Most Popular
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Ador CEO denies allegations, accuses Hybe of mistreating NewJeans
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Medical reform committee kicks off despite boycott from doctors
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10-man S. Korea lose to Indonesia to miss out on Paris Olympic football qualification
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Hybe-Ador feud should have limited effect on Hybe's overall performance: analysts
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DP leader says he will meet Yoon without conditions
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Second Gimpo civil servant found dead, after apologizing for not finishing work
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Over 9,000 hotline calls made by stalking victims in 2023
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[Hello India] Hyundai Motor vows to boost 'clean mobility' in India
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Monthly users on local streaming platforms outpace Netflix, Disney+
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US will take steps for three-way engagement on nuclear deterrence with S. Korea, Japan: Campbell
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[Uniquely Korean] Shuttle buses show Korea’s educational zeal
A long line of shuttle buses in front of an elementary school gate waiting for students is a typical after-school scene. These vehicles will take them to private institutes teaching various subjects from math to English, and taekwondo.The buses represent Korean parents’ educational zeal as well as their lack of time to take care of their children at home. From one institute (called hagwon in Korean) to another, little children travel on the buses, taking a brief respite from a heavy daily dose o
Social AffairsMay 14, 2014
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[Uniquely Korean] Fast or slow, Korean time runs at own pace
The concept of time may be a difficult one to grasp, but for everyday purposes there is a standardized system that keeps the world ticking. In Korea, however, some things run on a different scale, Korean time. “Korean time” describes the widespread tardiness or, more specifically, the relaxed attitude with which Koreans approach appointment times. Being a few minutes late to an appointment without giving prior notice is almost the norm among friends, and even being late by an hour or more is not
Social AffairsMay 7, 2014
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[Uniquely Korean] Cash the ultimate gift for Koreans
Thirty-year-old web designer Kim Jung-wan recently gave 300,000 won ($290) to her close friend for her wedding.“I would normally give about 50,000 won at most weddings, but she is a dear childhood friend of mine, which is why I decided to shell out some more,” said Kim.Giving gifts for special occasions is a universal practice. In Korea, giving money is not considered any more unusual than buying someone household items or a nice bottle of wine. It is perceived that the fatter the envelope is, t
CultureApril 30, 2014
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[Uniquely Korean] Military culture in Korean society
For Kim Tae-jin, an employee of a conglomerate in Seoul, his division’s leader is no different from a military company commander. Kim always toes the line without talking back, knowing that his boss would not listen to lower-level staff. “I always just listen to whatever he says, opting to refrain from making any proposals or expressing my own opinions. After all, my boss will do everything as he wishes anyway,” said Kim.“On top of that, even when I have my personal plans to spend time with frie
Social AffairsApril 9, 2014
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[Uniquely Korean] ‘Seonbae’ takes precedence in Korea
A number of foreigners in Korea, including celebrities such as Australian comedian Sam Hammington, U.S. baseball player Mike Loree and French model and actor Fabien Yoon, have confessed that the most peculiar aspect of Korea was its senior-junior culture.In word-to-word translation, the terms “senior” and “junior” could be put as “seonbae” and “hubae” but the Korean version actually has a unique connotation which creates a strict hierarchy.Under the seonbae-hubae system, people’s “ranks” are dec
April 2, 2014
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[Uniquely Korean] K-pop trainees’ hard-knock life
It is certainly no secret in Korea that the training process to debut as a K-pop star is no quick or simple venture. Often referred to as music “boot camp,” K-pop training among some of the nation’s biggest talent agencies is intense, to say the least. And with only a fraction of trainees able to become K-pop stars, the atmosphere among trainees can be fiercely competitive and cutthroat. Although other nations’ talent agencies play a role in “grooming” acts to make it big in the entertainment in
PerformanceMarch 26, 2014
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[Uniquely Korean] Pledging allegiance and saluting the flag
The pledge of allegiance and ceremonial salute to the national flag are practices commonly seen at Korean schools and events hosted by state organizations. The pledge of allegiance reads as follows: “In front of proud Taegeukgi (the national flag), I pledge allegiance to the Republic of Korea to devote myself to the perpetual glory of the free nation.”The practice has been perceived as a symbol of the national bond and patriotism that helped power rapid economic growth in the aftermath of the Ko
Social AffairsMarch 19, 2014
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[Uniquely Korean] Cheap replacement driver services
South Koreans’ heavy alcohol consumption is well-known, and drinking is an almost integral part of doing business here. Company dinners often involve round after round of “boilermakers” ― hard liquor (soju or whisky) mixed with beer ― and this business boozing has fueled the demand for driver-for-hire services. The services, called “daeri unjeon” in Korean ― which literally means “replacement driver” ― started in the late 1990s targeting businessmen who wanted to get home in their own vehicles a
IndustryMarch 5, 2014
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[Uniquely Korean] Checking gunghap before marriage
To many foreigners, a Korean wedding is an odd blend of Korean and Western cultures. While the ceremony itself is pretty Western with the bride in a typical white wedding dress and the bridegroom in a tuxedo exchanging rings, the procedure before the final event of tying the knot is strewn with Korean traditional rites. One of them is gunghap. In the centuries-old practice, Korean couples or their parents would go to a fortune-teller to predict their gunghap, or marital harmony. Centuries ago, w
Social AffairsFeb. 26, 2014
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[Uniquely Korean] Noraebang: Singing relieves stress, smoothes relationships
For less than 20,000 won ($18), Park Min-joo, 25, can relieve her stress in an hour. Visiting a noraebang at least once a week, Park forgets it all in a confined room equipped with a karaoke system.“It’s just a way for me to release built-up stress,” she said.“My friends and I sing everything from American oldies to the latest K-pop hits to let go of all the bad things that happened during the week.”For Koreans, noraebang have served as a common means of dealing with stress.With comfortable sofa
Social AffairsFeb. 12, 2014
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[Uniquely Korean] Bomb-drink cocktails help smooth relationships
When it comes to booze, Koreans know what they are dealing with. Just as the term “let’s have a meal” is often interchangeable with arranging a meeting, “let’s go for a drink” is roughly equivalent to socializing. In the past, social meetings with alcohol had involved participants getting heavily drunk. This brought forth the birth of poktanju, or the bomb-drink, which refers to a cocktail of beer and liquors such as whiskey.As its name suggests, its main goal is to bombard the drinker with a he
CultureFeb. 5, 2014
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[Uniquely Korean] Property market changing course
Korea’s real estate sector has grown along with its economy. During this time, the market has also dramatically changed. The country, which used to house clusters of shacks in major cities such as Seoul and Busan in the aftermath of the Korean War, is now filled with high-rise apartments and skyscrapers.The economic development boom in the 1970s paved the way for the country to alter its real estate landscape by rapidly building standard four-bedroom apartments that could accommodate large famil
Jan. 22, 2014
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[Uniquely Korean] Postpartum centers make life easy for new mothers
Traditionally for Korean mothers, the three weeks after giving birth have been considered the most critical period for staying healthy for the rest of their lives. They are tasked with keeping their bodies warm by wearing long sleeves even in the scorching heat of summer, not lifting anything heavy and eating miyeokguk, or seaweed soup, three times a day. None of these practices have been scientifically proven to be effective. But the desire of young mothers to follow the traditional rules remai
Social AffairsJan. 8, 2014
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[Uniquely Korean] Early English education thrives amid concerns
The Korea Herald is launching a new weekly series titled “Uniquely Korean” on Page 3 every Thursday. This series will explore many aspects of Korea that can be classified as “unique” for readers, such as customs, practices, institutions, hot spots and social trends. The column will help guide both Korean and non-Korean readers to the hidden and intriguing gems of Korean culture. ― Ed.Song Joo-hee (not her real name) regularly takes her 3-year-old son to a private English school in Seoul as publi
Social AffairsJan. 1, 2014