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[AtoZ into Korean mind] Why Koreans feel compelled to stay busy -- or at least look like it
“You must have been very busy lately.” So starts many a conversation as a polite kind of South Korean icebreaker, often after having not met someone for quite a while. Responding to it by correcting its speaker with one's actual level of busyness is generally not advised. In practice, the ideal response would be, “You must be far busier than me,” redirecting the statement back to the speaker to compliment them on their relative societal importance, thereby boosting
Hashtag Korea Jan. 28, 2024
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S. Korean food agency warns against eating … toothpicks, seriously
South Korea's food and drug safety authorities on Wednesday issued a warning not to eat toothpicks -- specifically the green ones made of corn starch. In response to a growing social media trend of cooking and eating the toothpicks, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said the starched toothpicks are supposed to be used only for sanitary purposes. The officials explained that the toothpicks are hygiene items, just like cups and straws, and are not subject to the safety regulations that app
Social Affairs Jan. 24, 2024
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[Pressure points] Grilling meat on apartment balcony: right or public nuisance?
It might seem an ordinary domestic scene -- a picture of someone grilling pork belly on the enclosed balcony of their apartment -- but it touched off a storm of debate. The person who uploaded the photo said a neighbor living above them had taken exception to the smell and smoke coming from the barbecuing downstairs. Expressing bewilderment about how grilling in one’s own home could be deemed inappropriate, the anonymous poster posed the question: “Was this really a public nuisan
Hashtag Korea Jan. 23, 2024
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Seoul doubles personnel to protect vulnerable amid cold
In response to the severe cold, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has doubled its personnel to protect the safety of vulnerable groups, its officials said Tuesday. Since the cold wave warning was issued at 9 p.m. Sunday, a total of 124 city workers, up from the usual 50, have been dispatched to carry out emergency response and relief tasks, with a particular focus on people without homes, who are highly susceptible to harsh weather conditions. The daily low in Seoul plunged to minus 14 degrees
Social Affairs Jan. 23, 2024
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Which item is lost the most among train users?
Train users are most prone to forgetting their bags on trains or at train stations, data showed on Monday. According to state-run railway operator Korea Railroad Corp., the total number of lost items found on trains and at train stations nationwide reached 247,225 last year, marking an on-year increase of 51.9 percent. The translates to an average of 677 lost belongings daily. Breaking down the list of lost property, bags topped the list, accounting for about 15 percent of the total, followed by
Social Affairs Jan. 22, 2024
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Snow disrupts Youth Olympics in Gangwon; Cold wave alert issued in Seoul
Heavy snowfall pounded the mountainous Gangwon Province on Sunday, where the Winter Youth Olympics are underway, disrupting outdoor competitions and scheduled side events. In the capital Seoul, a cold wave advisory was to take effect from 9 p.m. Sunday, with a significant decline in temperatures expected throughout Monday and Tuesday. According to the Games’ official website, the starting time of the men’s super-G final for Alpine skiing, originally to be held in Jeongseon at 1:30 p.
More Sports Jan. 21, 2024
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99-year-olds in Seocho-gu honored with W1m
Seoul’s southern district of Seocho has started providing one million won ($745) in longevity cash bonuses to its 99-year-old residents, the district office said Thursday. Starting this year, adults aged 99, or born in 1925, with their residential registration in Seocho-gu, for at least one year, are eligible to receive the cash gift to commemorate their long lives. Additionally, this particular district office will extend the same financial benefits to those aged over 100 -- only for this
Social Affairs Jan. 18, 2024
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Mystery deepens in case of woman found in Han River
"There is a person in the river, but they are not moving.” When the report came in Saturday evening, it seemed to be suggesting a tragic accident or yet another case of suicide in the Han River. But when police arrived on the scene around 8:24 p.m., about 17 minutes after receiving the report, the situation took a grim turn. Floating motionlessly near the Olympic Bridge in Seoul’s Gwangjin-gu was a young woman, with a knife lodged in her chest. Despite initial circumstances th
Social Affairs Jan. 11, 2024
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Half of Busan residents over 50 years old
Nearly half of the population in Busan, South Korea’s second largest city, is over age 50, a report compiling statistics on those over 50 in Busan showed, Wednesday. The report by Busan Metropolitan City revealed that, as of 2022, 46.5 percent of the city’s population, totaling 1.53 million, belongs to the age group of 50 and above. The figure breaks down into two subgroups: approximately 830,000 residents who are age 50 to 65, and the remaining 702,000 residents who are aged 65 or
Social Affairs Jan. 10, 2024
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[AtoZ into Korean mind] 'Aegyo': The psyche behind childlike adults
“Cuteness or charm, esp. of a sort considered characteristic of Korean popular culture. Also: behavior regarded as cute, charming or adorable. Cf. kawaii n.” – Oxford English Dictionary Ever encountered someone deliberately using or prolonging their “ng” or “o” sounds to sound cute? Like saying, “hajang,” instead of “haja” (let’s do it). This intentional mispronunciation, akin to baby talk, functions as one form of "
Hashtag Korea Jan. 9, 2024
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One in two Koreans physically inactive: report
Almost half of Korean adults are not moving their bodies enough, failing to meet the physical activity standards set by the World Health Organization, a health report revealed on Sunday. According to the “Physical Activity Guidelines for Koreans Revised Edition,” released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as of 2021, 47.1 percent of Korean adults fell short of recommended physical activity levels, compared to the global average of 72 percent who meet the WHO's recommended p
Social Affairs Jan. 7, 2024
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[LLG] It's complicated: Our love-hate relationship with Seoul
It is the pulsating heart of everything – from business and fashion trends to education and culture. Seoul's dynamic energy is infectious, drawing people from all corners of the country and beyond. Yet, the city is also a place where life is often consumed like a commodity, where the pace of life operates in overdrive. We asked nine people whose lives have intersected with the city what Seoul meant to them. A family’s ticket to wealth Kim Hee-yong’s move to Seoul 1 1/2
Hashtag Korea Jan. 2, 2024
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In nation of heavy drinkers, a thriving business of hangover cures
"I really shouldn't have drunk so much last night” is a common reflection worldwide the morning after a night of indulgence. In Korea, this sentiment often includes an additional regret: “I should have at least taken one of those hangover cures." As one of the world’s heaviest drinking nations -- particularly of liquor -- this Northeast Asian country has a thriving market for hangover remedies, available in all imaginable forms, flavors and price points. A typica
Hashtag Korea Dec. 31, 2023
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More strollers sold for furry companions than infants
In perhaps yet another sign of the country's declining number of births, South Korea’s largest online marketplace reported Monday that sales of pet strollers exceeded those of baby strollers for the first time this year. According to Gmarket, of the total strollers sold on the platform during the first three quarters of this year, those for pet animals accounted for 57 percent, while those for babies constituted the remaining 43 percent. This situation marks a notable change from pr
Social Affairs Dec. 25, 2023
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[Weekender] From hearth to oven: Coal mining history baked into ‘yeontan’ bread
SABUK, Gangwon Province -- “Never kick a lump of used coal briquette; has your heart ever burned for someone?” reads one of the most beloved Korean poems by poet Ahn Do-hyun. The resonance of this three-line-stanza poem in Korean draws its depth from the commonplace “yeontan” -- the perforated, cylindrical briquettes that fueled the hearths of most Korean households in the mid- to late- 1900s. A few years ago, the symbolic power of yeontan became a hit for 37-year-
Hashtag Korea Dec. 23, 2023
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