[Weekender] In hyper-connected Korea, a growing urge to unplug

Smartphones brought the world to our fingertips. But they have also brought endless notifications, social feeds and a deluge of information and distractions. Fatigue from this ever-persistent and ultra-fast connectivity has led to a growing interest in ‘digital detox’, or unplugging from the digital and online world, among South Koreans. Kim Young-jae, a 40-year-old office worker, felt a strong urge to disconnect recently. It was after the Oct. 29 Itaewon crowd crush which left 156 p

CultureNov. 12, 2022

[Weekender] Medicine for better college, does such panacea exist?

The annual Sunung, or College Scholastic Ability Test, that will decide the outcome of 12 years of education for many Korean teens is a month away. The test is a major event that pushes back working hours and the opening of the stock market by one hour, and even halts airplanes for 25 minutes for the English listening test. The Korean passion for academic achievements, coupled with Koreans’ obsession with health supplements, has given rise to a big market for supplements and traditional me

weekenderOct. 29, 2022

[Weekender] Mountain temples perfect place to enjoy autumn

As the temperature starts to drop, the heavy jackets come out from the depths of their closets and trees everywhere start to dress up in their seasonal flaming reds, dazzling yellows and brilliant oranges. With autumn in Korea seemingly getting shorter every year, travelers are gearing up and preparing to traverse the country to get the most out of the season at popular destinations for leaf peeping. With the fall foliage expected to be most spectacular from late October through early November,

TravelOct. 22, 2022

[Eye Plus] Korean dance embodies harmony, everyday life

Korean traditional dance is something that comes out “naturally” in the everyday life of Koreans, says Park So-young, a 28-year-old dancer of the National Dance Company of Korea. Park specializes in Korean dance at the national dance troupe, performing works inspired by traditional dances. She focuses on displaying the features of Korea’s traditional emotions and lifestyle into dance while seeking ways to share the tradition with contemporary audience. The young professional da

PerformanceOct. 22, 2022

[Weekender] Strong dollar, weak won: What does it mean for ordinary people?

Over the past year, the Korean currency has lost nearly 20 percent of its value against the dollar. A dollar is equal to about 1,429 won, according to the currency’s closing rate on Wednesday. But a year ago, you needed 19 percent less of the Korean currency, or 1,196.5 won, to buy a dollar. The won’s depreciation, driven largely by the dollar’s gains worldwide, has sent the exchange rate into a territory trodden only during major financial crises. A won-dollar rate above 1,400

Social AffairsOct. 15, 2022

[Eye Plus] Digging for answers

Chi Hye-seol was crouching down inside a pit 1 meter deep. With her face covered in dirt and one hand holding a "homi," a Korean hand plow, she was carefully digging. “I am looking for clues into the past that are deeply asleep under this dust,” said Chi, a senior student majoring in convergence archaeology at Korea National University of Cultural Heritage. When The Korea Herald met her on Sept. 30, she was working on an excavation at Hongsan-myeon, Buyeo, South Chungcheong

PeopleOct. 8, 2022

[Weekender] Drone's new mission: Light up the sky

Drone light shows are taking over local festivals and company promotion events as a new crowd pleaser. The small vehicles, equipped with colorful LED lights and capable of flying at speeds of 6 meters per second, quickly gather and scatter to form various shapes and relay messages, with the night sky serving as a black canvas. At one moment, the light-bearing quadcopters morph into a slow-moving whale and the next into an angry bull, dazzling spectators on the ground. South Korea is fast catchin

CultureOct. 8, 2022

[Weekender] Customize your image with fragrances at perfume 'gongbang'

“Perfume and fragrances are ways I can present myself as I want,” said 24-year-old Lee Seo-hyun, who frequently uses perfume craft workshops to create her own perfumes. For Lee, perfume is not just a luxury item, but a tool for self-expression. “I admire people who use perfumes skillfully. It feels like they really have a deep understanding about themselves," she said. Lee says that different perfumes convey different impressions of a person, ranging from tender to profess

weekenderOct. 2, 2022

[Temple to Table] Food and medicine come from same source: Napa cabbage and green chili pepper

Interestingly, what has been recorded about food in Buddhist scriptures significantly overlaps with the content of “Donguibogam (Principles and Practice of Eastern Medicine).” A scholar who researched and wrote a paper on Donguibogam was surprised to read another paper on temple food by the Ven. Seonjae because he found many similarities. The scholar said, “Heo Jun, the author of 'Donguibogam' and also the royal physician, visited temples and studied how monastics mai

weekenderOct. 2, 2022

[Weekender] Unseen sides of Busan shown at Busan Biennale 2022

BUSAN -- When you think of Busan, what comes to mind? While many would think of beaches in the port city, only a few would think of the hillside roads that connect villages and people from its surrounding regions. Sambok Road, a mountainside road in Choryang village that overlooks coastal areas, is one the venues of the Busan Biennale 2022. “I think what really defines Busan is this kind of winding mountainside road which is found across the city and little-known to people outside of Busan

Arts & DesignSept. 24, 2022

[Eye Plus] The song must go on, says gayageum byeongchang specialist

It was somewhat natural for Gi Yoo-jeong, a 30-year-old gayageum player, to turn to the Korean traditional twelve-string instrument. "My mom was a gayageum player, and I grew up listening to her playing it at home all the time. And naturally, I became one too,” she said. “My mom didn’t say a word about my career. It was solely at my will to play gayageum,” said Gi, as she played the instrument at her home. When she began to play gayageum, her first child Ji-an sat be

PeopleSept. 24, 2022

[Weekender] Built to inspire awe

In Seoul's southern district of Banpo, an apartment complex recently won a prize at the international iF Design Award 2022 in Germany, not for the design of its main building, but for its grand and magnificent front gate. Standing 8 meters tall and 70 meters long, the large curved entrance gate is the first impression of “the H Banpo La Class,” the apartment complex built by Hyundai E&C last year. At night, the massive structure is illuminated with more than 12,000 LED lights,

Social AffairsSept. 17, 2022

[Weekender] From eggs to stocks: Chuseok gifts evolve in reflection of the time

Shin Jeong-eum, a 61-year-old Seoulite, remembers her childhood when her family was delighted with beef wrapped in a simple paper package and a carton of eggs held together by straw as Chuseok gifts. As for her, Shin's favorite moments in the 1970s were receiving new clothes from her relatives as they celebrated the traditional mid-autumn harvest festival, honoring their ancestors. “Nowadays, it’s all about gifting luxury items and we can just send the gifts after purchasing them t

EconomySept. 9, 2022

[Temple to Table] Field of mountain herbs in mind: eosuri, ginseng sprouts

　 Manggyeongsansa in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, has gathered together in one place all the vegetables, both farm-grown and wild, needed to make temple food. 　The mountain herbs they grow with meticulous attention and care are not for sale but for giving away. 　They regard harmonious living with the local residents as the will of the Buddha. Temple food brings attention to the freshness of the ingredients and the simplicity of the seasoning. It seems simple to make, but it’s not. 　Manggy

weekenderSept. 3, 2022

Rare chance to explore forbidden caves

JEJU ISLAND -- Just when the temperature starts to dramatically drop and chill breeze blows from behind one’s back, in gradual darkness, a journey inside Jeju Island’s untouched Manjanggul cave begins. Two restricted zones of the 7.4-kilometer-long cave, formed by the island’s basalt lava flows, is to open for a special period during the annual World Heritage Festival. In its third edition, this year’s festival seeks to enrich and spread the experience of UNESCO World Nat

weekenderSept. 3, 2022

Discover bulgogi prepared three different ways

  Although hansik has diversified in its taste and form over time, bulgogi still remains the top dish that comes to mind when Korean cuisine is mentioned. The mouthwatering grilled meat dish, made of beef or pork, derives from a simple compound word of “bul,” meaning fire, and “gogi,” meaning meat. Traditionally, because of the time and effort involved in making bulgogi, it was a special dish cooked at family gatherings or when inviting guests for a feast. The meat i

weekenderSept. 3, 2022

[Weekender] Younger generations lead a Korean tennis boom

Tennis, once considered in Korea as a sport of the middle-aged, is gaining popularity among younger generations seeking a more affordable outdoor sport with more "Instagrammable" moments. The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to its rising popularity as well. After a long period of the pandemic, people began looking for active sports that they could play with a small number of people, partly to sidestep social distancing measures. Kim, a 31-year-old woman living in Seoul, says she started

weekenderSept. 3, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents ‘Feeling Lucky at JW’ package for Chuseok holiday JW Marriott Hotel Seoul celebrates the Chuseok holiday with a promotion created for guests seeking a luxury hotel staycation without leaving the city. The package is available for four days only, for stays from Sept. 9 to 12. The package features a luxury stay in a choice of a deluxe room or Griffin Suite, as well as entry in a raffle with prizes including a Migak teaware set by Korean ceramic brand

FoodSept. 2, 2022

[Weekender] Sleep-deprived Korea

Whether chasing a lifestyle of low sleep and high output or due to the sleep deprivation synonymous with parenthood, many South Koreans are sleep-deprived. For Kim Yu-ri, a nurse in her 30s with two children, sleep has long been a luxury. Raising a 3-year-old and 1-year-old while commuting two hours daily from home in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, to Jamsil in Seoul, her days are already overpacked. “I think seven hours of sleep at night is what I really need, but it never seems to be a po

TechnologyAug. 27, 2022

[Weekender] The mundane job of teaching AI about the real world

  Tech evangelists say artificial intelligence and robots will one day liberate humans from simple and repetitive physical or cognitive tasks.  But before we are all freed from the tedium of such chores, AI first needs an army of patient workers to teach it the subtleties of the real world, such as how to differentiate between a cat and a dog.  Known as data labelers or data annotators, these workers handle large amounts of raw data, made up of images, videos or audio record

TechnologyAug. 20, 2022