How Netflix Disappointed South Korean Users
Starring in SNL Korea and numerous other TV shows, comedian Yoo Se-yoon is a familiar figure in South Korea. So when Netflix Korea, struggling since its launch in 2016, chose Yoo to promote their latest original series, they thought it would attract attention. “Yoo Se-yoon is throwing in his
With the Sewol's Salvage, Closure May Be Near
Between two floating platforms emerges the rusty hull of a sunken ship. The sight is startling. The Sewol capsized nearly three years ago, on Apr. 16, 2014, killing 304 people. Since then, there has been much talk of the vessel being raised, but little action. To see the physical form
For Better or Worse, All Roads Lead to Namuwiki in South Korea, Not Wikipedia
“All roads lead to Namuwiki,” a popular saying goes. Type any search term into Google Korea. Chances are, you’ll be taken to Namuwiki, not Wikipedia. Namuwiki is South Korea’s indigenous open-source encyclopedia, which started out as a half-baked collection of pages deep in the bowels of Korean cyberspace.
What "Progressive" Means in South Korea
Stop the Communists! Save democracy from North Korea! These chants, as outdated and irrelevant as they may sound, still reverberate around the streets of South Korea in the 21st century. They come from some in the older generation, who believe that the recent ouster of former president Park
Even Getting Into the Military Is Competitive in South Korea
It’s widely known that cut-throat competition is the norm of South Korean life. There are hagwons, or private cram schools, for children even in kindergarten. So it’s not surprising that hagwons exist also for those who are about to start their mandatory military service. Young South Korean
Remember South Korea's Artist Blacklist? There's a "Whitelist," Too
Remember South Korea’s blacklist? The recently ousted Park Geun-hye allegedly kept a blacklist of nearly 10,000 artists and cultural figures who were critical of the administration. Now, investigators found out, there’s a “whitelist” to accompany the blacklist. The whitelist was first discovered by&
App-ward Mobility, South Korean Style
91 percent of South Koreans use a smartphone. Backed by the world’s fastest internet speed, their country’s mobile app market is thriving. So what killer apps do South Koreans rely on to guide them through the complexities of 21st-century life? Here, we dug up a
Beyond Infantilizing Portraits: South Korean Adoptees Speak Out
Perhaps the world’s best-known Korean adoptee today is Adam Crapser. After living in the U.S. for almost four decades, Crapser was deported to South Korea late last year because his adoptive parents had never filed for his American citizenship. The twists and turns of
Granddaughter’s Love Makes Grandma a Youtube Sensation
Alzheimer’s runs in Park Mak-rye’s family. Three of her older sisters were afflicted by the neuro-degenerative disease. So Park’s 26-year-old granddaughter, Kim Yoo-ra, came up with an ingenious way to prevent her grandmother from suffering the same fate: Making the 70-year-old star of her own&
Seoul Had the Second-Worst Air Quality in the World This Morning
Early this morning, Seoul had the second-worst air quality in the world, after New Delhi. According to AirVisual, an air quality monitoring site, things improved somewhat in Seoul as time went on. But as of noon local time, the South Korean capital was still in 8th place for terrible
South Korean Comedy's Misogyny Machine
“Ugly and fat” is one of her most marketable characteristics. She talks openly about her weight and invites guffaws for saying that even her tongue is fat. She makes passes at sexy male celebrities, which people think is funny, because — duh — it’s a fat
Steven Borowiec: Dispatch Reprinted in Italy's Internazionale
Our politics editor Steven Borowiec’s dispatch from the day of former president Park Geun-hye’s removal was reprinted in Italy’s Internazionale. Read the original article here.