Most Popular
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Seoul vows strong action against NK trash balloons
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Controversy ignites over regulation of online entertainment shows
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N. Korea sends some 720 more trash-carrying balloons to S. Korea, continues GPS jamming for 5 days
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Yoon OKs exploratory drilling for 'massive' oil, gas reserve in East Sea
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Korea bets big on gas, oil prospects in East Sea
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China lands on moon's far side in historic sample retrieval mission
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Korea, US, Japan to kick off 1st trilateral exercises this year
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[Graphic news] S. Korea's children get taller
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Jin of BTS to meet fans on group's debut anniversary post-military discharge
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Jirisan bear sighting raises concerns: experts reassure public on low attack risk
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[Weekender] Political satire under threat
Only a month ago, the terror attack in Paris against satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo that claimed more than a dozen lives sent the world into shock. What was rather shocking for university professor Lee Dong-yeon, however, was the level of political satire allowed in French society.“France has respected political satire, viewing it as a right for free speech,” said Lee, who teaches Korean traditional art at Korea National University of Arts. “In Korea, however, there are certain subjects that c
Social AffairsFeb. 27, 2015
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[Weekender] A sword that cuts both ways
Satire, which was pushed to the fore following the Charlie Hebdo affair in January, is an irreverent art form that intends to shock, provoke and offend, aiming to elicit a change in perspective through sometimes taboo representations.But the shock and grief in the wake of the Jan. 7 Paris shootings was accompanied by considerable anger by more moderate Muslims. Their reaction to the cartoons showed that satire is a double-edged sword that can be used against marginalized people, and should there
Social AffairsFeb. 27, 2015
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[Weekender] ‘Spirit of March 1 movement lives on’
This Sunday, South Korea marks the 96th anniversary of the March 1 independence movement in which millions of people across the peninsula waved their national flag and bravely rose up against Japan’s colonial rule in 1919.Though nearly a century has passed since the campaign pushed for the noble causes of self-determination, liberty and humanity, its sprit still lives on and can help address today’s conflicts on the peninsula and beyond, according to Kim Hak-joon, president of the state-funded N
Foreign AffairsFeb. 27, 2015
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[Weekender] Get in the mood for Seollal
Seollal, or the Lunar New Year, is one of the few times in Korea when tradition comes out from behind its ultramodern facade and to the fore. During the holiday, which this year falls on Feb. 18-20, most Koreans rekindle with distant family members and pay respects to one’s ancestors through “charye,” offering up a table full of food on the first morning of the New Year. Koreans and foreigners exchange Lunar New Year greetings. (The Korea Herald)Aside from the ancestral rite, one of the most com
CultureFeb. 13, 2015
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[Weekender] Lunar New Year entertainment guide
After eating a bowl of tteokguk (rice-cake soup) and giving older family members a big bow on Seollal, chances are you will consider seeing a movie, a TV show or both, during the five-day holiday.From local family-friendly flicks to beloved animations and star-studded variety shows, here’s the handy guide to this year’s Seollal holiday entertainment on the small and silver screens.Movies For those searching for local films to watch with their family, the comedy flick “Detective K: Secret of the
FilmFeb. 13, 2015
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[Weekender] Celebrating holiday with tradition
The Lunar New Year holiday is a great opportunity for locals and expats to experience traditional Korean activities. For those who are at a loss for how to spend these five days off, we suggest you take advantage of the various holiday promotions being offered at cultural sites around Korea. The National Gugak Center’s folk music group giving a “pangut” percussion performance (National Gugak Center)Palaces, tombs and games On Feb. 19, Lunar New Year’s Day, the Cultural Heritage Administration wi
CultureFeb. 13, 2015
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[Weekender] Record number of Chinese tourists to visit Korea
As Koreans empty the usually bustling streets of Seoul, spending the Lunar New Year holiday with parents and relatives, their travel-loving neighbors from China will surge in.This year, an unprecedented number of Chinese tourists are expected to arrive. The country hopes to greet some 126,000 Chinese visitors for the Lunar New Year holiday starting next week, up by 30 percent from the previous year, according to the state-run Korea Tourism Organization. A Lotte duty-free shop in Seoul is crowded
TravelFeb. 13, 2015
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[Weekender] Abe shamed by attempt to whitewash atrocities
International criticism is escalating over Tokyo’s apparent attempts to whitewash its wartime wrongdoings as a group of U.S. historians issued a strong protest against the moves, arguing no government has the right to “censor history.”In a joint statement, a group of 19 American scholars decried Tokyo’s recent request for a U.S. publisher to change the description of the issue of the “comfort women” ― a euphemistic term referring to Asians forced into sexual servitude by Japan during World War I
Foreign AffairsFeb. 6, 2015
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[Weekender] The changing landscape of Korea’s housing market
Owning a house or an apartment used to be a symbol of not only wealth, but also pride and security for an average salaried worker. A couple of decades ago, to buy and live in a dream house of four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a veranda, an ordinary income earner was able to come up with the money in five to seven years.South Korea’s unique real estate financing system called jeonse made this possible especially in the double-digit interest rate era until the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.Jeonse lea
Feb. 6, 2015
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[Weekender] Jeonse, a keystone of Korea’s economic history
Jeonse, a system that allows people to rent houses with a lump-sum deposit and no monthly payments, is a real estate system unique to South Korea.The system arose due to the lack of mortgage availability in Korea, which pushed people to turn to jeonse as a form of private financing, and spurred by the general expectation for rising real estate prices, which allows property owners to profit without charging interest.But some claim that the history of jeonse dates back to before industrialization
Feb. 6, 2015
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[Weekender] Gosiwon reflects changing housing culture
In terms of uniquely Korean housing culture, one can’t leave out the humblest abode: the “gosiwon,” a low-cost, sparsely furnished, month-to-month rental room that does not require a deposit.The hallway of a typical gosiwon (jointroom.com)A typical gosiwon room, with basic furniture squeezed into about 4 square meters (gosiwonhome.com)A gosiwon, a residential room as tiny as 3.5 square meters, is furnished with a desk, bookshelf and bed. The business originally took off to temporarily accommodat
Feb. 6, 2015
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[Weekender] Restaurants ride on superfoods boom
“Superfood” is not a scientific term. It is a marketing term for nutrient-rich food and a growing number of food-makers and restaurants are adopting the word in their sales and marketing strategies. Korea’s top hotel restaurants and food franchises agree that true superfoods share something more than just nutrition. While this year’s superfoods are not necessarily “better” than those of a decade ago, they are seasonal, fresh, and preferably grown locally. Locally grown fresh seaweed and shellfis
IndustryJan. 30, 2015
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[Weekender] Health benefits of locally grown seasonal foods
Eating seasonally and locally is a great way to maintain a healthy diet, observes a veteran food consultant and Korea’s first accredited vegetable sommelier. “To me, superfoods are local foods grown in season. They taste better, are cheaper and rich in nutrition,” Kim Eun-kyung, president of the Korea Vegetable Sommelier Association, told The Korea Herald.The 49-year-old fruit and veggie guru said that fruit and vegetables eaten in season have a higher phytochemical content and contain more nutr
FoodJan. 30, 2015
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[Weekender] Multigrains imports sharply increase
As Koreans have become more health-conscious over the past few years, the popularity of superfoods, particularly internationally renowned multigrains like quinoa, has increased across the country. According to Lotte Mart, sales of imported grains in the first half of 2014 increased by 330 percent compared to the same period a year ago. Here are some of Korea’s favorite grains.QuinoaQuinoa hails from the Andes, and is referred to as “the grain of the gods.” According to Japan’s Ministry of Educat
IndustryJan. 30, 2015
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[Weekender] Korean foods gain recognition abroad
While Koreans are increasingly consuming imported superfoods, there are also some Korean foods that are recognized overseas for their nutritional benefits. Here are some homegrown foods that have been mentioned in foreign publications over the past few years for their health benefits. SeaweedIn a story covering Wando Seaweed Festival, held in Korea last September, the Wall Street Journal highlighted seaweed soup, traditionally eaten by mothers after giving birth in Korea, as it contains iodine,
IndustryJan. 30, 2015
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[Weekender] Juicing for health
Juicing has become popular across the country. Many Koreans put drinking a glass of fresh fruit or veggie juice a day on their list of New Year’s resolutions, and most coffee chains have begun selling fresh juices. A fresh juice bar run by Organica at a branch of high-end supermarket chain Super Star in southern Seoul. (Organica)Behind the boom is the craze for cleansing the body of toxins with juice ― the so-called “juice cleanse.’’Drinking “detox’’ juice has become a daily routine for many Ko
IndustryJan. 30, 2015
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[Weekender] Korea’s latest well-being movement
For Lee Kyung-ja, a 63-year-old housewife who has lived in Latin America for more than 40 years, the biggest concern ahead of her planned return to Korea was food.Having lived in Bolivia, the home of a slew of so-called superfoods like quinoa and lentils, she had no idea how to maintain her decade-old eating habits. But her concerns vanished during a recent visit to Seoul. “I was pleasantly surprised that almost all food items from Latin America are available at local supermarkets. There were ev
IndustryJan. 30, 2015
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[Weekender] Ice climbing in Korea scales new heights
About 70 percent of South Korea is covered in mountains. Gushing out of these mountains are spectacular waterfalls of all shapes and sizes, a boon to sweaty hikers in the summer and a godsend to athletic ice climbers in the winter. Ice climbing has been enjoyed in Korea since the 1970s. Local climbers often start through climbing schools or alpine clubs. The increasing popularity has motivated many districts to create “ice climbing parks” ― artificial icefalls made by pumping water over cliffs.
TravelJan. 23, 2015
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[Weekender] Winter hiking not for experts only
For Kim Sun-bok, a member of a local hiking club, the coldest among 10 years of Sunday excursions was a trip to Mount Hallasan on the southern island of Jeju. “At the beginning of the hike it was not too cold, but as we got closer to the top the wind picked up,” she said. “The wind was blowing so hard I was almost knocked over and my legs were shaking from the cold.”Though for most of the year hiking in Korea is a casual pursuit, in wintertime thorough trip preparation and appropriate gear may h
TravelJan. 23, 2015