Today's MEARI โฐ1-Minute Newsโฐ
1. Cybersecurity alert hits defense and shipbuilding sectors ahead of election ๐จ
2. Former President Yoon Suk-yeol Leaves People Power Party โ๏ธ
3. 45th Anniversary of the May 18th Democratization Movement Marked in Gwangju ๐ฐ๐ท
Brazilian Chicken Ban Triggers Supply Worries in Korea๐
MAY's Korean Picks #3 You Donโt Need a Plan โ Just Walk Through Haenggung-dong ๐ถโโ๏ธโโก๏ธ
Korean Dictionary: ์์น๋ฏธ [Sichimi] ๐ท๏ธ
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โฐ1-Minute Newsโฐ by Editor Narae๐๏ธ
Major Fire Erupts at Kumho Tire Factory in Gwangju ๐จ
On the morning of the 17th, a massive fire broke out at the Kumho Tire factory in Gwangjuโs Gwangsan District. The blaze caused part of the building to collapse, injuring two firefighters and one factory worker. Due to explosions and building collapses, firefighters had to retreat and fight the fire from outside. With 20 tons of raw rubber and toxic gas inside, the flames were difficult to control. It took over 31 hours to subdue the main fire, and emergency response was scaled down on the 18th.
More than 500 firefighters and 150 firefighting units, including 8 helicopters and 18 chemical trucks, were mobilized. The fire burned 50โ60% of Factory No. 2, causing a complete halt in operations. About 170 nearby residents were evacuated, and over 34,000 dust masks were distributed. Due to the nature of rubber materials, smoke and residue are expected to linger for several more days. ๐ซ๏ธ
Former President Yoon Suk-yeol Leaves People Power Party โ๏ธ Samsung Electronics has launched the worldโs first OLED gaming monitor with a 500Hz refresh rateโthe Odyssey OLED G6. With a 27-inch QD-OLED panel, ultra-fast 0.03ms response time, HDR10+ support, and glare reduction technology, itโs built for maximum gaming immersion. It also includes AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-SYNC compatibility to eliminate screen tearing in high-performance gameplay. The monitor will be released in Southeast Asian markets starting May 12. Samsung, a leader in gaming and OLED monitors, has topped the global OLED monitor market for two consecutive years.
45th Anniversary of the May 18th Democratization Movement Marked in Gwangju ๐ฐ๐ท
The 45th anniversary ceremony of the May 18th Democratization Movement was held on the morning of May 18 at the National May 18 Cemetery in Gwangju. Under the theme โTogether, We Write May,โ around 2,500 attendeesโincluding bereaved families, students, government officials, and political figuresโjoined the event.
Due to the presidential vacancy and absence of a prime minister, Deputy Prime Minister Lee Ju-ho delivered the commemorative address. He emphasized national unity but did not mention including the May 18 spirit in the preamble of the Constitution.
The ceremony featured a performance about Moon Jae-hak, the real-life figure behind Han Kangโs Human Acts, and a tribute to Yoon Sang-won, a fallen spokesman for the civil militia during the uprising. A commemorative video also showcased the route of Bus 518, which stops at over 70 historical sites related to the movement. Presidential candidates and leaders from various political parties joined in, highlighting a rare moment of unity.
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Brazilian Chicken Ban Triggers Supply Worries in Korea๐ by Editor Dodo๐ฆค
In May 2025, a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak was confirmed at a commercial poultry farm in Brazilโthe worldโs largest chicken exporter. In response, the South Korean government has banned all poultry imports from Brazil starting May 15, including not just chicken, but also eggs, chicks, and hatchery products. The ban follows Brazilโs official H5N1 confirmation and report to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
Hereโs why this matters: 88% of Koreaโs imported chicken came from Brazil last year, most of it in frozen form. These imports are mainly used in boneless chicken products, chicken snacks, fried chicken in convenience stores, and processed food at small restaurants. That means many budget-friendly chicken optionsโwhat some call โultra valueโ mealsโare now at risk of becoming more expensive or temporarily unavailable.
But donโt panic just yetโ83% of Koreaโs chicken supply is domestically produced, and major chains like bb.q, BHC, and Kyochon say they use 100% domestic chicken, so they wonโt be affected directly. Large supermarkets also say that most chilled chicken is locally sourced, and frozen Brazilian stock has been pre-stored to cushion short-term supply issues.
The concern, however, is what happens if the ban lasts for weeks or months. Businesses that rely heavily on Brazilian importsโespecially convenience stores, small chains, and frozen food manufacturersโmay soon face higher costs or sourcing challenges. Thereโs also the possibility that growing demand for domestic chicken could push prices higher across the board.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to hold an emergency meeting with industry leaders on May 19 to assess risks and discuss possible solutions, including alternative import sources like Thailand or the U.S.
In the meantime, how long cheap chicken stays on the menu might depend on how fast the supply chain adjusts.
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MAY's Korean Picks #3 You Donโt Need a Plan โ Just Walk Through Haenggung-dong๐ถโโ๏ธโโก๏ธ by Editor Puff โ๏ธ
Thereโs a neighborhood not too far from Seoul that makes you feel at ease the moment you arrive. Itโs Haenggung-dong in Suwon! ๐ค
These days, itโs known as a trending spot on social media, but when you actually visit, youโll find that it offers a much calmer, warmer atmosphere than youโd expect. Itโs the kind of place you can easily recommend to anyone.
Just like its name suggests, the heart of Haenggung-dong is Suwon Hwaseong Haenggung Palace. Once inside, youโll find peaceful traditional buildings arranged with care, surrounded by trees and stone walls that create a truly picturesque setting. ๐ณOn sunny days, that scenery feels even more special. ๐คญ After exploring the palace, itโs only natural to continue your walk along the fortress wall. If you head toward Seojangdae, youโll be rewarded with a sweeping view where the old and new parts of the city come together.
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Another reason people love Haenggung-dong is the charming alleys filled with cozy cafes and local shops.โ Each spot has its own unique vibeโso rather than just grabbing a drink and leaving, youโll want to linger and soak it all in. One of my favorite moments was sipping coffee on the terrace of a small two-story cafรฉ on a beautiful day. From the table, I could see the fortress wall in the distance, and watch people stroll by belowโit was the perfect kind of quiet. |
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As you keep walking, youโll also come across alleyways decorated with murals. Not just the artwork, but even the old signs and aged brick walls feel like part of a photo zone.๐ท Itโs a place where even the most ordinary corners have a bit of charm.
When you start to feel a little hungry, itโs a great idea to head over to Paldalmun Market, which is just nearby. From old-school fried chicken shops to tteokbokki, fish cakes, and twisted donuts, thereโs no shortage of nostalgic Korean snacks. On some days, grabbing a box of fried chicken and eating it at a nearby park might just be the best meal choice. ๐
And when evening comes, Haenggung-dong transforms once again. It shifts from its lively daytime mood to something quieter, softer. The lights come on gently, and the warmth of the place lingers in the night air.
Haenggung-dong isnโt really about seeing one โmust-visitโ attractionโitโs about walking slowly and letting the place unfold around you.
If youโve been looking for somewhere calm and full of character, consider spending a weekend afternoon strolling through Haenggung-dong. โบ๏ธ |
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Korean Dictionary by Editor Narae๐๏ธ
์์น๋ฏธ [Sichimi] ๐ท๏ธ
"Donโt play dumb!" โ Ever heard this kind of line in a Korean drama or from your Korean friends? Then youโve probably encountered the expression โ์์น๋ฏธ ๋ผ์ง ๋ง!โ The word sichimi might sound unfamiliar, but itโs a very Korean way of saying someone is pretending not to know something or acting innocent when theyโre clearly involved.
๐ Where does it come from? Back in the Joseon Dynasty, people who owned hunting falcons would attach a small tag called a sichimi to the birdโs leg to prove ownership. But if someone stole the falcon and removed the sichimi, they could pretend it was theirs. Thatโs how the phrase โto remove the sichimiโ (์์น๋ฏธ ๋ผ๋ค) came to mean deliberately pretending something has nothing to do with you โ even when it obviously does.
๐ฌ How it's used โWho ate my cookie?โ โNo idea.โ โCome on, donโt play sichimi! It was you!โ ๐ช โHe clearly likes me, but he always acts like nothingโs going on โ total sichimi behavior.โ ๐
๐ฏ The cultural flavor of โsichimiโ In Korean, โ์์น๋ฏธ ๋ผ๋คโ is used both seriously and playfully. Sure, it can describe someone hiding a mistake or pretending they donโt know something, but itโs also common in jokes among friends โ like teasing someone for acting too innocent. The word isnโt easy to translate directly, but it captures a uniquely Korean way of blending humor, subtlety, and social nuance in everyday speech.
And remember โ sichimi doesnโt just mean โpretending.โ Itโs about pulling it off with style, like nothing ever happened. That little smirk? Thatโs sichimi. ๐
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Korean Version & Useful Infos Below โฌ๏ธ |
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์ค๋์ ๋ฉ์๋ฆฌ ์์ฝ โฐ1๋ถ ๋ด์คโฐ
1. ๊ด์ฃผ ๊ธํธํ์ด์ด ๊ณต์ฅ ๋ํ ํ์ฌโฆ๊ณต์ฅ ๊ฐ๋ ์ ๋ฉด ์ค๋จ ๐จ
2. ์ค์์ด ์ ๋ํต๋ น, ๊ตญ๋ฏผ์ํ ํ๋น ์ ์ธ โ๏ธ
3. ์ 45์ฃผ๋
5ยท18 ๋ฏผ์ฃผํ์ด๋ ๊ธฐ๋
์, ๊ด์ฃผ์์ ๊ฐ์ต ๐ฐ๐ท
๋ธ๋ผ์ง ๋ญ๊ณ ๊ธฐ ์์
์ค๋จโฆ์นํจ ๊ฐ๊ฒฉ๋ ๋ ๊ฐ์ง?๐
5์์ ์ถ์ฒ #3 ๊ทธ๋ฅ ๊ฑท๊ธฐ๋ง ํด๋ ์ข์ ๋๋ค, ์์ ํ๊ถ๋ ๐ถโโ๏ธโโก๏ธ
ํ๊ตญ์ด ์ฌ์ : ์์น๋ฏธ [Sichimi] ๐ท๏ธ
์ ํ, ์ทจ์
์ ๋ณด |
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