Hyundai high performance cars step up, bomb threat at National Assembly, and recycling properly is hard
Article summaries get a facelift
K-NEWS BITES
Tue 2021-10-19 (KST)
89 cities, counties, wards designated as depopulation areas (1 min read)
The Minister of Interior and Safety Jeon Hae-Cheol announced the designation of 89 cities, counties, wards as depopulated areas that are in danger of extinction. The declaration was preceded by the Special Act on Balanced National Development. The government is set to provide intensive administrative and financial aid to the affected areas to help remedy the situation. A one trillion won Local Extinct Response Fund will be put in place for the next 10 years to help the regions escape their population crisis.
S. Korea to kick off large-scale defense exhibition (2 min read)
The Korean large-scale defense exhibition which comes a week after North Korea’s defense development exhibit will feature cutting-edge military hardware, and technologies including hydrogen fuel drones, laser weapons, and stealthy fighters. The Seoul International Aerospace & Defence Exhibit (ADEX) will run for five days from Tuesday at the Seoul Air Base in Seongnam. ADEX will feature displays from 28 countries and around 440 companies. Among the key participants is the U.S defense firm Lockheed Martin Corp.
S. Korea to Remain under Current Social Distancing Until Oct. 31 with Eased Curbs (1 min read)
These will be the last guidelines as the government gradually shifts to the ”living with COVID 19 phase”. Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi provinces will remain under the Level Four social distancing system – for which up to eight people can gather, including four fully vaccinated people; study rooms, study cafes, concerts halls, and movie theaters will be allowed to operate until midnight. Non-capital areas will stay at Level Three, where up to ten people, including six fully vaccinated people, can gather in private. Under Level three, the closing hours for restaurants and cafes has also been extended by two hours to midnight.
New virus cases hit 3-month low; eased rules on private gatherings in force (2 min read)
According to Sohn Young-rae, a senior health official, the pandemic is gradually declining. This is supported by the contracting number of cases reported. In July 1,211 virus cases were reported. The new infections rate seems to be trending down with only 1,050 cases reported on Monday raising the total caseload to 343,445, and eight new deaths were reported increasing the death toll to 2,668. This comes as authorities ease restrictions on private gatherings while allowing longer business hours in preparation for a gradual return to normalcy.
General COVID Information for residents in Korea:
Ministry of Health and Welfare, South Korea
Coronavirus Statistics for South Korea
K-boom! How the unstoppable stars of K-pop went gunning for the art world (7 min read)
The hallyu or the “Korean wave” in culture, is embracing K-pop, K-cinema, K-TV, K-tech, and even K-philosophy. Stars such as Ohnim, or Song Min-ho are part of the hallyu. Mino is a singer-actor – one of several young stars sharing their K-art with the world. K-art presents Korea to the world and has the potential to disrupt the “well-managed collective identity” of hallyu. Ohnim’s most recent work is set for display at London’s Saatchi Gallery. Next year Frieze will launch a Seoul fair, while London’s Victoria and Albert Museum will showcase South Korean culture in an exhibit.
Seoul closely monitoring N. Korean leader's increased messages toward US: ministry (2 min read)
According to the South Korean Unification Ministry, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has publicly mentioned the United States, more often recently, drawing attention to Pyongyang’s next move amid stand-off nuclear talks. Denuclearization negotiations between the US and North Korea collapsed since the Hanoi summit. The ministry was calling for an active response to resume dialogue with North Korea as volatility grows in the region. It will continue to find opportunities such as the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics to restart Inter- Korea and US-North Korea talks.
DIA: N. Korea May Resume Underground Nuclear Tests (1 min read)
The Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) under the US Department of Defence has projected North Korea may resume underground nuclear testing if denuclearization is not agreed upon. The DIA said that North Korea’s ultimate goal is to integrate nuclear weapons with ballistic missiles to ensure the nuclear-armed missiles functions reliably as a system.
Area near launch site for nation's first domestic rocket made off-limits (1 min read)
The Ministry of Science and ICT on October the 17th asked the public not to go near the launch site of Korea’s first domestically developed space rocket Nuri, in Goheung-gun in Jeollanam-do Province. An area within a 3-km radius will be under restricted access to protect equipment and staff. The sea route was also restricted to a distance of 24 km wide by 78 km long. Air route restrictions extended up to 44 km by 78 km. If the launch is successful, Korea will become just the 7th country to launch mid-large sized projecties into orbit with its own technology.
Hyundai evolves as a frontrunner in the high-performance vehicle market (2 min read)
Though Hyundai’s debut in the high-performance vehicle section was met with a lot of skepticism, its N lineup has evolved quickly as a major player in global motorsports, thanks to its increased performance and outstanding results in highly regarded races. Its major success can be attributed to Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun. The chairman hired top-notch experts in the high-performance vehicle field such as the BMW high-performance specialist Albert Biermann, as executive vice president and head of vehicle testing and high-performance development.
Police search Nat'l Assembly in Seoul over bomb threat (1 min read)
The National Assembly complex in Seoul was under search on Monday after a lawmaker’s office received bomb threats via phone call. Dozens of firefighters, 10 fire trucks, police officers, and a bomb squad were dispatched to the area to conduct the search. A police official stated they are making efforts to trace the blackmailer while searching for the explosives.
[Weekender] Separating recyclables from trash is harder than it seems (3 min read)
According to the Ministry of Environment, the amount of plastic waste generated increased by 20 percent compared to the previous year. And only between 20 to 30 percent is actually recycled. Though Koreans separate their recyclables, half of the waste put in recycle bins is immediately discarded. Items that are stained, too small, or made of more than one material cannot be recycled. To increase recycling efficiency rinse the bottles and containers before putting them in the bin, tie milk containers together to separate from paper waste. Generally, check for the recycling symbol on the back of the items.
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