2 Paichai High baseball players quit following Starbucks chant controversy

Two members of Paichai High School's baseball team have decided to quit the sport following controversy over chants mocking South Korea’s pro-democracy movement in the 1980s, news reports said Tuesday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the students recently informed the school of their decision to leave the baseball team. The team faced backlash after several Paichai players made controversial remarks during their June 29 opening-round game against Gwangju Jeil High School

2026-08-25 16:55:08:00

Donations top W100m after BTS Jimin kisses young cancer patient

A touching moment between Jimin of BTS and a young cancer patient at a recent concert on the group’s world tour has inspired more than 100 million won ($72,000) in donations to support children with cancer, according to news reports Tuesday. During BTS’ performance of "Go Go" at its Aug. 15 "Arirang" world tour show in Arlington, Texas, Jimin stepped down from the stage to greet Olivya, a young cancer patient supported by Heroes for Children, a nonprofit that provides financial and social assist

2026-08-25 13:30:22:00

Giant bakery cafes are popping up. Tax officials see a tax motive

Tall trees, a long staircase and rows of tables fill the airy, three-story building, where high ceilings and broad passageways create the feel of a resort lobby. It is, however, a cafe — one of more than 10 sprawling bakery cafes situated along the Han River in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, east of Seoul. These cafes are part of a growing phenomenon on the outskirts of the South Korean capital, where coffee shops have become destinations in their own right. Customers come not only for coffee and pas

2026-08-24 17:16:19:00

Hanfu-clad influencers at Gyeongbokgung stir sensitivities in Korea

Social media posts showing Chinese influencers dressed in traditional Chinese attire known as hanfu at major historic sites in Seoul, including Gyeongbokgung, have sparked debate and sensitivity among some Koreans. In a recent viral Instagram video, a female Chinese model is seen walking through the palace, Gwanghwamun Square and the streets of Myeong-dong dressed in a bright orange hanfu. She also poses for photos with foreign tourists wearing hanbok, traditional Korean attire. The video drew c

2026-08-23 13:23:20:00

6 in 10 South Koreans back female conscription: poll

Six in 10 South Koreans favor extending mandatory military service to women amid a growing debate over how to address a declining number of potential conscripts due to the low birth rate, a new survey showed Thursday. The nationwide survey of 1,006 adults by the Reform Institute, a policy research arm of the minor conservative Reform Party, found 59.6 percent in favor of the idea, compared with 34 percent against it, a difference of 25.6 percentage points. More than half of both men and women su

2026-08-20 13:27:50:00

Cicadas vanish before they can fly at Seoul's park. City responds with banners, patrols

Every summer, cicada nymphs emerge from the soil and climb trees to shed their skins. At a riverside ecological park in Seoul, however, some are being collected before they make it that far. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday that it had received complaints about people taking cicada nymphs in large numbers from Yeouido Saetgang Ecological Park, a green space along a narrow waterway on the southern edge of Yeouido. The reports have prompted the city to put up banners around the par

2026-08-19 17:02:19:00

List of female inmates for paid pen-pal service draws backlash

A company offering a paid pen-pal matching service connecting men with female prison inmates has drawn attention in South Korea after a purported list of participating women circulated online. The list, the authenticity of which has not been independently verified, includes the names, ages and correctional facilities of purported female inmates. It says a match costs 70,000 won ($50) and comes with three guaranteed letters. It also provides personal details that include height, weight, blood typ

2026-08-18 12:31:14:00

In 4 years, Generation Alpha begins coming of age. What will it mean for Korea?

For Chae Yeon-suh, 14, much of the day revolves around her iPhone. She listens to Japanese pop music on it, uses AI to help her learn Japanese and turns to ChatGPT or Gemini when she has a question about schoolwork or simply wants to know something. Her phone, tablet and laptop are all tools for satisfying her curiosity. “Adults may not know this, but we spend a lot of time using AI. I think I probably spend more time talking to AI than to real people,” she said. Chae belongs to Generation Alpha

2026-08-17 09:00:00:00

For these musicians, the sounds of Korea go beyond K-pop

When foreign musicians look to Korea for inspiration, K-pop is often the obvious starting point. But not everyone is listening to chart-topping idols. Some are instead drawn to everyday sounds that most people scarcely notice, or to genres that have slipped from the mainstream. When Max Adoubleyou, a 32-year-old artist and producer from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, visited Korea in March, one sound kept catching his attention: the chime that played every few minutes as cars exited the parking gar

2026-08-15 16:00:00:00

Young inventor turns phone grip into breathing aid for fire emergencies

If a fire broke out while you were sleeping in a hotel, what would be the easiest thing to grab? Most likely, your smartphone. The idea led to the invention of a smartphone grip that transforms into an emergency breathing mask. It won the top prize at the 2026 Youth Invention Festival, jointly held by the Korea Invention Promotion Association and the Ministry of Intellectual Property from July 30 to Aug. 1, according to news reports Friday. Behind the invention was Kim Ji-on, a 12-year-old eleme

2026-08-14 14:56:47:00