For Oh Ju-ha, a housewife in her 50s, having samgyetang, or ginseng chicken soup, has for many years been a way to endure the highest temperatures of summer. But she is having second thoughts this year. “I’m thinking about making kongguksu (soy milk noodle soup) for this chobok, instead. It’s also high in protein, and not as ridiculously expensive as samgyetang,” she said. Chobok is traditionally the beginning of the most sweltering days of the year in Korea. Oh is one

July 14, 2022

The teaser image for singer and actress Kang Ji-young‘s new single, “Lucid Dream,” was released on Monday. Kang, who co-wrote the lyrics of the melodic blues-inspired song about missing a loved one, expressed excitement about her first release in four years. She also launched the YouTube channel “My Name is Jiyoung Kang ” last Tuesday and released a video about her new single. “Lucid Dream” is a collaborative project between Kang and Unda, a shampoo

People July 4, 2022

Ten concerts will start at 11 a.m. at various spots in Seoul on Thursday as the Seoul Cultural Foundation‘s concert series Seoul Stage 11 returns for the month of July. Launched in April, the concert series is held on the first Thursday of every month at venues across the city that are operated by the foundation. Under the theme of "musical heat shelter," this month’s performances have been organized to offer a bit of cool relaxation in the midday heat. Seoul Arts Edu

Culture July 4, 2022

Jeong Da-hye became the first South Korean artist to win the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize, for “A Time of Sincerity,” a basket created from woven horsehair. The awards ceremony was held at the Seoul Museum of Craft Art in Jongno, central Seoul, on Thursday. Made using a 500-year-old Korean hat-making technique that had long been considered a lost art, Jeong’s piece won the prize in a unanimous decision by the panel of judges. “‘A Time of Sincerity’ exuded

Culture July 1, 2022

BMW Group Korea said Wednesday that it has launched a digital vehicle management program, BMW Service Care Plus, last month, the first of its kind in the automobile industry. The service was launched to meet the needs of an expanding customer base, according to the company. Customers with BMW vehicles released more than six years ago cannot apply for BMW’s BSI (BMW Service Inclusive Standard), the company’s warranty system. However, BMW Service Care Plus now services customers wit

Industry June 29, 2022

Posco Engineering & Construction, a construction unit under steel giant Posco, opened a second sample house of The Sharp Geochang Porsiel as it prepares to start its official sale, the company said Friday. The second Sharp Geochang Porsiel complex comprises six 20-story buildings, and a total of 443 households. Interior designs and sizes vary from medium-sized flats to penthouses, the company said. Residents of Geochang-gun, Gyeongsang Province, Busan, and Ulsan aged 19 or older who hold

Industry June 28, 2022

Organizers of an international expo on the virus and bacteria industry said Tuesday that they signed a memorandum of understanding with the Association of American State Offices in Korea to host the 2022 International Virus and Bacteria Industry Expo, or ViBac. Under the memorandum, which was signed June 16, ASOK will encourage companies in the US to participate in ViBac, which will kick off July 18 at Coex in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, for a two-day run. Founded in 1989, ASOK is a non

Industry June 28, 2022

South Korea’s top business leaders assembled for the wedding of Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun’s eldest daughter at a small church in Seoul on Monday. The VIP list included Samsung Electronics Lee Jae-yong and his daughter, Lee Won-ju. The Samsung chief and his daughter, in a $2,000 Versace sleeveless mini dress and a pair of Gianvito Rossi Portofino sandals, grabbed attention as they made a rare appearance together. The 19-year-old reportedly traveled from the US to atte

Industry June 27, 2022

Even if an employee reports acts of sexual harassment in the workplace, it rarely leads to appropriate action, according to an analysis by a civic group. Gapjil 119, which campaigns against workplace abuses, indicated that between January 2021 and March 2022, only 129 out of 1,046 cases (12.3 percent) were acknowledged as sexual harassment. Only 7.6 percent (80 cases) of them ended in penalties for those accused of harassment. Some 65.7 percent (687 cases) of reported cases were dropped halfwa

Social Affairs June 13, 2022

South Korea recorded the highest average temperature for March to May and saw the lowest precipitation levels in May, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration Tuesday. The national average temperature for the period this year was 13.2 degrees Celsius, 1.3 degrees higher than last year. This was the highest temperature for the period since record-keeping began in 1973. The balmy weather was brought about by a migratory atmospheric pressure from China and warm southerly winds, the

Social Affairs June 9, 2022

KBS, MBC and SBS have announced the results of their joint exit polls regarding the two key parliamentary by-elections. According to the exit polls, Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung has the upper hand in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, and the People Power Party’s candidate Ahn Cheol-soo has the upper hand in the Bundang-gu constituency of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. In Gyeyang-gu, Lee polled at 54.1 percent, with his opponent Yoon Hyung-sun of the People Power Party trailing a

Politics June 1, 2022

The female workforce is increasing, even in once male-dominated industries. But South Korea’s construction industry is failing to provide an adequate working environment for them, as sexual harassment and a lack of safety equipment for women go unaddressed. Construction sites no longer men-only Construction work has largely been regarded as a man’s profession in South Korea. However, research by Statistics Korea recently revealed that female construction workers now comprise 10.4

Social Affairs May 13, 2022