[Korean History] In 1994, news from Pyongyang shocks the world

In the morning of July 9, 1994, North Korea’s state media outlets announced that there would be a “special broadcast” at noon. Few in South Korea had a clue what to expect. Then, when noon came, the news struck South Koreans like a lightning bolt. "We, with much bitterness, inform the people in this country that our great leader died of a sudden disease,” a grim-looking announcer on North Korean TV said, solemnly conveying the passing of the man who founded North Kor

Aug. 2, 2023

[Korea Quiz] Summertime delicacy

Koreans seek comfort from a wide variety of foods in each season. In the summer, when it's either sizzling hot or rainy, people naturally look for something cold or refreshing to keep exhaustion from the high temperatures and humidity at bay. Patbingsu, a milk-based Korean shaved ice dessert with various toppings, including red beans, is a summertime favorite. If you see coffee shops starting to sell patbingsu, that means summer has arrived. "Pat" means red beans, and "bing

Aug. 2, 2023

Why young people have 'call phobia' and how to manage it

A minute away from initiating a phone call with her landlord, Lee Hyun-jung, a 24-year-old college graduate, feels her heart racing and palms getting sweaty. These all-too-familiar symptoms seem to arise when she has to make or receive a phone call, prompting her to avoid speaking on the phone whenever possible. Phone anxiety, also known as call phobia or telephobia, is a form of social anxiety disorder observed in a growing number of people, particularly among those belonging to the so-called &

Aug. 1, 2023

[Weekender] A fish with a dozen names

The newest snack craze in South Korea is Meoktaekkang. Convenience stores nationwide are selling out of the fish-flavored snack from local food company Nongshim. For those who may find it hard to understand what the name means, meoktae is one of the many names that Koreans use to refer to Alaska pollack, which is among the most consumed fish here. The "kkang" derives from Nongshim’s signature snack, the shrimp-flavored Saewookkang. The fish, whose most widely recognized Korean na

July 29, 2023

[Subway Stories] Jagalchi Station: Busan's vibrant market hub

Jagalchi Station, on Busan Metro Line No. 1, is where one can find some of the seaside city’s oldest, largest and most famous markets, including the famed Jagalchi Market. As such, the station is always bustling with tourists, all hoping to soak up the authentic Busan atmosphere and try a wide array of delectable seafood dishes and street snacks. The Gukje, Bupyeong and Jagalchi markets -- all located within a few blocks from each other -- are famous for their decades-old stores and busi

July 29, 2023

[Korea History] Bridge collapse lays bare dark side of 'Han River miracle’

It was a regular Friday morning on Oct. 21, 1994. The 1.2-kilometer Seongnsu Bridge over the Han River in Seoul was bustling with commuting cars as usual, amid light rain. At around 7:38 a.m., a 48-meter-long section of the bridge suddenly cracked and fell onto the river, bringing down several cars with it. A passenger bus came to a screeching halt but failed to escape its fate, as it too plunged to the water below. So did a few other cars. "Minutes after I entered the Seongsu Bridge as u

July 26, 2023

[Korea Quiz] The Korean War (2)

Find the correct answer at the bottom of this page. The Korean War broke out in June 1950 and ended three years later in July 1953. It was a result of the geopolitical tensions of the Cold War and had implications for the global balance of power during that era. The ambitions of North Korea's founder and first leader, Kim Il-sung, to unify the Korean Peninsula as a communist nation were a more direct cause of the conflict, as he ordered the invasion of South Korea via several points alon

July 26, 2023

Why Koreans crave fried food on rainy days

On rainy days, Koreans like to eat crispy, battered dishes, called buchimgae or jeon. Enjoying the savory fritters is a cherished monsoon ritual for many Koreans, although people may have different reasons for doing so. For Kim, an office worker in his 30s, it is more of a tradition that was passed down to him from his parents’ generation. "My body knows when to eat jeon since my mom always cooked it for me when the rain fell," Kim said. "Furthermore, I believe media plays

July 26, 2023

Teaching profession loses allure amid rising abuse cases

Last month, a female elementary school teacher was attacked by a male sixth grader in her classroom, sustaining injuries that required three weeks of treatment at a hospital. The teacher was also diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition to transferring the boy to another school -- the heaviest possible punishment for elementary school students -- her school requested that the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education press charges against him. An official from the Korean Federatio

July 21, 2023

[Korean History] Old ups and many recent downs in Korea-China ties

In 1992, South Korea and China embarked on a new chapter in their millennia-old relationship. The East Asian neighbors with deep historical and cultural connections were enemies during the 1950-53 Korean War and adversaries throughout the Cold War era, but on Aug. 24 of that year, they normalized ties. The joint statement on the establishment of diplomatic ties, signed by their foreign ministers, said South Korea recognizes “the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal governme

July 19, 2023

[Korea Quiz] The Korean War (1)

Find the answer at the bottom of the page. The Korean War broke out on June 25, 1950, with the invasion of North Korea. As the communist state’s military capability overwhelmed that of South Korea at that time, it took just three days for its forces to enter and seize Seoul, the South’s capital. Led by the United States, 21 countries contributed to the United Nations forces that came to the aid of the South against the North, which was backed by China and the Soviet Union. The con

July 19, 2023

A wake-up call on landslide dangers in S. Korea

When torrential rain continues for days, hillside homes can be just as dangerous as riverside dwellings. This served as a painful lesson for South Korea, as several landslides caused casualties across the country. The record July downpour has left 50 people dead or missing nationwide as of 11 a.m. Tuesday. Of them, 21 fatalities and six missing cases were reported in North Gyeongsang Province, where landslides devastated several hillside villages. Twelve of the province’s casualties were c

July 18, 2023

Growing shark encounters put east coast on alert ahead of vacation season

Shark sightings in South Korea have long been limited to the realm of movies like Steven Spielberg's iconic 1975 film, "Jaws." Being a relatively shark-free zone, encountering dangerous sharks was considered more fiction than reality. But recently, a growing number of sightings of shark that are known to attack humans in the East Sea indicate that Koreans are no longer safe from the predatory creatures. Shark scare On the night of July 8, a fishing boat floating off the coas

July 12, 2023

[Korea Quiz] North Korea and nukes

Find the answer at the bottom of the page. Being one of the poorest countries in the world, North Korea for decades focused on developing capabilities for asymmetric warfare against far more powerful and wealthier countries. This meant development of nuclear weapons and missiles that could deliver them to hit enemies across the ocean. While its nuclear ambition could be traced back to the 1960s, it was not until the 1980s that its nuclear program took off. After back-and-forth with members o

July 12, 2023

[Korean History] A tale of two Koreas at the UN

The United Nations holds a special position in South Korea’s modern history. From the nation-building process following the liberation from the 1910-45 Japanese occupation to the 1950-53 Korean War and postwar recovery and reconstruction efforts, the global governance body played a crucial role by providing South Korea with military and humanitarian assistance. Yet, it wasn't until 1991 when South Korea officially became a member. Joining alongside North Korea, it was the 161st to join the

July 12, 2023

[Survive & Thrive] Table manners and public bathrooms in S. Korea

No matter what country you visit, restaurants and public bathrooms are probably among the places you visit the most. Here are some tips on things one might find handy when dining with South Koreans, or going to a bathroom here. Dining manners in Korea Conventional table manners suggest that one should make as little noise as possible and keep one’s mouth shut when eating. Over the years, however, a trend of making noise while eating has spread among young Koreans, influenced by “

July 11, 2023

Why it's so hard for same-sex couples and single women to have kids in S. Korea

  Kim Gyu-jin and Kim Se-yeon held their wedding ceremony during the 2023 Seoul Queer Culture Festival earlier this month in central Seoul. Hundreds at the festival congratulated the wife-wife couple on their union -- even though it is not legally recognized by South Korean law -- as well as on the baby they are expecting. The Kim couple revealed that their quest to have a child required a trip to a foreign country, Belgium, as accessing a sperm donor had not been possible for them in South

July 10, 2023

Streaming era brings back '90s 'video bang'

Along Garosu-gil, a street packed with shops in Sinsa-dong, Seoul, there is a business offering four private screening rooms for hosting watch parties. A new type of business borne out of the streaming era, it caters to guests who seek shared entertainment by watching content offered by an array of streaming platforms together. “Customers, mostly in their 20s and 30s, come to share their subscription accounts to streaming services and enjoy the content together,” said a senior mana

July 8, 2023

[Korean History] How KAL007 tragedy gave civilians access to GPS

On early Sept. 1, 1983, a Soviet interceptor shot down Korean Air Flight 007 en route from New York City to Seoul via Anchorage. All 269 passengers on board were killed as the aircraft crashed into the sea near an island west of Sakhalin, Russia. The Soviets had mistaken the Boeing 747 airliner for a US spy plane as it drifted off course and flew through prohibited Soviet air space. It was one of the deadliest events of the late Cold War. The Soviet Union initially issued a short statement say

July 6, 2023

[Korean History] Hwaseong murders: Korea’s most infamous cold case solved after 33 years

In 1986, a tiny rural town near the city of Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, was rocked by a series of rapes and murders targeting its female residents. A total of 10 women were killed over the course of five years, while the authorities failed to identify the perpetrator, limited by the technology of the time and a series of mistakes that occurred during the investigation. For over three decades, the Hwaseong serial murders remained one of the most famous unsolved cases in South Korea, capturing pu

July 5, 2023