March 9 is voting day in South Korea. Gearing up for the 20th presidential election and by-election of the National Assembly, the Daegu Election Commission on Thursday launched “D-20 Until Election Bread” with Samsong BNC, a local company in Daegu. To encourage citizens to vote, Samsong Bakery, a famous bakery affiliated with Samsong BNC, baked pastries with election-themed decorations. Starting Thursday, “D-20 Until Election Bread,” will be produced and sold for a lim

Social Affairs Feb. 19, 2022

According to the Chinese zodiac, there are twelve different animals that represent each year. The twelve different animals are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. As there are twelve different animals, there is a cycle that takes twelve years for a full rotation.  2021 was the Year of the Ox, which makes 2022 the Year of the Tiger. But to be exact, it is called the Year of the Black Tiger. It originates from the term “iminnyeon”,

Social Affairs Jan. 1, 2022

Dried persimmons are considered a representative Korean traditional snack, one that was long favored by royalty. Because of an arduous cultivation process, dried persimmons were only available to people of high class.  People from Haman, North Gyeongsang Province, take deep pride in their dried persimmons, which are extremely chewy and sweet. The texture and sweetness are achieved by drying them in the clean wind at the apex of Yeohangsan, which stands approximately 770 meters above sea l

Food Dec. 11, 2021

The National School Non-Regular Workers’ Solidarity, consisting of non-regular school workers, went on a one-day general strike Thursday, demanding higher pay and an end to discrimination against non-regular workers. Without the workers to provide the usual cooked meals on plates, schools gave students prepacked lunches.  Elementary students at Ahyeon Elementary School sat down to lunches of bread, milk, chips and other processed foods, according to Yonhap News. More than 400 non-r

Social Affairs Dec. 4, 2021

The 2021 IoT Korea Online Business Meeting held by National IT Industry Promotion Agency from Nov. 2-4 wrapped up with several agreements reached by participating firms. Nearly 370 business meetings were arranged over the three days at the Pangyo 2nd Techno Valley Corporate Support Hubs. Small and medium-sized IoT companies in Korea have been seeking routes into overseas markets and have been doing so at large global trade shows every year. However, due to the pandemic, online export confere

Industry Dec. 2, 2021

The US state of Kentucky is well reputed for its bourbon. However, during the holidays, something quite unexpected but still related to bourbon is what entertains the people of Kentucky. Instead of the liquor itself, a gigantic Christmas tree made of bourbon barrels is on display in Smiths Grove, a small town of not much over 700 people nearby Mammoth Cave National Park. This interesting tradition began in 2020 when Cody Vincent and his family made a tree out of bourbon barrels they sold t

World News Nov. 27, 2021

Every year, millions of red crabs migrate from the forest toward the ocean to mate in preparation for winter. On Australia’s Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, red crab migration season has already begun, as can be seen from the streets literally covered in crabs. A female crab can produce up to 100,000 eggs, and in some areas there can be up to 100 crabs per square meter of beach or rock.  Migration usually begins after the first rainfall. According to the Parks Australia websi

Foreign Affairs Nov. 20, 2021

On Nov. 11, the “Turn to Busan” annual ceremony to commemorate the sacrifices of UN soldiers during the Korean War was held at the UN Memorial Cemetery in the southeastern port city of Busan. The UN Memorial Cemetery is the only UN cemetery in the world and more than 2000 troops from 11 countries are buried there.  According to the veterans’ affair ministry, approximately 300 people, including UN Command (UNC) chief Gen. Paul LaCamera, war veterans, their families and di

Defense Nov. 13, 2021

Foreign Affairs Nov. 10, 2021

What could be the world’s largest potato was found in Wellington, New Zealand, on Aug. 30. Donna and Colin Craig-Browns, a couple living in New Zealand, dug up a potato that weighs 7.9 kilograms. They were unsure of its identity before digging it out but once they did, they were absolutely flabbergasted. To give their discovery a funny twist, the couple decided to name the potato Doug, after the way it was unearthed.  The previous potato record-holder weighed 4.98 kilograms. The cou

Social Affairs Nov. 6, 2021

Shin Dong-min, a painter sponsored by The Korea Herald, has inspired many with his artworks, and now he is using his extraordinary talents to help people in Myanmar and Malawi. On Oct. 26, Shin and his mother invited The Korea Herald CEO Choi Jin-young, BT&I Group President Kay Song, and two officials from the Korean office of a Burmese government in exile -- Yan Naing Htun, the government’s special representative, and Soe Moe Thu, secretary-general of the National Unity Government of

People Nov. 4, 2021

Yangcheon Urban Agricultural Park is hosting various events from Thursday to Oct. 29 at Sintree Park, located in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, to give children an opportunity to experience various events that aren’t easily accessible in the city. The program offers safety education on agricultural equipment and hands-on experiences with activities such as rice cutting and threshing machine observation -- with the supervision of a farming instructor.  After the hands-on activities, children c

Social Affairs Oct. 23, 2021

Early Thursday morning, elementary school students in Gwangju participated in a safety drill to learn how to evacuate in the case of heavy rain at the Bitgoeul National Safety Experience Center.  The safety training center has 23 experience facilities and is set to officially open Oct. 19 to provide safety education services for all. The Bitgoeul National Safety Experience Center is to run programs teaching students how to respond when natural disasters or accidents, such as heavy rain, a

Social Affairs Oct. 10, 2021

On Oct. 2, a massive oil spill of at least 570,000 liters occurred off the coast of Huntington Beach south of Los Angeles. The oil spill is believed to have originated from a damaged pipeline off the coast of Huntington Beach, which is connected to an offshore oil platform known as Elly.  Many fish and birds, as well as local wetlands around the area, have been seriously affected.  The pipeline was reported to have stopped leaking Sunday, but oil remains in the waters off Huntington

Foreign Affairs Oct. 9, 2021

World News Oct. 5, 2021