Dongdaemun Postcard: From Stall to Tower, Merchant to Tourist
The stalls are set up like tiny stores; an air-conditioned box designated for each merchant. Most hide behind their goods like hermit crabs in their shells, recoiling at the sight of the hot summer sun. Others yell out prices and wave signs on the sidewalk, trying to catch the attention
Those Texts Between Samsung and S. Korean Journalists
“Dear respected Mr. Chang Choong-ki! …. I have finally mustered the courage to send you this text message, after hesitating again and again. My son XXX applied to the XXX department of Samsung Electronics…. His application number is 1XXXXXXX, and he graduated from XXX University with a degree
Haeryun Kang: On N. Korea in the Guardian
“In South Korea we’re scared but we’ve normalised the fear,” published on the Guardian on Aug. 9, 2017. Are S. Koreans indifferent to N. Korean provocations? When North Korea news gets hot, like now, thanks to its recent missile test and Guam, many outlets
Alpabet or Alphabet? The Case for a New Hangeul
“I heard from the horse’s mouth it’s the most scientific alphabet in the world,” I once overheard a South Korean student say as he showed a Westerner a display on Hangeul, Korea’s indigenous alphabet, at the National Museum of Korea. Get over it, I thought, annoyed at
Fried Chicken Tests Take Wing in South Korea
South Koreans love their fried chicken. So much so, in fact, that they’ve used it (cheekily) as a determinant of political party affiliation, labeled the country chimaek (chicken and maekju, or beer) republic, and consume 800 million chickens annually, in a country of 51 million people. Now, they’ve
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
Rape and Retribution: Nayoung's Story Isn't Over
In 2008 South Korea, an eight-year-old girl now known by the alias Nayoung was brutally raped and beaten by a 58-year-old man in a public bathroom. Months later, she and her family received a second wave of shock when the rapist was sentenced to a mere 12 years in jail.
Politicians, Taxpayers, Lemmings
A few weeks ago, on Jul. 16, North Chungcheong Province was deluged with almost 300 mm of torrential rain. Hundreds of homes were flooded and at least seven lives went missing, according to daily newspaper Hankook Ilbo. Two days later, four provincial lawmakers left for a 10-day trip to Europe,
Quiz: Are You A South Korean Hipster?
For hipsters, the hipster culture is so yesterday. (Or, if you’re a hipster, you probably won’t call yourself one) Many contemporary subgroups have now, ironically enough, become mainstream enough to no longer be deemed “cool,” as in fringe, niche, or esoteric enough to decorate the consumer with a
Mourning Your Loss: Funerals and Cremation for Pets
While all living things are bound to die, the average lifespan of pets is shorter than that of humans. Most pet owners have to bear the burden of bidding farewell to their animal companions. And in South Korea until recently, saying goodbye to pets meant thrusting them into a trash
What Will Happen to Kaesong Industrial Complex?
On Jul. 3, South Korea got itself a new unification minister, a man known for promoting economic engagement with North Korea. The appointment comes against the backdrop of conservative president Park Geun-hye’s ouster in March over corruption allegations. Moon Jae-in, a liberal, was elected on May 9 to replace
Education Blues Pt. 3: A Deported English Teacher
English education is arguably the holy grail of South Korea’s infamous education craze. The private sector market for English education, rife with private cram schools called hagwon, amounted to 61 trillion won (about 55 billion U.S. dollars) in 2014. Among these hagwon is a group of