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TRAVEL: Exploring traditional markets in Pattaya Pattaya, July 17 (AJP) – Known for its beautiful beaches, vibrant nightlife, and a wide range of marine leisure activities, Pattaya is one of Thailand’s most popular tourist and resort cities. It ranks second only to Bangkok in tourist visits. While sightseeing and enjoying local attractions are a major part of travel, experiencing how local people live can offer a refreshing and memorable perspective. Traditional markets in Southeast Asia’s densely populated cities are famous for their energy and bustle. At wholesale markets filled with local people trading colorful tropical fruits, vegetables, fresh meat, and fish, travelers can get an up-close look at daily life. Among these is Rattanakornwanasin Market and its adjacent wholesale-oriented Ratanakorn Market—Pattaya’s largest fruit markets. Markets in hot, tropical regions typically open at dawn and lose steam as the day heats up. Early morning is the best time to witness the market in full swing. When we arrived at Rattanakornwanasin Market just after sunrise, the vendors had already completed their setup and were welcoming customers. The semi-open building, covered only by a roof, was lined with neatly organized and immaculately clean stalls. Brightly colored tropical fruits were stacked like small mountains, and the air was filled with a dizzying mix of sweet and tangy aromas, as if dozens of perfumes had been sprayed at once. Piles of carefully arranged fruit, neatly trimmed vegetables, and fresh meat were all marked with hand-written price signs—simple but direct. It felt less like shopping and more like visiting an exhibition curated by the vendors. Sellers preparing food or handling fish wore tied-up hair and long aprons, while some male vendors went shirtless in the humid heat. Their lean, strong physiques seemed to enhance trust in the freshness of their produce. fruits on display ranged from familiar favorites like tangerines, watermelons, and mangoes to rare finds such as durians, dragon fruit, rose apples that resemble bell peppers, rambutans, and jackfruit. Pineapples, with their tough rinds, were stacked not just inside the truck beds but all around, piled as high as a small child. It was easily more pineapple than I had seen in my entire life. Vendors would peel and prepare them on the spot for customers. Prices varied by fruit, but mangoes, mangosteens, and watermelons—all familiar to Korean palates—were as cheap as half to a quarter of what they cost in Korea. Every fruit tasted as if it had been sprinkled with sugar, sweet and full of juice. In all my time in Thailand, I had never once been disappointed by the taste of fruit. The very first mango I tried there had a deep, rich sweetness I had never experienced before. It felt like a reminder of what it means to taste fruit where it is grown. Thailand has long had a “sai-thung” culture, where nearly everything is packaged in a plastic bag. Vegetables, fruits, side dishes, soups, sauces, beverages, and coffee were all sold in these bags. But in 2020, Thailand banned single-use plastic bags in department stores, large supermarkets, and some retail outlets. Now, this practice is mostly seen in markets. The tightly inflated bags, resembling those used to transport ornamental fish, looked cute and somehow fresher and more appealing than deflated ones. These food bags are thicker than regular ones, so there was little worry about them tearing or spilling. Butcher shops displayed their meats openly, rather than refrigerating them. Spread out generously, the meat looked freshly slaughtered and quite clean. In addition to fruits and meat, the market also included side dish stalls, fishmongers, and general goods vendors, offering the full experience of a traditional marketplace. Though I had arrived early, most visitors were local Thais. A few Westerners, likely expats living in Thailand, were the only other foreigners. I felt like I was the only traveler in the place. Locals, seeing me with a camera, began chatting in Thai. I didn’t understand what they were saying, but I could instinctively tell I was the subject. For a moment, I worried. What if they don’t like being photographed? But I soon realized there was nothing negative in their tone. After a short exchange, they began smiling at me. Some offered me a piece of fruit, others gave me a thumbs-up. Their gestures and expressions made it clear. They were welcoming me, and they were enjoying the moment just as much as I was. 2025-07-18 10:47:36
TRAVEL: Glimpse into daily life in North Korea from across the Amnok River Amnok River, July 09 (AJP) - North Korea was once one with South Korea and remains close, yet unreachable. Today, we can only catch glimpses of the country under limited circumstances and in specific places. We cannot talk to them, shake their hands, or interact freely. One of the few places we can view North Korea relatively closely is from the Chinese border. While South Korea and North Korea are separated by the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, China and North Korea are separated mostly by the Amnok and Tuman rivers, making it possible to observe each other on clear days. I visited the Amnok River hoping to catch a closer look at North Korea. In this region, boat tours allow passengers to see across the river to North Korean territory. These boats pass under the broken section of a bridge, once a route used by Chinese troops during the Korean War. Known as the Broken Bridge at Jianghado, it was bombed by American forces and has never been restored. As our small boat approached the North Korean side, the figures of people came into focus. From afar, you might simply note that "there are people" or "those are soldiers," but as we drew nearer, we could see their postures, facial expressions, and clothing. They were plowing steep hillside fields with oxen. Two farmers guided a yoke as two oxen pulled a plow, a scene that looked frozen in the 1950s. Their brick houses were patched together with mismatched roof tiles, and the windows were irregularly shaped, seemingly incapable of withstanding harsh winters. Guard posts behind stone fences had peeling paint that no longer served any camouflage purpose. The only modern touch was a CCTV camera, but whether it worked was unclear. Wooden utility poles leaned dangerously and looked like they might snap in the wind. Across the Amnok River, the main mode of transportation appeared to be bicycles. A few motorcycles and cars were spotted, but they were rare. Most people carried goods on bicycles along a path fenced with netting toward the Chinese side, the only visible road on the North Korean side. A few people also moved by boat. These small, rusty motorboats, fitted with oars on both sides, carried two or three people fishing. Since they were closer to us than the people on land, we could hear their voices and exchange greetings. They looked no different from rural young men in South Korea—simple and familiar. Watching their faces, I often forgot I was looking at North Korea. It felt like I was looking at a countryside village in South Korea. But then I saw a sign on a deforested hill that read, "Let us go forward with communism!" That jolted me back to reality. The same language, but a sentence unimaginable in the South—it was jarring. After getting off the boat, I traveled by bus for about an hour with the Amnok River on my left. The first thing I noticed were construction workers in North Korea. Most of them were young, small-framed men, numbering easily in the hundreds. Wearing yellow safety helmets, they were building walls with piles of earth. About an hour and a half later, we arrived opposite Sinuiju. There, we saw apartment buildings, possibly up to 15 stories high, which brought to mind the phrase "for show." Though it was around sunset, only a few small lights flickered inside, and no people could be seen. The ground floors housed facilities like food distribution centers, "Hadan 1 Pharmacy," a library, and an IT distribution room, mirroring the style of South Korean mixed-use buildings. On one wall, a large slogan read, "Let us thoroughly carry out the decisions of the 12th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee." Our glimpse of the other side was soon obscured as fog rose across the width of the Amnok River. The fog swelled over the river like a pillow placed between North Korea and China, cutting off the view once again. 2025-07-15 11:05:45
TRAVEL: The still lake in the sky: A journey to Baekdu Mountain's Heaven Lake Baekdu Mountain, July 07 (AJP) - Surrounded by steep cliffs streaked with greens and reds, Heaven Lake at the top of Baekdu Mountain appears like a pool painted with deep blue and navy ink. Not a ripple disturbs its surface. From the western and northern slopes, the lake mirrors the jagged ridgelines and the fractured walls that encircle it, an untouched reflection resting in complete silence. In late June, I visited both the North and West Slopes of Baekdu Mountain, located in China’s Jilin Province. The surrounding peaks were mostly rocky, and in the few flat patches, bright green moss and white wildflowers had just begun to bloom. Snow and ice still clung to the corners of the trail. The light shifted constantly, filtering through swift, breaking clouds that raced across the sky. Beneath the cliffs, large gray boulders lay scattered, as if frozen in mid-collapse. To reach Heaven Lake, visitors must transit twice. First, they board a 48-seat tour bus from the departure point, then a nine-seater van that snakes upward for about 40 minutes. From there, it is another 15-minute climb on foot. The sight of people ascending the final stretch resembles a solemn procession. Lined up like pilgrims on a hillside path too vast to measure, it is only when you see the scale of the human figures against the mountain that the full size of Baekdu becomes real. The scene is breathtaking from every angle. Tranquil water is embraced by monumental peaks, and behind you, bizarre rock formations spread endlessly across the skyline. No matter where you stand, Baekdu offers a kind of magnificence that defies comparison. Despite the mountain’s remoteness, the route to Heaven Lake is packed with visitors. Families, elderly hikers with canes, and brightly dressed tourists all move in colorful waves up the serpentine staircase. Though the weather was mild during my visit, many came bundled in layers, some even carrying heat packs, prepared for the mountain’s famously unpredictable weather. Everyone had a phone in hand, stopping every few steps for a picture. The narrow stairs leading to the lake were clogged with people trying to capture the view. Many jostled to move forward, squeezing between shoulders. Others climbed the wooden safety barriers to snap their photos. The ropes lining the stairs felt too loose for comfort, and with sheer cliffs on either side, any misstep could be dangerous. As a photojournalist, my goal was not just to see the lake but to photograph it fully and clearly. Finding the right spot was difficult in the crowd, and time was limited. I waited for a less crowded section and got lucky. Someone stepped away, and I slipped into the gap. I positioned my feet through the fence rails, leaned forward on tiptoe, and raised my arms high to frame the shot without heads or hands intruding. Without this effort, getting a clear photo of Heaven Lake, one without someone else's selfie, would have been nearly impossible. Though Baekdu Mountain offers three routes, North, West, and South, I only visited the North and West during this trip. The South Slope is only open for a few months each summer, with strict daily entry limits. The North Slope is the more accessible of the two. From the parking lot, it is only a 15-minute walk to the lake. The terrain there feels lunar, barren, almost Martian. When you turn around mid-climb, the surreal rock formations cascade behind you, layer after layer, like a dreamscape. The West Slope takes about an hour to hike and has steeper stairs. But the landscape is lush and green, dotted with wildflowers, evoking the feeling of walking across a high alpine meadow. From the top, the open plateau stretches toward the sky. From the North Slope, you can take a 30-minute bus ride followed by a walk to reach Changbai Waterfall. The lake’s waters flow out through a break in the crater wall and plunge 68 meters down in a spectacular vertical fall. Surrounded by sheer stone walls, the waterfall roars from a hollowed basin and leaves a lasting impression of scale and awe. Heaven Lake, located at the summit of Baekdu Mountain, is a volcanic crater lake that straddles the border between North Korea and China. Its surface sits at an elevation of 2,267 meters above sea level. The lake covers an area of 9.165 square kilometers, with a circumference of 14.4 kilometers, an average depth of 213.43 meters, and a maximum depth of 384 meters. Holding approximately 1.955 billion cubic meters of water, it is the deepest lake not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in all of China. It is rare to find a lake formed at the peak of a mountain like this. Heaven Lake was created by water collecting in the caldera of Baekdu Mountain. About 61 percent of its water comes from underground springs and glacial melt, 30 percent from rain and snow, and the remaining 9 percent from surrounding runoff. Even though water flows out through the waterfall, the lake remains full thanks to this continuous replenishment. Still, Heaven Lake is not something you can see every day. On average, it is visible only around 100 days a year. For more than 265 days, it is shrouded in fog, rain, or snow. Locals say it takes the virtue of three generations to be blessed with a clear view. And even then, a full day of uninterrupted clear skies is exceedingly rare. 2025-07-08 14:12:37
Yoga enthusiasts in Seoul gather to celebrate international day SEOUL, June 21 (AJP) - An event celebrating the International Day of Yoga was held at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Saturday, bringing together hundreds of participants from both the Korean and Indian communities. Co-hosted by the Korean Yoga Association and the Embassy of India in Seoul, the event featured a series of yoga sessions, performances, and speeches aimed at deepening public understanding of yoga. Attendees included yoga practitioners, instructors, embassy officials, and citizens from many different fields, reflecting the growing popularity of yoga in South Korea. The International Day of Yoga, which is celebrated annually on June 21, was first proposed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 and adopted by the United Nations the same year. The day aims to promote the advantages of practicing yoga as a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline. “This year, as we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the International Day of Yoga, we are reminded of how Yoga has truly become a global phenomenon. What began as a spiritual discipline in ancient India more than 3000 years ago has today evolved into a holistic way of life practiced all around the world,” said Indian Ambassador to Seoul Amit Kumar in his remarks at the event. “Yoga has transcended borders, cultures and generations establishing itself as a universally accepted practice to nurture physical, mental and spiritual well-being.” Kumar noted that nearly 8 million people in South Korea also practice yoga, expressing hope that today’s event would encourage even more people in Korea to explore yoga. “Here in Korea, the sight of numerous yoga enthusiasts taking part in our annual IDoY events is heartwarming...As we reflect on this decade-long journey of the IDoY, we are reminded that Yoga is not just a practice, but a worldwide movement - a powerful symbol of global harmony, shared humanity, and the timeless relevance of ancient wisdom in a modern world." The event included a mass yoga session led by instructors, along with yoga-themed dance and cultural performances, offering participants a chance to engage with various aspects of yoga. 2025-06-21 21:03:45
PHOTOS: Annual Seoul garden show adds Pokemon charm SEOUL, June 19 (AJP) - The 10th Seoul International Garden Show is now open at Boramae Park, offering a vibrant display of horticulture and design through Oct. 20. As in previous years, admission to the exhibition remains free. While Boramae Park itself is accessible into the evening, illuminated by special lighting, dedicated installations and experience booths operate from noon to 7 p.m. This year's show has seen a notable surge in young visitors, a trend largely attributed to the popularity of the "Metamong Garden." This pop-up exhibition features a walking path themed around Ditto, the popular Pokemon character. The path is adorned with various Ditto figures, complemented by purple hydrangeas and wisteria, creating what organizers and visitors alike describe as an ideal setting for photographs. The blend of recognizable characters and purple-hued flora appears to be a significant draw for a younger demographic. Boramae Park is readily accessible via several subway stations, including Boramae, Boramae Park, Boramae Hospital and Sindaebang stations, as well as numerous bus connections. 2025-06-19 17:28:50
Upcoming thriller about noise pollution set to chill moviegoers next week SEOUL, June 18 (AJP) - A press preview for director Kim Soo-jin's upcoming thriller was held at a multiplex in southern Seoul on Monday, about a week ahead of its release. The stars of "Noise" including Lee Sun-bin, Kim Min-seok and Han Su-a, gathered for the event to promote the film. The film, which marks the up-and-coming director's feature-film debut, revolves around a woman who becomes the target of relentless noise complaints in her apartment complex, as she gets drawn into a mysterious and troubling case involving a neighbor who endures the same disturbances and mistakenly believes she is to blame. The film is set to hit local theaters on June 25. 2025-06-18 11:15:45
PHOTOS: 2025 Seoul royal palaces international walk SEOUL, June 16 (AJP) - Roughly 1,600 people gathered in Seoul on Saturday for the 2025 Seoul Royal Palaces International Walk, hosted by Aju News Corporation and AJP. The 6.3-kilometer route guided participants through some of the capital’s most iconic royal sites, including Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, and Changgyeonggung Palace. Among the walkers were about 700 foreign nationals from countries such as China, Vietnam, Japan, France, Russia, Canada, and the United States, alongside around 900 Korean participants. The event offered a chance to experience the architectural elegance and rich history of the Joseon-era palaces, while enjoying a scenic and healthy walk through central Seoul. 2025-06-16 16:31:23
PHOTOS: Fire at historic Seoul temple extinguished SEOUL, June 10 (AJP) - A fire that broke out Tuesday within the revered Jogyesa Temple compound in central Seoul was extinguished without any reported casualties, authorities said. The blaze originated in the international conference hall on the second floor of the Korean Buddhism History and Culture Memorial Hall, a building adjacent to the main temple. Firefighters brought the flames under control approximately 90 minutes after they began. Around 142 personnel and 35 fire vehicles were deployed to the scene to combat the fire. Crucially, the swift response prevented the fire from spreading to the temple itself and the nearby Central Buddhist Museum, which houses a significant collection of cultural artifacts. Fire authorities are currently investigating the cause of the blaze. Initial reports suggest the fire may have started from sparks emanating from a ceiling air conditioner. 2025-06-10 15:15:47
PHOTOS: Namdaemun's hidden alley serving up noodles, hospitality — and history SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - In a market as vast and bustling as Namdaemun, one of Seoul’s oldest and busiest commercial hubs, the true culinary treasures are often hidden in plain sight. Tucked into narrow passageways and behind unmarked corners are food alleys that many visitors — and even seasoned locals — walk past without noticing. One such enclave is Kalguksu Alley, a humble yet vibrant corridor that feels worlds away from the souvenir stalls and wholesale clothing shops just steps outside. This reporter, a frequent visitor to Namdaemun Market, had to consult the information desk to locate the alley — a testament to its elusive charm. The entrance is easy to miss: a modest yellow sign reading “Kalguksu Alley” wedged between two buildings near Hoehyeon Station. But those who follow it are rewarded with a surprising sight — a 30-meter-long alley lined tightly with about 30 eateries, all dishing up variations of kalguksu, a handmade knife-cut noodle soup, along with boribap (barley rice), sujebi (hand-torn noodle soup), sticky rice, and naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles). The draw isn’t just the food — it’s the value. Order a single bowl of kalguksu, and you’ll receive two or three other dishes, often including a modest helping of bibimbap and naengmyeon, at no additional charge. It’s this unspoken generosity that packs the alley shoulder-to-shoulder with diners during lunch hours, often from noon to 3 p.m. Each restaurant is a model of compact efficiency: open kitchens line the walls, while tightly packed tables sit just inches from sizzling pots and chopping boards. The setup may be cramped, but it offers a front-row view of the action — fresh dough being kneaded, noodles cut and boiled, and vegetables chopped seconds before they’re plated. Many of the dishes are prepared entirely by hand, and with the right timing, diners can witness the full noodle-making process before it arrives at their table. For those seeking a quieter experience, an early or late lunch offers respite from the crowds — and the chance to linger and observe. Namdaemun Market has long been a place to shop for everything from textiles to kitchenware, but for the food-inclined traveler, Kalguksu Alley offers something more enduring: a flavorful slice of Seoul’s culinary tradition, served with warmth, speed, and no small measure of authenticity. 2025-06-05 14:43:10
PHOTOS: Second day of early voting underway after previous day's record turnout SEOUL, May 30 (AJP) - The second day of early voting for next week's presidential election is underway at some 3,568 polling stations nationwide on Friday, following a record turnout of 20.41 percent the previous day. Since it was first introduced on a nationwide basis in 2014, early voting has allowed eligible voters who cannot vote on election day to cast their ballots in advance. Some 44.39 million voters aged 18 and above can cast their ballots at any polling station across the country, regardless of their registered addresses, with a valid ID. Voting hours run from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. As the June 3 snap election follows the premature ouster of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law debacle late last year, polling stations will remain open for two additional hours until 8 p.m. 2025-05-30 13:55:44