Public Wedding Ad Angers Young South Koreans
A beaming young bride and groom step through a door into a sunlit future, accompanied by the strings of Wagner’s Wedding March… only to be confronted by a daunting row of hurdles. So begins a public-service advertisement from Kobaco (Korea Broadcast Advertising Corporation) released on
Anger at Adultery Betrays Fear at Fragility of Marriage
In my area of Seoul lives a celebrity — he is an indy singer best known for appearing on a TV variety show some years ago. I often see him at our neighborhood bar when I am going home. But more recently, I saw him walking his dogs with a
"Becoming Prettier": K-pop MV Chronicles Girl Group's Plastic Surgery
Four girls in skintight pink bodysuits march into a surgery room. One of them lies down and closes her eyes, as blinding white light gleams from the surgical headlights above her. Then, a long beep and brief silence, followed by a catchy beat with these lines: “I’m
Hwang Kyo-ahn: The Man Who Wouldn't Be King
When President Park Geun-hye was impeached, her Prime Minister, Hwang Kyo-ahn was named the acting president. Upon taking the top job, Hwang made no effort to distance himself from the disgraced Park, and went as far as to take responsibility for her plight: He said that the whole mess was
A-maizing Ambition: "Dr. Corn" Runs for South Korean Presidency
It’s not uncommon for seemingly random figures to run for power in a democracy. South Korea is no different: On Friday, a man dubbed “Dr. Corn” will announce his bid for the presidency in a press conference at the International Corn Foundation in Pohang. His name is
Gamcheon Culture Village: Future Perfect by Goethe Institut
Our story on Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan was published on Future Perfect, a project by Goethe Institut.
China Travel Clampdown Empties South Korea's Myeongdong
Myeongdong, a downtown Seoul shopping district typically packed with tourists, was unusually quiet on Wednesday. For the last few years, the area has drawn an unending torrent of Chinese tourists. Most street signs and signboards are written in Korean and Chinese — sometimes only
153 Forgotten Days at Seoul National University
The student sit-in at Seoul National University lasted 153 days, before being disbanded just a day after president Park Geun-hye was ousted from office. Their long-drawn protest, like many news stories, has been subsumed by the Park Geun-hye scandal. What’s going on in the country’s
"Above 19 Not Allowed": Condoms For Sale, Teenagers Only
Instinctus is not your average South Korean company. It’s run by a 26-year-old CEO who openly identifies as a bisexual, and sells certified vegan condoms manufactured in Thailand. More recently, it has garnered media — and police — attention for installing condom vending machines, only for teenagers.
South Korea's Latest Food Craze: Gigantic Rodents?
About 70 cm in length and weighing over five kilogram in maturity, a nutria looks fuzzy and cuddly…if you discount the fact that it is basically a big rat. Nutria, also known as copyu, comes from Latin America. Improbably, in South Korea, it is taking off as medicine
Steven Borowiec: Future of S Korea After PGH Ouster in Al Jazeera
Our politics editor Steven Borowiec writes on the future of South Korea after Park Geun-hye’s ouster in Al Jazeera.
Hong Sang-soo Kim Min-hee Affair Leads to Ratings Sabotage
The film won Kim Min-hee a Silver Bear for Best Actress at Berlin International Film Festival. Foreign media loved it. But on South Korean websites, “On the Beach at Night Alone” is being slaughtered before it has even been released. At home, filmmaker Hong Sang-soo’s new work has drawn