KE Radar
South Korea's Online Piracy Paradise
South Korea has an online piracy problem. Multiple internet sites offer bootleg movies, music, software and more for bargain-basement prices, seemingly unpoliced by authorities. A 2017 report on copyright protection published by Korea Copyright Protection Agency (KCOPA) found that losses across the music, film, broadcasting, publishing, and game industries from
South Korea Investigates Social Media over Phone Records
South Korean authorities have begun investigating several of the country’s leading social media and internet firms amid allegations of collecting user data without consent. On Mar. 30, Korea Communications Commission (KCC) announced an investigation into four major social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Kakao Talk, and Band. The commission will
How South Korea Got Rid of Its Gun Problem
In the aftermath of yet another mass shooting in the United States, international and domestic media have published articles touting South Korea as a model of gun regulation. But contrary to popular belief, freedom from gun violence is a relatively new development in the country. It’s true that South
Study: "Dating Violence Prevalent in Seoul"
88.5 percent of women living in Seoul have experienced dating violence, in some form or another, according to a report published on Jan. 30 by Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG). The report, titled “Dating Violence Leads to Domestic Violence After Marriage,” was based on an online survey of 2,000
EXO Star's Prejudice of Depression is a Korean Prejudice
It had been less than two weeks since Jonghyun, a member of K-pop group SHINee, died, when a popular K-pop idol came under fire for making insensitive comments about depression, the illness thought to have plagued Jonghyun’s final days. At a fan event on Dec. 30, EXO member Baekhyun
Plane Madness? Second Airport Plan Angers Jeju Islanders
On Tuesday morning, the wind blew tufts of black hair across freezing paving stones by the Blue House. Giant fiberglass Pyeongchang Olympic mascots — a white tiger and an Asiatic black bear — looked on as five electric razors hummed across five scalps. Villagers from Seongsan, a quiet county on
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.
Government Roasts Paris Baguette for Half-Baked Employment Practices
Going by its name, you probably wouldn’t guess that Paris Baguette’s company history begins in the poverty-stricken Korea of 1945. In a video on its website, South Korea’s SPC Group, parent company of the ubiquitous bakery chain, claims that everything started with a bakery in what is
Corruption Suspicions Another Hiccup in Massive U.S. Military Relocation
Suspected corruption in South Korea threatens to undermine what has been called the largest construction project in the history of the U.S. Department of Defense. The U.S. military is currently undertaking a massive relocation of its forces out of bases in and north of Seoul and toward
Labor Abuse: A Different Kind of High School Senior Year
On Nov. 19, just four days shy of his 18th birthday, Lee Min-ho’s heart stopped. He had been lying unconscious in a hospital in Jeju Island since the fatal accident on Nov. 9. Lee was working alone in a beverage factory as part of his high school occupational training.
“I’m Young, I’m Fast, I’m Pretty”: S. Korea’s Dogged Young Conservatives
After Korea Post scrapped plans to print stamps honoring former military dictator Park Chung-hee this July, the youth of today picked up the slack. University Students’ Forum of Korea, a conservative youth group, launched a crowdfunding project in September to print stamps commemorating Park’s centenary (Nov. 14). This was
Potentially Problematic Probes Prompt Protestant Protests
In South Korea, Buddhist monks and Protestant pastors aren’t required to pay a dime of tax on their incomes. This exemption is set to end in 2018 — against vehement objections from Protestant churches. There has not been actual legal tax exemption for the income that religious