When Murder Investigation Becomes a Spectator Sport
The scene opens with a police officer shrouded under a dust mask and baseball cap. He brings a doll the size of a pubescent girl into a nondescript building on a rainy day. He carries the doll under his arm, the doll’s pink legs bobbing lifelessly as he passes
Heat Shelters Are So Hot Right Now
On its website, Seoul’s Gwangjin District has a map scattered with a total of 99 red pins that make the landscape look like it has broken out in heat rash. But contrary to its heated appearance, the red shapes denote air conditioned oases where people without other options can
The Cleanest Race
Just before a race begins, loudspeakers pipe in bouncy music suggestive of a military procession. The hundreds of spectators rise from their seats, waving programs and yelling encouragement to the horses as they break from the gates. “Giddy up!” one elderly men yells in heavily accented English. As the horses
Daeri Unjeon: South Korea's Driver Rental Service
Like most youngish South Koreans, Kim Min-seob is spending his Friday evening seated with his neck craned downward, glued to his smartphone. But Kim isn’t scrolling through social media feeds or looking out for text messages from friends or love interests. He’s looking for his next driving gig.
Inter-Korean Engagement Resumes, With Taekwondo at the Center
The founder of taekwondo, Choi Hong-hi, conceived of the martial art in the ashes of the Korean War. As a South Korean army general, Choi had seen so much suffering, starting with Japan’s colonial occupation of Korea, through the 1950-53 war in which millions died. He sought to turn
"No Kazakhstan, No Pakistan, No Mongolia, No Saudi Arabia."
When Kislay Kumar headed out on the town on a recent Friday, he had no way of knowing that later that night he would end up being the latest chapter in South Korea’s national debate over race and inclusion. After two a.m., Kumar and a group of friends
Guess Who Is Bizzack? It's Chung Yoo-ra!
Chung Yoo-ra, the former competitive equestrian and heir to the dubious fortunes of her mother Choi Soon-sil, arrived back in South Korea on Wednesday, and picked a surprising word to describe her fate. She said her situation after having been extradited from Denmark for questioning in the political scandal that
Honbap: Eating Alone Is a New Norm
Upon entering any restaurant in South Korea, after saying hello, the staff inevitably ask the same question: How many in your party? Not at this restaurant. The staff here assume you’re all alone. When I walked into Dokgojin, a barbecue eatery in Bucheon, a suburb west of Seoul, the
Mark of the Beast
If you regularly walk around central Seoul, you’ve probably seen, or heard, them — elderly folks walking around carrying placards with heartwarming messages such as “Lord Jesus Heaven. No Jesus Hell” and “666.” As they walk, they carry with them speakers that play hymns, or broadcast their evangelizing messages.
The Triumph of Yearning
On Tuesday night in Seoul, the scent of victory mingled with the aromas of stale beer and fried chicken. At a crowded bar and chicken joint in Seoul’s Mapo district, several dozen supporters of new South Korean president Moon Jae-in gathered to watch the results of the national election
A Seoul Taxi Story: It's Just Not Fare
A 61-year-old taxi driver surnamed Kim was booked without detention on Wednesday, after he allegedly rejected a drunk customer in northern Seoul. CCTV footage shows a man, reportedly surnamed Lee, grabbing onto the cab’s door handle, then Kim accelerating to get away from him. Lee is dragged several
Ahn Cheol-soo: Not So Fresh Anymore
At the press conference, Ahn Cheol-soo’s voice nearly broke with emotion. He took long pauses between sentences before saying, “I declare my candidacy for the 18th presidential election.” A chorus of cheers rose, and a group of Ahn’s supporters broke into delirious chants of his name. That was