Journalist
Han Jun-gu
jungu141298@ajupress.com
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PHOTOS: Seoul turns white after the season's first snow SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Seoul woke up white after an overnight snowfall that began during the evening commute. The city saw its first snow of 2025 last night — two weeks later than average and eight days later than last year. Streets whitened quickly as cars crawled through Gwanghwamun and people walked with their shoulders tucked in against the cold. Snowfall reached 1 to 3 centimeters per hour, with bursts of more than 5 centimeters, coating palace roofs and drifting through the lights of the city. In just a short time, the first snow carried Seoul fully into winter. A heavy-snow alert was issued, and emergency warnings were sent across Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. Some areas saw more than 5 centimeters an hour, leading to traffic delays and icy roads. Many people slipped on frozen sidewalks, and cars slowed through streets where snow removal could not keep up. Morning temperatures fell to minus 6 degrees Celsius, turning much of the snow into packed ice. Even so, many stepped outside to enjoy the white scenery, choosing to face the cold to take in the first snow of the season. 2025-12-05 15:30:59 -
PHOTOS: A walk shaped by trains (Gwangju) -1- SEOUL, December 3 (AJP) - The flavors from lunch still linger, but now it is time to walk through Songjeong itself. Even without leaving the station area, small scenes reveal how long people have lived and moved through this neighborhood. The pace is slower here, and the traces of time sit close to the surface. Songjeong Kobrang Fairy Village — stories tucked between homes Past the 1913 market and deeper into the residential lanes, bright murals begin to appear along the walls. This is Kobrang Fairy Village, a compact cluster of alleys lined with scenes from children’s books — Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Jack and the Beanstalk. Walking through feels a little like stepping into a paper page. What stood out most was that the village is not a staged attraction. People actually live behind the painted walls; children ran past while the murals watched quietly. The art is woven into everyday life, not placed on top of it.. Songjeong Small Art Museum — a brief, quiet stop A few steps beyond the village sits the Songjeong Small Art Museum, a compact space that operates free of charge. It is small enough to enter without hesitation and calm enough to make even a short visit meaningful. The current exhibition, “Revisiting Home,” features a local artist whose works bring back scenes familiar to older generations but almost foreign to younger ones. The scale is modest, but the care inside the space is unmistakable. Songjeong Maeil Market — a market still rooted in daily life Walking about ten minutes from the station leads to Songjeong Maeil Market. Even before arriving, the sound of vendors and customers reaches the street outside. Unlike the renovated 1913 market, this place has the unmistakable feel of a traditional, lived-in market. Most striking here were the people — far more locals than visitors. Grandparents carried shopping baskets, bargaining over vegetables and dried fish. Vendors called out to customers with easy familiarity. Nothing is polished or staged, and that is exactly why the market feels genuine. Back to the station — a short but full walk Leaving the market and returning to the station closed out nearly six hours of wandering. The fairy-tale alleys, the quiet museum, the crowded market — all small pieces of a neighborhood that moves at its own pace. Songjeong does not change quickly. Time moves more slowly here, but that slowness reveals the place more clearly. A trip connected by a single station. No long transfers, no complicated plans — just a neighborhood that shows its depth when walked slowly. 2025-12-04 15:59:54 -
PHOTOS: One year after martial law, citizens return to the streets SEOUL, December 03 (AJP) - On December 3, marking one year since the declaration of martial law, groups from both the progressive and conservative blocs held separate rallies in Yeouido, Seoul. Progressive groups, including the Emergency Action for Ending Insurrection and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, gathered around National Assembly Station, calling for the dismantling of martial law. Participants held light sticks and candles, recalling the night the declaration was issued. The KCTU held an additional rally starting at 4 p.m. At the same time, conservative groups organized by Liberty University and Youth for Liberal Democracy assembled in front of the People Power Party headquarters and at Exit 2 of National Assembly Station, arguing that the declaration had been justified. Participants waved Korean flags and said they planned a separate performance at 10:27 p.m., the exact time martial law was declared last year. Later this evening, President Lee Jae-myung has joined a civic march — an unusual move for a sitting president. 2025-12-04 08:01:36 -
PHOTOS: Following the tracks, following the taste (Gwangju) – 1 – SEOUL, December 2 (AJP) - For centuries, this region has been known for its food. With fertile fields and access to clean coastal waters, it offered ingredients from both land and sea, and its generous use of fermented seasonings created dishes with depth and warmth. This is Jeolla Province, the southern end of the Korean Peninsula. Yongsan Station in the morning still carried the last of the night’s energy. Passing through commuters and stepping onto the KTX platform, the city felt as fast as ever, but the moment the train pulled away and the first fields replaced the gray skyline, the pace shifted. It felt as if the train was lowering itself into a slower time — not rushing forward, but easing into a different rhythm. The plan for the day was simple: get off at a station and, within walking distance, eat what locals have eaten for decades. No complicated routes, no long transfers — just a slow walk into someone else’s everyday life. Stepping out of Gwangju Songjeong Station, the first impression was quietness. Even right outside the station, the street was calm, and the alley leading to 1913 Songjeong Market was emptier than expected. It felt like a place where time had slowed as the years changed and the city around it shrank and shifted. Coming straight from the noise of Seoul, the contrast felt almost unreal — as if one train ride had moved time, not distance. – Bibim-guksu, vegetable pajeon, and the old taste of “sugar noodles” – Inside the market, old signs and small shops lined the narrow path, and soft music drifted out from somewhere deeper inside. The first meal was bibim-guksu. Handmade noodles had a firm, springy texture, and the tangy dressing pulled the flavors together cleanly. Freshly made vegetable pajeon was soft in the middle, and with the noodles it felt balanced rather than heavy. The walls filled with TV still-cuts and visitors’ notes made the simple dishes feel like part of the market’s long memory. Then came sugar noodles — something rarely seen now but once a common snack for market vendors and field hands in the 1960s and 1970s. Cold broth, plain noodles, and a sprinkle of sugar. Just sweetness and chill — nothing more. In years when even sugar was scarce, saccharin was used instead. The simplicity carried a kind of quiet nostalgia that felt tied to the place more than to the bowl. – A full Jeolla-style table with tteokgalbi – A short walk from the market led to an alley filled with the smell of charcoal. Here, tteokgalbi is served with a tableful of side dishes that feel closer to a home meal than a restaurant setting. A large bowl of pork backbone soup arrived first, alongside greens, aged kimchi, and pickled vegetables. It was a kind of generosity hard to replicate in the city. The tteokgalbi itself was thick, with a smoky bite that filled the mouth. Despite being minced, it still had the feel of chewing into whole meat, and the sauce struck a familiar sweet-savory balance. Wrapped in lettuce it felt clean, and over rice it turned into a different kind of richness. A small yukhoe bibimbap on the side was also satisfying — sweet pear, seasoned meat, and gochujang blending easily. The light broth in between made the meal steady and unhurried. – A Jeolla trip completed in one bite of sangchu twigim – For the final taste, the camera and the steps returned to the market: sangchu-twigim. A local favorite, and a bit unusual to outsiders. Various vegetables — sweet potato, squid, perilla shoots, seasonal roots — are fried and wrapped in fresh lettuce with soy or a peppered dipping sauce. One bite holds multiple textures at once, and the lettuce keeps the flavors bright. Sitting at the small table and taking a bite, the day already felt full — even though only a few hours had passed since stepping off the train. Walking back toward the station, the quietness returned. The market breathed slowly, in its own time. There was no rush, no noise, and in that space, the meaning of old food and local pace felt clearer than before. The day showed that a trip does not need distance to feel deep. A station, a market, and the flavors held inside their history — that was enough for a slow walk across an older time. 2025-12-02 07:16:35 -
PHOTOS: History in miniature SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - At the entrance, a large Lego poster reading “Daehan Independence Manse” comes into view. Next to it sits a tiny corner shop marked “Jeongdong Stationery,” its shelves packed with marble games, ice cream buckets, paper cards, and cotton candy. The miniature space feels like a small time capsule, carrying the warmth of the years it represents. Inside the special exhibition hall, visitors walk through a large Lego Independence Gate and enter another world. Marking the 79th anniversary of liberation, the hall brings together Lego-made scenes of historic moments and the figures who shaped them. Scenes such as Yun Bong-gil’s Hongkou bombing, the March 1 Independence Movement with Yu Gwan-sun, group photos of returning Provisional Government officials, Ahn Jung-geun’s shooting of Ito Hirobumi, and Admiral Yi Sun-sin during the Imjin War are recreated in colorful Lego blocks. Tiny figures gather in front of the Lego Independence Gate waving “manse,” and the white hanbok worn by Yu Gwan-sun is instantly recognizable even in miniature. Children stand in front of the Lego displays with bright eyes, listening to stories of history. Meeting independence activists through Lego instead of textbooks makes the figures feel far more familiar. One child lingers at the Ahn Jung-geun exhibit, pointing at the bricks one by one and asking questions. Rows of 1960s and 1970s school uniforms, textbooks, backpacks, and lunchboxes fill the permanent exhibition. The recreated classroom scene is especially striking — the anti-fire and anti-communism posters on the back wall, metal lunchboxes warming on a central stove, the national flag and class mottos, and a timetable posted next to a map of Korea. The details make the space feel like a doorway into another decade. A diorama of a school sports day fills one section — obstacle races, horseback fights, relays. The tiny figures look almost alive. Under a tree, a family shares lunch with kimbap and soda. Though only a few centimeters tall, the little scene carries the energy and joy of a whole era. A permanent exhibition tracing Korea’s education history from the Three Kingdoms period to today shows how learning has shaped national identity — from Goguryeo’s Taehak and Goryeo’s Gukjagam to Joseon’s Sungkyunkwan, through the colonial era and into the modern day. The visit lasts little more than an hour, but the impression lingers — a stationery shop, a schoolyard festival, scenes of independence carved from Lego, and a classroom restored with care. Together they turn the past into something close enough to touch. 2025-11-28 14:00:01 -
PHOTOS: Nuri stands upright for its journey into space SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) - South Korea completed the vertical installation of its homegrown launch vehicle Nuri on November 25, ahead of its fourth mission scheduled for 1:10 a.m. on November 27. The rocket now stands secured on the launch pad, waiting for its final countdown. Nuri will carry 13 satellites into space, including the next-generation medium-sized satellite No. 3 and twelve CubeSats. The payloads will test technologies across a wide range of fields — from space medicine and satellite disposal to navigation, Earth observation, and 6G communication. The final launch decision will be made eight hours before liftoff, based on weather and overall space environment conditions. 2025-11-25 17:48:17 -
PHOTOS: Annual expo showcases thousands of coffee and beverage brands SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) -The Seoul International Café Show kicked off its four-day run at COEX in southern Seoul on Wednesday. Held every November, the annual event provides a key business platform for coffee and beverage makers, as well as related companies in the booming industry. The show features a wide range of products beyond coffee including tea, bakeries, desserts, alcoholic beverages, and café equipment. Some 631 companies from 35 countries participated in this year's event, showcasing nearly 4,000 brands. The first two days of the event are reserved for buyers, industry professionals, and aspiring entrepreneurs, with the final two days open to the general public. Visitors can sample coffee, take part in aroma tests, and try a variety of baked goods and desserts at booths. The show also offers opportunities for business consultations and information exchange. 2025-11-21 16:15:10 -
PHOTOS: Ancient ginkgo trees enduring centuries SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - In Jangsu-dong, Incheon, and Banggye-ri, Gangwon Province, two ancient ginkgo trees stand as witnesses to time. Their vast canopies cast golden shadows across the ground, glowing under the thin autumn light. The ginkgo in Jangsu-dong grows in the middle of the city. An overpass runs beside it, yet the tree holds its ground as if untouched by concrete and steel. The bark is coarse and timeworn, its surface cracked and uneven. Wooden pillars now support its enormous trunk, but its branches remain perfectly balanced, spreading outward in quiet symmetry. From its base, multiple limbs diverge like rivers from a single source, shaping a dome of branches that seem deliberately composed. Designated as Natural Monument No. 562, the tree stands 28 meters tall, with a circumference of nearly 9 meters and an estimated age of about 800 years. Beyond the low fence surrounding it, fallen leaves lie thick on the ground. Each gust of wind scatters them like yellow rain, and visitors lift their phones to capture the fleeting sight. Many have come deliberately for this — to see the tree at its brightest before winter dulls its color. The parking lot under the overpass fills easily, yet the crowd moves slowly, reverently, around the stillness of the tree. At a distance, standing apart from the flow of people, the tree’s size and composure feel almost solemn. While everything moves and changes, it alone remains unmoved. The ginkgo in Banggye-ri tells a different story. Standing before it, one feels age more than scale. Its massive trunk splits into thick limbs that stretch in every direction, some propped by supports. The surface is deeply creased, like folded fabric, and parts of its roots rise above the soil, tangled and exposed. From a distance, the tree resembles a cluster of trees rather than one. When the wind blows, yellow leaves lift into the air all at once, and for a moment, the entire landscape falls still. Designated as Natural Monument No. 167, the Banggye-ri ginkgo is said to be around 1,300 years old, tracing its roots back to the Unified Silla period. Standing 26 meters high and more than 14 meters in girth, it towers above the surrounding rice fields, a solitary figure in open land. For centuries, villagers have regarded it as sacred. Old tales speak of a white serpent that once lived beneath its roots — a spirit said to guard the tree. No one dared to cut or harm it, and through storms, droughts, and the slow touch of time, it has survived. To stand before it is to feel not sentiment, but awe — the weight of endurance itself. The small parking area often overflows, a quiet proof of how many come to see it. Leaving both trees behind, one remembers Jangsu-dong for its balance and stillness, and Banggye-ri for its scale and history. The first shows how nature can endure within a city; the second, how humankind grows smaller before the passing of time. At the edge of November, as yellow leaves drift through the cold air, both trees meet the same season again — as they have for centuries. 2025-11-12 14:03:18 -
PHOTOS: Enjoy autumnal foliage before winter sets in SEOUL, November 7 (AJP) - Mild, warm weather is expected with daytime highs hovering above 20 degrees across the country on Friday, a day known as Ipdong or the beginning of winter in the lunar calendar. As unseasonably warm temperatures persisted through September and October, with fickle weather bringing occasional cold chills, this year's autumn arrived late and is likely to recede soon before people can fully enjoy the season. With many trees and leaves yet to turn into their flaming colors, winter seems to be arriving suddenly. Even before the autumnal foliage reaches its peak, winter descends without warning, a pattern that has repeated in recent years, meaning that the autumn season is getting shorter and shorter. In fact, unpredictable seasonal changes and abnormal weather are now becoming the norm in a country once known for its four distinct seasons, bringing prolonged summers largely due to global warming. While trees once turned red and other brilliant autumn colors from late October to early November, many now remain green through mid-November, creating an unusual seasonal mix. On the cusp of winter, many people gather in parks, strolling trails, hiking paths, and other scenic spots to enjoy the brief moments of seasonal change. They may be aware that this beautiful season could fade even faster or appear in entirely different shades and colors just a few decades from now. 2025-11-07 10:45:28 -
PHOTOS: Silver grass Festival at Haneul Park – Autumn blooms from a mountain of waste SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - Each autumn, a mountain in western Seoul turns to gold. Haneul Park, perched 98 meters above sea level, is known for its sweeping skyline views — but few visitors realize it was once a landfill. By 8 a.m., the park entrance beside the World Cup Stadium was already dotted with early risers climbing 291 steps toward the summit. The ascent left many slightly winded, but the view was worth it. Silver grass swayed in the morning light, and beyond them, Seoul unfolded — the ridges of Bukhansan, the Han River, and rows of high-rise buildings all visible in one glance. Beneath the beauty lies an unlikely story. The silver grass fields were planted as part of an ecological restoration project ahead of the 2002 World Cup. For 15 years, this hill had been Nanji-do, a landfill holding more than 92 million tons of Seoul’s waste. Silver grass, a resilient plant that thrives in harsh soil, became the first step in transforming the barren mound into a symbol of renewal. Today, the 58,000-pyeong park has become one of Seoul’s most beloved autumn destinations. Walking through the fields, the color of the reeds shifted between silver and gold with each turn of sunlight. Art installations scattered among the grass added rhythm to the landscape, drawing visitors to pause for photos or simply stand still and watch the wind ripple across the hill. From the observatory deck, the city stretched endlessly below. What was once a mountain of refuse now breathes as a green sanctuary — a quiet testament to Seoul’s capacity for restoration. The silver grass reach their peak from mid-October to early November. During the festival period, evening lights and performances add a festive glow, but the early morning hours offer the calmest and most evocative experience. Those who find the climb difficult can take the “Maengkkongi” electric shuttle from the park entrance for a small fare. 2025-10-29 16:22:03