EXO Star's Prejudice of Depression is a Korean Prejudice
It had been less than two weeks since Jonghyun, a member of K-pop group SHINee, died, when a popular K-pop idol came under fire for making insensitive comments about depression, the illness thought to have plagued Jonghyun’s final days. At a fan event on Dec. 30, EXO member Baekhyun
What Facts About South Korea Surprise Foreigners?
Check out this seafood paella and steak pizza from South Korean restaurant franchise Mr. Pizza. It’s topped with shrimp, squid, scallop, steak, calamari, camembert, gouda, mozzarella, melon mango cheese (whatever that is), cream sauce, ranch sauce, and a handful of vegetables. Seafood paella and steak pizza from Mr.Pizza.
Why the Korean Age System is Crazy
Why is it that a baby born on Dec. 30, 2017 in South Korea turns two years old, just two days later? Welcome to the crazy system of ‘Korean age.’ This is how it works: A baby is one year old at birth, and gains an additional year
Is North Korean Different From South Korean?
How different is the language of North Korea from that of South Korea? Are there syntactic and grammatical differences due to the isolation of North Korea? In 2004, North and South Korea made a historic agreement to compile a “grand dictionary of the national language” (Gyeoremal-keunsajeon). Historically hostile relations between
Korea Exposé's Top 9 Korea Stories in 2017
2017 has probably been the most exciting year in Korea Exposé’s history. We became bigger, more diverse, and somewhat more viable financially (eh, we’re still working on the last part). In March, we secured enough investment from Mediati, a media start-up incubator in South Korea, to
Why Does China Hate THAAD So Much?
THAAD is a useful acronym to know if you’re interested in the geopolitical tensions in East Asia. The deployment of the U.S.’s Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea caused a sudden transformation of Korea’s relationship with China, its neighbor and number one
IMF 20 Years On: S. Korea’s Never-ending Crisis
Near the end of the service, Pastor Huh Woon-ho asked the packed tent of congregants a question he already knew the answer to: “What happened 20 years ago?” The churchgoers instinctively knew what Huh was getting at, and responded in low-voiced unison, “The IMF crisis.” Before that, the worst financial
Barber From Another Era
Opened in 1927, Seongwoo Barbershop is one of the oldest in South Korea. Its 68-year-old proprietor-cum-barber Lee Nam-yeol may also be one of the longest-running barbers in the country. Time seems to stand still here. Since Lee’s grandfather opened the shop under Japanese rule, Lee has kept most
Why Does Japan Have a Bad Relationship With Neighbors?
At first glance, China, Japan and South Korea seem to have a lot in common. They’re located in the same geographical region, all have traditions of writing with Chinese characters and all of them have certain social norms influenced by Confucian teachings and concepts. In the modern era, all
How Bad Is Racism in South Korea?
You might have heard some horror stories about racism in South Korea. And yes, depending on where you are and whom you interact with, it does get “that bad.” It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that racism is both widespread and deeply entrenched in South Korea. Numerous surveys
Sunshine Land: Where War is Actually a Game
On a crisp December Monday morning in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, city workers outfitted the students in Noh Min-hyun’s sixth-grade class with child-sized body armor, helmets, and orange pistol-shaped BB guns. Resembling mini riot cops, the kids, divided into two teams, skipped and giggled their way into the newly
The Palace's Painful Past
When it was built in 1909, the Grand Conservatory in Changgyeong Palace was the largest of its kind in Asia. After years of restoration, the conservatory has been opened to the public just last month. Is it a symbol of colonialists and capitalites tainting the royal legacy of the Joseon