The Young Reporter
Engaging the Diaspora: Examining the Significance of Overseas Voting in Hong Kong for Korea's 22nd National Assembly Elections
- 2024-04-16
- Politics
- The Young Reporter
- By: KIM SeojoonEdited by: Kin Hou POON、Elif Lale AYHAN
- 2024-04-16
Ban Kyungmin, an exchange student at Hong Kong Baptist University, came to the Korean consulate with a friend on the first day of the election to vote. "I've always participated since I had the right to vote. I knew that I could vote overseas, so I applied in advance to participate in the overseas elections,” she said. South Korea is holding parliamentary elections on April 10th. Under the overseas election system, which was introduced after the amendment of the Public Offices Election Act in 2009, the Korean Central Election Commission announced that it would set up overseas voting stations in 178 diplomatic missions around the world, so Koreans living in Hong Kong will be able to vote at the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Hong Kong from March 27 to April 1 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on each day. The Hong Kong Korean Association and other Korean student organizations in all Hong Kong universities and colleges have been eagerly anticipating the event and have been promoting it through their respective online communities and social media. Election officials are at the entrance to guide the election. “I think it's an opportunity for Koreans abroad to feel a sense of belonging to Korea and to unite with other Koreans living abroad," Ban Kyung-min added. Kyungmin Ban and her friend make a "vote-proof pose". The Korean Central Election Commission is responsible for preventing and cracking down on election crimes and supervising election administration. The Overseas Election Commission comprises two members nominated by the NEC, one nominated by each of the political parties that form a bargaining group in the National Assembly, and one nominated by the head of the diplomatic mission. Overseas missions and the Election Commission have recruited various personnel, including poll guides and election officials. …
Exhibitors disappointed by poor customer traffic at the lighting fair are looking for better turnout in Autumn
- 2024-04-15
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: BO ChuxuanEdited by: Wai Yan MIU
- 2024-04-15
The 15th Edition of the Lighting Fair held by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council from Apr. 6 to Apr. 9, drew 200,000 visitors and disappointed exhibitors because of poor turnout. With the theme of “bright lighting smart living”, the spring lighting fair covered commercial lighting, decorative lighting, residential lighting, and technical lighting with accessories, showcasing an extensive array of lighting products and solutions. The Hong Kong International Lighting Fair is an annual exhibition for international buyers to learn about trends and innovations. The Autumn edition is regarded as the largest and most influential professional lighting exhibition in Asia. "As our experience, the spring edition is typically not optimistic. So we had low expectations for this edition," said Huang Wing, a sales representative at LED Night Lights, a light fixture company based in Zhongshan. “The customer traffic and turnout in the Autumn edition is usually better.” Ariana Chen, sales manager from Shenzhen, Guangdong province, was disappointed with the poor turnout. “We've been doing this for over a decade, and this year there aren't as many people as in previous years, also with fewer exhibitors. You can see from the large open area in the back of the exhibition hall,” said Chen. Zhu Yixin, 32, a seller from Yuyao, Zhejiang Province, said their turnout and visitors were not bustling this year. “Our company has been producing outdoor lights for 26 years, ” said Zhu. “Maybe it is because the light fixtures look so old-fashioned.” “Most of the exhibitors who take part in the Spring exhibition can get a better booth to displace in autumn,” said Zhu. “I hope we can have more turnout this autumn.” Cloye Wu, senior account manager, was looking forward to a better customer traffic this autumn, “The turnout this year didn’t reach our expectation, both exhibitors and …
Top triathletes meet at Central Harbourfront for Olympic qualification
- 2024-04-15
- The Young Reporter
- By: AO Wei Ying Vinci、LAI Uen LingEdited by: Ka Man Wong
- 2024-04-15
More than 120 athletes from 37 regions compete in the second 2024 World Triathlon Cup. The event at Central Harbourfront is held on the hottest March day on record at 31.5 degrees Celsius. Apart from the intense competition among elite athletes in the morning, there are also the super sprint races for young athletes and a post-race carnival which is open to everyone.
Taiwan quake disrupts Xiamen high-speed rail services
- 2024-04-04
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: ZHAO Runtong、XIA FanEdited by: Lisheng CHENG
- 2024-04-04
Thousands of passengers were left stranded at Xiamen Railway Station on the mainland following yesterday’s 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Hualien in Taiwan. High-speed rail services were cancelled or delayed as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of passengers. Taiwan authorities said the earthquake was the strongest to hit the island in at least 25 years, with a depth of 15.5km. It was also felt in Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou and Ningde in Fujian province on the mainland, according to Chinese state media. Yu Shihuan, a passenger at Xiamen Railway Station told TYR News that it was the first time he had felt an earthquake. “My phone beeped warning me of the earthquake. I thought it was only an alarm. It was not until I felt my chair shook that I realized it was an earthquake. ” Yu said“I grabbed my friends, who were about to run out of the station to stay in a corner because I know it is only after the first strong wave that we can escape,” The Dispatching Director of Xiamen Railway Station, Zhao Ping, said high-speed trains were not allowed to set off from Xiamen. More than 30 services were suspended. Only a small number of trains could go north. “We have to check the quality of some of our earthquake-affected railways to ensure they are suitable for letting the high-speed railway trains pass. The earthquake can crack tracks.” said Huang Shuying, technical engineer of Xiamen Railway Station. The station was in chaos as the information on the station’s big screen was confusing.Wong Xi, a passenger who arrived at the station in the morning, said he had been waiting for more than seven hours but was still not able to leave. “The train I was about to board passed through Xiamen. The big …
HKWALLS Festival 2024 brings vibrant colours to the city
- 2024-04-01
- Culture & Leisure
- The Young Reporter
- By: CHAN Wing Yiu、WONG Hong NiEdited by: Aruzhan ZEINULLA
- 2024-04-01
HKWALLS Festival 2024 unites global artists and the local community in a celebration of street art across Kowloon and Hong Kong Island until March 31, showcasing the work of over 30 artists from around the world. Artists painted their work on donated walls, and people can stop by and appreciate the progress of their work to promote street art in Hong Kong. Jonathan Pauwels, known as Jaune, a 38-year-old street artist from Belgium, was invited to paint for this festival. “In Belgium, the street art is more savage, a bit more like everywhere and without control,” Jaune said. “I feel like it is more difficult to make street art in Hong Kong as it is most likely to be illegal here. It’s more like I was hiding to create my artwork.” The festival not only serves as a platform for established artists but also fosters emerging talent. Ailina Kabdullina, a 19-year-old visual art student from Kazakhstan studying at Hong Kong Baptist University, joined as a mentee to support Jaune during the festival. Kabdullina said working on a narrow street bustling with passersby was a remarkable experience and was inspired by the genuine interest people have in street art. Tim Lam, 38, another mentee at HKWALLS, said she joined the event to learn and try more about street art while collaborating with famous artists. "It's a rare opportunity for me to work alongside the street art community," Lam said. "What really stood out to me," Kabdullina said, "was that as mentees, we weren't just assisting the artists. We were encouraged to actively seek knowledge and insight from our mentors." A total of 20 mentees are involved in this year’s festival. “After assisting the artists and learning more about their techniques, their life hacks, it was great to create something on our …
Art Basel Hong Kong full-scale returns with an objective turnover
- 2024-04-01
- Culture & Leisure
- The Young Reporter
- By: YANG Haicen、WANG LudanEdited by: Lisheng CHENG
- 2024-04-01
The 11th edition of Art Basel Hong Kong was held from Mar. 28 to 30 at the Convention and Exhibition Center, with more than 80,000 visitors and totaling $39.4 million, recording a 4% increase in global turnover. Art Basel 2024 showcased the work from 242 of the world's leading galleries from 40 countries and territories. Lu Caiyun, Chairman of UBS Wealth Management Asia, said in a public address that art market sales in Mainland China and Hong Kong reached approximately US$12.2 billion, a 9% increase year-on-year. "While the cloud of high interest rates, inflation and political instability continues to slow down growth at the top end of the market, buyers are particularly active in the lower price points,” said Clare McAndrew, the founder of Arts Economics. This year, 23 galleries from Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas exhibited in Hong Kong for the first time, with an increase of 65 galleries over 2023, according to Art Basel Hong Kong. “Our goal is to connect visitors from around the world with our home, Hong Kong, through the collaboration and innovation inspired by art and artists," said the director of Art Basel Hong Kong Sylvia Lok in public address.
Hong Kong bus companies roll out electric and hydrogen powered buses to meet carbon neutrality goal
- 2024-03-29
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: WANG Ludan、YANG Shuyi、WANG JingEdited by: Sze Kei WONG
- 2024-03-29
The first hydrogen double-decker buses in Hong Kong set sail in February for the Vodafone Road route. Starting from 2022, the electric buses are appearing on the Hong Kong’s street to reduce emissions more than diesel buses as part of the public transportation sector’s efforts to help Hong Kong achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
Doctors Without Borders raises awareness on plight in Sudan
- 2024-03-26
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: AO Wei Ying Vinci、ZHANG YipingEdited by: Yee Ling TSANG、Yi Yin CHOW
- 2024-03-26
The Hong Kong chapter of Doctors Without Borders organised its first fundraising running race since 2002 at Plover Cove Reservoir’s main dam on March 17th The choice of the location aims to raise awareness of humanitarian aid and hardships in Southern Sudan.
World's largest pop culture exhibition ComplexCon debuts in Asia for Hong Kong’s Art March
- 2024-03-26
- Culture & Leisure
- The Young Reporter
- By: YANG Haicen、WANG LudanEdited by: Yuqi CHU
- 2024-03-26
The pop culture exhibition ComplexCon came to a close on Sunday at AsiaWorld-Expo as its debut outside the US, with an influx of local and other Asian fashion designer brands and musicians. The Asian debut was supported by the government’s HK$1.4 billion Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund that Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced in his policy address last October. ComplexCon, as the world's largest trend festival, was first launched in Los Angeles in 2016, gathering urban culture and music artists, with past performers including Snoop Dogg, Selena Gomez and Offset. “This exhibition used to be held in North America. I've had my eye on it for a long time, but never had the chance to attend,” said Tang Ziqi, 20, a trend culture enthusiast. He said he has been hooked on hip-hop, rap and fashion since he was in secondary school. "But today, I think ComplexCon has found a more suitable and Asian way to present its artistic effect in Hong Kong," Tang added. “You can see lots of trendy brands and designers from Hong Kong here, like my favourite Offgod, a 19-year-old teenage designer.” ComplexCon consists of a bazaar selling trendy fashion items and a music festival with ticket prices ranging from HK$380 to HK$4,780. Forty fashion brands and 12 artworks landed at the Hong Kong ComplexCon. Asian brands took the vast majority, including Thug Club, a Korean street fashion brand, local brand Lakh and GrowthRing & Supply and Taiwanese brand Goopy Made. Richard Chen Xiyun, a 19 year-old university student and also a fan of trendy sneakers, said he was very pleased with the variety of booths at the marketplace, which filled up three showrooms. “The artworks in the marketplace are very distinctive, including some contemporary and conceptual appeal, which allows me to have a variety …
Labour importation threatens local job security
- 2024-03-25
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: AO Wei Ying Vinci、AU YEUNG JimEdited by: Ka Man Wong
- 2024-03-25
It has been six months since the government launched various labour importation schemes aimed at addressing a labour shortage in the construction and transportation sectors. Last year, Hong Kong saw a manpower shortage of 17,500-24,000 in the construction industry, and 3,600 public light bus and coach drivers, according to Legco figures. But labour unions say the government should instead focus on fixing the flaws in labour protection laws in order to promote local employment and sustain the workforce. Construction: Labour importation threatens local job opportunities According to a press release from the Hong Kong Construction Association in January, the first workforce demand survey result after the start of the importation scheme shows a shortage of 8,208 workers. The government has approved 4,680 out of the 12,000 applications in the first round for 20 construction contracts. HKCA supports the scheme as a supplementary measure to resolve the urgent labour shortage but expects the government to enhance labour sustainability by introducing multiple measures, including hiring new blood in the industries, utilising technologies, and providing more training to the existing workforce as the scheme is not permanent. Ng Wai-leung, Equity Director of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union said that the highly mobile work nature of construction work makes it hard to safeguard job vacancies for local workers. “We would only import labour when the workload exceeds the demand. We should only aim to fill up the short-term manpower gaps,” said Ng. “When the demand shrinks, it is really unacceptable that companies fire local workers before imported ones. Instead, imported workers should go home once they are not engaged in any projects.” According to Ng, many imported labour are working on the Third Airport Runway System at Hong Kong International Airport. He hoped that the agencies and government can provide language …