Most Popular
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Hyundai Motor eyes 80,000 jobs, W68tr investment at home by 2026
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Seoul bus drivers go on general strike, cause morning rush hour delays
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Official campaigning kicks off for April 10 elections
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Dialogue hopes fade as doctors pick hard-liner as new head
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Korea enters full election mode
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Coupang pledges W3tr to expand Rocket Delivery nationwide by 2027
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[Election Battlefield] Political novice to face off star politician in ‘swing district’
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[Kim Seong-kon] The April 2024 election will decide our future
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Seoul’s bus union prepares for strike
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[Hello India] Corporate Korea sees new growth drivers in India
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[Weekender] Shared housing takes root
An upscale apartment overlooking the Hangang River in Mapo, Seoul, is home to eight women who have a special interest in films. Rent on a flat of a similar size averages 3.5 million won ($3,230) per month with a 100 million won deposit. But they pay only a fifth of the market price as they share facilities including bathrooms, kitchen and living room.It is one of the nine apartment units leased by Woozoo, a shared housing company. Each unit has a particular theme for tenants, such as “start-up h
Social AffairsFeb. 7, 2014
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[Weekender] Redefining meaning of Seollal
Tens of thousands of Koreans will hit the road Thursday, the official start of the Lunar New Year holidays, to head for their hometowns to spend time with parents and relatives. Among them will be Lee Yeon-ju, a 42-year-old housewife living in Seoul. As always, her family will spend the first two days of the holidays with her husband’s parents in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. What is usually a three-hour drive could easily turn into a tedious five- to six-hour journey, but that is not what Lee dr
CultureJan. 24, 2014
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[Weekender] Rice-cake soup remains Seollal staple
Tteokguk, that steaming bowl of hot broth studded with slices of white rice cake, is a classic Seollal staple. “In Korea, placing a bowl of tteokguk on the ancestral table for rites on Lunar New Year’s morning is tradition,” said Dadam executive chef Jeong Jae-deok. Even at Dadam, a Korean fine dining restaurant located in Seoul’s Cheongdam-dong, Jeong makes a point of serving rice cake soup on both New Year’s Day and Seollal in lieu of the customary porridge that accompanies meals. The symbolic
FoodJan. 24, 2014
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[Weekender] Korea strives to revive fading interest in traditional clothes
Han Hyun-young, a 29-year-old office worker in Seoul, had a hanbok custom-made for herself when she got married in 2011. But she has worn the traditional Korean clothes only twice ― on her first visit to her in-law’s house after her honeymoon and on her sister-in-law’s wedding day. “I wore it because I had to. I wouldn’t wear it if I didn’t have to,” she said. Han is not the only one feeling reluctant to wear a hanbok on special occasions. As hanbok are no longer a daily outfit for most Koreans,
CultureJan. 24, 2014
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[Weekender] Asia rings in colorful Lunar New Year
Seollal, which falls on Jan. 31 this year, involves a lot of hectic food preparations and family gatherings, but Koreans are not the only people observing it. Though practices differ, a version of Seollal is celebrated across Asia: millions of Chinese, Vietnamese and Mongolians meet families and friends on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Here in South Korea, Seollal demands intensive preparations for family gatherings and “charye,” a memorial rite that pays homage to the ancestors of the pa
Foreign AffairsJan. 24, 2014
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[Weekender] Celebrating Seollal in old Korean fashion
Seollal, the Lunar New Year, is one of the most celebrated holidays in Korea: It is not only a time to pay respects to one’s elders and ancestors, but is also an opportunity to spend time with family and friends to celebrate the New Year immersed in tradition. With the colorful hanbok (traditional Korean costume) and the traditional food and folk games, Seollal gives people the chance to experience some real Korean culture. Whether it be traveling to the countryside to reunite with extended fami
CultureJan. 24, 2014
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[Weekender] Dokdo: Perpetual flashpoint in Korea-Japan relations
In A.D. 512, Gen. Kim Isabu was on a mission to conquer an island country off the east coast of the peninsula. To defeat the tribesmen, who were notoriously ferocious and aggressive, the shrewd commander used a trick. He erected wooden figures of fire-breathing lions on his vessels and threatened to let the prides loose unless they surrendered. The frightened islanders finally succumbed and became subjects of Kim’s Silla Kingdom.The episode, featured in the “Samguksagi” (“The History of the Thre
Foreign AffairsJan. 17, 2014
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[Weekender] History contradicts Japan’s claim
Everything about the Dokdo islets is common knowledge among older Koreans: their history, marine life, climate, rainfall and even exact latitude and longitude coordinates, all of which are mentioned in the lyrics of a popular 30-year-old song titled “Dokdo is Our Territory.” Not simply some remote outcroppings in far-away waters, the islets are a source of pride and patriotism entrenched in Koreans’ collective consciousness, stemming from centuries of battles with Japan. Early documents indicat
Foreign AffairsJan. 17, 2014
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[Weekender] Dokdo’s promising resources, ecology
With its unique location and natural history, Dokdo boasts ample fishing grounds, untapped resources and a potential for environmental, geological and cultural research.Dokdo is the product of underwater volcanic eruptions in the East Sea about 4.6 million-2.5 million years ago. It is therefore much older than Ulleungdo (formed about 2.5 million-10,000 years ago) and Jeju Island (formed about 1.2 million-10,000 years ago). Originally, Dokdo’s main East and West islets were not divided like they
Foreign AffairsJan. 17, 2014
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[Weekender] ‘Logic, knowledge key to resolution’
Yuji Hosaka, born in Japan, harbored good feelings toward Korea from childhood when he was charmed by its singers, sports stars and the friends of his father, who ran a plastic lens factory in Tokyo. The fond curiosity developed into academic enthusiasm during his college years after he was struck by the 1895 assassination by the Japanese Empress Myeongseong, the wife of the Joseon era’s last king, Gojong.What Hosaka found disturbing was not only the incident itself, but the fact that he never l
Foreign AffairsJan. 17, 2014
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[Weekender] Korea, to go
There are few things that cannot be delivered in this short-tempered, fast-moving and tightly networked country.Overnight parcel services are taken for granted. Fully cooked meals and snacks may be ordered around the clock. Even McDonald’s Korea uses a motorcycle fleet to make home deliveries of burgers and fries.Every November, on the day of the state-run college entrance exam, quick-delivery motorcycles are seen in all corners of the country, taking late-rising examinees to their test centers.
Social AffairsJan. 10, 2014
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[Weekender] Fast, cheap and convenient
On a Saturday morning, a middle-aged man in a black leather jacket cuts between vehicles on a motorbike to reach the head of the queue at a red light. When the light turns green, he whizzes past other vehicles, riding off with a big pile of packages loaded on the back of his bike.“I like Saturdays. There’s less traffic and I can travel more quickly,” said Koag Sung-soo, a 54-year-old courier. Koag delivers documents, parcels or just about anything that is not too heavy or big for his 125 cc moto
Social AffairsJan. 10, 2014
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[Weekender] Safety is key for women customers
On a Saturday night, I felt a sudden urge for instant noodles, a pack of frozen dumplings, tofu and some other trivial groceries, but didn’t feel like going out ― it was freezing and around midnight, and the idea of having to get dressed for an outing was unbearable. I picked up the phone and called a delivery service. The operator asked a few questions ― my name, address and the items I wanted to purchase. She acknowledged that it was a busy weekend night and the delivery might run a little lat
Social AffairsJan. 10, 2014
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[Weekender] Mobile food order apps seek to go mainstream
South Korean students, office workers, singles and especially those who find it frustrating to stand in queues see home-delivered food as a blessing. Only a couple of years ago, they used to reach for flyers to place an order. Now, things have become smarter. Suh Jeng-hoon, for instance, is a student who enjoys food delivery and uses mobile apps specializing in this to read reviews, browse menus, check restaurant locations and even place orders. Like Suh, a growing number of Korean consumers pre
Social AffairsJan. 10, 2014
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[Weekender] Drones for delivery?
A drone-based delivery system currently under development has raised hopes for faster, more efficient services, but concerns over its feasibility linger due to legal and technical limitations.A series of major global firms such as Amazon have recently revealed their prototype services, which aim to reduce delivery time and labor costs to increase profits. But challenges such as safety concerns, logistics and potential invasion of privacy remain.Experts express concerns about flying drones in pop
TechnologyJan. 10, 2014
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[Weekender] Riding into the new year
While the horses are used for leisurely riding in modern Korea, people on the peninsula have had a relationship with the animal since prehistoric times. For Koreans, the horse has been a stable source of nutrition, a dear friend, an efficient means of transportation, and a symbol of power. From Jan. 13, 2014, to Feb. 18, 2015, people here and across East Asia will celebrate the Year of the Horse, which is associated with stamina and power and also represents practicality and obedience to nature.
Jan. 3, 2014
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[Weekender] Korea’s horse racing industry goes global
In recent years, Korea’s horse racing industry has gained the spotlight from the global market. The nation’s racehorses have been exported to other countries including Malaysia and Macau, and Korea also held its first international race with Japan last November. The state-run Korea Racing Authority said it exported broadcasts of the race to Singapore for the first time in Korea last December. The KRA signed a deal with Singapore Turf Club to air the grand prize race at Seoul Racing Park. “This i
IndustryJan. 3, 2014
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[Weekender] Healing with horses
Riders and horse dealers may argue about which was the most beautiful horse ever beheld by mankind. But for a 12-year-old sixth grader with a strained school life, who asked not to be named, no horse beats Heemang, her favorite riding mate. Heemang, which means “hope” in Korean, is one of the 15 riding horses being raised at the Riding Healing Center in Incheon, west of Seoul, established by the Korea Racing Authority.“I like Heemang the best; she is a good girl and does exactly what I tell her
IndustryJan. 3, 2014
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[Weekender] Saddling up for business
As we ring in 2014, the Year of the Horse, businesses are introducing the mammal in their products and marketing tactics.It’s happening even in the food business: The horsemeat market in Korea, albeit fledgling, is on a growth path as the meat is increasingly perceived as a healthy food.One restaurant located in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, draws in those wanting to try unique gourmet foods.“Raw minced horsemeat is the most popular at the small restaurant,” Chae Sang-ho, owner of the r
Jan. 3, 2014
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[Weekender] Horseback riding spices up weekend
GUNGPYEONG, Gyeonggi Province ― Five office workers saddled up, trotting on horses until they were sweating and out of breath.They were employees of Samsung Electronics, enjoying their weekly outing to Gungpyeong Camp, an equestrian club in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.With the rising popularity of horseback riding, the camp served around 23,000 customers last year. “I resumed riding horses after a 10-year break, after I found out that my company had a horseback riding association organized by th
Jan. 3, 2014