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Heat Shelters Are So Hot Right Now
On its website, Seoul’s Gwangjin District has a map scattered with a total of 99 red pins that make the landscape look like it has broken out in heat rash. But contrary to its heated appearance, the red shapes denote air conditioned oases where people without other options can
Quiz: Are You A South Korean Hipster?
For hipsters, the hipster culture is so yesterday. (Or, if you’re a hipster, you probably won’t call yourself one) Many contemporary subgroups have now, ironically enough, become mainstream enough to no longer be deemed “cool,” as in fringe, niche, or esoteric enough to decorate the consumer with a
ké cast S1 E4: Urban Renewal in Seoul: Whose Livelihoods Take Priority?
What’s the motivation behind beautification projects in Seoul like the Cheonggyecheon Stream and the city’s new Seoullo 7017 Skypark? Bruce Harrison speaks with Korea Exposé Environment editor Ben Jackson and managing Editor Haeryun Kang about how these beauty makeovers fit into Seoul’s sprawling urban landscape and who
It's Just Plain Weir-ed: The Plan to Liberate Seoul's Han River
As yet another drought keeps South Korea’s reservoirs and waterways in the news, campaigners are calling for Seoul’s iconic Han River to be restored to its natural state. The news may come as a surprise to many who view the wide, placid river each day from its bridges
Seoul's Seniors Seek Refuge in the City
For a behind-the-scenes glimpse, read Reporter’s Notebook: Summer in Tapgol Park.
KÉ Interview: Singing Against Homophobia
In the middle of Unnie Choir’s last number, Enan Ahn started to cry. She was one of the fifteen women singing “Into the New World,” a 2007 single by K-pop group Girls’ Generation. The lyrics were admittedly corny — “there’s no use in waiting for a miracle, it’
Moon Jae-in Vows to Dismantle Police Conscript Force
When young college students in Seoul went out to march through the streets calling for Park Geun-hye’s impeachment in a long streak of demonstrations that started last October, it wasn’t difficult to bump into an acquaintance blocking you — dressed in a navy military drab armed in a
Gwanghwamun Democracy 2.0: Air Pollution Roundtables
Jongno, where Gwanghwamun Square is located, is one of Seoul’s most polluted and heavily congested districts. So when I heard that a huge outdoor event on air pollution was taking place on the square, I raised my eyebrows. “Isn’t it sad that we’re
The Triumph of Yearning
On Tuesday night in Seoul, the scent of victory mingled with the aromas of stale beer and fried chicken. At a crowded bar and chicken joint in Seoul’s Mapo district, several dozen supporters of new South Korean president Moon Jae-in gathered to watch the results of the national election
South Korea's UNESCO Obsession
If you live in Seoul, as I do, you may have hiked along the paths that line Seoul’s old city wall, which survives in portions around the area corresponding to the old capital, and seen the blocks of stone that were used to reconstruct much of it. The city
Se-Woong Koo: In Brazillian TV show "Pedro Pelo Mundo."
Our publisher Se-Woong Koo appeared in an episode of the Brazilian TV channel GNT’s travel show “Pedro Pelo Mundo.”
Ikseon-dong: Seoul's Hottest Poverty Porn Destination
If you plug Ikseon-dong, the name of a central Seoul neighborhood, into your preferred search engine, you’ll come up with countless photographs, many of which look the same: shabby low-rise buildings with wooden doors along narrow alleyways. One recurring image is Ikseon-dong shot from above, contextualizing it as a