South Korea
1952000
"I Love Park Geun-hye": The South Korean President's Last Loyalists
It seems like president Park Geun-hye doesn’t have many supporters left. Her closest aides are gone, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office — normally an ally of the sitting president — called her a criminal suspect, a growing portion of her Saenuri party is supporting impeachment, and her approval
Top Five Sightings from the Anti-Park Geun-hye Protests
In the sixth straight weekend of rallies in South Korea, a record number of protesters gathered in Seoul and across the nation Saturday, calling for the ouster of president Park Geun-hye. According to the progressive newspaper Kyunghyang Shinmun, it marked the republic’s largest rally in history with an estimated
Religion and Politics in South Korea: Very Comfortable Bedfellows
It is 1975. An assembly of people are gathered together, standing in front of their purported leader. The group is fervently shaking their hands and praying. A girl, her eyes closed and seemingly on the verge of tears, is mouthing something. It’s a fleeting but powerful image. The leader
Safety Not Guaranteed: A Woman's Experience on The Seoul Subway
Editor’s Note: Last week, we published an open letter from a university professor with her permission. In it, she detailed her experience of being sexually harassed as a “white female foreigner” in a public space. The ensuing debates from our readers were contentious, often empathetic, and
Drugs in South Korea: Sex, Sales and Crackdowns
In 2004, comedian Noh Hong-chul, perhaps best known around the world as the “elevator man” in Psy’s “Gangnam Style” music video, published a confessional essay stating that he once got a girl drunk while in high school in order to have sex with
Girls Like Girls: Lesbian Couple in Sistar's New MV "One More Day" Takes Revenge
Two girls walk anxiously, pulling a suitcase down a dark road. What’s in the suitcase? K-pop girl group Sistar released a MV of their new single just yesterday. “One More Day,” composed and produced by Giorgio Moroder, shows two women in love, who end up killing the abusive
Open Letter to the Student Who Harassed Me
Editor’s Note: The following is an open letter from Professor Olga Fedorenko, who teaches anthropology at Seoul National University, one of South Korea’s most prestigious schools. The letter provides a glimpse into the racism and misogyny experienced by a white female foreigner from
Misogyny in South Korea: Murder in Gangnam
Editor’s Note: Last week was the six-month anniversary of the murder of a young woman near Gangnam Station. The murder sparked an explosive discussion in South Korean society about rampant misogyny. This comic strip is the first in a three-part installment that discusses feminism and gender inequality since
In Memory of Farmer Baek Nam-gi: Amnesty International Die-In Flash Mob Held
At 6:56 pm on the drizzly evening of Monday, Nov. 14, some 80 people stepped out in unison onto the pedestrian crossing at the Jongno District Office intersection in white raincoats and acted out the scene of falling to the ground. The white raincoats were reminiscent of those worn
"Step Down, Park": Anti-Government Protestors Occupy Downtown Seoul
Masses of South Korean protesters took to downtown Seoul Saturday for a candlelight vigil and a march, demanding that President Park Geun-hye step down – with no barricades nor scuffle, in what has been praised as a surprisingly peaceful demonstration. Police estimated the size of the crowd at 45,000. The
Choi Soon-sil Gate Parodies: Let the Fun Times Roll
There’s a lot of rage, disappointment, and feelings of betrayal over president Park Geun-hye’s alleged relationship with Choi Soon-sil. We say ‘alleged’, because much remains to be credibly confirmed in this dramatic, unfolding saga. (For an in-depth discussion of the Choi Soon-sil scandal, check
The Choi Soon-sil Gate: The Saddest Political Drama Ever Told
I am quite fond of South Korean costume dramas, though my friends are skeptical of the genre’s value. Plotting royals and devious courtiers aren’t their thing, and they are even less enamored with the endless power struggles over who gets to be master of the realm. “But it’