When Diana Nordeus encountered a large wooden frame installed at a highway rest area in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, last September with a supposedly cute sign saying, “How’s your belly doing?” she couldn’t just laugh it off.  To her, it seemed like yet another blatant display of Korean society’s obsession with thinness, with which she has had some first-hand experience.  “I was very malnourished when I first came to Korea in May last year and the

Social Affairs Jan. 25, 2022

The death of a retired racehorse which tripped for a TV drama scene has erupted a public outcry over animal cruelty in South Korea. But the life of other former racehorses is not any better, according to animal rights groups. “The average life span of a horse is approximately 25 years, but racehorses generally retire at the age of 8, which is when they can no longer win races, after enjoying their heyday at ages 2-5. Those which get injured are kicked out of racetracks a little earlier,

Social Affairs Jan. 24, 2022

Some young South Koreans, mostly girls, are looking for “pro-anorexia” friends on social media to encourage each other’s dangerous weight loss.  A search with the hashtags #pro-ana on Twitter return a host of tweets, most made apparently by young girls. They announce one’s resolve to fast or seek “pro-ana” buddies.  Pro-ana is a combination of the prefix “pro-,” meaning supporting or approving of, and “ana,” short for anorex

Social Affairs Jan. 20, 2022

The “Korean age” system came into the limelight Tuesday following leading presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol’s pledge to make the use of the international age system mandatory for all administrative matters. Alongside the international age calculation that measures how many years and months that a person has lived since his or her birthday, the nation has kept its unique way of counting a newborn as being age 1 from birth. This means a Korean baby, born on Dec. 31 last yea

Social Affairs Jan. 18, 2022

Aiming to further cement its rising global profile as a soft power nation, South Korea is set to introduce a new visa program this year to draw global cultural talents.  Dubbed the Hallyu visa in reference to the Korean Wave of films, TV dramas and music sweeping across the world, the new program is designed to support the entry of foreigners eager to learn about the Korean culture and entertainment industry.  A senior Justice Ministry official explained that those who plan to stay m

Social Affairs Jan. 13, 2022

In Netflix’s reality dating show “Single’s Inferno,” 12 attractive men and women try to escape a deserted island by becoming a couple.  The Korean show portrays the island as an “inferno,” where only successfully-matched couples can be heliported out of to “paradise,” a luxurious hotel. However, the location drew curiosity among global viewers for its beauty.  It is Saseungbongdo, an uninhabited island off the west coast of South Korea,

Television Jan. 11, 2022

From Monday, Korea’s vaccine pass regime is expanded to department stores and big supermarkets measuring 3,000 square meters or more. Following a weeklong grace period, people will be asked to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result before entering the retail outlets.  The recent expansion of the vaccine pass mandate to those stores, announced Dec. 31, 2021, is part of the government’s tougher social distancing rules to contain the recent virus resurgence.

National Jan. 7, 2022

The South Korean government’s vaccine mandate on youths attending cram schools is facing strong backlash from parents and private academies.  The vaccine pass system for people aged 12-18 using cram schools, reading rooms, study cafes and other private educational facilities faces a delay, after a local court issued an injunction on the controversial measure. Its introduction had already been postponed by one month to March.  The government plans to appeal, but it is likely tha

Social Affairs Jan. 6, 2022

With overseas travel virtually decimated by the pandemic, many Koreans are choosing to splurge on a one or two- night staycation at a luxury hotel. While trying to enjoy their hotel experiences to the fullest, from complimentary drinks at a lounge to access to an indoor pool or gym, some are even trying to recoup part of their spending by re-selling bathroom amenities.  Yoon, a 33-year-old office worker in Seoul, recently spent a night at Josun Palace, a newly-opened, top-notch hotel in Se

Social Affairs Jan. 5, 2022

Trees and plants adorn twinkling light displays at the Herb Island in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, inviting visitors to a winter fiesta. Flowers may not be in abundance due to the winter weather, the botanic garden is full of spectacular lights and holiday cheer at night, making it a perfect spot to celebrate the Yuletide season.  Fairy-tale houses, which are surrounded by a vast field of herbs, are decked out in lights, creating romantic photo spots. The bright, rainbow-colored displays a

Travel Jan. 1, 2022

At the turn of the year, South Korea’s 10-year-old gaming curfew on minors under the age of 16 will be lifted.  From midnight Friday, Koreans can play through the night as the anti-addiction system, introduced in 2011, is abolished, according to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on Friday.  Previously, those aged 16 or younger were banned from playing online computer games between midnight and 6 a.m.  The National Assembly in November passed a revision to the You

Social Affairs Dec. 31, 2021

  A total of 467 people affiliated with the US Forces Korea tested positive for the new coronavirus in the week ending Dec. 27, according to data from the US Forces Korea released Thursday.  The US military counted 457 cases among service members at its Osan base and Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, and 10 from overseas arrivals.  The weekly figure marks a steep rise from 75 cases reported in the previous week of Dec. 14-20. It was also the highest since Nov. 9.&

Social Affairs Dec. 30, 2021

Seoul police are investigating a local firm for falsely advertising itself as the University of Oxford’s affiliate in charge of admissions.  “The University of Oxford has promoted countermeasures against the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. It launched the ‘Oxford Graduate School Management Center’ in South Korea in charge of helping international students, especially from Asian countries with their preparation for graduate school admission,” the company introduce

Social Affairs Dec. 29, 2021

This winter has been colder to Yang Jae-sook, a 57-year-old woman living in a shanty town near the Naksan Mountain Trail in northern Seoul.  “I need about nine coal briquettes (a day) to keep the house warm, but these days I’m trying to burn less because donations have decreased recently amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” Yang said. “Also, the price of the fuel has become quite burdensome, making me want to wait for volunteers to arrive with briquettes,” said the w

Social Affairs Dec. 29, 2021

  For Hiram Piskitel, a 49-year-old American IT project manager at an international company in Seoul, the launch of South Korea’s third internet-only lender Toss Bank in October signaled a change in his personal finance routine. The online bank, operated by Viva Republica, had vowed to offer non-face-to-face banking services to foreign residents. If realized, it would be the first accessible online bank for the roughly 2 million non-Koreans residing in Korea. Hiram’s hopes, h

Market Dec. 27, 2021