Is Telecom Oligopoly Behind S. Korea's World-Class Mobile Data Prices?
South Koreans are among the world’s most avid users of mobile data and, according to one report, they’re paying the world’s highest prices for it. The latest Digital Fuel Monitor report by Rewheel, a Finnish management consultancy, ranked South Korea first out of 41 countries, paying 13.
The Single Mother Stigma
Not every family is comprised of a mother, father and a couple of heterosexual children. Those that don’t fit the mold are labeled “not normal,” and face stigma. After Choi Hyung-sook went on TV as a single mother, fewer customers started coming to her hair salon.
Broken Clocks, Rising Dust: Death of a Street
If the places with history all close one after the other, what will Insadong be? * Read our in-depth coverage about the end of the Insadong of the past: Insadong: Breathing Its Last
Labor Abuse: A Different Kind of High School Senior Year
On Nov. 19, just four days shy of his 18th birthday, Lee Min-ho’s heart stopped. He had been lying unconscious in a hospital in Jeju Island since the fatal accident on Nov. 9. Lee was working alone in a beverage factory as part of his high school occupational training.
“I’m Young, I’m Fast, I’m Pretty”: S. Korea’s Dogged Young Conservatives
After Korea Post scrapped plans to print stamps honoring former military dictator Park Chung-hee this July, the youth of today picked up the slack. University Students’ Forum of Korea, a conservative youth group, launched a crowdfunding project in September to print stamps commemorating Park’s centenary (Nov. 14). This was
Potentially Problematic Probes Prompt Protestant Protests
In South Korea, Buddhist monks and Protestant pastors aren’t required to pay a dime of tax on their incomes. This exemption is set to end in 2018 — against vehement objections from Protestant churches. There has not been actual legal tax exemption for the income that religious
Is She a Murderess or a Victim?
At the funeral, the deceased’s wife stood calmly. She didn’t cry or make any other overt show of emotion. Her demeanor contrasted sharply with her late husband’s parents and siblings, who cried and wailed, doubled over with grief. The difference in these reactions was highlighted by Lee
Pro-Choice Petition Reaches the Blue House
This week, the question of whether South Korean women should have access to legal abortions is being officially addressed at the highest levels of government. On Sep. 30, a petitioner wrote on the presidential office’s website about lifting the abortion ban and legalizing abortion pills. The petition, now closed,
Government Mulling Easier Access to Menstrual Cups
Good news for South Korean women: In the wake of a scandal last month involving evidence that the country’s top-selling sanitary pad products contained toxins, the government is taking a step toward legalizing menstrual cups, although the government denies that this action is caused by the pad scandal. Last
S. Korea's Cutest Alleged Killer's Birthday Bash Makes a Splash
In a photo, a white french bulldog with black spots around its dolly eyes stares innocently into the camera while perched on a young woman’s lap, just behind a birthday cake lit with eight candles. Though cute, Bugsy is an alleged killer, and the posting of this scene engendered
These Aren't Random Objects. They're Hidden Cameras
Roll camera: a gleaming white basin inside a cubicle, an amber-tinted tile floor. Two seconds in, a young woman with a bob walks in, wearing brown leather platform boots. She turns around, raises her black leather skirt, pulls down her underwear, then squats. It takes about two minutes for her
Kakao Taxi Enabling More Drivers to Reject Customers?
Seoul prides itself on having one of the most convenient and affordable public transportation systems in the world. But after midnight, especially on weekends, its shortcomings come to light. The transportation options dwindle with the passing hours as subways and most buses stop running, and often cabs end up as