[Weekender] A 30-day love affair with WeWork

I’ll admit it. From the very beginning, I was kind of in love with WeWork. I loved the concept, I loved how everything felt new, how everything felt casual but still systematic and last but not least, I was delighted at the makeovers it gave to office buildings that were once as dilapidated as a beat-up pillow. cap: Inside WeWork Designer ClubIn particular, I was ecstatic about the interior decorations which were subtly modern American and reminded me of my childhood in New York. At the same tim

IndustryMarch 8, 2019

[Weekender] Coworking biz ushers in golden age

The concept of the “sharing economy” has caught on in Korea, but not as much as the enthusiasts had imagined. Uber, the most controversial example, was unable to enter for legal reasons, and others such as Airbnb-like house-sharing services are still fumbling to overcome regulatory hurdles. In a way, coworking spaces are the lone shining star in the sector, with experts predicting the trend to continue for years. A big part of the reason is because of the steady growth of knowled

IndustryMarch 7, 2019

[Weekender] Coworking space on the offensive

Upon entering the 30th floor of the 123-story Lotte Tower, the tallest building in Korea, visitors encounter a spacious and sleek office with people working on laptops on sofas, at desks or in glass-walled private rooms.Boasting a stunning panoramic view of Seoul, the venue has an atmosphere that is both relaxing and business-like -- unlike traditional offices. It is called Workflex, a premium coworking space launched in February by construction firm Lotte E&C with the aim of providing a snu

EconomyMarch 7, 2019

[Weekender] ‘I married Korea’s independence’

The March 1 Movement was a massive protest joined by hundreds of thousands of people shouting “manse!” nationwide on the streets, but the protests are often remembered as the achievements of few independence activist men who played vital roles in the event.Women were relegated to the sidelines while history was written centering on these men’s stories, and the women independence fighters were often referred to as someone’s mother or wife, instead of by their names. Some 100 years later, Korea ha

Social AffairsFeb. 28, 2019

[Weekender] Tracing footsteps of March 1 Movement

Gwanghwamun, Jongno, Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung and Seoul Station: These are all places in central Seoul, frequented by thousands of locals and foreigners every day.Some of them are destinations, others fall on the way to their final destination. Nonetheless, they are some of the busiest spots in the city, always packed with people. Exactly 100 years ago on this day, these streets were also busy. On March 1 1919, the places mentioned above were swarming with crowds. Though the people were in di

CultureFeb. 28, 2019

[Weekender] Notorious colonial-era prison commemorates sacrifices of March 1

The Seodaemun Prison History Museum, a grotesque shrine dedicated to fallen patriots who fought Japan’s 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula, is holding an exhibition of artifacts related to their struggle and the March 1 Independence Movement of 1919.The ongoing exhibition “100 Years of History Preserved in Cultural Heritage,” which runs until April 21, is divided into three sections. The first focuses on preparations for the March 1, 1919, protest and the simultaneous Proclamation of K

CultureFeb. 28, 2019

[Weekender] How cheese transformed a poor village: The story of Imsil Cheese

Imsil-gun, a tiny rural village in North Jeolla Province, is a town that most people in South Korea have heard of and precious few have visited. For starters, a trip there via public transportation is not easy.It is secluded behind mountains and admittedly scenic rivers, crouching behind the slopes just a little over 20 kilometers from Jeonju. Stretched across 597 square kilometers of mostly farmland and home to a meager 29,160 as of 2019, it is, for the most part, but a tiny speck on the map. B

TravelFeb. 21, 2019

[Weekender] Korean food industry falls in love with cheese

Only a few years ago, few could have imagined that gorgonzola cheese pizza would become one of Korea’s favorite dishes. Koreans’ recent enthrallment with cheese can be seen in the country’s annual cheese consumption. According to data from the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation, the country’s per capita consumption of cheese reached 2.5 kilograms last year, double that of a decade ago. Korea’s cheese production in the same period stood at 35,000 metric tons, up by 60 percent from ju

IndustryFeb. 21, 2019

[Weekender] ‘Freshness differentiates artisanal cheese’

Where do you buy cheese? Supermarkets are the easiest option, while department stores offer more refined products. Cheese shops provide a more upscale option. What if you are searching for not just any cheese, but cheese made in a traditional way? Room for affinage, or cheese-aging process (Park Hyun-koo / The Korea Herald)Finding high quality cheese here can be a challenge, but Cho Jang-hyun may be the person you are looking for. Cho is an owner-chef and cheesemaker at Cheeseflo in Hannam-dong,

FoodFeb. 21, 2019

[Weekender] Fine dust, a force changing society

“The first thing I do when I wake up is check the weather report for fine dust and plan the day accordingly,” said Choi Ju-yeon, a 40-year old resident of Paju in northwest Gyeonggi Province. (Yonhap)Despite being in a relatively rural area, Paju is often affected by high levels of fine and ultrafine dust. “When levels are high, I try to stay indoors as much as possible. I also have air quality monitoring devices at home.”While Choi may be more sensitive than others, it seems undeniable that fin

Social AffairsFeb. 14, 2019

[Weekender] Reinterpreting taxis in era of sharing economy

Taxis are more than a means of transport for Koreans. They serve as a platform where people talk about life, societal changes and, of course, politics, with those behind the wheel. On top of their cultural and social value, for decades, they have been one of the most reliable and relatively inexpensive door-to-door transport services, offering convenience to people with hectic city lives. These are probably the reasons why taxis and drivers appear frequently in cultural content. (Yonhap)From mov

MobilityFeb. 7, 2019

[Weekender] How soon will flying taxis arrive here?

It is the clash between taxi operators and carpooling services that is making headlines today. But automakers and tech startups around the world are already taking the next step, showcasing the latest future mobility technologies designed to take the control of vehicles from human hands. This technological adventure to create a new industry leaves one question that we all want to know: so when will flying cars or robot taxis become commercialized? During the Consumer Electronics Show that took p

MobilityFeb. 7, 2019

[Weekender] Carpooling, an option not threat

Amid the ongoing clash between taxi drivers and those moving to create new technology-based services, the head of a local ride-sharing company has called for ways to coexist, saying that carpooling is just another option, not a threat to the taxi industry. Expressing deep concern, Seo Young-wu, CEO of ride-sharing startup Poolus, highlighted the death of a 57-year-old taxi driver who set himself on fire in protest against a carpooling service late last year.Poolus CEO Seo Young-wu (Poolus)The pl

MobilityFeb. 7, 2019

[Weekender] Why do Korean taxi drivers oppose carpooling?

In tech-savvy South Korea, ride-sharing and ride-hailing mobile apps are an untouched market due to vehement protest from some 300,000 taxi drivers, who claim new technologies will ultimately wipe out the taxi industry, an industry insider said Thursday.“First, it is illegal to operate carpooling services (in Korea). The biggest issue is the high possibility that carpool apps would take over the taxi market. We are fighting to protect our livelihoods because the government is pushing to allow ca

Social AffairsFeb. 7, 2019

[Weekender] Startup innovation can solve Korea’s quagmire of aging society

A key hurdle the Korean economy faces is the fast-aging population. One way to coax a soft-landing of this problem is to speed up deregulation so that local startups can carry out innovation and improve productivity, according to Startup Alliance Korea Managing Director Lim Jung-wook.  “Considering how fast South Korea is aging, we really should have a sense of urgency. Instead of spending too much time and energy fighting superficial issues such as whether or not to allow carpoo

IndustryJan. 31, 2019

[Weekender] Pinning fresh hopes on ‘sandbox’ phenomenon

It’s far from perfect, but South Korea’s latest adoption of a regulatory sandbox may provide some relief to the country’s startups, according to the head of one of the largest and oldest startup associations. “Urging member companies to utilize the regulatory sandbox is one of our priorities for this year,” Korea Startup Forum chief Choi Sung-jin said during a recent interview with The Korea Herald.  KSF is a three-year-old organization that represents 650

IndustryJan. 31, 2019

[Weekender] Korea, always in search of the next unicorn

One of the Moon Jae-in administration’s primary goals has been to create jobs and rejuvenate the economy. However, failing to gain momentum, the nation’s conventional growth engines, such as semiconductors, smartphones, and auto businesses are sputtering, while the unemployment rate has hit record lows.Since it looks like these industries aren’t likely to get back on track soon, the government has turned its eyes toward startups, hoping that the industry will be a spark to bolster the cooling ec

IndustryJan. 31, 2019

[Weekender] How long can the startup boom cycle last?

South Korea is riding the global trend of high liquidity in the startup scene. Money is pouring into the sector, and investors are looking for the next big thing to invest in. However, concerns linger that the upcycle is being maintained by government spending, and not a real appetite for startups.   In 2018, venture capital investment surged 43.9 percent on-year to 3.4 trillion won ($3 billion), according to latest data by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. However, of that amount, 20 percent a

IndustryJan. 31, 2019

[Weekender] ‘I want to be pretty like mom!’

On a Friday afternoon, a customer enters a beauty spa that looks like the whole place has been dipped in pink.The difference from ordinary spas is that everything here at Shushu & Sassy is miniature-sized, from the gowns to the chairs.Clad in a pink bathrobe and a hair band shaped like rabbit ears, the customer lets go of her mother’s hand and soaks her feet in a bubbly basin. A spa specialist then carefully covers the child’s tiny face with a sheet mask and massages her hands and arms with loti

Social AffairsJan. 24, 2019

[Weekender] For you, anything: Children put on pedestals

Baby care products have usually taken up only a small section at department stores in South Korea, with a handful of baby care stores filling about half a floor.But brands for babies and toddlers have recently expanded their territories at many of the major department stores here, which have traditionally targeted affluent women in their 40s as their main customers.(AP)Buoyed by demand from parents looking further upmarket in selecting goods for their children, Lotte Department Store, has filled

IndustryJan. 24, 2019