From the Scene In series
Stories told from where they are happening.
#Issues
# First-hand
Would you like to subscribe?
From the Scene In series
Stories told from where they are happening.
Would you like to subscribe?
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
Scuffle breaks out as students at 16 universities condemn ballot shortage crisis
People swarmed 21-year-old Kim Min-su as he stepped down from the podium after speaking at a rally at Yonsei University’s Sinchon Campus in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday, where students had gathered to condemn the recent ballot shortage crisis during the June 3 local elections. “You should be ashamed of yourself!” yelled a student dressed in black. Another student in a green polo shirt tried to hold back the crowd. Kim, a political science student, had just finished speaking during an open m
June 10, 2026 - 21:42:23
How Korean teens see struggle for democracy they never lived through
Taking in the exhibits on activists who fought for and won democracy in South Korea before he was born, one middle schooler doubted he could have done the same. “If I had been a college student in 1987, I don’t think I would have been able to join the protests or take a leading role in the pro-democracy struggle because I would have been afraid of torture, guns and tear gas,” said 15-year-old Kang Hyun-joon. “But I think I would have tried to work for democracy in less visible ways.” Kang had ju
June 9, 2026 - 13:55:14
'This isn't about politics': Young Koreans push for election rerun
On Sunday morning in southern Seoul, the scene did not look like the election-related rallies South Korea has grown used to in recent years. A crowd had gathered outside the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium, where ballot boxes from Jamsil 7-dong’s second polling station were brought for vote counting after a ballot paper shortage was reported there. Young men and women stood alongside parents with babies and children, while a few US flags were visible among those calling for a rerun of Wednesday’s
June 7, 2026 - 15:25:58
At polling stations, voters look beyond local pledges
At polling stations across Seoul on Wednesday, voters lined up to choose local leaders. But for many, the issues on their minds reached far beyond city hall or district offices. From martial law and party rivalry to real estate policy and taxes, voters interviewed by The Korea Herald said national politics played a major role in their choices in races meant to decide mayors, governors, education superintendents and local council members. Before the early summer heat had fully set in, residents i
June 3, 2026 - 15:48:40
Overpass breakdown wreaks havoc in Seoul
The midday collapse of an overpass that killed three people and injured three in Seoul on Tuesday has sent shock waves through the capital and disrupted transportation for thousands of residents. “We have lived here for about four years and were always fond of that road,” said Kostis Daskalopoulos, 59. “It breaks our heart to see what happened today. ... We feel (it is) very tragic and send our deep condolences.” Part of the overpass fell to the ground at about 2:32 p.m., and authorities closed
May 26, 2026 - 20:21:56
Uniqlo returns to Myeong-dong — bigger and more localized
Five years after Uniqlo vanished from Myeong-dong amid the “No Japan” boycott and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Japanese retailer is coming back to Seoul’s most storied shopping district with its largest store in Korea to date. Opening Friday, the sheer scale of the new flagship signals confidence: three floors, roughly 3,200 square meters, 42 checkout counters and 54 fitting rooms. More revealing, though, is its dual mandate to function as a global retail destination and an homage to a neighborhoo
May 19, 2026 - 14:28:41
Less air, more ice cream: Inside Benson’s Korea factory
POCHEON, Gyeonggi Province — In South Korea's crowded frozen dessert market, Benson, the premium ice cream brand operated by Hanwha Galleria subsidiary Better Scoop Creamery, is making the case for ice cream with more dairy and less of everything else. Its products stand apart from what it describes as the watered-down, powder-based formulations filling most Korean freezer aisles. Take the vanilla: Butterfat content reaches 17 percent, above the low-teens typical in the market. Meanwhile, air co
May 13, 2026 - 15:19:51
Nomadic heritage under a dazzling skyline: What to enjoy in Astana
Throughout its long history, Kazakhstan has been a place where East and West have met and blended, shaped by exchanges along the Silk Road and the nomadic traditions of the steppe. That legacy continues today in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, which is emerging as a growing stopover destination for travelers between Asia and Europe, helped by its central location. The city is drawing more transit travelers with its distinctive appeal, marked by the contrast between steppe heritage and a futuristic
May 2, 2026 - 16:00:00
Where was S. Korea at Central Asia’s key ecological expo?
Korea Herald correspondent ASTANA, Kazakhstan — A floor map at the entrance to the Regional Ecological Summit Expo 2026 offered a quick look at major players in Kazakhstan’s fast-growing environmental technology market. Chinese firms were listed. European countries had joint pavilions. Kazakh government entities filled the hall. South Korean companies were nowhere to be found. The absence stood out because, despite appearances, Korea has been trying to expand cooperation with Kazakhstan in green
April 28, 2026 - 14:00:19
New Seongsu landmark? Musinsa brings retail vision at full volume
In Seongsu-dong, a neighborhood that has long prized intimacy over scale, the old rules are giving way under mounting foot traffic. Into that moment steps Musinsa, now in its most outsized form yet. On Friday, the country's leading fashion platform opened Musinsa Megastore Seongsu, the largest single fashion and beauty store in the country. The four-story building, spanning 6,600 square meters, unfolds to be navigated, with its floor-to-floor curation of Korean fashion and beauty running the gam
April 25, 2026 - 16:00:00
