Latest news with #Bae
Time of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Bae Seong-woo makes dramatic comeback to 'SNL Korea' after 5-year drunk driving hiatus; says 'I'm really nervous and anxious'
South Korean actor Bae Seong-woo has finally returned to the variety show scene after serving a 5-year self-imposed exile following his drunk driving controversy . The 50-year-old actor, known for his performances in films like "Parasite" and "The Handmaiden," appeared on Coupang Play 's " SNL Korea Season 7" on May 24th. Dressed in a sharp black suit, he bowed deeply to the audience - a gesture that immediately conveyed his remorse and gratitude. The moment was incredibly emotional as Bae covered his face with his hands, smiled sheepishly, and visibly teared up. When host Shin Dong-yup asked about his feelings regarding the warm reception from the audience, Bae opened up about his vulnerable state of mind. "I thought I'd be okay since I started with musicals and did a lot of theater work, but seeing everyone directly made me choke up. I'm really nervous and anxious," he admitted, showing his genuine, unguarded side to the public for the first time in years. SNL Korea The 2020 Incident That Changed Everything Bae's self-imposed exile began with a drunk driving incident in November 2020. After drinks with friends in Seoul's Gangnam district, he was caught at a police checkpoint with a blood alcohol level above 0.08% - the legal limit for license revocation in South Korea. The incident forced him to leave the popular SBS drama "Fly Dragon" midway through production, with his role being taken over by actor Jung Woo-sung. In January 2021, he was fined 7 million Korean won for violating traffic laws. South Korea's Strict Drunk Driving Laws South Korea has implemented some of the world's strictest drunk driving regulations. The blood alcohol limit for license suspension is just 0.03% - equivalent to about one shot of soju or a single beer. For license revocation, the threshold is 0.08%, and drivers with 0.2% or higher face imprisonment of 2-5 years or fines of 10-20 million won. The " Yoon Chang-ho Law ," implemented in 2019 after a university student's death in a drunk driving accident, has been remarkably effective. Statistics show that drunk driving fatalities dropped by 65% in just two months after its implementation, with overall drunk driving accidents falling by 37.2%. This compares to India's legal limits of 0.03% for two-wheelers and 0.08% for four-wheelers, though enforcement consistency varies across states. India records over 150,000 road accident deaths annually, with alcohol being identified as a significant contributing factor. Celebrity Accountability in Korean Society Korean society holds celebrities to exceptionally high moral standards, viewing them as public figures with significant social responsibility. This cultural expectation means that celebrity DUI cases often result in career-ending consequences, regardless of the legal penalties. Recent incidents involving other Korean celebrities illustrate this pattern. BTS member Suga registered a blood alcohol level of 0.227% in his recent case, while trot singer Kim Ho-joong faced additional charges for a hit-and-run incident. These cases demonstrate that fame offers no protection from consequences in Korean society. The Korean public's reaction extends beyond legal violations to perceived betrayal of public trust. Celebrities are expected to be role models, especially given their influence on younger fans who follow K-pop and K-dramas globally, including millions of Indian youth. The Long Road to Redemption Bae's gradual return began in May 2024 when he attended a press conference for the drama "The 8 Show," followed by his appearance in the Disney+ series "Lighting Shop." However, his variety show appearance has sparked mixed reactions among Korean audiences. Some view his return as appropriate after serving his time and showing genuine remorse, while others criticize it as "image laundering." Critics worry that the comedic format of variety shows might trivialize his past mistakes and diminish the seriousness of drunk driving as a crime. This debate reflects broader cultural questions about forgiveness and second chances. Korean society typically demands longer periods of reflection and public penance compared to many other countries, including India, where celebrity controversies often have shorter recovery periods.
Korea Herald
17-07-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
New science minister pledges to make Korea AI powerhouse
Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyung-hoon officially began his tenure on Thursday, becoming the first Cabinet minister to take office under the Lee Jae Myung administration. In his inaugural speech at Sejong Government Complex, Bae pledged to lead a national transformation powered by artificial intelligence and advanced science and technology. 'The future of our nation will depend on how we design strategies and respond to the coming wave of innovation and change,' he said. Bae is one of Korea's leading private-sector AI experts. As the founding president of LG AI Research, the artificial intelligence arm of LG Group, he played a key role in spearheading the development of the conglomerate's hyperscale language model Exaone from December 2020 until he was nominated as the new minister. He also served in key government advisory roles related to AI governance and privacy. He previously held the chief position of the AI technology division at LG Uplus and practiced various AI applications at SK Telecom. Bae has earned a Ph.D. in electronic engineering from Kwangwoon University and completed an executive program for AI: Implications for Business Strategy from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The new minister emphasized that Korea, now standing among the ranks of advanced nations, must break away from outdated approaches to achieve its next goals, including raising the country's potential growth rate to 3 percent and joining the world's top five economic powers. He went on to emphasize the need for a bold transformation, saying, 'We must secure a unique competitive edge that no other country can replicate, and bring about a groundbreaking shift through a national transition rooted in AI and cutting-edge science and technology to enhance efficiency and productivity.' Highlighting AI as the driving force of the new era, Bae said its influence is rapidly permeating all aspects of society beyond industry and the economy. To navigate the shift, he proposed fostering top-tier talent, building an innovation-friendly ecosystem and spearheading a nationwide transformation centered on AI and cutting-edge technologies. He outlined four key policy directions: establishing a robust AI ecosystem, revitalizing the research and development innovation landscape, nurturing world-class talent in AI and science, and addressing pressing challenges closely tied to people's daily lives. "To achieve the vision of becoming one of the world's top three AI powerhouses — the first pledge of the People's Sovereignty Government — we will build a robust AI ecosystem and create an environment where AI is accessible to all,' the minister said. He emphasized the importance of establishing AI and digital infrastructure, enhancing cybersecurity systems, securing foundational AI models, promoting AI transformation and supporting AI semiconductors. Bae also announced plans to restore the grassroots-level basic research initiatives that had been phased out, ensuring stable and sufficient R&D funding. 'We will support the adoption of AI within scientific research itself,' he said. In terms of talent development, Bae proposed enhancing support for young scientists, establishing AI-centered universities, and improving working conditions at government-funded research institutes.
7NEWS
08-07-2025
- Business
- 7NEWS
Bae The Label hosts a huge sale: Shop comfortable and stylish maternity clothing up to 40 per cent off
The hottest maternity label in fashion is currently having a huge sale, offering shoppers up to 40 per cent off the best-selling range. Bae The Label is a Melbourne-owned fashion company established in 2015 by two Melbourne mums. The brand was born out of frustration with the lack of modern maternity clothing that aligned with a woman's pre-pregnancy style. For more than nearly a decade, Bae has evolved into a trusted name for maternity and nursing wear that champions quality, functionality, and authenticity. Every piece in the Bae collection is designed with longevity in mind. It's this commitment to creating versatile, wearable essentials that make Bae more than just a maternity brand. It's a go-to label for women at every stage of motherhood, and one that continues to set the benchmark for modern maternity dressing. The company's high-quality fabric and timeless designs ensure that the pieces will last, while also making you feel great whether you're carrying your bump or nursing your newborn. The brand has everything from comfortable dresses to linen pants, t-shirts, jumpers and more. Who said pregnancy can't be both stylish and comfortable? Top sale picks Live Light Jumper, was $109 now $79 Linear Maternity Pants, was $129 now $89 Only Gets Better T-shirt, was $89 now $59 Cloud Nine Knit Shorts, was $79 now $49 Got The Edge Knit Dress, was $129 now $79 Intrinsic Button Front Dress, was $129 now $79 Serenity Knit Maternity Skirt, was $79 now $39 Wrap Around You Maxi Dress, was $129 now $79 Good Things Zip Sweat, was $129 now $89 Double Time Tee Dress, was $89 now $69 To shop Bae The Label's full sale range, head to the website here.
Eater
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
What's In That Dessert? Vegetables
is a senior reporter at covering restaurant trends, home cooking advice, and all the food you can't escape on your TikTok FYP. Previously, she worked for Bon Appétit and VICE's Munchies. As a child, pastry chef Susan Bae hated doenjang jjigae, the Korean stew made with fermented soybean paste, and an assortment of veggies. These days, she says, 'I think I love it.' For that reason, Bae now has the dish on the menu at Washington, D.C.'s Moon Rabbit, albeit as a dessert. Bae's sweetened rendition of doenjang jjigae is a tofu cheesecake with a base of zucchini cake. Charred-miso creme anglaise, confit squash, and a jam made with chef-favorite Nardello peppers complete the dish. It's a dessert with all the savory flavors of doenjang jjigae — and all the vegetables too. For Moon Rabbit, which describes itself as 'reimagined Vietnamese cuisine,' Bae wanted to incorporate the savory elements, herbs, and vegetables of Southeast Asian cuisine into her desserts as well. In every dish, she wanted a balance of 'sweet, salty, and a bit of this random 'what is that?' flavor.' The chocolate mousse at Moon Rabbit includes mushroom ice cream. Rachel Paraoan What is that flavor? At some restaurants, it's vegetables where you least expect them: in dessert. While Bae's desserts are especially adventurous, root vegetables, of course, have often found themself in sweets; at Atoma in Seattle, there might be parsnips in the famous baked Alaska. Some inclusions, like cucumber and tomato, are technically fruit even if they're functionally treated like vegetables: Cucumber appears in a granita that's served alongside the chamomile custard at Firstborn in Los Angeles, and in sorbet at Rory's Place in Ojai, California (the latter has also employed spring peas in ice cream). Salt & Straw recently put tomato-Gruyere ice cream on the menu. With these desserts, chefs are challenging diners' expectations and, in doing so, perhaps lifting us from a growing sense of menu ennui. That zucchini-and-pepper dessert isn't an outlier on Moon Rabbit's pastry program. 'I'm a pastry chef, but I actually love, appreciate, and prefer savory food,' Bae says. There's a sponge cake with all the flavors of green curry, 'minus the allium,' Bae says. Dill graces the durian mousse with passionfruit granita. Seaweed and sea beans round out the pandan panna cotta. And the chocolate mousse comes with wild-mushroom streusel and chanterelle ice cream, with green Sichuan peppercorn oil to enhance the savory mushroom flavor. Compared to Moon Rabbit's elaborate menu, the one at Los Angeles's new Baby Bistro is minimal. There's a bread course, four savory dishes, and just one dessert. The base of the dessert is a pine nut cookie, classic enough. It's then topped with cucumber cremeux, followed by sweet-and-sour poached rhubarb, fennel fronds, and a spritz of thyme-infused white wine vinegar. That list of ingredients could just as easily be a salad. The pine nut cookie with cucumber cremeux is the only dessert at Baby Bistro. Kort Havens Executive chef and owner Miles Thompson once considered cucumbers his favorite food and wanted to show off their versatility. Plus, he says, the dessert better fits into the restaurant's focus on vegetables. 'A buttermilk cake with cream cheese frosting doesn't really vibe with our ethos,' he said. According to Thompson, the dish was the 'most well-received item on the entire menu' when Baby Bistro was just a pop-up. It might seem like a bold choice to offer something so unconventional as the restaurant's only dessert. If the goal, especially in this economy, is to maximize the average spend per table and to get regular diners, why not go for a known favorite — the tiramisus and panna cottas that we see everywhere? For some chefs, the whole point is to give people what they don't expect but might enjoy anyway. Diners tend to be 'taken aback' by her desserts, Bae admits, though ultimately pleased by them. 'Part of the experience that I like to provide is to look at these savory ingredients that are unconventional in dessert [and prove that] we can make it taste really good in sweeter form as well,' she adds. Still, the restaurant reserves these cerebral desserts for dinner; the lunch options are more conventional, like pandan sponge cake with plum and lychee. Smithereens is known for its celery ice cream float. Tom Wilson Similarly, since it opened in late 2024, New York City's New England-inspired Smithereens has become known for two oddball sweets: a dessert of candied seaweed with black licorice, and a celery ice cream float. The latter employs celery two ways: first, it appears in a celery root ice cream, in which sit Luxardo cherries marinated in red wine vinegar and shio koji and drizzled with coffee oil. Then, celery is used in the bright soda that surrounds the ice cream. The pairing is both earthy and refreshing. 'I'm a fan of desserts being as weird as possible, as long as they taste good,' says chef and owner Nick Tamburo. With training at Momofuku and Blanca — at the latter, he briefly did only pastry — Tamburo handles both sweet and savory at Smithereens in New York. He sees dessert, unlike a main dish, as 'not a huge commitment.' Therefore, he says, it offers the opportunity to do something 'creative and a little wacky.' If the stereotypical New England seafood spot is sunny Taylor Swift 1989 pop, Smithereens's take on the region exudes goth-y darkwave — askew from the mainstream. Part of Tamburo's vision is 'to make the food we're excited about and to not feel beholden to guest expectations,' he says. There's comfort, of course, in the classic chocolate cake. But then, there's excitement to be found in learning whether or not a celery or seaweed dessert works for you. 'I think New York specifically, but really the whole country, is a little complacent these days when it comes to food,' Tamburo says. The resurgence of 'French revival and sort of mid-century restaurants is fun,' he adds. 'But I think we have enough of that.' Sign up for Eater's newsletter The freshest news from the food world every day Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Korea Herald
08-07-2025
- Health
- Korea Herald
Korean researchers unlock genetic clues to lupus
High-resolution genetic analysis opens door to personalized treatments In a major leap forward for autoimmune disease research, South Korean researchers have developed a high-resolution genetic analysis tool that can precisely decode the complex immune-related gene cluster linked to lupus. This discovery not only deepens understanding of how lupus begins but also could lead to customized treatments tailored to individual genetic profiles, they say. 'There are two major breakthroughs here,' said Professor Bae Sang-cheol of Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, who led the study, in a phone interview with The Korea Herald. 'First, the immune-related genes located in the MHC region on chromosome 6 are extremely complex, making them difficult to analyze. With this new tool, we can now accurately and easily analyze this region. This creates a foundational infrastructure that could be used to uncover genetic causes of not only lupus, but also other autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.' The study, conducted in collaboration with Professor Kim Kwangwoo at Kyung Hee University and the National Institute of Health's genome research department, focused on a section of our DNA called the MHC region, short for Major Histocompatibility Complex. This part of our genetic code plays a key role in controlling the immune system. It includes important genes like HLA and C4, both of which have been suspected of having links to autoimmune diseases, Bae explained. Lupus, also known as systemic lupus erythematosus, is a disease where the body's immune system starts attacking healthy cells and organs. It can affect the skin, joints, kidneys, brain and more. Scientists have long believed that certain genes may increase the likelihood of developing lupus in some individuals, but determining which genes are involved has been a major challenge, as there are as many as 200 genes discovered to have an impact — until now. The MHC imputation reference panel developed by the research will enable the analysis of a tricky part of the genome in more detail, which is an important step toward understanding lupus on a genetic level. This will give a clearer picture of why some people develop lupus and how their immune system breaks down. The second major advancement, Bae explained, is in precision medicine. "Unlike other genetic disorders caused by one or two mutations, lupus is driven by a combination of many genetic factors and influenced by environmental triggers, which makes identifying the cause extremely difficult,' he said. 'But now, by understanding these complex combinations, we can move toward personalized treatment. For example, if we identify that a patient's disease is linked to the C4 gene — one of the strongest known genetic risk factors — we can choose a drug that specifically targets that mechanism. This opens the door not just to more effective therapies but also to developing new drugs.' What sets this tool apart is not only its precision but also its cultural relevance. 'Until now, most panels like this were built using data from people in the US,' Bae said. 'That meant they didn't include East Asian-specific genetic variations, which reduced accuracy for Koreans and other Asians. Now, this tool dramatically improves precision for our population. It's meaningful that Korea and other East Asian countries are now leading this field.' The new panel will be made publicly available through Korea's national CODA system, allowing researchers worldwide to access it for studies on lupus, other autoimmune disorders, infectious diseases and chronic inflammatory illnesses. 'This is just the beginning,' Bae said. 'Autoimmune diseases are even more complex than cancer because the genetic combinations vary so much from person to person. But if we can sort people by their genetic profile and match them with the right drugs, it could open doors to more precise treatments for everyone." The study was published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, one of the most prestigious international journals in the field.
