korea news
The Judgment Day: Park Geun-hye Ousted by Constitutional Court
Ground zero for observing the fate of Park Geun-hye – and South Korean society more generally – was a rigidly divided stretch of road near the Constitutional Court in northern Seoul. On one side, a crowd desperate for the court to uphold Park’s long-awaited impeachment; on
What Now? Court Ruling Triggers Early Presidential Election
By upholding Park Geun-hye’s impeachment on Friday morning, the Constitutional Court has opened a new chapter in South Korean political history. But while Park’s opponents and supporters come to terms with the decision, an unprecedented series of events has been set in motion. Here, ké radar
“Fake News” Nudges Senior South Koreans Toward Social Media
Amid the nation’s political turmoil, elderly South Koreans are losing trust in conventional news. As an alternative, they are increasingly turning to social media such as popular messaging app KakaoTalk and YouTube that young people favor. But though the elderly may be using the same platforms as their younger
Being Single Yet Married: "Graduation from Marriage" Trending
Baek Il-seob, 72, is a veteran actor who has built a following from appearing in a widely popular travel reality show “Grandpas Over Flowers.” He’s been married for some forty years. He also hasn’t seen his wife in over a year. Back in November, Baek set South Korea
Only High School Using Park Geun-hye’s History Textbook Faces Rough Year
This year’s opening ceremony at Munmyeong High School in North Gyeongsang Province was cancelled. The chairs in the hall are left empty, as students and parents protested against the school’s decision to adopt a state-issued history textbook. (Source: JTBC) The only high school in South Korea to adopt
"A Day Without Women" on the Streets of South Korea
Today was International Women’s Day, and South Korean women took this celebration to another level. Korean Women Workers Association (KWWA) held a “Day Without Women” march in downtown Seoul and other cities nationwide, calling out for women to fight against the gender wage gap.
Who is Kim Han-sol?
He looks like an ordinary young man, dressed in a nondescript black pullover. He is calm and composed while talking. He even takes a moment to thank people. This 40-second videoclip, uploaded to Youtube on Mar. 7, is making waves in South Korea and around the world. The young man
Another Dolphin Death In South Korea's Aquariums
On its website, Geoje Sea World, an aquarium and marine theme park, describes itself as “second to none in Korea,” a place “expressly designed for cultivating interactive and mutual relationships between human-beings and marine mammals.” Geoje Sea World offers a variety of programs that allow people to swim in pools
South Korean Men Busted and Shamed for Buying Sex in the Philippines
An 2013 essay in Weekly Donga, a current affairs magazine, is frank about why South Korean men go play golf in Southeast Asia: “The reason a wife is not happy about her husband leaving for Southeast Asia is because everything is done according to the rule.
Battle of the Nudes: Political Satire Targets Lawmaker and His Wife
Editor’s note: This post contains nudity and may offend some readers. Passersby outside South Korea’s National Assembly today were greeted by an unusually colorful banner: Four clumsily photoshopped images portrayed the faces of the opposition Minjoo Party lawmaker Pyo Chang-won and his wife pasted onto various
Former Spy Claims NIS Spied on Constitutional Court
An unnamed former agent claimed that South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) secretly interviewed officials from the Constitutional Court, reported the Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS). These claims come as the Constitutional Court prepares to deliver its final verdict on Park Geun-hye’s impeachment, most likely
Pro-Japanese Roots Haunt South Korean Actor Kang Dong-won
Popular South Korean actor Kang Dong-won is under fire for an ancestor he has never met, about whom he talked about in passing in an interview ten years ago. In a 2007 interview with Chosun Ilbo, Kang boasted that his maternal great-grandfather, Lee Jong-man, had been a