PHOTOS: Secret Cold War-era bunker now art space in Seoul

SEOUL, August 16 (AJU PRESS) - Deep beneath a busy transit hub in Seoul's Yeouido district lies a once-secret underground bunker, now repurposed as an art gallery. The bunker, discovered in 2005 during the construction of a transit center, was supposedly built in the 1970s on orders from the then-head of South Korea's presidential security following the assassination of late President Park Chung-hee's wife. With no original plans or documents, the bunker's purpose remained a mys

August 16, 2024

PHOTOS: Korea marks memorial day for victims of Japan's military sexual slavery

SEOUL, August 16 (AJU PRESS) - A ceremony marking the seventh International Memorial Day for Japanese Military Comfort Women was held in Seoul on Wednesday. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family organized the event to honor the victims who suffered under Japanese military sexual slavery during World War II. The memorial day, established in 2017, commemorates the first-ever testimony by the late victim Kim Hak-sun on August 14, 1991.

August 16, 2024

PHOTOS: Seodaemun Prison echoes Korea's path to liberation

SEOUL, August 14 (AJU PRESS) - On August 15th, South Korea celebrates Liberation Day, marking the end of Japanese colonial rule in 1945. Seodaemun Prison in Seoul, built in 1908, during the Japanese occupation (1910~1945), once held numerous Korean independence activists. Today, it stands as a museum and memorial, its cells and exhibition halls telling stories of resistance and resilience. The prison serves as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made for Korea's independence and the va

August 14, 2024

PHOTOS: Korean flags fly nationwide to mark Liberation Day

SEOUL, August 14 (AJU PRESS) - Korean national flags are displayed at government buildings, homes, and along streets nationwide on Aug. 15 to commemorate Liberation Day. Korea was liberated from Japanese colonial rule on Aug. 15, 1945, with the end of World War II.

August 14, 2024

VISUALS: Dilkusha, home of Albert Taylor who informed world of Korea's March 1 independent movement

SEOUL, August 14 (AJU PRESS) - Dilkusha, also known as the Albert Taylor House, is a two-story Western-style residence in Jongno, Seoul. Built during the Japanese colonial period, it was home to Albert Taylor, an American businessman and journalist, and his wife Mary Linley Taylor. The house reopened March 1, 2021, after restoration following the eviction of 12 low-income households. Taylor came to Korea during the late Korean Empire and Japanese colonial period. AP News appointed him

August 14, 2024

PHOTOS: Seoul's Han River Park pools offer night swimming this summer

SEOUL, August 13 (AJU PRESS) - Seoul’s popular Han River Park swimming pools are extending their hours for night operations this summer. From July 24 to August 18, the pools at Ttukseom, Yeouido, Jamwon, Nanji and Jamsil will remain open until 10 p.m. The five locations along the Han River, which bisects the Korean capital, attract an average of 4,000 visitors daily during the summer months. The initiative aims to provide more recreational options for Seoul’s residents and

August 13, 2024

PHOTOS: Asian athletes' memorable moments from Paris Olympics

SEOUL, August 12 (AJU PRESS) - This year's Summer Olympics in Paris, France wrapped up two and a half weeks of competitions with a spectacular closing ceremony on Sunday. The quadrennial sporting event, the first in a century in the French capital, presented many impressive moments with various iconic buildings and monuments serving as backdrops and venues for medal-winning feats. In particular, Asia's sporting stars and athletes stole the show with their extraordinary feats. AJU P

August 12, 2024

PHOTOS: Tradition meets innovation at Hanbok Expo in DDP

SEOUL, August 12 (AJU PRESS) - The Hanbok Market, Korea's premier trade show for hanbok—traditional Korean dress—takes place at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul from Friday to Monday. This event features 112 companies showcasing both traditional and modernized hanbok. It offers hanbok exhibitions and sales and traditional lifestyle experiences. Highlights include displays of award-winning designs from the 2024 Hanbok Design Project Contest and a fashion show illustrat

August 12, 2024

PHOTOS: Korean athletes give their all on final days of Paris Olympics

SEOUL, August 11 (AJU PRESS) - Table tennis trio Jeon Ji-hee, Lee Eun-hye and Shin Yu-bin won bronze in the women's team event at the Summer Olympics in Paris, France on Saturday, after defeating their German opponents. Saturday's victory ended the Korea's 16-year drought in the event since the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It was also the country's first Olympic medal in both the women's singles and team events. Shin, who won bronze medal in the mixed doubles with Lim Jong-h

August 11, 2024

PHOTOS: Chungmuro Printing Alley faces transfomation

SEOUL, August 10 (AJU PRESS) - Chungmuro Printing Alley, a 1.5-kilometer stretch in central Seoul, houses Korea's largest concentration of publishing and printing companies. The area accounts for about 70 percent of the country's printing businesses, producing items ranging from stickers and business cards to wedding invitations, pamphlets, theses, and calendars. Once thriving until the 1990s, the alley has since experienced decline amid technological changes. It was previously tar

August 10, 2024