Where Elders Are Denture-Clacking Vermin
Teul-ttak-chung. Over the last five years, I have heard many Korean neologisms for insulting different demographic groups, but this one seems to top all the others. It means more or less how it sounds: denture-wearing elderly people clacking away their artificial teeth as they spew rage at myriad perceived injustices.
South Korea's Corruption, Exposed by Burning Sun
The biggest news in South Korea remains the Burning Sun scandal. It has been sending shock waves through South Korean society for the past few weeks, exposing the culture of misogyny among young male celebrities, many of whom have been caught bragging about sexual conquests and sharing illegally made photos
South Korea's Extreme Birth Rate Crisis
Despite pouring some 130 billion USD over the last 13 years into boosting the birth rate, South Koreans may go extinct by 2750. Here is our look at why.
Revisiting: My Political Coming of Age
Almost every Saturday for the last twenty weeks or so, my friends and I took a stroll down to Gwanghwamun Plaza in downtown Seoul to join the protesters. We were young, awkward, and clueless. It didn’t take us long to realize that it was the first time, too, for
Is China the Cause of South Korea's Waste Problem?
In July 2017, China threw the global recycling industry into disarray by announcing the “National Sword Policy.” In effect since January 2018, the policy banned import of 24 types of waste (now expanded to 32) and strengthened quality control, rejecting plastic scrap that wasn’t at least 99.5 percent
The Seungri Scandal and South Korea's Gender Disparity
Over the last few weeks Seungri, former member of K-pop super group Big Bang, transformed from a beloved star into a toxic example of issues festering in South Korean society. The change began when a customer at the popular nightclub Burning Sun in Gangnam, Seoul, was assaulted in November 2018—
The Humanities Is the Next Frontier for South Korea's Chaebol
Designed with a Ghibliesque imagination and backed by ample funding in every step of its construction, Starfield Library in Gangnam, Seoul, instantly became a requisite tourist attraction when it opened to great fanfare in 2017. It may well also be the most instagrammed library in South Korea. The 2,800-square
Euljiro: A Hub of Innovation Under Threat of Destruction
Euljiro is in the heart of Seoul. To its west is Gwanghwamun—filled with government offices and corporate headquarters. To the east is Dongdaemun—famous for the Zaha Hadid-designed DDP and all-night shopping malls. But despite its central location, the area stayed relatively unchanged for decades, providing affordable work space
BTS: Generational Icons or Misogynists?
On Sep. 24, South Korean boy group BTS gave a speech on empowerment and love at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. The event marked the launch of “Generation Unlimited”—a partnership between the UN and UNICEF that aims to promote education and empowerment for young people.
Child Inmates of South Korea's Immigration Jail
Helene* had a challenge that no mother would want. She, with her husband, was a refugee in a foreign land with a foreign language, trying despite all odds to raise her children as best she could. If this weren’t enough of a challenge, Helene was in jail, locked up
A Match Made by the Gods
Have you encountered the 卍 symbol gracing what looks like not a Buddhist temple but a shop or private home while wandering down an alley? It marks the house of a Korean shaman. Not everyone believes media accounts that there are one million shamans in contemporary South Korea, but shamanism
Kwanwoo Suh Is Looking for His Korean Father
Kwanwoo Suh, 30, is facing his second winter in South Korea. He moved here from the West African country of Liberia in July 2017, and he finds it challenging to cope with the cold weather. But Suh is trying to stay on until he meets his objective. He is here