MADRID -- A decade ago, the Korean wave in Spain was almost solely about K-pop, but now it is virtually K-everything, the chief of a state-run cultural institution in Madrid said. “Because of the growing interest in Korean culture here, the Korean Cultural Center in Spain is making efforts to introduce new genres of Korean culture, such as games, magic, children's plays and fashion to the Spanish people,” said Oh Ji-hoon, director of the Korean Cultural Center of Madrid in a r

Culture Dec. 2, 2022

  MADRID -- Self-understanding is the most critical part of treating children with video game addiction, which can be caused by various factors, a game addict-turned-psychiatrist and founder of a mental health coaching company said Thursday. “The best antidote to the digital addiction is self-understanding,” Alok Kanojia, president and co-founder of Healthy Gamer, said during the fifth edition of the enlightED 2022 conference hosted by Fundacion Telefonica together with IE Unive

People Nov. 21, 2022

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea’s push to introduce a new tax on stocks from next year is causing concern among retail investors who fear it could further dampen investor sentiment in the local equity market. The envisioned scheme is to levy a capital gains tax of 22 to 27.5 percent on income a retail investor makes from financial investments such as share or bond sales, if it is above the set threshold. The plan won bipartisan support in the parliament in 2020 under the pr

Market Nov. 12, 2022

Smartphones brought the world to our fingertips. But they have also brought endless notifications, social feeds and a deluge of information and distractions. Fatigue from this ever-persistent and ultra-fast connectivity has led to a growing interest in ‘digital detox’, or unplugging from the digital and online world, among South Koreans. Kim Young-jae, a 40-year-old office worker, felt a strong urge to disconnect recently. It was after the Oct. 29 Itaewon crowd crush which left 156 p

Culture Nov. 12, 2022

In the old days, Koreans were known for revering the color white. They enjoyed wearing white clothes that they thought symbolize peace. But when it came to paintings and crafts, they were all for variety. Cho Sun-hwa, a student of traditional art, is mesmerized by the use of bright, bold colors and patterns found on traditional artifacts. She sees unique beauty in Dancheong -- the traditional Korean decorative coloring on wooden buildings and artifacts for the purpose of style. A fourth-year stu

Culture Nov. 5, 2022

Choi In-ae, an office worker who works for a pharmaceutical firm, has attended emergency response training sessions annually. It was a compulsory program required by her company, which she often just got it over with. After learning about the desperate call out for those who know how to perform CPR on victims at the scene of the Itaewon crowd crush, she now thinks differently about first air training. “I received emergency response training such as CPR and the Heimlich maneuver from my c

Social Affairs Nov. 2, 2022

Attending political rallies or other events where tens of thousands of people gather has not typically meant risking your life in South Korea. From massive street protests on weekends to rush hour commutes on the subway, encounters with highly crowded places were almost like part of everyday life. But Saturday’s tragedy in Seoul’s popular nightlife district of Itaewon forces a bitter reckoning over the perils of complacency around crowded spaces in South Korea. “Even with all t

Social Affairs Nov. 1, 2022

The 154 victims in the deadly crowd crush in Itaewon on Saturday night included 11 teenagers, as young as middle school aged, 26 foreigners and 98 women. The largest number of the dead -- 103 -- were in their 20s. Here is a look at the lives lost in South Korea’s worst disaster since the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking. 11 teens Of the 11 teen victims, six were attending school, according to The Ministry of Education on Monday. Five were high-schoolers and one was a middle school student, all

Social Affairs Oct. 31, 2022

Itaewon, a popular nightlife district in Seoul known for its cultural diversity and international flair, has always been considered the place to go for Halloween festivities. On Halloween weekends, young people in their late teens and 20s wearing costumes of zombies, ghosts or famous characters would fill the streets, using the holiday with traditional Irish roots to express themselves in a way that is not usually considered socially acceptable here. On Saturday, when a fatal crowd surge late in

Social Affairs Oct. 30, 2022

South Korean police said Friday that they have requested Interpol’s assistance for the capture of two suspects who fled the country after allegedly committing a series of graffiti vandalism on subway cars here. According to Incheon Nonhyeon Police, police have obtained an arrest warrant for the suspects on charges of breaking into a building and damaging property. Since they appear to have already left the country, they have requested Interpol to issue a red notice, investigators said.

Social Affairs Oct. 28, 2022

Min Byoung-chul, an endowed chair professor at Chung-Ang University and a multicultural educator, will hold an author event in Seoul next month. In the lecture, Min will talk about his recent book “Land of Squid Game,” which highlights some deep-rooted aspects of Korea’s unique culture and traditional games. The first 100 participants will receive a copy of the book for free. A live chat with the author is limited to 50 guests on a first-come, first-served basis. The event wi

Hashtag Korea Oct. 28, 2022

Police have launched an investigation into an online seller who put up a hat allegedly worn by BTS member Jungkook for 10 million won ($6,981) on an online flea market platform. According to Seoul Seocho Police, the seller has turned himself or herself in to a police station in Gyeonggi Province on Oct. 18 after the attempted sale caught public attention for its potential unlawfulness. In South Korea, a person who obtains a lost property must report it to the police. If the person keeps it or

Social Affairs Oct. 26, 2022

When stock and crypto markets were hot and borrowing costs were cheap, many younger South Koreans, who typically had strong risk appetite but little capital to invest, dabbled in leveraged investing, known as “bittoo” in Korean. Many of these young investors had dreamed of getting rich quick and retiring young to become a new member of “FIRE tribe” -- the acronym standing for financially independent, retire early. But many are now suffering, as markets have tanked and int

Social Affairs Oct. 25, 2022

The number of hospitals offering medical services for infants and children at night or on weekends are shrinking amid a chronic shortage of pediatricians in the country, data shows. From this week, Gangnam Severance Hospital has decided to suspend the nighttime emergency room for pediatric treatment. Emergency room treatment for pediatric patients under the age of 16 is available only from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital suspended its emergency treatment for pediatric p

Social Affairs Oct. 25, 2022

Looking at greenery helps relieve stress, several studies have found. If you are tired of spending your days looking at grey, concrete buildings, here are some places to visit for instant relaxation with plants. The Seoul Botanic Park Located in Magok, in western Seoul's Gangseo-gu, the Seoul Botanic Park boasts some 4,500 species of trees, flowers and bushes. Since its opening in 2019, the park has been a magnet for travelers and locals alike. One essential stop all year round is the park&

Travel Oct. 22, 2022