Samsung, employees agree to 5.1 pc pay raise for 2024

Seoul: Samsung’s management and its workers agreed to an average 5.1 per cent pay raise for the year, sources said on Friday. The world’s largest memory chip and smartphone maker reached an agreement with representatives of its employees over wages and extending maternity leave, according to the sources, reports Yonhap news agency. This year’s 5.1 … Read more

Dazzling ceiling art: 10 of the best examples, from The Louvre to the Charminar in Hyderabad, India

Drenched in gilded features, the gallery is embellished by myth-laden murals on its vaulted ceilings. Most prominent among them is Apollo Slays the Python, by French Romantic artist Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863), which depicts the Greek god Apollo in a torrid battle with a serpentine beast. The Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque is decorated by a … Read more

Blinken Says Fighting Disinfo ‘Vital US National Security Interest’

Fighting disinformation including AI-enabled content is a “vital” national security interest and diplomatic priority for the United States, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday at a democracy summit in Seoul. Blinken is in South Korea for this week’s third Summit for Democracy, an initiative of US President Joe Biden, which brings together government officials, … Read more

Michelin Guide 2024 in South Korea: three 1-star restaurants in Busan announced in city’s first ever selections; Mosu in Seoul keeps 3 stars but remains closed

Local media previously reported that CJ CheilJedang, the company owner of the restaurant, had not renewed its contract with chef Sung Anh. The website for Mosu Seoul simply reads: “Closure Announcement. This website is no longer available. Thank you for your support.” On Michelin’s own website, a note has been added to the entry for … Read more

Asian cities, off the beaten path in Europe

Tokyo, Japan. Matteo Colombo | DigitalVision | Getty Images When it comes to travel abroad, popular destinations like London, Paris and Rome always seem to top the wish list for Americans. But many travelers are looking beyond those mainstay cities for trips in 2024. Interest in major Asian hubs, off-the-beaten-path locales in Europe and other … Read more

Where to travel in 2024? Here are five spots to avoid crowds

Tired of the usual sights or craving a break from the travel herd? These five travel spots may be the getaway you’re looking for. Adventure travel company Intrepid Travel’s new “Not Hot” list is out — spotlighting overlooked travel spots around the world. The company’s annual list attempts to combat overtourism by helping travelers “beat … Read more

“Parasite” actor Lee Sun-kyun found dead in South Korea, officials say

Lee Sun-kyun, a popular South Korean actor best known for his role in the Oscar-winning movie “Parasite,” was found dead in a car in Seoul on Wednesday, authorities said, after weeks of an intense police investigation into his alleged drug use. The car was in a park, the Reuters news agency reported. Police and emergency … Read more

Seoul Metro tests real-time AI translation service for foreign tourists; 13 languages supported in pilot scheme

By Jung Da-hyun Real-time translation services for foreign tourists began on a pilot basis at Myeongdong Station, on Seoul Subway Line 4, on December 4. Seoul Metro said the translation service, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), facilitates seamless communication between international tourists visiting the South Korean capital and metro station staff, allowing them to talk … Read more

One of Seoul’s last ‘moon villages’, why Haebangchon is worth a visit – its history, what to do, and where to eat and drink

In the 1961 Korean cinema classic Aimless Bullet, director Yu Hyun-mok not only offers a realistic portrayal of how the poor lived in post-war Korea but also of the squatter area where the story is set: Haebangchon. Located at the foot of Namsan, a mountain that stands in the heart of the capital, Seoul, the … Read more