TRAVEL: Tracing a thousand years of history at Jikjisa Temple GIMCHEON, August 29 (AJP) - Jikjisa Temple in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, is a thousand-year-old monastery that embodies both spiritual and historical significance. Founded in 418 by the monk Ado, who came from Goguryeo before Buddhism was even recognized as a state religion in Silla, the temple has long stood as a symbol of resilience. During the Japanese invasions of the late 16th century, it was here that Buddhist monk soldiers rallied under the leadership of Venerable Samyeong, who later crossed to Japan after the war to rescue more than 3,000 Korean captives. The temple’s historic weight is matched by the harmony of its architecture and natural surroundings. To reach the main Daeungjeon Hall, visitors pass through a sequence of four gates—Iljumun, Daeyangmun, Geumgangmun, and Cheonwangmun—before arriving at Manseru Pavilion. Beyond lies a sprawling complex of more than 40 buildings, including 14 major halls, each with distinct designs and interiors. Among the highlights is a garden arranged in the shape of the Huayeom Ilseung Beopgye-do, a symbolic Buddhist diagram created by the Silla monk Uisang. The flowerbed maze is meant to guide visitors through the principles of Dharma, symbolizing the rediscovery of one’s inner Buddha-nature. Daeungjeon Hall itself is a striking sight. Though destroyed during the Imjin War, it was rebuilt in 1735 and still carries an aura of antiquity. Behind its Buddha statues rests the “Three Assemblies of Sakyamuni” painting, completed in 1744 during the reign of King Yeongjo. Nearly 300 years old, the painting was elevated to National Treasure status in December 2024, admired for its vivid green tones and its calming presence. The path from Daeungjeon to Birojeon Hall is shaded by maple trees, turning brilliant red in autumn and making it one of Gimcheon’s top 10 scenic spots. Even in summer, the trees provide a cool refuge. In front of Daeungjeon, visitors rub the belly of the Budai statue or the feet of the Avalokitesvara statue near Samyeonggak, where the worn surfaces show countless hands seeking blessings. Birojeon itself, with its floral lattice windows, resembles a hall blooming with carved flowers. Nearby stands Hwangakru Pavilion, where visitors can rest upstairs and look out over the temple grounds framed by forested hills. Crossing a stone bridge toward Geungnakjeon Hall reveals a mountain stream flowing year-round, a picture framed by pines and rocks. At the uppermost corner of the temple sits Cheonbulam Hermitage, where visitors can sit on the Wansimdang veranda and listen to the sound of water mingling with the wind. Nearby, a traditional teahouse offers a place of quiet rest. At the temple entrance lies Jikji Culture Park, dotted with sculptures, stone inscriptions, and a fountain that dances to music. Nearby, Samyeong Park honors the monk-general’s patriotism, its landmark Peace Pagoda modeled after the nine-story wooden pagoda of Hwangnyongsa Temple. At night, the pagoda glows with lights, its reflection shimmering across a wide pond. Close by are the Gimcheon City Museum and the Gimcheon World Ceramic Museum, offering cultural extensions to the temple visit. Around the entrance, traditional Korean restaurants serve set meals of hot stone pot rice with 20 or more side dishes, attracting diners from surrounding cities. Visitors also find unique details across the grounds: a maze-shaped mineral spring, walls of tiled roofs and stonework that show the passage of centuries, and sculpted guardians at the temple gates. 2025-08-29 16:33:48

PHOTOS: President Lee's first summit with Trump SEOUL, August 26 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump held their first summit on Aug. 25 (local time) at the White House, discussing a range of issues including North Korea and bilateral economic cooperation. During the meeting, President Lee requested that Trump visit South Korea during the APEC summit in Gyeongju and meet with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un. In response, Trump indicated he would be willing to meet with Kim this year, if a meeting could be arranged. The two leaders also agreed to strengthen economic cooperation, with a particular focus on the shipbuilding industry. 2025-08-26 10:01:00

PHOTOS: Korean baseball continues surge, breaks attendance record yet again SEOUL, August 25 (AJP) - The Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) announced on Aug. 23 that it has surpassed 10 million spectators for the second consecutive year, a milestone achieved even faster than last year’s record-breaking season. The league hit the 10-million mark in just 587 games, shattering the previous record of 671 games set in 2024. This achievement comes 23 days and 84 games earlier than last season. The KBO League is composed of 10 teams, with each playing 144 games during the regular season, for a total of 720 games. The league's surging popularity follows last year's historic season, which concluded with a total of 10,887,705 spectators. 2025-08-25 11:01:52

PHOTOS: Kim Jong-un honors troops sent to fight in Ukraine with lavish event SEOUL, August 22 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hosted a lavish ceremony in Pyongyang for commanders of units deployed to fight in Russia’s war in Ukraine, state media reported on Friday. The event, held in his office compound, included an elaborate banquet and performances, as well as what was described as one of Kim’s highest personal gestures of respect: sharing cigarettes with the visiting commanders. During the ceremony, Kim delivered a speech praising the troops for their “distinguished feats” in battle. He personally awarded state commendations and conferred the title of "Hero of the Republic" on several soldiers. For fallen fighters, he affixed Hero of the Republic medals to their portraits. Kim also laid flowers at a newly built “wall of remembrance,” observed a moment of silence and met with the families of the dead to offer condolences. 2025-08-22 11:09:17

TRAVEL: Hahoe Village in Andong, preserved in time ANDONG, August 21 (AJP) - The village of Hahoe, nestled in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, stands as a living testament to the country's past. Here, traditional tile-roofed houses and thatched-roof homes have been meticulously preserved for centuries, encircled by the flowing Nakdong River. The village's name, Hahoe, literally means "to turn and flow," a reference to the river's distinctive S-shaped embrace of the settlement. At the heart of the village is a 600-year-old zelkova tree, regarded by residents as a spiritual and sacred guardian. This venerable tree, its trunk massive and its form ancient, is a silent witness to the village's history, encircled by a protective white rope. The architectural layout of Hahoe is a testament to its cultural heritage, with large, tile-roofed manor houses forming the center, surrounded by the more humble thatched-roof homes of commoners. Hahoe is also the keeper of intangible traditions, most notably, a folk mask dance. Performances are held daily for visitors, with the exception of Mondays. The village has been home to notable figures, including the Joseon-era scholar Ryu Seong-ryong. His family's ancestral home, Chunghyodang, and his brother's residence, Yangjindang, are both protected as National Treasures. Ryu Seong-ryong's famous memoir, Jingbirok, which chronicles his experiences during the Japanese invasions of Korea from 1592 to 1598, is a National Treasure. Hahoe's place on the world stage was solidified on April 21, 1999, when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom visited to celebrate her 73rd birthday. Villagers honored the occasion by preparing a grand feast of 47 traditional Korean dishes. Though it is a major tourist destination, Hahoe Village remains a community, with approximately 150 families living there. The residents maintain their livelihood through farming and local businesses. Since the village was designated a National Folk Cultural Heritage in 1984, residents have faced restrictions on renovating their private properties, but they remain dedicated to preserving their traditions. On July 31, 2010, Hahoe Village was officially added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. 2025-08-21 16:00:33

PHOTOS: Civil defense drill SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - A 20-minute civil defense drill, simulating an enemy air raid, was conducted nationwide on Wednesday, with sirens blaring and text alerts sent to millions, as citizens were directed to seek shelter in designated spaces. The drill, which began at 2 p.m., included a nationwide air raid warning that prompted a wailing siren and emergency broadcasts. In response, people across the country were instructed to move to nearby shelters and other underground areas. 2025-08-20 16:36:19

PHOTOS: Thrills on the water SEOUL, August 18 (AJP) - In the heart of Gangwon Province's mountainous terrain, the Naerincheon Stream in Inje stands as a premier destination for thrill-seeking rafters. Widely regarded as a top spot for the sport in South Korea, the waterway is prized for its lengthy and challenging stretches of rapids. During the sweltering summer months, the stream's combination of intense whitewater and picturesque scenery makes it a popular escape for those seeking to combat the oppressive heat. 2025-08-18 15:23:30

[[TRAVEL]] How cabbages in Gangwon's mountainous areas beat summer heat TAEBACK, GANGNEUNG, August 14 (AJP) - Kimchi, the traditional fermented vegetable dish, is a staple in everyday meals in South Korea. Whether served with a steaming bowl of rice or paired with noodle soups, few consider a meal complete without it. Many people customarily prepare large quantities of kimchi to last through the cold winter months when fresh vegetables become relatively scarce. The traditional practice of making the spicy dish, known as "kimjang," is recognized on UNESCO's intangible heritage list, although fewer and fewer households bother to make their own these days. With improvements in greenhouse cultivation and crop varieties, many types of cabbages are now available all year round, catering to a growing demand for dining out, delivery services, and ready-to-eat meals. But the culture of collective kimchi-making usually begins in early winter, when chilly winds start to blow. The most common variety is cabbage kimchi, made from cabbages planted in late summer and harvested around mid to late autumn. High temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius make cultivating cabbages difficult, as they grow best at around 20 degrees. For this reason, during the sweltering, muggy summer, cabbages are grown only in certain high-altitude areas with cooler temperatures, particularly in the geographically unique terrain of the mountainous areas of Gangwon Province such as Maebongsan in the Taebaek Mountains, Yukbaekmajigi in Pyeongchang, and Anbandegi in Gangneung. The areas' mild, autumn-like weather even in summer provides ideal conditions for cabbages, making them a local specialty known for their crisp texture and sweet taste. Cabbages there were once cultivated at elevations of around 700 meters above sea level, but rising temperatures from global warming now force farmers to grow them at altitudes above 1,000 meters. Known locally as the "Hill of Wind," Maebongsan in the Taebaek Mountains is home to one of the country's largest clusters of cabbage farms, thanks to its pleasant mid-summer temperatures of around 24 degrees, more than six degrees cooler than lower lands, and cool breezes sweeping across the hills. That is why most of the farmlands there, barren in winter, turns into picturesque green fields during the cabbage-growing season. But farmers there, often with the help of migrant foreign workers these days, cultivate different varieties of cabbage in rotation each year to prevent pests and to avoid soil exhaustion. Cabbage cultivation there began in the mid-to-late 1960s, when farmers and other locals started planting cabbages on unused or abandoned plots and paddies to make a living and gradually settled there. At the time, their quality was often considered low in terms of density and firmness, but they soon became sought-after among consumers in southern areas such as Busan and Daegu, where fresh vegetables were in short supply during the hot summer season. Their demand soared and became widespread nationwide in the 1970s and '80s, as increasing numbers of people left rural areas for major cities like Seoul amid the country's rapid industrialization and urbanization. Another such cluster can be seen in Anbandegi in Gangneung, where splendid cabbage fields stretch across the slopes and ridges of Mt. Gorupogi (1,238 meters) and Oknyeobong Peak (1,146 meters), offering a breathtaking panoramic view dotted with scattered wind turbines. Situated at about 1,100 meters above sea level, cabbage farms there span larger areas than those in Maebongsan, which look more vast at a glance though. Anbandegi is also famous as a stargazing site, attracting photographers and enthusiasts from across the country who want to capture starlit nocturnal scenes. Free from city lights and blessed with clean air, it offers stunning night skies filled with countless stars, giving visitors the chance to observe the Milky Way on one clear, cloudless evening. The area's unique beautiful scenery attracts many tourists and other visitors every year, but the influx sometimes causes some inconveniences for locals, particularly during the peak harvest season in autumn. Visitors should be mindful of this and take care not to damage carefully cultivated cabbages while taking photos or otherwise. 2025-08-14 15:30:38

PHOTOS: Zoos help animals beat heat SEOUL, August 08 (AJP) - As sweltering summer temperatures bear down, the challenges for zoo animals are significant. The intense heat often leads to considerable stress, making it difficult for many species to cope. In response, zookeepers are providing cool, nourishing meals and other relief efforts to help the animals regain their energy and find comfort. This collection of photographs offers a glimpse into the creative ways zoos are helping their residents endure the season. 2025-08-08 14:12:55

PHOTOS: Signs of autumn approaching SEOUL, August 07 (AJP) - August 7 marks Ipchu, the traditional start of autumn according to the East Asian calendar. This summer has been among the hottest in recent memory, with relentless heatwaves. As Ipchu passes, temperatures are expected to ease. The following images capture early signs of the season changing. 2025-08-07 11:04:41