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Seoul, the dynamic capital of South Korea, is a city where ancient traditions seamlessly blend with modernity. From majestic palaces and historic temples to futuristic skyscrapers and bustling markets, Seoul offers a diverse array of attractions for visitors to explore. Whether you're a history buff, a food enthusiast, or a nature lover, there's something for everyone in this vibrant metropolis. Here's a guide to some of the best tourist places to visit in Seoul:<br /><br /><strong>1. Gyeongbokgung Palace</strong><br />Step back in time and immerse yourself in the grandeur of Korea's royal history at Gyeongbokgung Palace. Constructed in 1395, this iconic palace served as the main residence of the Joseon Dynasty kings. Visitors can witness the impressive changing of the guard ceremony and explore the meticulously restored halls, pavilions, and gardens within the palace complex.<br /><br /><strong>2. Bukchon Hanok Village</strong><br />Experience the charm of old Seoul in Bukchon Hanok Village, a picturesque neighborhood lined with traditional Korean houses known as hanoks. Stroll along narrow alleyways, admire the beautifully preserved architecture, and get a glimpse into the daily life of Seoulites in centuries past.<br /><br /><strong>3. N Seoul Tower (Namsan Tower)</strong><br />For breathtaking panoramic views of the city, head to N Seoul Tower atop Namsan Mountain. Take a cable car or hike up to the tower and ascend to the observation deck for stunning vistas of Seoul's skyline. Don't miss the opportunity to leave a love lock at the tower's famous "Locks of Love" area.<br /><br /><strong>4. Myeongdong</strong><br />Indulge in a shopping spree and culinary adventure in Myeongdong, one of Seoul's most vibrant shopping districts. Here, you'll find an eclectic mix of fashion boutiques, cosmetics shops, street food vendors, and international brands. Sample local delicacies like spicy tteokbokki (rice cakes) and savory Korean barbecue.<br /><br /><strong>5. Changdeokgung Palace and Huwon (Secret Garden)</strong><br />Explore the serene beauty of Changdeokgung Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its harmonious blend of architecture and nature. Wander through the palace grounds and don't miss the opportunity to explore the Huwon (Secret Garden), a tranquil oasis of ponds, pavilions, and lush foliage.<br /><br /><strong>6. Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)</strong><br />Marvel at the futuristic architecture of Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a landmark cultural and design complex in the heart of Seoul. Designed by the renowned architect Zaha Hadid, DDP hosts exhibitions, fashion shows, and cultural events throughout the year. Don't forget to snap some photos of its striking LED facade.<br /><br /><strong>7. <keyword id="21247813" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="insadongs-cultural-exploration" source="Orion">Insadong’s cultural exploration</keyword></strong><br />Immerse yourself in Seoul's traditional arts and culture in Insadong, a vibrant neighborhood filled with art galleries, antique shops, and tea houses. Browse through unique souvenirs, watch traditional performances, and savor a cup of Korean tea in a charming tea house.<br /><br /><strong>8. Hangang Park</strong><br />Escape the hustle and bustle of the city and relax in Hangang Park, a sprawling green oasis along the banks of the Han River. Get involved in some of the <keyword id="21247814" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hangang-park-activities" source="Orion">Hangang Park activities</keyword> like rent a bike, enjoy a riverside picnic, or take a leisurely cruise along the river while admiring Seoul's skyline.<br /><br /><strong>9. Namdaemun Market</strong><br />Experience the bustling energy of Seoul's largest traditional market, Namdaemun Market. Wander through labyrinthine alleyways packed with stalls selling everything from clothing and accessories to electronics and souvenirs. Don't forget to haggle for the best deals!<br /><br /><strong>10. War Memorial of Korea</strong><br />Pay tribute to Korea's military history at the War Memorial of Korea, a vast museum dedicated to the country's conflicts and wars. Explore indoor and outdoor exhibits featuring military equipment, artifacts, and memorials, providing insights into Korea's tumultuous past.<br /><br />Seoul is a city of contrasts, where ancient traditions coexist with modern innovations. Whether you're exploring its historic landmarks, savoring its culinary delights, or simply soaking in its vibrant atmosphere, Seoul promises an unforgettable experience for every traveler. So pack your bags, embark on a journey of discovery, and uncover the treasures of this captivating metropolis.<br /><br />Note: The article is based on content generated by AI models like Bard and Chatgpt.<br />

Seoul travel guide: know the best tourist attractions and things to do in Seoul

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the National Cemetery in Seoul</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>The US State Department issued a <keyword id="6354692" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword> warning for India due to crime and terrorism after a troubling rise of terror attacks and sexual assault.</strong></li><li><strong>The State Department urges "increased caution" for travelers heading to the country, and especially for women.</strong></li><li><strong>The warning comes after India suffered a terror attack that brought it on the brink of war with its nuclear rival, Pakistan. </strong></li><li><strong>But the warning addresses the threat of extremist violence all over the country. Read below for details. </strong></li></ul><p>The US State Department has responded to a violent escalation in fighting along the border between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan with a <a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/india-travel-advisory.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">travel warning</a> that also warns women against a troubling rise in sexual violence.</p><p>India and Pakistan, bitter rivals for decades, have been fighting inside Kashmir, a disputed border region which each country administers in part. The fighting kicked off after a February 16 terror attack killed 40 Indian security forces.</p><p>Air battles, shelling, and ground fighting have followed sporadically since that attack, with planes being shot down and Pakistan temporarily closing its airspace. </p><p>Now, the State Department has called for "increased caution in India due to crime and terrorism," and for US citizens to stay at least 10 kilometers away from the disputed border region, and not to enter Kashmir at all. </p><p><strong>Read more:</strong><em> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-mocked-pakistan-over-airstrike-but-it-likely-missed-completely-2019-3" data-analytics-position="1">India mocked Pakistan over a surprise airstrike, but now it looks like an embarrassing failure</a></em></p><p><span>"Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="transportation">transportation</keyword> hubs, markets/shopping malls, and government facilities," State warned. <br /></span></p><p><span>State also cautioned about the larger India-Pakistan border, ethnic insurgent groups in the northeastern states of India, and Maoist extremist groups in Central and Eastern India. </span><span></span></p><p><span>Across India, the world's largest democracy, State cautioned that "rape is one of the fastest growing crimes in India."</span></p><p><span>"Violent crime, such as sexual assault, has occurred at tourist sites and in other locations," the warning continued.</span></p><p><span><strong>Read more:</strong> </span><em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/history-and-background-of-india-pakistan-tensions-dispute-over-kashmir-2019-3" data-analytics-position="2">India and Pakistan came to blows over Kashmir again, but the 70-year conflict is about much more than a border dispute</a></em></p><p>"If you decide to travel to India... Do not travel alone, particularly if you are a woman," the statement read, linking to a guide for <a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/go/Women.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">women travelers</a>. </p><p>Across the border in Pakistan, the State Department urges visitors to reconsider travel to anywhere in the country, but has not revised this recommendation to reflect recent fighting. </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-kim-jong-un-scariest-dictators-2016-1">Here's how North Korea's Kim Jong Un became one of the world's scariest dictators</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

State Department warns US citizens traveling to India could fall victim to terrorism or sexual assault

<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><keyword id="6354692" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Travel">Travel</keyword> booking site Skyscanner released a </span><a href="http://www.skyscanner2024.com/">report</a><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> earlier this year predicting what travel will be like in 2024.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">To compile the report, Skyscanner <a href="http://www.skyscanner.net/news/future-of-travel2024">teamed up with 56 experts</a> to analyze and present the <span>breakthrough technologies and exciting new destinations that will shape the global travel industry over the next ten years. </span></span></p>
<p>Among many other things, Skyscanner predicts that by 2024 we'll all have personal digital assistants that will know every intimate detail of our traveling style, hotel pillows that will give us neck massages and wake-up calls, and resorts fully submerged under water. <span>Many of these technologies are already being developed and are likely to be highly advanced by 2024.</span></p>
<p>Here are some of the coolest travel features we can expect in the next 10 years: </p>
<h2>1. Everyone will have a personal digital assistant</h2>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"></div><p></p></div></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">Everyone will have digital personal assistants that will live on wearable tech devices, such as watches or jewelry. </span><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;">These digital buddies will act as a kind of electronic travel agent, making</span><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;"> personalized itineraries, acting as a tour guide, and translating languages in real time. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;">The assistants will also come to know you and will be able to recommend destinations based on your preferences. They'll be constantly connected to the web, providing 3D travel inspiration through holograms and images that you can actually touch. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;">These high-tech travel assistants are already in the works: </span><a href="http://www.sri.com/engage/ventures/desti">Desti</a><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;">, a conversational travel app from SRI International (the same institute that developed apple's Siri), personalizes travel through </span><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;">artificial intelligence, natural language understanding, semantic search, and new interaction technologies. Samsung's </span><a href="http://www.samsung.com/us/globalinnovation/innovation_areas/#sami">SAMI</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;"> is another interactive device that monitors the lifestyle and health needs of its user. </span><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;">Apple, too, is reportedly <a href="http://www.iphonehacks.com/2013/02/iwatch-concept-holographic-display.html">developing a next-generation smartwatch </a>that c</span><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;">ould contain 3D holographic displays complete with streetscapes and terrain schematics to help make travel easier. </span><strong style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;"><br /></strong></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">Skyscanner predicts that by 2018, annual sales of wearable technology such as the Sony SmartWatch and Samsung Galaxy Gear will reach 485 million. </span></p>
<h2>2. Airports will become destinations that travelers will want to spend time in</h2>
<h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></h2>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">Passengers are typically advised to get to the airport at least two hours before their scheduled flight - three hours if it's international. But in many airports, there isn't much to do after you've checked in. </span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">Singapore's Changi Airport, which is regularly<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/singapore-changi-airport-photos-2014-3"> named the World's Best Airport,</a> is trying to change that, and Skyscanner predicts that other airports will follow its lead. At Changi, passengers can choose between strolling through world-class art exhibits, swimming in a rooftop pool, or seeing a movie in one of four of the airport's luxury cinemas. Amsterdam's <span>Schiphol Airport has a library and museum that features Dutch masterpieces borrowed from the Rijksmuseum. And Munich Airport has doctors, including ophthalmologists and dentists, who practice right inside the airport. <strong><br /></strong></span></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">"</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">Airports will be about giving people a better sense of well being during travel," Melissa Weigel, Senior Multimedia Director at Moment Factory, the company that redesigned the international terminal at LAX<strong>, </strong><a href="http://www.skyscanner2024.com/part2.php">told Skyscanner</a>. "</span><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;">They will be uplifting and beautiful with intelligent architecture that influences the mood of the space." </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 1.5em;">Airports are experimenting with outdoor terraces and open-air parks that will allow passengers to get some fresh air before or in between flights. The new Kuwait International Airport, expected to open in 2016, will feature cooling internal waterfalls and oasis-style gardens.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;"><span>Airports are also using new technology to become even more efficient. At London's Heathrow and Frankfurt airports, </span><span></span><a href="http://www.sita.aero/product/Airport-iQueue">iQueue</a><span>, a Bluetooth-based product, has been designed to measure and monitor passenger lines at airport security checkpoints, incoming Immigration, and outgoing border control. At Incheon Airport in Seoul, South Korea, a self-service kiosk allows three-minute check-in with eight major airlines. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Greg Fordham, Managing Director of Airbiz, <a href="http://www.skyscanner2024.com/part2.php">told Skyscanner</a>, "In five years' time, there will be no need for a single human agent in the terminal. </span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">An entirely automated airport journey will see the passenger take complete control." </span></p>
<h2>3. Space travel and journeys to the bottom of the sea will be common</h2>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">Soon you will be able to say that your vacation was "out of this world" and actually mean it. </span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">Private companies like Virgin Galactic are working to make commercial trips into space a less elite endeavor. By 2016, anyone with a mere $75,000 to spare will be able to buy themselves some orbital space travel and a whole lot of bragging rights. Virgin Galactic's first space tourism flight out of New Mexico's Spaceport America has been repeatedly pushed back, but Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group, said that <a href="http://mashable.com/2014/09/11/virgin-galactic-delays/">he hopes to take the first flight into space early next spring. </a><strong><br /></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;"> For those who still can't afford it, space hotels will be popping up right here on earth. T</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">hese hotels will come with zero gravity spas, space gliders, and observatories with lifelike views of the galaxies. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">Barcelona, Spain, may be the first city to have its own space hotel: <a href="http://travel.cnn.com/barcelona-flashy-space-hotel-immersive-rooms-551646">Plans have been proposed for the massive </a></span><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;"><a href="http://travel.cnn.com/barcelona-flashy-space-hotel-immersive-rooms-551646">Mobilona Space Hotel,</a> which would</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;"> give guests an authentic space-travel experience, with a zero-gravity spa and other futuristic features.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">The only way isn't up, though: The popularity of underwater resorts is expected to increase dramatically over the next ten years. While hotel rooms and suites roughly 31 feet under the sea already exist in <a href="http://www.jul.com/Jules.html">Florida </a>and <a href="http://www.atlantisthepalm.com/rooms/supersuites/underwater.aspx">Dubai</a><strong>,</strong> innovators want to scale up the concept: The <a href="http://www.deep-ocean-technology.com/home/projects/underwater_hotel.html">Water Discus Hotel </a>in Dubai, due to open in 2015, will be </span>a rotating hotel <span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #000000;">almost a mile below sea level with aquarium-style windows in 21 suites and facilities. In case of emergencies, the hotel will be able to rise to the surface in less than 15 minutes and will contain a spa, garden, and pool. </span></p>

3 Ways Travel Will Be Completely Different In 2024

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Kimberly White/Getty Images for Fortune</span></p><p class="caption">Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Airbnb has finally launched a feature that will help transition the company from a website to book lodgings to a full-service <keyword id="6354692" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword> company. </p><p>On Thursday, the company announced that it's launching Trips, a feature that's been in hinted at for months - but has actually been in the works under CEO Brian Chesky for two years. </p><p>According to a new piece out from <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/11/airbnb-brian-chesky?mbid=social_twitter" target="_blank">Vanity Fair's Katrina Booker</a>, Chesky quietly pulled away from day-to-day operations two years ago to create the feature that would launch the next stage of Airbnb. </p><p>Trips offers two different services for now: Experiences, like going truffle hunting or driving classic cars led by a local; and Places, which are <span>recommendations from local residents. For Experiences, Airbnb brokers the payment from the user to the guide and takes a cut, similar to how its home-booking service works. For Places, the company has some revenue-sharing deals in place, like a partnership with Resy to book restaurant reservations.</span></p><p><span>The company plans to add <span>Flights and Services in the near future.</span></span></p><p>Trips now shows up inside the Airbnb app, but the ability to browse and book experiences is available in only 12 cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Detroit, Havana, London, Paris, Florence, Nairobi, Cape Town, Tokyo and Seoul.<span> There will also be <span>100 "Insider Guidebooks" available in six cities at launch.</span></span></p><p><span><span>The update was unveiled</span><span> Thursday at its Airbnb Open conference, but it's been widely speculated about since last year - and was even <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-travel-guide-app-google-play-2016-8" target="_blank">briefly published</a> as a standalone app. </span></span>Airbnb first began piloting Trips in San Francisco <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-wants-to-help-you-book-your-entire-trip-2015-10" target="_blank">last December</a>, <span>offering guides created by the Airbnb hosts for guests. </span></p><p><span><span>In June, </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-raises-1-billion-in-debt-financing-to-expand-travel-services-2016-6" target="_blank">Airbnb raised $1 billion</a><span> in debt financing </span><span>to help expand and develop new add-on travel services. The company has previously <span>tested out art gallery tours, personal chefs, and bicycle rentals, which customers have been able to book when they rent a home or reserve a room through Airbnb.</span></span></span></p><h2><span><span><span>A big shift after a tumultuous year</span></span></span></h2><p><span><span><span>The addition of travel guide features in the app are a shift for Airbnb toward becoming a travel company rather than a hotel competitor, which would help it secure a steadier revenue stream - or at least one less subject to strict regulation and competition from powerful lobbies.</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>Airbnb is forecasted to <span>book $12.3 billion in rentals this year, <a href="https://www.tnooz.com/article/airbnb-is-forecast-to-have-12-3-billion-in-bookings-in-2016/" target="_blank">Cowen &amp; Co. estimates</a>. Since <span>the company makes as much as 15% off each listing - between 6% and 12% from </span><a href="https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/104/what-are-guest-service-fees" target="_blank">guests</a><span> and 3% from </span><a href="https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/63/what-are-host-service-fees" target="_blank">hosts</a> - Airbnb may be making as much as $1.845 billion in revenue in 2016. <span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>The company was valued at $30 billion as of September after raising <span>$555 million of a planned $850 million Series F round.</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Havana, Cuba, one of the 12 cities where Airbnb Experiences will launch.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>But Airbnb has had a tumultuous - and costly - year in two of its most important cities, and has been waging a two-pronged war with both the hotel lobby and local governments in California and New York. </span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>In October, New York State <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/gov-cuomo-signed-new-york-airbnb-bill-2016-10" target="_blank">Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill</a> that bans advertising short-term rentals, a law which many viewed as a blow to Airbnb's operations in New York. Airbnb is still engaged in a legal battle with the state, immediately filing<span> a lawsuit against the city of New York and the state attorney general - who are charged with enforcing the new law - on grounds that the law </span><span>violates the First Amendment and the Communications Decency Act.</span></span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>Last week, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/judge-denies-airbnb-in-san-francisco-2016-11" target="_blank">a federal judge ruled</a> that a <span>San Francisco law regulating the home-sharing service does not run afoul of free speech rights, yet another legal setback for the company. <span>The ordinance, which was updated in August 2016, makes it illegal for short-term rental sites like Airbnb to collect fees from rentals on its site that have not been properly registered with the city. <span>Airbnb was seeking a preliminary injunction against the ordinance on the basis that it </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span>violated its First Amendment rights of freedom of speech.</span></span></span></span></span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/sleep-8-hour-cycle-ancestors-myth-2016-11">We sleep much differently than our ancestors - here's why</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="lmNHZlNDE62K8PfH58_T7HwvnamGott-" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Airbnb, worth $30 billion, takes a first step toward becoming a full-service travel company

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="5565" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="South-Korea">South Korea</keyword> successfully controlled its original <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-cases-maps-us-world-spread-symptoms-death-rate-2020-1">coronavirus</a> outbreak in just three weeks.</li><li>After some infected partygoers spread the virus in several Seoul nightclubs in early May, South Korea saw another flare-up.</li><li>The country was able to quickly control that second outbreak by finding more than 45,000 people connected to those nightclubs and testing and quarantining them.</li><li>South Korea's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-south-korea-controlled-its-coronavirus-outbreak-2020-4">guide to flattening the curve</a> describes how it uses text alerts and smartphone apps to perform contact tracing and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-south-korea-better-handling-coronavirus-testing-than-the-us-2020-3">share information</a> with the public.</li></ul><p>South Korea's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-south-korea-controlled-its-coronavirus-outbreak-2020-4">exemplary coronavirus control measures</a> were put to the test this month.</p><p>After the country <a href="https://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_view.htm?lang=e&amp;Seq_Code=1533543354">relaxed its social distancing</a> as the number of new daily cases dropped into the single digits, several people who visited nightclubs in Seoul tested positive for the virus.</p><p>The partiers had been out in the city's Itaewon entertainment district during the first weekend of May, after which dozens of new <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> cases started to get reported each day. Given the thousands of Koreans who had been at clubs that weekend, South Korea was staring down an infection cluster that threatened to catalyze another nationwide outbreak. </p><p>The country's response is a how-to in contact tracing. Seoul's mayor shut down all bars and nightclubs in the city. Within two weeks, South Korean officials had tracked down <a href="https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20200515097100017">46,000 people who had contact</a> with known infected partygoers and tested them for COVID-19.</p><p>More than 160 people tested positive, and were isolated and treated accordingly. By May 18, the country's new daily domestic cases had dropped back to nine.</p><h2>South Korea's contact tracing is next-level</h2><p>South Korea attributes its <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> success to its use of information and communications technology, which enables authorities to perform contact tracing, disseminate information about the outbreak, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-south-korea-better-handling-coronavirus-testing-than-the-us-2020-3">test widely</a>.</p><p><div type="image" title="south korea coronavirus" height="1249" width="1800" msid="75906125" hostid="261"></div></p><p>To wrangle the nightclub-linked outbreak, officials tried to get in touch with every single person who'd visited any of the clubs where infected people went. That was possible because bars and nightclubs in Seoul required partygoers leave their names and contact information before entering, <a href="https://time.com/5834991/south-korea-coronavirus-nightclubs/">TIME reported</a>.</p><p>But not all of them left accurate or complete information, so police worked with telecommunications companies to <a href="https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20200512072300017?input=tw">use cell-phone data</a> to confirm who was in Itaewon that weekend. </p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/BBCLBicker/status/1259641399852457984?s=20">According to Seoul's mayor</a>, officials were able to get in touch with about half of nightclub visitors by May 10. </p><p>South Korean contact tracers also use interviews, GPS tracking, credit-card records, and video surveillance to trace people's travel histories, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/coronavirus-south-korea-tracking-apps/2020/03/13/2bed568e-5fac-11ea-ac50-18701e14e06d_story.html">The Washington Post</a> reported.</p><p>It doesn't stop there: After a clear picture of where an infected person went is established, the South Korean government then publishes that anonymized information on <a href="http://ncov.mohw.go.kr/bdBoardList_Real.do?brdId=1&amp;brdGubun=12&amp;ncvContSeq=&amp;contSeq=&amp;board_id=&amp;gubun=board_id=&amp;gubun=">a public website</a> so others can check to see if they have been exposed.</p><h2>Using smartphone apps to flatten the curve</h2><p>Unlike China and the US, South Korea never implemented large-scale lockdowns, though it did shut down schools and impose a curfew in some cities.</p><p>According to <a href="http://www.korea.kr/common/download.do?fileId=190536078&amp;tblKey=GMN=GMN">a South Korean government report</a> called "Flattening the curve on COVID-19: The Korean Experience," more restrictive measures weren't needed because the government can easily alert people about whether they've come near someone who tested positive. Officials in the country are constantly updating national and local government websites that track the numbers of cases and residents tested. That way, they can communicate to the public how many people are infected in each geographic area in real-time.  Then smartphone apps send people emergency text alerts about spikes in infections in their local region.</p><p>One specific app sounds an alarm when users get within 100 meters of a place that someone with a confirmed coronavirus diagnosis recently visited. Another helps employees plot the safest routes to and from work that don't intersect with the previous paths of infected individuals.</p><p>After the nightclub outbreak, the government <a href="https://twitter.com/koryodynasty/status/1259406274032091136?s=20">sent out phone alerts</a> asking anyone who had been in or near Itaewon clubs between April 30 and May 5 to get tested, even if they didn't have any symptoms.</p><p>The tests were free.</p><p><div type="image" title="shincheonji coronavirus south korea" height="697" width="1024" msid="75906131" hostid="261"></div></p><p>If a resident tests positive or is suspected of coming into contact with an infected person, the government then encourages them to download self-quarantining apps that help users monitor their condition. The apps can connect them to a doctor if needed, and they also set off an alarm if the sick user ventures outside their designated quarantine area.</p><h2>South Korea's February outbreak was controlled within weeks</h2><p>South Korea reported its first coronavirus case on January 20 — the same day the US did. </p><p>At first, case numbers remained low. But in mid-February, a 61-year-old woman attended church services in Daegu. Soon after, she tested positive for the coronavirus, then so did dozens of others. South Korea's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-south-korea-controlled-its-coronavirus-outbreak-2020-4">coronavirus case count quickly jumped</a> from 29 cases on February 15 to more than 2,900 two weeks later.</p><p><div type="image" title="Coronavirus South Korea" height="1202" width="1800" msid="75906137" hostid="261"></div></p><p>But the country quickly implemented large-scale coronavirus testing, which helped <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> officials find and notify potentially infected people. By March 17, more than 270,000 Koreans had been tested, in large part at drive-thru and walk-through facilities. They received their results in less than a day.</p><p>Starting March 1, the number of new daily cases shrank day after day as infected people were quarantined and their contacts were appropriately isolated.</p><p>By mid-March, South Korea's epidemic curve had flattened. To date, it has reported about <a href="https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">11,200 coronavirus cases</a> and 264 deaths.</p>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/south-korea-contact-tracing-helped-control-nightclub-outbreak-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

South Korea just flexed its contact-tracing power: After partiers with coronavirus went to nightclubs, it found and tested 46,000 exposed people

<p class="financial-disclaimer"><i>When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. <a href="https://www.insider-inc.com/commerce-on-insider-inc/">Learn more.</a></i></p><p><a href="http://www.pntra.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored"></a></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong><a href="http://www.pntra.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">Soko Glam</a> is basically the <keyword id="159608" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sephora">Sephora</keyword> of <keyword id="4787049" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="K-Beauty">K-Beauty</keyword> products.</strong></li><li><strong>According to the site, they were the first to make the "<a href="http://www.pjatr.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2Fcollections%2F10-step-korean-skin-care-routine-sets" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">10-Step Korean Skincare Routine</a>" widely available. It's now one of the most widely followed skincare routines in the world. </strong></li><li><strong>Predominantly skincare-oriented, you can <a href="http://www.pntra.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">build your own K-Beauty routine</a> based on skin concerns, type, and brand.</strong></li><li><strong>If you're new to K-Beauty, you can shop the site's concise <a href="http://www.gopjn.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2Fcollections%2Fsoko-glam-best-of-beauty-awards" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">'Best of K-Beauty' award winners</a>. </strong></li><li><strong>You can also just start with their already curated <a href="http://www.pntrs.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2Fcollections%2F5-step-korean-skincare-sets" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">5-Step</a> or <a href="http://www.pjatr.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2Fcollections%2F10-step-korean-skin-care-routine-sets" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">10-Step</a> Korean Skincare Routine.</strong></li></ul><p>In 2011, makeup brand Dr. Jart <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/30/fashion/skin-care-products-from-south-korea-catch-on-in-united-states.html?_r=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced the US to its first BB Cream</a>. Seemingly overnight, the country became obsessed with K-Beauty — tuning in to something Korea has been doing well for many, many years: fantastic, ever-advancing, "skin first" skincare.</p><p>The thesis of K-Beauty is simple: treat your skin well. Be consistent, use products packed with natural ingredients, and protect your skin from pollutants and UV rays. Rather than focusing on the reactionary steps of cloaking it in expensive, pore-clogging makeup or sterilizing it with harsh ingredients, just focus on babying the skin itself.</p><p>In other words, if you're going to spend 20+ minutes putting on makeup for the day, you should be willing to invest 20+ in your skin itself. Logically, this makes sense; prevent rather than react. And, not coincidentally, simplicity and consistency happen to be the building blocks for any good skincare routine ever. </p><p>In the years since the fateful BB. Cream, the interest in K-Beauty hasn't gone anywhere. Korea's exports of cosmetics in 2016 <a href="http://www.businesskorea.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=18505" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surged more than 40% on-year</a> and <keyword id="6354629" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="beauty">beauty</keyword> exports actually <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38138&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.birchbox.com%2Fmagazine%2Farticle%2Fkorean-skincare-beauty-products&amp;u1=475258547.14906341947.1490634194" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surpassed their imports</a>. Reddit users <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/k-beauty-korean-skin-care-products-2018-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">archive their best finds</a> in collaborative threads. Similar to the reverence with which <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-french-pharmacy-skin-care-products-what-to-buy-2018-6?r=UK&amp;IR=TIR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">French pharmacy products</a> are regarded, tourists go from store to store filling up suitcases with the most sworn-by sheet masks.</p><p>And, somewhere in the mix, <a href="http://www.pntra.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">Soko Glam</a> (the Sephora of K-Beauty) popped up to help shoppers find and buy the best products within the genre. You'll probably still come home from a Korean vacation with sheet masks in your pockets, but it's now much cheaper to replenish the stock. The site is also supposedly credited with being the first to make the now-famous <a href="http://www.pjatr.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2Fcollections%2F10-step-korean-skin-care-routine-sets" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">10-Step Korean Skincare Regime</a> widely available. </p><p>The site is great for the initiated to find their Holy Grail products and discover new ones, but it's also a welcome and knowledgeable guide for those who may be new to K-Beauty and don't know where to start. You can <a href="http://www.pntra.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">build your own K-Beauty routine</a> based on skin concerns, type, and brand; shop the concise and definitive <a href="http://www.gopjn.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2Fcollections%2Fsoko-glam-best-of-beauty-awards" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">'Best of K-Beauty' award winners</a>; or leave it up to Soko Glam entirely and order an already curated <a href="http://www.pntrs.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2Fcollections%2F5-step-korean-skincare-sets" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">5-Step</a> or <a href="http://www.pjatr.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2Fcollections%2F10-step-korean-skin-care-routine-sets" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">10-Step</a> Korean Skincare Routine based on your skin type. And for tips and tricks, the site also has a lively blog nicknamed "<a href="https://theklog.co/?utm_term=&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_campaign=ampaign=" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">The Klog</a>" that covers skincare and cosmetics available in K-Beauty more in-depth.</p><p><a href="http://www.pntra.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored"><div type="image" title="Soko Glam2" height="900" width="1200" msid="75212792" hostid="261"></div></a></p><p>If you're unsure of your skin type or have questions about the products, you can take the site's <a href="http://www.gopjn.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2Fpages%2Fskin-quiz" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">skin quiz</a> or sign up for Soko's complimentary <a href="https://www.pntrs.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2Fpages%2Fyour-skin-concierge" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">1:1 skin consultation with a Soko Glam skin expert</a>. Admittedly, when I tried to schedule a 1:1 consultation I got tired of clicking before I found an available date (three months away). It's a popular site and Soko acknowledges you might have trouble nabbing one; they're free, and they fill up quickly. </p><p><a href="http://www.pntra.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored nofollow sponsored">Soko Glam</a> was actually founded in 2012 by wife-and-husband team Charlotte and Dave Cho, but its inception began much earlier. As a 20-something, Cho moved halfway across the world to Seoul for her first post-grad job. Mesmerized by what she described to "Into the Gloss" as a "magical mecca of flawless, dewy skin [that...] believes in a million-step skincare regimen and very minimal makeup" Cho became deeply interested in K-Beauty — eventually going on to earn her esthetician degree, switch careers, and create Soko.</p><p>For Cho, it must have felt a bit like stumbling across a variant of the Fountain of Youth in broad daylight — the sort of thing that makes you ask "<em>how can people not know about this?</em>" The resultant company is, in part, one way to make it easier for people to discover the same skincare, trends, and cosmetics that seemed so revolutionary to Cho in her 20s. </p><p><a href="http://www.pntra.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored nofollow sponsored">Soko Glam</a> is based in NYC, but the company says the team regularly travels to Seoul to scour a fast-moving Korean skincare and makeup market for the Next Big Thing(s), consult industry experts, and meet tastemakers to ensure they're bringing the best selection back for the site. </p><p>For everyone from K-Beauty veterans to amateurs looking to get their feet wet, <a href="http://www.pntra.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">Soko Glam</a> is an unusually good tool — and one you're likely to bump into if you spend 10+ minutes looking into K-Beauty online. If you're looking for a spot to source all your favorite K-Beauty, get some insight from experts, or know about the next Holy Grail product before everyone else, you're going to want to check it out.</p><h3><a href="http://www.pntra.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored nofollow sponsored nofollow sponsored">Shop Soko Glam for the best in K-beauty and build your skincare routine here</a>.</h3><h3><a href="http://www.pjatr.com/t/TUJGRk1NR0JGSEhLR01CRktORkVM?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsokoglam.com%2Fcollections%2F10-step-korean-skin-care-routine-sets" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">Shop the famous 10-Step Korean Skincare Regimen here</a>.</h3>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/soko-glam-k-beauty-review">Insider</a>

This site is basically like Sephora for Korean beauty and skincare — and it makes it easy to discover all the coolest new K-beauty products

<p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Martin Meissner</span></p><p class="caption">A nurse demonstrates taking a sample for a coronavirus test at the infection station of the university hospital in Essen, Germany, Thursday, March 12, 2020.</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>A crucial metric for understanding an epidemic is measuring how quickly it spreads.</li><li>One way to do that is to look at how many people an average person with the virus infects. That's known as R0, pronounced R-naught.</li><li>The new coronavirus has an R0 of roughly 2 to 2.5, meaning that each new person spreads the disease to about 2.2 people on average.</li><li>That makes COVID-19 more contagious than the seasonal flu, but less contagious than SARS. Still its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-pandemic-definition-past-pandemics-2020-3">global spread</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-death-rate-by-age-countries-2020-3">relatively high death rate</a> are ringing alarm bells.</li><li>R0 isn't fixed. It can decrease with the right preventive measures.</li><li>For the latest case total, death toll, travel information, and guidance on protecting yourself, see <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-virus-everything-we-know-deadly-2019-ncov-wuhan-spread-2020-1#chinese-authorities-launched-an-investigation-in-the-first-week-of-january-amid-fears-that-the-virus-could-be-like-sars-that-coronavirus-also-originated-in-china-and-killed-774-people-from-november-2002-to-july-2003-5">Business Insider's live updates here</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>As the new coronavirus pandemic leads to lock-downs, cancelled events, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/italys-doctors-are-forced-to-prioritize-saving-the-young-2020-3">overwhelmed hospitals</a>, officials are scrambling to get ahead of the pathogen.</p><p>To reign in the outbreak, experts need to know how contagious it is. That comes from one crucial metric: the R0 (pronounced R-naught).</p><p>R0 refers to the average number of people that one sick person goes on to infect, among a group that has no immunity to the virus. Experts use it to predict how far and how fast a disease will spread, and the number can also inform policy decisions about how to contain an outbreak.</p><p>"R0 is a population-based determination that helps you to decide, is the outbreak taking off, leveling off, or diminishing?"Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview hosted by the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg5PjvbVioA&amp;feature=youtu.be">Journal of the American Medical Association</a> on February 6.</p><p>The R0 of the new coronavirus so far seems to hover around 2 to 2.5, according to the World Health Organization. A <a href="https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(20)30091-6/fulltext">study</a> of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-diamond-princess-cruise-ship-coronavirus-quarantine-went-wrong-2020-2">poorly contained outbreak</a> on the Diamond Princess cruise ship revealed an R0 consistent with those estimates: 2.2.</p><p>That means it's more contagious than the seasonal flu, but less contagious than measles.</p><p>"It is a virus that is quite good at transmitting from one person to another," Fauci said.</p><p>Here's how R0 works: A lower R0 means an outbreak is slowing or stopping, while a higher one means it's swelling.</p><p>An R0 value of 1 means the average person who gets that disease will transmit it to one other person; in that case, the disease is spreading but at a stable rate. A value of less than 1 means a disease is in decline and could die out. An R0 of more than 1 means the disease is continuing to spread among people exponentially.</p><h2>COVID-19 seems more contagious than flu, but less than SARS</h2><p>Still, the likelihood of one person getting someone else sick depends on a lot of different factors that can be tough to estimate, and that can vary based on circumstances.</p><p>Those can include: the way it gets transmitted (through the air or in bodily fluids); whether a pathogen is contagious during its incubation period; how long that incubation period lasts; and how many people the average patient has contact with.</p><p>For example, <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/25/1/17-1901_article">research</a> has shown that the R0 for measles could be as low as 3.7 or as high as 203. The R0 of seasonal influenza is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19545404">about 1.3</a>.</p><p>Even when the range of possible Ros is narrow, factors like contact rate vary from patient to patient. A person who gets sick might stay inside for the next week, or they might continue to take public transportation to their job, socialize with friends and family, and visit a new location (perhaps even before they show symptoms).</p><p class="source"><span>Shayanne Gal/Business Insider</span></p><h2>It's still unclear what R0 means for this new pandemic</h2><p>How well a virus spreads can impact how deadly it is.</p><p>"Infections, particularly respiratory infections - the more efficiency they gain in spreading, the less case fatality they have," Fauci said. </p><p>That's why the H1N1 flu outbreak in 2009 "wasn't dubbed as a particularly serious pandemic," Fauci said. "That spread very, very well, but the fatality rate was quite low."</p><p>There are some exceptions to this, Fauci said, like the 1918 flu outbreak that was both highly contagious and deadly.</p><p>So far, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-death-rate-by-age-countries-2020-3">the fatality rate for COVID-19</a> is hovering around 3.4%, but experts think it could drop to about 1% as more mild cases are diagnosed. That's roughly ten times the death rate of seasonal flu.</p><p>Though research on the new coronavirus is still in its early stages, and the world looks nothing like it did in 1918, the numbers have started to ring alarm bells.</p><p>"Covid-19 has started behaving a lot like the once-in-a-century pathogen we've been worried about," Bill Gates wrote in <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2003762">The New England Journal of Medicine</a>.</p><p>The World Health Organization (WHO) <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-declares-coronavirus-pandemic-covid19-2020-3">declared the outbreak a pandemic</a> on Wednesday.</p><p>"WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock, and we're deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction," the organization's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told reporters. </p><h2>Control measures can lower a virus's R0</h2><p class="source"><span>Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Medical members wearing protective gear guide drivers at a "drive-through" virus test facility in Goyang, north of Seoul, on February 29, 2020.</p><p>We can take action to stop a virus's spread. R0 isn't fate.</p><p>Take Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, a particularly deadly coronavirus.</p><p>MERS first emerged in Saudi Arabia in 2012. There, its R0 was less than 1.</p><p>But when it reached South Korea in 2015, the MERS R0 skyrocketed. Some estimates show it reached <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-018-5484-8">as high as 8</a>, especially in hospitals. </p><p>Through quarantine measures, contact tracing, and limiting unnecessary contact between healthcare workers and patients, South Korea brought that outbreak <a href="https://www.who.int/westernpacific/news/detail/28-07-2015-intensified-public-health-measures-help-control-mers-cov-outbreak-in-the-republic-of-korea">under control</a> within months.</p><p>The R0 of MERS is now below 1, according to the WHO.</p><p>"With early isolation of cases and adequate infection prevention and control measures R0 can be brought to &lt;1," a July WHO <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/326126/WHO-MERS-RA-19.1-eng.pdf?ua=1">report</a> said. </p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-death-rate-by-age-countries-2020-3">The coronavirus death rate is roughly 3.4%, but that doesn't tell the full story. Here's everything we know so far about how deadly COVID-19 really is.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-protective-measures-keep-outbreak-from-overwhelming-hospitals-2020-3">One chart explains why Disneyland, Broadway, and sports arenas are all going dark to stop the coronavirus epidemic</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/countries-on-lockdown-coronavirus-italy-2020-3">Countries that are on lockdown because of coronavirus</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-150-million-americans-may-get-infected-2020-3">Multiple experts say up to 70% of Americans could be infected with the coronavirus and 1 million could die if no treatment is found - so people over 60 should 'stay home unless it's critical'</a></li></ul>            <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-myths-debunked-wuhan-china-2020-2">Pathologists debunk 13 myths about the coronavirus, including why masks won't help</a></h3>

Scientists are racing to calculate a crucial measure of the coronavirus' spread. It suggests the virus may be far more contagious than the flu.

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>Airbnb announced today that it will start publishing a print magazine highlighting the people and local flavors you can experience while traveling. </p>
<p>Called "Pineapple" in reference to the traditional symbol of hospitality, the magazine will be published quarterly and distributed to 18,000 Airbnb hosts for free.</p>
<p>It will be formally unveiled during <a href="https://open.airbnb.com/">Airbnb Open</a>, a conference for hosts that kicks off this Friday. </p>
<p>"<span>Travel on Airbnb is about more than sightseeing and consuming, it's about connections and community,"  Airbnb CMO Jonathan Mildenhall said in a press release announcing the news. </span></p>
<p><span>"Our new magazine, Pineapple, will combine the emotional and practical sides of traveling by giving a comprehensive guide to neighborhoods and cities, as well as capturing the sense of belonging that comes from a memorable trip."</span></p>
<p><span>Pineapple will focus on a wide range of topics related to travel, including food, art, culture, and fashion. Similar to Airbnb's website and other marketing materials, Pineapple's editorial will place an emphasis on photography and design. </span></p>
<p><span>Each issue will highlight three featured cities. The first issue will feature photo essays, neighborhood reviews, and profiles for London, Seoul, and San Francisco.</span></p>
<p><span>"We want this publication to represent a generation of people who learn from one another and build ties and connections to the places where they feel they belong," the introduction to the winter 2014 issue reads. "It should inspire and motivate exploration, not just within the cities featured, but within any space a reader finds themselves." </span></p>
<p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div><p></p></div></div><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></span><strong>The magazine will feature stories from hosts and people who have traveled using Airbnb.</strong></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div><p></p></div></div><strong>The 128-page magazine has no ads, though Andrew Schapiro, Airbnb's head of creative, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/17/business/media/airbnb-introducing-print-magazine-pineapple.html?smid=tw-share&amp;_r=0">told the New York Times</a> the company would be looking at "ways of scaling this idea going forward." </strong></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div><p></p></div></div></p>

Airbnb Is Releasing Its Own Print Magazine - Here's What It Looks Like Inside

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>KCNA/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rides in an antiquated submarine</p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>Some of the world's most riskiest airspace is above the cloistered and <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/southkorea/8153000/North-Korea-bombs-South-Koreas-Yeonpyeong-Island.html">sometimes trigger-happy</a> hermit Kingdom of North Korea, the Stalinist holdout that remains in an active state of war with its southern neighbor and possesses one of the world's largest militaries. U.S. airlines are <a href="http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2014/07/22/0301000000AEN20140722000300315.html">prohibited</a> from flying over the country and even the airspace over neighboring South Korea poses some <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-most-potentially-dangerous-airport-2014-7">potential hazards</a> of its own.</p>
<p>Blogger Martyn Williams at the website <a href="http://www.northkoreatech.org/">North Korea Tech</a> used the website <a href="http://www.flightradar24.com/">FlightRadar24</a> to <a href="http://www.northkoreatech.org/2014/08/01/whos-using-north-korean-airspace/">track air traffic over North Korea for a single, 24-hour period</a>. The results are perhaps unsurprising: Few <keyword id="6356001" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="international">international</keyword> carriers are willing to fly over the country, although there are some notable exceptions, including Lufthansa, Air France, and KLM. Williams found that some South Korean airlines fly a dog-ear-style angular pattern to avoid North Korean airspace during flights to Russia's far east - eschewing a far more direct route that would take them over their northern neighbor.</p>
<p>But the video is still a demonstration of the depths of North Korea's current isolation. The video shows planes flocking to Seoul's Incheon airport, while the skies of a country of <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kn.html">over 25 million people</a> remain virtually empty.</p>
<p></p>
<p>And they look to remain that way. Today, it was reported that two Americans held in North Korea <a href="http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-north-korean-detainees-trial-20140801-story.html">would face trial</a> on trumped-up charges of "perpetrating hostile acts," another blatant instance of Pyongyang ransoming foreign citizens in the hopes of exchanging them for an incremental upgrade in diplomatic relations. With the UN <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/18/china-rejects-un-report-north-korea-crimes-humanity">increasingly scrutinizing</a> North Korea's infamous human rights record and its traditional ally China <a href="http://www.cfr.org/china/china-snubs-north-korea-leaders-visit-south-korea/p33204">pivoting towards Seoul</a>, North Korea is arguably inching towards even greater isolation - a state of affairs that could only buttress regime elites who fear a loss in status under an even slightly more open system.</p>
<p>This video is a stark visualization of how closed off North Korea really is, even in a time where <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/02/how-airline-ticket-prices-fell-50-in-30-years-and-why-nobody-noticed/273506/">air travel is cheaper and more plentiful than at any point in history</a>.</p>
<p>Read the rest of Williams' post - which includes a handy guide to Japanese flights that fly almost directly over the North Korean capital of Pyongyang - <a href="http://www.northkoreatech.org/2014/08/01/whos-using-north-korean-airspace/">here</a>.</p>

Watch Most Of The World's Airlines Avoid North Korean Airspace Over A 24-Hour Period

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right click-to-enlarge"><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Chris Weeks/Getty" title_caption="Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. " class="zoomin" href="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/52e91763eab8ea527c33b5e9-960/brian-chesky-7.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>Chris Weeks/Getty</span></p><p class="caption">Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. </p></div><p></p></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span>The popular hotel-alternative Airbnb lets users </span><span>snag homey accommodations when they're traveling or<span> </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/rent-apartments-on-airbnb-for-super-bowl-2014-1" target="_blank">rent their apartments to out-of-towners</a>. Turns out, a huge percentage of those renters are offering up their living spaces due to unemployment, </span><a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304007504579348781019477384" target="_blank">according to The Wall Street Journal</a>. </span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">In Airbnb's biggest markets, like Paris, only one-third of hosts (those renting out their apartments for money) have full-time jobs. Airbnb is popular with young people in Europe, the WSJ says, where unemployment is high but tourism is robust.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">For this reason, <span>Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky told WSJ that international expansion remains a big priority, and that its rolling out more offerings in Asia, including Shanghai and Seoul. </span></span></p>
<p>The company also wants to expand by offering a more "end-to-end" experience. It plans to add services that will connect users with local chefs or cleaning services. </p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"People want things that are personalized," Chesky said. </span></p>
<p>By connecting users with local merchants and other services, Airbnb would be building on its earlier efforts to create travel-planning guides for every neighborhood it works with. Eventually, these local networks would let Airbnb compete with other services like Yelp and OpenTable by recommending popular restaurants and attractions.  </p>
<p>Finally, Chesky said that, despite its <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-is-shifting-its-strategy-2013-7" target="_blank">$2.5 billion valuation</a> and <a href="http://money.msn.com/technology-investment/post.aspx?post=c4a95a70-38ba-413d-9474-83f914d66930" target="_blank">lots of anticipation</a>, the company isn't pursuing for an IPO this year.</p>

One-Third Of Airbnb's Hosts Don't Have Full-Time Jobs 

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Shutterstock</span></p><p class="caption">Singapore is dotted with stunning, colorful architecture like these Peranakan-style shophouses.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>HSBC Expat released its annual expat survey to find the best countries for<span> </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/expats">expats</a><span> </span>to live based on economics, quality of life, and a slew of other factors.</strong></li><li><strong>Though it is known worldwide for its extravagance and wealth, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/singapore">Singapore</a> was named the top country for expats due to its strong economic situation and high quality-of-life.</strong></li><li><strong> When I visited Singapore in May, I expected it to be wildly expensive. I found that, while renting an apartment is costly, the city is full of cheap, delicious food, efficient public transportation, top-notch museums, a budding nightlife scene, and beautiful parks.</strong></li></ul><p><span>If you had told me six months ago that Singapore was ranked the number one place in the world for expats to move, as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-20-best-countries-for-expats-2014-10">HSBC Expat did in its annual report released last week</a></span><span>, I would have laughed in your face.</span><span></span></p><p><span>Prior to visiting the island city-state, my notion of Singapore was similar to the one portrayed in summer blockbuster "Crazy Rich Asians." That is to say I thought of it as a breathtakingly wealthy place where rich people cavort about in exotic supercars and dress themselves in mansion-size closets stuffed with Balenciaga, Chanel, and Gucci.</span><span></span></p><p><span>That image is not conducive to expat living. As someone who has frequently toyed with the idea of living abroad for years at a time, I've done a fair amount of thinking about what makes a city or country a good place to expat. Ideally, you want a place with a strong economy with lots of opportunity, a low-priced but high quality cost of living, a friendly populace open to outsiders, minimal language barrier, vibrant culture and nightlife, and a safe, healthy environment.</span><span></span></p><p><span>Over the past six months, I've visited 13 countries in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/travel-bucket-list-ideas-destinations-around-the-world-tour-trip-2018-8">my current role as Business Insider's international correspondent</a>. In each place I visited, I tried to imagine myself living there day in and day out: what it would be like to commute, where I would eat, and how I would make friends. </span><span></span></p><p><span>Most places had some, but not all of the factors that make a place great to expat. Shanghai, China has tons of opportunity and one of the most exciting nightlife cultures I've ever stepped into, but the smog can be unbearable. Bali, Indonesia is gorgeous and cheap, but, to make a living, you are most likely going to be trying to work for an American or European company remotely, which limits your options. Seoul, South Korea is safe and has great nightlife, but business opportunities and friendships are limited if you can't speak Korean.</span><span></span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Shutterstock/joyfull</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><span>But Singapore is different, sometimes surprisingly so.</span></p><h2><span>Singapore is incredibly livable</span></h2><h2><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Shutterstock</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></h2><p><span>Singapore is a melting pot of Chinese, Tamil Indian, Malay, and British people. While almost all native Singaporeans can speak multiple languages - in a market, I listened to my Indian tour guide speak to a Chinese shopkeeper in a mix of Tamil, Malay, and Mandarin Chinese - English is the lingua franca of the island. </span></p><p><span>If that's all you can speak, you can still make friends with locals and participate in many aspects of Singaporean culture. If you want to be seen as a true Singaporean, however, you should do your best to pick up <a href="https://thehoneycombers.com/singapore/singlish-101/">as much "Singlish" slang as possible</a>. </span><span></span></p><p><span>As I walked through the city in May, the word that kept coming to me to describe Singapore was: livable. It feels like a place you can live and make a home. </span></p><p><span>The streets are exceptionally clean without feeling sterile. Many of the buildings are covered in walls of plants and </span><span>the streets and highways are shaded with umbrella-like rain trees, dense evergreen tembusu trees, and colorful bougainvillea. </span></p><p><span>The city has been known as the "garden city" since Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first prime minister, introduced the concept in 1967. His vision was to envelop it in lush foliage to make it cleaner and more pleasant. His initiative worked. About 1.4 million trees have been planted in the past 40 years, and new buildings are routinely covered in greenery.</span><span></span></p><h2><span>The food culture is unparalleled</span></h2><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs">Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>From a cultural perspective, there is a thriving cocktail scene that includes some of the best bars I've been to in my travels (<a href="https://spiffydapper.com/">The Spiffy Dapper</a> comes to mind) and the food scene is positively bonkers good.</span><span></span></p><p><span>It's not an exaggeration to say that Singaporeans live through their food. The city's Chinese, Indian, and Malay populations bring their unique culinary cultures to the food scene, both at hawker centers, which offer tasty specialties at bargain prices, and high-end white-tablecloth restaurants. </span><span></span></p><p><span>When I asked a Grab driver where to eat dinner, he spent the entire 15-minute drive giving me detailed instructions for no fewer than a dozen restaurants - what to order, the best time to go, how to find the inevitably hidden restaurant or stall.</span><span></span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs">Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>To put it simply: Singapore is an <em>easy</em> place to live. The tropical weather is wonderful, so long as you can handle the heat. The public transportation is cheap, easy-to-use, and convenient. The city is considered the 8th safest place in the world, according to<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/safest-countries-in-the-world-2018-6"> the 2018 Global Peace Index</a>. And there is a large community of foreigners - <a href="http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20150311-why-expats-call-this-utopia">1.3 million out of a population</a> of 5.6 million - that makes it feel like a true international destination.</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs">Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><h2><span>The city isn't perfect</span></h2><p><span>There are, of course, downsides. </span><span>The Economist's 2018 <a href="http://www.eiu.com/topic/worldwide-cost-of-living">"Worldwide Cost of Living"</a> report <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-10-most-and-least-expensive-cities-in-the-world-today-2018-3">found that Singapore</a> is the most expensive city in the world. The study bases its rankings on the cost for 160 products and services including food, drink, clothing, rent, transportation, and utilities. </span><span></span></p><p><span>The high cost of living can make certain things out of reach. Imported cars are prohibitively expensive thanks to high prices, taxes, gas, and parking fees. A Certificate of Entitlement, which <a href="http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20150311-why-expats-call-this-utopia">allows a person to purchase</a> a car, can go up to $43,000 for 10 years, according to BBC. Fifty percent of expats told HSBC Expat that they can't afford a home in Singapore.</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/harrisonxjacobs">Harrison Jacobs/Business Insider</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p>Expats do experience a 29% increase in salary and the average salary is $160,833, according to HSBC Expat's annual survey. Two-thirds say they have more disposable income than they did at home. That's likely due to the high-quality of jobs available to expats.  Many multinational corporations like Microsoft, American Express, Edelman, and a ton of media organizations have offices in the city. And the city is seen as <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/24/hong-kong-vs-singapore-weighing-asias-financial-hubs.html">a hub for the finance and oil industries </a>in Asia.</p><p><span>The country has a <a href="https://www.techinasia.com/top-funded-startups-tech-companies-singapore">burgeoning tech scene</a> focused on Southeast Asia, a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexcapri/2018/05/03/alibaba-wechat-tencent-southeast-asia-china/#5459b77f4773">market of half a billion people</a> that many experts say is an opportunity akin to China 10 or 20 years ago. So far, the scene has produced at least three unicorns: Grab, a super-app that began with ride-hailing and now offers a ton of services; Lazada, an e-commerce platform; and Sea, a digital entertainment company.</span><span></span></p><p><span>Needless to say, Singapore has a lot more going for it than "Crazy Rich Asians." By the time, I was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-best-airport-number-1-singapores-changi-photos-tour-2018-6">in the airpor</a>t on my way out, I knew I would come back to Singapore soon enough.</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-watch-tips-tricks-2018-9">11 Apple Watch tips and tricks</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Singapore is ranked the best place in the world for expats, and after visiting I can understand why

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Air BnB</span></p></div><p></p></div>On Monday, the office of New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman released a list of the top Airbnb users with at least one "illegal" listing on the site. Business Insider reached out to the top five alleged Airbnb lawbreakers Tuesday in an attempt to get their side of the story. </p>
<p>Schneiderman has been investigating Airbnb last year in an attempt to stop users from violating a New York law that prohibits renters from subletting entire apartments for less than 30 days at a time in buildings with three apartments or more. As part of that investigation, Schneiderman <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-purging-thousands-of-illegal-listings-2014-4">subpoenaed the company</a> for information about more than 16,000 users who rent rooms on the site. Airbnb has attempted to quash that subpoena. Schneiderman filed an affidavit in support of the subpoena Monday including research from his office alleging <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-purging-thousands-of-illegal-listings-2014-4">two thirds of the site's users in New York appeared to be violating the law</a>. </p>
<p>The top five users on Schneiderman's list come from a variety of backgrounds. Business Insider found a company with over 100 listings on the site, a real estate agent who said he had no idea he was being targeted by the Attorney General, an international entrepreneur, a boutique hotel, and a Brooklyn man who said he just wants to rent spare rooms in his apartment.</p>
<p>See all five below. Neither Schneiderman's office or Airbnb responded on record to this story.</p>
<p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Airbnb</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>1. Metro Inc. </strong></p>
<p>The user with the most Airbnb listings on Schneiderman's list is Metro Inc. According to the Attorney General's office, as of October, Metro Inc. offered 134 listings, 123 of which seemed to violate the law.</p>
<p>Airbnb released a statement Monday saying it <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-purging-thousands-of-illegal-listings-2014-4">removed over 2,000 listings</a> posted on the site by "bad actors." In a separate statement to Business Insider Monday, Airbnb spokesman Nick Papas said the effort to purge those listings had been underway for "months." Because of this, Metro Inc.'s page on the site is no longer active, but Google cached pages show its <a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:vS6a-a-r35kJ:https://www.airbnb.com/users/show/1936159+&amp;cd=1&amp;hl=en&amp;ct=clnk&amp;gl=us">profile was still there Monday</a> and some of its <a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:yHyYD7ALUDQJ:https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/920109+&amp;cd=1&amp;hl=en&amp;ct=clnk&amp;gl=us">listings were visible as recently as Sunday</a>. </p>
<p>Metro Inc.'s profile and listings described it as a "registered company in NYS" that offered "ONLY LEGAL" listings. An advertisement for one of its listings on West 46th Street in Manhattan said Metro Inc. had multiple properties available in the same building. </p>
<p>"NO WORRY ABOUT LEGAL ISSUE IN NYC HOUSING LAW. OUR property is in zoning C6 (commercial). So it is not illegal to do short term. IT IS LEGAL TO RENT YOU OUT THE APARTMENT," the advertisement said. "WE ARE DOING ONLY LEGAL."</p>
<p>Metro Inc. could not be reached for comment Monday. In spite of what its ads say, Metro Inc. does not appear to be listed in the New York Corporation and Business Entity Database and seems to be using <a href="http://www.metrohotels.com.au/">the logo of an Australian hotel chain</a>. </p>
<p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>essence-realty.com</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>2. Eran Haviv</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span>According to Schneiderman's office, as of October, Eran Haviv had 42 listings on Airbnb, 12 of which seemed to violate the law. Haviv's profile is no longer on the site, but a cached version captured April 16 described him as a "<span>top-producing broker in luxury rentals and sales" and the founder of the "<span>boutique real estate firm, Essence-Realty." </span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span>"<span>To Eran, relationships are the key to any service business, especially real estate. Deals will happen if you're good at what you do, conduct yourself honorably and professionally, properly educate clients on the market, and know how to find the right people-property fit," the profile said.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span>A website for Essence Realty describes it as a four-person firm that offers both rentals and "guest suites." Business Insider spoke to Haviv Tuesday and he said the company "called" him last week and said it would be removing his listings. Haviv claimed he was unaware of Schneiderman's list, but he said none of his apartments on Airbnb were being rented for periods of less than 30 days. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">"I had Airbnb listings, but I didn't do any of the daily that they are talking about, so I don't have any problem with them putting me on the list," Haviv explained. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Haviv also said most of his listings actually belonged to other people. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">"I had a lot of listings there, you know, most of them are not mine. I'm advertising other peoples' listings to help them rent apartments," said Haviv, adding, "But nothing for daily, nothing less than 30 days."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Haviv subsequently admitted he had "one" listing that was offered for a period of less than 30 days, but he said he never found anyone who wanted it. According to Haviv, he attempted to rent the property as a favor to a friend who went on a trip. </span></p>
<p>"I had one but it was never rented," Haviv said. "It was just there because, you know, it was a temporary vacation, somebody went for vacation."</p>
<p>Haviv would not say how much he made on the site.</p>
<p>"I'm not able to answer any of those questions," Haviv said. "I'm sorry my friend."</p>
<p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Airbnb</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>3. Peter Chen </strong></p>
<p>Peter Chen describes himself as a "regular host" on Airbnb who also works as a bartender. He said Airbnb removed his listings on the site yesterday. According to Schneiderman's office, as of October, Chen had 38 listings, eight of which seemed to violate the law. </p>
<p>Chen told Business Insider he rented rooms in his four-bedroom apartment on the site as well as rooms for friends, who gave him managing fees. He said he "predominantly" rents rooms within apartments, but has rented entire apartments "on occasion."</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">"I'm a regular host that basically has - I have my place that I rent out just like anyone else and I've been doing that for, I'd say two-and-a-half years now," Chen said. "O</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">ver time, I've had friends that basically have their places and they just wanted me to list their place, essentially piggybacking off of my reviews. ... I</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> started doing a business on my own where I would manage properties and take a percentage for the booking."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">In total, Chen said he made "probably like $45,000 or $50,000" using Airbnb last year, which he paid taxes on. Chen said he did not realize he was breaking the law and would like to keep his profile on the site offering only lawful listings. He also said he has "been calling" Airbnb in an attempt to keep the <a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:AHnIF9WAAP8J:https://www.airbnb.com/users/show/2110857+&amp;cd=1&amp;hl=en&amp;ct=clnk&amp;gl=us">more than 300 reviews</a> he accumulated on the site since 2012.  </span></p>
<p>"I've been working a couple of years to have these good reviews and, right now, I'm just trying to salvage my own profile and be able to at least host out of my own place," Chen said. </p>
<p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Airbnb</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>4. "Jay"</strong></p>
<p>According to Schneiderman's office, as of October, "Jay" had 33 Airbnb listings, 25 of which were illegal. "Jay's" profile is no longer on the site, but a cached version of his profile and listings show he offered properties in both Manhattan and the tony Gangnam District in Seoul, South Korea. "Jay's" profile described him as a travel professional. </p>
<p>"<span>I have more than 10 years of experience as a NYC tour guide and have been running a travel agency based in NYC for the past 5 years. I enjoy meeting people from all over the world. I hope to help you make your trip to NYC a pleasant one," he wrote. "</span><span>Currently I have 18 properties in the Midtown, Manhattan area. You have a variety of properties to choose, from cozy studios to 3 bedroom apartments."</span></p>
<p><span>"Jay" could not be reached for comment. </span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_left" style="width:250px"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>TheBoxHouseHotel.com</span></p></div><p></p></div>5. Box House Hotel</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">According to Schneiderman's office, "Dana" has 28 listings on Airbnb, 28 of which seem to be violating the law. However, Dana's profile, <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/users/show/417504">which is still on the site</a>, identifies him as the "Box House Hotel."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span>Business Insider tracked him down Tuesday, and he said his full name is Dana Schneider and he is director of the hotel. Schneider said all of his listings on Airbnb are rooms at the hotel, which advertises rooms using the site. In addition to private roomsharing, Airbnb does indeed allow some small hotels to book rooms on the site. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">According to its website, the Box House Hotel is a <a href="http://theboxhousehotel-px.trvlclick.com/about/">"loft-style" hotel</a> in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Records from New York City's Department of Buildings show it is <a href="http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/PropertyProfileOverviewServlet?boro=3&amp;houseno=77&amp;street=box+street&amp;go2=+GO+&amp;requestid=0">classified as a legal hotel</a> by the city's Department of Finance. </span></p>

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