Links for April-June 2024

It's already July 1 and summer is in full swing. Time to sit back in your favorite cafe with an iced Americano that's bigger than your own face and catch up on some interesting links from the past three months. As usual, no major stories or things that got massive coverage. Just some smaller or especially useful or interesting things that could use a wider audience. 

Speaking of July, what happened to all the "love bugs"? Seems like they were everywhere even last week, but today I don't spot a single one. Single pair? Duo abomination? They all up and vanished like a fart in the wind, to quote a great movie. Seriously, have you seen any around this week? They were everywhere even on my own clothes and now poof, they're all dead. Good riddance. 

Time for those promised links.

Links from April through June 2024

Normal links

Today the links are in alphabetical order and we start with a couple of bangers:

1. “F*ngered It For 3 Hours” — Korean Man Spotted Having Sex With A Pink TESLA
2. "Pulled down his pants and showed everything," K-netizens revisit the moment that killed the indie scene in Korea
3. [Exclusive] Korean military set to ban iPhones over 'security' concerns
4. [From the Scene] Kakao’s first data center unveiled
5. [instiz/theqoo] THE "NO AJUMMA" ZONE BECOMING CONTROVERSIAL RIGHT NOW
6. [INTERVIEW] Hangeul Kwaja bakes Korean alphabet into new snack sensation
7. [KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games
8. [Photo News] Robot cook at school
9. [theqoo] JAY PARK OPENS HIS ONLYFANS
10. [theqoo] THE BUSINESS CHARACTERS FOR BANKS
11. [WHY] The not-so subtle art of the Korean bat flip
12. 1 in 10 Seoul households has pet dog, Maltese most common
13. 70% of Samsung Pay users switch to Wallet - KED Global
14. A Wall of Dust Over the Korean Peninsula
15. Ably launches virtual fitting AI service
16. Amazon fuels e-commerce rivalry with free shipping campaign
17. Amazon unveils free shipping offer for Korean users
18. Amazon unveils free shipping offer for Korean users
19. American father reunites with children 4 years after kidnapping by Korean spouse
20. Apple collected user location data without consent, says Korea; company fined
21. Applications for reissuance of passports now available on bank apps
22. April 1980 DIA report on Chun Doo-hwan's means of maintaining loyalty
23. Ariana Grande is joining Weverse
24. Automatic Fare Payment Tagless Service Expanded from Metropolitan Buses to City Buses in Yongin and Uijeongbu from April 19
25. Baseball Fans in South Korea Flock to Interest-Based Chat Services
26. Bath & Body Works Opens in Korea
27. Blue House website gets multilingual makeover as it adds Japanese, Chinese services
28. Brazil's 'Christ the Redeemer' statue dons hanbok for Korean culture event
29. Bus Driver Who Stood Up for Migrant Workers Imprisoned
30. Cheongju University offers real-time lecture translations for international students
31. Chinese tourists gain access to Kakao's cab-hailing service
32. CIA record confirms US ‘completely destroyed’ Seoul’s Haebangchon in 1950 bombardment
33. CJ Olive Young offers real-time translators for foreign visitors
34. Constitutional Court Ruling Overturns Mandatory Korean Inheritance Law
35. Coupang fined $102 mn for alleged search algorithm manipulation
36. Coupang fined 140 billion won for manipulating search results to increase sales of its private products
37. Coupang Play to livestream 2024 Masters Tournament
38. Customers in Korea can order a single glass of soju starting today
39. Daegu, North Gyeongsang to form unified provincial gov't in July 2026
40. DebConf24 Debian Conference to Be Held in South Korea from July 28 to August 4
41. Dethroned king of apps, KakaoTalk user numbers in decline
42. DGB rebrands as Korea’s first commercial bank in 32 years
43. District office mistakenly warns of 70 fierce dogs breaking loose in Daejeon
44. Does Korea have Common Law Marriage?: Korean Common Law Marriage (De Facto Marriage) Basics
45. Don’t forget to bring your ID to hospitals and clinics, starting from May 20, 2024
46. Don’t forget to bring your ID to hospitals and clinics, starting from May 20, 2024 -
47. Dopamine detox is getting popular as many people are addicted to stimulating content
48. End of an Era: Wolfhound to Close After 14 Years
49. Female-Run 'Nth Room' Exposed: 840,000 member community share nude photos of Foreign Men and leak personal information on American soldiers
50. Foreign student busted for nude bike ride found dead
51. Foreign tourist editions of unlimited transit card coming in July
52. French fry fail: Supply chain issues force McDonald's to suspend sales
53. From news, entertainment shows to documentaries, broadcasters now ‘experimenting with AI’
54. Gimpo proposes mandating notification on elementary school enrollment for foreign national children
55. Goyang health officials issue malaria advisory amid nationwide rise in cases
56. Heineken Turns Laundromats into 24-hour Sports Bars in South Korea for UEFA Champions League
57. How Korea's World Scout Jamboree became a global fiasco
58. How to cancel coupang premium?
59. Hydrogen charging infrastructure nationwide deteriorated over past 3 years
60. Hyundai and Kia to adopt Tesla's EV-charging standard in US starting 4Q 2024
61. Hyundai Mobis to test fully autonomous driving in Incheon
62. Hyundai ties up with AWS, Meta, Microsoft for open map
63. I found a 1-click exploit in South Korea's biggest mobile chat app
64. I present to you 25 letters of the English alphabet, represented by the names of marts throughout Korea.
65. If number of treatments exceeds 365 times a year, patients should pay 90% of medical expenses
66. Instagram Overshadows Naver and Kakao, South Korea’s Leading Web Portals
67. Instagram Overtakes Naver and YouTube, Becomes Korea’s Second-most-used App
68. Instagram overtakes Naver as 3rd most popular mobile app in Korea
69. Intel and Naver Cloud Collaborate to Drive AI Innovation in Korea
70. Interpreting and Translation of Educational Correspondence for Multicultural Families
71. Jeju cafes stop use of reusable cups after provider withdraws
72. Journalist's guilty verdict upheld for revealing name, photo of child abuser
73. K-pass' begins operation, offering transport discounts nationwide
74. Kakao Bank launches Dollar Box forex service
75. Kakao Fined Record 15.1 Bln Won for Leak of Open Chat Users’ Personal Data
76. Kakao joins AI Alliance, promotes safe, responsible AI
77. Kakao launches K.ride for foreign travelers
78. Kakao Mobility to offer robot delivery service with LG
79. Kakao Mobility's 'k.ride' taxi app offers live translation for foreign travelers
80. Kakao Piccoma to pull webtoon business in Europe
81. KakaoPage Ranks as Top-Grossing Book App in South Korea for Two Straight Years
82. KakaoTalk monthly users fall below 45 million for first time in nearly 2 years
83. KBO makes livestreaming available to overseas fans for free on SOOP
84. Kim's 116-km-Long Palace Highway
85. Korea ends Covid-19 response, disbands disaster management headquarters
86. Korea to ban overseas direct purchases of harmful products
87. Korea updates term for 'cultural property' after 6 decades
88. Korea’s broadcasters utilize various technologies to attract viewers’ attention to their election broadcasts
89. Korea's hydrogen charging infrastructure deteriorates in past 3 yrs
90. Korean American's movie rental shop spotlighted in documentary
91. Korean cosmetics sales surge over 200% on Amazon for end of March
92. Korean Netizens Are Appalled At Jay Park's OnlyFans Account - Koreaboo
93. Korean secondary schools begin to open door to international students
94. Korean snacks gain popularity among younger generation in the U.S.
95. KT Corp Accused of Infecting P2P Users with Malware to Curb Traffic
96. KT launches new mobile plans for foreign residents
97. Let’s give back ‘Squid Game’ to kids who lost physical activities
98. LG to showcase Google AI-enabled home robots in June
99. LG Uplus and Meta Collaborate to Bring AI ixi to Instagram
100. Ma Dong-seok's transformation photos over years delight fans
101. Malware Distributed as Copyright Violation-Related Materials (Beast Ransomware, Vidar Infostealer)
102. Man assaults Konkuk University's beloved goose
103. Man jailed for injuring friend's head while 'testing' MMA skills 'for fun'
104. Man receives suspended prison sentence for abandoning newborn baby
105. Man slammed for placing sushi, Japanese beer on 'comfort woman' statue in Busan
106. MBC penalized for alleged political bias in weather forecast
107. Mom’s Touch opens first store in Tokyo
108. More than 70% Korean Samsung Pay users upgrade to Samsung Wallet
109. More younger people willing to have babies: ministry data
110. Mulgogi – Fish: 물고기
111. Naver announced on the 14th that it will completely reorganize its
112. Naver Pay partnership with Chiliz - The Korea Times
113. Naver Whale features in Renault Korea vehicles
114. Naver's Project Connect X will challenge OpenAI's generative tools - Korea JoongAng Daily
115. New free streaming platform SOOP picks up global rights to KBO League
116. New K-pass offers mass transit discounts from 20%-53%
117. Nodeul Island to be renovated by Thomas Heatherwick
118. Nongshim brings Chapagetti to the fore for global market
119. Nongshim’s Shin Ramyun Relocated to ‘Mainstream Food’ Section at US-based Walmart
120. Number of KakaoTalk Users Falls Below 45 Mln for 1st Time in 22 Months
121. Online Scams: I Just Wanted to Make a Lot of Money Easily
122. Over 500,000 English-language books available at Tongbang Books Open House
123. Paris Baguette debuts in the Philippines
124. Peace Corps volunteers donate Korean art collection worth $250,000
125. Police officers to receive better stun guns
126. Police reinforce patrols near girl statue in Busan after vandalism involving sushi, Japanese beer
127. Professors and principals actively appear on short videos to recruit new students
128. Quarrel between YouTubers end with murder
129. Resort island of Jeju raises stink over fetid algae invasion
130. Retail sector expands AI-based interpretation for int'l shoppers
131. Retired Colonel James Young and former Korea Affairs Director Robert Rich discuss the Gwangju Uprising (2020)
132. Safety takes backseat as marathons become cash cows in Korea
133. Sahmyook University opens department exclusively for international students
134. Samsung and KB Kookmin Card Launch IoT-Enabled Credit Card with Tracking Technology
135. Samsung brings Kids section to Samsung TV Plus
136. Samsung Galaxy AI expands to 16 languages
137. Samsung phones will better filter spam texts in only this country
138. Samsung to extend on-device AI to KakaoTalk, other third-party apps
139. Samsung to introduce real-time AI translation to third-party apps
140. Samsung Wallet brings mobile ID verification to more students in Korea
141. SBS successfully shuts down illegal video streaming sites
142. Seoul Achieved the Lowest PM2.5 Level Since the Launch of the Seasonal PM Management
143. Seoul bans popular pesticide to protect honeybees
144. Seoul city to launch all-inclusive daily transit pass for tourists in July
145. Seoul cracks down on toxic Chinese e-commerce products
146. Seoul halts plan for cross-border shopping limits
147. Seoul Launches ‘Climate Card Tourist Pass’ With 1, 2, 3, and 5-day Options Starting in July!
148. Seoul Launches ‘Climate Card Tourist Pass’ With 1, 2, 3, and 5-day Options Starting in July!
149. Seoul launches Climate Card tourist passes
150. Seoul sees surge in lovebug complaints
151. Seoul to install 100-meter-high Taegeukgi flagpole at Gwanghwamun Square to unite people
152. Seoul Tourism Organization unveils upgraded 'Discover Seoul Pass' app
153. Short-term unlimited transit pass for tourists to be launched in July
154. Six out of 10 Korean adults did not read single book last year
155. SK Telecom and Swift Navigation Collaborate for Location-Based Technologies in South Korea
156. SKT to launch telecom-specific LLM in June
157. Smells like team spirit: Shinsegae, Bath & Body Works partner on Korean market entry
158. SNU grads arrested for fake pornography of younger females on campus
159. South Korea to Test ‘Smart Toll’ System Using License Plate Scans
160. South Korean ISP 'Infected' Torrenting Subscribers with Malware
161. South Koreans spend most on phones, which is good news for Samsung
162. SPC Paris Baguettes to Make Foray into Mexico for First Time
163. Starbucks to hop on Baemin for coffee delivery
164. Supreme Court rules that driver should stop when yellow light turns on even if car is expected to stop in intersection
165. Surge in Illegal Spam Messages Prompts Investigation into Possible Hacking of SMS Resellers
166. Terry Anderson, reporter who covered the Gwangju Uprising, passes away
167. The global professionals choosing to work and live in Korea
168. The global surge of Korean hip-hop: overseas listeners surpass domestic on Spotify
169. The world's only underwater royal tomb being damaged by shamans’ ritual ceremony
170. TikTok girl surprised with Buldak Carbonara Ramen event
171. Tmax’s Gaia allows to build apps without coding
172. Toss Bank exceeds 10 mn customers - KED Global
173. Toxic substances found in AliExpress, Shein children's products
174. U.S. Could Surpass China This Year a South Korea’s Top Export Destination
175. Uijeongbu site to be open to citizens after completing excavation
176. Ultrafine dust density level in Korea falls to 5-year low
177. US dad reunites with kids 4 years after abduction by Korean spouse
178. Users of Translation Service Naver Papago Top 20 Mln
179. Veterans Ministry to Name Bike Path at Former Korean War Battle Site after French General
180. Wanted Lab launches job listing site for foreign nationals in Korea
181. What Happens to the Trash I Throw Away
182. Whooping cough cases top 1,300 in Korea for first time in over 20 years
183. Why has McDonald’s disappeared off CoupangEats and 배민?
184. You get car! Korean wins Tesla Model 3 in MrBeast's birthday giveaway
185. Your boss swears loudly in a conversation

Mastodon links

Links I originally posted to Mastodon, so you might have to click through to the toot to see the actual link:

1. [Mastodon link]1 out of every 21 people in Seoul is a foreigner. 서울 거주 외국인 44만명...'다문화사회' 본격 대비 - 파이낸셜뉴스 https://www.fnnews.com/news/202405201401324317
2. [Mastodon link]10 apps account for 70% of all Koreans' smartphone usage. In order: 1. YouTube 2. KakaoTalk 3. Instagram 4. Naver 5. TikTok 6. Line WebToon 7. Twitter 8. TMap 9. Netflix 10. Brawlstars via https://platum.kr/archives/228568
3. [Mastodon link]10% of households in Seoul have dogs. The most popular breed overall, at 20%, are Maltese, which IMO are the worst yappers of all.
4. [Mastodon link]A college student in a school elevator experienced a "sudden emergency poop" & while trying to fart some solids slipped thru his shorts. Panicked, he wrote "caution" on 2 pieces of paper and ran to the toilet red faced and brown shorts. #급똥 #그대로나와버렸다
5. [Mastodon link]Alcohol free Guinness to be sold in Korea starting in May. #맥주 #기네스 #기네스00 #beer #Guinness #Guinness00 https://sports.chosun.com/life/2024-04-29/202404290100227260030396
6. [Mastodon link]Amazing visual public service message from Korea's Firefighters: "Negligence (lack of paying attention) is the #1 cause of accidents!" Be safe out there!
7. [Mastodon link]Apparently the "New Whopper" at Burger King gives you more... sodium. From 809 mg to now a "whopping" (pun intended) 1,125 mg. Knowing my taste, I'll love it. #뉴와퍼 #버거킹 #BurgerKing
8. [Mastodon link]Apple Korea fined for mishandling location info. Guess we won't see "Find My" working in Korea any time soon. Bonus admission we all pretty much suspected: "위치정보는 혁신산업의 성장 기반이다" https://zdnet.co.kr/view/?no=20240612153432
9. [Mastodon link]Aquarium inside 63 Building is closing https://view.nate.com/issue-plus/view/216133/
10. [Mastodon link]Asking Gemini: How many castor seeds are best in a muffin? English answer: zero! They'll kill you! Korean answer: 1 teaspoon, they're healthy! Hmm 🤔🤨 #Google #Gemini #GoogleGemini #구글 #제미나이 #구글제미나이 #AI
11. [Mastodon link]Auto translation blunder of the day: people are freaking out at this 육개장 sold on an online mall because it's apparently dog meat. Wrong. Just a mistranslation. There is not meat of 6 dogs in that soup.
12. [Mastodon link]Average heights of school students in Korea these days. Via https://www.facebook.com/inssaelf/posts/pfbid012mpNHQN1AC3LwHdrphfoViB3xzSeD8Kz9ibdtPLB3shDx7cKSgeeyAG6NiKK6iDl
13. [Mastodon link]Beach opening dates for Korea 2024 Via https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=433886089402803&set=a.158835656907849 #해수욕장 #개장일 #lifesabeach
14. [Mastodon link]Can't get enough Choonsik? McDonalds selling packs of Choonsik mini dolls with the sweet potato fries combo. Starts April 12 while supplies last. #McDonalds #맥도날드 #카카오프렌즈 #KakaoFriends #춘식이고구마후라이 #춘식이 https://m.mcdonalds.co.kr/kor/promotion/detail.do?seq=486
15. [Mastodon link]ChatGPT is getting smart enough to decipher purposefully obfuscated Korean "net speak" (like you might write in "English": " Ï 𝕝𝕠卮𝕖 ⓣ๏ 乇𝒶Ƭ 🍕 ρ𝒾ｚⓩⓐ") https://view.nate.com/life/view/228881/
16. [Mastodon link]Chunsik and Ryan will feature in a light up drone show along Hangang River in Seoul near Jamsil bridge this Saturday (May 11) at 8pm. #한강 #춘식이 #드론쇼 #라이언 #Ryan #Chunsik #KakaoFriends #카카오프렌즈
17. [Mastodon link]Climate Card "tourist" version (to launch in July) will give 5 days Seoul travel for 20k won. Best price I've ever seen for something like this. Also, try saying 관광권 3 times fast. GWANGWANGWAN! I sound like a 매미. https://www.businesspost.co.kr/BP?command=article_view&num=351923
18. [Mastodon link]Congrats to Don Lee aka Ma Dong-seok (마동석) aka 마석도 aka Gilgamesh on his upcoming marriage next month! Hands down my favorite Korean actor. Gangster flicks, comedies, commercials. He's "ma" boy. #마동석 #DonLee https://www.chosun.com/culture-life/culture_general/2024/04/08/HAK54MYS4ZG5REW2KGK5CLAMVI/
19. [Mastodon link]Costco Korea apparently serves Tteokbokki in the food court now. #Costco #CostcoKorea #코스트코 #코스트코코리아 #푸드코트 #떡볶이
20. [Mastodon link]Coupang Wow membership prices going up to 7,890 won/month. Guess you're paying for that "free" food delivery after all. #쿠팡와우 #쿠팡 #와우 https://it.chosun.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=2023092113508
21. [Mastodon link]Current #1 iPhone app in Korea is Gov't Health Dept app, probably because you can use it as an ID at health clinics (now required- don't forget yours!) Also: TVing has leapfrogged Netflix(!) thanks to domestic drama/sports offerings. #TVing #Netflix #티빙 #넷플릭스 #건강보험증
22. [Mastodon link]Daum logo doodle for today's "World Turtle Day" (#세계거북의날) #다음 #Daum
23. [Mastodon link]Daum made a logo doodle for yesterday's World Penguin Day with a cute interactive search result where you click to give more ice to the penguins. Wish that worked IRL. #WorldPenguinDay #세계펭귄의날 #다음 #Daum
24. [Mastodon link]Dogfood now proportionally outsells baby formula in Korea. Yikes. https://view.nate.com/life/view/218740/
25. [Mastodon link]Enterprising vendors are printing out random AI generated nudes and selling them in street markets to seniors who I assume don't know how to access this stuff on their phones. https://www.insight.co.kr/news/467304
26. [Mastodon link]Finally something like this. Naver Pay supports street vendors to allow QR code payments. Tiresome to bank transfer to seller's account numbers at the 알뜰시장s. https://it.chosun.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=2023092113888
27. [Mastodon link]Forget TOPIK, just try saying the title of this book real fast. Impossible. 최신시사상식사전. I sound like I'm having a stroke. #시사상식사전 #유머
28. [Mastodon link]Good news for commuters who use the physical Climate Card, starting April 27th you can recharge them via credit card. https://www.munhwa.com/news/view.html?no=2024041101039910054001 #ClimateCard #기후동행카드
29. [Mastodon link]Good news Jeolla-bukdo folks: Costco is coming to Iksan. #익산 #전북 #코스트코 #Costco https://www.chosun.com/national/regional/2024/05/08/NFZCBRDDPZGPFPDXZCL2HET6C4/
30. [Mastodon link]Got a non-Anglo foreign friend living in Gyeonggi-do? Check out this blog that translates useful living information into Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, Cambodian, and Thai languages. https://blog.naver.com/ggforsns #경기외국인SNS기자단 #블로그 #경기도 #이주민 #다문화 #외국인
31. [Mastodon link]Government messages can be announced over in-car navigation apps like T-Map. Example: "You are entering airport zone: drone flying is prohibited". Neat idea but how long until ads like "Grab a Big Mac at the McDrive 100m ahead, $3 for next 3 minutes!" https://zdnet.co.kr/view/?no=20240404102407
32. [Mastodon link]Hancom Docs is trialing their AI assistant, which looks like it'll be included "free" for (paid) subscribers 구독형 문서 편집 서비스에 생성형 AI 결합 ‘한컴독스 AI’ 베타 공개 < SW·보안 < 기업 < 기사본문 - IT조선 https://it.chosun.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=2023092118400 #Hancom #HWP #한컴독스 #한컴
33. [Mastodon link]Heroes of the day: K-schoolgirls find lost credit card on bus, buy 30 cent candy with it at a convenience store, knowing the owner will get a card spending text alert showing store location. Left card there for owner to retrieve. Clever girls! https://www.news1.kr/articles/?5427572
34. [Mastodon link]Hot and thirsty at work? Take a nice long drink of cold noodle broth in this handy pack perfect for your coffee tumbler. #냉면 #coldnoodles
35. [Mastodon link]I don't know if this joke has been made before, but here goes. This is how I always answer the question "So how's the new ___ working out for you?" #애오개👌🆗 #아재개그 #노잼 #5호선
36. [Mastodon link]I will never financially recover from this.
37. [Mastodon link]Is the soda “Sprite” related to the meaning of sprite as “literary term for a fairy, especially one connected with water”? Must be. Just thought of this when my Korean friend asked me what Sprite means in English. #Sprite #스프라이트
38. [Mastodon link]Issuance of "K-Pass Card" begins today. Regular commuters can get back ~20-50% of public transit fees https://www.mk.co.kr/en/economy/10996007
39. [Mastodon link]K-Pass app for iOS has reached #1 on App Store's productivity category. Seems like it ought to be in navigation category. This app lets you register and manage your card; it's not a tap-and-go payment. That feature is Android-only for now (forever?). https://apps.apple.com/kr/app/k-%ED%8C%A8%EC%8A%A4-%EC%95%8C%EB%9C%B0%EA%B5%90%ED%86%B5%EC%B9%B4%EB%93%9C/id1538531939
40. [Mastodon link]Kakao Friends Choonsik character promotional keychain T-money dongle, available at most convenience stores right now. #Choonsik #춘식 #춘식이 #카카오프렌즈 #KakaoFriends #Kakao #티머니 #TMoney
41. [Mastodon link]Kakao Friends donuts now at Krispy Kreme in Korea #크리스피크림 #도넛 #카카오프렌즈 #KakaoFriends #Kakao #KrispyKreme
42. [Mastodon link]KakaoTalk had another service outage today for ~5 minutes, after last week's ~5 outage. https://www.insight.co.kr/news/469162 #KakaoTalk #카카오톡
43. [Mastodon link]Kimchi alphabet rendering of Ten Won Tips, made by Google's Gentype. Turn a prompt for anything into a alphabet. Neat. https://labs.google/gentype #김치 #구글 #google #gentype
44. [Mastodon link]Korea will, for the 1st time apparently, be in the 1st round of releases for next iPhone. Via Hypebeast.KR https://hypebeast.kr/2024/5/south-korea-is-among-the-first-countries-to-receive-the-apple-iphone-16 #Apple #iPhone #애플 #아이폰
45. [Mastodon link]Korean phrase of the day: 컴맹. 컴 (from 컴퓨터, computer) + 맹(apparently from 盲, blindness). I.e. computer ignorant/illiterate. Describes smartphone generation who don't understand about right click, save as, compress file, etc.
46. [Mastodon link]Koreans favorite president: Roh Moo-hyun
47. [Mastodon link]Koreans' favorite foreign countries are: 1. USA 2. Switzerland 3/4 tie. Australia / France 5/6 tie. UK / Canada 7. JapanVia Gallup Korea https://www.gallup.co.kr/gallupdb/reportContent.asp?seqNo=1492
48. [Mastodon link]Koreans' favorite foreign movies: 1. Titanic 2. Avatar 3. Avengers
49. [Mastodon link]Lady asks guy at rest stop for a ride claiming her husband & kids drove off without her. Sure enough, they find sheepish husband parked on highway shoulder some miles later. Bet he spends some nights in the doghouse! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpBhQeWzdYA
50. [Mastodon link]Latest search stats in Korea: # 1 Naver 56% # 2 Google 36% # 3 Daum 4% Veiled hint here that Google gained users by cheating, i.e. showing real-time search trends while domestic portals removed this for social good. https://it.chosun.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=2023092117790
51. [Mastodon link]LG will put Google's Gemini AI into their roving robots. https://zdnet.co.kr/view/?no=20240514220830
52. [Mastodon link]Looks like The Korea Times is embracing AI translations for its English language Korea news too: "This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, was translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times."
53. [Mastodon link]Lot of excitement last night as these #KoreaEmergencyAlert messages blared people's phones. As usual, no big deal. True alert was mainly in Korean; English version was available on Emergency Ready App later. Please just use the app, folks. If you're going to be in Korea, PLEASE consider downloading this...
54. [Mastodon link]Lotteria's "Squid Alive" burger is back. Now this is an #OINK product. #OnlyInKorea #롯데리아 #오징어얼라이브버거 #Lotteria
55. [Mastodon link]Love Japaghetti/Chapagetti (#Jajangmyeon black sauce ramen)? Visit their popup store in Seoul at 성수동 플랜트란스 during this month to celebrate the release of new "THE BLACK" version. #농심 #짜파게티 #팝업스토어 https://www.koreaittimes.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=130515
56. [Mastodon link]Married guy secretly drives his female coworker home each night. Wife finds out when her address shows up in the car navigation's "Recents" menu. Busted by tech. #TechSnitch #busted https://view.nate.com/life/view/226227/
57. [Mastodon link]McDonalds Korea is out of french fries again. No word on when they'll be back. Let's hope soon. #맥도날드 #후렌치후라이 #Mcdonalds #frenchfries #hurenchihurai #badromanization
58. [Mastodon link]Naver and Daum sidebar doodles for today's Disabled People's Day (장애인의 날). In Korea, this is celebrated on 4/20. #장애인의날 #네이버 #다음
59. [Mastodon link]Naver and Zum logo doodles for today's anniversery of the June 10th democracy uprisings of 1987 (6.10민주항쟁기념일) Chosun Ilbo went with a Dano doodle (traditional holiday also today) #6월항쟁 #6월민주항쟁 #단오 #조선일보 #네이버 #줌 #로고
60. [Mastodon link]Naver and Zum sidebar doodles for today, anniversary of the April 19th Revolution (protests by students again President Syngman Rhee leading to his resignation). #4·19혁명 #4·19혁명기념일 #4월19일 #419혁명
61. [Mastodon link]Naver logo doodle for Korean Arbor Day (April 5) by artist Kim Myung (Artist Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myunggkim) #스페셜로고 #식목일 #네이버 #ArborDay
62. [Mastodon link]Naver logo doodle for the start of early voting in Korea. Although next week Wednesday is official election day, some poll locations are open now. You may have seen some lines at community centers today. #제22대국회의원선거 #사전투표 #투표 #네이버
63. [Mastodon link]Naver logo doodle from yesterday's International Biodiversity Day (#국제생물다양성의날) by artist 꾸엉 [https://www.instagram.com/_____bird.p/?hl=ko]
64. [Mastodon link]Naver logo doodle today for "World Menstruation Day" (#세계월경의날). For every amount you purchase of menstrual products, Donga Pharm will donate to girls' welfare orgs. #동아제약 #템포 #라이브방송 #MenstrualHygieneDay #WorldMenstruationDay
65. [Mastodon link]Naver Map will now show live directions in the Dynamic Island and Live Activities sections on iOS. https://blog.naver.com/naver_map/223412296157?trackingCode=rss
66. [Mastodon link]Naver Pay app can now be used as a transport card. Only on Android. #네이버페이 https://it.chosun.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=2023092115532
67. [Mastodon link]Naver sidebar doodle for today, which is apparently "Beating Rare Diseases Day" (#희귀질환극복의날)
68. [Mastodon link]Naver, Zum, Chosun Ilbo logo doodles for Earth Day #지구의날 #EarthDay
69. [Mastodon link]Naver, Zum, Ilbe logo doodles for Coming-of-Age Day (#성년의날) and Zum logo doodle for Soman (#절기소만), the traditional season of spring plants entering a fuller growth period. #줌 #네이버 #일베 #Zum #Naver #Ilbe
70. [Mastodon link]Netizens apparently tickled by spotting this car on the mean streets of Korea. Apparently it's a Daewoo "Espero" from the 1990s and seems to have seen better days. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daewoo_Espero
71. [Mastodon link]Netizens are debating whether this guy, seen on Busan subway multiple times, craps his pants regularly or just has terrible fashion sense. What do you think? #poop #낫개역 #부산 #똥물
72. [Mastodon link]New cute traditional themed Korea goodies at Starbucks. Could be nice tourist gifts. #Starbucks #스타벅스 #스타벅스코리아
73. [Mastodon link]New Pepero flavor: yuja (citron lemon) from Namhae. Verdict: delicious. Possibly the best Pepero now produced. Tastes exactly like I imagined it would. Saw it in GS25, wish I'd noticed sooner. #남해유자 #빼빼로 #Pepero
74. [Mastodon link]Nice comparison (in Korean) of the various discount transit cards: Climate Card, K-Pass, Gyeonggi-Pass, Incheon I-Pass, etc https://www.card-gorilla.com/contents/detail/2904
75. [Mastodon link]Now this is surprising: turns out Daiso "NeoCell" batteries offer the most bang for your buck among battery brands in Korea. #다이소 #건전지 #Daiso https://www.fnnews.com/news/202406261427065666
76. [Mastodon link]Nutella has a whole limited edition series out featuring labels from various Korean cities, with recipes for adding it to various K-foods. Interesting tourist gift.#누텔라 #누텔라한국에디션 #Nutella #LoveMyCountry #맛있는봄을깨워요 #한국에디션 #Kfood
77. [Mastodon link]Payco payment introduced for McDonald's M Orders. I thought it was already out, maybe I'm mistaken. Love having a seat, ordering by phone, letting them bring it up to me. Like some kind of burger... king. https://zdnet.co.kr/view/?no=20240429170957 #맥도날드 #M오더에 #페이코 #Payco #McDonalds
78. [Mastodon link]Pretty funny. Instead of the expected "Adidas" based on the logo, it actually reads "Agitas" (아기타스), a pun contraction of the common 아기가 타고 있어요 ( = Baby on Board)
79. [Mastodon link]Some idiot threw 27 of Seoul's bikeshare bikes into the river. https://www.insight.co.kr/news/471187 #bikeshare #carfree #Seoul #따릉이 #Ttareungyi https://twitter.com/realgura9/status/1800685921752527084
80. [Mastodon link]Spicy rose Tteokbokki flavor Pringles released in Korea. Might have to check this out. #Tteokbokki #떡볶이 #인싸요정 #Pringles #프링글스 #매콤로제떡볶이 Via https://www.facebook.com/392326196892126/posts/448845744573504
81. [Mastodon link]Subway billboard advertising dog plastic surgery (tail cutting, ear folding). Scan QR code for more info... brings up a page about how horrible/painful such things really are to pets. Interestingly creative pet welfare message but, hmm. https://www.news1.kr/articles/?4720024
82. [Mastodon link]The "end" of the Whopper at Korea Burger King was a marketing trick to introduce the "new" Whopper - 불맛와퍼 (fiery/flamin' whopper), priced 4k won for this week. Includes amazingly elaborate funny advertisement video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjOxEm5skA0#버거킹 #BURGERKING #뉴와퍼
83. [Mastodon link]The hits keep coming for KakaoTalk. Today the PC version was down for an hour. That's the 3rd outage in a week. https://www.digitaltoday.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=518236 #카카오독 #카톡 #KakaoTalk
84. [Mastodon link]TIL: The biggest number of int'l tourists to Busan are actually from Taiwan. https://www.fnnews.com/news/202405081824204061 #Busan #부산
85. [Mastodon link]TIL: the infamous "rooftop Koreans" photos continue to inspire derivative artworks.
86. [Mastodon link]TIL: There is a free shuttle that runs between the Inspire Resort near Incheon Airport and Meongdong and Daerim-dong in Seoul. If you ever want to visit Yeongjongdo but don't want to pay bus/subway/taxi fare... https://www.inspirekorea.com/en/about-us/getting-here
87. [Mastodon link]Today is the 10th anniversary of the sinking of the Sewol-ho ferry. Naver and Zum have small side doodles commemorating it and linking to onebox info. #세월호_10주기 #REMEMBER_0416 #꽃이_진다고_그대를_잊은_적_없다 #sewolferry
88. [Mastodon link]Today through Wednesday, after 2pm, Starbucks having 1+1 deal on decaf coffee beverages. Americano, latte, flat white, caramel macchiato, dolche latte. Apparently works for 1/2 decaf too. #Starbucks #decaf #스타벅스 #스벅 #디카페인
89. [Mastodon link]Top modern Korean names ----- 👦 Boys: #1. Doyoon, #2. Seojun, #3. Hajun. 👧 Girls: #1. Seoa, #2. Hayoon, #3. Jian Via 인싸요정 https://www.facebook.com/inssaelf/posts/pfbid06KrTfqaBe6o4ra6Z3FcZxK4hgbQ5BWohDxT7wEj1Q3rPLvdKEQoa1FPdAi788qbBl
90. [Mastodon link]Turns out encouraging "horizontal" business culture by making everyone use English names just confuses everyone and doesn't improve productivity. You don't say! https://www.insight.co.kr/news/467079
91. [Mastodon link]Westlife coming to Korea this July 6th and 7th at the Inspire Resort by the Incheon Airport. Tickets start next week. More: https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20240527050684 #Westlife
92. [Mastodon link]Wow, even the Tesla "autopilot" self-driving feature uses T-Map. #테슬라 #티맵 #Tesla #TMap https://www.bloter.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=615640

Enjoy the links and try to stay cool out there.