The U.S. Air Force dispatched two of its most lethal bombers for a flyover in South Korea on Wednesday in a show of force against North Korea. Two B-1B strategic bombers appeared in the air above the Osan Air Force base, 64 kilometers (40 miles) south of Seoul, at around 1:10 p.m. on Wednesday, coming from the U.S. Anderson Air Force Base in Guam. One of two supersonic bombers landed at the Osan base, which was the first time a B-1B jet has done so. It remains to be seen how long the B-1B bomber will remain at the Osan base. In the first deployment of two B-1B bombers to South Korea last Tuesday, neither touched South Korean soil. Washington’s decision to send two B-1B bombers, known as the United States’ heaviest supersonic strategic bombers, which can fly at twice the speed of sound, came only eight days after the dispatch of two B-1B bombers last week in the wake of Pyongyang’s fifth nuclear test. 

Equipped with laser-guided high precision missiles, a B-1B is capable of hitting a moving vehicle 370 kilometers away. A B-1B could also hit a window on the third floor of the headquarters of the Workers’ Party in Pyongyang from south of the demilitarized zone. Each Boeing-made B-1B bomber costs $317 million and the U.S. military has 62 of them. The recent flyover comes amid growing tensions with North Korea, sparked by its latest underground nuclear test earlier this month, followed by its alleged successful test-run of a high-powered engine that experts say is designed for an inter-continental ballistic missile to target the U.S. mainland. In response to a spate of military provocations by the North, the South Korean military recently unveiled an operation plan titled “Korea Massive Punishment & Retaliation (KMPR),” in which the military vows to directly target the North Korean military and political leadership, most importantly North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in the event of a nuclear attack by the North. The plan does not rule out the possibility of a pre-emptive strike against Pyongyang if signs of nuclear provocation are detected. 

“Under the KMPR, massive fire attacks will be concentrated on the North’s wartime command centers in Pyongyang,” a defense ministry official told the JoongAng Ilbo, noting that a pre-emptive strike could be considered under such an operation scheme. To that end, the South Korean military will fire Hyunmoo-III cruise missiles with a range of 1,000 kilometers to target core command headquarters in the North Korean capital. Seoul’s management of F-35A jets, starting from 2018, will add to its strike capability under the KMPR plan. In military alliance with the U.S. forces, Seoul also has the Kill Chain system by which it will pre-emptively hit missile-related facilities following signs of imminent missile attacks from the North. Under the system, South Korea and the U.S. will work together to destroy mobile launch pads with F-35 fighter jets upon confirmation of missile locations provided by U.S. satellite imagery. North Korea has nearly 1,000 ballistic missiles ready to be fired, but the number of mobile launch pads it has is estimated to be around 100. Given that only one missile can be mounted on a mobile launch pad, the allies’ can effectively undermine the North’s missile capability with a pre-emptive strike against such mobile pads. 

In case the North succeeds in launching ballistic missiles from mobile launch pads left intact despite a barrage of air strikes by the South and the U.S., Patriot surface-to-air missiles will be launched to intercept incoming missiles from the North in accordance with the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) operation to protect Seoul and its surrounding areas. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) system, which will be set up in Seongju County in North Gyeongsang by the end of next year, will also be activated to intercept incoming missiles.

Son Heung-min was the star of the show during Tottenham Hotspur’s 4-0 victory over Stoke City on Saturday. During his first game back at the English Premier League, Son relished two goals and one assist, giving him a promising start to the new season after transfer rumors in the past few weeks put him in a precarious position. 

Starting on the left flank in the Premier League match against Stoke City on Saturday at The bet365 Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, England, Son scored in the opening frame to open up the scoreboard for the Spurs. Behind target man Harry Kane, Son played the second-in-line offensive midfielder and spent a solid amount of time opening up spaces on the pitch. Son’s first goal came at the 41st minute, breaking off the impasse. Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen stabbed the ball from the right side of the field, and Son touched the cross with his left foot to change its direction toward the goal, sinking the ball inside the net to give Tottenham the lead. The Danish-Korean duo collaborated once more shortly after the half-time mark. Taking the possession near the half line, Eriksen penetrated Stoke City’s pitch and found Son on the left corner of the penalty box. Eriksen laid the ball right in front of Son’s foot, who bent it over Stoke City goalie Shay Given to double the lead. This was Son’s first multi-goal season game since he came aboard to play for the Premier League team last August. 

After the third goal by Dele Alli, Son helped the Spurs complete the rout by assisting the fourth and final goal of the match, finding Kane in the 70th minute who faked the defender with a cut and calmly netted the ball in the center of the box after receiving Son’s cross. After the game, ESPN rated Son’s performance nine out of 10, the most among Spurs players, saying “[Son] showed ambition and aggression as he repeatedly attacked down the left flank, and had a penalty appeal before he broke the deadlock. The South Korean then doubled his tally with a fine curling finish in the second half before setting up Kane’s close-range strike.” Beyond the high rating, Saturday’s game turned out to be significant for Son in a number of ways. Just before the season, the Hotspurs considered transferring Son to Bundesliga’s Wolfsburg but eventually struck a hard bargain and jacked up Son’s price out of concern that they might not be able to replace him. Son’s spot on the Spurs has been precarious. Last season, he only scored a meager four goals. The Sun, a U.K. tabloid, reported last Tuesday that Tottenham could let go of Son during the coming winter transfer window if he fails to cement his position in the starting lineup of the Spurs. 

Saturday’s match was an attempt to change his reputation among fans and silence his critics. The 24-year-old Korean is off to a good start in his quest to seal his post with the Spurs. Skipping the Korean national team’s World Cup qualifying match against Syria last week seems to have paid off for Son, and his boss, Mauricio Pochettino, also seems happy. “It was an important result for us. I’m very pleased for our players and for our supporters. It was almost perfect today,” Hotspur manager Pochettino said. “We started the game a little bit sloppy. They were better from the beginning, [but] it helped a lot when Son scored and second half we were much better. We are really pleased for him [Son], really happy. It was so tough at the end of last season. The first season is difficult for every player, but today he had an opportunity to show his quality, which is important for us and important for him.” Son and the Spurs will next play AS Monaco FC on Thursday at Wembley in a European Champions League Group stage match.

For Korea’s Chun In-gee, all she needed to go from No. 7 in the world to No. 3 was a wire-to-wire victory at the most recent LPGA tournament. But to be fair, it didn’t come easy. After all, Chun successfully worked her way up the Rolex Rankings by winning a major event, and in a record-breaking fashion. In the final LPGA major event of the season, the Evian Championship at Evian Resorts Golf Club in France, Chun outshot her countrywomen Park Sung-hyun and Ryu So-yeon by four strokes to claim her second major championship title. In the final round on Sunday, the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open champion shot 2-under 69 to conclude the entire event 21-under 263, the lowest record set in major championship history, regardless of gender. The previous record for men’s major tournaments was 20-under and for women’s 19-under par. 

The final day turned out to be an unpleasant one for all those on the course, with a gusty wind and pouring rain blocking golfers’ sight as they took their shots on the field. Chun was not unaffected by the weather, either, and it was perhaps because of the weather that she shot 69, the worst of all four rounds on Sunday. However, Chun had kept a steady pace in the previous round, keeping herself at the top of the leaderboard throughout the first three rounds which relieved her of some of the burden in the final round. “Lots of rain this morning. [It] looked not good but I enjoyed,” she said about the weather during the interview after the tournament. Indeed, despite the weather on the final day, Chun parred most of the holes while carding three birdies and taking only one bogey. “I was so nervous after the third shot so my caddy David Jones told me try to enjoy…he said you can try make the par,” Chun said. “I know 19-under par is a tied record before the final round. It was more pressure for me, but I tried to think about it as a really good experience. I tried to more enjoy it.” When asked about her record, she said, “I don't know, because I feel like I'm dreaming now.” 

As a rookie, Chun has gone without a single win this year. The closest she got to the trophy was earlier in the season from late February to mid April. In the three events she participated in, including another major tournament, the ANA Inspiration, she finished as runner-up behind the victors. But during this period, Chun was halted briefly by an unfortunate accident that kept her sidelined. Just before the HSBC Women’s Championship in Singapore during the first week of March, she had a mishap at the airport. Reportedly, the father of another Korean LPGA golfer, Jang Ha-na, dropped a bag down an escalator and it struck Chun, injuring her back. Chun had to sit out for a couple of weeks due to the injury. But regardless of the brief setback, by aggregating a total of 1,223 Rolex Rookie of the Year points, Chun is going home with another prize from this year’s LPGA, the Rookie of the Year award. Gaby Lopez of Mexico is in second with 427 points but she will not be able to catch up with Chun during the remainder of the season to take the honor for herself. 

In addition to the newly set major record, the victory also makes the 22-year-old the second player in the LPGA history to win her first two titles in major events. Her compatriot and her former coach during the Rio Olympics, Pak Se-ri, was the only other LPGA golfer to have accomplished the feat. Pak had claimed her first two wins from the 1998 McDonald’s LPGA Championship, predecessor of current KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, and the 1998 U.S. Women’s Open. After Chun, Park, a non-LPGA member, has gained 5.83 by finishing as the runner-up and climbed two ladders up in the Rolex Rankings from 12th to 10th. This is the first time Park is ranked within the top ten. Due to the win, Park also secured full membership for next year’s LPGA tour.

Social networking sites or social media have proven to be anindispensable component of society. Unlike trends that come and go, social networking sites are becoming more and more deep-rooted in our daily activities. However, many people still insist that they only promote hate and superficiality.

People who agree state that social media put too much emphasis on social approval and social status. People, especially the youth, do not usually use social networking sites to make a genuineconnection with their community. They only use them because of the gratification they get from the number of likes and views from posts they share and the number of followers and friends they have. 

Moreover, they say that social media serve as platforms for people to build quick generalizations and judgments about events and people around them. For instance, shared video clips that are often taken out of context and news headlines that are misleading are very powerful tools for the public to form their own opinions and biases. On the other hand, other people take advantage of this feature of social media.

They finally add that social media encourage the promotion of hate and cyber bullying. The virtual space that people use has given them a pass to say mean statements and insults that they wouldn’t personally say to other people. Also, the bandwagon effect that is encouraged by social media can provoke people to take violent actions against others.

Supporters of social media say that social media are effective tools in centralizing news and current events from around the world. Posts that people see on Facebook, for instance, are no longer limited to photos and status updates from individual users. People can now see local, national, and international news just by viewing their feeds. They also get a chance to see the triumphs and sufferings of humanity.

They add that social media’s most important contribution in people’s lives is the connectedness that people are able to maintain with their families, relatives, and friends regardless of where they are. Aside from that, social networking sites also break barriers that are put up by geography and race. 

Finally, they say that aside from the connectedness that social media bring, they also serve as platforms for exchange of ideas and opinions about social, political, economic, and cultural events happening locally and around the world. People do not just share their feelings, meals, and getaways. They also share their thoughts on important issues which is a good exercise of democracy.

The Internet has made it possible for fans to feel closer to their favorite artists, stars, and athletes, regardless of the country they come from. For instance, K-pop artists and bands now enjoy worldwide popularity because of the help of media, especially the Internet.

Fans can connect with the rest of the world through their gadgets. With just a tap or a click, they are able to know the latest news and trends about music and the artists whom they follow. Through the Internet, they can also attract the attention of their favorite artists. The exposure of artists and bands to their fans make fans crave for a more direct interaction with them. This is why concert tours are more crucial now, more than ever. 

A concert tour is a lineup of concerts by an artist or group of artists held in various cities or localities. A concert tour can last for months or years and bring in huge profits through ticket revenues. Concert tours may have been popularized even before the advent of the Internet. However, they are an absolute must for any artist or band that wishes to have long years of fame and success. 

Concert tours are no longer limited to a city, a region, or a country. World tours are now very popular. They are avenues for artists to meet their fans and promote their music in different places around world. They also allow fans to experience music from other countries or places. An example of this is EXO’s “EXO Planet #2 – The EXO’luXion[dot].” It is EXO’s largest tour to date and it is one of the largest tours by a Korean act in recent history, with concerts held in Seoul, Taiwan, Beijing, Philippines, and North America.Additionally, with high hopes of outdoing The EXO’luXion[dot], this year’s ongoing “EXO Planet #3 – The EXO’rDIUM” is now recorded as the longest solo concert series at the Seoul Olympic Gymnasium.

All artists, solo or bands, who aspire for stardom need concert tours to showcase their talent and promote albums to the rest of the world. Internet exposure is simply not enough for artists especially that consumers these days demand for more live and interactive experiences with their music idols. In fact, tours and festivals arequintessential to the music industry especially because the Internet is bombarded with different promotions of music genres, events, albums, and artists. Concert tours allow artists to make a personal and localized connection with their fans, a connection that cannot be established in virtual spaces.

The farm-to-table movement is a practice where farms and restaurants or food suppliers have a direct sales relationship. This means that dishes served in homes or those that are sold in restaurants use raw materials that come directly from a farm which is usually located within their vicinity. In the farm-to-table movement, there are no markets, distributors, and stores involved in the process of moving farm goods to the consumers.

The farm-to-table movement is believed to have a lot of benefits for the producers and the consumers. The direct relationship of producers and consumers allow farmers to get the most profit they can get from their goods without having to deal with hagglingwholesalers or distributors. For consumers, they are guaranteed that the products they get are new or fresh and the price of the products they get may be significantly cheaper because there are no middlemen involved in the transactions. Restaurants that order by the bulk can also be guaranteed that they get a steady supply of quality goods for the right price.

This practice also benefits society as a whole because it contributes to strengthening the local economy, and it establishes social relationships. The farm-to-table movement generates income for local farmers, and the continuous demand for farm products allow them to have something they can consider a stable job. Buying directly from farmers also creates a certain level of rapport between the farmers and the consumers. In terms of economy, the support for locally produced products also guarantees the circulation and maintenance of funds within the community, hence improving its economic status. Since this is the case, there may be no financial losses for that specific place.

The farm-to-table movement also helps society by contributing less to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions which are among the leading causes of climate change. In the practice of the farm-to-table movement, the delivery of goods from the producer to the consumer is shortened, so there are lesser resources exhausted, lesser waste produced, and lesser harm brought to the environment. 

Although the farm-to-table movement is now surrounded by controversies because there are a lot of businesses that use it as an advertising ploy, a lot of farmers and restaurants still believe in its future. They say that it is a very good practice that brings a lot of benefits to people, and if more communities would adopt the farm-to-table movement, many of the world’s problems would decrease.

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ third baseman Kang Jung-ho enjoyed a two-homer night and matched his rookie season record and then some as he cranked out his 15th and 16th home run of the year. One of Kang’s solo jacks of the day came against his fellow Korean, Oh Seung-hwan, the closing pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. But while momentarily it seemed Kang was the winner of the two in their matchup, at the end of the day, it was Oh who came out smiling as he locked down his 16th save of the season with the Cards taking down the Pirates 9-7. 

Playing at home at the PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Kang’s first solo jack came at the bottom of the fourth inning when he belted an 82-mile-per-hour changeup by Pirates starter Luke Weaver. The righty had kept the Pirates’ run to one throughout the first three innings while grabbing five strikeouts. After Kang, Weaver kept a steady pace on the mound and didn’t toss out anymore runs before he was relieved by Matt Bowman. Kang added another hit for the Pirates and tallied an additional run batted in (RBI) when he singled a ground ball to center field at the bottom of the fifth. The Pirates narrowed the gap after the play, trailing only by one run at 4-5. Two plays later, in the fifth, Kang drove home to score a go-ahead run when Jordy Mercer ripped a double for the Pirates. The Pirates took the first, and the last, lead of the game at 5-6 after Kang’s run. Kang’s second solo homer of the game, and the 16th of the season, came at the bottom of ninth after the Cards took back the lead earlier in the inning. The Cards made an improbable comeback by piling in three homers at the top of ninth alone to make the score 9-6 and cement the win. 

Going against his compatriot, Kang smacked Oh’s fourth pitch at the 0-2 count. The ball went over the center fence and while Kang rounded the base, Oh stood on the mound looking dumbfounded. It had been Oh’s fourth home run conceded this season. This was the third matchup between Kang and Oh in the Major League. Against Oh, Kang went 4-for-13, batting .308 with one home run and three RBIs while the two played in Korea. But during the first two matchups this year, Kang flied out every time and had no notable hits to speak of. After going 3-for-5 with two homers, Kang topped his home run record set during the rookie season last year. While it took Kang 126 games to tally 15 homers, he reached that number much faster this season, drilling his 15th and 16th homers by his 79th game. His home run is the first one in 21 days since August 16. Kang had been on the team’s disabled list after injuring his shoulder and returned to the big league after a brief rehab stint just a few days ago. 

Kang and the Pirates left the dugout with their heads hung low as the team fell into an eight-game skid after the loss. On the other side of the ground, however, Oh and the Cards were jubilant. Oh had just carded his 16th save of the season after striking out two batters in the ninth while grounding out one. As a rookie, Oh is leading the Cards as its frame thrower since late June.

In the recent years, the participation of women in the government has been observed to be increasing. There are more women being elected to fill different political positions in the government. In 2015, the global participation rate of women in the national parliament is 22 percent. It increased from 11.3 percent in 1995. Rwanda, a country in Africa, has the highest number of women in the parliament with 63.8 percent of positions in the lower house. 38.5 percent of positions in the upper house are also filled by women. 

A number of major cities around the world are now headed by women. Paris elected its first female mayor, Anne Hidalgo, in 2014. Anne Hidalgo was a councilor of the city before she ran for the mayoral position. Victoria Raggi, the current mayor of Rome, is also the city’s first female mayor. She was a practicing lawyer before she was tapped by the Five-Star movement political party to become its first female mayoral bet.

There are also women who currently serve as heads-of-states. Examples are South Korean President Park Geun-hye, President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan, and Aung San Suu Ky of Myanmar. The latest addition to these female leaders is Theresa May, the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. She assumed office on July 11, 2016, after David Cameron announced his resignation from the position on June 24, 2016.

The increasing representation of women in politics is seen by experts as a way to break the glass ceiling set for women in this sector of society. They add that it will allow the increase of opportunities for women because there is someone in office who can relate to their grievances and clamors. It is believed that since many countries are now exploring ways on how to increase female participation in local and national governments, people’s attitude towards leadership is no longer highly influenced by gender.

However, there are still some skeptics who say that women’s leadership and political participation are still growing at a very slow pace. Women are still underrepresented during elections, and there are still a lot of hindrances that aspiring female leaders need to face. They hope that in the near future, female leadership will be as welcomed and encouraged as male leadership is.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is holding a national shopping promotion from Sept. 29 to Oct. 9 called Korea Sale FESTA. Last year’s grand sale, Korea Black Friday, also took place from late September to mid-October. Retail companies, manufacturers and traditional markets will participate in the promotion. On Aug. 4, the ministry started receiving applications from companies who want to take part. It has received over one hundred. Last year’s grand sale was labeled a success: quarterly sales of the 22 companies that participated increased an average of 20.7 percent year-on-year. However, the event was criticized by some consumers, who said the discounts overlapped with annual sales held by department stores. 

Some critics said the grand sale’s effect on business was exaggerated. “Even without the grand sale, an increase in private consumption around that time was predictable with the end of the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, and the sale was scheduled just before Chuseok, when consumptions reaches its high for the year,” said a source in the retail industry. Reactions to the plan from discount chains and online markets are generally favorable. “For online shops, preparing for a national sale is easy because all we have to do is make changes on our website,” said a spokesman for Gmarket. The website saw a 20 percent increase in sales during last year’s grand sale. E-Mart had a big success with sales of samgyeopsal (pork belly) at a 20 percent discount. Department stores are expressing concerns about this year’s event after enduring criticism after last year’s. “Certain products, such as luxury goods or cosmetics, never go on sale during the year, which is why a grand sale promoting ‘huge discounts’ can be a problem for us,” said one spokesman for a department store. 

The big difference with the Korea Sale FESTA is the participation of manufacturers. Samsung C&T’s fashion division will give a 10 percent discount on some men’s clothes, accessories and Bean Pole Outdoor and Eight Seconds brands. Cosmetic brands by LG Household and Health Care will also be discounted. Manufacturers of electronic devices are in the process of choosing products to be sold at discounts. Televisions, refrigerators, air conditioners and washing machines are said to be on the list of discount products from Samsung Electronics. LG Electronics also expressed an intention to participate, but hasn’t decided on specific details. Additionally, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will hold a shopping festival at COEX in Samseong-dong from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3 called Enjoy! Korea Sale FESTA. The event will be divided into six sectors: brands, beauty, fashion, food, culture and tourism. Each sector will sell products, hold events or provide information relevant to their respective themes. 

To publicize the opening of Korea Sale FESTA, a concert will be held on Yeongdong Boulevard in Gangnam-gu on Sept. 30. The concert will be aired in 120 countries to attract customers. “Although the event is temporary, we view the decision as a positive move with private consumption being low for the last few months,” said Oh Jun-beom, a researcher at Hyundai Research Institute. “Nevertheless, the government should take fundamental measures to ensure stable net income, the greatest contributing factor for domestic demand.”

In the alleys of Bukchon Hanok Village, an area in central Seoul famed for its traditional Korean houses, countless tourists tromp around taking photos with digital cameras and smartphones. The tourists are loud. You can hear them coming. “Every morning at around 7:30 a.m., we hear a ton of tourists making noise,” says Kim Jae-hyeok, 43, a Bukchon resident. “I think I’m going to get a neurosis from it. I cannot tolerate the noise anymore.” “When I first moved here, I was very open to tourists and let them come into my house and use my bathroom,” says Oh Ok-sun, 55, who has been a resident for four years. But the steady stream has become more like an inundation. “People just lined up to come into my home so I had to shut my door,” she says. “And now, I have to clean up garbage that the tourists leave every morning.” 

Tourism is good for the economy of course, but not for people whose homes are destinations for busloads of visitors from China and Japan. Bukchon shares this problem with Ihwa Mural Village in Jongno District, central Seoul, which has 70 colorful murals, and Seochon in Hyoja-dong and Sajik-dong, west of Gyeongbok Palace, which boasts traditional Hanok houses in which merchants resided during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). In Bukchon, the Jongno District Office has posted 16 signs that read “Silence please” in English, Chinese and Japanese. It hasn’t helped. The Seoul city government and Jongno District Office are now concerned that the deluge of tourists may lead to a so-called touristification of certain neighborhoods. Touristification is when an ordinary area becomes so popular with tourists that it forces residents to move away. 

According to the Seoul city government and Jongno District Office, a total of 18 complaints were filed by the residents in Bukchon related to tourists last month. Last year, only two complaints were filed. “18 complaints are quite a lot if they’re all about the tourists,” says an official at the district office. The number of residents packing up and leaving the area is increasing. “Of 90 houses here, there are 10 that are unoccupied,” says Lee Gang-bae, 53, a representative of Gahoe-dong in Jongno District. “Existing residents are starting to consider leaving because of various noise and parking difficulties.” Real estate prices in the neighborhood have dropped significantly. “A 3.3 square-meters (35.5 square-feet) plot of land cost 30 million won to 35 million won ($27,000 - 31,000) five years ago,” a real estate broker says, “but now, the price has dropped to 20 million won to 25 million won.” After some neighborhoods became tourist attractions, groceries, laundries and butcher shops disappeared as residents left the neighborhood. “In Paris, 400 areas were selected as protected zones where various shops such as groceries and laundries are supported and protected by the government,” said Lim Young-shin, president of a nonprofit organization, Imagine Peace. 

Some residents are taking matters into their own hands. In April, residents of Ihwa Mural Village started to erase some of the murals, their most popular tourist attraction. Earlier this month, they painted over some more. The stairs adorned with paintings of sunflowers, a prized feature, were painted over with bland grey paint. On the walls next to the stairs, there are various phrases written in red paint such as “Do not tour around residential areas” and even “Stop tourism.”