Waste facility hidden from plain sight: Union Park

The average Korean generates a little over 1 kilogram of solid waste each day. Multiply that by Korea’s entire population, and that equates to nearly 56,000 tons of waste being disposed of in just a single day. Now the questions is… where does it all go?

Korea sees growing number of breakthrough infections

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Thursday that more than 5,000 cases of breakthrough coronavirus infections, mostly among young men who received Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine, have been detected as of Sept. 12. According to the KDCA, 5,880 people tested positive for COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated with the one-shot vaccine.

Daily life in Kabul under Taliban rule

An Afghan boy plays on the side of a road as the sun sets in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021. AP Two Afghans sit inside the trunk of a car in Kabul's Old City, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. It is feared Afghanistan could further plunge toward famine and economic collapse after the chaos of the past month, which saw the Taliban oust the government in a lightning sweep as U.S. and NATO forces exited the 20-year war. AP Taliban fighters patrol a market in Kabul's Old City, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. AP An Afghan man checks birds at a market in Kabul's Old City, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. AP An Afghan money changer waits for customers in Kabul's Old City, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. AP A street vendor sells tobacco in Kabul's Old City, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. AP An Afghan bird seller holds a cage at a bird market in Kabul's Old City, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. AP Afghans walk on a road overlooking Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. The United Nations drummed up more than $1.2 billion in emergency pledges Monday for helping 11 million Afghans facing an escalating humanitarian crisis in their homeland and millions more elsewhere in the region as the U.N. human rights chief voiced concerns about the Taliban's first steps in establishing power in the beleaguered and impoverished country. AP A tire repairman chats with boys as he waits for customers on the side of a road in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. AP A Taliban fighter stands in the corner of a busy street at night in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. AP Dairas, or tambourines, piled up in a shop in Kabul’s Old City, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. AP Butchers wait for customers in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. AP Afghan street vendors wait for customers at night in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. AP Lights shine at a no longer operative Karaoke hall in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. AP An Afghan musician poses for a portrait with his rubab in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. About a month after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, the music is starting to go quiet. The last time that the militant group ruled the country, in the late 1990s, it outright banned music. AP An Afghan singer looks out a window in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. AP A young afghan girl looks at the camera as she plays outside her house in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. AP An Afghan labourer carries a roll of foam at a market in Kabul's old city, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. AP Afghan boys walk past a Taliban fighter as they cross a street in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. AP A boy plays outside his home in Kabul's Old City, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. AP Afghan women and a girl shop for dresses at a local market in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Sept. 10, 2021. AP Girls walk upstairs as they enter a school before class in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021. AP Taliban district police chief Shirullah Badri stands in front of a Taliban flag during an interview at his office in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. AP A Taliban fighter lays his AK-47 rifle down during Friday prayers at a Mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Sept. 10, 2021. AP A prosthetic leg lays in a window frame during Friday prayers at a mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. AP A Taliban fighter prays at a mosque during Friday prayers in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. AP Afghans play cricket at the Chaman-e-Hozari Park in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. AP In this Monday, Sept. 13, 2021 file photo, children pose for a photo as they play in a camp for internally displaced people in Kabul, Afghanistan. AP Children play at a park in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Sept. 10, 2021. AP Afghans walk on a road overlooking the Sakhi Shrine in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Sept. 10, 2021. AP Afghan women and children sit in front of a bakery waiting for bread donations in Kabul's Old City, Afghanistan, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. AP An Afghan girl looks out from a beauty salon in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. AP An Afghan boy sits on a wheelbarrow as he waits for customers at a street fruit and vegetable market in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021. AP

[ANALYSIS] Heavy cost-cutting to hurt Samsung's competitiveness

Samsung Electronics has been trying to cut smartphone production costs in order to boost output volume and stay ahead of its rivals.

'KOSPI, Kosdaq to be trapped in boxed ranges until Q3': analysts

After a three-day break for to the Chuseok holiday period, the benchmark KOSPI closed on a slight decline Thursday at 3,127.58 points, a 0.41 percent fall from last Friday.

Big-name auteurs, stars to attend 26th Busan film festival

With less than two weeks left until the scheduled start of the 26th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), an impressive line-up of filmmakers and stars have confirmed their participation in the event. Organizers expect the film festival to return to normal as the film industry anticipates that it will be able to shake off the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kim Young-kwang to star in Netflix thriller 'Somebody'

Model-turned-actor Kim Young-kwang and rookie actress Kang Hae-lim will star in Netflix's new thriller series, “Somebody.” Directed by Jung Ji-woo, well-known for his previous films, “Eungyo” (2012) and “Tune in For Love” (2019), the series follows the story of a gruesome murder surrounding a social media app called “Somebody.”

E-mart to close down off-site specialty stores

E-mart, the country's top retailer, has decided to close down all of its specialty brand stores that are operated independently from its large discount stores.

[Reporter's Notebook] Korea's universities urged to set up battery-tech program

Along with semiconductors, batteries are considered as a core technology for Korea in terms of the country's national security and economic growth, as the United States and China invest more to develop next-generation batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).

Korean traditional landscape encrusted with Swarovski crystals on view in New York

Korean traditional landscape paintings that feature panoramic scenes sprung from both reality and artists' imaginations - mountains punctuated by thick forests, soaring cliffs and water roaring down deep ravines - have carved out a central spot in the centuries of Korean art history.

Fed signals bond-buying taper coming 'soon,' rate hike next year

The Federal Reserve said on Wednesday it will likely begin reducing its monthly bond purchases as soon as November and signaled interest rate increases may follow more quickly than expected as the U.S. central bank's turn from pandemic crisis policies gains momentum.

Eximbank move could pressure KB, IBK to appoint union-backed directors

Attention has been focused on whether KB Kookmin Bank and the Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) will follow the example set by the Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank), which became the country's first financial company and state-run institution to give a board seat to an expert recommended by its union.

Major elections scheduled for next year

A series of major elections will mark the year 2022, as not only the regular presidential election and local elections, but also unusual parliamentary by-elections for two major constituencies in Seoul, will take place following the recent stepping down of two lawmakers. The presidential election is slated for March 9. Korea's presidential election used to be held in December and the president-elect's term used to start in the following February, but the last election took place on May 9, 2017 and President Moon Jae-in was inaugurated the next day, as it was an unprecedented snap election held after his predecessor Park Geun-hye was impeached over a massive corruption scandal.

Korea unattractive to foreign investors: Ambrosetti report

Korea ranked eighth out of 148 countries and last out of five major Asian economies this year in terms of global attractiveness, a report by a European think tank showed.

[INTERVIEW] Highlight's Yang Yo-seob fills his 'Chocolate Box' with eclectic music

Yang Yo-seob of K-pop boy group Highlight has more than a decade of singing experience under his belt. But the 31-year-old, who put out his first solo studio album, “Chocolate Box,” Sept. 20, believes little has changed since his debut in 2009. Namely, he still thinks singing is taxing.

Seoul International Dance Festival to be held

The 24th Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance2021), hosted by Seoul Section of the UNESCO International Dance Council (CID-UNESCO), will be held from Oct. 16 to Nov. 14 at various locations in Seoul and through online platforms.

Music trade show MU:CON to celebrate 10th anniversary

The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of its major annual music fair, MU:CON, this year with a diverse program, including K-pop concerts, an artist showcase and a conference.

2.6 magnitude quake hits Korea's southeastern region: KMA

A 2.6 magnitude earthquake struck South Korea's southeastern region Thursday afternoon, the state weather agency said.

Hongkongers celebrating Taiwan's Double Tenth public holiday risk secession charge, security chief warns

Celebrations in Hong Kong of Taiwan's Double Tenth public holiday risk breaching the national security law, a top official has warned, saying acts aimed at separating the island from China could be considered secessionist.

Lithuania advises against use of Chinese phones

Lithuania's defense ministry on Wednesday said public institutions and consumers should be wary of using Chinese phones, warning about possible security flaws and data leaks.

Scuffling Wiz slugger Kang Baek-ho keeps focus on team success

He was hitting .400 - that mythical and hallowed mark in baseball - about a month ago to lead the South Korean league, but KT Wiz slugger Kang Baek-ho is now trying to hold on just to win his first career batting title.

Korea to invest 42.4 billion won in hydrogen tram tech

South Korea said Thursday it plans to invest 42.4 billion won ($35.8 million) through 2023 to develop core technologies for hydrogen-powered trams.