South Korea news
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
Special Probe Wraps Up 90 Days of Scandal and Fatigue
After a tumultuous 90 days, the final press conference was short. Just fifteen minutes, no questions accepted. It's the biggest corruption scandal of the nation, and they hold a fifteen-minute briefing with no Q&A? #수사결과발표 #특검 #국정농단 — Jihye Lee 이지혜 (@TheJihyeLee) March 6,
China’s THAAD Revenge List
K-pop, Jeju Island, and Lotte candy — what do they all have in common? They’re all subject to China’s economic retaliation against South Korea over the decision to install Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), a U.S-made missile defense system. Tensions keep rising, ranging from a recent
All That THAAD: South Korea Rattled By China Tourism Curb
Last July, South Korea announced the decision to deploy THAAD, a U.S-produced missile defense system. Since then, the Chinese government has retaliated with a number of subtle and explicit measures, including denying South Korean entertainers access to its lucrative market. Its latest pushback appears to be discouraging Chinese citizens
Living Cheap in South Korea
Between all the designer handbags and luxury cars in the streets of Seoul, it’s easy to think that South Koreans love and are willing to pay for bling. But echoing what Japan has gone through after their economic bubble burst twenty years ago, South Korea wrestles with worsening
Korea's Independence Movement Had Women, Too
Mar. 1 marks one of Korea’s most famous pro-independence protests, which saw hundreds of thousands take to the streets against Japanese colonial rule in 1919. Many protesters are remembered today as national heroes, but among them, Yu Gwan-sun is one of the few female leaders that most South
What Happened at Samsung Factory in Vietnam?
Samsung is having a terrible week. First its de facto head Lee Jae-yong was charged on Tuesday with multiple crimes in connection with the Choi Soon-sil scandal. He is accused of, among other things, embezzling company funds to bribe Choi, to get favorable treatment from the government. That same day,
South Korea's E-Commerce System Sucks; Moon Jae-in Agrees
South Korea may have the world’s fastest internet speed and stable 4G LTE network connection on subway lines, but its people have been suffering from the chronic inconvenience of living with an outdated online banking and ecommerce system. Moon Jae-In, the frontrunner of the upcoming presidential election, pledged to
Is the End Near for South Korea's Largest Dog Meat Market?
When South Koreans hear “Moran Market,” they usually think of one thing: dog meat. Moran Market is the country’s largest distribution outlet for dog meat. Located in Seongnam just south of Seoul, it is home to 22 dog meat suppliers and facilities for caging and slaughtering dogs. Some
When A Watch Tells More Than Time
The word “watch” is a double, perhaps triple, entendre when it comes to South Korea’s prime minister and acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn. It’s not just a time-telling device. It’s a symbol of his authority over time — specifically, his power to extend or kill the
The Strangest Taxi in Seoul
Welcome to the world of Mr. Kim Kyo-chul and his “Tin Taxi.” From the outside, the taxi is an inconspicuous white, like many other taxis in Seoul. Inside, it’s an explosion of silver. Thousands of cans cover the surface: Can bottoms line the ceiling and walls,