Looking back on what we have consumed over the year could be one way to wrap up the year 2021, while preparing to make better choices in the new year. Whether an impulsive purchase or a considered decision, consumption patterns show what we desire and what cultural codes and trends are leading the society today. The pandemic challenges the once taken-for-granted in-person connections and communi...

In the Netflix smash hit “Squid Game,” there is a line that resonates with most South Koreans: While boasting that she is street-smart and capable, the self-proclaimed silver-tongued Mi-nyeo says, “I’m totally smart. I just never studied.” The line stems from the widespread belief -- not just here but in many other parts of the world -- that being brainy and doing well on school exams are not ne...

Lee Young-ae, a professor at the Department of Consumer Science at Incheon National University, said “price competitiveness,” “curiosity about something new” as well as “being able to shop quickly” have made unmanned stores appealing to consumers. But for staff-free stores to last long-term, they will have to tackle issues such as security, the professor said. “It could look like a lot of peopl...

Wish School’s other hope is that the children can grow up free of prejudice. To that end, the organization has worked to create a positive perception of third-country-born children so that society can recognize their potential to become global leaders. “I hope that we can raise the children into people who can live confidently anywhere in the world, unlike us,” Cho said.

Lim Veens, 29, who first encountered natural wine at a local bar two years ago, said he was attracted by the sense of “freedom” natural wine has over its conventional counterpart. “It has been sort of burdensome drinking conventional wine because I feel like I need to have knowledge about wine to enjoy them. Compared to conventional wine, natural wine was easier to start,” Lim said. “I also foun...

Kim Keun-nam, who runs a small restaurant specializing in crab in the county’s Anmyeondo Island Fish Market, said youngsters often visit to try gegukji since several television programs and foodie YouTube channels have introduced the dish in recent years. “The taste cannot be bad because we use fresh crabs delivered by wholesalers every day. It’s a comfort food that warms you up especially in fa...

Innisfree, a cosmetic brand under Amorepacific, was forced to alter its eco-friendly “paper bottle” packaging earlier this year after a customer’s complaint about plastic usage and the “misleading” label went viral online. Though the label covering the bottle reads, “Hello, I’m Paper Bottle,” the product in question is a plastic bottle wrapped in paper. Following the backlash, the brand has hur...

Plastic waste and disposable packaging are overflowing as coronavirus concerns prompt more South Koreans to shop online and order delivery food or takeout coffee. According to the Ministry of Environment, the amount of plastic waste generated last year increased by 20 percent compared with the previous year. Paper waste increased by 25 percent on-year. Korea introduced a garbage volume-rate sys...

But Kim Ria, another defector-turned-startup CEO, wanted to do something new. She started a business making preserved flowers -- something that doesn’t exist in North Korea. “Preserved flowers are popular in Japan and in the US but North Korean people are not familiar with them,” she said. “It is a little pricy because of the costly raw materials, but I thought this is something that you want to...

Earlier this month, Coca-Cola Korea also opened “Coca-Cola Wonderful Island” on metaverse platform Gather Town -- a virtual space where users can experience the company’s latest plastic recycling campaign. When users visit a place known as “Coca-Cola Factory,” they can see the process of how plastic bottles are turned into cooler bags. “We came up with the Wonderful Campaign to raise awareness ...

Oh called the rebuttal untenable, pointing out that the president and defense minister are both civilians. Civilian participation is necessary to check the military and there will not be any discipline to talk about if abuse cases are repeatedly mishandled, according to Oh. Lee Ji-hun, a former military prosecutor who worked for the Defense Ministry, said an outside arbiter would instead prevent...

In 2005, Dok Dabang faced financial struggles as franchise coffee shops came to dominate the streets of Sinchon. Upon reopening in 2013, the new owner designed the cafe to resemble a cozy library and divided it into different sections to suit the varied needs of visitors -- one section houses popular books, and there are also study rooms, meeting rooms and an outdoor terrace with a view. Novelis...

Some make money out of selling their unwanted coupons. Ni-con Nae-con is a platform that brokers second-hand coupons for coffee shops, restaurants, convenience stores and even mobile data. People who don’t want to waste coupons can sell them, while buyers can save money with the coupons. “I’ve always thought it was a waste throwing out expired coupons. But using this app, I can actually make ext...

Still expensive While the prestige associated with golf may have faded away, cost still remains a hurdle for many young golfers like Jeong Deok-young, who studies at Yonsei University. He does multiple English teaching gigs, but still has to save up money for a few months to afford a round on an outdoor course. The 24-year-old uses reservation apps like Kakao Golf Reservation to search for disc...

“Doing right by freedom fighters” Moon was emphatic that he would make sure independence fighters and their families get what they deserve. But those given the promise say the government has to and could do more to recognize what they did for their country when it was ripped apart in pieces. “Few freedom fighters and their families have a financially stable life. The government could certainly ...