DOLE suspends 6 Atienza shipping vessels after MV June Aster tragedy

Inquirer.net - Oct 19, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) suspended the operations of six vessels of Atienza Interisland Ferries in relation to the fatal fire incident of MV June Aster, Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said on Monday.  Based on the documents shared to media on Monday, the work stoppage order dated October 12 was

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Seoul-themed goods turn city pride into revenues for small businesses

Oct 19, 2026

Seoul-themed goods turn city pride into revenues for small businesses

Seoul’s landmarks, colors and cultural identity are becoming selling points for small businesses, with city-backed merchandise generating more than 114 million won ($84,000) in sales in the first half of 2026. Seoul Design Foundation said Monday that 90 small businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises selected through its first Seoul Brand Goods Commercialization Contest recorded combined sales of 114.74 million won from February through June. The initiative helps businesses incorporate Seoul’s city branding and landmarks, including the “Seoul, My Soul” identity and Dongdaemun Design Plaza, into products, while offering opportunities to reach customers through retail stores and pop-up shops. Twenty-seven participating businesses, including magnet maker Magumagu and bag brand Ashe, generated 13.76 million won in sales during a three-week pop-up at DDP Design Store, the foundation said. Interest in the program has continued to grow, with 155 businesses submitting 237 product proposals for the second contest, held from Aug. 24 to Sept. 20, according to the foundation. A total

400-meter chicken feast planned on Jamsu Bridge to mark end of vehicle traffic

Oct 19, 2026

400-meter chicken feast planned on Jamsu Bridge to mark end of vehicle traffic

Imagine a yellow dining table stretching 400 meters across the Han River, laden with crispy, golden-fried chicken and packed with 2,000 enthusiastic foodies. That is precisely how Seoul plans to say goodbye to cars on Jamsu Bridge this weekend. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday that it will host "Jamsu Bridge Chicken Day" Sunday from 2 pm to 10 pm, bringing down the curtain on this season's popular car-free festival. The mouthwatering event serves as a grand finale for the 50-year-old lower deck of Banpo Bridge before it permanently closes to vehicular traffic on Oct. 26 to begin its transformation into a dedicated pedestrian park. In Seoul, few culinary pairings are as sacred as "chimaek" — crispy Korean fried chicken paired with cold beer — enjoyed alfresco along the riverbanks. The city is taking that beloved picnic tradition to unprecedented heights. The centerpiece of the festival is a massive, bright-yellow "Chicken Table" capable of seating 1,000 diners at once. Two 90-minute feast sessions — scheduled for 4 pm and 6 pm — will accommodate a total of 2,000 luck

[PHOTO] Visit Yeoncheon's charms

Oct 19, 2026

[PHOTO] Visit Yeoncheon's charms

Foreign tourists participate in the Demilitarized Zone tour program organized by Grand Korea Leisure (GKL), the operator of the foreigner-only casino Seven Luck in Seoul, in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi Province, Saturday. GKL organized the tour in collaboration with Yeoncheon to support the county's drive to attract more foreign tourists. The participants visited Taepoong military observatory and Jaein Waterfalls during the tour. Courtesy of GKL

Seoul to turn Han River campsites into open-air feast for 2026 Barbecue Festival

Oct 19, 2026

Seoul to turn Han River campsites into open-air feast for 2026 Barbecue Festival

Seoul is turning an autumn weekend along the Han River into a sprawling culinary festival, bringing together celebrity chefs, premium charcoal-grilled meats and live entertainment for the 2026 Seoul Barbecue Festival on Saturday and Sunday. Set against the scenic backdrop of Nanji Camping Ground in Mapo District, the two-day event blends urban camping culture with authentic Korean barbecue, showcasing the capital’s vibrant gastronomy to both local residents and international visitors. The festival’s centerpiece — a gear-free, self-service barbecue zone — allows attendees to purchase fresh, high-grade domestic beef and pork to grill on-site without hauling their own equipment. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, demand for the experience has been overwhelming: Advance online table reservations sold out instantly, with the first booking window filling in just five minutes and the second in two. For those who missed out, a limited number of tables will be made available for walk-in registration during the festival. For festivalgoers seeking curated dishes, the BBQ Villa

As foreign tourists crowd Seoul's nat'l museums, regional venues struggle to keep pace

Oct 19, 2026

As foreign tourists crowd Seoul's nat'l museums, regional venues struggle to keep pace

Foreign visitors to Korea’s national museums are heavily concentrated at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul, data showed. Regional museums are falling behind in attracting overseas tourists as their budgets shrink. The National Museum of Korea submitted the data on Friday to Rep. Kim Seung-soo of the main opposition People Power Party for the annual parliamentary audit. It shows 411,964 foreigners visited national museums this year as of August. Of them, 291,460, or 70.7 percent, visited the National Museum of Korea. The 13 regional national museums drew 120,504, or 29.3 percent. The gap was also wide among the regional museums. Gyeongju National Museum drew 75,089 foreign visitors. Gyeongju was the capital of the ancient Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935). Jeju National Museum, on the resort island of Jeju, drew 19,172. Together, the two accounted for about 78.2 percent of foreign visitors to regional museums. By contrast, Gwangju National Museum drew 1,651, Daegu National Museum 1,383 and Naju National Museum 641. Budgets showed a similar imbalance. The 13 regional museums’ combine

Hanbok Culture Week kicks off with events at over 410 venues

Oct 19, 2026

Hanbok Culture Week kicks off with events at over 410 venues

From the royal stone courtyards of Gyeongbok Palace to international cultural centers in Canada, Japan and Denmark, the timeless elegance of "hanbok" — Korea’s traditional attire — is stepping into the spotlight. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with the Korea Craft and Design Foundation, launched the ninth annual Hanbok Culture Week, Monday. Running through Oct. 25, the weeklong celebration spans over 410 locations worldwide, blending centuries-old heritage with modern design through interactive exhibits, runway showcases and public workshops. Anchored by Hanbok Day, Wednesday, the initiative aims to revitalize interest in traditional clothing and encourage people to incorporate hanbok into everyday life. The main ceremony takes place at the National Museum of Korea’s Open Plaza in Seoul, featuring a minister’s commendation award ceremony for prominent figures promoting hanbok culture, followed by the Hanbok Embracing Light evening fashion show. The runway presentation draws artistic inspiration from mother-of-pearl craftsmanship, reinterpreting c

FEBC-Korea celebrates 70th anniversary of gospel broadcasting

Oct 19, 2026

FEBC-Korea celebrates 70th anniversary of gospel broadcasting

Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC)-Korea marked its 70th anniversary with a three-day series of commemorative events across Busan and Seoul, reaffirming its dedication to gospel broadcasting and outlining a new media mission and vision. The anniversary program took place from Thursday to Saturday, bringing together government officials, religious leaders, international guests and over 12,000 listeners to celebrate seven decades of broadcasting ministry. The celebration kicked off on Thursday at the Busan Concert Hall with the 35th FEBC National Choir Festival, marking the first time the annual event took place in Busan since its inception in 1976. Around 1,200 choir members and orchestra musicians from seven top church choirs presented sacred classical works, concluding with a joint performance of Handel's "Hallelujah" by a 340-member choir under conductor Park Shin-hwa. Busan Mayor Chun Jae-soo and former Canadian Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day attended the musical gathering alongside local church leaders and overseas delegates. On Friday, a celebratory luncheon took place at

Klook opens Seoul Station pickup center for Jindo specialty foods

Oct 19, 2026

Klook opens Seoul Station pickup center for Jindo specialty foods

Global booking platform Klook has opened a dedicated pickup center at Seoul Station, allowing tourists to collect specialty foods from Jindo County, Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, just before heading to the airport. The center, named the Global Digital K-Food Hub, opened Monday in the second basement of Seoul Station’s Airport Railroad (AREX) section. Jindo County Governor Lee Jai-kag, AREX President Park Dae-soo and James Lee, general manager of Klook Korea, attended the opening ceremony. Klook is selling six products from Jindo Eats, a local food brand made with agricultural and seafood products from Jindo, an island county off the country’s southwestern tip. The products are "ganjang gejang," or raw crab marinated in soy sauce; soy-marinated abalone; rice; a perilla and sesame oil set; "flower-blooming" seaweed; and "gopchang gim," a variety of dried laver. More products will be added later. Tourists can book and pay for the products on Klook, then pick them up vacuum-packed at Seoul Station, just outside the AREX line to Incheon International Airport. This way, trave

President Lee's approval rating rebounds after 2-week decline: poll

Oct 19, 2026

President Lee's approval rating rebounds after 2-week decline: poll

President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating rebounded to 37.3 percent after two consecutive weeks of decline, a survey showed Monday. In the poll conducted on 2,520 adults nationwide from last Monday to Friday by Realmeter, positive assessments of Lee's job performance rose 2.1 percentage points from the previous week. Negative assessments fell 1 percentage point to 60.4 percent. As reasons for the rebound, Realmeter cited policies aimed at improving people's livelihoods in areas such as housing and jobs, as well as the government's measures to tackle violent crimes following a stabbing spree in Incheon, west of Seoul. The pollster added that a sharp stock market decline later in the week appeared to have weighed on Lee's approval rating. In a separate survey of 1,005 adults conducted between Thursday and Friday, support for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea rose 0.7 percentage point to 36.2 percent, while that of the main opposition People Power Party fell 0.4 percentage point to 40.9 percent. The survey on the president had a margin of error of 2 percentage points at a 95 percent confid

Chungnam National University offers hands-on agricultural programs

Oct 19, 2026

Chungnam National University offers hands-on agricultural programs

Chungnam National University is nurturing future agricultural workers through programs that give university and high school students practical experience in crop cultivation and harvesting. The university said its Department of Crop Science and GreenBio Convergence and Open Sharing System (COSS) project group held the “2026 Morakmorak Nongshim” green bio career exploration program at the university's affiliated farm on Friday. The program brought together about 60 participants, including students from the university and Yuseong Bio Science Technology High School in Daejeon. Under the guidance of professor Shim Kyu-chan, participants harvested wild rice, while professor Lee Sung-woo led a session on soybean harvesting. They learned about the ecological value of wild rice as a genetic resource and the importance of conserving native seeds. Explanations of crop growth characteristics and cultivation and harvesting methods also helped participants better understand the diversity of food crops and the need to preserve genetic resources. The program builds on the “Green Bio Mo-ment Program

1 KATUSA killed, 3 USFK soldiers injured in rollover crash in Daegu

Oct 19, 2026

1 KATUSA killed, 3 USFK soldiers injured in rollover crash in Daegu

DAEGU — One Korean soldier attached to the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) was killed and three others, including two U.S. servicemembers, were injured Monday after their vehicle crashed in the southeastern city of Daegu, local police said. Their military sport utility vehicle (SUV) crashed into a median strip and flipped onto its right side on a highway in the city about 240 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at 5:07 a.m., the police said. One Korean soldier in his 20s, who was serving as a Korean Augmentation to the U.S. Army (KATUSA), died in the crash, while another KATUSA soldier, also in his 20s, sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to the police. Two USFK servicemembers suffered minor injuries. The four soldiers were returning to their base after completing their shift in Daegu's Chilgok County. The police said they notified the USFK of the accident and are investigating the details.

Yongsan to deploy 2,550 personnel in Itaewon to prevent repeat of Halloween tragedy

Oct 19, 2026

Yongsan to deploy 2,550 personnel in Itaewon to prevent repeat of Halloween tragedy

With the approach of Oct. 31, a Saturday that promises packed streets and spirited celebrations, local authorities in the heart of the capital are taking no chances. The Yongsan District Office announced a comprehensive safety mobilization Monday for the upcoming Halloween season, deploying thousands of personnel and leveraging real-time data technology to safeguard visitors in the bustling Itaewon neighborhood. The heightened security measures reflect a deep, ongoing commitment to preventing any repetition of the tragic 2022 Halloween crowd crush, which claimed 159 lives in a narrow alleyway in Itaewon. In the years since, local authorities and disaster response agencies have completely overhauled urban safety protocols, turning the nightlife district into a testing ground for real-time crowd management. Running Oct. 23 to Nov. 1, a special 10-day safety enforcement period aims to manage an anticipated crowd of 165,000 visitors across popular nightlife corridors such as the World Food Street. The comprehensive plan blends boots-on-the-ground vigilance with advanced digital monitoring. A

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