Traditional Korean Medicine Makes Bold Claims, but Can It Be Trusted?
Walk half a block from Jegi-dong station in northeastern Seoul, and a massive traditional gate comes into sight. Beyond it, stores after stores sell mysterious ingredients out of big plastic bags. Shopkeepers dust the merchandise—mostly dried plant materials—in the open, sending particles flying in the air. Some corners
Mooncare: South Korea's Proposed Health Insurance Reform in Full
I woke up with a mild hearing problem this morning. It wasn’t debilitating in any way, but I was worried it might get worse and interfere with work. Had I still been in the U.S., I would have powered through because my condition wouldn’t have justified the
Ediya Coffee: South Korea's Answer to Starbucks?
For a country that cannot grow coffee beans, South Korea is certainly infatuated with coffee. According to the Korea Customs Service, South Korea imported more than 159 thousand metric tons of coffee beans in 2016, and 40 thousand tons for the first quarter of 2017 alone. One cup of coffee
Druking Scandal Shadows Moon Jae-in's 'Super Spring'
Moon Jae-in’s popularity has spiked after the inter-Korean summit meeting on Apr. 27, with different surveys quoting approval ratings from the 70s to the high 80s. The South Korean president may be having a ‘super spring,’ decked with summits (including one with Trump in May)
South Korean Crypto Exchange Coinone Eyes Indonesian Expansion
As the South Korean government steps up its monitoring of cryptocurrency trading, one of the country’s top exchanges is expanding into Southeast Asia. Coinone, a partner of local bank Nonghyup, announced on Apr. 16 plans to move into Indonesia, citing the Southeast Asian giant’s “high economic growth rate
4th Anniversary of the Sewol: Curtain May Soon Fall on Site of Remembrance
Today marks the 4th anniversary of the Sewol disaster, and President Moon Jae-in’s first as president. He addressed the nation via Facebook yesterday, saying, “The Sewol tragedy changed us…. The candlelight protests and the vow to create a new South Korea began with the Sewol.
KÉ Interview: Bookoob, the Book Sharing Service that Delivers
In South Korea, an unlikely type of startup has been slowly cementing its place in the peer economy: book sharing. Korea Exposé met Chang Woong, founder and CEO of “Bookshelf, the Social Library, (Bookoob in English)” to find out how he created what may be the world’s first sustainable
South Korea's Best Meal Alternatives
South Korea faces dietary dilemmas. While government figures show that 16 percent of women below the age of 40 are underweight, the Korean Center for Disease Control (KCDC) and other bodies warn against the proliferation of “skinny obesity,” a condition resulting from low overall body weight but high body fat
South Korea's Online Piracy Paradise
South Korea has an online piracy problem. Multiple internet sites offer bootleg movies, music, software and more for bargain-basement prices, seemingly unpoliced by authorities. A 2017 report on copyright protection published by Korea Copyright Protection Agency (KCOPA) found that losses across the music, film, broadcasting, publishing, and game industries from
South Korea Investigates Social Media over Phone Records
South Korean authorities have begun investigating several of the country’s leading social media and internet firms amid allegations of collecting user data without consent. On Mar. 30, Korea Communications Commission (KCC) announced an investigation into four major social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Kakao Talk, and Band. The commission will
What’s in a Label: Obesity in One of the World's Thinnest Countries
I am 174 centimeters (5 feet 8 inches) tall and weigh 76 kilograms (167 lbs). That means my body mass index (BMI) is 25.1. The international standard for obesity is 30. To be labeled obese, I need to gain 15 more kilograms — roughly the weight of a large Welsh
Let Everyone Shine: South Korea To Abolish Decades-Long Disability Rating System
The Winter Paralympic Games, ending on Sunday, Mar. 18, have received generally positive, albeit less, fanfare than its Olympic counterpart. But outside the Paralympics, interest in the actual quality of life for disabled people is still low. Recently, the South Korean government finally proposed to remove the long-contested rating system