In South Korean society's contemporary lexicon, the neologism "financial treatment" posits that the mere act of monetary gain serves as a kind of therapy or cure for all manner of psychological and physical ailments. The term, especially popular among Korea's younger workers, points to a deep-seated belief -- amid the country's mixed capitalist economy with its minimal social safety net -- in accumulating money as one's primary focus, rather than as a mere bypro

Hashtag Korea June 30, 2024

US President Joe Biden and former US President Donald Trump, in their first televised debate on Thursday night, exchanged barbs on a number of topics, among them South Korea, Samsung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. During the highly anticipated faceoff, Biden invoked “South Korea” while locking horns over defense policy with Trump, to underscore the United States' role as a military supporter and its success in rallying international aid: “I’ve got 50 other nati

Foreign Affairs June 28, 2024

Picture this: Exchanging vows at the National Museum of Korea or the National Library of Korea. Or perhaps, saying "I do" surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of Seoraksan National Park. South Korean government announced Friday a plan to make these public venues available for weddings in the latter half of 2024. The cost? As little as free. In a move aimed at alleviating the financial burden on couples planning their wedding, the Cabinet on Wedensday endorsed this measure, adding 48

Social Affairs June 28, 2024

Jeju police have launched a crackdown on minor offenses, including jaywalking, littering, smoking on cigarette-free streets and public urination in response to recent complaints from locals over unruly sights involving tourists, officials said Thursday. Within the first hour of Tuesday's crackdown, which lasted around one and a half hours, the police caught nine law violators, the majority of whom were foreign tourists jaywalking. All nine violators were issued on-site fines that were requi

Social Affairs June 27, 2024

Do you find that kids today seem to lack patience and throw tantrums more often? A team of Korean psychiatrists point to YouTube as a potential culprit in their recently published study. Professor Shin Yun-mi and researchers at Ajou University studied 195 children aged 5 to 8 for 3 years between 2018 and 2021, measuring their temperament, YouTube usage patterns, and emotional and behavioral problems. Their findings suggest frequent YouTube use negatively impacts children’s temperament, a

Social Affairs June 26, 2024

A transgender soldier, who died by suicide in 2021 following a forcible discharge from the Army, has been laid to rest at a national cemetery in Daejeon this week, but dissenting voices questioning the appropriateness of her burial there persist. The burial of Byun Hee-soo at the cemetery on Monday followed the Defense Ministry’s decision in April to recognize her death as occurring in the line of duty. The ministry said her depression was linked to her forced discharge following her gen

Social Affairs June 25, 2024

A South Korean conscript was found dead Sunday at a military base in Gyeonggi Province, marking the third military death in just two months this year, raising concerns about the recurring issue of fatalities among enlisted personnel in the Korean military. According to military authorities, the deceased soldier, a private first class -- the Army's second-lowest rank for conscripts -- in his 20s was found at around 5:00 a.m. Sunday when he was supposed to be on sentry duty. He had been sta

Social Affairs June 24, 2024

By the end of this century, South Korea will have summers lasting nearly half the year if greenhouse gas emissions continue at current levels, according to the worst-case climate change scenario. According to the highest baseline scenario for Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP5-8.5) future climate change scenarios presented on the Korea Meteorological Administration's official webpage, Korea will experience an average of 169 summer days in the 30-year period that starts May 2081 and ends

Social Affairs June 23, 2024

The recent recall of several Buldak ramyeon products in Denmark for being too spicy has unexpectedly turned into a marketing win for the company, shown by a surge in Google searches for the products, data showed Sunday. According to Google Trends data, worldwide searches for Buldak ramyeon -- popularized over the past decade as "Korean fire noodles" on the internet -- reached a peak on June 12, following news of the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration's decision to recal

Social Affairs June 23, 2024

Eating and travel shows are a big hit among Koreans on YouTube, with "mukbang" YouTuber Tzuyang being the most popular, followed by travel YouTuber Kawktube, a survey showed Thursday. In a poll conducted by Gallup Korea from March to April, involving 1,777 respondents aged 13 and older, Tzuyang topped the list with 5.2 percent choosing her as their favorite YouTuber. Kwaktube of the eponymous travel YouTube channel secured second place with 4 percent. All YouTubers in the top five of t

Social Affairs June 22, 2024

A man who at age 18 killed his mother and lived with her decaying body for eight months in a shocking matricide case in 2011 spoke of regrets over his actions, appearing on a TV program on Monday. The ex-convict, now in his 30s and a father of two children, said he is preparing for the time when he will have to tell his kids the truth. “If there are any 18-year-olds going through similar situations as I did, I hope they do not make the same decisions I did,” he said on a show that ai

Social Affairs June 19, 2024

Looking after a dog used to just mean taking it for a walk, providing necessary care and building a bond, while feeding the canine store-bought kibble, perhaps with an occasional canned treat. But increasingly, pet owners are ditching factory-produced pet food and feeding their furry companions real food -- either cooked at home or prepared by a professional chef. A 30-year-old cat owner living in Seoul, Jung recently enrolled in a one-day pet food cooking class at a local pet food retailer, s

Hashtag Korea June 18, 2024

Lotte World Adventure, one of South Korea's most visited theme parks, announced Tuesday its plan to reunite two-decade-old frozen memories from time capsules kept under its ice rink with their rightful owners. In June 2004, the theme park in central Seoul invited 50 guests to participate in an event celebrating the 15th anniversary of the ice rink. Guests tucked messages and family photos into 13-centimeter capsules, which were then buried beneath the ice as part of the rink's thawin

Social Affairs June 18, 2024

A short clip showing a couple playing tennis at Incheon Airport has ignited widespread online outrage over their disregard for public etiquette. The viral video, which was posted on the online community Bobaedream on Thursday, features two people rallying a tennis ball between them with tennis rackets near an airport entrance. As of Friday, the post has garnered around 120,000 views. The consensus from many comments was that the pair's behavior was “inconsiderate” and displaye

Social Affairs June 14, 2024

올해 30세가 된 영국 브리스톨 출신의 루이스 후퍼 (Lewis Hooper). 한국 생활 4년차인 그는 지금 누구보다 건강한 모습이지만, 한 때는 심각한 섭식 장애로 몸무게가 32kg에 불과한 적이 있었다. 이 때문에 길에서 쓰러져 병원 치료를 받기도 했을 정도였다. 후퍼는 자신이 거식증을 극복하고 다양한 음식을 즐기며 건강하고 활기찬 생활을 하게 된 계기로, 음식을 다른 사람들과 나눠 먹고, 주요리 외에도 항상 다양한 반찬을 곁들여 먹는 한국의 음식 문화를 꼽았다. 그가 한국에 오게 된 것은 코로나가 한창이던 2020년 8월. 영국에서 팬데믹으로 인해 하던 일을 계속할 수 없게 되자, 한국으로 워킹홀리데이를 오기로 결심했다. 항상 배우나 모델 일을 꿈꿨기 때문에 한국에서 모델 일을 찾을 수 있을 거라는 막연한 기대를 품고 서울에 도착했지만, 에이전시에서는 그가 너무 심각하게 말라 건강해 보이지 않는다며 퇴짜를 놓았다. 하지만 한국으로의 이주는 그의 삶을 의외의 방식으로 바꾸어

한국어판 June 14, 2024