[Weekender] Vegetarianism becomes a matter of environmental choice

Withstanding the difficulties and inconveniences of being a vegetarian can derive from healthful or dietary purposes, but for many it is also about the environment.A 2011 report titled “Meat Eater’s Guide to Climate Change and Health” broke down common food by their total carbon dioxide emissions, including both production and postproduction factors such as transportation. Lamb and beef loomed large at 39.2 and 27 kilograms of carbon dioxide per kilogram produced, respectively. Following that we

Social AffairsJune 16, 2017

[Weekender] Being vegetarian in Korea

Being vegetarian in Korea is difficult, and being vegan is just putting undue hardships on oneself -- or so go the few dozen conversations I’ve had over the last few years in Seoul since I switched to a pescatarian diet. In truth, a diet in which you cut out large swathes of food is going to be difficult anywhere -- so I hear from gluten-free and paleo diet friends alike. But Korea may be a unique situation. “What can you eat at a Korean restaurant?” I asked a vegan friend. “Mostly plain bibimba

Social AffairsJune 16, 2017

[Weekender] Korea’s favorite emoticons and their stories

Koreans are avid users of emoticons on mobile chats, and an interesting trend here is that popular emoticons are mostly characters with made-up life stories behind each of them.According to Kakao Corp, the operator of the country’s largest mobile messenger with around 42 million users, the most consumed emoticon series features Kakao Friends -- a group of eight different characters led by Ryan the lion. As of early June, a total of 28 emoticon packages featuring Kakao Friends are available for p

IndustryJune 9, 2017

[Weekender] Receptions of emoticons different by generation

Emoticons on mobile messengers have pandered to young South Koreans’ taste, becoming an inseparable part of their lives. But in a nation lush with ready-made emoticon packages, which cost some 3,000 won ($2.67) per package, perceptions or reactions to them can differ between generations, sometimes causing communication issues. Bae Hyeon-ji, 27, as many others her age, has a penchant for emoticons she finds “cute and fresh.” Having three to four new emoticon bundles ready for use each year, Bae,

TechnologyJune 9, 2017

[Weekender] A brief history of emoticons

Some are flashy, some move, and some even make sounds. Emoticons have become an inseparable means of delivering feelings and messages for mobile messenger and online users worldwide.Some 92 percent of the world’s online community are estimated to use emoticons, increasingly known by their Japanese name emoji, with over 6 billion of them sent every day, according to the 2015 Emoji Report released by marketing platform Emogi.They have developed alongside wireless telecommunications devices. The or

TechnologyJune 9, 2017

[Weekender] Emoticons eclipse Koreans, fueling character market boom

Like many others here in South Korea, 26-year-old office worker Park Na-young frequently exchanges mobile messages with her friends and colleagues through her smartphone.However, it’s not just text being exchanged. Conversations are taken over by colorful character emoticons -- or virtual “stickers” -- such as a blank-faced bear crying in a puddle of tears or a rabbit blissfully skipping around and blowing kisses.“I think I use them in most of my mobile conversations,” said Park, who owns dozens

TechnologyJune 9, 2017

[Weekender] Outdoor sports head indoors with technology

Although it can be difficult to find a way to be active during the scorching summer, it has become easier to find indoor alternatives. In this densely populated and busy country, the sports industry is catering to those who want to stay fit and blow off steam with activities that are free from weather or space constraints. Although the spaces may not be as roomy as outdoor sports facilities, indoor sports such as screen golf, indoor fishing and snowboarding have been gaining ground here through

More SportsJune 2, 2017

[Weekender] Scaling world’s tallest indoor ice wall

Five meters above ground and clinging on to a wall of ice by the tips of my toes, instinct was signaling loud and clear that I should stick to the ice to stay alive. “Lean backward, (because) you can’t swing your ice tool if you have no space between you and the wall,” Yang You-suk, an instructor of Kolon Sport, called out from below. With seasoned climber Yang belaying me from the ground, I should not have been worried about my safety. But I had only met him for the first time less th

More SportsJune 2, 2017

[Weekender] Beat the heat, get sporty indoors

About a century ago, a Canadian-American teacher was struggling to find a sport his students could play during the harsh New England winter. He decided to take the activity indoors, introducing to the world what came to be known as “basketball.”In the spirit of James Naismith, a growing number of people across the world are enjoying sports that can be done within the comfort and shelter of an indoor space. Traditionally outdoor sports are now being carried out inside as well. In Korea, one of th

CultureJune 2, 2017

[Weekender] Our fascination with crime

Crime dramas have been running rampant in Korean film and television.In cinema, 2017 opened with such flicks as “One Line,” the tale of a surprisingly simple but effective bank scam; “The Prison,” about inmates behind bars that control the outside world; and “Fabricated City,” featuring a team of hackers uncovering a massive digital conspiracy. The list goes on and on. Two of the five Korean films currently screening at the Cannes Film Festival are crime thrillers: “The Merciless” is about the p

FilmMay 26, 2017

[Weekender] Places fading into memory

Bookstores expand their commercial horizons Bookstores were the intellectual sanctuaries for Korea’s youngsters and libertines, who burned with passion for democracy, prosperity and humanity there from the postwar years through the late 1990s. However, with the explosive rise of the internet and online media, they have fallen prey to become either ancient relics or forgotten memories of yesteryear. By and large, some of the remaining book shops are now cluttered and dusted with outdated wisdom.

CultureMay 19, 2017

[Weekender] Old things worth holding on to

“Every memory of looking out the back door/ I had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floor/ It’s hard to say it/ time to say it/ Goodbye, goodbye,” sings the band Nickelback in its 2005 single “Photograph.”The song was popular in the US and UK, but more than a decade after its release, a disinterested millennial might say to the group’s lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, “What on Earth is a photo album?”Living in 2017, most people would have to think hard to recollect when he or she last held a p

CultureMay 19, 2017

[Weekender] Korean election scenes in the eyes of foreigners

“New Republic of Korea with Moon Jae-in. If you don’t vote, shy-shy-shy.” The familiar tune from K-pop girl group Twice blares from a loudspeaker atop a remodeled truck in a Seoul street, apparently being used for the campaign of presidential candidate Moon. The verse has been rewritten to encourage voters to support the liberal aspirant. A bigger truck, with a makeshift stage, is parked in the middle of a wide street in Uijeongbu, north of Seoul, with a large crowd gathered in front. On the sta

PoliticsMay 5, 2017

[Weekender] Campaigns evolve over decades; image-based politics still continues

About half of the current South Korean voters were holding voting rights in the historic 1987 election, when the direct election system was reintroduced after a long spell of military regimes from Park Chung-hee to Chun Doo-hwan.The youngest voter group of that time are today’s voters in their 50s. Supporters of liberal Moon Jae-in engage in campaigning, Seoul earlier this week. (Yonhap)They remember the canvassing of the four major candidates -- Roh Tae-woo, Kim Young-sam, Kim Dae-jung and Kim

PoliticsMay 5, 2017

[Weekender] An ‘unwinnable’ race with a mission

As major candidates crisscross the country to drum up support in the final stretch to Tuesday’s presidential election, so too do a handful of fringe candidates -- to much less success. Among them are Cho Won-jin and Kim Sun-dong, who represent two opposite extremes of South Korea’s political spectrum. Cho of the far-right Saenuri Party is in the race with a clear mission: to save former President Park Geun-hye. The arrested conservative Park is standing a criminal trial for corruption after bein

PoliticsMay 5, 2017

[Weekender] Cafes go beyond coffee

The growth of coffee addicts is explosive, manifested in the rapid spread of coffee shops, big and small, across the nation. Latest data showed that Koreans consumed more than 25 billion cups of coffee last year, translating into a whopping 500 cups per person. The stakes couldn’t be higher for both franchise coffee chains and smaller self-owned businesses. They are now rushing to diversify themes, offer special brews and explore new concepts. 　 Daelim Warehouse Cafe in Seongsu-dong, Seoul (Park

CultureApril 28, 2017

[Weekender] Get space for the price of a coffee

Park Ji-min, 23, carries out most of her daily tasks at cafes. The senior college student works on her assignments, reads books and watches movies on her laptop at the cafes, which are located right in front of her house.  (Park Ju-young/ The Korea Herald)“Even though I’m far from a coffee enthusiast, I drink at least three cups of coffee every day so I can stay in a cafe,” Park said in an interview with The Korea Herald. Park is one of many Korean students who frequent cafes not only to quench

CultureApril 28, 2017

[Weekender] Franchises experiment with high-end coffee and tea

Cafe franchises in South Korea are going upscale by brewing premium drinks including specialty coffee and high-end tea. Tea cafe franchises offer high-end tea (Chloris Tea & Coffee)It took time, money and effort just to try such premium beverages in the past, but franchises are clearing the barriers to beverages made by veteran professionals with top-end ingredients. Even major coffee shop chains have got in on the act, with Tom N Toms Black, Twosome Place Roastery Cafe and Starbucks Reserve. St

CultureApril 28, 2017

[Weekender] Cafes provide solace for sleep-deprived Koreans

Many people turn to coffee to wake themselves up. But that’s the last thing on the minds of customers of a new breed of cafes devoted to helping people relax and, if possible, take a nap. “The (regular) cafes are inconvenient,” said Shin Jeong-sik, a regular customer at a sleeping cafe. “They’re crowded and the chairs are stiff. I like it here because I can rest on a bed.”Shin is not alone in needing a good lie-down. Data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development suggests th

CultureApril 28, 2017

[Weekender] South Koreans try blissful bike routes

As the weather starts to heat up, many are taking up cycling for either commuting or sport. The number of bicycle riders has gone up steadily over the past few years here. According to the Korea Transport Institute, it now stands at more than 13 million people, translating into 1 in 4 Koreans.The growing affection toward bikes is hardly a surprise for commuters. People in metropolitan cities with notorious rush-hour traffic need an alternative transportation option.  Ho Sung-hyun bikes downhill.

CultureApril 21, 2017