Most Popular
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Chuseok still is a headache for couples
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Students suffer sleep deprivation, fatigue, suicidal thoughts
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N. Korea launches trash balloons toward S. Korea for 2nd day: JCS
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Heat wave watch issued for Seoul; latest on record
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Yoon's approval rating hits new low: poll
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Lime green plates deepen slump in Korea’s luxury car sales
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Popular tourist destinations beckon Chuseok holidaymakers
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Nearly 2,000 aging separated family members die in first 8 months of year: gov't data
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[AtoZ into Korean mind] Koreans do things quickly. Is it efficiency or lack of patience?
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Calories that stalk the Chuseok table
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Quirks of Korean dating explained (3) Crazy for love milestones
They say love is universal, but when it comes to dating culture, Korea has a different love language, according to five international couples that The Korea Herald interviewed. From love ‘confessions’ to matching outfits, here are some dating norms that set Korea apart. – Ed. Crazy for love milestones On KakaoTalk, the almost-ubiquitous messaging app for Koreans, it is not difficult to find users who display the number of days they have been together with someone on
May 18, 2022
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Korea Quiz (3) Spoon theory
Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. Answer: b Spoon theory is a euphemism used to describe a person’s family background, usually related to financial situation and social influence, by comparing it to spoons made of different materials. The phrase is derived from the English expression “born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth,” and the most common use is referring to a person of a wealthy
May 18, 2022
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My homework is your work: Students seeking shortcut
* From waking up a dozing student to tidying up graves, online advertisements with unusual but real job descriptions offer a peek into the Korean society. The Korea Herald looks at some of these unusual ads. The following is the third installment. –- Ed. A job ad that still exists on the hyperlocal community app Karrot Market is from a person searching for someone to do his or her homework assignment about “algorithm in computer engineering.” “I think I’ll be ask
May 18, 2022
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Quirks of Korean dating explained (2) Twinning outfits
They say love is universal, but when it comes to dating culture, Korea has a different love language, according to five international couples that The Korea Herald interviewed. From love ‘confessions’ to matching outfits, here are some dating norms that set Korea apart. The following is the second installment. – Ed. In Korea, many young couples express their love through fashion -- by wearing matching outfits in public. A search on Instagram with the hashtag &l
May 17, 2022
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These creators barely speak Korean. But they make money out of it.
Seven African men with muscular torsos wearing blue sweatpants stand facing the camera. In unison, they say, “Happy birthday, Ye-jin” in Korean. In front of them, two men, also sporting the same look, hold a chalkboard with the same Korean line written on it. After the birthday shout out, they all start dancing along to “GANADARA,” a song by Korean singer Jay Park. This video message, posted on YouTube channel “World Surprise Video” last
May 17, 2022
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[Land of Squid Game] We’re gganbu!
In one of the episodes of the Netflix series “Squid Game,” an old man hands over his last marble to the lead character, Gi Hun, saying, “We are gganbu. Gganbu always share everything with each other, no matter what.” By handing over his last marble, he lets Gi Hun win. The term “gganbu” in the story means close companions, like blood brothers who share everything without expecting anything in return and who help each other in difficult situations. While g
May 16, 2022
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Quirks of Korean dating explained (1) Love confessions, a rite of passage for all couples
They say love is universal, but when it comes to dating culture, Korea has a different love language, according to five international couples that The Korea Herald interviewed. From love ‘confessions’ to matching outfits, here are some dating norms that set Korea apart. – Ed. For Koreans, confessing their love to a crush is deemed a crucial step for a romantic relationship to begin. Only when one party makes the confession, the so-called “some&rdquo
May 16, 2022
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Going solo: Korean body scrubs adapt to pandemic
For the first time in nearly two years, Bae Eun-jin, a 35-year old office worker in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, recently had a proper Korean sauna experience -- soaking her body in hot water and getting a full-body scrub. The only difference was that the bathhouse she visited was set up for a single customer only. “Since I was the only customer there, I felt safe from infection risks. I loved the quiet atmosphere without any distractions from other people,” said Bae, w
May 16, 2022
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Holler for Seollal: Holiday traditions burden some
* From waking up a dozing student to tidying up graves, online advertisements with unusual but real job descriptions offer a peek into the Korean society. The Korea Herald looks at some of these unusual ads. The following is the second installment. – Ed. Korea’s two biggest -- and longest -- holidays are Seollal and Chuseok, around which the hyperlocal community app Karrot Market is bustling with cries for help. The website usually operates a separate page for part-time jobs targe
May 16, 2022
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Mother seeks helping hand to wake up sleepy child
From waking up a dozing student to tidying up graves, online advertisements with unusual but real job descriptions offer a peek into the Korean society. The Korea Herald looks at some of these unusual ads. The following is the first installment. -- Ed. Last week, a self-proclaimed mother posted an ad on a hyperlocal online marketplace, looking to hire a helper for her high school son. Job description? Wake the boy up whenever he dozes off. “My son (high school freshman) studies for tw
May 11, 2022
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Korea Quiz (2) Squid Man
Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. Answer: b Netflix’s megahit series “Squid Game” didn’t just happen to have the ocean creature in its name. In South Korea, the invertebrate makes frequent appearances at school cafeterias, pubs and on dinner tables at home as a dish loved by people of all ages. In recent years, people use the word to jokingly describe one’s facial f
May 11, 2022
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Constitution bars presidents from seeking reelections in S. Korea: Why?
The history of Korean people spans across thousands of years, but the Republic of Korea, aka, South Korea, is relatively young, with its history punctuated by military dictatorships and struggles to establish a truly democratic system. The presidential system itself has undergone multiple changes along the way, and several of the nation’s leaders have had less-than-fortunate endings. Here are four facts about the South Korean presidency that you may not have known before. 1) “2
May 10, 2022
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[Subway Stories] Jongno 3-ga is where old meets new
The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories -- a newly launched Korea Herald series exploring subway stations and their surrounding areas across the city. – Ed. Jongno 3-ga has 16 exits with three subway lines running through the station. The sheer number speaks volumes for the significance of Jongno-gu, which is central to the lives of people in Seoul. Meaning Bell Street, with the bell in the name referring to Bosingak that sits at Jonggak intersection, Jongno is one of the busiest
May 8, 2022
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Korea Quiz (1) Children’s Day
Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. Answer: c Korean children have Christmas in the middle of the year -- on Children’s Day. On May 5 every year, children get special treats, which usually include presents, and go on family outings to amusement parks, zoos and the like. It has been a public holiday since 1975. There is no school for children, and all salaried workers -- regardless if they have a child or not
May 4, 2022
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Hidden meaning of Korean term “agassi” leads to murder
An error in a mobile translation application recently prompted a 35-year-old Chinese man in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, to murder a Korean resident. On Sunday, the Jeonju District Court delivered a 20-year prison term to the foreigner charged with killing his female coworker’s Korean husband, according to court officials. It was the Korean term “agassi” that triggered a fistfight between the two men of different nationalities, which eventually turned deadly.&
May 3, 2022
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YouTube’s top five 'K-tour' channels
Virtual walking tours have emerged as an alternative to quench a thirst for travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, letting people explore far-flung destinations from the comfort of their own homes. YouTube channels centering on such virtual tours produce videos intended at giving viewers the vivid feeling of walking through an ordinary neighborhood in Seoul and other areas in the country. To diversify their content and attract more viewers, these creators are adding new features like time-lapse
April 24, 2022
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[According to the law] (3) Seeking refuge in S. Korea
From international marriages, political asylum to run-ins with the law, there are a myriad of legal problems that foreign nationals can get embroiled in. The Korea Herald takes a look at some of the cases involving legal disputes of foreigners in South Korea. The following is the final installment. -- Ed. The Refugee Act stipulates that anyone within South Korean territory has the right to apply for refugee status, and according to a recent ruling, that includes the airport transit area. I
April 20, 2022
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[According to the law] (2) International marriages gone wrong
From international marriages, political asylum to run-ins with the law, there are a myriad of legal problems that foreign nationals can get embroiled in. The Korea Herald takes a look at some of the cases involving legal disputes of foreigners in South Korea. The following is the second installment of a three-part series. -- Ed. For decades, there has been a custom of Korean bachelors from rural agricultural towns finding brides in lower-income countries with the help of international marriag
April 19, 2022
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According to the law (1): Translation hiccups for foreigners in court
From international marriages, political asylum to run-ins with the law, there are a myriad of legal problems that foreign nationals can get embroiled in. The Korea Herald takes a look at some of the cases involving legal disputes of foreigners in South Korea. The following is the first installment of a three-part series. -- Ed. The Act on Citizen Participation in Criminal Trials, introduced in 2008, states that anyone, regardless of nationality, has a right to receive a jury trial. It states
April 18, 2022
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[Subway Stories] Thrift shops, hipsters and Chinese god of war at Dongmyo
The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories, a Korea Herald series exploring the city’s subway stations and surrounding areas. -- Ed. Dongmyo Station on Subway Lines No. 1 and 6 takes its name from a shrine for a Chinese god of war -- Guan Yu. Most visitors, however, are indifferent to the pavilions that stand behind the shrine’s stoned wall, and do not seem to question why the Han Dynasty warrior, later deified as a god in China, is enshrined there. Wha
April 11, 2022