Fame Is a Fleeting Thing
There is a small food joint near Yaksu station that I sometimes stop at for a bowl of instant noodle and gimbab. Taped to the air conditioning unit in one corner is a laminated piece of paper with a hastily scrawled autograph by Kolleen Park, a noted musical director. It’
Reading List: Our 2017 Election Coverage
2017 is an interesting year for South Korean politics. A president has been ousted from office for the first time under the democratic constitution. The ruling conservative party is in shambles, splintered into three parties. The leading presidential candidates are mostly those that identify with the left, which means the
Steven Borowiec: N Korea and Mounting Tensions in Al Jazeera
Our politics editor Steven Borowiec writes on the rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula and reactions from South Koreans in Al Jazeera.
Politics of the Yellow "Sewol" Ribbon
Yellow ribbon is the symbol of the Sewol incident, a ferry disaster that killed 304 passengers three years ago today. All over South Korea, tiny yellow ribbons dangle from people’s backpacks, wallets, bicycles, and on the windowsills of small cafés. Politicians — mostly from the
Baseball Hero Choi Dong-won's Legacy Is Felt to This Day
A pair of grainy, low-resolution photographs is going viral, and bringing back memories of a much-beloved baseball star. (Source: Unknown) In one photo, an elderly lady wearing a bright yellow jacket is looking up at the bronze statue of a pitcher throwing a baseball. In another, she
Multicultural South Korea: Congolese Refugee Receives Death Threats
“How are you?” I asked him. “I’m very fine!” Yiombi Thona answered. “Don’t worry too much about that. I’m used to it.” On the other end of the phone, Thona was referring to the multiple death threats he
Saenuri Party Is Back. No, Not That Saenuri.
As if South Korea’s conservative faction isn’t fractured enough as is, it now has a third conservative presidential candidate. This reduces the right’s already-minimal chances of getting a sniff at power when the country goes to the polls on May 9. Meet pro-Park Geun-hye
Top Presidential Contenders Pledge to Fix South Korea's Air Pollution
South Korea is in the midst of the country’s first springtime election campaign since 1971. And it has brought the issue of fine particle dust to the fore, as voters are irritated by air pollution in the lead-up to the May 9 vote. At this point, the 60-day race
"Gukppong": The Nationalism Meth
Picture this: South Korean Singer Psy is holding kimchi in one hand. In the other, he’s holding a Samsung phone. He wears the uniform of the L.A. Dodgers (for which a South Korean baseball player is currently playing). In the background, K-pop idol group Girls’ Generation
Don't Let Go: Those Balloons Can Kill
Earlier this month, Lotte Corporation launched thousands of balloons into the air to mark the opening of its World Tower in Seoul. It was a beautiful sight, and a typical practice at such occasions. Balloons are released into the sky all the time: at weddings, ceremonies, parties; even
Justin Lim, South Korea's Unsung LGBT Icon, Dies at 32
Though I did not know Justin Lim personally, it is difficult for anyone having ventured into the wild Itaewon gay scene to not know of Lim or his legacy. Some of the best nights out in Seoul were created thanks to Lim, a South Korean man who was open to
What's With South Korea's Fuss About the Fourth Industrial Revolution?
The so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution is rapidly emerging as South Korea’s latest fashionable concept. With the country recently labeled “2017’s most innovative country” by Bloomberg, the government appears to be trying its best to live up to expectations — by issuing certificates. On Mar. 28, the Ministry