By Choi Jin-woo

Korea.net this year put considerable effort into sharing diverse news on Korea to the world, posting a combined 13,996 articles in 10 languages as of the morning of Dec. 27.

The staff writers selected the following 10 articles posted this year that attracted global attention from categories like culture and the arts and policy. 

■ President Yoon says rocket's launch shows Korea's emergence as G7 space power
The country on May 25 launched its first domestically developed space rocket KSLV-II, aka Nuri. The entire process solely used domestic technology and know-how like design, production, testing and launch, with about 300 domestic companies participating. Korea thus became the seventh nation to possess its own space launch vehicle.

■ Koreans get 1-2 years younger under revised age system

A "full-age" system using a universal standard of calculating a person's legal and social age on June 28 took effect, making every Korean a year or two younger than their Korean ages. Adoption of the global method of determining age led to the resolution of civil grievances and legal disputes as well as lowering unnecessary socioeconomic costs.

■ NewJeans sets K-pop mark by topping Billboard 200, placing 3 hits on Billboard Hot 100
NewJeans on Aug. 2 hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 main albums chart with the group's second EP "Get Up." All three of NewJeans' title tracks also entered Billboard's main singles chart Hot 100: "Super Shy," "ETA" and "Cool With You." This made the act the first K-pop girl group to have three or more songs on that chart.

■ World Scout Jamboree in Korea attracts cultures from 156 countries in one place

The 25th World Scout Jamboree was opened on Aug. 1 in Saemangeum, an estuarine tidal flat in Buan-gun County, Jeollabuk-do Province. This was the nation's second hosting of the event after its first in 1991 in Goseong-gun County, Gangwon-do Province. Under the slogan "Draw your Dream!," the Jamboree at Saemangeum attracted approximately 40,000 scouts from 156 countries. With Typhoon Khanun approaching the Korean Peninsula from Aug. 7, an emergency contingency plan relocated lodging for participating scouts to the Seoul metropolitan area and carried out the Jamboree's remaining events.

■ President Yoon says 'trilateral alliance of values to boost global peace, prosperity'

Korea, the U.S. and Japan on Aug. 18 at Camp David, a presidential treat in Maryland, held a trilateral summit in which they upgraded their three-way security and economic cooperation to the level of a pan-regional collaboration covering the Indo-Pacific region. This summit was the first of its kind to be held independently.

■ Restored royal stage unveiled in downtown Seoul after 100 years

A restored woldae (elevated ceremonial stage), placed in front of Gwanghwamun Gate used for major royal events and a window of communication between the king and the people, was unveiled to the public on Oct. 15. The stage was restored to its original form about a century ago after being demolished to make way for a tram line installed by the Japanese colonial government. Restoration of the woldae began in 2006 and took 17 years to finish.

■ Kim Ha-seong earns Korea's first Gold Glove from MLB

Shortstop Kim Ha-seong, 28, of Major League Baseball's (MLB) San Diego Padres in the U.S. on Nov. 5 became the first Korean player to win a Gold Glove Award. He won for the utility spot in the National League among the honor's 20 winners. The prize goes to MLB players who display superior performance in individual fielding at each position throughout the season.

■ Novelist Han Kang's 'I Do Not Bid Farewell' wins famed French literary award

Novelist Han Kang on Nov. 9 became the nation's first winner of the Prix Medicis, one of France's four major literary awards, for foreign literature for her novel "I Do Not Bid Farewell" (2021). 

■ Esports fans pack Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul to celebrate LoL world title
The League of Legends (LoL) World Championship finals was held on Nov. 19 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul's Guro-gu District. A street cheering party for the event was simultaneously held at Gwanghwamun Square in the city's Jongno-gu District. Seoul hosted the final for the first time in nine years, with an estimated 50,000 esports fans flocking to the square to see the Korean team T1 win its fourth world title with a 3-0 win over China's Weibo Gaming.

■ Busan's bid to host 2030 World Expo incurs 495 trips around globe

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Nov. 28 was named the host city of the 2030 World Expo. Launched in July last year, the committee for Busan's bid to host the event made 495 trips around the world. Despite coming up short, the committee announced the possibility of a bid for the 2035 edition. 

paramt@korea.kr