Articles by Shim Woo-hyun
Shim Woo-hyun
ws@heraldcorp.com-
Barcelona continues to ramp up efforts to increase city’s digital capacity
BARCELONA, Spain -- Michael Donaldson, the Barcelona City Council Chief Technology Officer and CIO, said the Spanish city will continue its efforts to increase its digital capacity, highlighting that the COVID-19 pandemic was a turning point for the city’s digital transformation. “COVID-19 was an opportunity in order to put forward our digital transformation. During the worst moment of the pandemic, the only sector that was growing was the IT sector," he said during an interview
Social Affairs Nov. 21, 2022
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Political turmoil surrounds DP and its leader over development corruption scandal
South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party of Korea is facing another blow over a property development corruption scandal as its leader Lee Jae-myung’s closest confidant was arrested. The party is also engulfed with concerns as the prosecution investigation comes closer to Lee. The Seoul Central District Court on Saturday granted an arrest warrant for Jeong Jin-sang, a vice chief of staff to Lee. Jeong was arrested on charges connected to a high-profile real estate development sca
Politics Nov. 20, 2022
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Seoul wins at World Smart City Awards for its projects for the underprivileged
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has won the city category at the Smart City Expo World Congress, the organizer announced Wednesday, in recognition of its smart city strategies for the underprivileged. The World Smart City Awards is given for innovative city strategies, that can make an impact on the lives of citizens and make cities more sustainable and inclusive. Seoul has been “proven to be an inspiration for those concerned by inequalities. The digital transformation is amplifying,&rd
Social Affairs Nov. 17, 2022
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Seoul joins Smart City Expo World Congress 2022
BARCELONA -- The Seoul city government will showcase the city’s latest smart city innovations as well as its future vision at the Smart City Expo World Congress 2022, the Seoul Digital Foundation said Tuesday. SCEWC is the world’s leading smart city fair held annually, where governments, companies and experts come together to share the latest smart city innovations. For this year’s event, held between Tuesday and Thursday at Fira de Barcelona, Spain, the Seoul city government h
Social Affairs Nov. 16, 2022
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President Yoon Suk-yeol leaves for six-day trip for ASEAN, G-20 summits
President Yoon Suk-yeol left Friday for Cambodia, the first of the two destinations where the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the G-20 summits will be held. Upon his arrival in Phnom Penh, Yoon will attend the South Korea-ASEAN summit. On Saturday, Yoon is scheduled to join a ASEAN Plus Three summit, where leaders from South Korea, Japan, China as well as ten other nations will join. During the summit, President Yoon, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Keqi
Foreign Affairs Nov. 11, 2022
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Hotel next to Itaewon crowd crush raided over unauthorized extension
Police have started an investigation into Hamilton Hotel, which stands on one side of the alley where more than 150 people lost their lives in the deadly crowd crush in Itaewon, it said Wednesday. The hotel is currently believed to have built an illegal extension, which led to the narrowing of the alley. Under the Building Act, pedestrian passage should be wider than 4 meters for the safety of pedestrians. But, the hotel’s building addition has made the alley narrow to 3.2 meters at one en
Social Affairs Nov. 9, 2022
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Oil depot-turned-cultural space provides tours for all visitors, including those with visual impairments
Located to the west of Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Oil Tank Culture Park is a cultural complex created in a transformation from an oil depot. The cultural complex provides a wide range of cultural events, welcoming locals and tourists alike, along with features catering to those with visual impairments. Oil Tank Culture Park said earlier this week that it started a pilot tour program for people who are blind or have a visual impairment. The new program is designed to introduce arc
Social Affairs Nov. 9, 2022
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Rethinking the Nation’s Safety on the 60th National Fire Service Day
Nam Hwa-yeong, Acting Commissioner General of the National Fire Agency It was a tragedy that should not have happened. Too many young lives were lost in the Itaewon disaster last month. With our deepest condolences to the victims and their families, the National Fire Agency commemorates the sixtieth National Fire Service Day with a very heavy heart. As the first line of support for citizens in danger, the weight of responsibility on our shoulders feels heavier than ever as we take another look a
Social Affairs Nov. 8, 2022
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Architecture biennale to draw up master plan to restore Seoul's urban green spaces
The Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2023 will invite experts from Korea and abroad to discuss a master plan for restoring urban green spaces in the country’s capital city, the Seoul city government said Tuesday. At the Seoul Hall of Urbanism and Architecture, the Seoul city government on Monday held a pre-biennale under the title of “Land Architecture, Land Urbanism: City of Mountain Ranges, Waterways, and Wind Breezes -- Drawing of the Seoul’s Next 100 years.&rdquo
Social Affairs Nov. 8, 2022
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Politics encroaches on mourning for victims of Itaewon tragedy
Candlelight vigils honoring the 156 people killed in the Itaewon crowd surge were held across South Korea over the weekend, with some gathering thousands of people. While the events were to commemorate the dead, some participants held signs calling for President Yoon Suk-yeol to step down and appeared focused on delivering a rebuke to the current administration. On Saturday, thousands of people gathered in central Seoul, paying tribute to the Itaewon victims and clutching white candles. Contrast
Politics Nov. 6, 2022
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[Photo News] BTS star Jin's 'The Astronaut' debuts at No. 61 on British chart
Jin, a member of K-pop supergroup BTS, holds his single "The Astronaut," his first first official single that has landed at No. 61 on the British Official Singles Chart Top 100. According to the latest chart updated Friday, the song entered the chart together with Rihanna's "Lift Me Up" and SZA's "Shirt.” "The Astronaut" is a pop-rock genre song co-written by British band Coldplay, which also played on the recording. Jin participated in wr
K-pop Nov. 5, 2022
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Cases of new COVID-19 subvariants surge in S. Korea
The detection rate of new BA.5 subvariants in South Korea have dramatically increased over the past week, increasing the possibility of a COVID-19 resurgence during the winter season here, according to the country's health authorities Friday. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency data, the detection rate of two new omicron subvariants, BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, increased four times to 3.7 percent during the third week of October, from 0.9 percent a week ago. The detection rate
Social Affairs Oct. 28, 2022
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Reservations for COVID-19 booster reach 100,000
The number of people who made reservations for updated omicron-specific bivalent boosters reached almost 100,000, according to health authorities Friday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said it opened reservations on Thursday to anyone aged 18 or older. The number of people who made reservations as of 5 p.m. on Thursday reached 99,512, the agency added. Previously, updated omicron-specific bivalent boosters were mainly available for people aged 60 or above. But the government dec
Social Affairs Oct. 28, 2022
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Drug crimes involving foreigners see 6.5 fold rise since 2012: study
The number of drug arrests made against foreign nationals in South Korea has increased much faster than the foreign population, a study has found, with the nature of the offenses also becoming more serious. According to a study by the Criminal Investigation Institute, a research center at the Korean National Police University, the number of drug arrests made against foreigners reached 2,335 in 2021, up from 359 cases in 2012. That is a 6.5-fold increase, while the foreign population rose just 35
Social Affairs Oct. 26, 2022
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Get ready to pay W1,000 more per taxi ride in Seoul next Feb.
The base taxi fare in Seoul will rise by 1,000 won (69 cents) to 4,800 won, starting in February. Whether the increase will solve the ongoing shortage of after-dark taxis, however, remains uncertain. The Seoul city government on Tuesday passed the plan to increase the base rate for midsize taxis operating in Seoul from the current 3,800 won. The raise would be the first since February 2019. Under the new scheme, the distance that taxis travel with the basic fare, will also decrease to 1.6 kilome
Social Affairs Oct. 26, 2022
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