Lee So-young, a 33-year-old office worker in Seoul, pictures herself spending her mornings 70 years from now listening to classical music and sipping on herbal tea. “I want to become a gracious granny who embraces the joy of life every moment,” she said. “Maybe I would still be able to travel the world.” Despite this rosy picture, she hesitated for a moment when asked of how she would prepare f...

South Korea’s population is rapidly aging, but the government appears to lack policies to deal with the demographic change. According to Moody’s, a global credit rating agency, a total of 13 countries including Korea will be categorized as “super aged” societies by 2030, meaning that more than one-fifth of the population will be over the age of 65. Last year, more than 12 percent of Korea’s 50 ...

Stepping inside Gangnam-gu Haengbok Convalescence Hospital, it is easy to mistake the property for some kind of leisure resort. There is a sauna, a beauty salon, as well as a cafe on top of its fully equipped physical therapy center. With colorful paintings on the walls and lush trees surrounding the grounds, the hospital has that modern and cozy, “home away from home” ambience. Located in Segok...

During the Stone Age, working until dying was the most common retirement plan. Many simply never lived past 40. In South Korea today, many retirees are choosing the same path, but not because life ends before retirement, but because life continues after retirement. The life expectancy for South Koreans born in 2012 is 81, according to the World Health Organization. The figure is expected to re...

Industries catering to senior citizens in Korea have been expanding at a rapid pace in recent years as the pensionable population grows. The market for goods and services geared toward the elderly is projected to grow at an annual average rate of 12.9 percent until 2020, according to a report by the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry, while the average overall growth rate is estimated to stay ...

Jindo Island is rich not only in historical and cultural traditions, but also gastronomy, according to locals and tourists who have visited the island over the years. Jindo residents claim that the best seafood in Korea is found on their island thanks to the strong sunlight and powerful sea currents. The region’s specialties ― laver, seaweed, abalone and green onion ― are often known, along with...

JINDO, South Jeolla Province ― A grueling 5-hour drive from Seoul seems to be a small price to pay for the chance to become immersed in this island’s majestic scenery of mist-shrouded cliffs hovering above a picturesque coastline. Jindo Island of South Jeolla Province is South Korea’s third-largest island. Despite being raised in the public consciousness for the recent Sewol ferry tragedy that l...

JINDO, South Jeolla Province ― Jindo County Governor Lee Dong-jin pledged to promote the region’s cultural assets and modernize the agriculture and fisheries sectors to get the local economy back on its feet. “We live in an age in which culture, art and even nature need to be commercialized in order to succeed. We plan to capitalize on Jindo Island’s unique cultural resources to get the economy ...

Just off the southwest corner of the Korean Peninsula, Jindo Island is a treasure house of ancient shamanism and folk culture, brimming with stories to tell. In the words of an old proverb, don’t boast your talent in calligraphy, painting, dancing and singing when you visit Jindo. The collection of some 230 small islets is full of rich cultural heritage. “Jindo used to be a land of exile for sc...

JINDO, South Jeolla Province ― As a successful businessman who owns a wedding hall and a photo studio, Cho Jae-yong, 37, is a motivated and a respected Jindo resident, who has built a thriving business based on his diligence and a strong human network. But he misses the good old days. “I ask myself every day, ‘What if I could go back to the night before April 16?’” Cho told The Korea Herald. Ap...

The government is gearing up to support the local economy of the Jindo area in South Jeolla Province, stricken by the tragic sinking of the Sewol ferry in April. From openly calling attention to the local tourism situation, to providing new marketplaces for local farmers and vendors, authorities are pulling out all the stops to help local residents overcome economic hardship and secure their liv...

Father You Heung-sik, bishop of the southern diocese of Daejeon, couldn’t believe his ears when he heard that Pope Francis, the leader of the 1.2 billion Roman Catholics worldwide, would be traveling to his diocese to attend a gathering of some 2,000 young believers. “This is a miracle. What else can I say?” said the priest who wrote to the pontiff several times to invite him to the sixth Asian ...

Pope Francis is to visit Seosomun Martyrs’ Shrine before presiding over the beatification Mass in Gwanghwamun Square on Aug. 16. Seosomun Martyrs’ Shrine occupies a central place in the history of Catholicism in Korea. During the 19th century, an estimated 10,000 Catholics were martyred across the country as a crackdown on Catholicism intensified amid power struggles, foreign intervention, and i...

DANGJIN, South Chungcheong Province ― Excitement over the pope’s visit prevails in South Chungcheong Province, with welcome placards hung at entrances of rural towns. Nestled in South Korea’s central region along the west coast, the province is usually not the most-visited tourist destination for Korean or foreign tourists. “We’ve never had a VIP guest like Pope Francis visit the region and I do...

Last year, a 6-year-old boy in a yellow shirt wandered up on the stage during Pope Francis’ address to the large crowd at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. The boy sat on the pope’s chair and hung out on the stage. He then clung onto the pope’s legs and refused to leave, even after promises of candy or cardinals’ other efforts to escort him away. The pope patted the boy’s head and gave him a g...