From the Scene In series
Stories told from where they are happening.
#Issues
# First-hand
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From the Scene In series
Stories told from where they are happening.
Would you like to subscribe?
How Hugel turns a thumb-sized tube into 25,000 toxin vials
CHUNCHEON, Gangwon Province – A tube thinner and shorter than a thumb, holding what looks like little more than a drop or two of clear liquid, sat locked inside an ultralow-temperature freezer at minus 80 degrees Celsius in Building A of Hugel’s Geodu factory in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, on Thursday. “That tiny tube is enough to produce more than 25,000 vials of botulinum toxin,” said Seol Hee-soo, managing director at Hugel. That little tube was among the most tightly guarded assets inside H
July 8, 2026 - 06:00:00
How Spain's one-network model helps Malaga take off
Korea Herald correspondent MALAGA, Spain — At Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport in southern Spain, travelers move with the ease of commuters passing through a well-run railway station — local in character despite the constant stream of international arrivals. The gateway to the Costa del Sol ranks as Spain's fourth-busiest airport, after Madrid, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, with passenger traffic more than doubling over the past decade to top 25 million travelers in 2025. Airport officials trace
July 6, 2026 - 08:08:14
At Hanoi expo, K-pop buzz fuels Korea’s consumer goods exports
HANOI, Vietnam — Phuong leaned closer to a mirror at a booth inside Hanoi’s National Convention Center, dabbing a soft pink Korean lipstick onto her lip as K-pop music blared across the exhibition hall. The 23-year-old student had come for a chance to win a ticket to see Winner, the K-pop boy group serving as the ambassador for the Korea Brand and Entertainment Expo. But like many young Vietnamese visitors moving from booth to booth, she was also there to sample what was on offer, from cosmetics
July 5, 2026 - 11:00:00
Hope, skepticism and cautious optimism: What Gwangju residents think about Korea's W800tr chip bet
GWANGJU — When the government announced plans for a whopping 800 trillion won ($519 billion) investment into building a new semiconductor belt centered on Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, the reaction in the region was not simply celebration. There was excitement, pride, but also hints of caution. Though initial debates largely revolved around why Gwangju was chosen, the conversation on the ground had already shifted to the practical realities of making such an ambitious project happen. “I was
July 4, 2026 - 12:01:32
Here’s what it takes to become an Air Force pilot: surviving 6 times gravity
CHEONGJU, North Chungcheong Province — As the countdown begins, the cockpit-shaped simulator spins faster, and the body sinks deeper into the seat as the force surges to six times the pull of gravity. Cheeks are pulled back, legs locked in place and short, guttural breaths come out every few seconds. Breathing is no longer taken for granted. “Keep your head back. Keep your lower body and abdomen tight,” an instructor tells me. I have to inhale and exhale forcefully with the abdomen, hips and leg
July 3, 2026 - 19:15:55
Virtual roads and wire cars: Hyundai’s digital proving ground
HWASEONG, Gyeonggi Province — As vehicles evolve into software-heavy machines, quality inspection has become increasingly complex, raising the bar for advanced, efficient testing powered by digital twin, robotics and artificial intelligence. A key example of this shift is Hyundai Motor Group’s Namyang research center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, where the automaker is pioneering new inspection technologies for the era of software-defined vehicles (SDVs). The Namyang center unveiled its new Ad
July 2, 2026 - 14:54:20
'Our sea is gone': Haenyeo from Pohang seek answers, compensation
Under the scorching Tuesday morning sun, dozens of women sat shoulder to shoulder on mats outside a high-rise in Seoul's Songpa-gu. Some were in their 60s and 70s. Others were well into their 80s. All wore white towels on their heads and red headbands bearing the phrase "Damage compensation." Some held signs that read: "Our livelihoods have been taken away. Compensate for the damage!" The 52 women are haenyeo, Korea's traditional female divers, who traveled more than 300 kilometers to Seoul from
June 30, 2026 - 15:34:40
Inside Lilly's biotech startup factory
SAN DIEGO — Inside the social room on the second floor of a building at Lilly Gateway Labs in San Diego, researchers and scientists gathered in separate groups, casually discussing ongoing projects or sharing lunchtime conversation on Thursday. Next door to the spacious, comfortable social room was a module — a combination of an office space and a laboratory — of a resident biotechnology firm. "Our philosophy is that the access to our scientific leadership and expertise is just as valuable as th
June 29, 2026 - 12:57:43
Inside HD Hyundai Electric’s AI power push
Cheongju, NORTH CHUNGCHEONG PROVINCE -- Stepping inside HD Hyundai Electric’s new power distribution complex in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, the future of electricity looks less like a thundering heavy-industry floor than a tightly orchestrated network of robotics arms and autonomous carriers moving across the plant. During a media tour of the Cheongju Power Distribution Campus on Thursday, workers in a control room overlooking operations sat before real-time screens that tracked energy
June 28, 2026 - 14:00:00
Power of one network: Inside Aena’s airport model
Korea Herald correspondent MADRID, Spain — For decades, Spain has run its airports as a single national enterprise, turning regional gateways into tourism hubs and building the world's largest airport operator by passenger volume. Founded 35 years ago ahead of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, state-backed airport operator Aena now manages 46 airports and two heliports in Spain, as well as 35 airports overseas. In 2025, the group handled a record 384.8 million passengers worldwide, including 321.6 mi
June 28, 2026 - 13:20:13
How aircraft are still built largely by hand
SACHEON, South Gyeongsang Province — Inside Plant 1 at South Korean aerospace manufacturer Kencoa Aerospace, large metal jigs hold aircraft parts in place before they are drilled, riveted and assembled into structures destined for global aerospace supply chains. The factory floor is filled not with finished aircraft but with the painstaking work that comes long before one takes flight. During a media tour on Wednesday, Kencoa showcased structures related to Embraer's C-390 military transport air
June 25, 2026 - 14:29:37
When safety speaks 20 languages: Day in the life of foreign workers at building site with AI as their assistant
Yun Seung-uk, a safety team leader at Lotte E&C, stood at the podium as some 600 workers were getting ready for their morning meeting at a construction site in Seoul on Thursday. As he prepared to read the rundown of the day’s workload, large screens to his right and left, as well as 16 additional monitors, displayed images, action plans, and a window titled "AI translator." Once he began speaking, the window filled with three languages — Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese — almost in real time. For
June 15, 2026 - 15:27:41
BTS transforms Busan into citywide festival with drone shows and fan events
BUSAN — Busan turned red for BTS over the weekend, as the city’s landmarks, beaches and night sky became part of a large-scale celebration marking the group’s first concert in the city in four years and its 13th debut anniversary. Through “BTS The City Arirang — Busan,” Korea's second-largest city was transformed into an extension of the group’s ongoing “Arirang” world tour. Gwangan Bridge, Busan Harbor Bridge and Suyeonggang Human Bridge were illuminated in red, the key color of BTS’ latest alb
June 14, 2026 - 17:15:58
Seoul Queer Parade grows into wider platform for diversity
For Kim Min-ji, 34, the Seoul Queer Parade is a holiday, much like Seollal or Chuseok. “Compared with when I first came here, I have many friends I can meet at the event now,” Kim said while browsing booths at the parade in central Seoul on Saturday. “More importantly, this is a place where I can be myself, including dressing the way I want.” An eight-year attendee of the annual event, Kim wore a gat and dopo, traditional garments associated with Korean noblemen of the past. The dopo was decorat
June 14, 2026 - 15:21:51
Under June sun, Red Devils bring World Cup roar to Gwanghwamun
“Who are we so proud of? South Korea!” The chant rolled through Gwanghwamun Square on Friday morning, carried by drumbeats from the Red Devils and answered by fans in red shirts as South Korea opened its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against the Czech Republic. The match kicked off at 11 a.m. in Korea, a rare weekday morning start that turned the square in central Seoul into a lunchtime stadium. Office workers, students, families and international fans gathered around the large screens near the K
June 12, 2026 - 14:10:07
