Haeryun Kang

Haeryun Kang

Haeryun Kang is a freelance journalist based in Seoul and contributing editor at Korea Exposé.

Haeryun Kang
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When A Watch Tells More Than Time

The word “watch” is a double, perhaps triple, entendre when it comes to South Korea’s prime minister and acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn. It’s not just a time-telling device. It’s a symbol of his authority over time — specifically, his power to extend or kill the

Haeryun Kang
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The Strangest Taxi in Seoul

Welcome to the world of Mr. Kim Kyo-chul and his “Tin Taxi.” From the outside, the taxi is an inconspicuous white, like many other taxis in Seoul. Inside, it’s an explosion of silver. Thousands of cans cover the surface: Can bottoms line the ceiling and walls,

Haeryun Kang
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Impeach the Impeachment: Older Conservatives "Defend Democracy"

They call their gatherings the “Taegeukgi Rally,” after the South Korean flag. They say their flags represent a growing fire, the true fire of patriotism and democracy, countering the supposedly ill-conceived fire of the candlelight rallies. They say most of the anti-Park protesters are disruptive communists, or naive young people

Haeryun Kang
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Journalism Without Journalists: Political Interference Cripples Public Broadcasting

President Park Geun-hye’s scandal is often seen as a triumph of South Korean journalism. Not just for the dogged investigations by countless journalists, but because typically partisan newspapers on different sides of the political spectrum, like Hankyoreh and Chosun Ilbo, all reported persistently and critically on the same

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Sulli and K-Pop's Lolita Hypocrisy

Sulli is an interesting figure in the K-pop world. She entered the world of South Korean celebrity at the ripe age of 11, debuted as a member of girl group f(x) four years later in 2009, and rose to stardom under the strict guidance of SM Entertainment, a mega-agency

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Poems From South Korea: Halmeonis Learn Hangul for the First Time

My halmeoni — “grandmother” in Korean as she is affectionately called — never studied beyond elementary school. In her family, education was reserved for the eldest male child; she helped out with farming and domestic duties. For most of my life, I didn’t even know she was

Haeryun Kang
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"I Love Park Geun-hye": The South Korean President's Last Loyalists

It seems like president Park Geun-hye doesn’t have many supporters left. Her closest aides are gone, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office — normally an ally of the sitting president — called her a criminal suspect, a growing portion of her Saenuri party is supporting impeachment, and her approval

Haeryun Kang
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Girls Like Girls: Lesbian Couple in Sistar's New MV "One More Day" Takes Revenge

Two girls walk anxiously, pulling a suitcase down a dark road. What’s in the suitcase? K-pop girl group Sistar released a MV of their new single just yesterday. “One More Day,” composed and produced by Giorgio Moroder, shows two women in love, who end up killing the abusive

Haeryun Kang
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Beyond the 99%: Alternative Education in South Korea

Nearly two decades have passed since the first challenges to South Korea’s predominantly state-driven education sprang up. Can alternative schools change the country’s oppressive education climate? Yesterday, over 600,000 high school seniors in South Korea took an exam notorious for its competitiveness, high stakes, and the

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Haebangchon's Forgotten Past: A Stairway, A Shrine and The War Dead

There’s a stairway on the outskirts of the hip Haebangchon area in Seoul — one that doesn’t really merit a second look. No impressive characteristics beyond its steepness, nothing spectacular in its surroundings. No chic bars, no hipster coffee shops. There’s no reason to remember, much less

Haeryun Kang
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Choi Soon-sil Gate Parodies: Let the Fun Times Roll

There’s a lot of rage, disappointment, and feelings of betrayal over president Park Geun-hye’s alleged relationship with Choi Soon-sil. We say ‘alleged’, because much remains to be credibly confirmed in this dramatic, unfolding saga. (For an in-depth discussion of the Choi Soon-sil scandal, check

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Northern Limit Line: Taking Politics Out of a Political Conflict

Source: Next Entertainment World (NEW) Dramatic music swells up as the camera zooms in on a dying South Korean soldier, a plump and friendly character who wins immediate sympathy because he’s the loving father of an adorable baby. His head droops to the side in a moment of finality;