Have you noticed? Sunglasses are surprisingly rare on Seoul's streets. Here's why

For Ella Mitchell, an Australian graphic designer, packing a pair of sunglasses for the office was once part of her daily summer routine. But this summer, the 29-year-old living in Korea swapped her sunglasses for a parasol, or sun umbrella. "Any time I had to go outside at work, whether it was for lunch or a meeting, I'd put on my sunglasses. But I was always the only one wearing them. Everyone else had a sun umbrella," said Mitchell, 29, who moved to South Korea in 2023 and has since worked at

2026-06-30 13:34:02:00

Cooler late June, delayed monsoon: Is Korea’s summer just warming up?

Summer is in full swing in South Korea, but it doesn't feel like the late June most Koreans have come to expect. While temperatures are forecast to climb to 33 degrees Celsius in Seoul on Monday and exceed 30 degrees across much of the country's inland areas, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the muggy air that usually blankets the country this time of year has yet to take hold due to the delayed monsoon. Last year, the monsoon began on Jeju Island on June 12, reached the cou

2026-06-29 13:53:53:00

Search ends for missing Korean father, son off Hawaii coast

A massive three-day search for a missing South Korean father and his teenage son in Hawaii has ended after the pair vanished while hiking near Hanauma Bay. The operation, which involved air, land and sea searches from Tuesday through sunset on Friday, concluded under the standard three-day search protocol after authorities failed to locate the 49-year-old man and his 16-year-old son, according to the US Coast Guard, the Honolulu Fire Department and local media reports. Their names have not been

2026-06-28 14:31:14:00

Artist-barista makes an offer: A brew for what you drew

On a Wednesday afternoon at a cafe hidden inside a museum in Seoul, visitors pay not with cash or cards, but with drawings. When a mother and daughter order two cups of coffee, they are handed blank sheets of paper instead of a receipt. As they sip, the pages gradually fill with colorful sketches. By the time the drinks are finished, so are the drawings — their payment for the coffee. "Honestly, we came in because we heard the coffee was free," said Joo, who visited the cafe with her daughter, a

2026-06-27 16:00:00:00

With loss to S. Africa, Hong Myung-bo now Korea's most defeated World Cup coach

Head coach Hong Myung-bo took responsibility for South Korea's 1-0 loss to South Africa in the group-stage finale that left the team's World Cup hopes hanging in the balance on Wednesday. "On a stage as big as this, the head coach is responsible for all the results," Hong said at his post-match press conference. "Ultimately, I made the wrong decisions that led to this outcome." Following the loss at Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe, northeastern Mexico, South Korea finished third in Group A with t

2026-06-25 17:15:11:00

Street assault on two USFK service members by American man caught on video

A foreign national is under investigation following an assault of two US Forces Korea personnel in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, local police said Wednesday. The attack occurred around 6 a.m. on Sunday in Sinjang-dong, a neighborhood adjacent to Osan Air Base, where the suspect, an American national in his 30s, allegedly assaulted the US service members and threatened their female companion. Police arrested him at the scene after responding to reports from witnesses. Investigators found that th

2026-06-24 11:20:48:00

Security guard finds gold in discarded rice cooker. What follows surprises many

A typical workday turned into an unexpected treasure hunt for a security guard in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, after he discovered nearly 100 grams of gold tucked inside a discarded electric rice cooker, according to the National Police Agency on Tuesday. The incident occurred on the evening of April 12 while the guard in his 70s was sorting recyclable waste at an apartment complex in Geoje's Okpo-dong. Inside the abandoned rice cooker was a black plastic bag containing several gold bars, c

2026-06-23 14:06:02:00

World Cup's No. 2 dribbler Lee Kang-in stands out in defeat

If you watched South Korea's match against Mexico, one moment probably stood out. Young player Lee Kang-in made a feisty "yapping" hand gesture at an opponent, seemingly telling him to stop talking. South Korea came away empty-handed against Mexico in a 1-0 loss, but Lee's standout performance and fiery attitude gave Korean fans a reason for optimism ahead of the team's crucial final Group A match against South Africa next week. With the top spot in Group A potentially on the line, the two sides

2026-06-19 16:21:12:00

Taegeuk Warriors don purple mugunghwa jerseys for Mexico clash

The Taegeuk Warriors brought a touch of Korea to the World Cup stage, taking the field against Mexico on Thursday night in purple uniforms adorned with the country's national flower, known as the mugunghwa, or rose of Sharon. The game, which was widely expected to be the de facto Group A decider, kicked off Thursday night — or 10 a.m. Friday in Korea time — at Estadio Guadalajara in Zapopan, western Mexico. Mexico was leading the group on goal difference after beating South Africa 2-0 in its ope

2026-06-19 12:02:19:00

From public squares to pubs, Korea cheers as one

National flags fluttered and chants rang out, from city squares to pubs and parks across South Korea on Friday, as fans rallied behind the Taegeuk Warriors against Mexico. With the top spot in Group A up for grabs, Thursday night's match being played in Zapopan, western Mexico, kicked off locally at 10 a.m. on Friday. Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square was awash in red on Friday, as nearly 20,000 supporters gathered to cheer on the national team, waving national flags and chanting “Daehan Minguk,” a pop

2026-06-19 11:53:25:00