Latest news with #Seoul-based
The Star
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
'Problem what problem' - Trump says he will get the conflict solved with North Korea
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the 12th Plenary Session of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on June 24, 2025.-- KCNA via REUTERS PYONGYANG (Reuters): US President Donald Trump on Friday said he will "get the conflict solved with North Korea." At an Oval Office event where he highlighted his efforts to resolve global conflicts, Trump was asked whether he had written a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as was reported this month. Trump did not directly answer the question, but said: "I've had a good relationship with Kim Jong Un and get along with him, really great. So we'll see what happens. "Somebody's saying there's a potential conflict, I think we'll work it out," Trump said. "If there is, it wouldn't involve us." Seoul-based NK News, a website that monitors North Korea, reported this month that North Korea's delegation at the United Nations in New York had repeatedly refused to accept a letter from Trump to Kim. Trump and Kim held three summits during Trump's 2017-2021 first term and exchanged a number of letters that Trump called "beautiful," before the unprecedented diplomatic effort broke down over U.S. demands that Kim give up his nuclear weapons. In his second term Trump has acknowledged that North Korea is a "nuclear power." The White House said on June 11 that Trump would welcome communications again with Kim, while not confirming that any letter was sent. North Korea has shown no interest in returning to talks since the breakdown of Trump's diplomacy in 2019. It has, instead, significantly expanded its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, and developed close ties with Russia through direct support for Moscow's war in Ukraine, to which Pyongyang has provided both troops and weaponry. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt, Steve Holland, David Brunnstrom and Christian Martinez; Editing by Leslie Adler) - Reuters
Korea Herald
9 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Summer survival guide
From cool streams to cold food, Koreans find ways to stay chill Come summer, Korea turns into one giant pressure cooker: blazing heat, monsoon downpours and high humidity with people elbowing for shade right next to you -- literally. To escape the sauna-like weather this time of the year, Yoon Hye-kyung, a Seoul-based office worker in her 50s, heads for the streams and rivers of Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, with her husband and two daughters for their summer vacation. "Streams tend to be cooler than the surrounding area, which is a relief from the scorching heat. There, we can enjoy water activities like swimming and unplug from the hustle and bustle of everyday life," she told The Korea Herald. "Cooling off in a mountain valley or stream was one of the ways I beat the heat when I was young," Yoon said. Yoon's approach may well be Korea's most timeless summer survival hack. But even if you can't escape the city, worry not. While Seoul's sweltering summer can really get to you, hidden around the city are little pockets of cool where you can catch your breath -- and a breeze. If you are one of the many tourists visiting Seoul in the summer, you will likely find yourself in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, roaming through royal palaces wearing hanbok, or wandering around the Bukchon Hanok Village and picking up souvenirs in Insadong. For much-needed relief from the heat, head to the nearby Cheonggyecheon stream, where you can find shade and sit by the water to cool off. You can even take off your shoes and dip your feet in the water. The fountains at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, just 200 meters away from Exit No. 2 of Gwanghwamun Station, are another spot that is great for cooling off. The fountains, spraying water from the ground, run for 50 minutes every hour from 10 a.m. to 8:50 p.m. until August. You will often find little children running between the jets of water -- and you might be tempted to join them. When Seoul turns into an oven, nothing beats a splash of icy water. And luckily, the city offers several great ways to cool down. Swimming pools and water parks at six locations on the Han River -- Ttukseom, Yeouido, Jamwon, Jamsil, Yanghwa and Nanji Hangang Park -- will welcome visitors until Aug. 31, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The water parks, which drew over 310,000 visitors last year, are open every day from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission fees range from 1,000 to 5,000 won depending on age, and children under 6 can enter for free. Koreans have a full lineup of summer eats when the heat is on. If you are looking for a cold delight to send shivers down your spine, go for some patbingsu -- a Korean shaved ice dessert topped with red beans and condensed milk -- as suggested by the Korean Food Promotion Institute. It's simple to make. Start by freezing some milk. Next, boil red beans in water at about a 1-to-5 ratio until the beans become soft. Drain the water, add sugar and a pinch of salt. Simmer the beans until most of the liquid is gone and the mixture thickens. Lastly, finely shave the frozen milk into a bowl, then top it with the sweetened red beans, rice cakes, condensed milk or other toppings such as fruit or cereal, according to a recipe from the KFPI. Oinaengguk, or cold cucumber soup, has long been a staple on Korean summer dining tables to help cool the body and stimulate the appetite. The soup appears in a cookbook called "Recipes of Joseon," published in 1939 by Jo Ja-ho, who recommends it for the summer months, when the heat can sap one's desire to eat. Here's how to make oinaengguk: Start by thinly slicing cucumbers, then marinate them in vinegar, soy sauce and chopped scallions. Next, sprinkle them with red pepper powder and let them sit for one to two hours. Finally, add cold water just before serving for a cool, tangy finish. When summer hits hard, it's time for a bowl of ice-cold mulnaengmyeon, or cold noodles served in a chilled broth made from beef. Another choice dish is dongchimi (radish water kimchi) -- both deliver bone-chilling cold. If simmering beef broth for hours in the dead heat of summer isn't your thing, try instead one of the many popular naengmyeon restaurants around town -- a long line means it's good! The number of users making reservations for naengmyeon restaurants on the platform Catch Table rose by 38 percent between May 19 and June 15, according to the platform, reflecting the seasonal trend.
Korea Herald
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Will Korea's barely-there stand-up scene stir to life?
Netflix tried to launch stand-up comedy in Korea years ago. Here's why it didn't work and why it might work now When Netflix launched its first Korean stand-up special in 2018, the strategy seemed solid. The plan was to sign big-name comedians, tap into their star power, and introduce local audiences to a genre that had taken off in the US. But the jokes didn't land. The debut, 'Yoo Byung-jae: Discomfort Zone,' received a lukewarm response. The follow-up specials, 'Park Na-rae: Glamour Warning' in 2019 and 'Lee Su-geun: The Sense Coach' in 2021, didn't perform any better. None generated the kind of buzz Netflix had hoped for. By 2022, the company had quietly backed away from stand-up in Korea. At the time, Yoo Ki-hwan, Netflix Korea's director of content, said, 'The genre just wasn't familiar to Korean viewers.' But comedians now helping shape Seoul's emerging stand-up scene believe the problem wasn't the audience. They say it was the lack of an ecosystem. Stand-up ecosystem: Small clubs, open mics and live audience feedback In the US, stand-up routines are sharpened in small clubs over years of trial and error. Jokes are tested live, rewritten and tested again. In Korea, the comedians featured on Netflix had almost no experience performing stand-up in front of a live audience. What ended up on the screen were essentially rough drafts. 'The problem was showing untested jokes to the public,' said Song Ha-bin, a regular stand-up performer at Meta Comedy Club in Seoul. 'The best material gets shaped onstage. You have to bomb a few times to find what works.' Kim Dong-ha, another Seoul-based comic, put it this way: 'Just because someone is a comedian doesn't mean they're built for stand-up. It's like assuming a soccer player can jump into a basketball game.' At the local comedy club Meta Comedy Club in Hongdae, performers like Song, Kim and Lee Je-gyu now follow the American model of development. The club hosts shows five nights a week, giving comics a space to try new material in front of real crowds. 'You write something funny, try it in a small room, see what works and cut what doesn't,' Lee explained. 'Then you do it again. And again.' That process seems to be paying off. Online success and its limits Comedians are sharing the bits that work online, and many of those clips are going viral. One of Song's recent routines, about men reluctantly tagging along with their girlfriends to Olive Young, a popular Korean cosmetics chain, has racked up more than 2.4 million views on YouTube. 'The jokes we upload weren't written in one sitting,' Song said. 'They've been shaped by real reactions. Now people laugh online, and then they want to see it live. So they come to our shows.' The comics say they've seen a gradual but real shift in how audiences respond. 'When we started, a lot of people didn't even know what stand-up was,' Song recalled. 'We used to hear things like, 'You can't joke about that in Korea' or 'This format just doesn't work here.' But now, people are more open.' Jang Su-yeon, an office worker in Seoul, is among those Koreans warming up to the genre. 'From time to time, I've come across American stand-up clips with Korean subtitles on YouTube,' she said. 'For a while, it was mostly Korean American comedians, but lately I've been seeing more from white comedians.' She was referring to Matt Rife, whose fan-run YouTube channel, created by a Korean viewer, has more than 90,000 subscribers, with its most popular video clip garnering over 6 million views. 'Honestly, I started watching them because they seemed like a fun way to study English. And over time, I think I got used to the rhythm and style,' she added. Naver blogger Yazidor also shared a similar experience. She and her boyfriend started watching American stand-up clips on YouTube shorts, eventually leading them to attend a live show at the Artzit Comedy Club in Seoul. "Two hours had flown by because we were laughing so much," she wrote. "If you're into stand-up comedy, I definitely recommend seeing it live." Banking on growing signs of acceptance for live comedy, comedian Song is now dreaming bigger. He says he wants to help build a genuine stand-up culture in Korea. 'I want to hear people say, 'Let's go to a comedy show after work,'' he said. 'That's the vibe we're working toward.' Still, challenges remain. Lee noted that many younger Koreans prefer to watch comedy online rather than attend live shows. 'Setting aside time, going to a specific venue, buying a ticket and being expected to drink — that whole model can feel like a barrier for younger audiences who are used to consuming content online and are less tied to Korea's drinking culture,' he explained. 'For now, that (online-to-offline flow) actually works in our favor. But looking ahead, we need to start thinking about how to make live comedy more accessible to them (offline).' ssh@
GMA Network
10 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Trump says he will 'get the conflict solved with North Korea'
Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un shake hands during the second US-North Korea summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, in this photo released on February 28, 2019 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via Reuters/File photo US President Donald Trump on Friday said he will "get the conflict solved with North Korea." At an Oval Office event where he highlighted his efforts to resolve global conflicts, Trump was asked whether he had written a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as was reported this month. Trump did not directly answer the question, but said: "I've had a good relationship with Kim Jong Un and get along with him, really great. So we'll see what happens. "Somebody's saying there's a potential conflict, I think we'll work it out," Trump said. "If there is, it wouldn't involve us." Seoul-based NK News, a website that monitors North Korea, reported this month that North Korea's delegation at the United Nations in New York had repeatedly refused to accept a letter from Trump to Kim. Trump and Kim held three summits during Trump's 2017-2021 first term and exchanged a number of letters that Trump called "beautiful," before the unprecedented diplomatic effort broke down over US demands that Kim give up his nuclear weapons. In his second term Trump has acknowledged that North Korea is a "nuclear power." The White House said on June 11 that Trump would welcome communications again with Kim, while not confirming that any letter was sent. North Korea has shown no interest in returning to talks since the breakdown of Trump's diplomacy in 2019. It has, instead, significantly expanded its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, and developed close ties with Russia through direct support for Moscow's war in Ukraine, to which Pyongyang has provided both troops and weaponry. —Reuters
AsiaOne
11 hours ago
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Trump says he will 'get the conflict solved with North Korea', World News
US President Donald Trump on Friday (June 27) said he will "get the conflict solved with North Korea." At an Oval Office event where he highlighted his efforts to resolve global conflicts, Trump was asked whether he had written a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as was reported this month. Trump did not directly answer the question, but said: "I've had a good relationship with Kim Jong Un and get along with him, really great. So we'll see what happens. "Somebody's saying there's a potential conflict, I think we'll work it out," Trump said. "If there is, it wouldn't involve us." Seoul-based NK News, a website that monitors North Korea, reported this month that North Korea's delegation at the United Nations in New York had repeatedly refused to accept a letter from Trump to Kim. Trump and Kim held three summits during Trump's 2017-2021 first term and exchanged a number of letters that Trump called "beautiful," before the unprecedented diplomatic effort broke down over US demands that Kim give up his nuclear weapons. In his second term Trump has acknowledged that North Korea is a "nuclear power." The White House said on June 11 that Trump would welcome communications again with Kim, while not confirming that any letter was sent. North Korea has shown no interest in returning to talks since the breakdown of Trump's diplomacy in 2019. [[nid:666918]] It has, instead, significantly expanded its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, and developed close ties with Russia through direct support for Moscow's war in Ukraine, to which Pyongyang has provided both troops and weaponry.
