Most Popular
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Korea enters full election mode
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Immigrant woman stabbed to death by Korean husband
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Seoul bus drivers go on general strike, cause morning rush hour delays
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Lee Jong-sup resigns as envoy to Australia
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Yellow dust engulfs S. Korea, advisory alert issued
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Official campaigning kicks off for April 10 elections
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S. Korea to boost support for single-parent families
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Court upholds jail term for man who attempted to murder ex-girlfriend
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Kia EV9 wins world car of year
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Korea misses out on global bond index boost
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[Weekender] Book lovers’ paradise
With the popularity of book clubs and independent bookstores here, libraries and stores are offering seminars, lectures and even drinks inspired by novels, taking the literary experience to a new level. Here are some of the best spots for bookworms to explore the literary world in Korea. Starfield LibraryLocated inside Starfield Coex Mall in GangnamThe 2,800-square-meter library, which opened in May, features some 50,000 books on towering two-story bookshelves. It is located at the center of the
Social AffairsNov. 10, 2017
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[Weekender] Taking reading to a new level
When it comes to books and reading culture, South Korea has many reasons for pessimism: Book consumption is at a 10-year low and only 35 percent of Korean adults finish a single title a year. But this does not mean that there are no avid readers here. On the contrary, a trend is emerging among local bookworms, with book clubs and community-oriented independent bookstores connecting readers. Trevari is at the heart of this trend. The venture organizes and manages book clubs for a four-month fee o
Social AffairsNov. 10, 2017
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[Weekender] Meet change-makers in corporate world
A picture of President Moon Jae-in kneeling to pay his respect to the dead during the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement ceremony went viral online this year. It became a talked about issue not just because the ceremony was held a week after the presidential election, but because of a pair of the president’s old shoes that were exposed to cameras. The shoes that Moon has worn since 2012 were made by a small social enterprise set up by the blind and the hearing-impaired. But even with Cheong
IndustryOct. 29, 2017
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[Weekender] Tycoon’s unusual dream
For Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, it all started with one question. For years, the second-generation chaebol scion was seeking a way to inherit his father’s legacy of nurturing scientists and scholars for the nation’s future. Though SK was making social donations and running corporate responsibility programs under his lead, Chey wasn’t sure whether those outreach efforts -- worth billions of dollars a year -- were making any progress in society, where problems of unemployment and the incom
IndustryOct. 27, 2017
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[Weekender] Heyground provides safe community for social ventures
Step into the lobby of Heyground and it‘s like falling through a rabbit hole.The building’s sleek tile floors, stylish neon signs and hoodied entrepreneurs zooming around on electric scooters seem worlds apart from the surrounding industrial sights of Seongsu-dong in eastern Seoul.“We call it the scrap metal view,” joked Jeong Da-hyun, a manager at impact ecosystem builder Root Impact, looking out the floor-to-ceiling window from the seventh floor. “It’s got its own charm.”The Heyground building
IndustryOct. 27, 2017
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[Weekender] Playground shortage hits low-income families
Children in Korea, especially those living in low-income areas, are missing out on play opportunities because of a shortage of accessible playgrounds, according to a report by Save the Children Korea on Sept. 5.The lack of safe open spaces in urban areas means play options for children from low-income families are lackluster, it said. They often cannot afford pay-per-use playgrounds or the kids cafes now proliferating across cities. Many playgrounds in poorer residential areas also have been clo
CultureOct. 20, 2017
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[Weekender] Falling in love with baking at specialty kids cafes
For tired parents and bored children, kids cafes have become a top option to spend family time in Korea. Since the concept was first introduced into the country in the late 2000s, the themes of the cafes also have evolved. Most kids cafes these days feature specific themes, such as racing, swimming and crafting. The interior of Bonbon Kids Goyang (Park Ju-young/The Korea Herald)Baking kids cafes are part of the fast-growing kids cafe businesses in general, targeting children and their parents. B
CultureOct. 20, 2017
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[Weekender] Parents with children go for alternative space to relax
Korea is witnessing a boom in the kids cafe business due partly to a shortage of space in which parents with young children can idle away the time. A handful of big shopping malls have noticed the potential for such demand and are taking steps to catch up. One case in point is Starfield shopping mall, which recently opened in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, just west of Seoul. The mega shopping center comes with a variety of children-friendly stores to allow families to spend a day together.While sho
CultureOct. 20, 2017
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[Weekender] More than just a playground
Son Tae-wook, a father of an 8-year-old, thinks kids cafes have become indispensable for both children and adults in Korea. Son has raised his daughter with trips to kids cafes since she was 3 years old.“There aren’t enough play spaces for children in the urban environment. And the world isn’t safe enough to let kids just frolic about on their own outside,” Son said. News of children abducted and inappropriately touched at public playgrounds has raised alarm among parents, many of whom dote over
CultureOct. 20, 2017
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[Weekender] Busan film fest beckons film buffs, star gazers
Since its founding in 1996, the Busan International Film Festival has marked the transition from summer to fall in Korea. Asia’s largest film festival is screening some 298 films from 75 countries from Thursday to Oct. 21 this year. The main categories are New Currents, which awards the two best feature films by up-and-coming Asian directors; Gala Presentation, the screening of works by master filmmakers; and A Window on Asian Cinema, which showcases films that push boundaries by Asian directors
FilmOct. 13, 2017
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[Weekender] Hop on the subway to delve into K-pop, nature and history
With a long Chuseok holiday starting this Saturday, it’s almost certain that roads and highways will be jam-packed with honking cars. Rather than stress out sitting in crawling traffic, there is another option for a getaway: Hop on the subway, roam around Seoul and visit places you’ve never been. For your convenience, The Korea Herald has sorted Seoul attractions that are reachable by subway.K-pop hot spots K-Live (Korea Tourism Organization)For fans of K-pop, there are spots around Seoul where
CultureSept. 29, 2017
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[Weekender] Holiday getaway near metropolis
The long holiday is an opportune time to take leave of the mundane city life for an exciting getaway. The problem is that everyone else thinks so too, and getting transportation or accommodation for a trip can be near impossible. Majority of the Korean population is expected to move during the upcoming Chuseok holiday, which will be 10 days long including the weekends, and nobody likes being stuck in traffic for 10 hours.For those residing in Seoul, finding things to do within a stone’s throw fr
CultureSept. 29, 2017
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[Weekender] Alone on Chuseok holiday?
Koreans this year will enjoy the longest Chuseok holiday ever, stretching from Sept. 30 until Oct. 9 for many people. And many young Koreans are opting to spend at least a portion of the mini-vacation alone, surveys show. Six out of 10 twenty-somethings said they will be spending the holiday alone, according a survey of 1,190 people conducted by part-time job listing portal site Alba Chunkuk Tuesday. The reasons behind the solo-holiday were part-time jobs at 27.2 percent and the stress of relati
CultureSept. 29, 2017
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[Weekender] 4,000 kilometers of business and pleasure
After its first expressway -- the 28.8 kilometer Seoul-Incheon route -- was built in 1968, South Korea set about rapidly expanding its highway network. Two years later, the new decade saw the completion of the Seoul-Busan expressway -- a project personally overseen by late President Park Chung-hee and often considered a milestone in Korea’s industrialization. Since then, the network of highways have expanded to over 4,000 kilometers, and nearly 700 kilometers of new and extensions will be added
Social AffairsSept. 22, 2017
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[Weekender] Rest stops become tourist attractions in South Korea
Rest stops are an essential part of a highway system, offering drivers chances to gas up, use the restroom or just stretch their legs on long trips. But increasingly in South Korea, these roadside establishments offer something a little extra, becoming tourist attractions in their own right. South Korea’s 4,000-kilometer highway system boasts 189 rest areas, which last year generated a combined 1.3 trillion won ($1.1 billion) in revenue, up 13 percent from 2014. From local delicacies, traditiona
TravelSept. 22, 2017
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[Weekender] Mystery snack sellers on clogged highways explained
In the middle of a traffic jam on a highway, snack vendors holding bags of puffed rice snacks weave through vehicles that stand bumper to bumper. This scene is familiar to many in South Korea with the experience of being stuck on a congested highway on weekends or major holidays. “When I was younger, it took some 10 hours to go to Mokpo where my grandparents live during the holidays. We were stuck on the clogged road for hours, moving at the speed of tortoises,” said Lee Jin-hee, a 35-year-old o
PoliticsSept. 22, 2017
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[Weekender] Korean cosmetics companies vie for growing anti-aging market
Vying for the bigger pie in the lucrative and fast-growing anti-aging cosmetics market, Korean companies are spewing out reinvented products and brands using more natural ingredients and less chemicals. According to data compiled by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the production volume of functional cosmetics products by Korean cosmetics companies in 2016 increased by 15.3 percent on-year to reach 4.4 trillion won ($3.9 billion). Of the total functional cosmetics production, the production
IndustrySept. 8, 2017
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[Weekender] In search of youth
The term “babyface” has far wider connotations in the modern era than as a nickname for boxers and legendary bank robbers. Saying someone has a babyface may be the biggest compliment one can pay in a society that seems determined to stay forever young.Koreans enjoy a reputation for being well-groomed, with the country ranking No. 3 in the world in the number of cosmetic procedures done and No. 5 in the number of plastic surgeons, according to 2015 data by the International Society of Aesthetic P
TechnologySept. 8, 2017
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[Weekender] Secret to reversing aging? Think again
As people age, so do their looks. In the hopes of reversing the ravages of time, a growing number of people are willing to pay for the privilege: The anti-aging industry in South Korea is expected to gross more than 28.3 trillion won ($25.1 billion) by 2020. Yet aging is a natural process of life, and experts warn against manipulating the pace using therapies that have not yet been proven to have significant benefits. 123rfA growing number of beauty clinics across the nation are offering stem ce
TechnologySept. 8, 2017
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[Weekender] Earphones becoming standalone, convenient and smarter
In the premium earphone market traditionally dominated by high-end audio producers, smartphone giants have jumped into the race by integrating with their advanced handset technologies. Global smartphone makers Apple, Sony, Samsung and LG are luring music lovers with more standalone, convenient and smarter earphones, moving beyond sound quality by removing wires, adopting ergonomically designed headsets and integrating with software in their smartphones. Bundled, high-end earphones for smartphone
IndustrySept. 1, 2017