AI a tool, not a threat, says 31-year-old AI filmmaker
Kwon Han-sl‘s award-winning short horror film, made with six AI tools, opens up new narrative film genre How might AI alter filmmaking? Young South Korean filmmaker Kwon Han-sl has shown the impact could be massive. The 31-year-old spent five days last summer working with over six AI tools to create
Aug. 17, 2024 - 16:00:49
Son‘s mission to preserve memories of 93-year-old mom earns him unexpected recognition
Senior director‘s award-winning short film, resurrecting mother’s extinct village on hand-drawn map, celebrates family love, bridges generational gaps Last year, Kang Heon-koo, 63, undertook an intriguing personal project: reconstructing a map of his family‘s now-defunct old village using the memori
Aug. 7, 2024 - 14:56:39
After diving head-first into webtoons, creator learns hard lessons
Aspiring webtoon artist Dang Yeon-hee shares her experience of Korea‘s competitive web comics scene and how she came to appreciate the importance of staying grounded in reality Many dream of leaving their mundane jobs to pursue something creative and original. Only a few actually take the leap, and
July 24, 2024 - 15:15:30
Solo and content about life, YouTuber won’t let hate comments dampen her spirits
‘There’s no need to be threatened by my content,’ Seen Aromi tells online critics Seen Aromi, a YouTuber in yoga attire clutching a reusable tumbler, greeted this reporter with a wide smile that crinkled her eyes on June 18. Despite her petite frame, Seen exuded a comfortable confidence that quickly
June 26, 2024 - 15:27:26
Healing through K-food: Brit shares recovery from eating disorder through immersion in new food culture
Korea‘s culture of affordable dining with diverse side dishes, sharing and absence of calorie disclosure was unfamiliar at first, but liberating, says Bristol native Lewis Hooper, who turned 30 this year, exudes youthful energy, but for much of his 20s, he was dangerously thin. As a result of his st
June 12, 2024 - 15:49:14
He quit his office job for delivery work, and now, life is better
Aspiring writer chooses fast-paced, physically challenging delivery work to stay creative Kim Dae-gun’s day starts very early. At the break of dawn, he collects the packages that need to be delivered that day. He sorts and loads them in his truck, arranging them in a way that matches his itinerary f
May 29, 2024 - 13:29:38
Unseen inheritance: Trauma of transnational adoption ‘trickles down’ to adoptees‘ children
Adult children of Korean adoptees reflect on how their parents‘ stories impacted their lives, identities and right to their roots As South Korea’s dark past of international adoptions continues to unravel, an unexpected second storm has emerged. Intergenerational trauma -- a concept from the field o
May 12, 2024 - 15:52:05
‘The stars are there for everyone’
Amateur astronomers, onlookers share magical evening of celestial discovery On a Saturday evening in March, Hong Kee-cheon brought his prized telescope out to a park in Ilsan, northwest of Seoul. He pulled a cart laden with his astronomy gear, weighing over 60 kilograms in total, to the heart of the
May 8, 2024 - 09:50:03
Why this tutor teaches for free
Frustrated math tutor quits tutoring for pay, discovers path to mutual growth through free lessons with those who choose to learn DAEGU-- Han Si-nae, 36, is no ordinary tutor. Her students, totaling 10 and ranging from primary to high school, come to her house after school for supplementary math les
April 24, 2024 - 14:02:54
Everything tastes better with ‘Butter’
Hit BTS song pulled retired US teacher out of despair. Now she is reveling in fan culture at heart of K-pop, immersed in enriching cultural exchange, community A few years ago, Julia Bellaflores‘ life started to fall apart. Bellaflores, a teacher in Texas, had been doing her classes online during th
April 10, 2024 - 17:44:30
Young Seoulite‘s double life as startup consultant and indie actor
How Baek Yo-sun‘s journey of daring to pursue acting, hitting rock bottom and returning to startup field helped her find new meaning in both worlds Even in Seoul, teeming with so many busy people, Baek Yo-sun stands out for striving to live in two seemingly contrasting worlds. By day, she‘s a human
March 21, 2024 - 13:59:00
Four women‘s inspiring journeys back to school
At an age when many are enjoying retirement, four women go back to school, proving it‘s never too late to learn Lee Bok-ja vividly recalls the day, 47 years ago, when she learned that she had been admitted to high school, having secretly taking and passing the entrance exam. She remembers the tuitio
March 6, 2024 - 15:23:55
How ‘panda aunt’ almost did not fall for cub‘s charms
“People rave about Fu Bao. I just didn‘t get it.” Zookeeper Oh Seung-hee of Everland’s Panda World said of the rock star giant panda of her zoo. Fu Bao, born in 2020 to a panda pair gifted to Korea by China in 2016, was the first cub born in Korea through natural breeding. From the moment of her bir
Feb. 21, 2024 - 15:18:27
New life, vocation for retired customs dog
Former drug sniffer dog settles into new home, blossoms into darling of local community in second chapter of life In 2021, after seven years of service as a narcotics detection dog, Parang retired from her duties. Now, three years into retirement, the female black Labrador retriever has found a lovi
Feb. 14, 2024 - 17:21:19
Meet the ‘ramyeon conqueror’ out to sample every instant noodle
Quest for instant noodle mastery leads teacher to world of full-time blogging, giving rise to online ramyeon encyclopedia About a decade ago, Ji Young-jun found himself staring at the shelves in the ramyeon section at a military base commissary. Having begun his compulsory military service right aft
Feb. 7, 2024 - 16:40:14