Seven African men with muscular torsos wearing blue sweatpants stand facing the camera. In unison, they say, “Happy birthday, Ye-jin” in Korean.  In front of them, two men, also sporting the same look, hold a chalkboard with the same Korean line written on it.  After the birthday shout out, they all start dancing along to “GANADARA,” a song by Korean singer Jay Park.  This video message, posted on YouTube channel “World Surprise Video” last

Social Affairs May 17, 2022

They say love is universal, but when it comes to dating culture, Korea has a different love language, according to five international couples that The Korea Herald interviewed. From love ‘confessions’ to matching outfits, here are some dating norms that set Korea apart. – Ed.    For Koreans, confessing their love to a crush is deemed a crucial step for a romantic relationship to begin. Only when one party makes the confession, the so-called “some&rdquo

Social Affairs May 16, 2022

For the first time in nearly two years, Bae Eun-jin, a 35-year old office worker in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, recently had a proper Korean sauna experience -- soaking her body in hot water and getting a full-body scrub.  The only difference was that the bathhouse she visited was set up for a single customer only.  “Since I was the only customer there, I felt safe from infection risks. I loved the quiet atmosphere without any distractions from other people,” said Bae, w

Social Affairs May 16, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol was sworn in as the 20th state leader of South Korea on Tuesday morning, vowing to rebuild the nation based on values of liberal democracy and a market economy. More than 40,000 people, including political leaders, foreign envoys and residents, were invited to the inauguration ceremony held at the National Assembly from 11:00 a.m.  A state prosecutor for 27 years and a political novice, Yoon came out victorious in the March presidential election that was the closes

Social Affairs May 10, 2022

An error in a mobile translation application recently prompted a 35-year-old Chinese man in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, to murder a Korean resident.  On Sunday, the Jeonju District Court delivered a 20-year prison term to the foreigner charged with killing his female coworker’s Korean husband, according to court officials.  It was the Korean term “agassi” that triggered a fistfight between the two men of different nationalities, which eventually turned deadly.&

Social Affairs May 3, 2022

Around 11:00 a.m. Thursday at a coffee bar in Seoul’s Cheongdam-dong, a bunch of caffeine lovers took a few sips of their coffee served in tiny white cups.  Aside from the smaller servings, the place had another key difference from the many coffee joints that can be found in streets of Seoul. Many of its customers were indulging in their coffee standing because about half of the tables were standing tables with no chairs. The unique cafe is part of a new addition to South Korea&rsq

Food May 2, 2022

Children mimic what they have observed. Through role-playing activities, they try to make sense of the world around them. So it may be only natural that the COVID-19 pandemic has permeated young children’s play, with words like corona, PCR and vaccine firmly in their vocabulary now. Here are some of social media posts that show how young kids are having fun in the COVID-19 era. Learning how to properly PCR Plastic straws for nasal swab sticks. Pieces of paper cut in a rectangular s

Social Affairs April 30, 2022

  On the evening of April 18, a four-way intersection in front of the Gangbuk-gu District Office in northwestern Seoul was filled with crowds and loud music, playing host to an outdoor concert.  Hundreds of people sang along as the night’s acts, including Dynamic Duo, played on the stage in a show organized by the district office to commemorate the 62nd anniversary of the April Revolution.  “The vibe was definitely different from before when people were not allowed t

Social Affairs April 25, 2022

For some people, full recovery from COVID-19 is frustratingly elusive. Many suffer with lingering symptoms, ranging from dry cough, muscle weakness to depression, weeks or even months after the infection.  Dubbed as Long COVID, or post-COVID-19 syndrome, this is a growing concern as South Korea breathes a sigh of relief, past the omicron surge. According to a survey conducted between March 21 and April 11 on 748 patients infected with the virus by Myongji Hospital in Goyang, Gyeonggi Pr

Social Affairs April 21, 2022

Comedian Yang Se-hyung has saved the life of a choking woman by performing the Heimlich maneuver on her. Yang learned the life-saving skill during an episode of SBS’s reality show “Master in the House,” which aired on May 12, 2019, in which the cast members got a first-hand experience of what it was like to be a firefighter. The incident, which came to media attention Tuesday, took place Sunday at a restaurant located in Dogok-dong, Gangnam-gu.  Yang was having dinner wi

Television April 19, 2022

  Russia invades Ukraine. China locks down an entire city over the coronavirus. And fresh and meaty crabs are half their usual price at supermarkets in South Korea.  In today’s intertwined world, these things are all linked.  But how much should we care?  It’s bonanza time for crab lovers in South Korea, a local retailer tells seafood aficionados, luring them to come and grab the cut-price crustaceans while they still can.  Crab season  On Wednesd

Social Affairs April 19, 2022

Omicron appears to be losing its grip in South Korea, raising hopes for a return to pre-pandemic life. For many Koreans, this would entail a farewell to face masks, a daily nuisance that they had to get used to for the past two years.  But not all are happy to ditch their masks. Some say masks are one of the good things that came out of the pandemic in a society obsessed with looks.  “After two years (of wearing masks), it doesn’t bother me too much to wear one for a l

Social Affairs April 13, 2022

  The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories, a Korea Herald series exploring the city’s subway stations and surrounding areas. -- Ed. 　 Dongmyo Station on Subway Lines No. 1 and 6 takes its name from a shrine for a Chinese god of war -- Guan Yu.  Most visitors, however, are indifferent to the pavilions that stand behind the shrine’s stoned wall, and do not seem to question why the Han Dynasty warrior, later deified as a god in China, is enshrined there.  Wha

Social Affairs April 11, 2022

Kim Young-seo, a 30-year-old piano teacher, had resisted last year’s “Squid Game” phenomenon, shutting herself off from the world of streaming. Then COVID-19 came for her. After being diagnosed in late February, she signed up for multiple streaming platforms, including Netflix and Apple TV+. “The fact that I was trapped at home made me feel lethargic and I came to spend hours looking at computer, phone and television screens,” said Kim, who lives alone i

Social Affairs April 6, 2022

Past the omicron peak, South Korea now has over 14 million accumulated coronavirus cases, which means in this country of 52 million, more than 1 in every 4 have gotten COVID-19 at least once.  A vast number of them must have had that experience in the past several weeks, as the country’s virus curve hit over 620,000 daily cases on March 17.  But as they say, every cloud has a silver lining. People who have recently recovered shared with The Korea Herald some of the positive t

Social Affairs April 4, 2022