Can't find a seat on the subway? There's an app for that

After the train doors close to the noise and crowds outside, the silent battle for a seat begins. Standing passengers quietly scan those seated, searching for signs they may be about to leave. Are they pulling a backpack closer? Is anyone glancing up from their phone to check the digital display showing the next stop? Anyone who commutes by subway during rush hour has likely taken part in this silent ritual, dreaming of swapping seats with someone just before they exit the train. That dream has

2026-05-19 14:08:24:00

Should toddlers be charged for seats at restaurants?

A restaurant’s policy requiring food orders for toddlers has sparked online debate over whether the policy is a reasonable business practice or a sign of a growing child-unfriendly dining culture, news reports said Monday. According to JTBC, a woman in her 30s recently visited a restaurant serving traditional Korean food with her 2-year-old child and a friend who also brought her toddler. When the mothers each ordered grilled pork marinated in gochujang, or Korean red pepper paste, the restauran

2026-05-18 17:05:32:00

In Ansan, Muslims sometimes gather outdoors to pray -- backlash follows every time

ANSAN, Gyeonggi Province — On a Friday afternoon, dozens of men stream out of a five-story building in Ansan's Danwon-gu, some dressed in long white garments and caps, quietly walking away or chatting in small groups along the street. The building they emerge from looks like an ordinary commercial property, but it is the Ansan Islamic Center, one of 21 mosques operated nationwide by the Korea Muslim Federation. The crowd, made up mostly of Muslim migrant workers from across the city, had gathere

2026-05-18 11:18:58:00

In Korea, helicopter parenting no longer ends at graduation

In South Korea, entering the workforce has long been seen as a defining step into adulthood. But for some young workers, that milestone is being overshadowed by parents who are unwilling to let go. According to online workplace communities Sunday, parental interference in adult children’s careers is emerging as a notable burden for human resources departments, particularly in matters involving compensation and office conflicts. In a post uploaded to Remember, a business card management app, titl

2026-05-17 13:41:33:00

At Korean weddings, the traditional 50,000 won envelope is losing ground

The long-standing 50,000 won ($33.50) wedding cash gift in South Korea is increasingly losing its status as the social norm, with more guests gifting 100,000 won amid prolonged inflation and soaring wedding costs, data showed Thursday. According to an analysis by NH NongHyup Bank of 5.33 million wedding cash gift transactions made by 1.15 million customers between 2023 and 2025, the share of 50,000 won gifts steadily declined from 46.5 percent to 42.3 percent. Over the same period, 100,000 won g

2026-05-14 12:21:40:00

'Think twice before posing with hand signs': Experts warn of fingerprint theft

From daily selfies to group photos, the classic 'V' hand sign may now pose a security risk, with AI technology making fingerprint theft easier than ever, according to a news report Tuesday. In a recent reality program, Chinese security expert Li Chang demonstrated how fingerprints could be extracted from a celebrity’s selfie using AI tools, warning that the seemingly harmless hand sign could put personal biometric information at risk. “If the pads of the fingers are directly exposed toward the c

2026-05-13 16:57:02:00

Initial investigation supports fall as cause of Juwangsan boy's death: police

An initial examination of the body of an 11-year-old boy who was found dead near the peak of Juwangsan, North Gyeongsang Province, suggests he died after suffering injuries in a fall, police said Tuesday. Whether to conduct an autopsy would be decided later in the day, according to the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police. The boy traveled from Daegu with his family early Sunday morning to visit Juwangsan National Park. While touring Daejeonsa, a temple inside the park, he later set out alone on a hike t

2026-05-13 10:57:36:00

Why is surveillance expanding inside Korean homes?

Voices layered over a faint electronic hum, a wide-angle view, and a real-time timestamp — footage previously associated with security feeds — are turning up in a plethora of social media clips featuring everything from babies’ cute moments to newlyweds at the dinner table. A search for “home cam” on Instagram returns roughly 50,000 results. Most are short-form videos featuring actual home-camera footage reworked into vlogs or punchy clips, or content staged to mimic them. What drives this comfo

2026-05-12 14:06:50:00

Search enters second day for missing child at Cheongsong’s Juwangsan National Park

Search operations are continuing Monday after an 11-year-old boy went missing at Juwangsan National Park in North Gyeongsang Province. According to the North Gyeongsang Fire Service Headquarters, the boy visited Daejeonsa, a temple inside the national park, with his family after departing from his home in Daegu on Sunday afternoon. He later set out alone on a hike toward the park’s 720-meter main peak. The trail from the temple to the summit stretches about 2-3 kilometers and usually takes an ad

2026-05-11 12:53:57:00

Spring rain expected nationwide through Tuesday

The stretch of sunny spring weather is expected to briefly give way to rain from Monday afternoon across most parts of the country, with thunderstorms and small hail forecast in some regions. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Monday, rain is expected to begin across roughly the top two-thirds of the country, before expanding to South Jeolla Province, South Gyeongsang Province and Jeju Island later in the day. The rain will ease in most parts of the country by Tuesday aftern

2026-05-11 12:20:02:00