JEJU CITY -- A 36-year-old man was killed at a pension in Jeju Island. His body was dismembered and disposed of in the sea. Police suspect his ex-wife, Koh Yu-jeong, of the crimes. The man, identified only by his surname Kang, leaves behind a 6-year-old son, whom he had not seen since his divorce from Koh in 2017. Koh, who took custody, did not allow his visits until the very day he died. On Ma...

California-based Blue Bottle Coffee has opened its first cafe in Korea on Friday, making Korea the second international market for the company. Blue Bottle’s 1,300-square-meter store in Seoul will be located in Seongsu-dong, an area referred to as the “Brooklyn” of Seoul, according to the company. Blue Bottle Coffee Korea (Yonhap) “We tend not to open locations in the most commercial areas and...

In Seoul’s bustling college district of Hongdae, there is a pub by the name of Bonghwangdang, or the Phoenix Hall. With the neon Liverpool Football Club emblem and the liver bird sign, it makes a conspicuous statement as an LFC supporters’ pub. Bonghwangdang, which opened its doors in 2016, is where you will meet the city’s biggest Liverpool fans. On game nights, the underground pub is crowded w...

Deadlock between ruling Democratic Party of Korea and main opposition Liberty Korea Party over fast-tracking key bills turned to violent clashes overnight Friday. Violence sparked Thursday as Liberty Korea Party members formed human barricades in front of rooms on the second and fourth floors of the National Assembly, where the special committee on political reform and judiciary reform convene. ...

Yu Min-jung, a YouTuber specializing in spine-tingling ASMR videos, changes her role once or twice a week. From a late-night barber to a dermatologist, then from a scalp therapist to a caring friend removing makeup from a roommate’s face -- Yu becomes a “healer” for those craving sounds of comfort. Believed to be the first to make a Korean ASMR channel, Yu has been working as a full-time creator...

Seoul’s alleys are filled with eateries specializing in particular dishes. The Korea Herald takes you on a foodie trip to narrow alleys where decades-old establishments beckon diners with their secret recipes, often handed down through generations. - Ed. Jjukkumi Street in Yongdu-dong, central Seoul (Lee So-jung/The Korea Herald) Yongdu-dong is not a well-known area of Seoul -- not even for loc...

TONGYEONG, South Gyeongsang Province -- For a foodie, enjoying fresh seafood is a must when lounging near the coast. A visit to the southern port city of Tongyeong, a four-hour drive from Seoul, is a chance to devour a wide range of seafood. Tongyeong is like no other port city here. It has many small islands nearby, and the surrounding waters are warm and shallow. Despite its abundance of fre...

Fires that started in Goseong-gun and Gangneung, both in Gangwon Province, spread simultaneously and burned through 525 hectares of forest, the equivalent of more than 735 soccer fields. The fire claimed 250 hectares in Goseong and Sokcho, 250 hectares in Gangneung and 25 hectares in Inje. (Video shot by Kim Arin, edited by Lee Sun-hye /The Korea Herald) As of Friday afternoon, total damages we...

Tucked deep into Seoul’s central district of Jongno lies Ikseon-dong, the latest hip hangout place in a city where fashion wears fast. At a glance, it is easy to see why the neighborhood’s photogenic cluster of modernized 20th century hanok, or traditional Korean houses, would appeal to the Instagram generation. Crowded on weekdays and weekends alike, Ikseon-dong is imbued with the fashionable a...

GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province-- Members of Korea’s hard-line Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and civic groups staged a surprise protest at the main opposition Liberty Korea Party’s national convention being held at Kintex in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, on Wednesday afternoon. (Yonhap) The protesters called on the party to disband over offensive remarks by some of its lawmakers about the Gw...

HANOI, Vietnam -- Hosting the second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Hanoi bustled with both excitement and tension as it welcomed the two leaders Tuesday. From US and North Korean flags hung on the streets to shops selling T-shirts featuring the faces of Trump and Kim, the city has been busy preparing for the summit. As Kim got off from the train f...

HONGSEONG, South Chungcheong Province -- On a rainy Friday morning, howls filled the cold, foggy air around a recently decommissioned dog farm in a remote corner of South Chungcheong Province. Here some 200 dogs had been confined in filthy cages with inadequate food, water and care. Friday was the third day of Humane Society International’s dog rescue project, which kicked off on Feb. 13 as part...

Taking a step closer to the company’s young workforce, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun recently made a surprise video debut -- filming himself test-driving the Nexo, the fuel-cell electric vehicle that the company is betting on as the key to its future growth. In the video, a CEO message addressed to the carmaker’s midlevel employees, Chung drinks coffee and checks his ...

Memorial services for 24-year-old Kim Yong-gyun, a contract worker who died in an industrial accident Dec. 11 while inspecting a coal-fired power station in Taean, South Chungcheong Province, will be held for three days from Feb. 7 to 9. (Yonhap) A wake, popularly called the “Democratic Society Funeral,” will take place at Seoul National University Hospital’s funeral home. The wake is open to t...

Actress Lee Na-young, who is more well-known in the film industry, is returning to the small screen with the new rom-com series “Romance is a Bonus Book” (direct translation), in which she stars opposite Lee Jong-suk. She plays Kang Dan-Yi, a former top copy editor at a PR firm who was happily married with a daughter but who is now divorced, with her career put on halt. She strives to excel in t...