Under Moon: Business as Usual for S Korea's Nuclear Power?
President Moon Jae-in’s commitment to renewable energy was thrown into doubt on Friday when a specially-appointed public debate committee recommended resuming construction of reactors 5 and 6 at Shin-Kori nuclear power plant. In his election manifesto earlier this year, Moon pledged to halt construction of new nuclear and
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
Michelin Guide Accused of Selling Out to South Korean Government
Michelin Guide, published since 1900 by a French tire company of the same name, is one of the most respected names in the restaurant industry. It employs anonymous inspectors to evaluate restaurants and rewards one, two or three stars to select establishments, with the three stars indicating “exceptional cuisine, worthy
Amid North Korean Threat, Free Trade Agreement Bedevils Moon Jae-in Presidency
Just before the National Assembly was set to vote, a middle-aged man stood at the podium, eyes closed in an apparent meditative state, his navy blue suit covered in fine off-white dust. The man was leftist lawmaker Kim Seon-dong, and a few moments earlier he had set off a tear
Bulgogi Burger Blues: Headaches for McDonald's Korea
Apparently at McDonald’s in South Korea, not all meals are happy meals. Following alleged cases of children falling ill after eating McDonald’s hamburgers, investigators from Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office raided the company’s Seoul headquarters on Wednesday. Reached via phone by Korea Exposé, McDonald’s
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
More South Korean Teens Hitting the Bottle Too Hard
Everyone knows that South Koreans like a drink, but won’t someone please think of the children? That’s just what the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRAS) has been doing, having released this week the results of a study indicating that South Korean teenagers are taking their first
Being Frugal, Not YOLO, Is South Korea's New Fad
Who knew that a podcast analyzing receipts could create such a sensation? That’s all there is to the recording: A South Korean comedian breaks down somebody’s monthly expenditures and rates the spending based on the contributor’s income and long-term financial goals. Two comedians sit
The Crazy World of Call Bells in S. Korea
The history of call bells in South Korea can be traced back to the beginning of the 1990s. Daily newspaper Kyunghyang Shinmun introduced the call bell in its “New Technology, New Product” column on May 14, 1990. As described by Kyunghyang, it was a wireless device developed by a company
Haeryun Kang: On S Korea's Olympic Preparedness in Monocle Magazine
Our managing editor Haeryun Kang reported for Monocle magazine about South Korea’s preparations for the winter Olympics in Pyeongchang next year. (Subscriber access only)
Were Park Geun-hye's Seven 'Missing Hours' Actually More?
The seven missing hours. This number has been the hotbed for sensational rumors, conspiracy theories and politically polarized debates about how responsible the government — namely, Park Geun-hye — was for one of the country’s most tragic ferry disasters in recent memory. On the day of the Sewol
When We Don't Go to College
“If I don’t go to college, I don’t belong to a community.” As of 2016, nearly 70 percent of South Koreans had at least a bachelor’s degree. For most students, the ultimate goal of a high school education is admission to a