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From Friday, citizens of nine more countries can enter China without needing a visa to visit. South Korea is a major tourism source market for China. In 2019, some 4.3 million South Koreans visited China, according to The Korea Times. Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported less than 1.3 million visited in 2023. Share prices of prominent Chinese and Korean travel companies rose following Beijing's announcement of the expanded visa-free program on Friday.

Persons: Trip.com Organizations: Europe —, Liechtenstein —, The Korea Times, Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jin Locations: China, Europe, Europe — Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, South Korea

☆ North Korea likely to ask for nuclear technology from Russia in exchange for troops, South Korea says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-30 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

North Korea will likely request Russian technology transfers relating to tactical nuclear weapons, the advancement of North Korean intercontinental ballistic missiles, reconnaissance satellites and nuclear submarines, Kim said, speaking through a translator alongside Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The US independently confirmed for the first time last week that thousands of North Korean troops had been sent to Russia for military training. A small number of North Korean troops are already in Ukraine, CNN reported on Tuesday, and officials are growing increasingly concerned that the forces will enter into combat alongside Russian troops. “The evidence now suggests that North Korea has sent around 10,000 soldiers to train in eastern Russia,” Austin said on Wednesday. But he did say that South Korean military analysts could be deployed to observe the North Koreans fighting the Russians to gain more insight into North Korea’s military readiness.

Persons: ”, Kim Yong Hyun, Kim, Lloyd Austin, ” Austin, Austin, “, ” Kim, ” CNN’s Haley Britzky, Michael Conte Organizations: CNN, South Korean Defense, Pentagon, North Korean, NATO, Russian, DPRK, Intelligence, South, Korean, Koreans Locations: North Korea, ” Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Korea, Russian, Iran, Moscow, Tehran, South Korea, Koreans, Republic of Korea

☆ A loneliness epidemic is spreading worldwide. Seoul is spending $327 million to stop it
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Every year, thousands of South Koreans – mostly middle-aged men – die quietly and alone, cut off from their family and friends. “Loneliness and isolation are not just individual problems, but tasks that society must solve together,” Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon said in a news release. The phenomenon, known by the Japanese term “hikikomori,” has become increasingly common; South Korea had up to 244,000 such recluses in 2022 by one estimate. A Buddhist nun and staff of Good Nanum hold the name tablets of three deceased people before their cremation on June 16, 2016 in Goyang, South Korea. However, when asked about what makes them feel lonely, “there are some differences compared to other countries,” she said.

Persons: –, hoon, ”, Soo, Myongji University – cautioning, Nanum, Jean Chung, “, they’re, Anthony Wallace, … Organizations: CNN, Koreans, Myongji University, Ministry of Health, Getty, Government, Prevention, Management, Korea isn’t, United, World Health Organization Locations: Seoul, Korea, South Korea, Goyang, “, South Koreans, South, AFP, Japan, United Kingdom

☆ Seoul Halloween crowd crush: South Korea court sentences highest-ranking police officer yet to jail
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Gawon Bae | Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Seoul CNN —The former head of a local police station in Seoul has been sentenced to three years in jail over a deadly 2022 Halloween crowd crush, making him the highest-ranking law enforcement official to be held criminally liable over the disaster. Seoul Western District Court said Monday it found Lee and two other former Yongsan police officers guilty of neglecting their duties, which resulted in deaths and injuries, despite signs that “the danger of large-scale casualties” was foreseeable. Itaewon, home to some of Seoul’s popular restaurants and bars, had hosted Halloween celebrations for years. Most who died that night were young South Koreans – largely in their teens and early 20s. Last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced a slew of new measures “to ensure a safe Halloween” – including a new CCTV system to monitor crowd numbers.

Persons: Lee Im, Lee, Itaewon, Yoon Suk Yeol Organizations: Seoul CNN, Seoul, South Koreans, South, Seoul Metropolitan Government Locations: Seoul, Yongsan, Itaewon, Asia, Japan, Shibuya, Guangzhou, China

☆ South Korea could give those who watch deepfake porn 3 years in prison or a fine of up to $23K
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Joshua Nelken-Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

South Korea has passed a law banning the possession and viewing of deepfake porn. The majority of deepfake porn videos online feature South Korean singers and actresses. The new legislation aims to expand on the earlier law by targeting the consumers of deepfake porn, as South Korea grapples with sexually explicit AI-generated content. According to AFP, authorities last month discovered a vast network of these deepfake porn chatrooms, which sometimes targeted school and university staff and students. Security Hero said that in 2023, the total number of deepfake videos online was 95,820, with 98% of those being pornographic in nature.

Persons: —, Sens, Ted Cruz, Amy Klobuchar Organizations: Service, Reuters, South Korea grapples, Security, AFP, Telegram Locations: Korea, Korean, South Korea, US, South Korean, Seoul, chatrooms

☆ Meet the 80-year-old Miss Universe Korea contestant proving age is just a number
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-28 | by ( Oscar Holland | Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Earlier this month, she was unveiled as a finalist in the annual Miss Universe Korea competition. Choi surrounded by fellow Miss Universe Korea contestants at a pageant rehearsal on Friday. Charlie Miller/CNNNational-level Miss Universe pageants, although not all directly administered by the Miss Universe Organization, were obliged to follow suit. This year, 58-year-old Lorraine Peters and 60-year-old Alejandra Marisa Rodríguez took part in Miss Universe Canada and Miss Universe Argentina, respectively, though neither advanced to November’s final. It’s so fun and I love it.”More opportunitiesWith a rapidly declining birth rate, South Korea is among the world’s fastest-aging countries.

Persons: CNN —, Choi, hwa, “, ”, —, Charlie Miller, Lorraine Peters, Alejandra Marisa Rodríguez, ‘, ’ ” Choi, Choi —, Beatrice Njoya of, It’s, Jung Yeon, ” Choi, Jean Chung, he’s Organizations: CNN, Miss, Miss Universe, Miss Universe Organization, Miss Universe Canada, Miss Universe Korea, Getty, Seoul Fashion, Harper’s, Elle, South Locations: Miss Universe Korea, South Korea, Mexico, Korea, Miss Universe Argentina, Beatrice Njoya of Malta, Seoul, Cass, Japan

☆ Adoption fraud was widespread for many South Koreans adopted into Western countries, AP finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Ap-Live-Blog-Byline-Image.Png | The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +22 min

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — As the plane descended into Seoul, Robert Calabretta swaddled himself in a blanket, his knees tucked into his chest like a baby in the womb. The South Korean government has accepted a fact-finding commission under pressure from adoptees, and hundreds have submitted their cases for review. Western governments turned a blind eye, sometimes even pressuring South Korea for children, while promoting the narrative that they were saving orphans with no other options. Robert Calabretta, right, and his biological father, Lee Sung-soo, during a visit in Daegu, South Korea, in August 2020. Laurie Bender was approached by a strange woman while playing in the front yard in South Korea in 1975.

Persons: Robert Calabretta swaddled, they’d, “, ”, —, doesn’t, Robert Calabretta, Lee Sung, Calabretta, “ You’re, Patricia Nye, ” Nye, Holt, weren’t, ” Michaela Dietz, Robyn Joy Park, Rae, hasn't, Jae, Lee, ” Lee, Lee Moo, wasn’t, David Goldman, she’d, Laurie Bender, Bender, Han Tae, Philsik Shin, Helen Noh, Noh, ” Noh, he’d, Susan Soonkeum Cox, Kim Jin Sook, Francis Carlin, ” Carlin, …, Carlin, ” Bender, you’ve, Han Organizations: The Associated Press, South, AP, Frontline, International Social Service, University of Minnesota, ISS, BBC, ”, Holt Children’s Services, Eastern Social Welfare Society, Korea Welfare Services, Korea Social Service, Records, Health Ministry, Red Cross Hospital, U.S, Korea’s Anyang University, Seoul’s Soongsil University, Holt International, Catholic Relief Services, South Korean, FRONTLINE, PBS Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Seoul, United States, South, Western, adoptees, U.S, Australia, Daegu, Korean, West, Korea, Geneva, “, Asia, Europe, North America, Pasadena , Calif, Boryeong, American, New York, ”, Oregon, Holt, Holt Korea

☆ Inside the world of South Korean convenience stores — the global king of one-stop shops
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In large South Korean cities like Seoul, convenience stores are on every corner, sometimes with multiple outlets from competing companies dotting the same street. Heo Ran/ReutersThere are a few things that set South Korean convenience stores apart. A quick search on YouTube, TikTok or Instagram shows an endless supply of videos about Korean convenience stores. Indeed, Korean convenience store companies have grown so successful they are even expanding overseas. But when she next returns to South Korea, she will “definitely” still visit a convenience store and hit record, she said.

Persons: ”, Chang Woo, ” Chang, Heo Ran, Chang, – they’re, Jiny, “, Emart24 –, Maeng Organizations: South Korea CNN, Korea Convenience Store, South, Kwangwoon University, Deloitte Korea, McKinsey, Companies, Deloitte, YouTube Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, “, United States, Korea, London, Australia, “ Korea, Sydney, Southeast Asia, Vietnam, Malaysia

☆ As Many South Koreans Shun Marriage, Two Women Try to Redefine Family
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The event was to celebrate and discuss the book written by Hwang Sunwoo and Kim Hana, both 47, about their life together as single women in South Korea. He told the two women that they were making the country’s birthrate, already the world’s lowest, even worse. But with millions of South Koreans shunning the institution of marriage, the family-centered support system is rapidly unraveling. The nation’s quality of support network — measured by whether people have someone to rely on in a time of need — is the lowest among developed nations. South Korea also has the highest suicide rate among those nations.

Persons: Hwang Sunwoo, Kim Hana, ” Ms, Hwang, “, ” Locations: South Korea

The echoes of well-known North Korean songs celebrating friendship spilled into nearby neighborhoods, as families filled booths serving both North and South Korean treats such as the deep-fried confection yakgwa, and fruit punch, or hwachae. A booth at the Defectors' Day festival sells North Korean styles of traditional treats, including watermelon punch (hwachae) and the deep-fried sweet yakgwa. Maybe there (are) many thousands of thousands of North Korean defectors who want to come to (South) Korea and have a prosperous life. “We express our respect and applause to the 34,000 North Korean defectors who are pioneering new lives every day (in South Korea), he said. “I didn’t know that a day like Defectors’ Day would happen, but now that it has been established, I feel like I have to work harder,” she said.

Persons: ’, Kim Jong Un, Mike Valerio, ”, resettling, –, Daeheyon, ‘, ’ ”, “, Kwon Ji, Yoonjung Seo, Yoon Suk Yeol, ” Yoon, “ It’s, Han Bong, he’d Organizations: South Korea CNN —, North, South, CNN, ”, Sunday, Blue House Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, Pyongyang, North, South, Korean, China, Asia, South Koreans, Korea, North Koreans

☆ The 2 Koreas are poised for a summer of weird warfare, with poop balloons, blaring K-Pop songs, and floating $1 bills
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, an estimated 2,000 garbage balloons have been sent over so far. The responding deluge of balloons from North Korea, some carrying manure and used toilet paper, seems to have emboldened the activists. AdvertisementWith the activists appearing to ignore that condition, North Korea's balloon launches resumed. Seoul's military chiefs told South Korean news agency Yonhap that the contents of the latest balloon-lifted bags weren't toxic. North Korea, for its part, has threatened in the past to destroy the speakers with military strikes.

Persons: —, They've, Kim Kang, ED JONES, Park, Kim Jong, Mickey Mouse, Kitty, Pooh, KIM HONG Organizations: Service, South, Business, North, South Korean, Free North Korea Movement, Seoul Shimbun, North Korean, Getty Images, Korean Herald, Korean Unification Ministry South Korean, Police, Samsung, Reuters, JI, Getty, KBS, Associated Press, Inter, Korean Locations: Korea, Seoul, Pyongyang, South Korean, North Korean, South Korea, North Korea, Ganghwa, Kitty, Korean, Kaesong, Paju

☆ North Korea sends balloons filled with waste into the South
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Stella Kim | Michael Fiorentino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

South Korea sent out a government emergency disaster alert urging citizens to refrain from touching the objects and to report any more incidents to the military. South Korea's defense ministry told NBC News that no human waste was found, but said that North Korea did send human waste via balloon in 2016. According to the Yonhap news agency, this is the largest number of balloons from North Korea since similar incidents between 2016 and 2018. "These acts by North Korea violate international law and threaten our people's safety," said South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, urging North Korea to cease its "inhumane and vulgar behaviors" immediately. In early May, North Korean defector-turned-human rights activist Park Sang-hak sent 20 balloons carrying 300,000 leaflets condemning North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Persons: Park, hak, Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong, — Stella Kim, Michael Fiorentino Organizations: NBC News, South Korean, Chiefs of Staff, South, North Locations: North Korea, Cheorwon, South Korea, SEOUL, It's, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, South Gyeongsang, Korea, Pyongyang, North Korean, Seoul, London

☆ South Koreans compete to see who’s best at doing absolutely nothing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Sophie Jeong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The annual Space-out competition, held on Sunday, finds who’s best at zoning out for 90 minutes without falling asleep, checking their phone or talking. Speed skater Kwak Yoon-gy takes part in the annual Space-out competition held on Sunday in Seoul. 26-year-old YouTuber Kim Seok-hwan zones out as he participates in the annual Space-out competition held on Sunday in Seoul. CNNThis year marks the tenth anniversary of the Space-out competition, founded by a visual artist, who goes by the pseudonym Woopsyang, after she suffered severe burnout. Charlie Miller/CNNSince the first Space-out competition was held in Seoul in 2014, it has expanded internationally, with contests taking place in various cities such as Beijing, Rotterdam, Taipei, Hong Kong and Tokyo.

Persons: who’s, Kwak Yoon, Charlie Miller, CNN “, ”, “, Kim Seok, ” Woopsyang, Kwon, Auguste Rodin, Auguste Rodin's, ” Kwon Organizations: CNN, Olympics Locations: Seoul, Beijing, Rotterdam, Taipei, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Korea

☆ PGA Championship: When Y.E. Yang became ‘The Tiger Killer’ to clinch Asia’s first men’s major trophy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Tiger Woods, world No. Yang?’Despite his giant-slaying efforts, Yang was still relatively unknown when he pitched up to PGA Tour qualifying school the following season. Yang clinched his first PGA Tour title on his fourth start of the season at the Honda Classic to join K.J. Streeter Lecka/Getty Images“I wasn’t that nervous because it’s a game of golf,” Yang told reporters. The 24-year-old American stamped a last-minute ticket to Valhalla with his first PGA Tour victory at the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic on Sunday.

Persons: Yang, –, Woods, ”, Joe, Mike Douglas, Yang –, Joe ”, fatefully, Yang toasts, ’, “, ” AJ Montecinos, texted, “ I’d, ” Montecinos, Montecinos, Jamie Squire, Choi, Montecinos –, Charles Baus, It’s, you’re, – it’s, Streeter Lecka, ” Yang, “ It’s, ” Woods, I’m, Hideki Matsuyama’s, Yang …, Christian Petersen, Montecinos ’, Chris Gotterup, Wanamaker, Tiger Organizations: CNN, Korean –, Hazeltine, Augusta National, –, CBS, European, HSBC, PGA Tour, PGA, Honda, K.J, Koreans, South Korean, Woods, Tiger, Hong, Korean, Southern Hills, Myrtle Beach Locations: Chaska , Minnesota, Jeju, Korea, Asia, Shanghai, China, Korean, Texas, San Antonio, Hazeltine, Woods, Hong Kong, Tulsa , Oklahoma, Valhalla, Kentucky

☆ Frustrated South Koreans Blame President in Standoff With Doctors
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Jin Yu Young | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Eun Sung injured her right thumb in a fall in March and needed surgery to fix a torn ligament. But scheduling one has been difficult even though she lives in one of the most developed nations in the world, South Korea. For more than two months, South Korea’s health care system has been in disarray because thousands of doctors walked off the job after the government proposed to drastically increase medical school admissions. But one thing has changed: Public opinion has turned against the government of President Yoon Suk Yeol. A majority of respondents in a recent poll said that the government should negotiate with the doctors to reach an agreement quickly or withdraw its proposal.

Persons: Eun Sung, ”, Sung, Yoon Suk Locations: South Korea, Seoul

☆ Stinging Election Loss Leaves South Korean Leader at a Crossroads
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The results, released on Thursday, were disastrous for Mr. Yoon. Voters pushed him to the verge of being a lame duck, giving the opposition one of the biggest parliamentary majorities in recent decades. He becomes the first South Korean president in decades to contend with an opposition-controlled Parliament for his entire time in office. The outcome — and the increasingly polarized South Korean political climate that Mr. Yoon helped intensify — heralded deepening deadlock in a country that is crucial to U.S. efforts to counter China and North Korea. It reduces the odds of Mr. Yoon achieving anything that requires bipartisan support.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Yoon Organizations: Voters, South, Washington Locations: South, South Korean, U.S, China, North Korea, Tokyo

☆ South Koreans vote for new parliament after campaign focused on economy, graft
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

People watch the first sunrise of the new year from a footbridge overlooking the city skyline in Seoul on January 1, 2024. The opposition Democratic Party (DP), which already dominates the 300-member legislature, has accused Yoon and his conservative People Power Party (PPP) of mismanaging the economy and failing to rein in inflation during their time in office. PPP leader Han Dong-hoon said a big win by the DP, whose leader is facing corruption charges, would create a crisis for the country. He warned against giving the opposition an unprecedented super majority of 200 seats, which would strip Yoon of his veto power. "I hope the two-party structure will be broken somehow, and politicians will carry out practical policies for ordinary people."

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Han Dong, hoon, Kim Ji, yun, Jung Cheol, Cho Kuk Organizations: South, Election, Democratic Party, People Power Party, DP Locations: Seoul

☆ South Korean Parliamentary Election to Set Tone for Rest of Leader’s Term
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

In the two years since he was elected, President Yoon Suk Yeol has made his mark in foreign policy, forging deeper ties with the United States and Japan. Mr. Yoon has a shot at a do-over on Wednesday, when South Koreans head to the polls to select a new Parliament. Dozens of parties are vying for the 300 seats in the National Assembly, South Korea’s single-chamber legislature. However, the contest is largely between Mr. Yoon’s conservative People Power Party and the main opposition camp, the liberal Democratic Party. Both have intense followings, but the eventual winner is expected to be decided by moderate and swing voters.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon Organizations: South Koreans, National Assembly, People Power Party, Democratic Party Locations: United States, Japan

☆ As Doctors’ Walkout Drags On, Some South Koreans Are Losing Patience
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Jin Yu Young | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Six weeks after thousands of residents and interns at South Korean hospitals walked off the job, frustration is rising. Nurses have taken on duties usually performed by physicians, and military doctors have been deployed to public health centers. The young doctors who walked out in February to protest that plan say it wouldn’t solve the health care system’s problems. But many people are also exasperated with the doctors, despite the exalted position that physicians hold in South Korea’s hierarchical society. Critics accuse them of trying to protect their elite status, and their income, by keeping the number of doctors low.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Critics Organizations: South, Hospitals, Nurses

☆ North Korea tests missile, Seoul says, ahead of vote seen as gauge of support for hardline South Korean leader
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea test-fired a presumed intermediate-range ballistic missile on Tuesday, South Korean officials said, its latest military maneuver since leader Kim Jong Un’s New Year declaration that he was ending a policy seeking reconciliation with the South. Pyongyang’s shows of power included long-range artillery and multiple rocket launchers, which pose a threat to the South Korean capital Seoul and other key areas near the border. But Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, said Tuesday’s suspected missile test by North Korea won’t have much effect on the vote. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui last week quashed recent speculation that Kishida could meet with North Korea’s Kim. North Korea “will not allow any attempt of Japan to contact” Pyongyang, he said, according to KCNA.

Persons: Kim Jong, Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim, Yoon’s, Democratic Party –, Yoon, Leif, Eric Easley, ” Easley, Easley, Tuesday’s, Fumio Kishida, Joe Biden, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Choe Son Hui, North Korea’s Kim, CNN’s Yoonjung Seo Organizations: South Korea CNN, North, South, Korean Central News Agency, CNN, Yoon’s People Power Party, Democratic Party, Ewha Womans University, Assembly, Korean, Philippine, North Korean Foreign, North Korea “ Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, Pyongyang, United States, North, Japan, Washington, China

☆ A South Korean mailman got a prison sentence for throwing out 16,000 pieces of mail. He said he was 'overworked.'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A South Korean mailman was sentenced to six months in prison for discarding 16,000 pieces of mail. AdvertisementA mailman in South Korea was handed a six-month prison sentence for dumping 16,003 pieces of mail. AdvertisementLee's sentence is suspended for two years, The Korea Herald reported, meaning he may avoid serving time behind bars. Lee, who delivered mail in Gangseo-gu, a district of Seoul, dumped the mail between January 2021 and September 2022, the outlet said. It found that the South Korean workforce's overall levels of emotional exhaustion increased, owing to perceived threats of job insecurity, feelings of isolation, and the pressures of their jobs.

Persons: mailman, —, Lee Organizations: Service, The Korea Herald, Seoul Southern, Court, Postal Services, South Korean, Korea Herald, Korean Locations: South Korea, Seoul

☆ South Koreans are dealing with burnout and loneliness by getting pet rocks
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

South Korean millennials are turning to pet rocks to combat loneliness and burnout at work. Originally a 1970s joke gift, pet rocks can give a low-maintenance sense of companionship. AdvertisementAdults in South Korea are using pet rocks to help with loneliness and burnout at work. The Journal's Jiyoung Sohn spoke to millennials turning to pet rocks to help them through difficult periods in their careers. Related storiesThe coronavirus pandemic prompted a pet-rock boom in South Korea, according to a July 2023 report by Korea JoongAng Daily.

Persons: —, Gary Dahl, Bettmann, Jiyoung Sohn, Koo Ah, Sohn, Koo, Yoon Jeonghan, Gen Z Organizations: Service, Street, Business, South Korea's Ministry of Interior, Safety, The Korea Herald, South Korea's Ministry, CNN, Bloomberg, Companies Locations: South Korea, Asia, Seoul, Korea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Shohei Ohtani may be South Korea's most-beloved Japanese athlete, a testament to his charm in softening any lingering animosity between the two neighbors. “I think Ohtani would perhaps be the first Japanese athlete who we can say we like. After his arrival in South Korea, he told reporters that he’s always respected South Korea’s national teams and called South Korea “one of my favorite countries." In 2019, a forced-labor issue triggered widespread public campaigns in South Korea to boycott Japanese goods and services. But despite their often-rocky political relations, South Korea and Japan are closely linked to each other culturally and economically.

Persons: covets, ”, Lee Jong, “, Hwang Seon, he’s, Yoon Suk, Heung, ” Lee, ___ Organizations: Major League Baseball, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, Korean, Dodgers, Seoul’s Hanyang University, Ohtani’s South, South, Twitter, Tottenham Hotspur Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Korean, Japan, Korea, South Koreans

☆ Travel news: These are the global airports passengers love the most
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —In travel news this week: passenger–pleasing airports, cool streets around the world, France’s frog-leg crisis and Ireland’s best food and drink. World’s best airportsThe busy beavers at Airports Council International have gathered nearly 600,000 surveys from travelers at more than 400 airports around the world and have revealed the passengers’ favorites. What’s Japan’s most international city? DenisTangneyJr/iStockphoto/Getty Images Topeka, Kansas: Choose Topeka doesn’t just focus on remote workers. Ron Buskirk/Alamy Stock Photo Rochester, New York: The Greater ROC Remote program offers $10,000 in grants and incentives (plus another $9,000 for home-buying grants).

Persons: South Carolina • Gerald R, Mohammed, Patrick’s, you’ll, –, Saint Patrick, ”, they’ve, John Hope Franklin, Tyler Layne, Ali Majdfar, Roberto Galan, Ron Buskirk, Denis Tangney Jr, Walter Bibikow, Ann Arbor, Paul Brady, Titanic, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Council International, Spartanburg International, Ford International, Mohammed V International, Turkey • Guayaquil International, Salalah, Oman • Sultan Hasanuddin International, Green, of, US Centers for Disease Control, John Hope Franklin Reconciliation, Getty Images, Topeka doesn’t, Getty, Shoals, ROC Remote, Images, Miami Beach Locations: Greenville, South Carolina, Michigan, Rome, Italy, Morocco • Izmir Adnan Menderes, Turkey, Ecuador, Oman • Sultan, Indonesia • Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Asia, Tokyo, Spain, Valencia, of Europe, Happy, Ireland, South Korea, Tulsa , Oklahoma, Tulsa, Tulsa West Virginia, New, West Virginia, Getty Images Indiana, Evansville, Getty Images Topeka , Kansas, Topeka, Kentucky, Mayfield, Graves, Alabama, Tuscumbia, Rochester , New York, Images Alaska, Alaska, Sitka, Getty Images Michigan, Ann

☆ South Koreans mourn as country’s first celebrity panda, Fu Bao, heads to China
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Fu Bao fandomBorn to parents Ai Bao and Le Bao in July 2020 as part of China’s “panda diplomacy” program, Fu Bao is South Korea’s first naturally-bred panda. Some South Koreans said Fu Bao provided them with moments of joy during the pandemic. In one video, Fu Bao clings tightly to Kang’s leg, unwilling to let go, as he spins gently around the room. The other short video shows Fu Bao clinging to Kang’s arm while relaxing on a wooden bench. Once Fu Bao departs for China, there will be four giant pandas left at Everland – Fu Bao’s mother Ai Bao, father Le Bao, and their twin babies Rui Bao and Hui Bao, who were born last July.

Persons: Fu Bao, Fu, Fu Bao’s, Ai Bao, Le Bao, ”, you’re, zookeeper, grandpa, Kang Chul, ” Kang, 판다월드, Everland, Rui Bao, Hui Bao Organizations: CNN, South Korea’s, South, YouTube, China Conservation and Research Center, Samsung, China Wildlife Conservation Association Locations: South, Yongin city, South Korea, China, Everland, Sichuan Province

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