[Korea Quiz] Kim Jong-un's past

Find the answer at the bottom of the page. North Korea’s Kim Jong-un is the leader of the most reclusive country in the world, but it has not always been that way. The youngest son of late Kim Jong-il, the former leader of the totalitarian communist state, he attended the Liebefeld Steinholzli school near Bern, Switzerland in the late 1990s. No one at the time knew that he was a son of the North Korean dictator, as he was disguised as a son of an employee at the North Korean embassy. His

March 22, 2023

[Land of Squid Game] Never call me by my name

Not calling people by their given names is considered a part of Korean manners. In fact, doing otherwise is considered very disrespectful for some Koreans unless they are either in a close relationship with that person or they have a higher relative position. Most of the time, Koreans use titles when addressing one another, as in, Manager Kim or Director Lee. Relatively few people who are close to you will call you only by your given name. In professional settings especially, refrain from callin

March 21, 2023

[Korean Dilemma] Swearing on TV: How sensitive, or sensible, should we be?

Last week, a home shopping channel host blurted out an expletive on air. Upon mounting complaints from viewers, the nation’s broadcast media watchdog demanded an explanation from the channel before it decides on disciplinary action. The wealthy villains of the Korean revenge drama “The Glory,” which became one of Netflix’s most-viewed shows of all time less than a week after its season 2 release, hurl the most offensive swearwords almost every time they speak. Upon hearin

March 21, 2023

[Hello Hangeul] Korean language teachers persevere to help learners around globe

Korean used to be a language spoken only on the Korean Peninsula and by nearly 10 million Koreans overseas. But in recent years, it has become one of the fastest-growing choices for foreign language learners around the world, thanks to the sweeping, universal appeal of Korean dramas, shows and pop music. Behind the rapid increase of learners are committed teachers with the passion to help earnest young people pursue their dreams despite various predicaments. Their pay depends on the country or t

March 19, 2023

Korea's luxury fever nurtures label-loving kids

In Netflix's hit drama “The Glory,” the mother-in-law of the main villain, Yeon-jin who led the bullying against protagonist Dong-eun in high school, dressed her newborn granddaughter in a red Gucci onesie. Even though the baby would grow out of the clothes in a matter of weeks, she swaddled her grandkid with luxury clothes, saying, “You need to stand at a different starting line to get ahead of others.” While not to the extreme of the fictional character, the same b

March 19, 2023

[Korean History] Kim Dae-jung kidnapping: How future Nobel laureate nearly fell victim to junta

Kim Dae-jung, an opposition leader with a knack for public speeches, was the biggest threat to the military junta led by Park Chung-hee. Later, he served as the President of South Korea and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. This file photo from 1973 was originally published in The Korea Herald.An opposition leader was abducted while in exile in a foreign land. His captors bound him up and weighed him down with heavy stones, preparing to throw him from a ship into the sea. It was then that fate

March 16, 2023

[Korea Quiz] Don't call me that

Roughly equivalent to madam or ma’am, "ajumma" is, according to the National Institution of Korean Language, an informal way of saying "ajumeoni," an appellation for middle-aged women. For the unmarried women, being called an ajumma can be considered an insult because it implies that she no longer looks like an “agassi,” a single, young woman. Even those who fit the dictionary definition of ajumma -- married with children -- often express their dislike f

March 15, 2023

[Survive & Thrive] Naturalization exam: How difficult is it?

To become a naturalized citizen of South Korea, applicants must have a basic knowledge of the Korean language, customs and culture, which is evaluated through a written test and an interview. The Korea Immigration and Naturalization Aptitude Test comprises of multiple-choice questions, a writing test and an oral test, which must be completed within 60 minutes. To pass, one must score at least 60 points out of 100. According to the Justice Ministry, Korean children in the fourth to sixth grades s

March 14, 2023

'Banner politics' plaguing the streets

Last month, a college student on an e-scooter fell after her neck got caught on a thin rope from a political banner that was tied to a post, at a crossroad at around 9 p.m. in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon. The vocal music major suffered an abrasion on her neck. She said she didn’t see the rope as it was too dark. Anyone who has passed through an intersection in South Korea, especially in Seoul, would have noticed large political banners, as well as many other placards advertising various businesses

March 14, 2023

[Newsmaker] [What should I call you?] Will 'nim' do?

Honorific titles can be tricky in many cultures, but can be particularly baffling in South Korea -- where various factors like social status, age, work experience and even social prejudice can be factored in. This series delves into the myriad of ways people address each other in the Korean language. -- Ed. President Yoon Suk Yeol scrapped Korea’s traditional way of counting age, in which a person is considered one at birth, and grows a year older on the first day of the new year. The re

March 14, 2023

[Land of Squid Game] Refusing gently

Koreans don't like to say “no” directly because they don't want to hurt the other person's feelings. They might give out some non-verbal cues to convey their refusal or disagreement. To avoid confrontation or rudeness, Korean conversations, as you might have seen in many K-dramas, are full of “Maybe...”, “I think it's possible that…” However, some foreigners who are accustomed to hearing a “no” that means “no”

March 14, 2023

[Subway Stories] Take subway to Eden, pockets of nature in Seoul

Seoul, Korea’s bustling capital full of gridlocked streets and mile-high concrete buildings, is in fact the perfect city to bask in nature without having to travel very far. Covered with 6,685 hectares of forests, the heart of Korea boasts various urban parks surrounded by forests with sprawling trees and colorful flowers, most of which can be reached by subway. The following are some of the forest parks popular among Seoulites who crave a detox from the city. Seoul Forest A five-minute wa

March 13, 2023

[Korean Dilemma] Bracing for super-aging society

Imagine 2050. Two out of five people in South Korea will be aged 65 or above. You will see more older people on self-driving buses and trains, although they may look much younger than those of their age now. More young people will be engaged in businesses that serve the old, like health care, clubs and cruise ships. Yet, the government and media are tormented by the notion that there will be too few young people to support the old. In a country where so many social problems stem from cutthroat c

March 11, 2023

[Weekender] Envisioning Korea in 2070 in births, deaths, marriages and immigration

A dynamic, cutthroat society that never rests -- that has been South Korea until now. Changes have taken place in this Asian country in recent decades at speeds no other nation could follow: from poverty to prosperity, from the ruins of colonial occupation and civil war to becoming a rising cultural superpower on the international stage. But at the same breakneck pace, Korea is leading the world into a future where the majority live past 90 years old and fewer people are working to keep the econ

March 11, 2023

[Korean History] The short-lived inter-Korean detente during early '70s

The 1970s was apparently an embodiment of paradox. The world’s two superpowers were at fierce competition with one another while also engaging in detente diplomacy on the surface amid a proxy war in Vietnam dragging on through the first half of the decade. On the Korean Peninsula, the two Koreas -- separated by the 38th parallel -- agreed on their first-ever accord, only to be followed by the most volatile confrontations. The July 4 South-North Joint Statement, or Communique of 1972, was t

March 8, 2023

[Korea Quiz] 'Winter Sonata,' the beginning of Hallyu

Find the answer at the bottom of the page. You may have discovered Korean dramas through Netflix. But well before the advent of streaming platforms, they were the main driver of Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, across Asia. And many say the phenomenon of the global popularity of Korean drama, music and pop culture was pioneered by 2002 KBS TV drama hit "Winter Sonata." The series has all the landmark cliches of K-drama. It tells the love story of Joon-sang, a businessman played by act

March 8, 2023

[Land of Squid Game] Covering up at the beach

Koreans tend to be very careful about their skin, which is why, for example, they use parasols in sunny weather. This carefulness extends to when they go to the beach as well. When visiting a beach here, people from overseas who enjoy the sun may be surprised to see how much skin Koreans cover up. It's common to see people wearing wide-brimmed hats and rash guards to protect their arms and legs from the sun. Min Byoung-chul is an endowed chair professor at Chung-Ang University's Busi

March 7, 2023

[Newsmaker] Crime victims, socially stigmatized open up on YouTube

Ondoni Ssem was previously just another popular fitness instructor on YouTube. But her online identity changed overnight when she uploaded a video late last month. In the video, she revealed herself to be the sole survivor of an infamous familicide that happened in Seoul’s satellite city of Yongin in 2017, in which her stepbrother killed her father, stepmother and younger brother. With her confession, the YouTuber with over 200,000 subscribers joined a growing group of individuals who are

March 6, 2023

[Hello Hangeul] Does it pay off to become fluent in Korean?

Mastering a foreign language requires a long-term commitment that can take years. Without the promise of it becoming a valuable asset to your professional or personal life, it can be difficult to stay committed. What are the rewards for attaining fluency in Korean? Will the time and energy learners put into learning the language pay off in some way other than being able to watch K-dramas without subtitles? To explore the benefits of learning Korean further, The Korea Herald spoke to four non-Kor

March 5, 2023

[Korean History] Daeyeongak Hotel fire, a nightmare on Christmas

On Christmas morning in 1971, a devastating fire broke out at the 21-story Daeyeongak Hotel in Seoul. It was filled with locals and foreigners who had spent Christmas Eve at the lavish hotel, which had only opened two years prior. When the blaze was finally brought under control after nearly eight hours, it was unclear immediately how many lives had been lost. Although over 100 were rescued, a far larger number was feared to have been killed. The next day's front page of The Korea Herald is

March 2, 2023