From the Scene In series
Stories told from where they are happening.
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# First-hand
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From the Scene In series
Stories told from where they are happening.
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[From the scene] Inside university labs training Korea’s future chip engineers
Two students and a professor in light blue cleanroom suits huddle around a semiconductor wafer on Wednesday following an etching process at a lab at Myongji University’s Yongin campus, part of a government-backed effort to train the next generation of chip engineers. “It is a privilege to work in a lab equipped with state-of-the-art facilities,” said Lee Hyun-joon, a postdoctoral researcher at the lab. Myongji University is among more than 40 institutions chosen under a government program to tra
March 22, 2026 - 09:15:23![[From the scene] Inside university labs training Korea’s future chip engineers](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/03/22/news-p.v1.20260319.2faf3d3cf9634642bef5edd322eaea0a_T1.png?type=h&h=320)
BTS comeback creates decade's largest celebration in Gwanghwamun
Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul transformed into a massive open-air concert venue on Saturday, as tens of thousands people gathered from around the world to watch BTS’ first group performance in three years and nine months. The turnout marked the largest crowd in the area since the street celebrations in the Gwanghwamun area during the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea Japan. The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the police estimated 40,000-42,000 people in the area as of 8 p.m. Event organizer Hybe
March 21, 2026 - 19:08:29
Samsung shareholders meeting turns upbeat on stock rebound, bigger dividend
SUWON, Gyeonggi Province — Samsung Electronics’ annual shareholders meeting opened to applause on Wednesday, a sharp break from last year’s tense gathering as investors returned in high spirits after the stock’s rebound, record annual revenue and a larger dividend plan. At the company’s 57th annual general meeting at Suwon Convention Center, the contrast with 2025 was evident from the start. A year ago, the room was dominated by frustration over a share price stuck in the 50,000 won ($33.65) ran
March 18, 2026 - 14:36:40
Inside Harim’s First Kitchen: A bet on premium home meals
IKSAN, South Jeolla Province — Harim Group, Korea’s 30th-largest conglomerate by assets, is best known for its leading poultry processing and distribution business. Now positioning itself as a global food and agribusiness company, the group is expanding its reach with a focus on premium ready-to-eat meals. The Korea Herald toured Harim's First Kitchen, a 520 billion won ($347 million) advanced food manufacturing complex in Iksan, on Friday. Operated by Harim Industrial, the facility comprises fo
March 17, 2026 - 11:46:41
Posco Future M to mass-produce LFP cathodes this year to challenge China
Posco Future M President and CEO Eom Gi-chen said the company plans to begin mass production of cathode materials for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, aiming to challenge Chinese dominance in the low-cost battery segment. “The three major Korean battery companies — LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI and SK On — are all planning to release LFP products within this year,” Eom said during a press briefing at InterBattery 2026 in Seoul, which opened Wednesday. Eom was recently appointed chairman
March 11, 2026 - 14:30:12
Blackpink fans flock to National Museum of Korea for 'Deadline' release
Lee Ju-young, 25, has visited the National Museum of Korea several times before. Friday, she returned with a specific purpose: to celebrate the comeback of Blackpink. "It's a place I visit often, but today it feels completely different," she said, with the museum's interior bathed in pink as part of a collaboration with the global girl group. "The collaboration between the museum and Blackpink feels symbolic. I really wanted to experience it in person." Lee was among hundreds of visitors who beg
Feb. 27, 2026 - 16:53:21
Diriyah Biennale seeks to engage, not antagonize
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — The 30-minute drive from King Khalid International Airport to Riyadh is lined with signs announcing the upcoming 2030 World Expo taking place in the Saudi capital. With construction sites and tower cranes looming over the desert horizon, there is a palpable sense of transformation. The transformation is being driven by Saudi Vision 2030, launched in 2016, which seeks to transform the oil-dependent kingdom into a modern, inclusive state with sustainable development and tech
Feb. 16, 2026 - 16:00:00
Cops and Robbers: Reviving youth with playground classic
Scarves pulled tight and breath fogging the air, more than 50 people ranging from teenagers to those in their 30s gathered at Seoul’s Olympic Park around 3 p.m. on Saturday, stamping their feet against the sub-zero cold. After a brief exchange of casual greetings, the group split into two teams. Minutes later, office workers in padded coats and teenagers in sneakers were sprinting across the pavement, slipping on uneven patches and shouting warnings to strangers as they played Cops and Robbers,
Jan. 17, 2026 - 16:00:00
[CES] Hyundai Motor shifts robotics from lab to factory floor with Atlas
LAS VEGAS — Hyundai Motor Group on Monday put its next-generation humanoid robot Atlas at the center of its physical AI strategy, laying out a concrete plan to deploy AI-powered robots as core production assets inside its factories rather than experimental machines. At its CES 2026 media day at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, the automaker framed robotics not as a future add-on, but as a foundational pillar of its shift toward software-defined, AI-driven manufacturing. The highlight of the s
Jan. 6, 2026 - 14:12:40![[CES] Hyundai Motor shifts robotics from lab to factory floor with Atlas](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/01/06/news-p.v1.20260106.33fb26c430dd46ff9dc1529bd17d18d7_T1.jpeg?type=h&h=320)
K-beauty captures Japan’s biggest beauty crown
TOKYO — K-beauty’s rising clout took physical form in a chandelier-lit ballroom in Tokyo, where Korean beauty took home the gold at a beauty awards ceremony hosted by Qoo10 Japan, an e-commerce platform run by eBay Japan. At its inaugural beauty event on Monday, themed “Glow Up!” and packed with over 500 industry insiders, K-beauty brands swept 87 percent of the 137 total prizes, including many of the top honors. A ceremony of this scale is a first for beauty brands in Japan -- let alone one tha
Dec. 9, 2025 - 15:19:37
Thousands brave bitter cold to mark 1st anniversary of Yoon’s martial law
Thousands packed the street in front of the National Assembly on Wednesday, braving biting winds and subzero temperatures in Seoul to mark the first anniversary of then-President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law decree. Silver thermal blankets snapped in the wind. Protesters wrapped themselves in wool scarves with only their eyes peeking out, yet kept their pickets raised, chanting “End the insurrection!” into the frigid air. Just meters away, rows of police officers in neon jackets and riot gear sto
Dec. 3, 2025 - 18:14:46
Hanwha unveils W100b Jeju satellite megahub
SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island — Hanwha Systems on Tuesday held an official completion ceremony for the Jeju Space Center on the Hawon Techno Campus located in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, signifying the opening of Korea’s biggest private-led satellite manufacturing facility. With an investment of about 100 billion won ($68 million), Hanwha Systems established the Jeju Space Center with a satellite development and assembly bloc, a satellite function and condition testing facility, a satellite assessment clean
Dec. 2, 2025 - 15:00:00
From oil to AI: Inside Kazakhstan’s tech awakening at Astana Hub
ASTANA, Kazakhstan — Inside a brightly lit classroom filled with rows of iMacs, students hunch over their keyboards, with code flashing across their screens. On the other side of the room, another group of students gathers around a whiteboard, sketching innovative ideas and plans for their next AI project. The classroom is part of Tomorrow School, an education program focused on artificial intelligence housed within Astana Hub, the country’s flagship technopark for IT startups. Here, young progr
Nov. 4, 2025 - 11:16:16
S-Oil’s Shaheen project nears finish, fueling petrochemical ambitions
ULSAN — Amid a forest of soaring towers, tanks and tangled metal structures, S-Oil’s sprawling Shaheen complex in Ulsan is fast taking shape — a vivid testament to the company’s determination to transform from a traditional oil refiner into a future-oriented petrochemical powerhouse. From an observation deck overlooking the seventh district of the site, the 9.26 trillion won ($6.47 billion) megaproject appears nearly ready for operation. Cranes still dot the skyline, but the progress is unmistak
Oct. 22, 2025 - 17:00:00
Seoul sets new world record for largest reading relay
Autumn is often called the perfect season for reading in South Korea. This year, the tradition took on a historic scale. Thousands of people gathered Saturday at Gwanghwamun Square, a landmark in central Seoul, to take part in what city officials said was the world’s largest reading relay. To commemorate the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule and promote Korean literature, the Seoul Metropolitan Government — collaborating with the Seoul Metropolitan Library and th
Sept. 29, 2025 - 13:11:25
