HARUTIP

Walking Through Gyeongju: A Summer Journey to Korea’s Ancient Capital In this post, I share a 4-day trip to Gyeongju, visiting Anapji Pond, Daereungwon, Cheonmachong, and Wolseong — historical sites from Korea’s ancient Silla Kingdom. From July 31 to August 3, I spent four days and three nights traveling in Gyeongju. I had been meaning to write about it for quite some time, and now I’m finally sharing some of the photos I hadn’t posted yet. Visiting Anapji Pond in Gyeongju Originally, Anapji was on our night itinerary, but after settling into the accommodation, I felt restless and decided to explore early under the blazing sun. I slung on my backpack and headed downtown by bus. The scenery at Anapji had changed a lot since my old school trip. It felt like a completely different place. This dice-like artifact was found at the bottom of Wolji Pond (Anapji’s original name). It has various commands written on each side, suggesting it was used for drinking games in ancient times. I...

  Walking Through Korean Christian History: Jeoldusan Martyrs' Shrine and Yanghwajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery A Quiet Trail by the Han River On a calm, rainy day in June, I set out on a quiet walk along the Han River in Seoul. The heat had kept me indoors for days, but the gentle drizzle that morning made it perfect for a reflective stroll. My first destination was Jeoldusan Martyrs’ Shrine , a solemn place honoring Korean Catholics who were executed during the Byeongin Persecution of 1866 . The original name of this hill was Jamdubong , or "Silkworm Head Hill," but it later became known as Jeoldusan , meaning "Beheading Mountain." Inside the shrine, sculptures and memorial stones remember the many who gave their lives for their faith. Among them were Maria Kim Yeppeun and Francisco Yi Eui-song , a married couple who died as martyrs. Some names are remembered; many remain unknown. Across the Road: A Cemetery of Foreign Missionaries After leaving Jeoldusan, I...

Reading The Essential Questions We Must Ask About the OpenAI Incident At a book café today, I stumbled upon a slim volume titled The Essential Questions We Must Ask About the OpenAI Incident . At first glance, I thought it might be another trendy guide to ChatGPT prompts. But as I flipped through the pages, I quickly realized—it was something entirely different. This book didn’t offer shortcuts or tricks. Instead, it opened a window into values, philosophy, and a brief yet sharp reflection on the history of AI. 1. What happened at OpenAI? In November 2023, OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman was suddenly fired. The board cited a vague “loss of trust” but didn’t provide further explanation. What followed was dramatic: Within just five days, Altman was reinstated—after 700 of 770 employees threatened to quit in support of him. What seemed at first like a typical executive shake-up revealed a deep rift in how people view the future of AI. It reminded me of a short-lived moment in Korean ...

  The History and Origin of Kiosks Many aspects of our lives changed—sometimes without us even realizing—during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the most significant shifts was the rise of contactless services. Kiosks in Our Daily Lives To reduce face-to-face interaction, many restaurants and cafes introduced machines that allowed customers to place their orders without speaking to a staff member. Some placed tablets at tables, while others installed kiosks near entrances or at one side of the store. These kiosks didn’t just help prevent the spread of airborne illness. They also made tasks like staff management, cash handling, payments, and even accounting much easier. Today’s kiosks are widely used to provide information or services without human assistance. In fact, even before the pandemic, kiosks had already been quietly integrated into our lives—the pandemic only accelerated their spread. Let’s look at some examples. Fast food chains like McDonald’s and many other restaurants and...