inter-Korean relations
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Watching North Koreans Watch South Koreans
I still remember the death of the previous North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in December 2011, for the simple reason that media outlets played ad nauseum footage, procured from North Korea’s state news agency KCNA, of Pyongyang citizens weeping with abandon. It seemed as though North Koreans were so
Chocolate Dessert Sends Netizens into Meltdown
Everyone likes a surprise. And when you’re a leading celebrity gourmet charged with designing a special dessert for a VIP Olympic reception, you want your surprise to be a good one. Unfortunately for well-known South Korean food critic Hwang Kyo-ik, somebody blew his surprise to the media a
Why Are South Korea and North Korea Enemies?
The first thing that needs to be addressed is, are South and North Korea enemies? My short answer would be yes and no: They are frenemies in a love-hate relationship — a result of a complicated history of division that originates in the Cold War. To get into the details,
Pyongyang Olympics? Burning Tensions Ahead of Games
South Korea has been hit with a cold snap — the mercury plunging to minus 18 degrees Celsius in Seoul on Jan. 26, and some have been burning papers, not to keep warm, but to condemn North Korea and the South Korean government’s rapprochement efforts ahead of the
KÉ Interview: “My Sister Married Kim Jong-il”
In a modest Seoul apartment lives Sung Il-gi. To most people, his name would not ring a bell. At the age of 84, he is partially paralyzed on the right side of his body and has difficulty moving around. You would be forgiven for thinking he is an ordinary pensioner.
More Support for Kaesong Industrial Complex Firms, but No Resumption
On Nov. 10, the South Korean government announced measures to further compensate corporations hit by the shutdown of Kaesong Industrial Complex, one of the last remaining tangible results of inter-Korean cooperation. But business owners with factories at the complex are far from satisfied. The complex, located a short drive from
Ppira: Women's Bodies as Bait in Propaganda War Between Two Koreas
A woman with curled up hair and enamel white pumps flashes her legs in an archetypal Marilyn Monroe posture — wind blows from below, ballooning up her flowing dress, which she pushes down just before revealing too much. “Who’s stopping you?” “If you run, it takes just five minutes!
Inter-Korean Engagement Resumes, With Taekwondo at the Center
The founder of taekwondo, Choi Hong-hi, conceived of the martial art in the ashes of the Korean War. As a South Korean army general, Choi had seen so much suffering, starting with Japan’s colonial occupation of Korea, through the 1950-53 war in which millions died. He sought to turn
Neungra Bapsang: North Koreans in the South Gain Self-Sufficiency through Food
North Korean defector Lee Ae-ran introduces South Koreans to the food of the North. With her restaurant Neungra Bapsang, she also helps other female defectors make a living. Dressed simply with short hair, Lee exudes confidence. The 53-year-old has a Ph.D. in nutritional science and food management from prestigious
Northern Limit Line: Taking Politics Out of a Political Conflict
Source: Next Entertainment World (NEW) Dramatic music swells up as the camera zooms in on a dying South Korean soldier, a plump and friendly character who wins immediate sympathy because he’s the loving father of an adorable baby. His head droops to the side in a moment of finality;
Beyond Blood and Bloody Relations
My grandmother was born in Inje County, Gangwon Province, in what is now South Korea. She was displaced by the division of the peninsula, ending up in the North. I vividly remember her repeatedly saying she wanted to visit Jeju Island before leaving this world. The irony is that I,
South Korean Group Cheers North Korea and Challenges Blue House
[ngg_images gallery_ids=”2″ display_type=”ds-nextgen_royalslider”] A group of South Koreans riled the government last Friday, cheering the North Korean football team in a match against Indonesia and shouting out to the North Korean players after the game, “We are sorry