North Korea Nuclear Crisis 101
North Korea makes the international news far more often than other countries of its size. Its leader is a young, overweight guy with a funny haircut, and there are regularly big parades in the capital city featuring gaudy propaganda images and goose-stepping soldiers. But despite being a poor, inward-looking country,
What Does Samsung Make?
After Apple launched the first iPhone in 2007, Samsung responded with a drive to create world-leading smartphones of its own. It succeeded, with the result that its Galaxy smartphones are now pretty much neck-and-neck with Apple’s iPhones in terms of performance and popularity. But Samsung does so much more
Suneung: The Judgment Day
This year’s Suneung took place on Nov. 23, delayed a week after the earthquakes in Pohang. The test results are coming out today, on Dec. 12. A Twitter user wrote, displaying a dramatic mixture of different emotions, “F***~~~ The report cards are coming out~~~~~ F*** Suneung~
That Phenomenon of Couple Looks
Born and raised in South Korea, I still shudder at the sight of couples in matching outfits. Unfortunately, Seoul abounds with young, besotted pairs donning unmistakably matched looks — usually wearing same t-shirts, hats or sneakers. Known for its edgy street style and overall appearance-obsessed culture, South Korea somehow doesn’
Faster Than Men
Too many occupations are still perceived as “a man’s job,” or “a woman’s job.” Meet Hyemin Moon, a car racer in a sport still dominated by men. She’s not afraid to break stereotypes, and she’s not afraid
South Koreans Ready to Discard Disposable Cup Culture
Sit down with a coffee at almost any café in South Korea and you’ll be surrounded by people drinking from disposable takeout cups. Walk in any public place during the morning rush or after lunch and you’ll notice every public garbage bin overflowing with plastic cups. In cafés,
Government Roasts Paris Baguette for Half-Baked Employment Practices
Going by its name, you probably wouldn’t guess that Paris Baguette’s company history begins in the poverty-stricken Korea of 1945. In a video on its website, South Korea’s SPC Group, parent company of the ubiquitous bakery chain, claims that everything started with a bakery in what is
When the Moons Align: Black Bears Back to the Wild
Asiatic black bears occupy a special place in Korean folklore. The cute creatures, called ‘moon bears’ due to the crescent of white fur on their chests, appear as characters in stories, and cartoon depictions of moon bears were chosen as the mascot for the Paralympics held in Seoul in 1988
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.
Nameless and Faceless
Last year, students at Pusan National University treated campus cleaning and security staff to a meal and some live music, in an event titled “We’re happy because of your effort.” Local newspaper Busan Ilbo was on the scene, and quoted someone from the university as saying, “We hope the
South Korean War Crimes in Vietnam War
An unknown number of Vietnamese civilians were killed, wounded and raped by South Korean soldiers during the Vietnam War. There’s no consensus on the number of victims — some say around 5,000; some say more, or less. In mid-November, Moon Jae-in visited Ho Chi Minh City and
Pretty and Polluted: Jeju Overfilling With Tourists
2011 was a busy year for the civil servants of Jeju Island. South Korea’s most famous island — bar Dokdo — had made the shortlist for the so-called “new seven wonders of nature.” With no restrictions on the number of telephone votes cast by each individual, Jeju’s public