Podcasts about Seoul

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Portland, Oregon, is an epicenter of protests and the legal battle over President Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard. At the building, the Monitor finds both law enforcement and protesters grappling with security issues and free speech rights. Also: today's stories, including how one Seoul soup kitchen has been a reliable source of community for more than three decades, how Palestinians are reacting to a new proposed peace deal, and a look at several cases on LGBTQ+ rights that the Supreme Court will hear in its new term. Join the Monitor's Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news.

On living with modernity. Richard J Williams talks to Alex and George about his new book, The Expressway World and how cities have adapted to the infrastructural legacies of the mid-20th century. We talk about New York, London, São Paulo, Madrid, Glasgow and Seoul. Why do people hate expressways – and who actually loves them? What are Big Man cities? How do expressways bring together populism, authoritarianism, and capital? Why is the antidote to 20th century car-centricity always gentrified and sanitised public space? What are the class struggles that emerge over the expressway world? Is there a basic lie behind many "ecological" infrastructure projects? Links: The Expressway World, Richard J Williams, Polity Intersections, Owen Hatherley, Sidecar /113/ Globoville ft. Richard Williams

Want to work with us? Reach out! inquiries at milestomemories dot com Get an easy $200 from Melio for making your first payment! (Affiliate link. Terms below) https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/travelonpointsteam Episode Description On this episode of MTM Travel Shawn debriefs more from his Asia trip including his time in Seoul, visiting the Lotte Tower and his somewhat sad room at the Ibis Styles Seoul Gangnam (redeeming Accord points)! Other topics discussed include: what Amex FHR options look like post-credit boom, how to grab the Southwest Companion Pass for 2 years with just one card offer, a status match that was too good to be true, New Haven pizza and the tallest/longest bridges in the world. 0:00 Welcome to MTM Travel 1:40 Why New Haven pizza is the best in the world 5:20 Debriefing Seoul - 6th tallest building, Korean Disneyland and more 10:10 Ibis Styles Seoul Gangnam review - Redeeming Accor points! 13:44 What $80 gets you at an amazing Courtyard in China 17:27 How to get the Southwest Companion Pass with just one card 24:03 A status match that was “too good to be true” 29:01 Diving into the Amex FHR weeds - Higher prices & hard to find a “deal”? 35:52 The tallest and longest bridges in the world - Modern tourist sights! Links Melio Offer (affiliate link) - https://affiliates.meliopayments.com/travelonpointsteam Enjoying the podcast? Please consider leaving us a positive review on your favorite podcast platform! You can also connect with us anytime at podcast@milestomemories.com.  You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, or via RSS. Don't see your favorite podcast platform? Please let us know!

“I used to say, ‘I sure hope things will change, ' then I learned that the only way things are going to change for me is when I change." That's a quote from the wonderful Jim Rohn. A strong proponent of developing a plan for your life, and a part of that is creating a strong plan for the new year.  In this special episode, I'll walk you through the steps for the Annual Planning Season, which began on October 1st.  You can subscribe to this podcast on:  Podbean | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | TUNEIN   Links: Email Me | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Linkedin Join the Time And Life Mastery Programme here. Use the coupon code: codisgreat to get 50% off. Get Your Copy Of Your Time, Your Way: Time Well Managed, Life Well Lived The Time Sector System 5th Year Anniversary The Working With… Weekly Newsletter Carl Pullein Learning Centre Carl's YouTube Channel Carl Pullein Coaching Programmes Subscribe to my Substack  The Working With… Podcast Previous episodes page Script | 388 Hello, and welcome to episode 388 of the Your Time, Your Way Podcast. A podcast to answer all your questions about productivity, time management, self-development, and goal planning. My name is Carl Pullein, and I am your host of this show.  A mistake I used to make was to come up with some ideas about what I would like to change in the new year in that gap between Christmas and the New Year.  The only reason I ever did that was because my friends were asking, “What are your New Year's resolutions?” I never really had any, so I used to quickly think up some cool-sounding ideas and say that was what I was going to do.  And yet, it wasn't always like that.  When I was a competitive athlete in my teens, each year in December, I would sit down with my coach and plan what we would achieve the following year.  What times we were going for and which races were to be the “big ones”.  I still remember the year I broke 2 minutes for the 800 metres and 4 minutes for the 1,500 metres. We knew I was close, having ended the previous year at 2 minutes 3 seconds for the 800 and 4 minutes 6 seconds for the 1,500.  All that was needed was a good, strong winter and pre-season training. I remember going into 1986 in one of the most positive frames of mind ever.  Then, when I stopped running competitively—one of my biggest regrets—I stopped planning the year. And that coincided with my not achieving very much.  I drifted from one job to another. Had no idea what I wanted to do, and I remember feeling unfulfilled and lost.  Fortunately, I rediscovered annual planning. The sitting down and thinking about what I wanted to accomplish. It was that restart that resulted in me coming to Korea, and discovering my passion—teaching.  Everything I have achieved over the last 23 years can be traced back to following my annual planning method.  From finding a career I loved, to getting married and moving to the East Coast of Korea—one of the most beautiful places in the world—and starting the company I run today, now employing four people.  All of these ideas began with the annual planning method. So, what is the annual planning method? Well, it's five simple questions you ask yourself and give some thought to over two months—October and November.  Those five questions are: What would you like to change about yourself? What would you like to change about your lifestyle? What would you like to change about the way you work? What could you do to challenge yourself? What goals would you like to achieve?  Let me explain the kind of things you can think about. What would you like to change about yourself? This is about you. Your current habits and routines. Are these delivering the results you want?  When I sat down to write Your Time, Your Way, I knew I had to sacrifice some exercise time in order to write. I was okay with that, and I also knew a consequence of reducing my exercise time would be a gain in weight. Two years later, I had gained eight kilograms (about 17 ½ pounds)! Not good. If my weight exceeds 83 kilograms, I feel sluggish and quickly become tired.  So, in my planning last year, I made it a non-negotiable to get my weight back to my regular weight of 80 kilograms (about 176 pounds or 12 ½ stone)  Today, as I write this, my weight is 80.5 kgs. Well within my weight window.  That all started with asking myself, “What do I want to change about myself?” The answer was to get back into my regular exercise routine.  So, what would you like to change about yourself? Are you doing things that are not contributing to the results you want? Are you not consistently planning your days or weeks?  Are you not moving enough? Are you spending too much time sitting down in front of a screen and not enough time in nature?  Another one is how you dress. The pandemic saw a collapse in the way people dressed. This may not interest you, but perhaps you'd like to dress better when you go out. What could you do to improve your dress sense?  Maybe you'd like to begin journaling or meditation. Write anything you consider down. You're not committing to anything yet; you're brainstorming ideas. The commitments you make come in December. October and November are all about developing ideas and going deep.  The next question, “What do I want to change about my lifestyle?” Is about how you live your life every day. Is your house a mess? Do you leave your bed unmade when you get up in the morning? What about your car? Is it a garbage can on wheels?  Perhaps you'd like to come home to a clean home at the end of the day? If so, what could you do to change things? One idea that my wife and I had at the end of 2019 was to move to the East Coast of Korea. To do that, we knew we'd have to finally get a car. Living in Seoul, the capital city, with its superb public transport system, meant that having a car was not a high priority for us.  Yet, for us to get out of Seoul and live in a cleaner, quieter city, we needed to explore Korea. So, that became the plan: to buy a car and begin exploring possible places to live.  By the end of 2020, we had a car and moved to the East Coast.  That change brought some tremendously positive changes in our lives.  Yet, I know that had we not sat down to talk about our future plans, we'd still be living in a crowded, noisy, polluted city. Seoul is a great city, don't get me wrong, but with 11 million people sharing it, you can imagine how noisy and crowded it can be.  Is there anything you've always wanted to do relating to your lifestyle that you've never considered what you need to do to make happen? Write that down.  What would you like to change about the way you work? A great question if you've found yourself stuck in a job or career that leaves you feeling dead inside.  Some people I know have decided to completely change their careers when answering this question, while others have started their own businesses.  It doesn't have to be as dramatic as that, though. Perhaps you don't like the structure you have in place to do your work. It could be a tools thing, too. Do you need to upgrade the way you manage your tasks and projects? What about your workspace? Does it need an overhaul? I've done that a few times. Does your current workspace feel sterile and cold? Could you change your desk or your chair?  If you work from home, can you do anything to make your workspace more stimulating? Perhaps move your desk nearer a window or change the lighting?  All these ideas can lead to some fantastic changes. However, you do need time to think things through, and that's what October and November are for.  The fourth question is What can you do to challenge yourself? This question is there because often we get stuck in our comfort zones. We become afraid to change anything because we fear what those changes may bring. Yet, if you're not challenging yourself, you soon find yourself trapped in stagnation. Physical challenges are a great place to start. If you feel you've become a little too sedentary, perhaps you could challenge yourself to do a park run in March.  Or for those of you who are more ambitious, perhaps you could challenge yourself to do a triathlon or a full marathon in 2026.  What about going back to school and getting a degree? One such challenge that comes up each year on my list is to do a master's in contemporary British history. I'm sure it will be on my list this year, too.  Think of the things that frighten you. Is there anything you could do to overcome that fear?  The final question is What goals would you like to achieve in 2026?  There's a reason this is the final question. That's because after you've thought about the previous four questions, you're more likely to think about how you can measure success in the changes you want to make.  One such goal my wife and I have already added is to have a big savings goal in 2026. This will affect both our spending habits—no more fountain pen purchases for me (oh no!) We haven't settled on an amount yet, but we're thinking about it.  Perhaps you want to set the goal of getting a promotion next year or finally starting that business you've been thinking about for years.  Or it could simply be a bad habit that you want to stop. Doom scrolling, the new smoking bad habit, or going to bed earlier. What about reading books? How many would you like to read in 2026?  The purpose of these questions is to get you to think. Think about what you want out of life.  You are amazing, and there's so much you could do. Yet, you will only be able to do those incredible things if you externalise them and begin to think about how you could make them happen.  The best place to keep this list of questions is in a paper notebook. I used to do this digitally, but found I was too easily distracted when trying to write them out on my iPad or phone.  When I switched to writing these questions out in my Planning Book—an A4 notebook where I keep all my initial project plans, weekly planning sessions, and YouTube video plans—I found I thought more deeply and better.  But, if you prefer digital notes, then by all means use that.  Remember, now is not the time to make any firm commitments or even to think about how you will accomplish any of these things. Now is about idea generation.  Many of the things you write down may not be practical or realistic next year, but they may begin a chain of thought that leads you towards achieving them in future years.  That's why it's important to write your thoughts down in a place to return to next year. It's a starting block. I'm always amazed at what I accomplished when I review my previous years' notes on 1st October. And yes, occasionally disappointed that I didn't follow through with something.  The focus, though, is ultimately on 2026. What do you want to accomplish? Now, for those of you who have taken my Time And Life Mastery programme, October's a great time to retake it.  When I developed that course, my purpose was to create something you could return to each year to help stimulate ideas and remind you of what you want to do in your life.  I must confess, even though it's a course I created and wrote, I use October to go through it myself. It reminds me of my long-term vision of the life I want to live and refocuses me on my objectives.  If you haven't joined the programme yet, you can do so today. And if you use the coupon code “codingreat,” you'll get 50% off your purchase.  I'll leave the details in the show notes for you.  And there you go. That's how to plan out a fruitful, exciting year. Start now and begin thinking about what you want to change. Don't hold back either. Be as wild as you can be. You do not have to commit to anything right now. That's for December. All you are doing now is preparing the land, if you like. You can choose what to sow later.  And, one more thing… Have fun with this and talk with your partner and loved ones. I involve my wife because the lifestyle question involves both of us, and the things I want to change about myself can often be stimulated by asking her what she thinks. My wife can be brutally honest, frequently leading to some excellent changes.  Thank you for listening, and it just remains for me now to wish you all a very, very productive week.   

The Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters is a mega cultural phenomenon. And the studio that used to own animation, Disney, is watching its dominance be tested...and maybe even fade. This episode was produced by Denise Guerra and Danielle Hewitt, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King. A fan during a KPop Demon Hunters dance and singalong event in Seoul. Photo by Jintak Han/The Washington Post via Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at ⁠vox.com/today-explained-podcast.⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All aboard the Magical Culture Train — we're heading to Seoul, South Korea!

Send us a textKidnapping and abduction attempts are on the rise in Korea, with more than nine cases per week. We break down the numbers, the shocking cases from Seoul to Jeju, and the weak court responses that leave parents furious. From lures near schools to drug-laced drinks, we look at why this trend is growing and how authorities and families are responding. Starting at just $5/month, you can get a lot of extra content, including the following:Early episodesVideo podcastsBehind-the-scenes pre-ambles"Weird Tales from Korean Lore" - Folktales and ghost stories from folklorist Shawn Morrissey"Expats of the Wild East" - Stories of the oddest characters to land on Korea's tarmacs Korea's #1 ghost and dark history walking tour. Book at DarkSideOfSeoul.com Get your comic at DarkSideOfSeoul.comSupport the showJoin our Patreon to get more stuff https://patreon.com/darksideofseoul Book a tour of The Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk at https://darksideofseoul.com Pitch your idea here. https://www.darksideofseoul.com/expats-of-the-wild-east/ Credits Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey Music by Soraksan Top tier Patrons Angel EarlJoel BonominiDevon HiphnerGabi PalominoSteve MarshEva SikoraRon ChangMackenzie MooreHunter WinterCecilia Löfgren DumasJosephine RydbergDevin BuchananAshley WrightGeorge Irion Facebook Page | Instagram

Brent revisits some of his favorite conversations about street food around the world. There's the famous Arepa Lady in Jackson Heights, New York, the queen of street food in Palermo, Sicily, and delicious treats in the Chinatown neighborhood of Sydney, Australia. Plus, everything on a stick in Seoul, South Korea. [Ep 357] Show Notes: Destination Eat Drink foodie travel guides Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi Local Sauce Tours in Sydney Alternative Tours Palermo with Enrica Seoul Eats food tours

James Heenan, the representative of the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Seoul, joins the podcast this week to unpack the High Commissioner's new update on human rights in the DPRK — an effort to take stock of the situation in the country 11 years after the landmark U.N. Commission of Inquiry report. Several activists have argued that the update offers little in the way of new revelations and falls short by not naming key perpetrators. But Heenan contends that its value lies elsewhere: It is the most comprehensive trend analysis to date, built on 314 victim and witness testimonies gathered over the past decade and backed by dozens of U.N. documents. He outlines what the report has to say about North Korea's tightening system of repression — rooted in state ideology, codified punishments and forced labor — and weighs in on what meaningful public action looks like now. James Heenan is the representative for the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Seoul. He previously served as the head of the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in Palestine and has also worked in academia on labor rights issues and as a practicing lawyer in the U.K. and Australia. He last appeared on episode 325 of the NK News podcast.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

This week Jun and Daniel discuss the evolution of acquired tastes in food, turbulent political news from America, controversial tech updates, and a thought-provoking listener perspective on violence in Western vs. East Asian culture. Daniel shares his milestone of finally accepting sundae (Korean blood sausage) after years of trying, prompting a broader conversation about cilantro, kimchi, and how palates develop differently across cultures. The hosts then dive into heavy news topics including immigration enforcement affecting Korean nationals and the deeply polarizing assassination of Charlie Kirk. Jun analyzes recent tech updates from Apple's "liquid glass" iOS design to KakaoTalk's controversial Instagram-like interface changes, examining the concept of originality versus imitation. The episode concludes with a powerful listener message from Portugal about perceptions of violence in American society versus the emotional intimacy of East Asian media, sparking reflection on whether the global rise of K-content represents a cultural backlash against Western chaos.If you're interested in any of these questions, tune in to hear Daniel and Jun discuss all this and more!As a reminder, we publish our episodes bi-weekly from Seoul, South Korea. We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!Support the showWe hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!Support us on Patreon:https://patreon.com/user?u=99211862Follow us on socials: https://www.instagram.com/koreanamericanpodcast/https://twitter.com/korampodcasthttps://www.tiktok.com/@koreanamericanpodcastQuestions/Comments/Feedback? Email us at: koreanamericanpodcast@gmail.com Member of the iyagi media network

Click the post for details on this episode! Welcome back to Open House! Randy Seidman here, with another two hours of the grooviest beats. Amazing last month of September playing around the States, Dubai, Istanbul and Korea. Coming up at the end of this month, I'll be returning to Australia for six shows over two weekends around the country. Today's episode is a groovy one, including a portion of my recent set with TOKiMONSTA at Sound Nightclub in LA, followed by an exclusive session with the quickly rising House Music star out of Seoul, DJ Better. You can grab all past episodes and track lists from openhousepodcast.com, Soundcloud, or wherever you like to download your favorite podcasts. For now, turn it up. Randy Seidman's WebsiteRandy Seidman's SoundCloudRandy Seidman's BeatportRandy Seidman's SpotifyRandy Seidman's FacebookRandy Seidman's Twitter Randy Seidman's Track List:01. Deep Active Sound - Another Chords (Original Mix)02. Deep Active Sound - Gas (Original Mix)03. Ohmme - Little Helper 341-4 (Original Mix)04. Onur Ozman - There's No Shame (David Kassi Remix)05. James Dexter - Little Helper 133-5 (Original Mix)06. Aldo Cadiz - Oscar Barila - Offshare (Mihai Popoviciu Remix)07. Filip Fisher, Saulo Ferraro, Luthier - High Depth (Luthier Remix)08. Ohmme - Little Helper 341-1 (Original Mix)09. Luigi Rocca - Dogma (Original Mix)10. Anton Ishutin Leusin - Waves (D-Trax & Wallie Remix)11. Piemont - Jump Off (Hollen Remix)12. Sunar - Ashram (Original Mix)13. Luthier - Instinct (Original Mix)14. Abity - Move (Blood Groove & Kikis Remix)15. Mike Vale, Piem - Givin (Extended Mix)16. Paul Darey - Right Here (Original Mix)17. Mark Lower - Feel It In Our Bones (Original Mix)18. Mark Lower, Veselina Popova - Upside Down (Original Mix)19. Daniel Dash - Reality (Original Mix) (Original Mix)20. Peter Brown - Confused (Original Mix) I hope you enjoyed the first hour, some groovy warmup vibes from my recent show with TOKiMONStA at Sound Nightclub in LA. Up next is a special exclusive session with the dynamic House Music aficionada, DJ Better. I met this rising star when we played together at Casa Corona Rooftop in Seoul, and was impressed with her deep passion for quality mixing & track selection. She has graced the decks at some of the worlds most respected events including Savaya in Bali, Womb in Tokyo, and at Amsterdam Dance Event, but today she is here just for you. For the next hour, DJ Better is in the mix. DJ Better's InstagramDJ Better's YouTubeDJ Better's FacebookDJ Better's SoundCloud DJ Better's Track List:01.⁠ ⁠Andrew Meller – Godfather's Dance (Original Mix) [Saved Records]02.⁠ ⁠Donpe – Summer In The City (Original Mix) [Moonbootique]03.⁠ ⁠Sllash & Doppe – Pura Vida (Original Mix) [Boom Boom Room]04.⁠ ⁠KatrinKa – ABAF (Original Mix) [Chapter 24 Records]05.⁠ ⁠Ki Creighton, Makanan – Trivial (Original Mix) [elrow Music]06.⁠ ⁠Mayro – Chimi (Original Mix) [Traful]07.⁠ ⁠Mauri Fly – Red Tribal 2023 (Silvano Del Gado Remix) [Stereophonic]08.⁠ ⁠Roland Clark – I Get Deep (Roy Rosenfeld Extended Remix) [Get Physical Music]09.⁠ ⁠Diass – Sim Sala Bim (Original Mix) [Yulunga Music]10.⁠ ⁠Malone, Calussa – Besame (Original Mix) [Abracadabra Music]11.⁠ ⁠Massianello, Aaron Sevilla – Hipnotizame (Original Mix) [AFRODISE]12.⁠ ⁠Dan Tanev – Mumbai (Original Mix) [Sunset Gathering]13.⁠ ⁠Capirci, Dean Mickoski – Aleraya (Original Mix) [REDOLENT]14.⁠ ⁠Tony Romera, Crusy – The Unknown (Extended Mix) [Toolroom]15.⁠ ⁠Charlie Spot, Silver Ivanov – Fallin (Original Mix) [World Up Records]   Randy Seidman · Open House 248 w/Randy (with TOKiMONSTA at Sound, LA) + DJ Better

진행자: 최정윤, Tannith KrielSeoul to halt water bus services, switch to trial runs before reopening기사요약: 서울시, 계속되는 고장으로 운항 시작한지 열흘 만에 중단,10월 말까지 한강버스 시민 탑승을 중단하고 성능 고도화와 안정화를 위해 '무승객 시범운항'으로 전환하기로[1] Seoul city will suspend passenger services on its new waterborne public transportation system from Monday, just 10 days after its official launch, following a series of technical malfunctions.suspend: 유예하다, 중단하다waterborne: 물에 의해 운반되는malfunction: 기능 불량[2] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Sunday that the Hangang Bus will switch to trial runs from Monday until at least the end of October, aiming to enhance stability and safety for its passengers. Throughout the trial period, buses will run according to their timetables, but without passengers on board.trial: 실험, 시범timetable: 시간표[3] Billed as South Korea's first eco-friendly waterborne transportation system, Hangang Buses began official operations on Sept. 18. However, several disruptions have already been reported since the launch, including an electrical system fault on Sept. 22 and a rudder malfunction on Friday that forced an abrupt halt in operations.bill: ~을 ~로 묘사하다rudder: 배의 키, 항공기의 방향타abrupt: 돌연한, 갑작스러운[4] “The recent issues were minor technical and electrical errors that can occur during the optimization stage,” the city government said through its official statement on Sunday.minor: 가벼운, 별로 중요하지 않은, 심각하지 않은기사 원문: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10585153

Fluent Fiction - Korean: Love Blossoms Under Autumn Skies: A Seoul Story Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ko/episode/2025-10-01-22-34-02-ko Story Transcript:Ko: 서울의 가을은 아름다웠다.En: Autumn in Seoul was beautiful.Ko: 나무들은 붉은색과 노란색으로 물들고, 바람은 산뜻했다.En: The trees were painted in red and yellow hues, and the breeze was refreshing.Ko: 남산타워의 주위 풍경이 마치 그림 같았다.En: The scenery around Namsan Tower looked like a painting.Ko: 추석이라 가족들이 곳곳에 모여 놀고, 전통 음악이 가볍게 들렸다.En: Since it was Chuseok, families gathered everywhere to have fun, and traditional music could be heard lightly in the background.Ko: 이곳에서는 한 쌍의 소년, 소녀가 함께 첫 데이트를 하기로 했다.En: In this place, a pair of boy and girl decided to have their first date together.Ko: 현수는 남산타워에 서 있었다.En: Hyunsoo stood at Namsan Tower.Ko: 그는 긴장을 감추지 못했다.En: He couldn't hide his nervousness.Ko: 민지와의 첫 데이트였다.En: It was his first date with Minji.Ko: 현수는 좋은 인상을 남기고 싶다는 생각으로 가득했다.En: His mind was full of thoughts of making a good impression.Ko: 문제는 민지가 아침부터 몸이 안 좋았다는 것이다.En: The problem was that Minji hadn't been feeling well since the morning.Ko: 하지만 민지는 현수와의 데이트를 기대하며 마음속 불편함을 숨기고 있었다.En: However, she was looking forward to the date with Hyunsoo and was hiding her discomfort inside.Ko: 두 사람은 타워 꼭대기에 올라가 서울의 스카이라인을 바라봤다.En: The two of them went up to the top of the tower and gazed at Seoul's skyline.Ko: "너무 아름다워," 민지가 조용히 말했다.En: "It's so beautiful," Minji said quietly.Ko: 하지만 그녀의 얼굴은 약간 창백했다.En: But her face was slightly pale.Ko: 현수는 눈치챘다.En: Hyunsoo noticed.Ko: "괜찮아?En: "Are you okay?"Ko: " 그는 걱정스럽게 물었다.En: he asked worriedly.Ko: 민지는 잠시 망설였다.En: Minji hesitated for a moment.Ko: "사실 조금 어지러워," 그녀는 솔직하게 말했다.En: "Actually, I'm a bit dizzy," she said honestly.Ko: 현수는 즉시 그녀의 곁에 가까이 다가갔다.En: Hyunsoo immediately moved closer to her side.Ko: "쉬어야 할 것 같아.En: "I think you should rest.Ko: 여기 오래 서 있지 말자.En: Let's not stand here too long."Ko: " 그는 주변을 둘러보고, 가까운 벤치를 찾았다.En: He looked around and found a nearby bench.Ko: 민지가 걷는 동안 약간 비틀거렸다.En: While walking, Minji staggered slightly.Ko: 갑자기 민지가 정신이 아찔해졌다.En: Suddenly, Minji felt faint.Ko: 현수는 민지를 빠르게 잡아주었다.En: Hyunsoo quickly caught her.Ko: 가까스로 벤치에 앉혀주는 데 성공했다.En: He managed to sit her down on the bench.Ko: 민지는 깊게 숨을 쉬며 안정을 찾으려 노력했다.En: She took deep breaths, trying to regain her composure.Ko: 현수는 그녀 옆에 앉아 팔짱을 끼고 있었다.En: Hyunsoo sat next to her with his arms crossed.Ko: "미안해," 민지가 조심스럽게 말했다.En: "I'm sorry," Minji said cautiously.Ko: "첫 데이트인데 내가 잘못해서…"현수는 미소를 지었다.En: "I messed up our first date..." Hyunsoo smiled.Ko: "아니야, 네가 중요해.En: "No, you're what matters.Ko: 네가 편안했으면 좋겠어.En: I just want you to be comfortable."Ko: " 그는 담요를 펼쳐 그녀 목에 살짝 감싸주었다.En: He gently wrapped a blanket around her shoulders.Ko: 주변의 아름다운 풍경과 따뜻한 햇살이 두 사람을 감싸 안았다.En: The beautiful surrounding scenery and warm sunshine enveloped them.Ko: 그곳에서 시간이 천천히 흘렀다.En: Time passed slowly there.Ko: 민지는 현수에게 추석에 대한 가족 이야기와 명절 전통에 대해 이야기했다.En: Minji shared stories about her family and holiday traditions during Chuseok with Hyunsoo.Ko: 현수도 어릴 적의 추석 연휴의 기억을 공유했다.En: Hyunsoo also shared his childhood memories of the Chuseok holidays.Ko: 그들은 서로의 이야기에 깊이 몰입했다.En: They were deeply immersed in each other's stories.Ko: 시간이 지나면서, 현수는 민지를 돌보며 그들의 관계가 깊어질 수 있음을 느꼈다.En: As time went by, Hyunsoo felt that he could grow closer to Minji by taking care of her.Ko: 민지도 현수의 따뜻함과 배려를 느끼며 안심했다.En: Minji also felt reassured by Hyunsoo's warmth and consideration.Ko: "현수, 너 정말 친절해," 그녀는 부드럽게 말했다.En: "You're really kind, Hyunsoo," she said softly.Ko: "고마워, 하지만 네가 나한테 많은 걸 가르쳐 줘," 현수가 대답했다.En: "Thank you, but you teach me a lot too," Hyunsoo replied.Ko: 그렇게 두 사람은 남산타워의 벤치에서 서로를 더 잘 이해하게 되었다.En: Thus, the two of them came to understand each other better on the bench at Namsan Tower.Ko: 그들의 첫 데이트는 예상치 못한 전환으로 끝났지만, 그 전환이 그들의 관계를 강하게 만들었다.En: Their first date ended with an unexpected twist, but it strengthened their relationship.Ko: 서울의 밤하늘이 천천히 어둡게 변할 때, 그들은 새로운 친밀감과 이해를 안고 집으로 돌아갔다.En: As the night sky over Seoul slowly turned darker, they returned home with a newfound closeness and understanding.Ko: 가을의 가벼운 바람은 그들을 부드럽게 포옹했다.En: The light fall breeze gently embraced them.Ko: 그들 사이에 피어오르는 따뜻한 감정도 마치 그 바람처럼 자연스럽고 상냥했다.En: The warm feelings blossoming between them were natural and kind, just like the breeze. Vocabulary Words:autumn: 가을breeze: 바람refreshing: 산뜻하다scenery: 풍경nervousness: 긴장impression: 인상discomfort: 불편함skyline: 스카이라인pale: 창백하다hesitated: 망설였다dizzy: 어지럽다staggered: 비틀거리다faint: 아찔하다regain: 안정을 찾다composure: 안정cautiously: 조심스럽게comprehend: 이해하다consideration: 배려reassured: 안심하다kind: 상냥하다enveloped: 감싸다immersed: 몰입하다insight: 이해warmth: 따뜻함unexpected: 예상치 못한twist: 전환blossoming: 피어오르다natural: 자연스럽다closeness: 친밀감embraced: 포옹하다

Fluent Fiction - Korean: Mending Ties at Seoul Tower: Jiwoo's Chuseok Reunion Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ko/episode/2025-10-01-07-38-20-ko Story Transcript:Ko: 서울의 가을은 참 아름답습니다.En: Autumn in Seoul is truly beautiful.Ko: 특히 남산에서 보는 서울의 모습은 더욱 특별합니다.En: The view of Seoul from Namsan is especially remarkable.Ko: 지우는 남산 서울타워 앞에 서서 숨을 깊이 들이마셨습니다.En: Standing in front of the Seoul Tower, Jiwoo took a deep breath.Ko: 오랜만에 서울에 돌아온 것입니다.En: It had been a long time since returning to Seoul.Ko: 그동안 외국에서 바쁘게 일하며 살았기 때문에 가족과 멀어졌습니다.En: Living and working busily abroad had created a distance between Jiwoo and family.Ko: 그래서 이번 추석에 동생 민수와 함께 시간을 보내기로 했습니다.En: So, this Chuseok, Jiwoo decided to spend time with younger brother Minsu.Ko: 민수는 그동안 서울에 남아 부모님을 도왔습니다.En: @minsu had stayed in Seoul, helping their parents.Ko: 부모님은 시골로 이사 가셨고, 민수 혼자 서울에서 책임을 지고 살아왔습니다.En: Their parents had moved to the countryside, and Minsu had been living in Seoul, taking on responsibilities alone.Ko: 지우는 민수가 얼마나 힘들었을지 생각했습니다.En: Jiwoo thought about how difficult it must have been for Minsu.Ko: 그동안 서로 얼마나 많은 오해와 상처가 쌓였는지 모릅니다.En: Who knows how many misunderstandings and hurt had piled up between them?Ko: 오늘 지우는 민수와 모든 것을 풀고 싶었습니다.En: Today, Jiwoo wanted to resolve everything with Minsu.Ko: "민수야, 이제 니가 좋아하는 서울타워까지 올랐으니, 우리 좀 천천히 걸으면서 얘기할까?" 지우가 말을 꺼냈습니다.En: "Minsu, now that we've reached your favorite Seoul Tower, shall we walk slowly and talk?" Jiwoo suggested.Ko: 민수는 조용히 고개를 끄덕였습니다.En: Minsu quietly nodded.Ko: 그들은 타워를 올라가며 서울의 가을 풍경을 감상했습니다.En: As they climbed the tower, they admired the autumn scenery of Seoul.Ko: 단풍이 물들어 가는 나무들, 활기찬 사람들, 그리고 추석을 맞아 반짝이는 전등까지 모든 것이 반짝였습니다.En: The trees with their autumn hues, the vibrant people, and the twinkling lights marking Chuseok made everything sparkle.Ko: 이제 그들 앞에는 서울의 전경이 펼쳐져 있었습니다.En: In front of them, the panoramic view of Seoul unfolded.Ko: "여기 서야 할까? 경치가 참 좋다," 민수가 말했습니다.En: "Shall we stay here? The view is really nice," Minsu said.Ko: 지우는 잠시 망설였습니다.En: Jiwoo hesitated for a moment.Ko: 드디어 이야기할 때가 온 것 같습니다.En: It seemed the time had finally come to talk.Ko: "민수야, 내가 그동안 정말 미안했어.En: “Minsu, I'm really sorry for everything.Ko: 외국에 있다 보니 우리 가족을 잘 챙기지 못했어.En: Being abroad, I couldn't take care of our family properly.Ko: 네가 많은 걸 혼자 감당한 것 같아."En: It seems like you've handled a lot on your own.”Ko: 민수는 고개를 숙였습니다.En: Minsu bowed his head.Ko: "나도 네가 얼마나 힘들었을지 생각 못 했어.En: "I also didn't realize how tough it must have been for you.Ko: 그냥 혼자 해결하려 했어."En: I just tried to handle everything by myself."Ko: 지우와 민수는 서로의 얼굴을 보았습니다.En: Jiwoo and Minsu looked at each other.Ko: 그동안 말하지 못했던 오해와 감정들이 조금씩 풀려 가는 순간이었습니다.En: It was a moment when the misunderstandings and emotions they hadn't expressed were slowly being resolved.Ko: "다시 가족으로 같이 잘 지내고 싶어.En: "I want us to be close as a family again.Ko: 우리 좀 더 대화를 많이 하자," 지우가 말했습니다.En: Let's talk more," Jiwoo suggested.Ko: 민수는 미소를 지으며 대답했습니다. "나도 마찬가지야, 누나.En: Minsu smiled and replied, "I feel the same way, sis.Ko: 앞으로는 많이 이야기하자."En: Let's talk a lot from now on."Ko: 저녁 노을이 지며 서울엔 따스한 조명이 켜지기 시작했습니다.En: As the evening sunset gave way to warm lights illuminating Seoul, they descended from Namsan.Ko: 남산에서 내려가는 길, 그들은 조금씩 서로를 이해하고 있었습니다.En: They were gradually beginning to understand each other.Ko: 두 사람의 마음속에는 새로워진 가족의 모습이 그려지고 있었습니다.En: In their hearts, a renewed sense of family was forming.Ko: 추석의 의미처럼, 그들의 관계도 다시 시작되고 있었습니다.En: Just like the meaning of Chuseok, their relationship was also starting anew.Ko: 따뜻한 가족의 향기가 남산에 퍼졌습니다.En: The warm scent of family spread over Namsan. Vocabulary Words:remarkable: 특별한breathtaking: 숨을 멎게 하다distance: 거리resolve: 풀다hues: 색조panoramic: 전경의hesitated: 망설이다expressed: 표현한illuminating: 조명을 밝히는scenery: 풍경responsibilities: 책임unfolded: 펼쳐지다renewed: 새로운admired: 감상했다close: 가까운twinkling: 반짝이는misunderstandings: 오해emotions: 감정sparkle: 반짝이다descended: 내려갔다pile up: 쌓이다abroad: 외국에서bowed: 고개를 숙였다misunderstanding: 오해scents: 향기countryside: 시골vibrant: 활기찬uncommon: 드문handle: 감당하다express: 표현하다

NK News Correspondent Joon Ha Park joins the podcast to discuss President Lee Jae-myung's first speech to the U.N. General Assembly and his debut of a new acronym for his peace road map — “E.N.D.,” short for exchange, normalization and denuclearization. He also talks about Seoul's unification minister's controversial “two states” remarks, Lee's calls for greater military self-reliance and North Korea's latest diplomatic outreach to China, with Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui meeting her counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insights from our very own journalists.

Creativity through the lens of a World Renowned Architect "Architecture is frozen music."Kevin Kennon is an internationally renowned architect with over 40 years of experience, specializing in environmentally sustainable and innovative design. As the founder and CEO of Beyond Zero DDC Inc., Kevin leads the development of zero-carbon emission luxury eco-resorts in remote wilderness locations worldwide, merging design excellence with ecological responsibility. His extensive portfolio includes projects like the 1.5 million square foot Barclays North American Headquarters, the Rodin Museum in Seoul, and multiple award-winning Bloomingdale's stores. Additionally, he led United Architects, a finalist in the prestigious World Trade Center design competition, further solidifying his impact on architectural innovation.  Kevin's expertise spans adaptive reuse, urban planning, and large-scale developments, with projects featured in the permanent collection of MoMA, New York. He has earned over 40 international design awards and is a sought-after thought leader, contributing to discussions on urban development, climate change, and sustainable architecture. His work extends beyond architecture; as an expert witness and lecturer at leading institutions like Yale and Columbia, he brings a multidisciplinary approach to his craft.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinkennonarchitect/https://www.instagram.com/pkk2418/?hl=enhttps://www.kdcaia.com/Send us a text

The 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer brings together leading experts, researchers, and oncologists to showcase the latest advancements in lung cancer research. To reach a global audience, IASLC has recorded podcast episodes on WCLC 2025 in world languages. In this episode, host Dr. Chul Kim moderates a discussion in Korean about highlights from the conference with Dr. Jeongmin Seo and Dr. Min Hee Hong. Guest Host: Chul Kim, MD, MPH Thoracic Medical Oncologist and Associate Professor Georgetown University Instagram: @fe0120 Guest Name(s) & Title(s): Jeongmin Seo, MD, MSc Assistant Professor, Medical Oncology Seoul National University Bundang Hospital Min Hee Hong, MD Associate Professor, Yonsei Cancer Center Severance Hospital, Seoul

Fluent Fiction - Korean: Embrace Tradition and Innovation: Minjun's Chuseok Transformation Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ko/episode/2025-09-30-07-38-20-ko Story Transcript:Ko: 가을의 서늘한 바람이 서울의 코엑스 몰 주변을 감싸고 있었다.En: The cool autumn breeze enveloped the area around the COEX Mall in Seoul.Ko: 코엑스 몰은 다양한 상점과 식당, 그리고 사람들의 대화 소리로 가득 차 있었다.En: COEX Mall was filled with various shops, restaurants, and the sound of people's conversations.Ko: 단풍잎이 바람에 부드럽게 날리며 추석의 풍요로움을 암시하고 있었다.En: The autumn leaves gently fluttered in the wind, hinting at the richness of Chuseok.Ko: 민준은 코엑스 몰의 활기찬 분위기를 즐기며 걸었다.En: Minjun walked, enjoying the lively atmosphere of COEX Mall.Ko: 그는 최근 스타트업에서 과로로 인해 지쳤다.En: He had been exhausted due to overwork at a recent startup.Ko: 겉으로는 자신감에 차 있었지만 내심 자신의 능력을 의심했다.En: Outwardly, he appeared confident, but inwardly he doubted his abilities.Ko: 그는 새로운 영감을 찾기 위해 한국을 배낭여행하고 있었다.En: He was backpacking through Korea to seek new inspiration.Ko: 추석 동안 가족과 시간을 보내기 위해 고향으로 가기로 결정했다.En: He decided to go back to his hometown to spend time with his family during Chuseok.Ko: 여행 중에 민준은 학교 친구인 소영과 현우를 만났다.En: During his travels, Minjun met his school friends, Soyeong and Hyunwoo.Ko: 세 사람은 예전에 과 함께 등산을 자주 다녔다.En: The three of them used to often go hiking together in the past.Ko: 그들은 코엑스 몰에서 만났고, 함께 커피를 마시며 옛날 이야기를 나눴다.En: They met at COEX Mall and shared old stories over coffee.Ko: "민준, 이번에 근처 산으로 같이 가자," 소영이 말했다.En: "Minjun, let's go to a nearby mountain together this time," Soyeong said.Ko: "자연 속에서 추석의 의미를 느껴보는 것도 좋을 거야.En: "It would be great to feel the meaning of Chuseok in nature."Ko: "하지만 민준은 여전히 일과 개인적인 삶 사이에서 균형을 찾는 데 어려움을 겪고 있었다.En: However, Minjun was still struggling to find a balance between work and personal life.Ko: 그는 고향으로 가는 것이 맞는 선택인지 망설였다.En: He hesitated to decide whether going back to his hometown was the right choice.Ko: 추석이 시작되기 전날, 민준은 결국 고향으로 향했다.En: The day before Chuseok began, Minjun eventually headed to his hometown.Ko: 고향에서는 가족들이 그를 기쁘게 맞이했다.En: His family welcomed him warmly.Ko: 전통적인 추석 음식을 함께 나눠 먹으며 민준은 어린 시절을 떠올렸다.En: While sharing traditional Chuseok food together, Minjun reminisced about his childhood.Ko: 그는 조상의 위패 앞에서 절을 하고, 조상에게 감사의 마음을 전했다.En: He bowed in front of the ancestral tablets and expressed his gratitude to his ancestors.Ko: 그 때, 그는 번뜩이는 아이디어를 떠올렸다.En: At that moment, he came up with a brilliant idea.Ko: 가족의 이야기가 그의 문화적 뿌리와 기업가 정신을 연결해 주었다.En: The stories of his family connected his cultural roots with his entrepreneurial spirit.Ko: 그의 문화유산을 활용한 새로운 사업 아이디어가 떠올랐다.En: A new business idea utilizing his cultural heritage emerged.Ko: 추석 다음 날, 민준은 다시 서울로 돌아왔다.En: The day after Chuseok, Minjun returned to Seoul.Ko: 그는 새로운 아이디어를 실현하기 위해 노력하기로 결심했다.En: He decided to work to realize his new idea.Ko: 그는 전통과 혁신을 결합한 사업계획서를 작성하기 시작했다.En: He began writing a business plan that combined tradition with innovation.Ko: 이번에는 자신의 정체성과 회사의 목표를 조화롭게 이루어 가기로 결심했다.En: This time, he was determined to harmonize his identity with the company's goals.Ko: 그는 더 이상 과거의 실패를 두려워하지 않았다.En: He was no longer afraid of past failures.Ko: 여행과 가족과의 시간은 그에게 많은 것을 가르쳐 주었다.En: The journey and time with his family had taught him a lot.Ko: 이제 민준은 보다 자신감 있게 자신의 길을 개척할 수 있게 되었다.En: Now, Minjun could pave his path with more confidence.Ko: 그리고 그는 자신의 뿌리와 정체성을 더 가까이 느낄 수 있었다.En: And he felt a closer connection to his roots and identity.Ko: 가을 하늘 아래, 민준은 코엑스 몰을 지나 다시 발걸음을 내디뎠다.En: Under the autumn sky, Minjun walked past COEX Mall once more.Ko: 이번에는 새로운 꿈과 희망으로 가득 찬 마음이었다.En: This time, his heart was full of new dreams and hopes. Vocabulary Words:breeze: 바람enveloped: 감싸고 있었다fluttered: 날리며hinting: 암시하고lively: 활기찬exhausted: 지쳤다outwardly: 겉으로는backpacking: 배낭여행하고inspiration: 영감reminisced: 떠올렸다ancestral tablets: 위패gratitude: 감사의 마음entrepreneurial: 기업가 정신heritage: 문화유산harmonize: 조화롭게identity: 정체성determined: 결심했다pave: 개척할confidence: 자신감traveled: 여행balance: 균형struggling: 어려움을 겪고 있었다hesitated: 망설였다gathered: 나눠ancestry: 뿌리brilliant idea: 번뜩이는 아이디어entrepreneurial spirit: 기업가 정신cultural roots: 문화적 뿌리innovation: 혁신confidence: 자신감

In this episode of Root Words, we'll meet one of the longest established vendors of the Rutland market, Youngla Nam of Flavors of Asia - Vermont Seoul Food. Youngla caters to vegans and meat eaters alike.  While she takes inspiration from traditional Korean dishes, she also bucks convention.  She has adapted through her life and she adapts her dishes to her customer's needs.   Youngla left her tight-knit family in Seoul many years ago, and today she is a cornerstone of the market vendor family in Rutland.   Join us next time as we connect with more market chefs on Root Words.   This episode was produced by Stephen Abatiell. Special thanks to Youngla Nam. To learn more, visit Youngla at the next Rutland Farmers' Market.   Root Words is produced in the heart of Rutland County Vermont and is made possible by generous support from listeners like you.  You can support Root Words by visiting us Online

Sabrina Carpenter and Billie Eilish may not have much in common, but they do share one thing: asking fans to put their phones away at their concerts. Across the world of music, more artists and venues are asking people to stop filming every moment of the gig and instead, live in the moment to have an authentic experience. However, some artists say fans filming their best moments can help them go viral and boost their careers.Adam Chowdhury from the What in the World team explains what's happening on the dance floors around the globe.We hear from DJs who support no phones on the dance floor. South Korea's Marcus L tells us about the no-phone rules at club FAUST - the venue he co-founded in Seoul. Plus, German DJ duo Tube & Berger have released a single called ‘No Phones' which they say is a “protest song” against the use of phones at gigs.One feature of the world-famous Berlin nightlife is its broad ban on phone usage on its dance floors. Caitlin from the Renate & ELSE clubs tells us why most clubs in German capital don't allow people to use cameras at their venues.And London DJ Dwayne Parris Robinson explains why he prefers people to have their phones out capturing the best moments whenever he's behind the decks.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Adam Chowdhury and Abiona Boja Editor: Emily Horler

Fluent Fiction - Korean: Autumn Reflections: Jinwoo's Journey on Gwanaksan Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ko/episode/2025-09-29-22-34-02-ko Story Transcript:Ko: 가을의 찬바람이 불어오는 날이었다.En: It was a day when the autumn chill was in the air.Ko: 진우는 회사의 스트레스에서 벗어나고 싶었다.En: Jinwoo wanted to escape the stress of work.Ko: 어린 시절 가족과 함께 다녔던 관악산의 추억 속으로 돌아가고 싶었다.En: He wanted to return to the memories of climbing Gwanaksan with his family in his childhood.Ko: 그리고 지금 바로 그 순간이었다.En: And now was precisely that moment.Ko: 추석 휴일을 맞아, 진우는 등산 준비를 하고 관악산으로 향했다.En: Taking advantage of the Chuseok holiday, Jinwoo prepared for hiking and headed to Gwanaksan.Ko: 관악산 산길은 황금색과 호박색의 나뭇잎으로 가득했다.En: The mountain path of Gwanaksan was filled with golden and amber leaves.Ko: 공기는 신선했고, 하늘은 푸르렀다.En: The air was fresh, and the sky was blue.Ko: 산 정상에서 바라보는 서울의 모습은 언제 보아도 경이로웠다.En: The view of Seoul from the mountain top was always awe-inspiring.Ko: 진우는 발걸음을 재촉했다.En: Jinwoo hurried his steps.Ko: 그는 자신만의 조용한 장소에서 오랜만에 마음을 정리하고 싶었다.En: He wanted to clear his mind in his own quiet place after a long time.Ko: 하지만 갑자기 발목이 비틀렸다.En: But suddenly, his ankle twisted.Ko: 진우는 고통에 눈을 질끈 감았다.En: Jinwoo tightly closed his eyes in pain.Ko: 그는 걷기가 어려웠다.En: Walking became difficult for him.Ko: 그의 목표였던 조용한 숲속 공터는 이제 멀게만 느껴졌다.En: The quiet forest clearing, his goal, now felt far away.Ko: 진우는 근처 나무 아래에 앉아 쉴 수밖에 없었다.En: Jinwoo had no choice but to sit and rest under a nearby tree.Ko: 그때, 마침 지나가던 은지가 그를 보았다.En: At that moment, Eunji, who happened to be passing by, saw him.Ko: "괜찮으세요?En: "Are you okay?"Ko: " 은지가 물었다.En: Eunji asked.Ko: 진우는 쑥스러웠지만 도움을 받아야 했다.En: Jinwoo was embarrassed but needed help.Ko: "네, 좀 아프지만 괜찮아요," 진우가 대답했다.En: "Yes, it hurts a bit, but I'm okay," Jinwoo replied.Ko: 은지는 천천히 다가가며, "다 함께 산행 중에는 이렇게 다칠 수 있어요.En: Eunji approached slowly, saying, "When hiking with others, injuries like this can happen.Ko: 많이 다칠 뻔했네요," 하고 말을 건넸다.En: You could've been seriously hurt," she pointed out.Ko: 은지는 함께 얘기하며 그를 도와주기로 했다.En: Eunji decided to help him while chatting along the way.Ko: 진우와 은지는 함께 근처 벼랑에 올랐다.En: Jinwoo and Eunji climbed the nearby cliff together.Ko: 그곳에서 해가 저무는 모습을 보며, 진우는 과거의 기억을 떠올렸다.En: Watching the sunset from there, Jinwoo recalled memories from the past.Ko: 어린 시절, 엄마가 해주셨던 인내와 협동의 가르침이 떠올랐다.En: He remembered the lessons of patience and cooperation his mother had taught him in childhood.Ko: 그는 혼자 모든 것을 해결할 필요가 없다는 깨달음을 얻었다.En: He realized he didn't have to solve everything on his own.Ko: 잠시 후, 진우는 전화를 꺼내 동생 민호에게 전화를 걸었다.En: After a short while, Jinwoo took out his phone and called his younger brother Minho.Ko: "민호야, 나 좀 도와줄 수 있어?En: "Hey Minho, can you help me out?"Ko: " 진우는 조심스레 말했다.En: Jinwoo asked cautiously.Ko: 민호는 곧 도착하겠다고 약속했다.En: Minho promised to arrive soon.Ko: 해가 지고, 하늘이 어둑해지자 둘은 산을 내려오기 시작했다.En: As the sun set and the sky grew dark, the two began to descend the mountain.Ko: 진우는 혼자가 아님을 느끼며, 이전보다 마음이 가벼웠다.En: Feeling no longer alone, Jinwoo felt lighter than before.Ko: 사람들과의 연결이 얼마나 중요한지 깨닫게 되었다.En: He realized how important connections with people are.Ko: 은지는 진우와 작별 인사를 나누고 각자의 길을 걸어갔다.En: Eunji and Jinwoo exchanged goodbyes and went their separate ways.Ko: 진우는 다시 산에 오를 날을 기다리며 미소를 지었다.En: Jinwoo smiled, looking forward to the day he would climb the mountain again. Vocabulary Words:autumn: 가을chill: 찬바람escape: 벗어나다memories: 추억precisely: 바로holiday: 휴일hiking: 등산advantage: 이점amber: 호박색awe-inspiring: 경이로운quiet: 조용한twisted: 비틀렸다embarrassed: 쑥스러운injuries: 다칠 수patience: 인내cooperation: 협동cautiously: 조심스레descend: 내려오기important: 중요한connections: 연결memories: 기억clearing: 공터needed: 필요approached: 다가가다realized: 깨달았다solve: 해결together: 함께separate: 각자의smiled: 미소looking forward: 기다리다

진행자: 간형우, Devin WhitingEx-first lady spotted in wheelchair with ankle monitor기사 요약: 지난 6월 구속 수감된 이후 처음으로 외부에서 모습이 공개된 김건희 여사가 극심한 저혈압을 주장하며 외부 병원 진료를 받았다.[1] Former first lady Kim Keon Hee, who has been in custody since June, was seen in public this week for the first time since her arrest, arriving at a hospital in Seoul in a wheelchair with an electronic ankle monitor strapped to her left leg.custody: 구금strap: 묶다, 감다[2] In a report by cable network MBN, Kim was seen Thursday in the standard blue detainee uniform, wearing a mask and glasses, as she was escorted through hospital corridors. Her hands, presumably cuffed, were hidden beneath a blanket.corridor: 복도presumably: 아마cuffed: 수갑이 채워진[3] She reportedly was granted the medical visit after suffering from acute hypotension, or a sudden drop in blood pressure.acute: 급성의hypotension: 저혈압[4] “Kim's blood pressure has recently dropped to as low as 35 over 70, leading to dizziness and near-fainting episodes,” Kim's attorney said.dizziness: 현기증fainting: 기절기사 원문: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10579247

Kate Adie presents stories from the occupied West Bank, the US, Brazil, South Korea and Russia.When the UK government recognised a Palestinian state, he said he was acting “to revive the hope of peace and a two-state solution.” But Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the move won't “bind Israel in any way.” Our Middle East Correspondent, Yolande Knell has been to Bethlehem to hear about Palestinians doubts and demands.At the UN General Assembly this week, Donald Trump took to the stage and gave a scathing speech. He claimed UN predictions on climate change were wrong and criticised its assistance of asylum seekers. Mr Trump has never been shy in attacking political opponents – but it's a trend that seems to have stepped up a gear since he returned to the White House, says Anthony Zurcher in Washington.Our correspondent, Ione Wells, recently met the Brazilian President, Lula Da Silva as he contemplates a re-election run next year. His arch-rival, Jair Bolsonaro faces a hefty prison sentence after his conviction for plotting a military coup. But, she finds, he remains a potent force.City authorities in South Korea's capital, Seoul, have launched a five-year initiative aimed at tackling a growing loneliness epidemic. They've set up a cluster of new community centres, designed in the style of the city's ubiquitous convenience stores to make it easier to interact. Jake Kwon paid one a visit.Russia was banned from participating in the Eurovision song contest after its invasion of Ukraine. So, President Putin decided to revive the Soviet-era song-fest Intervision. Steve Rosenberg was in Moscow for the final.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Production Coordinator: Rosie Strawbridge Editors: Lisa Baxter and Richard Fenton-Smith

Fluent Fiction - Korean: Chuseok Chaos and Laughter: A Family Grill Adventure Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ko/episode/2025-09-27-07-38-19-ko Story Transcript:Ko: 서울의 중심부에 위치한 "Dysfunctional Family" 고깃집은 항상 많은 사람들로 북적였습니다.En: The "Dysfunctional Family" barbecue restaurant, located in the heart of Seoul, was always bustling with people.Ko: 이 가게는 전통 한지 등불과 낮은 식탁으로 장식되어 있습니다.En: This place was decorated with traditional hanji lanterns and low tables.Ko: 특히 추석에는 사람들이 이곳에 모여 추억을 나누었습니다.En: Especially during Chuseok, people gathered here to share memories.Ko: 하지만 오늘은 문제가 생겼습니다.En: However, today a problem arose.Ko: 가게의 그릴이 제대로 작동하지 않아 고기가 제대로 익지 않았습니다.En: The restaurant's grill was not working correctly, and the meat was not cooking properly.Ko: 연기가 사방에 퍼지며 사람들은 기침을 하기 시작했습니다.En: Smoke spread everywhere, and people began to cough.Ko: "아이구, 이게 웬 날벼락이야," 준이 중얼거렸습니다.En: "Oh dear, what a disaster," Joon muttered.Ko: 준은 항상 책임감이 강한 맏이로서 가족을 챙기는 일을 좋아했습니다.En: Joon, the responsible oldest sibling, liked taking care of his family.Ko: 그는 오늘 밤 조용하고 특별한 추석 저녁을 기대하고 있었습니다.En: He had hoped for a quiet and special Chuseok evening tonight.Ko: 하지만 가게의 상황은 그의 희망과 거리가 멀었습니다.En: However, the restaurant's situation was far from his hopes.Ko: 그는 가족이 짜증내지 않도록 다른 방법을 생각했습니다.En: He thought of other ways to prevent his family from getting annoyed.Ko: "게임을 할까?" 준이 제안했습니다.En: "Should we play a game?" Joon suggested.Ko: 중간 형제인 민지는 이런 상황을 싫어했습니다.En: The middle sibling, Minji, disliked such situations.Ko: 그녀는 늘 주목받기를 원했지만, 종종 무시당한다고 느꼈습니다.En: She always wanted to be in the spotlight but often felt overlooked.Ko: 이번에는 자신이 나설 때라고 생각했습니다.En: She thought it was her time to step up.Ko: "이거 고치면 되겠지," 민지는 혼잣말을 하며 그릴 쪽으로 갔습니다.En: "I can fix this," Minji mumbled to herself as she headed to the grill.Ko: 하지만 상황은 더 악화되었습니다.En: But the situation worsened.Ko: 연기는 더 많이 나기 시작했고, 사람들은 더 크게 기침을 했습니다.En: The smoke started to billow more, and people coughed even louder.Ko: 막내 수진은 늘 밝고 명랑했습니다.En: The youngest, Sujin, was always bright and cheerful.Ko: 그녀는 가족을 웃게 만드는 일을 좋아했지만, 가끔씩 심각하게 받아들여지지 않는다고 생각했습니다.En: She loved making her family laugh but sometimes felt she wasn't taken seriously.Ko: "이런 상황에는 농담이 최고지," 그녀는 말하며 웃긴 이야기를 시작했습니다.En: "A joke is perfect for this kind of situation," she said and began to tell a funny story.Ko: 그러나 이번엔 그렇지 않았습니다.En: But not this time.Ko: 민지가 그릴을 건드릴수록, 연기는 더 심해졌고 사람들의 불만도 커졌습니다.En: As Minji fiddled with the grill, the smoke only thickened, and complaints grew louder.Ko: 갑자기, "삐익, 삐익" 소리가 울려퍼졌습니다.En: Suddenly, a "beep, beep" sound echoed.Ko: 화재경보가 작동한 것입니다.En: The fire alarm had been triggered.Ko: 모두가 순간적으로 당황했습니다.En: Everyone was momentarily bewildered.Ko: 가게 직원들이 재빨리 그릴을 고치기 위해 달려갔습니다.En: The restaurant staff quickly rushed to fix the grill.Ko: 다른 손님들도 가게를 나왔습니다.En: Other patrons left the establishment.Ko: 가게 앞 거리에는 차가운 가을 바람이 불었습니다.En: A cold autumn breeze blew down the street outside the restaurant.Ko: "이건 정말 추억에 남을 추석이네," 민지가 웃으며 말했습니다.En: "This will definitely be a memorable Chuseok," Minji said with a laugh.Ko: 준과 수진도 그제야 웃음을 터뜨렸습니다.En: Joon and Sujin finally burst into laughter as well.Ko: 세 명의 형제자매는 서로에게 재미있는 옛날 이야기를 꺼내어 웃음을 나누었습니다.En: The three siblings shared amusing old stories with each other and laughed together.Ko: "이번엔 내가 실수 해서 미안해," 민지가 수줍게 말하자, 수진은 "고생했어, 니가 나서줘서 고마워"라고 말했습니다.En: "I'm sorry for messing up this time," Minji said shyly, to which Sujin replied, "You did your best, thanks for stepping up."Ko: 준은 가족이 함께 웃고 있는 모습을 보며 깨달았습니다.En: Joon realized as he watched his family laugh together.Ko: 때로는 완벽을 추구하기보다 자연스러운 순간이 더 소중하다는 것을.En: Sometimes, natural moments are more precious than pursuing perfection.Ko: 그들은 그렇게 가을 밤 바람과 함께 행복한 추억을 더했습니다.En: They added a happy memory to their Chuseok, in their own way, with the autumn night breeze. Vocabulary Words:dysfunctional: 제대로 기능하지 않는barbecue: 고깃집bustling: 북적이는lanterns: 등불gathered: 모여grill: 그릴properly: 제대로billow: 피어오르다triggered: 작동한bewildered: 당황한rushed: 재빨리 달려간patrons: 손님들breeze: 바람memorable: 추억에 남을pursuing: 추구하는perfection: 완벽scattered: 퍼지다muttered: 중얼거리다responsible: 책임감 있는spotlight: 주목overlooked: 무시당한stepping up: 나서다echoed: 울려퍼지다establishment: 가게complaints: 불만siblings: 형제자매들fiddle: 건드리다prevent: 방지하다annoyed: 짜증내는cheerful: 명랑한

In Denmark, authorities are investigating a series of drone sightings near major airports and airbases in the country this week. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated that the country was in the midst of a “hybrid war." Also, Iran will end its participation in international weapons inspections if United Nations sanctions are reimposed, says Ali Larijani, the country's secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. And, Moldova heads to the polls this weekend in what its President Maia Sandu calls the most consequential election in the country's history. The pro-EU leader has accused Russia of mounting an “unprecedented” campaign to influence the result. Plus, with Korea's pop music scene eclipsing other musicians and styles found in Seoul, we offer one example of an artist who does not perform K-pop.Listen to today's Music Heard on Air. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

It's cultural meme that teenagers in New York and Seoul will have more in common with each other than with their parents. Has where we come from been downgraded as an influence on what we like, or is there still what Thierry Mayer of Sciences Po and CEPR calls “gravity in tastes”?  His research focuses on a very important aspect of this question: regional French food. Is there still a France of butter, and a France of olive oil? And, if there is, can we draw it on a map, or is this now a cultural and social divide, rather than a regional one? Vote for VoxTalks Economics in the 2025 Signal Awards! https://talknorm.al/vote

Fluent Fiction - Korean: Finding Light in the Depths of Seoul's Aquarium Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ko/episode/2025-09-26-22-34-02-ko Story Transcript:Ko: 가을의 서울은 아름다웠다.En: Fall in Seoul was beautiful.Ko: 하늘빛은 맑고, 공기는 선선했다.En: The sky was clear, and the air was cool.Ko: 서울 아쿠아리움 앞에는 많은 학생들이 모여 있었다.En: In front of the Seoul Aquarium, many students had gathered.Ko: 오늘은 학교에서 마련한 특별한 현장 학습 날이었다.En: Today was a special field trip day arranged by the school.Ko: 14살 민서는 친구들과 함께 줄을 섰다. 지수와 현우도 있었다.En: Fourteen-year-old Minseo stood in line with friends Jisoo and Hyunwoo.Ko: 모두들 흥분한 표정이었다.En: They all had excited expressions.Ko: 하지만 민서는 조금 다르게 느꼈다.En: However, Minseo felt slightly different.Ko: 늘 주변의 주목을 받지 못하는 것 같았다.En: It seemed like they were never the center of attention.Ko: 이번 추석 때 가족들에게 특별한 무엇인가를 보여주고 싶었다.En: This Chuseok, they wanted to show their family something special.Ko: 그래서 오늘은 그 특별함을 찾는 날로 결정했다.En: So today, they decided, would be the day to find that special thing.Ko: 아쿠아리움 내부는 크고 현대적이었다.En: The interior of the aquarium was large and modern.Ko: 물의 푸른빛이 사방에 번졌다.En: The blue light of the water spread everywhere.Ko: 다양한 해양 생물들이 놀라운 풍경을 이루고 있었다.En: Various marine life created an amazing scene.Ko: 아이들은 여기저기 흩어져 사진을 찍고 웃었다.En: The children scattered around, taking pictures and laughing.Ko: 민서는 혼잡한 분위기에서 차분함을 원했다.En: Minseo longed for calm in the crowded atmosphere.Ko: “모두 모이세요!” 선생님의 목소리가 들렸다.En: “Everyone gather around!” the teacher's voice was heard.Ko: 하지만 민서는 혼자만의 시간을 더 원했다.En: But Minseo wanted some alone time.Ko: 그래서 몰래 대열에서 벗어났다.En: So, they quietly slipped away from the group.Ko: 조용한 곳을 찾아서 아쿠아리움을 더 깊이 탐험해보기로 결심했다.En: They decided to explore the aquarium more deeply by finding a quiet place.Ko: 구석진 곳에 있던 작은 전시실에 들어갔다.En: They entered a small exhibition room in a secluded corner.Ko: 이곳은 사람들이 많지 않았다.En: There were not many people there.Ko: 안에는 막 태어난 바다거북이가 있었다.En: Inside, there was a newly hatched sea turtle.Ko: 어린 거북이는 조심스럽게 돌봐지고 있었다.En: The young turtle was being carefully tended to.Ko: 그 순간은 정말이 특별했다.En: That moment was truly special.Ko: 민서는 가슴이 두근거렸다.En: Minseo's heart raced.Ko: 너무나도 신기했다.En: It was so fascinating.Ko: 민서는 가방에서 스마트폰을 꺼내 사진을 찍었다.En: Minseo took out their smartphone from their bag and took a picture.Ko: 마침내 민서는 다시 그룹에 합류했다.En: Finally, Minseo rejoined the group.Ko: 모두들 출발 준비를 하고 있었다.En: Everyone was getting ready to leave.Ko: 민서는 환하게 미소 지었다.En: Minseo smiled brightly.Ko: “그게 뭔데?” 지수가 물었다.En: “What is that?” Jisoo asked.Ko: “바다거북 사진이야.” 민서가 답했다.En: “It's a picture of a sea turtle,” Minseo replied.Ko: 집에 돌아가서 민서는 찍은 사진을 가족들에게 보여줬다.En: Returning home, Minseo showed the taken picture to the family.Ko: 모두가 감탄하며 크게 웃었다.En: Everyone marveled and laughed heartily.Ko: 민서는 그제서야 느꼈다. 자신이 발견한 것을 공유하는 것이 진정한 기쁨이었다고.En: Only then did Minseo realize that sharing what they discovered was true joy.Ko: 혼자 남다른 길을 선택한 것이 옳았다는 자신감도 얻었다.En: They also gained confidence that choosing a different path alone was the right decision.Ko: 그렇게 민서의 하루는 특별한 순간으로 가득 찼다.En: Thus, Minseo's day was filled with special moments.Ko: 그리고 민서는 더 이상 그림자가 아니었다.En: And Minseo was no longer a shadow.Ko: 이제는 자신만의 밝은 빛을 찾은 듯했다.En: It seemed they had now found their own bright light. Vocabulary Words:gathered: 모여arranged: 마련한excited: 흥분한attention: 주목center: 중심special: 특별한decided: 결정했다interior: 내부modern: 현대적blue light: 푸른빛scattered: 흩어져atmosphere: 분위기secluded: 구석진hatched: 태어난tended: 돌봐지고fascinating: 신기했다brightly: 환하게marveled: 감탄하며laughed heartily: 크게 웃었다realize: 깨달았다sharing: 공유하는confident: 자신감shadow: 그림자calm: 차분함explore: 탐험하다field trip: 현장 학습decide: 결심했다bright light: 밝은 빛quiet: 조용한exhibition: 전시실

This week, Dr. Vipin Narang joins the NK News podcast to unpack how the U.S. and South Korea are seeking to strengthen extended deterrence against North Korean threats under the joint Nuclear Consultative Group, a platform that he helped develop and lead as a key nuclear policy official under the Biden administration. Narang highlights how North Korea's rapid nuclear expansion drove the creation of the NCG, which gives Seoul a structured role in deterrence planning, and he warns that the DPRK's cooperation with Russia could accelerate its efforts to build a more diverse nuclear arsenal featuring both lower-yield short-range systems and land-based ICBMs. The former co-chair of the NCG also weighs in on the dangers of South Korea pursuing indigenous nuclear weapons, stressing that Washington is adapting alliance management to maintain credible deterrence even amid global crises and growing North Korea-China-Russia alignment. Dr. Vipin Narang is an American political scientist who served as the acting assistant secretary of defense for space policy until Aug. 2024, a portfolio that included policy on space and missile defense policy, nuclear deterrence and countering weapons of mass destruction. He also served as co-chair of the NCG. He has since returned to MIT, where he is the Frank Stranton Professor of Nuclear Security and the inaugural director of the Center for Nuclear Security policy.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

Hi there, happy Thursday!What I'm Reading…* Food photographer extraordinaire Eva Kolenko (who's shot more than 50 cookbooks) has a new Substack and she's pulling back the curtain on her work. (Eva joined us in our Behind the Spine series back in 2022.)* Cookbook author Marian Burros died at 92 this week. NYT obit. While she authored a dozen-plus cookbooks in her career, the strongest remembrances are around her iconic plum torte, which she published in the Times in 1983 and has remained one of the paper's most-popular recipes. You can read Pete Wells paying tribute here—or, better yet, bake one yourself. * We're right in the heart of fall cookbook season, and this year's lineup is especially rich—stunning, memorable works that I've been lucky to dive into (nearly 100 new books have already crossed my desk!). For a taste of the top titles, check out new roundups from Eater, Epicurious, and Saveur. I'll be chatting with some of the authors on Salt + Spine and can't wait to share those conversations with you.Episode 173: Deuki Hong & Matt RodbardThis week, chef Deuki Hong and journalist Matt Rodbard join us to #TalkCookbooks! Deuki's latest restaurant SŌHN is an “all-day cafe and multi-use gathering space” in San Francisco. Matt is a writer who also hosts the prolific TASTE podcast (required listening for food lovers).When their first collaborative book, Koreatown, came out in 2016, it captivated food publishing. For many readers, it was the first time Korean American food culture was presented with such energy, personality, and depth. Eight years later, Deuki and Matt returned with a new, wider-lens look.The authors are quick to note that the new book, Koreaworld, isn't a sequel. It's a dispatch from a moment when Korean food and culture are everywhere: K-pop topping the charts, Parasite winning the Oscars, Seoul cafes setting global coffee trends, and a Korean tasting menu taking the top U.S. spot on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list this year. As Deuki and Matt write in the opening to Korea World: “You are about to read the story of a culinary revolution.”In our conversation, Deuki and Matt take us behind the scenes of the ambitious project—from their travels through locations like Jeju and Seoul during the pandemic, to profiling the chefs and artisans who make up what they call “Korea World.”

Palestine’s president addresses the UN General Assembly as more countries recognise his embattled state. Plus: Drones shut down Danish airports, Trump replaces Biden’s White House portrait and toilet codes in Seoul are leaked online. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Skip the Queue, Andy Povey sits down with Jérôme Giacomoni, co-founder and Chairman of AEROPHILE, the world leader in tethered gas balloons and immersive aerial experiences. Jérôme shares the story of how AEROPHILE began with a simple idea, to “make everybody fly” and grew into a global company operating in multiple countries, including France and the U.S.Tune in to hear about the company's signature attractions, including tethered balloon flights, the innovative Aerobar concept, and high-profile projects such as how you can experience flying the Olympic cauldron in Paris. Jérôme also shares how AEROPHILE has leveraged its unique platform to explore scientific initiatives like air-quality and climate-change monitoring and how he Integrates unique revenue streams from sponsorship and advertising.Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is Paul Marden, with co host Andy Povey and roving reporter Claire Furnival.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website SkiptheQueue.fm.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on LinkedIn. Show references:  https://www.aerophile.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerome-giacomoni-3074b7/Jérôme Giacomoni is co-founder of Groupe AEROPHILE and Chairman of AEROPHILE SAS. Since 1993, he has led the company to become the world leader in tethered gas balloons and balloon flights, operating iconic sites in France, the U.S., and Cambodia, and flying over 500,000 passengers annually. He also pioneered “flying food-tainment” with the Aerophare and Aerobar. Jérôme is a member of IAAPA, serves on the board of SNELAC, and is a Team France Export ambassador, earning multiple awards for entrepreneurship and innovation. Plus, live from the Day 2 of the IAAPA Expo Europe show floor, we catch up with:Rheanna Sorby –Marketing & Creative Director,  The Seasonal Grouphttps://theseasonalgroup.co.uk/https://www.linkedin.com/in/rheanna-sorby-seasonal/Sohret Pakis – Polin Waterparkshttps://www.polin.com.tr/https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohretpakis/Thomas Collin – Sales Manager, VEX Solutionshttps://www.vex-solutions.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-collin-18a476110/Peter Cliff – CEO // Founder, Conductr.https://conductr.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-cliff/Laura Baxter – Founder, Your CMOhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-baxter-4a756466/Josh Haywood – Resort Director, Crealy Theme Park & Resorthttps://www.crealy.co.uk/https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-haywood-68463630/ Transcriptions:  Paul Marden: Welcome to Skip the Queue, the podcast about the world's best attractions and the people that work in them. I'm your host Paul Marden, and with my co-host Andy Povey and roving reporter Claire Furnival, we're here at IAAPA Expo Europe. In today's episode, I go on a trip on Santa's Enchanted Elevator with the Seasonal Group, and Claire meets Peter Cliff from Conductr. But before all that, let's head over to Andy.Andy Povey: Good morning, everybody. I'm joined today by Jerome Giacomoni from AEROPHILE for our French listeners. I hope I've got that right. Jerome is the chief exec of AEROPHILE and has been the co-founder and president of AEROPHILE. And AEROPHILE supply helium-based balloon observation opportunities. I probably got the marketing on that completely wrong, Jerome. So please, can you share with our listeners what AEROPHILE is all about?Jerome Giacomoni: So AEROPHILE is a company I created with Mathieu Gobbi, my partner, 32 years ago, with a very simple idea, make everybody fly, you know, and we use a balloon to fly. So we have a tethered balloon. We have a huge, big balloon inflated with helium, a gas lighter than air. And we go up to more or less 150 meters high. up to 30 passengers. So we are linked to the ground with a cable, and the cable is linked to a winch. So you have to imagine that you have a winch that— when we go up—pulls when we go down. This is the exact opposite of an elevator because the balloon wants to go higher and higher. We have a lifting force of four tons.Andy Povey:Wow.Jerome Giacomoni:Yes, it's a big one. And so we need a cable to keep it. And thanks to this lifting force, we can fight against the wind.Jerome Giacomoni: And so the balloon can swing when you have some wind because the balloon is just pulled by the cable itself.Andy Povey: And trust me, listeners, they look absolutely spectacular. Just before we started recording, I was admitting to Jerome that I'm scared of heights. So I've stood and watched. The dining balloon, Futuroscope, never managed to pluck up the courage to try it myself.Jerome Giacomoni: This is another concept, Andy. So we have built two concepts. One is a tethered balloon, a real one with helium, with a cable, with a winch, and we fly by ourselves. The balloon flies by itself, okay? We did another concept 20 years after we created our company, so 10 years before now, in 2013, which is what we call the aero bar. It's a flying bar, and you have an inflatable balloon. to cover the gondola, but it's a fake. This is a real elevator, and you have a gondola with some winches and a metallic structure, and you go up and down. So what you saw in Futuroscope is not a balloon. It's a real elevator.Jerome Giacomoni: And the one you can see in Disneyland Paris, Disney World, Orlando or San Diego Zoo are a real balloon named a tethered balloon. So I'm glad you fell down into the trick. You caught me. Yes, I'm glad about that. But we have really two different concepts.Andy Povey: But the concept, the thing that the guest is experiencing, isn't really related to whether it's a balloon or a lift.Jerome Giacomoni: No. i think it's very different okay i think the aerobar is fun and you have the feet in the sky you feel the thrill of height and everything but you stop at 35 meters it's it's quite high for a ride but it's not a real flight And I think the balloon is a real flight. We have a balloon in Paris. We have a balloon in Budapest, Berlin. And you see the city from the sky at 150 meters high, which is very high. So you really experience a flight. With the aerobar, you have a ride, okay? So both of them are related to the sky, are related to the view, but one is really a flight, the other one is really a ride.Andy Povey: That makes absolute sense.Andy Povey: It doesn't reassure me on my fear of heights anymore, that I would like to go up three times, four times taller, higher than the one I saw first. Very interesting. So, listeners, we're often talking about technology and attractions. There's a huge amount of talk about augmented reality, about AI, about motion simulators. The reason, Jerome, we asked you to come and talk to us is because you don't do any of that. No—your experience is fantastic and it's new and it's unique, but there's no technology or very little obvious technology.Jerome Giacomoni: Yes, quite little. You know, it's amazing because we do this for now 32 years, as I told you. The first balloon was inflated in 1994. We have sold 120 balloons in more than 40 countries. And each time with the balloon, you have a magical effect, you know, because the balloon itself is very nice— because the balloon itself is a show from people looking at it from the ground. And because... The flight experience is amazing because you are really in the sky. You are really looking at the ground, at the landscape. You have no noise, you know, when you take a helicopter or plane. You have a lot of noise. You are in an enclosed airplane or helicopter. Here you are outside. You are on a balcony flying at 150 meters. And wherever we are, always we have like a magical effect of the flight. And with the flying bar, we decided to do something different— where we say, 'Why drink on ground where you can drink in the sky?'Jerome Giacomoni: So we add the drink to the ride, you know. So you are on a table and you have what we say in French conviviality. So we share a drink. We go at 35 meters and you have the thrill of the view of the height and also the conviviality of drinking. So this is another concept, but both of them are universal. And wherever we do it, we have sold 20 aero bars worldwide.Jerome Giacomoni: Everybody is very happy to have this kind of ride. I would say we are on the side of the main market. You know, we have two niche products. The balloon is a niche product. And the AeroBar is a niche product where we have another experience than a normal ride, like a roller coaster or a flume or a spinning coaster.Andy Povey: You say you're a nice product, but the balloon in Paris for the Olympics, where you lifted the cauldron, had phenomenal numbers of visitors watching. That wasn't something you could go on.Jerome Giacomoni: Yes, it was an amazing opportunity. You know, sometimes life gives you some presents.Jerome Giacomoni: And imagine that we were contacted by the Olympic Organisation Committee one day, and we believed it was a joke. And they said, 'We need to talk to you.' And then we discovered that instead of flying humans, they asked us to fly a cauldron. So the Olympic cauldron. And we have like one year and a half of design and manufacturing.Jerome Giacomoni: And then, at 11 pm, 25, the balloon has to fly in front of everybody. I can tell you it was a very stressful time. But so nice and so amazing to have experiences. So, yes, the balloon suddenly was visible by everybody. And that's back now in Paris, isn't it? Yes. First of all, the balloon has to stay only twice— 15 days. You know, you have the Olympics and the Paralympics. So we were open only 30 days in total. And the success was so huge that every night, you have dozens of thousands of people coming to look at it. That's why the mayor of Paris and the French president decided to keep it.Jerome Giacomoni: And just after the deflation of the balloon, they call us back and say, 'Jerome and Mathieu, we would like to have the balloon back.' So we work again with the city of Paris and the French presidency, and we agreed to put the balloon.Jerome Giacomoni: Three times, three months. So from June 21st, in France, this is a music event, you know, the Day of Music. To September 14th, which is a day of sport. So every year until the Olympic game of LA, we will operate the balloon for three months in the summertime. Fantastic.Andy Povey: So, Jerome, you operate in lots and lots of different countries all over the world. I think it's 14 countries that you've been.Jerome Giacomoni: No, we sold, but we operate only in the US and in France.Andy Povey: Ah, okay. Interesting.Jerome Giacomoni: We own ourselves, we operate ourselves, six balloons in the 120 we have sold. So we operate three in Paris region. One, the Parc André Citroën, where we have the Generali balloon since 1999. One in Disneyland Paris since 2005. So we are in Disneyland Paris for now 20 years. Time is flying. And the last one, the Cold Run, which is a very specific event that we operate now for one year and for the next two years. And in the US, we operate Disney World Orlando in Disney Spring since 2009, and San Diego Zoo Safari Park since 2005, and Irvine. South of LA since 2007. So we operate now six balloons for a long, long time, except the cold run. And we keep selling balloons.Jerome Giacomoni: We sell more or less five to six balloons every year.Andy Povey: And how do you find the differences between the French culture and you're on either side of America, so the differences between the different coasts of America and France?Jerome Giacomoni: Yes, we... We are in the US, but we are also in Mexico, in a lot of countries in Asia. In the Middle East, we have a beautiful balloon in Dubai. We have a beautiful balloon in Seoul. So we work a lot with very different cultures. You know, it's very interesting to sell the same product to different cultures. So I would say... The main difference probably lies in the contract. It's very funny when you make the contract. I would say a 'yes' is not the same 'yes' depending on the culture. But everybody is, you know, you... You love people when you work worldwide. You learn a lot, you discover a lot. You have to learn with different cultures. And I have the chance in my professional life to experience that and to meet people from all over the world. And, you know, my job is to go on site, and discuss with someone, and see if it's possible or not to have a balloon at this place.Jerome Giacomoni: So it's always a beautiful job because I travel in a lot of countries in beautiful spots.Jerome Giacomoni: We don't succeed a lot because, if not, I would have sold thousands of balloons. We have always constraints with local authority, with food traffic, etc. But always, it's a pleasure to meet people. And once... The balloon is accepted by the local authority when the customer has a finance for it. Then start more or less a one-year work together between installation, work on site, inflation, and training of the team. And after... They fly with their own wings, even if we have no wings with our balloons.Andy Povey: Very good. And I imagine that you don't put balloons into ugly places.Jerome Giacomoni: We did, sometimes for specific contracts. Ugly, I won't use this name, but not very obvious, logical site. But it has happened. Sometimes we do for small events or for specific needs.Jerome Giacomoni: But yes, most of the time, the sites are very interesting.Andy Povey: So there are other things you're doing with the balloons. So the air quality messaging that you have above Paris. Tell us more about your opportunities to influence in other areas.Jerome Giacomoni: Yes, you know, the balloon is not only a ride, a passenger ride, but it's also an amazing opportunity for communication and for advertisement. So in the city center, like Paris, Berlin, or Seoul, the balloon is used also as a giant advertising billboard. So you have two revenues. You have the revenue of the passenger, but you have also the sponsor revenue.Jerome Giacomoni: When we started the balloon in Paris, it was extremely difficult to get the authorisation to have a balloon in Paris centre. We are two kilometres south of the Eiffel Tower. But you remember, we had the famous Millennium, the Y2K. uh and and so the mayor faris was looking for a new idea and we propose a balloon And they gave us only a one year and a half contract. And the investment was quite huge. And we told him, OK, we can do it, but we cannot do it for only one year and a half. Except if you accept that we have a name on the balloon, a naming and a sponsor on the balloon. And the mayor say yes. And we start another business where we put sponsor on the balloon. And this is a very good business because it makes a... activity immediately profitable so we did that in Paris in 1999 and in 2008 the balloon was like 10 years old because when you fly you have your the balloon is huge we talk about a 32 meters high balloon we talk about like a 12-story building.Jerome Giacomoni: So everybody knows the balloon in Paris. Everybody can see it. And so, when we fly, we have 400,000 people who immediately see us. So we decided to give citizen aspect. And we start— pour changer le couleur de la balle selon la qualité de l'air. C'était en 2008. Et parce que nous l'avons fait, nous avons des scientifiques... coming to us and say, 'Hey, this balloon is a wonderful platform to measure air quality because you make like a carrot of the air from zero to 150 meters. Jerome Giacomoni:  Can we bring some scientist instrument on the gondola? And we say yes. And then we start to make science. And then we start to make scientific publications, scientific publications. And then we start a new business where the balloon is not only a tethered gas balloon for passenger, it's only... advertising billboard and now it's only a scientific platform and so this is very interesting and the last things we have done in 2024 no this year in 2025 is to use the balloon for global climate change. As you know, we have two main gas pollutants for the climate change, CO2 and CH4. And the balloon is a perfect platform to measure evolution on CO2 and CH4. So we are working with a European group named ICOS. gathering all the best laboratories in Europe, who are making a huge study on how CO2 and CH4 how they are in each city.Jerome Giacomoni: And Paris has been chosen as a pilot city. So we are very glad to work with them. And so now the Balloon is also working on climate change. And we will have big, big, big LED screen. So we make some technology sometime, as you said, to inform people on the temperature elevation in Europe and in the world. And the news are very bad, as everybody knows.Andy Povey: But that's fascinating. I love the integration you've been able to take from this unique proposition and apply it to different markets, different problems.Jerome Giacomoni: You know, Andy, I think we have to exit from the box. My message to... all people who are listening to us.Jerome Giacomoni: Okay, passenger rides is very important. It's a key market for many of us. But sometimes we can use... another way to find new flow of revenue, like advertising, and we can be also helpful to our other citizens, like working freely for scientists to make measurements on pollutants of the air. This helps with both air quality and also climate change.Andy Povey: It's a beautiful concept, Jerome. I love it. Love it.Andy Povey: So, final question. Your experiences are obviously very unique. What advice would you have for a venue and possibly a smaller venue that doesn't have the resources to be able to build something 150 metres high or put something 150 metres into the air? What advice would you give them on how to make a compelling experience for visitors?Jerome Giacomoni: I really believe that you have to stick on your roots, okay? I mean that people want authenticity.Jerome Giacomoni: And as you know, we are very keen on balloons, as you can imagine. So we make in our, you know, Paris, it's in Paris where you have the first flight. Yeah. In 1783. Montgolfier, brothers. Yes, with the Montgolfier brothers, with Charles, the scientist. So we really stick on our roots. And I think where you are in Brittany, where you are in Japan, you have to follow your own road and your own path. By feeling what could be the good idea, but also what is your feeling inside you. You need to have something different that you feel very confident with.Andy Povey: Beautiful final thought, Jerome, I like it a lot. So listeners, stay authentic and be passionate.Jerome Giacomoni: Exactly, the right word is passionate.Paul Marden: Next up, let's get some soundbites from the show floor.Rheanna  Sorby: My name's Rheanna. I'm Marketing and Creative Director for the Seasonal Group. We are curators of Christmas magic all year round. Wow, wow.Paul Marden: So you make Christmas special?Rheanna  Sorby: We're the Christmas elves.Paul Marden: Awesome, awesome. I can see you've got such a great set of stands. What have you got here that you're exhibiting for the first time?Rheanna  Sorby: We have Santa's Enchanted Express, which is a three-minute experience that transports customers and guests from a very festive train station to the North Pole in just under three minutes. So it's quite a Christmas miracle. And it also transports on nine pallets. So it's a great return on investment for customers there if it's 24 people on. We also have our elevator experience, which went viral last year. And then we have VR, animatronics, and a lot of our famous items, like the snowman here, just dressed as a little, it's some sort of operator.Paul Marden: Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. So we don't have a lot of luck with lifts at the moment because the team got stuck in a lift yesterday for about 45 minutes. Stop it. We got rescued by the... Well, I didn't get in the lift. I walked because there wasn't enough room. But two of them had to be rescued by the fire brigadeRheanna  Sorby: Okay, so this might be triggering. Well, you know.Paul Marden: Oh, no, I found it hilarious.Paul Marden: I was hugely supportive on the outside, yelling into them.Paul Marden: But Santa won't let me get stuck in a lift today, will he? Absolutely not.Rheanna  Sorby: No, there's an emergency exit. Excellent.Paul Marden: So what's new and innovative then about the Santa Express? What are you bringing to market?Rheanna  Sorby: So a lot of our clients, we sell business to business. They're struggling to get people into shopping centres and we're finding that we need to create retail theatre. So that is something I see as a massive trend moving forward. People want nostalgia. They want an experience, something memorable. But also our customers need a way to return investment as well. So they hopefully will spend something with us and then ticket the experience. So that's something that we're pivoting our business towards. Trying to create a brand new experience every year. A lot of people are struggling nowadays, cost of living.Paul Marden: Yeah, absolutely.Rheanna  Sorby: It's difficult, so we're trying to find a way that brings the Christmas magic to people's doors.Paul Marden: We are, where are we at the moment? We're in September, so we've still got a couple of months left before Christmas 2025, but that must be over for you.Rheanna  Sorby: No, the quality of the street is on the shelves. It's already happening. The install season starts literally on Monday for us. Really? Yes. When we get back, we land and then we start installing.Paul Marden: And so this is the busy time. So let's talk about Christmas 2026. What are the trends that you see coming along at that point?Rheanna  Sorby: Whimsical, whimsical. So we've got Wicked number two coming out. And we've also had all like the Whoville, that sort of style, the Grinch. So imagine pastels, furry trees, things that don't quite make sense, a lot of whimsical wonderland, I would say, trend-wise. But equally immersive experiences and how we can bring magic to you.Paul Marden: Wonderful, wonderful. Thank you ever so much. Rheanna, it's been lovely to meet you. Thank you for coming on the podcast. And let's go and visit Santa in his lift, shall we? Yeah, excellent.Paul Marden: And here it is. So we are surrounded by suites in an old-fashioned lift. And there's our doors closed.Paul Marden: Oh, how amazing is this? We're going up.Paul Marden: Ice like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The Great Glass Elevator. This is amazing. We're up over the clouds. Just stunning. There's a train there. I think we're going to follow into the tunnel after the train. Yes.Paul Marden: Got cold, now we're underground. Now we're in the tunnel.Paul Marden: And I think this might be Santa's factory.Paul Marden: Let's get ready.Paul Marden: Merry Christmas. The big man's chair as well. Can I take a seat in the big man's chair? Ho, ho, ho.Sohret Pakis: Hi, Paul. My name is Shorhet Pakis. I'm the brand ambassador for Polin Waterparks.Paul Marden: What are you launching this year at IAAPA? What's new for you?Sohret Pakis:Last year, we have won two big awards for a themed water slide, which is... Stingray it was in Nantes in France and it was something big because you know it was like Europeans best water slide number one and I have a brass ring award winner about two million number one but last night in Porta Ventura Stingray has won the second time best water slide of Europe award. But we have something new about it. Last year when I was telling about Stingray, it was an eight-person slide. This year we have something new. Now the capacity went up to 10, especially when we're talking about all these queue management issues. So that's something wonderful. And also, you ask, what is new? This year, we have something very exciting. A parrot-themed stingray. It's the same slide, but it's parrot-themed.Sohret Pakis: It's coming to Dubai by January. It's going to be open.Paul Marden: So can I ask you, what makes that innovative? What's new about that?Sohret Pakis: Actually, it's a very specifically themed waterslide. You know that POLIN has been pioneer in RTM manufacturing and U-texture. It's kind of a composite material technology which we can make waterslides look.  Look like a character, actually. We are the company who did this first because we said that storytelling is very important. Yes, but you know, slides are just slides. So we just wanted the slides look like the characters in that story. Of course, behind that, there is huge material technology, composites technology, design technologies. Actually, that's the time when we introduced King Cobra years ago. And now with Stingray, we took it much further. So actually, the team looks perfectly like a Stingray, but at the same time, it's a water slide with so many features. It has two big towers and between the towers, there's a bridge. From each tower, two slides start with a very special mist roofing and very special bridge where you can just see what's happening all over the slide.Paul Marden: So the queuing experience is enriched so it doesn't feel quite so long and boring because you can watch what everyone is doing.Sohret Pakis: It is, yes.Paul Marden: Super impressive. So we have been asking everybody to think about what are their predictions for 2026?Sohret Pakis: Everybody is talking about AI. Everybody is talking about immersive. So AI, of course, will make a huge difference in operation, especially.Paul Marden: In what way?Sohret Pakis: Actually, in guest satisfaction, because personalisation is very important in our industry. Whoever comes to the park, they are the heroes at the park. And so actually, if the park can make them feel that they are the heroes, truly— if that's their birthday, if that's their wedding anniversary, so whatever. If the park can make you feel that you're special, and thanks to technology, now it's possible.Paul Marden: Absolutely. That's so interesting. Thank you so much for your insights and for joining us on Skip the Queue. Thank you.Thomas Collin: I'm Thomas, I'm from VEX Solutions, so we are a VR company at the start, and now we're going to the arcade with mixed reality as well. Okay, so that's a nice link. What are you launching here at IAFA? So here for the first time we are introducing VEX Party Dash. The Party Dash is a mixed reality arcade machine. So automated, people can go on it, play on it. You have two huge screens that are really highly interactive. You can walk on the screen, you can touch the screen. The goal is really to make you moving. So that's what we want to do with the Dash.Paul Marden: That's amazing, isn't it? So we're watching people at the moment. You can see lights up on the floor that they're stepping on and on the wall.Thomas Collin: What is really the key aspect of this product is that it's highly attractive. People, they just go around, they stop by it, they want to try it. Actually, we can say, 'Hey, come and try it,' because we watch you, we see you. So we can say, 'Hey, come and try it.' And people stop by, they play it. It's highly immersive, but also highly active. Yes. You're just not standing on an arcade, sitting down. No, you're really moving around. So, this is really good for kids and families. Absolutely. That's what we see.Paul Marden: So, where do you see this being used? What sort of attractions will take this?Thomas Collin: Actually, with this product, it can go either in the attraction side or either at the arcade side. So, you can play it as one game, and you can play a three-minute game like an arcade, or you can actually book for 15 minutes. Since there is not a single game, but multiple games, you can play different games, you can play different levels inside the main gate. So you have a high replayability. Because we want you to come back, we want to attract the gamers, and then make them come back.Paul Marden: 15 minutes with this much activity sounds like quite a tall order. It's a workout.Thomas Collin: It's a workout. It's a workout. Yeah, yeah, yeah.Peter Cliff: Hi, my name is Pete Cliff. I'm from Conductr. We're here in Barcelona and it's so exciting to be back at IAAPA. Now, what we're super excited about this year is talking about our collaboration with Norwegian Cruise Lines on Great Stirrup Cay. It's their new water park. It's a great project. We're excited to talk to people about it. It's also lovely to be back in Barcelona. It's been, I think, about six years since we were last back here, and it's always one of my favourite European cities for IAPA. It's great to meet with people from the industry, reconnect with old colleagues and friends, and really see what's happening. There's a huge amount of innovation and special projects that are launching all over the show floor. So yeah, great to be back, and can't wait to see what the future of the themed entertainment industry has to offer.Laura Baxter: My name is Laura Baxter. You may know me as the girl with the purple jumpsuit on LinkedIn. I am the head of marketing for Black Gang Shine, but have most recently just announced that I've gone into freelancing and I've launched your CMO.Paul Marden: And I have to say, the jumpsuits work because I was about 50 metres behind you earlier on and I spotted the Your CMO logo on the back of the jumpsuit, so well done for that. We've talked to a lot of suppliers with stands that are exhibiting. From your perspective, this is your first time stepping over to the dark side and coming to an IAPA. What's the experience like for you? What are you here to get out of the show?Laura Baxter: I'd say it's twofold. Mainly it is for networking. Obviously anybody who's anyone in the industry is here. But also, it's inspiration because I want to be able to talk about new and exciting stuff with... Potential clients that I may have and ideas still for Black Gang as well. So, when you walk around show floor, which is just so vibrant and there's so much going on everywhere—you turn, you can draw inspiration from so many of the suppliers here.Paul Marden: What have you seen that's innovative?Laura Baxter: There's a huge amount of stuff being done with tech and it's very interesting because I think that's where a lot of people are going to think that they need to go, because that's the way of the world now, and the next generation don't know life off of a screen and they're expecting to have these incredible digital experiences.Laura Baxter: I'm not convinced that is the way to go. But yes, it's still impressive tech. So for me, there are things that I stand back out and look at and I'm like, 'Whoa, that's really, really cool.'Laura Baxter: I'm not so sure it's potentially what consumers want, though, controversially.Paul Marden: It's really hard, isn't it? Because as a parent of young kids, you want them off the tech as much as you possibly can. But you need a hook. To be able to attract them, don't you? So there's been some amazing stuff here that bridges that gap between the real world and the tech world. So, summer season 2025 is over. What are your predictions about summer 26 and what operators should be thinking about right now?Laura Baxter: It's a really tough market, we all know that. Budgets are tight for households, so there is an awful lot more thought going into their spending and what they're doing and where they're choosing to take that little bit of disposable money that they do have. Therefore actually I don't think next year operators should be thinking about huge innovations or new attractions. I think they need to strip back to basics and nail their customer service. I think guest expectations now are so high. because they're parting with money that is a little bit more precious to them than perhaps if they don't leave at the end of that day having had a good experience they feel ripped off they're going to go straight to review platforms they're going to let it all out and actually you need to be focusing on making sure that every single touch point with that customer is bang on and we're talking pre-visit as well from the your website journey to buying it to the follow-up emails to the pre-visit emails to that first person they meet on front of house to the ride operators to the events team if you have that kind of entertainment on park if you are not nailing your experienceLaura Baxter: You are going to lose out well.Paul Marden: I think we should end it right there. That there is a nugget of gold.Paul Marden: So I am here with co-host Andy Povey and our good friend Josh Haywood from Crealy down in Devon.Josh Haywood: Hello.Paul Marden: It's the end of day two. What have you seen, Josh? What's blown your socks off?Josh Haywood: Good couple of days so far. We're probably into 40,000 steps, which is great. I think technology is the thing that struck me this week so far. Just the small changes that some of the operators and some of the manufacturers are putting into their existing kits. So, for example, I attended a seminar this morning about bowling. and normally temping bowling is temping bowling. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But now there's augmented reality, and they've got features on the lanes, and it's not about just taking all the pins down, it's taking pin one and six out, and all those things they're trying to do to reinvent older, more traditional attractions, which I think I find really interesting. Yeah. I think some of the seasonality stuff, the Christmas and Halloween stuff has been really good. We sat on a train and went on a journey and the seats rumbled and the sound and the visual effects, they were great.Paul Marden: I saw that. There was no room for me to go and sit on that train. It was amazing.Josh Haywood: I thought that was really good. And, you know, I've been really impressed with generally the show. I think you can get around it all as well. It feels really friendly. I think the sun shining always helps as well. It's not too tough, is it?Paul Marden: I mean, the last time we were in Barcelona, we were all wearing face masks. Absolutely, yes. So it's really refreshing to be back here. And not have that.Josh Haywood: Absolutely. And not have to queue to get in as well. I think that was interesting on the first day.Paul Marden: Oh, did they see you and then just wave you through?Josh Haywood: Red carpet was up for, of course, award-winning theme park and resort. Paul Marden: Mr. Hayward. Did you say award? Winnie and obviously you're on the back of your two awards in the theme park awards last week. How was that? And then we've got some really exciting news from Creeley.Josh Haywood: I saw it at the press this morning. Yes, so a couple of things happened last week. So first of all, we had our anniversary 25 years of Maximus the Coaster. The Vekoma Coaster, 25 years. The first coaster in Devon. It was Devon's first coaster, over half a million riders later. It's done 2 million miles around the track. It's great. So we did a sort of event for that, and we used it to sort of make some announcements about future attractions, which I'll tell you about in a minute. But then we went to the Theme Park Awards last week at Wickste Park, where... We've been the recipients of a few bronze and silvers, and we go being little old us and hope for the best. And then the award I really wanted to win was one of two: the best for families and the best for value. And when the family award came up, they said, 'In bronze is such and such, in silver.' And I was like, 'Well, there you go.' That's all that's left for another year. And then when they said the win at gold was cruelly for best for families, we were delighted. I got a bit emotional about it. I think we would just work so hard over the years to be the best in the Southwest, certainly. And certainly since we put Sootyland in as well. We won the award for Toddlers.Josh Haywood: So it was a double wham. And within 10 minutes as well. It wasn't separated. Within 10 minutes, I just got my breath back from the first one. And then we were up on stage again taking that second award. Oh, it's tough, isn't it? Which was great, yeah. Multi-award winning. Multi-award winning theme parking resort. Devon's finest. Most right in Devon. We're just going to... absolutely bleep the hell out of this for the next 12 months because who knows we may not win it again so we'll just shout from the treetops about this and then we also won thanks to martin rose and rose events uh silver for best entertainment event for the city show It's still very popular, the legacy brand. People love the Sooty show. And as I said at the awards, we sell loads of those puppets. People love a Sooty and a Sweep. So it's been a really good collaboration for us.Paul Marden: We were at our first away day for our Merak team back a few months ago down at Creeley, and I found a little sooty puppet underneath the lectern. I was absolutely chuffed to bits. And there he was, just sitting at the front of the away day, watching everything going on with Sue next to him.Josh Haywood: He's still popular. We understood when we put Cityland in, it wasn't going to be Peppa Pig. world and we didn't think for a minute we'd even sort of get to those heights of Thomas Land at Drayton Manor but it certainly hit a chord with the older market certainly the nannies and the granddads who remember such from when they were kids and you know it's a legacy brand and it works but what we have done really well is sort of corner that market for younger children and toddlers and we Sort of took some comments over the last 12 to 18 months that we may be missing the mark when it comes to the 8 to 12-year-olds, which we were pretty good at five or six years ago. So we've decided this year that we're going to invest in some thrill attractions. So we've just launched news that we've got two new rides going in next year. One, I can't tell you exactly because we're still going under. Got some planning issues, but we're going to have the Southwest tallest ride and the Southwest first inverted ride. So a multi-million pound investment going in and hopefully that will give us another boost that we need to kick on again. We've still got new accommodation going in. We'll still be doing new events and shows for next year.Josh Haywood: So it's going to be a bumper year for Crealy. Absolutely.  I really look forward to that.Paul Marden: I look forward to you being on the launch ride.Paul Marden: Me down on the ground watching and videoing.Josh Haywood: What they have said, which is really interesting, we spoke to an operator, there's only one other ride like it in the UK, and that operator said, whatever you do, make sure when you put the ride in, you fit a hose pipe and a tap right in. Because you may be washing the seats down more than you would usually on your current ride. So, yeah, it certainly will add that next level of ride experience to our family market.Paul Marden: Yeah, I think that's super important, isn't it? Mr. Povey, what have you seen today that has blown your socks off?Andy Povey: I'm really looking for the place to go and get some more soft, comfortable socks. I've walked so much. I've stood around and listened to so many fantastic talks, had so many brilliant conversations. I'm done. My feet hurt. I need to sit down and have a beer.Paul Marden: Well, I hate to break it to you, but there's another day left. And there's still more interviews to do. Still more opportunities for us to get some interesting stories on Skip the Queue.Andy Povey: Look forward to that.Paul Marden: Gentlemen, I think we're about done. So thank you ever so much. It has been a joy. And Mr. Povey, see you back here tomorrow. Josh, wonderful as always.Josh Haywood: Maybe see you at OrlandoPaul Marden: Oh. Absolutely, yeah.Josh Haywood: We'll do it againPaul Marden: Thanks for listening to today's episode. If you liked it, leave a comment in Spotify or Apple Podcasts. If you didn't, let us know on hello@skipthequeue.fm. Today's episode was a team effort for Sami and Emily from Plaster, Steve from Folland Co., as well as Claire and Wenalyn from Skip the Queue HQ. We're back again tomorrow for more fun from IAAPA, including Andreas Andersen from Liseberg, one of Scandinavia's most visited parks. See you all tomorrow. The 2025 Visitor Attraction Website Survey is now LIVE! Dive into groundbreaking benchmarks for the industryGain a better understanding of how to achieve the highest conversion ratesExplore the "why" behind visitor attraction site performanceLearn the impact of website optimisation and visitor engagement on conversion ratesUncover key steps to enhance user experience for greater conversionsTake the Rubber Cheese Visitor Attraction Website Survey Report

Wall Street's torrid surge from April's meltdown is showing signs of exhaustion as stock traders await fresh catalysts amid risks stemming from a labor-market slowdown to sticky inflation.While the S&P 500 has defied September's gloomy reputation as the worst month for equity returns, the gauge failed to gain traction on Wednesday. The market ebullience saw the index notching almost 30 records in 2025, eclipsing the average year-end analyst forecast and spurring calls for consolidation. For more, we turn to Rebecca Walser, President at Walser Wealth Management. And, South Korea says investment projects in the US will remain in limbo until visa issues are resolved, in the wake of the Trump administration's immigration raid at a Hyundai-LG Energy battery plant in Georgia. South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok sat down with Bloomberg's Shery Ahn in Seoul for an exclusive interview on the state of Korea-US relations, dealing with China & Japan, and the prospects of a Trump-Kim Jong Un meeting at next month's APEC summit in Gyeongju.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cracked Racquets Editor-in-Chief Alex Gruskin offers his final thoughts on Team Italy's run to the 2025 BJK Cup Title. He also recaps a fantastic comeback for Swiatek in Seoul, marvels at the continued excellence of Bublik, previews a JAM-PACKED week ahead, plus SO much more!! Don't forget to give a 5 star review on your favorite podcast app! In addition, add your twitter/instagram handle to the review for a chance to win some FREE CR gear!! Episode Bookmarks: Team Italy grabs the BJK Cup - 6:49 Swiatek wins in Seoul - 17:06 ATP Hangzhou Recap - 23:40 ATP Chengdu Recap - 31:43 WTA Beijing Preview - 36:55 ATP Tokyo Preview - 42:50 ATP Beijing Preview - 46:01 WTA 125K + ITF Event Previews - 49:00 ATP Challenger Previews - 50:24 Laurel Springs Ranked among the best online private schools in the United States, Laurel Springs stands out when it comes to support, personalization, community, and college prep. They give their K-12 students the resources, guidance, and learning opportunities they need at each grade level to reach their full potential. Find Cracked Racquets Website: https://www.crackedracquets.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/crackedracquets Twitter: https://twitter.com/crackedracquets Facebook: https://Facebook.com/crackedracquets YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/crackedracquets Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

PLAVE is your average hit-making K-pop group, but with a twist: its members are virtual avatars. There are real-life performers behind the characters, who control their voices and dance moves using motion capture technology, but their identities are kept secret. Despite their anonymity, a South Korean court has sided with the group after they sued a social media user for insulting comments they posted online about the avatars. Each member was only awarded around $70 US dollars, but the case is one of the first of its kind and sets an important precedent. So what does this mean for how we interact with virtual bands online in the future? The BBC's Rachel Lee, based in Seoul, breaks down everything you need to know.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Pria Rai Producers: Maria Clara Montoya and Chelsea Coates Editor: Harriet Oliver

Catherine, David and Matt are here, unusually, on a Tuesday to look back on Laver Cup, Iga Swiatek's title in Seoul, and a couple of ATP events in China. Part one - Laver Cup. We start by hearing from The Athletic's Matt Futterman who spent the weekend in San Francisco at Laver Cup. He explains why and how he entered the week with skepticism only to be won over by the crowds, the format and the vibe of the event. After that, despite promising not to get into an existential discussion about Laver Cup like we always do, we get into an existential discussion about Laver Cup. Part two - Tour results (36m41s). We cover Iga Swiatek's victory in Seoul, her gutsy performance to beat Ekaterina Alexandrova in a dramatic final, and the race for year-end #1 on the WTA Tour. On the men's side, there's chat about Alejandro Tabilo's sudden resurgence to triumph in Chengdu, the utter devastation for beaten finalist Lorenzo Musetti, and whether Alexander Bublik can qualify for Turin after his fourth title of the season. Part three - Preview of the week ahead (59m47s). We discuss what to expect from a stacked field for the WTA 1000 in Beijing as well as two ATP 500 events in Beijing and Tokyo. Tickets are now on General Sale for The Tennis Podcast - Live in Wrexham on Wednesday October 22nd! Buy ⁠here⁠.Become a ⁠Friend of The Tennis Podcast⁠Check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠new merch shop⁠⁠⁠⁠! Talk tennis with Friends on ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Barge! ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to receive our free ⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ (daily at Slams and weekly the rest of the year, featuring Matt's Stat, mascot photos, Fantasy League updates, and more)Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ (@thetennispodcast)Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ channel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AGENDA: IntroTeam World gana la Laver CupResultados día por día. Motivados Taylor Fritz y Alex de Minaur por parte de Team World. Alexander Zverev y Holger Rune las decepciones de Team Europe. Hablamos del evento y torneo como tal. Agradecimiento a los collabs. Italia gana y defiende la Billie Jean King Cup venciendo a Estados Unidos 2-0.Iga Swiatek campeona del WTA 500 de Seoul venciendo a Ekaterina Alexandrova (1-6, 7-6, 7-5). Título #25 de su carrera.Torneos esta semanaWTA 1000 de BeijingPosibles cuartos de final por siembra. PicksFinal ATP 250 Chengdu (Lorenzo Musetti vs Alejandro Tabilo)Final ATP 250 Hangzhou (Alexander Bublik vs Valentin Royer)ATP 500 TokioATP 500 BeijingRodrigo Pacheco ya está en el Top 200 (#196)Y más ...Instagram: @TennisPiochasTwitter: @TennisPiochasTikTok: @tennis.piochas Distribuido por Genuina Media Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

PREVIEW: GUEST: Bruce Bechtol SUMMARY: Bruce Bechtol discusses the North Korean Navy, which is generally weak but excels at asymmetric warfare, such as using stealth boats and submarines to sneak in troops or sinking the Cheonan in 2010. While Russia is reportedly helping build their nuclear submarine fleet, they face real challenges in conventional, head-to-head naval combat. 1945 SEOUL

We talk about Iga Swiatek defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova in a very tight final in Seoul, winning despite not playing her best. Carlos Alcaraz was at Laver Cup, but couldn't help Team Europe raise the trophy.Follow us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts as well. Download the TennisONE APP for scores, stats, news, videos, player content, fan contests, and more (https://t1.app.link/Vansh)

From San Francisco to Seoul and Shenzhen, it's been a non-stop week of tennis drama. Join Kim and Chris as they unpack all the action, from the Laver Cup to the Billie Jean King Cup finals. Team World reigned supreme in San Francisco with a dramatic Laver Cup victory under new captain Andre Agassi, as Taylor Fritz sealed the trophy in style against Alexander Zverev, just days after his shock win over Carlos Alcaraz.In Shenzhen, Italy once again defended their Billie Jean King Cup crown, with Jasmine Paolini and Elisabetta Cocciaretto powering past Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro despite unfavourable head-to-head records. Meanwhile in Seoul, Iga Swiatek battled past Ekaterina Alexandrova to clinch her 25th career title, while Emma Raducanu's return to the court ended in heartbreak against Barbora Krejcikova.We also look ahead to the WTA 1000 in Beijing, where Coco Gauff is aiming to defend her title in the absence of World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, and the ATP 500 in Tokyo, where Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz could be set for another showdown.SOCIALSFollow us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, plus email the show tennisweeklypod@gmail.com.MERCHPurchase Tennis Weekly Merch through our Etsy store including limited edition designs by Krippa Design where all proceeds go towards the podcast so we can keep doing what we do!REVIEWS***Please take a moment to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your pods. It really means a lot to us at HQ and helps make it easier for new listeners to discover us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Chatterbox, Andrew and Anna talk about street smarts: the practical skills and awareness people should have in order to stay safe and confident in cities. They share personal stories about living in places like Madrid, London, Seoul, and Canada, and explain how experiences such as pickpocketing or mugging can change the way people think about safety. The hosts also compare life in big cities to life in smaller towns or the countryside, showing how different environments require different kinds of common sense. This episode is great for upper-intermediate English learners who want to understand everyday English conversations about real-life situations, build up vocabulary related to safety and street crime, and practice listening to natural storytelling from native speakers. What you'll learn in this episode: Vocabulary: Useful English words and expressions about safety, danger, and daily life in cities, such as dodgy, pickpocket, mugging, and shady character. Listening: Improve your listening skills by following an easy-to-understand conversation between two native speakers sharing real experiences. Speaking: Learn how to tell your own stories about travel, street smarts, and staying safe using natural English phrases. Culture: Discover how people from different countries think about safety in cities and compare experiences from Canada, Spain, Korea, and the UK. Fluency: Listening to real conversations will help you understand natural speech and respond more quickly in English. The Best Way to Learn with This Episode: Culips members get an interactive transcript, helpful study guide, and ad-free audio for this episode. These tools will help you review new words, check your understanding, and build confidence in speaking and listening. Take your English to the next level by becoming a Culips member. Become a Culips member now: Click here. Members can access the ad-free version here: Click here. Join our Discord community to connect with other learners and get more English practice. Click here to join. 

Amy Lundy joins to discuss The 2025 Laver Cup, as the very best players in men's tennis battle for bragging rights in San Francisco. Lundy dives into the history of this new popular event, and why introducing Andre Agassi and Yannick Noah as captains is another huge addition to the team competition. The journalist looks at whether Carlos Alcaraz can continue riding high after the US Open, how Taylor Fritz will bounce back after the Davis Cup, and whether new comers Joao Fonseca and Jakub Mensik are ready for this new challenge. Lundy also explains why Roger Federer's presence continues to loom large in the Laver Cup and tennis, and reacts to his comments that the 2025 Roland Garros men's Final was the dawning of a new era. The writer also recaps Barbora Krejcikova's epic win over Emma Raducanu in Seoul, and states her case why a combined Laver Cup featuring the WTA should happen next. Hosted by Mitch Michals. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We filmed this episode back in May, before Bree welcomed a new life into the world and before Vik lost his mother. A lot has changed since then. As we release it now, it feels more relevant than ever. Drinks With a VC has always been about more than startups and term sheets. It's about the humans behind the headlines, the resilience it takes to build, the humility to grow, the clarity to catch the next wave, and the wisdom to know when to let one go.There's no better guest to rejoin the conversation with than Tae Hea Nahm. He is the founding managing director of Storm Ventures, co-author of Survival to Thrival, and a deeply thoughtful investor, operator, and teacher. From St. Louis to Seoul to Sand Hill Road, Tae Hea has seen it all, and he continues to anticipate the next wave before most founders even paddle out.In this episode, we dive into his Path to Surfing Unicorn framework and why founders need to anticipate the wave before they try to surf it if they want to build category-defining companies.We also get into:

Episode Summary: In this week's episode of your favorite Korean Adoptee podcast, the Janchi Boys sit down and talk about whether or not Patrick hates Korea, the role of governments (and how America's is perfect and has never made any missteps ever), and integrating Koreanness as parents.---// Support the Show!Online at janchishow.com / @janchishowSupport the show at janchishow.com/supportJoin our Facebook Group! janchishow.com/afterpartyWatch our Youtube VideosLeave a voicemail! 972-677-8867Write us a note: janchishow@gmail.comThe Janchi Show Quick BioThe Janchi Show focuses on exploring intersectional identities and current events through the lens of adoption, race, lived experience and more. Sometimes we have guests, and sometimes it's just the three of us. Either way, it's always a janchi!// Meet the Janchi Boys!Nathan NowackNathan (he/him) is a transracial Korean American adoptee who was born in Seoul in the 1970s. He was adopted at the age of 5 months old and raised in a small town in Oklahoma along with a non-biological Korean adopted sister.  After going to college in Colorado he later moved to Los Angeles to pursue a digital media career and eventually started 2 photography companies.  He loves spending time with his wife and 3 kids, playing golf, and collecting Lego. He is in reunion with his biological family as the youngest of 7 and has been in contact since 2015.  He currently serves on the Advisory Council for KAAN and helps with the planning of their annual adoptee conference.  In 2021, Nathan and his family moved back to Colorado to be closer to family and start a new chapter in their lives.  Connect with Nathan!Website: http://www.coverve.comInstagram: http://instagram.com/nnowackPatrick ArmstrongPatrick Armstrong (he/him) is a transracial Korean American adoptee, podcaster, speaker, and community facilitator. He is one of the hosts of the Janchi Show, a podcast that explores and celebrates the experiences and stories of Korean adoptees everywhere. He also is host of Conversation Piece with Patrick Armstrong, a podcast where he discusses the missing pieces of the conversations we're already having. He is a cofounder of the Asian Adoptees of Indiana, a group dedicated to creating a safe, engaging community for all Asian adoptees who need it. He is currently based in Indianapolis with his wife and cat. Connect with Patrick!Website: http://patrickintheworld.meLinkedIn: http://linkedin/in/patrickintheworldInstagram: http://instagram.com/patrickintheworldK.J. Roelke (@kjroelke)KJ (he/him) was adopted from Daegu and raised in Dallas, Texas with his two biological, older siblings and his younger sister, adopted from Russia. After spending a decade in the Midwest for college and career, he and his wife are back in Dallas and living large! He has been on his journey of discovery since 2015 and spends his days as a web developer for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.Connect with K.J.!Website: https://kjroelke.online/LinkedIn: https://linkedin/in/kjroelkeInstagram: https://instagram.com/kjroelke// Listen to/Watch The Janchi Show on all major platforms:Apple: http://janchishow.com/appleSpotify: http://janchishow.com/spotifyYoutube: http://janchishow.com/youtubeGratitude & CreditsMichelle Nam for our logo and brandingJerry Won for bring us togetherThis show is created and produced by Patrick, Nathan and KJ and is the sole property of the Janchi Show, LLC.

While much of the Western art world was focused on the Armory Show, all eyes in Asia turned to Seoul, where Frieze Seoul returned for its fourth edition. With the caliber of galleries participating, many now see it as a fair that rivals, and perhaps even surpasses, the Armory in importance. To unpack this year's edition, host Adam Green is joined by Andy St. Louis, a Seoul-based art critic, curator, and the newly appointed director of Frieze House Seoul. We discuss how Frieze Seoul has positioned itself within the Korean art market, how the gallery mix has evolved since its debut, and what the atmosphere was like at this year's fair. Andy also shares insights on the most noteworthy sales and offers his perspective on what the next chapter could look like for Frieze Seoul as it solidifies its place on the global art calendar.

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he dives into today's top stories shaping America and the world. In this Friday Headline Brief of The Wright Report, we cover new details on Charlie Kirk's assassination, major economic signals ahead of a Fed decision, Senate Republicans' “nuclear option” on confirmations, Trump's crackdown on drug ads, immigration fallout with South Korea, and global headlines from Sweden, Germany, and North Korea. Quick hits to set your radar for the weekend.   Charlie Kirk's Final Flight and Killer Hunt: VP JD Vance escorted Kirk's body home on Air Force Two, calling him “a true friend” and vowing, “You ran a good race, my friend. We've got it from here.” Investigators recovered a Mauser rifle and cartridges allegedly marked with Antifa and transgender slogans. The assassin, still at large, is described as a man in his mid-20s.   Economic Warning Lights: Producer inflation drops as businesses eat tariff costs, but jobless claims hit a four-year high. Analysts expect a quarter- to half-point Fed rate cut next week.   Senate GOP Fast-Tracks Trump Nominees: Republicans changed rules to bypass Democrat obstruction, clearing the way for 150 stalled executive branch picks. Judicial nominees remain vulnerable to Democrat blockades.   Trump Targets Big Pharma Ads: An executive order ends the 1997 loophole allowing short TV drug ads. Pharma may face five-minute disclosures, threatening billions in ad revenue for networks like CNN and Fox.   Immigration Fallout with South Korea: Hyundai's Korean workers arrested in Georgia say they warned bosses their visas were illegal. Seoul warns investment may cool without faster visa reform, while Trump explores expedited paths for specialized labor.   Sweden's Child Hitmen and Migrant Payoffs: Gangs recruit boys as young as 12 to kill, exploiting loopholes in juvenile law. Sweden will lower prosecution age and pay $34K per migrant to return home.   Germany's Migrant Dilemma: Only 1,300 of 1 million Syrian migrants accepted $1,500 to leave. Meanwhile, 80,000 a year gain citizenship, fueling AfD's rise.   North Korea Intrigue and U.S. Ops: Kim Jong Un parades his 12-year-old daughter as heir, though his son may be hidden abroad. A failed SEAL Team 6 mission six years ago revealed how close the U.S. came to planting a spy device inside North Korea.   "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32   Take your personal data back with Incogni! Get 60% off an annual plan at incogni.com/TWR and use code TWR at checkout.   KKeywords: Charlie Kirk assassination updates, JD Vance tribute quote, Mauser rifle Antifa cartridges, U.S. producer inflation jobs Fed rate cut, Senate Republicans nuclear option confirmations, Trump Big Pharma ad executive order, Hyundai Korean workers Georgia raid, South Korea investment visa reform, Sweden migrant child hitmen gangs, Sweden $34K migrant return offer, Germany Syrian migrants AfD populist surge, Kim Jong Un daughter heir, North Korea SEAL Team 6 mission failed

A flight carrying more than 300 Korean workers landed in Seoul this morning following an ICE raid on a Hyundai facility in Georgia, ending a week-long standoff between immigration officials and the car company. Also, Prince Harry makes a surprise visit to Kyiv after meeting with his father, King Charles, in the U.K. for the first time in 19 months. Plus, TODAY talks to Rosie Paulik and Buz Ecker, the daughter-dad duo behind the "Dad Letter Project" – a TikTok video turned inspiring movement of dads sending notes of encouragement to strangers in need. And, the Harlem Globetrotters attempt to set a new Guinness World Record live on TODAY in celebration of their 100th anniversary.

Today's Headlines: The Epstein files just keep coming—House Oversight dropped a batch of subpoenaed documents from his estate, including Trump's long-denied birthday note (with the very recognizable Trump signature) plus another note from a Mar-a-Lago member joking about Epstein “selling” Trump a woman for $22,500. Meanwhile, the NYT dropped a bomb on JP Morgan, showing how the bank ignored red flags to keep Epstein as a client for years because he was too lucrative—and too connected to people like Bill Gates and Sergey Brin. The DOJ, for its part, asked a judge to keep the names of two Epstein associates who got six-figure payments in 2018 sealed. Elsewhere, the Supreme Court greenlit roving immigration patrols in LA, prompting Gov. Newsom to accuse the conservative majority of being the “Grand Marshal for a parade of racial terror.” Trump, asked about his Chicago “war” meme, claimed he just meant “cleaning up cities” as DHS launched “Operation Midway Blitz” targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal records. ICE raided a Hyundai plant in Georgia, detaining 475 workers—most of them South Korean nationals—sparking diplomatic talks with Seoul. On top of that, Trump wants to make the citizenship test harder, possibly with an essay requirement. In digital warfare news, the FBI warned China's Salt Typhoon campaign has now hit 600 companies in 80 countries—and possibly every American. Hackers even impersonated Rep. John Moolenaar during trade talks. Finally, Axios reported Biden staffers were uneasy about his heavy reliance on autopen for pardons and Trump cheered West Point for scrapping an award for the “woke” Tom Hanks. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: WSJ: Epstein Birthday Letter With Trump's Signature Revealed NYT: How JP Morgan Enabled The Crimes Of Jeffrey Epstein NBC News: DOJ says names of two associates Epstein wired $100k and $250k to should stay secret LA Times: Supreme Court allows Trump administration to resume indiscriminate immigration raids in Los Angeles NYT: Trump Administration Live Updates: President Says He's Not Declaring 'War' on Chicago NYT: Immigration Crackdown in Chicago WSJ: Seoul Says Deal Reached With U.S. to Release Workers Detained in Hyundai Raid Axios: Trump's team plans harder test for U.S. citizenship — and more leeway to reject applicants Axios: China's hacking machine wants your data and knows how to get it WSJ: Chinese Hackers Pretended to Be a Top U.S. Lawmaker During Trade Talks Axios: Scoop: Biden officials raised concerns with how he issued pardons, used autopen AP News: Trump celebrates West Point alumni group canceling award ceremony to honor Tom Hanks Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charlie is back from a quick visit to South Korea and Japan. He describes what he saw (or rather, didn't see) on the streets of Seoul and Tokyo, and how it contrasts with the dangers lurking on the buses and trains of American cities. He responds to the horrifying murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, and analyzes jarring polling numbers about what young American women care about more than marriage or children. Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Rick Scott, Megan Basham, and Alex Marlow all join. Watch every episode ad-free on members.charliekirk.com! Get new merch at charliekirkstore.com!Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Venezuelan fighter jets shadow a U.S. destroyer in the Caribbean, sparking a dangerous standoff that Pentagon officials warn could ignite a crisis. Russia unleashes its largest air assault of the war, pounding Kyiv with more than 800 drones and striking a government building for the first time. A massive immigration raid in Georgia sweeps up hundreds of South Korean workers at a Hyundai plant—now Seoul says it's reached a deal with Washington to bring them home. And in today's Back of the Brief—major internet disruptions ripple across Asia and the Middle East after undersea cables in the Red Sea are mysteriously cut. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com.Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief.YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on goldLean: Visit https://TakeLean.com & use code PDB for 20% off CBDistillery: Visit https://CBDistillery.com and use promo code PDB for 25% off your entire order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices