Most Popular
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1 in 3 Koreans live alone, family types becoming diverse
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Korea, Japan finance chiefs vow to tame rampant FX market volatility
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K-pop singer lost consciousness after being hit by foul ball, cancels show
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K-pop group's manager dismissed for setting up spycam in theater dressing room
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Contentious grain bill put directly to plenary meeting for vote
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Korean Muslim YouTuber's plan to build mosque in Incheon goes viral
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Why is Apple Pay struggling to get purchase in Korea?
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Yoon's office denies considering liberal figures for key posts
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Trilateral talks acknowledge ‘serious’ slumps of won, yen
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[Today’s K-pop] BTS pop-up event to come to Seoul
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[Weekender] Can radio kill the video star?
In short, the answer is no. But while radio probably won’t get to outshine video, it also won’t lose its place, either. Technology has changed quite a lot since The Buggles released “Video killed the radio star” in 1980 -- but it has not always changed for the better.Screens now have a dominant presence in Korea, where the most common sight of people is with their faces glued to their smartphones that have thousands of videos and other contents demanding simultaneous attention.But has video real
TechnologyNov. 17, 2017
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[Weekender] Listen to your favorite book this autumn
Yoo Jong-ho, 24, listens to podcasts every morning in the subway. The college student, who spends five hours each day commuting to school, said listening to book podcasts was the best way to pass the time productively.Since podcasts began in 2005, book podcasts have emerged as a powerful social platform for avid readers to gather and share their thoughts on books. The form or duration may vary, but the content of most book podcasts focuses on book-related reviews, news, commentary and discussion
CultureNov. 17, 2017
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[Weekender] Radio waves from outside keep N. Koreans in loop
Amid tight controls on the flow of information, radios in North Korea come with their dials fixed to government-controlled broadcasters. But risk-takers willing to defy the regime reset their dials behind closed doors, trying to catch signals from the US, UK, South Korea and Japan that float across the border every night and slip past state censorship.It is illegal to listen to foreign broadcasts, and they are often jammed by North Korean authorities, but they rank as top sources of information
North KoreaNov. 16, 2017
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[Weekender] Trevari CEO offers ways to make reading yours
Trevari is different from most people’s idea of a conventional book club. Instead of a single group of people who enjoy books, Trevari does things on a much bigger scale. The company does all the “annoying administration” of running and managing 111 separate reading groups so people can just enjoy being members. “For a regular meeting to occur with a group of people, it is important that someone manages the schedule and reminds members of the topics. And a lot of people don’t realize that it is
CultureNov. 10, 2017
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[Weekender] Book lovers’ paradise
With the popularity of book clubs and independent bookstores here, libraries and stores are offering seminars, lectures and even drinks inspired by novels, taking the literary experience to a new level. Here are some of the best spots for bookworms to explore the literary world in Korea. Starfield LibraryLocated inside Starfield Coex Mall in GangnamThe 2,800-square-meter library, which opened in May, features some 50,000 books on towering two-story bookshelves. It is located at the center of the
Social AffairsNov. 10, 2017
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[Weekender] Taking reading to a new level
When it comes to books and reading culture, South Korea has many reasons for pessimism: Book consumption is at a 10-year low and only 35 percent of Korean adults finish a single title a year. But this does not mean that there are no avid readers here. On the contrary, a trend is emerging among local bookworms, with book clubs and community-oriented independent bookstores connecting readers. Trevari is at the heart of this trend. The venture organizes and manages book clubs for a four-month fee o
Social AffairsNov. 10, 2017
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[Weekender] Meet change-makers in corporate world
A picture of President Moon Jae-in kneeling to pay his respect to the dead during the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement ceremony went viral online this year. It became a talked about issue not just because the ceremony was held a week after the presidential election, but because of a pair of the president’s old shoes that were exposed to cameras. The shoes that Moon has worn since 2012 were made by a small social enterprise set up by the blind and the hearing-impaired. But even with Cheong
IndustryOct. 29, 2017
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[Weekender] Tycoon’s unusual dream
For Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, it all started with one question. For years, the second-generation chaebol scion was seeking a way to inherit his father’s legacy of nurturing scientists and scholars for the nation’s future. Though SK was making social donations and running corporate responsibility programs under his lead, Chey wasn’t sure whether those outreach efforts -- worth billions of dollars a year -- were making any progress in society, where problems of unemployment and the incom
IndustryOct. 27, 2017
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[Weekender] Heyground provides safe community for social ventures
Step into the lobby of Heyground and it‘s like falling through a rabbit hole.The building’s sleek tile floors, stylish neon signs and hoodied entrepreneurs zooming around on electric scooters seem worlds apart from the surrounding industrial sights of Seongsu-dong in eastern Seoul.“We call it the scrap metal view,” joked Jeong Da-hyun, a manager at impact ecosystem builder Root Impact, looking out the floor-to-ceiling window from the seventh floor. “It’s got its own charm.”The Heyground building
IndustryOct. 27, 2017
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[Weekender] Playground shortage hits low-income families
Children in Korea, especially those living in low-income areas, are missing out on play opportunities because of a shortage of accessible playgrounds, according to a report by Save the Children Korea on Sept. 5.The lack of safe open spaces in urban areas means play options for children from low-income families are lackluster, it said. They often cannot afford pay-per-use playgrounds or the kids cafes now proliferating across cities. Many playgrounds in poorer residential areas also have been clo
CultureOct. 20, 2017
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[Weekender] Falling in love with baking at specialty kids cafes
For tired parents and bored children, kids cafes have become a top option to spend family time in Korea. Since the concept was first introduced into the country in the late 2000s, the themes of the cafes also have evolved. Most kids cafes these days feature specific themes, such as racing, swimming and crafting. The interior of Bonbon Kids Goyang (Park Ju-young/The Korea Herald)Baking kids cafes are part of the fast-growing kids cafe businesses in general, targeting children and their parents. B
CultureOct. 20, 2017
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[Weekender] Parents with children go for alternative space to relax
Korea is witnessing a boom in the kids cafe business due partly to a shortage of space in which parents with young children can idle away the time. A handful of big shopping malls have noticed the potential for such demand and are taking steps to catch up. One case in point is Starfield shopping mall, which recently opened in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, just west of Seoul. The mega shopping center comes with a variety of children-friendly stores to allow families to spend a day together.While sho
CultureOct. 20, 2017
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[Weekender] More than just a playground
Son Tae-wook, a father of an 8-year-old, thinks kids cafes have become indispensable for both children and adults in Korea. Son has raised his daughter with trips to kids cafes since she was 3 years old.“There aren’t enough play spaces for children in the urban environment. And the world isn’t safe enough to let kids just frolic about on their own outside,” Son said. News of children abducted and inappropriately touched at public playgrounds has raised alarm among parents, many of whom dote over
CultureOct. 20, 2017
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[Weekender] Busan film fest beckons film buffs, star gazers
Since its founding in 1996, the Busan International Film Festival has marked the transition from summer to fall in Korea. Asia’s largest film festival is screening some 298 films from 75 countries from Thursday to Oct. 21 this year. The main categories are New Currents, which awards the two best feature films by up-and-coming Asian directors; Gala Presentation, the screening of works by master filmmakers; and A Window on Asian Cinema, which showcases films that push boundaries by Asian directors
FilmOct. 13, 2017
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[Weekender] Hop on the subway to delve into K-pop, nature and history
With a long Chuseok holiday starting this Saturday, it’s almost certain that roads and highways will be jam-packed with honking cars. Rather than stress out sitting in crawling traffic, there is another option for a getaway: Hop on the subway, roam around Seoul and visit places you’ve never been. For your convenience, The Korea Herald has sorted Seoul attractions that are reachable by subway.K-pop hot spots K-Live (Korea Tourism Organization)For fans of K-pop, there are spots around Seoul where
CultureSept. 29, 2017
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[Weekender] Holiday getaway near metropolis
The long holiday is an opportune time to take leave of the mundane city life for an exciting getaway. The problem is that everyone else thinks so too, and getting transportation or accommodation for a trip can be near impossible. Majority of the Korean population is expected to move during the upcoming Chuseok holiday, which will be 10 days long including the weekends, and nobody likes being stuck in traffic for 10 hours.For those residing in Seoul, finding things to do within a stone’s throw fr
CultureSept. 29, 2017
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[Weekender] Alone on Chuseok holiday?
Koreans this year will enjoy the longest Chuseok holiday ever, stretching from Sept. 30 until Oct. 9 for many people. And many young Koreans are opting to spend at least a portion of the mini-vacation alone, surveys show. Six out of 10 twenty-somethings said they will be spending the holiday alone, according a survey of 1,190 people conducted by part-time job listing portal site Alba Chunkuk Tuesday. The reasons behind the solo-holiday were part-time jobs at 27.2 percent and the stress of relati
CultureSept. 29, 2017
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[Weekender] 4,000 kilometers of business and pleasure
After its first expressway -- the 28.8 kilometer Seoul-Incheon route -- was built in 1968, South Korea set about rapidly expanding its highway network. Two years later, the new decade saw the completion of the Seoul-Busan expressway -- a project personally overseen by late President Park Chung-hee and often considered a milestone in Korea’s industrialization. Since then, the network of highways have expanded to over 4,000 kilometers, and nearly 700 kilometers of new and extensions will be added
Social AffairsSept. 22, 2017
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[Weekender] Rest stops become tourist attractions in South Korea
Rest stops are an essential part of a highway system, offering drivers chances to gas up, use the restroom or just stretch their legs on long trips. But increasingly in South Korea, these roadside establishments offer something a little extra, becoming tourist attractions in their own right. South Korea’s 4,000-kilometer highway system boasts 189 rest areas, which last year generated a combined 1.3 trillion won ($1.1 billion) in revenue, up 13 percent from 2014. From local delicacies, traditiona
TravelSept. 22, 2017
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[Weekender] Mystery snack sellers on clogged highways explained
In the middle of a traffic jam on a highway, snack vendors holding bags of puffed rice snacks weave through vehicles that stand bumper to bumper. This scene is familiar to many in South Korea with the experience of being stuck on a congested highway on weekends or major holidays. “When I was younger, it took some 10 hours to go to Mokpo where my grandparents live during the holidays. We were stuck on the clogged road for hours, moving at the speed of tortoises,” said Lee Jin-hee, a 35-year-old o
PoliticsSept. 22, 2017