KE Radar
Young S. Korean Speaks: War with N. Korea "Extremely Unlikely"
How likely is war with North Korea? Speculation abounds. Here’s a South Korean who argues that war is “highly very extremely unlikely.” He says that all the players involved — South Korea, China, North Korea, and the U.S. — simply have too much to lose
Love It or Hate It, S. Korea’s Anti-Corruption Law Here to Stay
One year after a landmark anti-corruption law went into effect, big corporations are celebrating the legislation’s effects while small businesses say they’re taking a hit. The law, called the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act (but usually referred to as the Kim Young-ran law, after the former judge who
Not Even Kim Jong-un Can Stop KBS, MBC Strikes
On the day North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test on Sep. 3, two of South Korea’s biggest public broadcasters didn’t have enough reporters to thoroughly cover the breaking story. Many of them were on strike. “We beseech the employees and the labor unions leading the strike to
S. Korea's Cutest Alleged Killer's Birthday Bash Makes a Splash
In a photo, a white french bulldog with black spots around its dolly eyes stares innocently into the camera while perched on a young woman’s lap, just behind a birthday cake lit with eight candles. Though cute, Bugsy is an alleged killer, and the posting of this scene engendered
Under Moon: Business as Usual for S Korea's Nuclear Power?
President Moon Jae-in’s commitment to renewable energy was thrown into doubt on Friday when a specially-appointed public debate committee recommended resuming construction of reactors 5 and 6 at Shin-Kori nuclear power plant. In his election manifesto earlier this year, Moon pledged to halt construction of new nuclear and
Bulgogi Burger Blues: Headaches for McDonald's Korea
Apparently at McDonald’s in South Korea, not all meals are happy meals. Following alleged cases of children falling ill after eating McDonald’s hamburgers, investigators from Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office raided the company’s Seoul headquarters on Wednesday. Reached via phone by Korea Exposé, McDonald’s
More South Korean Teens Hitting the Bottle Too Hard
Everyone knows that South Koreans like a drink, but won’t someone please think of the children? That’s just what the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRAS) has been doing, having released this week the results of a study indicating that South Korean teenagers are taking their first
Being Frugal, Not YOLO, Is South Korea's New Fad
Who knew that a podcast analyzing receipts could create such a sensation? That’s all there is to the recording: A South Korean comedian breaks down somebody’s monthly expenditures and rates the spending based on the contributor’s income and long-term financial goals. Two comedians sit
The Crazy World of Call Bells in S. Korea
The history of call bells in South Korea can be traced back to the beginning of the 1990s. Daily newspaper Kyunghyang Shinmun introduced the call bell in its “New Technology, New Product” column on May 14, 1990. As described by Kyunghyang, it was a wireless device developed by a company
Were Park Geun-hye's Seven 'Missing Hours' Actually More?
The seven missing hours. This number has been the hotbed for sensational rumors, conspiracy theories and politically polarized debates about how responsible the government — namely, Park Geun-hye — was for one of the country’s most tragic ferry disasters in recent memory. On the day of the Sewol
When We Don't Go to College
“If I don’t go to college, I don’t belong to a community.” As of 2016, nearly 70 percent of South Koreans had at least a bachelor’s degree. For most students, the ultimate goal of a high school education is admission to a
Hollywood Has Harvey Weinstein. South Korea Faces Its Own Demons.
Hollywood is still reeling after the New York Times found that Harvey Weinstein, one of the industry’s most powerful figures, had sexually harassed and assaulted actresses for decades. Then there is South Korea, where a similar debate is unfolding over how its own film industry is treating women. Back