Culture
From travel to subculture stories
Pleasures of Seoul
Demonstrations are a routine occurrence in downtown Seoul, but I don’t mind it in the least. Angry chanting is a familiar soundtrack to life in South Korea; when slogans reverberate at the capital’s most symbolic locations, you know the country is well. Democracy lives. I am fortunate to
The K-pop DNA
“I became a BTS fan on Jan. 6, 2017,” said Siti Mariam Sulaiman, a 38-year-old government official from Malaysia. That’s an oddly specific date, but she says every ARMY, an acronym for fans of the K-pop boy group, remembers the exact date of one’s induction into BTS fandom.
Jeju: Museum Heaven or Tax Haven?
Driving around Jeju island and you’ll come across not just white sand beaches and UNESCO World Heritage sites but an endless succession of museums. In fact, tourists can choose from over 100, on themes as diverse as Greek mythology, seashells, African art, teddy bears, sex and health, and stone
Pojangmacha: Tent Nostalgia
In Seoul’s central Jongno District lies one of the city’s last pojangmacha alleys. Every day around late afternoon, hired workers take apart around two dozen wheeled carts lining both sides of the alley. Tents are thrown over steel frames; five-gallon oil containers filled to the brim with
Why the Korean-Venezuelan Brothers Make Chocolate
Meet the creators of P.chokko, a chocolate shop in Seoul. They want to change Korean chocolate and send a message about their home, Venezuela.
K-pop 101: Why Do Artists Keep Singing "Niga"?
Don’t worry, it has nothing to do with the N-word. Niga (니가) in Korean literally means ‘you.’ More specifically, 니 (ni) means ‘you’; 가 (ga) is a particle that indicates the noun attached to it is the subject of the sentence. K-pop, which stands for Korean popular music, is
What Are Some Cultural Faux Pas in South Korea?
If you’re visiting South Korea as a foreigner, Koreans will often overlook any minor faux pas you make, knowing that you didn’t buck local customs on purpose. Koreans often talk about “sincerity” and “intention”: sometimes, what you do is less important than what you mean. There are nevertheless
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
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
Nightmare Before Christmas: Battle of the Solos
Even the rain on Christmas Eve did not deter couples in South Korea from going out on dates. “I feel like we both took for granted that we would be spending Christmas together,” said Alice Son, a 22-year-old college student in Seoul, about her plans with her boyfriend. She said
We Need to Talk About Suicide Reporting
How do we find the optimal balance between our right to information, and the risks inherent in broad dissemination of sensitive information? Around 24 hours have passed since 27-year-old Jonghyun, a member of the popular K-pop group SHINee, took his own life. It’s already a huge story, both within
Obituary: The Legacy of Jonghyun
In an interview with Esquire magazine in April, Jonghyun of K-pop boy band SHINee shared the following story: “A few years ago, I cried in front of my mother and older sister. I was super drunk…. I woke them up late at night and asked them if they were happy.