Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon views a bronze sculpture made of 200 modeled speakers put together during a ceremony in the plaza in front of Seoul City Hall on July 5, 2017, to unveil the 5.2-meter structure, named “Vox Populi.” The sculpture is designed to enable a visitor to speak into its microphone and have their voice recorded before what the visitor said, along with background sound, comes through a speaker embedded in it. (Yonhap)
Foreign students pose during an entrance ceremony for a summer school program provided by Hanyang University in eastern Seoul on July 3, 2017. About 2,000 foreign students are participating in the four-week program that also includes chances to experience Korean culture. (Yonhap)
According to the article since 2013 the police have closed a total of 187 brothels in Gangnam to include the 27 they just closed:
Gangnam-gu removed 27 illegal brothels from near schools and residential areas during the first half of this year, according to the Gangnam-gu Office on Monday.
Twenty-three were in residential areas, while four were near schools.
“We will continue to cooperate closely with the Gangnam and Suseo Police Station to get rid of illegal brothels,” Lee Hee-yeon, who heads the urban advancement office. [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link.
This is an artist’s rendering of a unified emergency bell which the Seoul government will install for women and children at public facilities, including public restrooms, parks and tunnels. (Photo courtesy of Seoul City) (Yonhap)
A Seoulite enjoys a siesta at Seoul Road 7017 on June 13, 2017. Seoul city arranged the siesta program for office workers. (Yonhap)
It is already pretty easy for foreigners to get around South Korea and the Seoul government is starting a program to make it even easier:
The Seoul metropolitan government said Sunday it will operate an inter-city bus connecting major tourist attractions in South Korea starting this week to provide visitors a chance to explore the many hidden treasures in the country.
The “K-travel Bus” exclusively serves foreign tourists, residents and students who want to travel outside the capital city, to boost travel to smaller cities and rural areas, a municipal official said. The initial two-day tours will run till the end of the year.
Under the planned service, foreigners can choose one of five destinations from Seoul — the southeastern city of Daegu, Ganghwa Island in Incheon near Seoul, the northeastern province of Gangwon, the southwestern province of South Jeolla and the southeastern province of North Gyeongsang. [Yonhap]
You can read more at the link.
Participants at Hand in Hand in Seoul 2017, a regional queer choral festival, sing in central Seoul on June 3, 2017. (Yonhap)
I predict that this program will make no perceptual difference to the amount of pollution in Seoul because of how much of it comes from China, but it does cause the perception the government is “doing something”:
Seoul will provide free public transportation during commuting hours when the fine dust level goes beyond certain levels starting next month, as part of its efforts to curb air pollution.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday the rush-hour fare exemptions for bus and subway passengers will be introduced to encourage half of commuters driving to work to voluntarily leave their cars at home based on odd-even number plates.
The new program will take effect from July when the daily average density of ultra-fine dust in the capital area goes beyond 50 micrograms and is forecast to be in excess of the level until the next day.
In order to boost citizens’ participation, the city government will provide free bus and subway transport during commuting hours — from the first train or bus to 9 a.m. and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., though some critics say the measure appears inefficient as the standard is set too high. [Yonhap]
You can read more at the link.
Mt. Surak is the large mountain that rises above Camp Stanley. This fire though appears to be burning on the northern Seoul area of the mountain opposite from the camp:
A big fire broke out on Mount Surak in northern Seoul Thursday, firefighters said, with no casualties having been reported so far.
Firefighters said they were struggling to contain the fire that started at around 9:08 p.m., with a long ribbon of fire forming near the top of a ridge.
The exact cause of the wind-fed forest fire is not yet known, but the size of the blaze is quite large, they added. [Yonhap]
You can read more at the link.
Kazakh Leaps to Death from New Flyover Park https://t.co/pFBQI7HOBq pic.twitter.com/szMLP3i8pM
— The Chosun Ilbo (@EnglishChosun) May 31, 2017
