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K-wave AI News

2025/05/27 14:00

Hello and welcome to your AI guide to the latest cultural updates from Korea. Here's our top story. A set of prehistoric petroglyphs located in Ulju county in the southeastern city of Ulsan is expected to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The International Council on Monuments and Sites has recommended the rock carvings, dating back more than 6,000 years, for UNESCO inscription. The heritage sites, considered the pinnacle of prehistoric culture on the Korean Peninsula, include the petroglyphs in Daegok-ri and Cheonjeon-ri, located in Ulju County. The carvings feature a range of imagery, including animals, hunting scenes, geometric patterns, and inscriptions, offering rare insight into the Neolithic era to the Silla period. The final decision will be made at a World Heritage Committee meeting in Paris in July. Meanwhile, North Korea's Kumgang Mountain is expected to gain UNESCO World Heritage status after a four-year application process. Renowned for its seasonal beauty, it's considered one of the Korean peninsula's most scenic mountains. World-renowned soprano Sumi Jo was awarded the highest rank of France's Order of Arts and Letters on Monday by the French Ministry of Culture. The medal was presented by former French Culture Minister Fleur Pellerin, a French national of Korean descent. The Order of Arts and Letters honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the arts and literature or have helped promote French culture globally. Sumi Jo becomes the third Korean recipient of the award, following Kim Jeong-ok, former President of the Korean Culture and Arts Foundation in 2002, and conductor Chung Myung-whun in 2011. Saying the award means a new beginning, Jo shared her commitment to supporting and inspiring young talent. The '2025 Gangneung Danoje Festival,' a millennium-old tradition and UNESCO-recognized Intangible Cultural Heritage, kicked off today. Marking the 20th anniversary of its UNESCO inscription, this year's festival features an expanded lineup of rich cultural events. Highlights include ancestral rites, shamanistic rituals, diverse folk games, and a special exhibition on the festival's history. Adding an international flair, performers from abroad, including teams from Slovakia, Slovakia, Japan, and Mongolia, will present captivating cultural showcases. The festival runs through June 3 along the Namdaecheon Stream in Gangneung. That's all from me. Stay tuned to the Kulture Wave.

[K-wave] Step into "painter-poet" Marc Chagall's world

2025/05/27 14:00

Marc Chagall is well known as a master of color, memory, and emotion. His timeless works are now on view here in Seoul, including a number of so far unpublished original works. Our culture correspondent Song Yoo-jin takes us inside the artist's world. Art has a unique ability to transcend time. One artist who has that power is Marc Chagall, often called the "painter-poet" of the 20th century. Chagall's works are known to blur the lines between dreams and reality, blending tradition with innovation, and where colors become emotions. More than a hundred of his pieces have arrived in Korea for the "MARC CHAGALL: Beyond Time" exhibition. "At first glance, Chagall's works may seem playful, full of vivid color and fairytale-like shapes. But if you take a closer look, you'll be drawn into layers of meaning and emotion." Chagall's works have visited Korea before. But this exhibition offers something never seen before. "These seven works are privately owned, so it took months of persuasion to bring them here. As this exhibition marks 40 years since Chagall's passing, we hoped Korea would be the first place to unveil them." Also drawing attention is Chagall's trademark stained glass and ceiling works. Large-scale projections and soundscapes have recreated the ceiling of the Palais Garnier in Paris and stained glass windows from Israel's Hadassah Medical Center. "Stained glass and ceiling paintings aren't something you can display like traditional canvases, so we thought hard about how to present that part of Chagall's world. In the end, we created two immersive spaces, bringing in sound engineers and designing the setup with symbolic visual elements." Rather than organizing his works chronologically, the exhibition unfolds through eight thematic sections based on Chagall's life, such as his major commissions, love for Paris, and flowers. "We hope this exhibition isn't just an encounter with Chagall the artist, but with Chagall the human being. The paintings reflect his emotional journey: joy, sorrow, longing, and love." You can explore "MARC CHAGALL: Beyond Time" until September 21st at Seoul Arts Center's Hangaram Art Museum. Song Yoo-jin, Arirang News.

[Hallyu People] Meet Mai, first ever foreign "Miss Chunhyang"

2025/05/27 14:00

Every year around the month of May, or starting on April 8th on the lunar calendar, a festival takes place in the southern city of Namwon, Jeollabuk-do Province. It's the Chunhyang Festival, based on a Korean folk tale. The highlight of the event is the beauty pageant, or the Miss Chunhyang Contest. For the first time in the festival's 95-year history, a foreigner has won one of the top titles in the contest: Mai from Estonia. And we have invited her into the studio. Welcome Mai! 1) Would you first like to introduce yourself to "The Kulture Wave" viewers, please? 2) Congratulations on becoming one of the "Miss Chunhyang"! It's just been a few weeks now, how do you feel? How was the response from family and friends? 3) Koreans are well aware of the Chunhyangjeon, a very famous folk tale that revolves around a love story, which the Chunhyang Festival is based on. For our international viewers, could you give us some background on what this festival is about? 4) We heard it's your second time taking part in the Miss Chunhyang Contest. What made you take part? And how do you prepare for this event? 5) As one of the winners, you take the role as an ambassador of Namwon city for three years. What aspect of Namwon would you like to promote in particular? 6) Mai, what made you come to Korea and how is Korea perceived in your country, Estonia? 7) Mai, let's now talk about your special passion for hanbok. On your YouTube channel 'Kimchi Ghost Mai' we see you wearing hanbok a lot as well. Tell us about your affection for Korea's traditional attire. 8) What other part of Korea's culture would you like to spread to the world and what are your future plans in Korea? Thank you Mai, for sharing your story with us today. We look forward to your activities as a "cultural ambassador" and congratulations again for becoming the first foreign Miss Chunhyang. Thank you Bella as always, we'll see you back tomorrow.

Israeli strikes kill 52 in Gaza, including 36 in school-turned shelter

2025/05/27 10:00

Starting in the Middle East, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed at least 52 people, including 36 in a school being used as a shelter. On Monday, a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City's Daraj neighborhood was hit by an Israeli airstrike. Hundreds of people were sheltering there at the time. According to Gaza's Civil Defense, the attack killed at least 36 individuals and injured dozens of others. The Israeli military stated that the strike aimed at a Hamas and Islamic Jihad command center, believed to be operating within the school premises. They asserted that the facility was being used for planning attacks against Israeli civilians and troops. A separate strike hit a home in northern Gaza, killing at least 16 others. The recent strikes have drawn international condemnation, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's caution against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding excessive military actions, and a discussion in Ireland regarding a potential ban on Israeli imports. On the same day, a new aid system in Gaza opened its first distribution hubs following months of blockade by Israel.

Increase in domestic mushroom varieties decreases royalties paid overseas

2025/05/27 10:00

Up until around 10 years ago, South Korea relied on imports for a variety of mushrooms. However, Korea has now successfully localized mushroom production, even cultivating new varieties, and further reducing the burden of royalties paid overseas. Cha Yun-kyung tells us more. The Korean mushroom variety, Aram, which has recently begun to be exported to Southeast Asia, has a golden cap with a crisp texture. Even after it is fully grown, the mushroom cap does not spread and remains small, making harvesting and packaging easy. Rural Development Administration developed Aram in 2018, targeting markets in Asia. This contains more than twice as many antioxidants called polyphenols, 그리고 GABA, an amino acid which helps regulate nerve activity and relieves stress, similar to the white enoki mushroom. "We did pilot exports of Aram to Vietnam and Hong Kong, and we received lots of favorable comments, especially for its texture." The Seolwon variety, which is also called the King Oyster Mushroom, is also a domestic type that is getting attention with its chewy texture. It also has a bigger cap than regular Oyster mushrooms, so it is popular as a high-end cooking ingredient. So far, the number of mushrooms developed by the Rural Development Administration amounts to 53 varieties of Enoki, Button and Oyster mushrooms. Thanks to this, the localization rate of mushrooms rose 28-point-1 percentage points over 15 years from 35 percent in 2009 to 63-point-1 percent last year. The royalties paid in foreign countries have thus decreased by more than one-third. "As the varieties we've developed become available to farmers, they can now cut production costs. We can also save royalties paid overseas on a national level." The Rural Development Administration is planning to develop more high-quality mushrooms in the near future. Cha Yun-kyung, Arirang News.

Trump threatens to redistribute Harvard grants to trade schools

2025/05/27 10:00

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to redirect Harvard University grants to U.S. trade schools instead. Though when and how such a plan will be implemented is unclear. Ahn Sung-jin reports. The feud between the Trump administration and Harvard University continues to escalate. Trump posted on his social media Truth Social on Monday that he is "considering taking three billion dollars of grant money from a very antisemitic Harvard." He said he would redirect the three billion dollars in federal grants to trade schools instead. Trump had previously cited concerns over antisemitism on campus for freezing 2-point-2 billion dollars in grants. How Trump is to redistribute the funds and whether the grants come from the funding that he already froze is unclear. His latest remark comes after he demanded Harvard to release the name and nationalities of its international students, and comes and less than a week since a judge halted the Trump administration from barring international students enrolling at Harvard. The Ivy League School had previously argued that the administration's actions were a "blatant violation of the First Amendment" and comes as the university opposes "the government's demands to control Harvard's governance, curriculum and the ideology of its faculty and students." Meanwhile, in a message to mark Memorial Day, Trump denounced what he called "USA-hating judges" for hampering his immigration policies. Ahn Sung-jin, Arirang News.

Reform Party candidate says People Power Party should force own candidate to resign, not him

2025/05/27 10:00

Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok has once again reaffirmed his resolve to remain in the presidential race, rejecting the People Power Party's push for a merger. The resolve was shared on Monday, with Lee adding that his party is determined to run and win the race and that the PPP should pressure its own candidate to resign, not him. The 40-year-old contender recently saw his approval rating reach 10-percent amid growing support from those in their 20s as well as 30s and from moderate voters.

PPP's Kim continues targeting capital region with industry-friendly track record while merger still open

2025/05/27 10:00

And on the same day, the People Power Party's Kim Moon-soo continued to invest much of his time and effort in the capital area, where he touted his economic accomplishments during his time as Gyeonggi-do Province governor. Our Kim Do-yeon has more. The capital region is yet again the People Power Party's candidate Kim Moon-soo's focus. The region consisting of half of the nation's population is always a battleground region and Kim could be seeing some hope of winning votes in Gyeonggi-do Province especially as he served two terms as governor with a track record of job-making. "During my eight years as Gyeonggi-do Governor, in total, I created 43-percent of all jobs in the nation. I created the most jobs and hosted Samsung's Pyeongtaek Chip complex, made Pangyo Technovalley, and LCD complexes for LG." He in fact visited the Pyeongtaek Samsung Electronics campus himself. The complex is known to be the largest in the world by land mass. There he spoke of how he supported industries and that it's worrisome for him that Samsung and other big companies recently are leaving for other nations, such as the U.S., because of tariffs. "Meanwhile, as he rallies around the province he's been trying to compare himself to his DP rival Lee Jae-myung, who was governor here more recently." He's been putting the focus on the legal risks that arose from Lee's time as the mayor of a city in the province and a former governor of the province, while Kim has no legal issues from his terms. As for the election landscape, the PPP believes that the DP's lead is narrowing compared to the beginning of the election campaign and in the next eight days, they are trying to make a comeback. One big move, course, is left for the party. The merger with the Reform Party. "I propose that the Reform Party present its conditions for a potential merger. We are prepared to do everything we can to make it happen. And let me be clear — we are fully ready to embrace the Reform Party’s policies for the younger generation, especially those in their 20s and 30s." Of course, the ballots are already being printed, and the Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok's name will be on it regardless of the merger who, of course, says it won't happen. Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.

DP’s Lee promises pragmatic diplomacy, stronger trilateral ties with U.S. and Japan

2025/05/27 10:00

And the presidential candidates are pushing their final campaign stretch. The Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung is now wooing voters with his diplomacy pledges, including a solid South Korea-U.S. alliance. Our correspondent Shin Ha-young reports. Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung on Monday pledged to strengthen South Korea's diplomacy and security amid a rapidly changing international order. He said he would pursue pragmatic diplomacy centered on the national interest, based on a strong South Korea-U.S. alliance. Lee added that he would work to rebuild trust in the alliance, which he says was damaged by a declaration of martial law. He also emphasized close trilateral cooperation with the U.S. and Japan, while maintaining a firm stance toward Tokyo when it comes to historical issues. "We need to take a principled stance on historical and territorial issues. At the same time, areas like security, the economy, society, and culture shouldn't be overly restricted because of the historical and territorial issues. While it's not easy to separate these issues, we should approach other areas in a practical way that looks toward the future." On China, Lee described it as an "important trading partner" and highlighted the need for stable Seoul-Beijing relations. Regarding North Korea, Lee aims to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and achieve peace through denuclearization. He said Pyongyang's nuclear threats can no longer be ignored and vowed to work closely with the U.S. to resolve the issue. Lee also pledged to improve human rights for the North Korean people. Meanwhile, entering the final week of the official campaign period, Lee held rallies in the Seoul metropolitan area, focusing this time on southeastern Gyeonggi-do Province. "Lee Jae-myung has promised to make southeastern Gyeonggi-do Province a better place to live, with improved access to education, housing, and transportation." Earlier on Monday, Lee met with college students in Suwon to hear about the challenges they face with school and finding jobs. Lee said it's a serious problem that young people are worried about housing and stressed the need for more public dormitories. "It's a real problem that students have to worry about housing. The government should step up and use unused campus land to build more public dormitories." Lee also pointed out issues including high meal costs, and emphasized the need to expand programs like the one-thousand won meals. Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.

North Korea's Mt. Kumgang may be added as UNESCO World Heritage

2025/05/27 10:00

North Korea's Mount Kumgang could be set for inscription onto the UNESCO World Heritage list. According to UNESCO on Tuesday, the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, advisory bodies to the World Heritage Committee, have recommended the inclusion of Mount Kumgang. Pyongyang had submitted its application in 2021, but the review process was postponed due to COVID-19 before evaluation resumed this year. The decision will be made at the 47th World Heritage Committee meeting, at UNESCO headquarters in Paris from July 6th to the 16th. If Mount Kumgang becomes officially registered, it will become North Korea's third World Heritage site. Standing just over 1-thousand-6-hundred meters, it is considered one of the Korean peninsula's most scenic mountains along with Baekdusan Mountain.

Germany scraps range limits on arms sent to Kyiv

2025/05/27 10:00

Germany says it will scrap the range restrictions on weapons sent to Ukraine, joining the U.S., the UK and France who had earlier lifted the restrictions to allow Ukraine to better target Russian territory. Lee Seung-jae reports. Germany has joined other Western supporters of Ukraine in removing range restrictions on weapons being delivered to Ukraine. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday announced that his country will be joining the likes of the United States, the UK, and France in lifting the restrictions, in order to allow Ukraine to be better able to hit military targets on Russian territory. Merz says while there will be opposition from some EU member nations, including Hungary and Slovakia, it won't stop Germany and other bloc members from their continuous support of Ukraine. The German Chancellor also said a small minority could not be allowed to "determine the decisions of the entire European Union" and that by removing restrictions on weapons, Ukraine can now defend itself by attacking military positions in Russia. In response, Russia called the decision "dangerous," saying it would be detrimental to any chance of a peace deal, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Monday, saying such decisions are "completely at odds" with any hopes for a political settlement. The Western allies of Ukraine had initially restricted the use of long-range missiles to targets only within Ukrainian territory under Russian occupation. However, after the dispatch of North Korean troops to the Kursk region, the U.S. and the UK began authorizing the use of long-range missiles to strike targets in Russia. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

Final TV debate for June 3 presidential election takes place Tues.

2025/05/27 10:00

South Korea will elect its new president a week from today. And the final televised debate between the four major presidential candidates will take place tonight. The third debate between Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo, New Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok, and the Democratic Labor Party's Kwon Young-kook will be held at MBC Studio in Seoul for two hours from 8 PM. The candidates will discuss political polarization and debate political reform and constitutional amendment. Other topics will include foreign affairs and security policy. The debate will also be televised here on Arirang TV.

[Weather] Afternoon warmth with strong UV rays, passing rain in east

2025/05/27 10:00

It's been quite warm during the day, but as soon as the sun dips, things cool down quickly. So managing your layers will be key to staying comfortable. That daytime warmth will continue today. As temperatures soar, the atmosphere will become unstable, meaning we could see sudden showers developing in the eastern regions this afternoon. These showers can be quite unpredictable, ranging from 5 to 20 millimeters. Meanwhile, expect mostly sunny skies in most parts with the UV index reaching "very high" levels. Most parts will see highs at 27 degrees Celsius this afternoon but 'feels like' temperatures will be a few degrees lower as the humidity won't be as high. Daytime temperatures are expected to keep climbing. By the end of the week, we could see highs nearing 30 degrees Celsius in the capital with a chance of sudden showers.

Thrill-seekers take a spin at England's wacky cheese rolling tradition

2025/05/27 10:00

Finally, in England's Gloucestershire region, thousands gathered for the annual cheese-rolling contest on Monday. Participants chased a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese, weighing approximately 3.5 kilograms, down the steep 180-meter slope of Cooper's Hill, continuing a tradition that dates back to at least 1826. German YouTuber Tom Kopke, 23, secured first place in the men's race for the second consecutive year. In the women's race, 20-year-old Ava Sender Logan from London, who was participating for a food charity group, claimed victory. The tradition is believed to have derived from customs celebrating the return of spring.

Former U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, veteran of Korean War dies at 94

2025/05/27 10:00

In the United States, Charles Rangel, a former U.S. Representative from New York and Korean War veteran, passed away on Monday local time, at the age of 94. Rangel, a gravelly-voiced Democrat congressman from Harlem, served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. After military service, Rangel pursued higher education, earning degrees from New York University and St. John's University School of Law. He began his political career in 1970 and served 23 terms in the House of Representatives, becoming the first African American to chair the House Ways and Means Committee. Rangel was also a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and ended his 46-year congressional career in 2017. He is survived by his two children and three grandsons.

Man arrested after car plows into pedestrians gathered for Liverpool Football Club’s victory parade

2025/05/27 10:00

Two people, including a child, were seriously injured and 25 others taken to hospital after a vehicle ploughed into a crowd of people celebrating Liverpool FC's Premier League championship victory on Monday. According to reports, a 53-year-old man who is believed to have been the driver was arrested at the scene. The vehicle drove into a crowd of fans on Water Street in Liverpool's city center just after 6 PM as hundreds of thousands of fans gathered to watch Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade. The vehicle struck several pedestrians before coming to a stop. Authorities are not treating the incident as terrorism but are investigating what led to the incident and have asked people to refrain from sharing "distressing content online." UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident as "appalling" and said those injured and affected are in his thoughts.

Presidential Election D-7: Early voting this week, will conservative candidates merge?

2025/05/27 10:00

Just 7 days away from the June 3rd Presidential Election. We have our political correspondent, Oh Soo-young, in studio to discuss the latest developments. Soo-young, good to have you here again. 1. Election day is next Tuesday but voting has actually been underway for Koreans overseas. We've seen the highest turnout to date. That's right. Preliminary figures released on Monday show last week's overseas voting saw a record turnout of 79-point-five percent. Some 205-thousand people out of 258-thousand who registered to cast their ballots overseas, showed up at polling stations across 118 countries. It's the biggest turnout since 2012, when the country adopted absentee voting. The previous presidential election saw 71-point-six percent, and last year's general election 62-point-eight percent. This week, on-board voting began for four days starting Monday. And on Thursday, two days of early voting will begin domestically from 6 AM til 6 PM. 2. It seems the stakes are higher, as we're expecting overall turnout to be high. The race is getting that much tighter. That's right. We saw Korea's pollsters release their final official surveys before the race last week. While the Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung is still the clear front-runner, the gap between him and the People Power Party's Kim Moon-soo has shrunk considerably in Gallup's survey, from a 22-point margin to ten points in just a week. So what explains the shift in numbers? After a period of disillusionment caused by internal strife between Kim and PPP elders who pushed him to merge with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, it seems now the so-called "shy conservatives" are getting behind him, after almost 3 weeks of campaigning and his live TV debates. "If you look at the regional voter distribution released monthly by Gallup Korea, conservatives actually outnumber progressives. Given this numerical advantage, how actively conservatives are willing to vote in this election is, in my view, critically important." Another notable trend was the Reform Party's Lee Jun-seok seeing his support jump to 10 percent for the first time in this race. This comes after his televised debate with the top two contenders and the Democratic Labor Party's Kwon Young-kook. Lee set distinctive policies on pension reform, health care reform, and high-tech growth for the country largely appeal to moderates and young voters. 3. It seems people in their 20s and 30s are a major force among swing voters. Yes, what's interesting about the past few elections is that against the backdrop of strong regionalism seen over the decades, we're seeing distinct generational differences emerge as a major factor. Those in their forties and fifties tend to be left-leaning, while people in their 60s, 70s, and above are traditionally conservative. But 20 and 30-somethings are much less regional or ideological. "The 20s and 30s generations sort of Gen Z they grew up in an era of low growth and housing insecurity and also the digital automation. So they are very skeptical of grand ideological narratives and also they have a little trust in previous generations globalist optimism. So their politics is very fragmented and they are grounded in their identity politics and pragmatism and their personal utility rather than collective and forced ideals." Following the start of official campaigning and the first TV debate, support for Reform's Lee Jun-seok jumped to 26 percent, closely behind the DP's Lee Jae-myung's 30 percent, among those aged between 18 and 29. The PPP's Kim Moon-soo was significantly behind at 19 percent. Among independent voters, who don't affiliate themselves with any party, preference for the DP and Reform candidates was neck and neck, while the PPP contender fell to third place. 4. And last time you were in studio, you suggested that if Lee Jun-seok reaches 10 percent support, it's unlikely he would merge with the PPP candidate. Having met Lee last year,.. I'd say he feels he was treated very badly by the PPP. Lee's spokesperson said they offered him party leadership if he merges with Kim Moon-soo, but Lee's already been the chairman of PPP, he's left, and he's not the type of person to turn back, or simply play a so-called casting voter. He himself has noted that his popularity has reached 10 percent, saying it will be his name and his party's name on the voting ballots. On Monday, he added if the PPP wants to pressure anyone to resign, it should be their own candidate, not him. Polls show more than half of his supporters do not want him to merge with the PPP presumably because they are tired of bipartisan politics between the main right and left-leaning parties. Yes, he has a narrow chance of winning the race, but the forty-year-old leader seems he's building up a support base for the next presidential election. But again, never say never in politics. We might see the merger issue revisited in tonight's third TV debate focusing on politics. If Lee changes his mind, he'll have until Wednesday, before the early voting starts on Thursday. Plenty of room for twists and turns, even with just a week left until the election. The final TV debate tonight will definitely be interesting. Thanks for coming in today.

DP’s Lee promises pragmatic diplomacy, stronger trilateral ties with U.S. and Japan

2025/05/26 20:00

Thank you for joining us. I'm Yoon Jung-min. Presidential hopefuls are now in their final week of the official campaign period. The liberal party's main contender today unveiled his diplomacy pledges, promising pragmatic diplomacy. Our correspondent Shin Ha-young reports. Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung on Monday pledged to strengthen South Korea's diplomacy and security amid a rapidly changing international order. He said he would pursue pragmatic diplomacy centered on the national interest, based on a strong South Korea-U.S. alliance. Lee added that he would work to rebuild trust in the alliance, which he says was damaged by a declaration of martial law. He also emphasized close trilateral cooperation with the U.S. and Japan, while maintaining a firm stance toward Tokyo when it comes to historical issues. "We need to take a principled stance on historical and territorial issues. At the same time, areas like security, the economy, society, and culture shouldn't be overly restricted because of the historical and territorial issues. While it's not easy to separate these issues, we should approach other areas in a practical way that looks toward the future." On China, Lee described it as an "important trading partner" and highlighted the need for stable Seoul-Beijing relations. Regarding North Korea, Lee aims to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and achieve peace through denuclearization. He said Pyongyang's nuclear threats can no longer be ignored and vowed to work closely with the U.S. to resolve the issue. Lee also pledged to improve human rights for the North Korean people. Meanwhile, entering the final week of the official campaign period, Lee held rallies in the Seoul metropolitan area, focusing this time on southeastern Gyeonggi-do Province. "Lee Jae-myung has promised to make southeastern Gyeonggi-do Province a better place to live, with improved access to education, housing, and transportation." Earlier on Monday, Lee met with college students in Suwon to hear about the challenges they face with school and finding jobs. Lee said it's a serious problem that young people are worried about housing and stressed the need for more public dormitories. "It's a real problem that students have to worry about housing. The government should step up and use unused campus land to build more public dormitories." Lee also pointed out issues including high meal costs, and emphasized the need to expand programs like the one-thousand won meals. Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.

[Weather] Summer heat came back again from the afternoon with high UV rays

2025/05/26 20:00

The last of the spring weather petered out over the weekend, and the summer heat has gradually returned from today. The daytime temperature in Seoul rose to 26 degrees Celsius today, which is 3 degrees higher than yesterday. Temperatures will rise day by day throughout the week, reaching as high as around 30 degrees in the latter half. Strong ultraviolet rays were detected in most areas today due to the strong sunshine. In particular, the UV index was reported as "very high" in the Seoul metropolitan area and Gangwon-do provinces where there was less cloud cover. It is expected to reach very high across the country tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow morning, Seoul and Busan will start at 15 degrees Celsius, with Chuncheon and Gyeongju at 12 degrees. Daily highs will move up to 26 degrees in Seoul, and 23 degrees in Busan and Jeju. However, heavy showers are expected in eastern areas tomorrow and Wednesday. That's all for Korea. Here are the weather conditions around the world.

Prehistoric Ulsan rock art set to become UNESCO World Heritage Site

2025/05/26 20:00

The prehistoric rock art along the Bangucheon Stream in Korea's Ulsan is set to become a UNESCO World Heritage site. The rock art, or petroglyphs, include the Bangudae rock art, which depicts various animals, as well as humans hunting and cutting up whales. Meanwhile, the Cheonjeon-ri rock art stands out for its geometric symbols. The Korea Heritage Service announced on Monday that ICOMOS, an organization which evaluates cultural properties for UNESCO, has recommended the site for listing. Inclusion on the list is expected in July, making it South Korea's 17th World Heritage site.