million square mile South China Sea, as well as most of the islands within it. Relations were strained in December when Manila expressed “great concern” about the presence of Chinese vessels in the contested waterway.

Persons: Thomas, Second Thomas, Thomas Shoal, Xi Jinping, Ferdinand Marcos Jr Organizations: CNN, Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, US State Department, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine Locations: Philippines, South China, China, Ayungin, Spratly, Second, Manila, Beijing, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, Philippine, BRP Sierra

☆ ‘Boys Love’ genre finds new audiences in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Jake Kwon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Not only was the TV series part of a genre — Boys’ Love, or BL for short — that was lesser-known in South Korea, it depicted something rarely seen on the country’s screens: same-sex romance. “Semantic Error,” which was based on a popular web novel of the same name, tells the story of two male college students who fall in love. And the risk paid off: “Semantic Error” became a hit upon its release in 2022. There are currently more than 20 BL shows being produced in South Korea. The on-screen adaptation of "Semantic Error" stars Park Seo-ham as Jang Jae-young and Jaechan as Chu Sang-woo.

Persons: Park Jae, chan, ” Jaechan, Jaechan, Chu Sang, “, ”, —, Kim Hyo, Jeong Areum, Kakao, Kim, Jennifer Konig, J, Kim Hye, ” Kim, Jang Jae, Thomas Baudinette, Jeong, South Korea’s, Go Tae, Holland, ” Holland, “ That’s Organizations: CNN, Elle, Cosmopolitan, BL, Seoul National University . Local, Sydney’s Macquarie University, South Locations: South Korean, South Korea, Japan, Seoul, Asia, Taiwan, Thailand, Korean

CNN —Rescue workers pulled seven bodies from vehicles trapped in a flooded underpass in central South Korea, authorities said Sunday, after days of torrential rain caused landslides and flash floods that have killed at least 33 people. The rescue operation was ongoing Sunday morning, with 10 people reported missing while authorities worked to identify the bodies, according to South Korean Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The search and rescue operation at the underpass continued on Sunday, in Cheongju, South Korea, on July 16. Dozens of people have died in South Korea in recent days as torrential monsoon rains triggered flooding and landslides across the country. The latest round of heavy rains in South Korea come just days after devastating floods wreaked havoc in neighboring Japan, killing at least six people and injuring 19.

Persons: Seo Jeong, il, Seo, Kim Hong, ”, Han Duck Organizations: CNN — Rescue, South Korean Ministry of, Safety, Rescue, Ministry of, Yonhap News Agency, Korean, South Korean Locations: South Korea, North Chungcheong, Cheongju, East Asia, Japan, China, Chongqing

CNN —A giant panda at a South Korean zoo has given birth to the country’s first twin cubs. The palm-sized female pandas were born at the Everland Resort theme park southeast of the capital Seoul on July 7, the zoo said in a statement Tuesday. The twins’ birth is considered rare – there’s less than a 50% chance of pandas giving birth to twins – and in the wild, they struggle to survive as mothers can often only care for one of their cubs. A caretaker carries panda cub Fu Bao, about 100 days after her birth in 2020. It is estimated that around 1,800 pandas remain in the wild, mostly in the mountains of Sichuan, western China.

Persons: Ai Bao, –, Fu Bao, JUNG YEON, ”, Kang Cheol, Le Bao, Jung Dong Organizations: CNN, YouTube, Getty, South, Everland Locations: Korean, Seoul, Korea, China, Beijing, South Korea, Sichuan

CNN —Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will not seek re-election and will retire from politics, his party said Tuesday. The announcement came two days before Thailand’s parliament was set to vote for a new prime minister following a May election that saw Thais overwhelmingly reject military-backed rule. Prayut, 69, has ruled Thailand since 2014, when as army chief, he seized power in a coup and declared himself prime minister. Prayut will remain as prime minister until the new government is formed. The former general’s rule as a military coup leader turned prime minister has been marred by growing authoritarianism and widening inequality.

Persons: CNN —, Prayut Chan, Thais, Pheu, Prayut, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, “, ”, Prayut’s, ” Thitinan, Pita Limjaroenrat, Thitinan Organizations: CNN, CNN — Thailand’s, Party, Institute of Security, Studies, Chulalongkorn University Locations: Thailand

CNN —North Korea has called upon the international community to stop Japan from releasing treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean. Japan plans to release the wastewater sometime this summer. Ground and rainwater have also leaked in, creating more radioactive wastewater now measuring 1.32 million metric tons – enough to fill more than 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Overview of the Fukushima nuclear plant. ‘Necessary move’Japanese authorities have maintained that the release is necessary as space runs out to contain the contaminated material – and the move would allow the full decommissioning of the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Persons: Rafael Grossi, ”, ” Grossi Organizations: CNN, Environment Protection Department, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA Locations: Korea, Japan, South Korea, China, Fukushima, Tokyo

☆ Mayor says home ‘rammed’ and set on fire as France detains hundreds more protesters
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Jake Kwon Heather Chen Xiaofei Xu Martin Goillandeau Alex Hardie Alex Stambaugh | Jake Kwon | Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

He said the mayor’s wife and two children, aged 5 and 7, fled through the back garden. While running away, the mayor’s wife hurt her shin which “appears to be broken,” according to the prosecutor. His mother, Mounia, told television station France 5 on Friday that she blamed only the officer who shot her son for his death. Hundreds detainedWhile the French government has deployed security forces and riot police across the country, the unrest continued with another night of protests. More than 700 people were detained across France overnight, according to a provisional tally from the Interior Ministry.

Persons: ”, Vincent Jeanbrun, “, ” Jeanbrun, Stéphane Hardouin, Hardouin, Nahel, Mounia, Gérald Darmanin Organizations: CNN, France, Interior Ministry, China’s Locations: Paris, Jeanbrun’s, France, Nanterre, China, Marseille

But in South Korea, “no-kids zones” have become remarkably popular in recent years. In addition to the world’s lowest birthrate, South Korea has one of the world’s fastest aging populations. A widely circulated crowd-sourced Google Map shows the location of many of South Korea's no-kids zones, as identified by users. A man looks at strollers at a baby fair in Seoul, South Korea, in September 2022. See why South Korea has the world's lowest fertility rate 02:41 - Source: CNNNo kids to kids first?

Persons: it’s, Yong Hye, Bonnie Tilland, Tilland, ”, Lee Yi, “ It’s, Lee Ji, Kim Se, “, choong, ” Tilland, Yong, don’t, ” Yong, Barista Ahn Hee, yul, they’re Organizations: Seoul CNN —, South, Google, Income Party, National Assembly, Facebook, Human Rights, UN, Yonsei University, Leiden University, Hankook Research, CNN Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Jeju, Japan, United States, South, Korea, Netherlands, ‘

CNN —The Philippines’ most active volcano began spewing lava and sulfuric gas Sunday, prompting the evacuation of nearly 13,000 residents in the southeast of the country’s main island, authorities said. Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recommended everyone within a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) radius or “danger zone” of the Mount Mayon volcano be evacuated due to the danger of rockfalls, landslides and ballistic fragments. Within the past 24 hours, the Mayon Volcano Network recorded 21 weak volcanic earthquakes, and 260 rockfalls, as well as lava flow activity from the crater, according to Phivolcs. Albay province was placed under a state of calamity on Friday allowing the government to release response funds to support affected residents, CNN affiliate CNN Philippines reported. “Lava flows are slow moving and effusive eruptions are generally less violent and produce less ash and volcanic gases than explosive eruptions,” he told CNN Philippines.

Persons: Phivolcs, Teresito Bacolcol, Bacolcol, Mayon Organizations: CNN, Philippine Institute of, Philippine Provincial Information Office, CNN Philippines Locations: Philippines, Luzon, Manila, Mayon, Albay

☆ Europe wants to ban Russian diamond imports. What comes next?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“Russian diamonds are not forever,” European Council President Charles Michel said on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on Friday. Tatyana Makeyeva/ReutersA ban on Russian diamonds could inflate prices for European consumers, especially if diamond production elsewhere doesn’t ramp up. The biggest task facing Europe is how to design an air-tight ban that prevents Russian diamonds from arriving in the bloc through circuitous routes. “There are a lot of Russian diamonds that still get sold within the American economy,” he said. “If you really want to close loopholes, you need to find a system that prevents [Russian] diamonds going to the G7 market,” Neys said.

Hong Kong CNN —A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the South Pacific on Friday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, triggering a tsunami warning for nearby nations including Vanuatu, Fiji and Kiribati. The US National Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami alert for coasts located within 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of the epicenter which lay between Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Tsunami waves reaching up to 1 meter are possible along some coasts of Vanuatu, according to the US National Tsunami Warning Center, downgrading an earlier assessment that said waves could be 3 meters high. Smaller waves below 0.3 meters could be expected in Fiji, Kiribati and New Zealand’s remote Kermadec Islands, the warning center added. New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency tweeted that it is assessing whether the quake “poses any tsunami threat to New Zealand.”The quake was earlier reported to be at 7.7-magnitude but has since been revised up.

Kevin Lambert grew up in North Carolina in the 1980s, and first visited his mother's native South Korea in 2000. Courtesy Kevin LambertIt might seem an odd desire given many have never set foot in South Korea. But life in South Korea brings its own challenges – and many eventually return to the US. For Kim, it’s a relief to be back in South Korea, where the safety is “100% better.”“I plan to live (in South Korea) until I die,” he said. “If South Korea today was as impoverished as it was when I left, why would I return?” he said.

☆ This golden statue was ridiculed when a local government erected it. Then gold price skyrocketed.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Jake Kwon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The county government decided it would erect a statue of bats – dubbed “golden bats” by savvy marketers – made from, as one could guess, pure gold. Then it took three years for renowned South Korean sculptor Byun Kun-ho to sculpt five golden bats flying through a massive silver ring. Its detractors viewed spending millions on a golden statue as a waste, while the county relies on subsidies for around 90% of its revenue. A local newspaper called the move a “flashy but hollow bureaucratic decision” that was “divorced from the local sentiment.”After an attempted heist, additional security has been installed to protect the golden statue. But the value of the golden statue has attracted unwanted attention too.

☆ US fighter jet crashes in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Jake Kwon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

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The last time Cook visited China was in 2019. We also have a thriving App Store,” the Apple chief was quoted as saying in state-run China Daily. On Friday, Cook had posted a picture of himself smiling with customers and staff at the Apple store in the shopping district of Sanlitun on China’s Twitter-like social media site Weibo. “TikTok CEO was under siege at the US hearing, while Apple CEO was enthusiastically welcomed by people at its flagship Chinese store. China’s commerce ministry said Thursday that a forced sale of TikTok would “seriously damage” global investors’ confidence in the United States.

Seoul/Atlanta CNN —Interpol says a man arrested in Montenegro is Kwon Do-hyeong, also known as Do Kwon, the disgraced founder of a collapsed crypto company who is wanted in South Korea and the United States on fraud and other charges. Kwon, a South Korean national, founded the blockchain platform behind the TerraUSD stablecoin and its sister coin Luna. Kwon’s identity was confirmed through a fingerprint match, Interpol’s national central bureau in Seoul told CNN on Friday. Seoul prosecutors told CNN in December that the crypto entrepreneur was believed to be in Serbia, where he was in hiding after leaving Singapore via Dubai. Kwon has been charged with fraud and breaches of South Korea’s capital markets law.

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