[Weekender] A guide to surviving ‘jangma’ this summer

South Korea is expected to see more precipitation this summer. With “jangma,” or the monsoon season, just around the corner, concerns have been growing fast not just because of the possibility of heavy rainfall ruining the hard-earned summer holidays but because of lessons learned from last year. The country was deluged with severely heavy rains last year, leaving nine dead, hundreds in Seoul displaced and over 2,800 buildings damaged. This year, experts advise not to panic, even if

June 17, 2023

[Eye Plus] Taepyeongso and piri: Heros of Korean traditional music ensembles

“The taepyeongso and piri are both heroes in Korea’s traditional music ensemble. But they are tricky to play,” said Park Seong-bin, a student majoring in the Korean traditional wind instruments at Seoul National University. The taepyeongso has a funneled metal end which produces a high-pitched sound widely loved by people during the Joseon era (1392-1910) and starred in a diverse array of events from royal ceremonies to performances by peasants. The piri, on the other hand, has

June 17, 2023

[Weekender] New force in Korean entertainment industry: Middle-aged women

On March 15, fans clad in purple crowded Sejong Center for the Performing Arts near Gwanghwamun, central Seoul. Some wore purple clothes, while others wore purple hats, scarves, brooches -- anything purple representing their beloved singer. The color, enthusiasm and dedication of these fans immediately brought to mind BTS' fan community, Army. However, what set these particular fans apart was something truly remarkable -- their age. According to the 2022 BTS Army Census, a survey of BTS Army mem

June 10, 2023

[Weekender] $2 convenience store lunch vs. $200 omakase: young Koreans' polarized consumption

The frugal type: Lunch at convenience store, bike rides and thrift shops For every penny he spends that could have been saved, Kang Won-jin (not his real name) gets scolded online. When he confessed to a spontaneous purchase of a 10,000 won ($7) umbrella from a convenience store because of an unforeseen rain, he was told “No Starbucks for a week.” Some remarked half-jokingly, “You should have used flyers or newspapers to cover your head.” He willingly shares his daily exp

June 3, 2023

[Eye Plus] Talchum: Dancing to reveal the faces of Joseon

“Korean pop music, dramas and films are popular overseas. But there are also other ‘hip’ cultures in Korea waiting to be discovered,” Gangnyeong Talchum performer Park In-sun said. Gangnyeong Talchum is a type of Korean traditional mask play, performed around the Dano holiday, May 5 in the lunar calendar, falling on June 22 of the solar calendar this year. As its name signifies, Gangnyeong Talchum originates from Gangnyeong in Hwanghae Province, in the southwest of North

June 3, 2023

[Weekender] Luxury labels target teens

While it's not breaking news that luxury fashion houses have been broadening their customer bases to younger customers, teenagers have risen as a new lucrative target demographic for such brands. More teenagers are purchasing high-end goods -- everything from lower-priced luxury beauty products and shoes to pricier bags, watches and jewelry. “Being a fan of Dior, I wanted to experience the brand,” said Lee Kyung-min, a high school student who visited a pop-up event held by Frenc

May 27, 2023

[Eye Plus] Glittering 'chilbo' metal craft links past and future

“Managing fire and time is the essence of my major,” said Choi Hyo-ryeong, who majors in metal craft at the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage in Buyeo-gun, South Chungcheong Province. Choi demonstrated how she creates Korea’s traditional decorative metal works called "chilbo," an enameling technique similar to cloisonne, in which metal is coated with various powders and subjected to high temperatures of 600 degrees or above. Often worn as accessories, the

May 20, 2023

[Weekender] An escape from city bustle, Seoul’s book shelters offer more than page-turning experience

Odong Neighborhood Park, located in Wolgok-dong and Jangwi-dong in Seongbuk-gu, northern Seoul, is a popular destination for local residents. Situated at the top of a 119-meter-high mountain called Wolgoksan, the park offers a gentle walking trail surrounded by a densely forested area. At the starting point of the trail, a unique building captures the eyes of visitors. Odong Book Shelter, which opened May 2, is one of seven "book shelters" that the Seoul Metropolitan Government operate

May 13, 2023

[Weekender] Laser skin treatments, full course meals: luxury life of pets in Korea

Treating oneself to a full course meal and a laser skin treatment at a high-end dermatologist sounds like something out of the life of the superrich. In South Korea, it’s a reality for some of the country's luckiest pets. Luxury laser treatments La Peau Claire, a skin clinic located in Seoul’s affluent Cheongdam-dong, provides laser treatment services for cats and dogs. The clinic, which opened last month, is a trailblazer in Korea’s pet dermatology industry. It’

May 6, 2023

[Eye Plus] 'It feels like I'm the hero in a movie'

Nam Chang-dong was 8 years old when he was spellbound by jultagi tightrope walking. “The jultagi player looked like a hero in a fantasy film for me," he said. Now 22 and a professional “rope clown,” he is the custodian of jultagi, the tightrope walking art that is officially recognized as part of South Korea’s intangible cultural heritage. It might be compared to tightrope walking, but in jultagi the performers dance, sing and tell stories while walking, standing and

May 6, 2023

[Weekender] Korea in midst of golf wear craze

Kim Min-young, a white-collar office worker in her 30s, said that in light of the start of golf season -- which customarily runs from April to September -- she recently spent some 700,000 won ($523) on clothes from the newly released spring and summer collection launched by her favorite golf wear brand. "When my friends and I go to golf courses for a game, there's definitely that tension of scanning who is using what and who is wearing what -- and what brands the products are from,&q

April 29, 2023

[Weekender] Cozy, affordable ‘imokase’ course menus trending in Seoul

Located in the narrow alleyways of Seoul’s industrial district Euljiro -- dubbed “Hipjiro” for its renaissance as a hotspot for younger locals -- Joil Food is one of the city’s growing number of popular “imokase” joints. Stemming from the Japanese term “omakase,” which translates into “leaving it up to you,” an imokase establishment is a small eatery where the chef, who locals call “imo,” serves an affordable meal for custom

April 22, 2023

[Weekender] Small but strong: Indie bookstores embrace individuality, diversity and community

Although the reading population of Korean adults is less than half the total -- meaning over half of adults do not read a single book in a year -- unique independent bookstores are enjoying growing popularity. There were 815 independent bookstores nationwide in 2022, according to Dongneseojeom (Bookstores in Neighborhood), an independent bookstore recommendation service. It has been keeping track of the number of bookstores since 2015 in its annual trend report. The number has been steadily incr

April 15, 2023

[Weekender] Instant photos make comeback

In Seoul’s Yeonnam-dong, a trendy neighborhood for young hipsters, a particular trend has taken over an entire street: instant self-photo studios popping up almost next to each other. “Nine new self-photo studios have opened within just a few months in this area,” shared a person surnamed Hong who runs another such studio near Hongik University Station. It was a Tuesday afternoon and the freestanding photo studios inside stores like “Life Four Cuts” or “Haru F

April 8, 2023

Geomungo entering second heyday

“The geomungo was a ‘hip’ instrument and the most popular among noblemen 500 to 600 years ago. And such appreciation is returning today,” said Shin Ji-hee, a 29-year-old player of the geomungo, a six-string instrument with the widest pitch among Korea’s traditional string instruments -- of three octaves. The origin of the instrument dates back to around 1,500 years ago during the period in which three kingdoms reigned on the Korean Peninsula: the Goguryeo, Baekje an

April 8, 2023

[Weekender] Foreign tourists flock back to Myeong-dong

Foreign travelers are returning to Myeong-dong after over three years of economic decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the central Seoul shopping district seeing signs of recovery. “Between last winter and now, I have been able to see a lot more foreigners in the Myeong-dong area, particularly on the main street. From morning until midnight, foreigners continue to flow into the area," a 27-year-old part-time worker surnamed Kim told The Korea Herald in Myeong-dong, Seoul, Tuesda

April 1, 2023

[Eye Plus] Hanok, with people at all times

Jeon So-min, a student majoring in traditional architecture, shows how she measures Yuhyeondang at Korea National University of Cultural Heritage in Buyeo-gun, South Chungcheong Province. Yuhyeondang, a vacation home built 1971, has all the marks of traditional hanok -- from the graciously curved eaves to the wooden floor exposed outside. But for convenience, modern styling has been applied to its lighting, kitchen and restroom. The building is a good example of how traditional architecture deve

March 25, 2023

[Weekender] Korea wages uphill battle against school violence

CHANGWON, South Gyeongsang Province -- As the spring semester began in March, counselors at the Changwon Youth Counseling and Welfare Center in the southeastern industrial city were busy greeting children who feared going to school. The center provides free psychological testing, counseling and play therapy for youths between the ages of 9 and 24 suffering from bullying. Most come to the center on recommendation from their schools and parents, though some come on their own. It is hard to detect

March 25, 2023

[Weekender] Female SNU students find their footing on basketball court

It was not so long ago that girls were largely absent from school playgrounds in Korea. From soccer fields to basketball courts, while the boys played in sports games, the few girls that were spotted, most took on the roles as cheerleaders or worked as team managers. That was not the case at the Seoul National University gymnasium on a recent Thursday, where a team of women basketball players zipped across the court, practicing dribbles and crossovers, smiles never leaving their faces. Kwon Hee-

March 18, 2023

[Korean Dilemma] Bracing for super-aging society

Imagine 2050. Two out of five people in South Korea will be aged 65 or above. You will see more older people on self-driving buses and trains, although they may look much younger than those of their age now. More young people will be engaged in businesses that serve the old, like health care, clubs and cruise ships. Yet, the government and media are tormented by the notion that there will be too few young people to support the old. In a country where so many social problems stem from cutthroat c

March 11, 2023