INTERVIEW: Folk song artist says tradition must evolve to survive

SEOUL, October 17 (AJP) - A never-before-seen performance at NPR's Tiny Desk Concert, a prestigious music series showcasing global musicians, captivated music enthusiasts in 2016. A trio, comprising of one female and two male singers, performed songs that echoed the sound of shamanic hymns, backed by Western instruments. The group, Ssing Ssing, fused traditional Korean folk songs with modern Western sounds, presenting a captivating blend of past and present. The male perfo

October 17, 2024

INTERVIEW: Globetrotting YouTuber strives to document vanishing indigenous cultures

SEOUL, October 11 (AJP) - In a world where cultural diversity faces increasing threats, Jang Jun-ho, a Korean YouTuber, is on a mission to document the vanishing lifestyles of indigenous tribes across the globe. Jang, who runs the YouTube travel channel Yeokmasal Road, has recently garnered attention for his exploration of the Hadza, a hunter-gatherer tribe in Tanzania. "The decline of indigenous cultures and communities is heartbreaking. The Hadza, for instance, are dwindling

October 11, 2024

INTERVIEW: Now is prime time to promote Hangeul amid K-pop's global popularity, scholar says

SEOUL, October 8 (AJP) - Koreans are celebrating Hangeul Day on Wednesday, marking the 578th anniversary of the proclamation of Hangeul, the Korean alphabet. Invented by King Sejong the Great in 1443 and propagated three years later, Hangeul is a highly logical and scientific writing system, making it easy to learn and contributing to Korea's status as one of the world's most literate countries. "Now is the best time to promote Hangeul, which is gaining traction worldw

October 8, 2024

INTERVIEW: Female business leader urges women entrepreneurs to tap global markets

SEOUL, September 20 (AJP) - The chief of the Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association (KWEA) called for greater efforts to encourage women-owned businesses to venture into international markets, emphasizing overseas expansion is crucial for their long-term growth and survival. Lee Jeong-han, president of the nation's leading female business lobby, observed many women entrepreneurs remain focused on domestic markets, with only a small fraction expanding abroad. "As of 2022,

September 20, 2024

INTERVIEW: Seoul City will boost walkability with new initiative

SEOUL, September 20 (AJP) - Seoul is expected to become a more walkable and livelier city with neighborhoods offering a variety of amenities within a short walking distance, according to plans envisioned by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. This will allow Seoulites to easily walk to work, dine, shop, and enjoy leisure activities within a 30-minute radius of their homes. The key aspects of the plans in the offing focus on enhancing accessibility and connectivity within the city to

September 20, 2024

INTERVIEW: Norwegian researcher says technology alone can't solve aging crisis

SEOUL, September 16 (AJP) - Technology often feels like the magic bullet for society’s biggest challenges, but J. Artur Serrano, a prominent researcher from Norway, insists it’s just one piece of a larger puzzle. "Technology is a tool," Serrano, a professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, told AJP. "But real change starts with us—our mindsets, our policies, and our willingness to embrace responsibility." Serrano, an expe

September 16, 2024

INTERVIEW: Startup harnesses AI for dementia diagnosis, elderly healthcare

SEOUL, Sept. 4 (AJP) - Leben Grida, a Korean tech venture, is preparing to launch a mobile dementia diagnosis app in November, leveraging artificial intelligence technology to improve the health and well-being of elderly people. Kang Hyun-joo, CEO of the Busan-based social enterprise, said the new program will demonstrate AI's expanding role in addressing the challenges faced by aging societies worldwide. The program, Brain Up, analyzes speech patterns and linguistic behavior

September 4, 2024

INTERVIEW: Entrepreneur calls for greater efforts to attract foreign talent

SEOUL, August 22 (AJP) – South Korea should reform its restrictive immigration policies and conservative business culture to attract more international workers, which is key to addressing looming labor shortages in the rapidly aging country, a study abroad entrepreneur said. Kim Jong-min, CEO of HeyKorea Ventures Inc., said that many Korean companies are employing foreign workers primarily to cut costs or for appearances of diversity, rather than integrating their cont

August 22, 2024

Comedian tries to break Korean's wall of Confucian 'uptightness' through standup gigs

SEOUL, August 7 (AJU PRESS) - Unlike slapstick-based TV shows, which have dominated Korea's comedy scene for half a century, standup comedy is just beginning to gain traction. The slow development of standup gigs is primarily due to the genre's often taboo topics -- sex, drugs, racism, and religion -- in the conservative country often associated with Confucian values. Danny Cho, a 42-year-old Korean-American comedian, is a key figure in Korea's emerging standup comedy

August 7, 2024