An outdoor exhibition on old Seoul is running along the upper Cheonggyecheon stream walk between Mojeongyo and Gwangtonggyo bridges from October 5 to 31. Storytelling performances are scheduled for October 17 and 24.
The exhibition
Transparent “History Lens” panels overlay earlier scenes of the stream onto the present-day view. Typography displays tell the stream’s story in text.
The exhibition traces Cheonggyecheon from King Yeongjo’s dredging works through its shantytown years to its restoration. The displays can be viewed at any time during the event.
Storytelling performances
Comic storytelling performances inspired by the Joseon-era street storyteller, or jeongisu, will be held in front of Gwangtonggyo on October 17 and 24, at 1, 3 and 5 p.m. each day.
Each session admits up to 100 people, with first-come, on-site registration opening one hour before the start.
Guided walk
A docent-led walk between Mojeongyo and Gwangtonggyo will be held once, at noon on October 24, with 15 places. First-come, on-site registration begins at 11 a.m.
The press release does not specify languages or detailed conditions. Inquiries: Cheonggyecheon management office, +82-2-2290-6858. All times are KST.
Bonus: 450 meters of cosmos
Along about 450 m of the middle stream, between Muhakgyo and Gosanjagyo bridges, 10,000 cosmos plants make an autumn flower path through the end of October.
It is well east of the history-walk stretch (Mojeongyo to Gwangtonggyo), further down the stream.
Gwangtonggyo’s stone balustrade and piers, photographed December 30, 2008. Archival venue image; it does not show the 2026 displays or performances. Photo: Kang Byeong Kee, CC BY 3.0.
Plenty of people slip on the way down while chasing one more foliage photo. On Oct. 16 the Korea National Park Service issued its autumn hiking rules. The gist: choose a trail that fits your fitness, and learn how to walk it.
When do the leaves turn?
Colour usually starts at mountain summits in mid-October, peaks from late October to early November, then moves south.
Timing differs by altitude and terrain even inside the same national park, so check foliage and trail information before you go.
Five trail grades
National park trails are rated in five difficulty grades. Check distance, slope, time needed and surface, then pick one that suits you.
Check the weather and pack hiking shoes, spare clothes, water and snacks. Temperatures swing with the hour and the altitude, so layer up.
Going down is the risky part
Shorten your stride on fallen leaves, wet rock and wooden stairs. Stay on the trail and inside safety facilities even when taking photos.
Fatigue makes descents slippery. Leave enough time to be down before sunset.
How to walk flat, up and down
The park institute's Mountain Safety Education Center recommends 'rhythm walking' on flat ground, 'rest-step walking' uphill (briefly straighten the back leg to rest), and 'knee-cushion walking' downhill (soft bent knees).
On steep slopes, zigzag down.
Before you go
With high blood pressure or a heart condition, use the rest areas and don't push. Service chairman Joo Dae-young urged visitors to pick trails that match their fitness and experience and to prepare well.
Questions go to the Mountain Safety Education Center at +82-2-956-3336.
Galaxy AI just picked up more languages. Core features like interpreting and summaries now cover 24, and Bixby understands Polish, Thai and Vietnamese starting today.
Malay and Hungarian join
Call Assist, Note Assist, Interpreter and Transcript Assist have covered 22 languages so far. Malay and Hungarian now join the list.
That means live call interpretation and speech-to-text work in more languages.
Now Nudge speaks more
Now Nudge, which reads what is on screen and suggests what to do next, grows from 16 to 24 languages. Eight languages arrive at once.
Bixby: 12 languages from today
Bixby, Samsung's device agent, goes from 9 languages to 12, adding Polish, Thai and Vietnamese. Korean is on the supported list.
Samsung says you can ask in everyday words without knowing the exact menu name or setting.
When you can use it
The new Bixby languages are available from Oct. 14. Galaxy AI's new languages roll out in stages from the end of October, and some need a language pack downloaded in Settings.
Samsung's own example: Korean users traveling to Malaysia or Hungary can use interpretation in the local language. Not every accent or dialect is recognized, and performance varies with pronunciation and background noise.
Live Malay-English interpretation of a phone call. A staged screen created by Samsung for illustration; the real UI may differ. Image: Samsung Newsroom
Hyundai has stripped the loud colors off its high-performance N sedan. The Avante N Monochrome has been unveiled and goes on sale in Korea on the 29th.
One color, all the way
Monochrome means styling in a single color or one color family. True to the name, the special model drops the standard Avante N's brighter color options and finishes most of the interior and exterior in a single tone.
The N brand says it presents the car's motorsport-born performance heritage in a restrained form, so drivers can focus on dynamics and the joy of driving.
Just two colors
You choose between Black and Performance Blue. Front and rear bumpers and the brake calipers are matched to the body color.
The Performance Blue car on black wheels has plenty of presence even in a single press photo.
Exterior of the black Avante N Monochrome
The parts that changed
New dedicated forged wheels are fitted. Carbon is used on some exterior parts such as the side mirrors, and the steering wheel buttons have been simplified.
Inside, Alcantara covers the steering wheel and other parts.
A black forged wheel with the N logo and brake caliperThe Avante N Monochrome cabin with Alcantara trim
Where to see it
The Korean launch is Thursday the 29th. Real cars are on display at the Hyundai N Festival at Everland Speedway on Saturday the 31st and Sunday, Nov. 1.
Shinsegae pop-up stores open in Seoul on Nov. 5 and in Daegu on Nov. 13. Sales in other global markets follow later.
Why N says it exists
N Management Division head Park Jun-woo said the car "was born from customers who wanted to feel the high-performance heritage in a more restrained form."
Removing flashiness and adding detail, he said, should let drivers focus on the pure joy of driving.
You point the camera to translate a label, and a leaderboard pops up. On the 19th Naver added a 'Trend' menu for foreign visitors to its Papago translation app, showing the Korean products and places other travelers scan the most.
A ranking built by cameras, not search terms
The raw material is the products and places foreign users check most often with Papago's image translation.
In other words, it is a list picked by people who actually held up a phone in front of a sign or a label.
Products: from beauty to health
It splits into five lanes: TOP 100, Rising, Beauty, Food and Health.
Tap a product and an AI briefing in your own language sums up the essentials. Jump to Naver Blog and Shopping and you get Korean user reviews and details.
Places: Myeongdong to Jeju
Places come as a TOP 100, Rising and regional hot spots, with Myeongdong, Hongdae, Seongsu, Jeju and Busan up first.
Pick one and Naver Place hours, location, menu and user reviews appear in your device language, with directions and reservations a tap away.
How to turn it on
It is for users whose device language is set to a foreign language. Open Papago and tap the 'Trend' button at the top right of the home screen.
Supported languages are English, Japanese, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese. Other foreign-language settings get English.
A translator turning into a travel assistant
In April Papago attached restaurant and store info and AI-briefing product info to image translation results; in July it added Tabelog restaurant info for Japanese signs and product photos.
Naver AI Search lead Shin Jung-hwi said: "In the AI-agent era, Papago will go beyond translation to guide foreign tourists through the whole trip — shopping, directions and reservations."
It tells you when a parcel lands on the doorstep, and the indoor camera switches to privacy mode when you walk in. LG Electronics and Apple unveiled seven co-developed AI home devices in New York on the 13th, US time.
The seven-piece lineup
An indoor camera, two outdoor cameras (with and without a floodlight), a video doorbell, a smart door lock, a thermostat and a temperature sensor.
LG and Apple hosted the event together in Manhattan. The colors are Essence Graphite, White and Silver.
What the cameras can tell
The vision AI in the cameras and doorbell separates people, animals, vehicles and deliveries. A parcel left at the door, for instance, triggers a notice.
Indoor cameras also pick up sounds such as a baby crying or glass breaking, and slip into privacy mode when residents come home. The outdoor cameras and doorbell are rated IP65 for dust and water.
A lock that reads your intent, a thermostat that reads the room
The door lock carries several sensors that read movement and entry intent, then open the door without a hand on it. Tampering or forced entry sends an alert.
The thermostat reads the user's location, schedule and the weather to run heating and cooling. It works with iPhone and Apple Watch.
One tap with your iPhone
Hold the device to an iPhone or iPad and it pairs in one go. History is stored in the cloud, and security combines LG Shield with Apple's data encryption.
Reports say the products ship under the LG brand, with LG handling manufacturing, sales and support and Apple joining design and feature development. They work with both LG ThinQ and Apple devices.
Will they come to Korea?
They launch this year, first in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. No Korean launch date or price has been given.
LG's Jung Ki-hyun, head of the HS Platform Business Center, said: "We will combine LG's expertise in appliances and living spaces, Apple's unmatched user experience and both companies' strong security to deliver a safe, intuitive AI home experience."
The co-developed devices: outdoor camera, floodlight outdoor camera and indoor camera on top; thermostat, video doorbell and door lock below. Photo: LG Electronics
No Korean phone number, no ID. CJ Olivenetworks has launched 'CJ ONE Global', a membership for foreign visitors to Korea, and an email verification is all it takes to sign up.
One email and you're in
CJ Olivenetworks said on the 14th that CJ ONE Global is now open to foreign visitors. You sign up with email verification alone, with no Korean mobile number or ID.
A mobile barcode appears in the app right away. Use it to earn and spend points at partner stores across the country.
Partners on the tourist trail
The partners sit along routes visitors already take. N Seoul Tower covers sightseeing and Shinsegae Duty Free covers shopping.
For food there are Tous les Jours and Mega MGC Coffee, for convenience stores CU and Emart24, and at the airport Incheon Airport's Gourmet Bridge.
Points and coupons
Benefits cover earning and using points, coupons and member-only perks, including sign-up and birthday benefits.
Some partner channels have a hidden page open only to global members, where exclusive coupons are handed out.
Why it is launching now
According to the Korea Tourism Organization, about 12.8 million foreign visitors came in January-July, up 21.3% from a year earlier.
CJ ONE manager Im A-jin said, "CJ ONE Global is the starting point for connecting global customers and many partner brands in a single membership." CJ plans to add multilingual support and features for global members.
Before you go
You need CJ ONE app version 5.0 or later and have to switch the app to global mode. English and Japanese are supported.
Show the barcode issued right after sign-up at the store.
About 9 mm thin, speakers included, flush against the wall. What stands out is what you don't see: wires. LG Electronics' wireless wallpaper TV was picked for the Consumer Electronics category of TIME's 'Best Inventions of 2026'.
A wall TV that finally lost the cables
LG Signature OLED W is the successor to the world's first wallpaper TV from 2017. Earlier wallpaper TVs needed their driving hardware placed separately outside the set to stay ultra-thin.
This model slims every part, from panel to speakers, and fits them in one body, about 9 mm thick.
The box can sit 10 m away
Set-top boxes and other devices plug into the 'Zero Connect Box'. It can be placed up to 10 m from the TV and, LG says, sends 4K 165 Hz video and audio wirelessly with no loss or delay.
The box is 35% smaller than that of earlier wireless TVs. According to LG, the wireless transmission earned the world's first TÜV Rheinland 'True Wireless Lossless Vision' certification.
Glare gets handled first
It pairs the third-generation Alpha 11 AI processor with 'Reflection Free Premium' technology, which LG says was the industry's first to win Intertek certification.
When it debuted at CES this year, TechRadar, T3 and HDTVTest each gave it a top award. In Korea it went on sale first on June 24, with a staged global rollout.
Who else is on TIME's list
TIME picked 300 inventions this year, judged on originality, efficacy, ambition and impact. The list came out on the 15th, US time.
Korean media report that Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S26 Ultra, Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerator and Odyssey G8 gaming monitor also made it.
First time in the final group, first time in a playoff, and she won it. On the 18th at H1 Club in Icheon, Ma Seo-young beat Seong Yu-jin on the second extra hole of the KLPGA Iceberg Golf-Seoul Shinmun Open for her first title in 83 tour starts.
One shot ahead, wind and rain
Ma began the final round one stroke clear. A birdie at the 1st got her going, then back-to-back bogeys at the 2nd and 3rd.
A birdie at the 4th brought one back, but she dropped another at the 5th. The opening stretch wobbled in the wet.
Pars from the 6th to the 18th
From there she held on. Ma made nothing but pars from the 6th to the 18th and closed with a 73 (two birdies, three bogeys).
Seong birdied the 14th to go two ahead, then bogeyed the 15th and 16th. Both finished on 4-under 212.
Second playoff hole: 8.4 m and 5.2 m
The first playoff hole was halved with pars. The decider came on the same 18th (par 4).
Ma's second shot found the green, 8.4 m away, and she two-putted for par. Seong's second went over the green, her chip ran long and the 5.2 m par putt missed.
A player holding up an 'Iceberg Golf Seoul Shinmun Open' towel against a misty course
From seed worries to 2028
Before this week Ma sat around 50th on the money list, worried about keeping her card. The KRW 270 million first prize lifts her season earnings to about KRW 442 million and her ranking to 22nd.
She now has tour status through the 2028 season. She was sent down to the second-tier Dream Tour a year after her 2023 debut and came back through the qualifying school this year, which makes the turnaround bigger.
"I'm not a talented player, but I won"
"I always thought only talented players win. I'm not a talented player, but I won. I hope many young golfers take heart," Ma said.
Two events remain this season, and she says she wants to win once more while enjoying it.
Climala scored twice in the pouring rain and FC Seoul still could not celebrate. Their 2-2 draw with Gimcheon Sangmu at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Oct. 18 cut the magic number from 4 to 3. The champagne now waits for the Gangwon game on the 24th.
Ahead twice, penalised twice
Seoul went ahead in the 22nd minute when Climala finished a cut-back from Jung Seung-won.
But Gimcheon's Lee Sang-heon scored from a penalty late in the first half to make it 1-1.
Climala draws level at the top of the scoring chart
In the 6th minute of the second half Moon Seon-min's low cross set up Climala to make it 2-1. His 16th league goal ties him with Ulsan's Yago for the lead.
He tried a turning shot for a hat-trick moments later, but it went just wide.
Gimcheon's punch was a penalty again
In the 21st minute of the second half Seoul's defence conceded a second penalty while stopping a counter-attack. Kim In-gyun took it and the game ended 2-2.
Gimcheon moved to 34 points, two clear of 11th-placed Bucheon (32).
66 points, three still needed
Seoul sit on 66 points, well clear of second-placed Ulsan (50). A title would be their first since 2016 and the seventh overall.
Yonhap News TV had already flagged both the "early coronation" and the "Gimcheon jinx" before the match.
Pre-match Yonhap News TV report "Seoul on the verge of an early coronation… will they break the Gimcheon jinx?" (not match footage) YouTube · 연합뉴스TV (YonhapnewsTV) ↗
The Gangwon game on the 24th
If Seoul beat Gangwon at home on the 24th, they reach 69 points, a total that clinches the title even if they lose their remaining five games and Ulsan win all of theirs.
A draw or a loss pushes the clincher to the following round.
The union's second strike at Samsung Biologics, set for the 26th, is wobbling at the starting line. A court has widened the list of processes that cannot be struck from three to nine.
Three became nine
On Oct. 16 the Seoul High Court's Incheon bench (civil division 1) partly granted Samsung Biologics' appeal. Industrial action is now banned in all nine processes the company asked for.
The first-instance ruling in April covered only three: concentration and buffer exchange, drug-substance filling, and buffer preparation and supply. Flask culture, bioreactor culture, harvest, media preparation and supply, chromatography and virus filtration were added.
Why the court agreed
The bench pointed to the tangible and intangible damage a stoppage would cause, and to supply disruption for contract-manufactured drugs with a 100% domestic market share. Those processes have to run as usual during a strike.
What happens to the 26th
The union had said it would strike for three weeks from the 26th. It is now reviewing the start date and length, and a change is likely. No new date has been set.
The lunchtime rally on the 21st is cancelled and replaced by a livestream for members. The union says the ruling does not restrict strikes entirely. The company said it will "keep working toward a cooperative labor relationship."
The numbers on the table
According to Yonhap, the company offered a 6.2% base-pay rise plus a lump sum. The union is asking for 9.5%, a flat 3 million won and a bonus of 15% of operating profit.
After mediation failed on Mar. 23, the union held partial strikes in late April and a May 1-5 full strike staged as an annual-leave protest, then refused overtime and holiday work.
What to watch
The questions are whether the union sets a new strike date and whether talks reopen. Yonhap reported that whether the two sides reach a deal is the key variable through the end of October.
The shotgun is no longer the main tool for keeping birds off Incheon's runways. The airport operator said on Oct. 18 that it has run four bird-control laser guns since Oct. 15, one per runway.
From 60 m to 2 km
The device was developed by a Korean company and patented with the Korean Intellectual Property Office. It can keep birds away from about 2,000 m, more than 30 times the 60 m effective range of the shotguns used before.
There are four runways and four laser guns, in use at the site since Oct. 15.
Dawn and dusk are the real test
Around sunrise and sunset birds are hard to spot with the naked eye, and thermal cameras had to be brought in. The corporation will deploy the lasers mainly in those hours, at night and in the seasons when birds gather.
Every winter, large flocks of geese and other migratory birds arrive. The lasers are planned for those flocks too.
Why now?
Lasers were hard to allow at airports over fears they could dazzle pilots. The transport ministry has since revised its guidance, the corporation set safety and operating procedures in July, and the Seoul Regional Aviation Administration approved operation in September.
Next up: radar
A bird-detection radar is planned for around 2028, watching bird movement within 13 km of the airport.
"We expect bird-control capability and flight safety to improve greatly," said Cho Yong-su of the corporation.