Increased interest in interior design has also given rise to new home interior services such as OHouse. The home interior information and shopping app attracted 77 billion won from investors, including technology investment firm Bond, in November. Kang Sung-joo, head of operations at the app’s operator, Bucketplace, said that the app’s appeal is the content that makes users visit the app time a...

Earlier, the Royal Culture Festival organizers had also opened a server to educate young people about Korean history and culture in October. The server provided kids with an opportunity to experience the different streets of Hanyang, or today’s Seoul, during the Joseon era. Players could also visit Gyeongbokgung Palace and try out the “gwageo” test, the highest-level state exam to hire ranking of...

The startup develops a four-legged robot that moves like a dog, multi-axis force sensors and robotic arms that can sense and dodge objects or humans on their own. The company’s quadruped robot, also named Aidin, uses torque sensors in its joints to cope with uneven ground and surfaces. “Enabling robots to move with four legs on the uneven ground in a stable manner requires a higher level of rob...

South Korea currently requires retailers to keep the refrigerator temperature below 10 degrees Celsius. But the association and food industry officials say the legal standard should be lowered to below 5 degrees Celsius, and a more effective monitoring system should be introduced. The food ministry said it was aware of the matters pointed out, and that it found most of retailers in the country a...

Cosmetics conglomerates began to join the zero-waste movement this year. Amoerpacific group, which operates more than 30 beauty and health brands, opened a refill station in October in Gwanggyo, Gyeonggi Province, becoming the first cosmetics conglomerate in Korea to initiate the move. The company’s refill station offers 15 kinds of body wash or shampoo, and customers can measure liquid to purcha...

In a year that has witnessed the COVID-19 pandemic disrupt lives and devastate economies around the world, Korea has sought innovations to meet the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The following is the second article of a four-part series on how Korea is creating a new normal during the pandemic, produced in partnership with The Korea Foundation -- Ed. When asked about his diet during...

According to a report by HS Ad, there has been rising demand for “speakeasy bars” in Korea in recent months. Speakeasy bars were originally illicit establishments that served alcohol during the prohibition era (1920-1933) in the US. While definitely not illegal in 21st-century Korea, these new types of restaurants here rely on word-of-mouth rather than full-fledged promotion, and often operate ...

The growing popularity of strength training among women can be seen in sales figures. According to e-commerce site Gmarket, sales of fitness equipment preferred by women -- such as kettle bells and dumbbells -- have increased by 36 percent this year as of Oct. 27, compared to a year earlier. A survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on participation in everyday sports showed an ...

Changing fashion One hashtag that stands out this year is #Deungsanfashion. Before 2020, middle-aged men and women wearing sun hats and brightly colored professional hiking garb were the norm on mountains in Korea. However, with the growing number of millennials going to less challenging mountains in and around cities, more fashionable yet comfortable ensembles are frequently seen on the trails...

Ko of Kyung Hee University stressed a need to shed light on homegrown wines to discover which ones go well with Korean dishes. One of the newly emerging pairing principles is to look at the ingredients of a dish and their country of origin. The optimal accompaniment for Korean foods is a Korean wine, made from grapes grown in one of the country’s 140 or so vineyards, including ones on Incheon’s ...

Switzerland has four official languages: German, Italian, French and Romansh. The country teems with people from all parts of Europe who understand how matters are done in their respective home countries. Hence, penetrating Switzerland becomes a shortcut to the continent. There are also Korean companies who invest in Swiss technology. GCMS, a diagnostics subsidiary of Green Cross Corporation, h...

“The reason for the popularity of sound bars is due to their convenience and affordable price compared to home theaters. Sound bars complement TVs, which have become thinner and as a result don’t have very good sound,” said Jung. Major digital and home appliance companies like LG and Samsung have released new products since the spread of COVID-19. Samsung, which has the largest share of the glo...

Now, with the government asking people to refrain from long-distance travel in an effort to rein in the new coronavirus, those who are not fans of the holiday are likely to take full advantage of the situation. The trend among younger people -- those in their 20s, 30s and 40s -- is to travel during the holiday instead of taking part in family gatherings. The Korea Airport Corp., which oversees ...

Encouraging diversity Will such changes in our perceptions of jobs diminish the need for nearly two decades of schooling? Not quite, says Lee Bohm, a social critic of the education system in Korea. Lee, a founding member of the online and offline private education institute Megastudy, led what one would call the perfect elite education course. He graduated from a science-focused high school f...

If health warnings about smoking tobacco did not hit close to home before, they should now: Smokers are at higher risk of developing severe disease and death from the novel coronavirus, according to top health authorities. “COVID-19 preys on lungs -- while the (the use of) tobacco makes them more vulnerable,” the World Health Organization said in a Facebook post. The international health organiz...