Euljiro: A Hub of Innovation Under Threat of Destruction
Euljiro is in the heart of Seoul. To its west is Gwanghwamun—filled with government offices and corporate headquarters. To the east is Dongdaemun—famous for the Zaha Hadid-designed DDP and all-night shopping malls. But despite its central location, the area stayed relatively unchanged for decades, providing affordable work space
The K-beauty Nation Begins to Question Its Obsession With Beauty
After months of deliberation, Shim Jung-hyun, a 26-year-old South Korean YouTuber known for her beauty tips, announced to her subscribers that she would stop filming makeup tutorials, skincare routines and cosmetics unboxing videos. “I’m no longer happy with making myself up beyond the point of gaining self-satisfaction,” Shim said
Koryo Saram: 4th Generation Redefines Korean 'Roots'
His mother tongue is Russian. His ancestors left Korea to settle in Uzbekistan. Now, a fourth generation Koryo Saram is ‘back’ in the land of his great grandparents. Check out the Koryo Saram video series from Korea Exposé: Between the Former USSR and Korea Korean Noodles from Kazakhstan
Koryo Saram: Korean Noodle from Kazakhstan
Oksana is a chef from Kazakhstan who makes the noodles of her ancestors. Her sense of history stays alive through her food. Check out the Koryo Saram video series from Korea Exposé: Between the Former USSR and Korea Korean Noodles from Kazakhstan 4th Generation Redefines Korean ‘Roots’ For early video
Koryo Saram: Between the Former USSR and Korea
This is the story of a people that are still in search of an illusive homeland. Their predecessors left Korea to escape Japanese colonialism, only to face Stalin’s harsh immigration policies in the former USSR. Who are the Koryo Saram? Check out the Koryo Saram series from Korea
Painting a World in Two Square Meters
Nearly half of all senior households in South Korea live under the poverty line. Hong Gu-hyeon, a 66-year-old artist who has been living in a jjokbang for over 20 years, is one of them. Those earning less than 50 percent of the median income qualify to receive government subsidies
Conscientious Objector: Why I Refuse to Serve
South Korea has one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world. All “able-bodied” South Korean men up to the age of 35 must serve in the military for around two years. South Korea also has imprisoned more than 10,000 conscientious objectors since 2000. There are
동아시아에서 일어나는 모든 현상을 ‘유교 때문’이라 결론짓지 말자
외신을 보면 ‘유교’는 ‘동아시아’와 같은 의미를 가지고 있다는 주장이 종종 나타난다. 그런 주장을 하는 이들은 동아시아 국가와 관련한 것이면, 그게 장점이든 단점이든 유교로 모든 해석과 설명이 가능할 거라고 추정한다. 1915년 사회주의자 막스 베버는 “유교적 가치가 중국의 자본주의 발전을 저해했다”고 말했다. 이 때부터 ‘동아시아의 모든 현상은 유교에
Who Is to Blame for the Ills of South Korea's Musical Industry?
At a quarter to ten on a Friday evening, the glass door of a theater in Hyehwa, Seoul, opened, letting out a group of young women. Instead of leaving, they slowly queued just beyond the stone path that led up to the building. They were fans of Mama, Don’t
Seoul's Skyscrapers Are an Unlikely Home for Honeybees
Some 30 rooftops of high-rise buildings in Seoul are homes to honeybees. Park Jin, CEO of Urban Bees Seoul, a beekeeping co-op based in South Korean capital, is behind the movement to make the mega-city friendlier for the insects. The most difficult part about urban beekeeping is changing people’
Grilled Pork Belly: A South Korean Love Story
Near Exit 6 of Jongno 3-ga station in Seoul is an area famous for its barbeque joints. As an alley gives way to a three-way intersection, easily two dozen eateries overflow with patrons flipping samgyeopsal slices and pouring soju shots. “I’ve been sourcing pork belly from the same farmers
Meet North Korea’s Former Elite Journalist
Kim Gil-sun is an ex-journalist from Pyongyang. She worked for 17 years at the publishing arm of the Academy of National Defense Science, which is in charge of its missile program. For nearly two decades before defecting in the late 1990s, Kim had close contact with the confidential sectors within