Heart-shaped chocolate gifts, flower bouquets and cute stuffed toys are prominently displayed at brick-and-mortar retail stores and online shopping malls. Restaurants and hotels are decked out with romantic decorations, enticing couples with special promotions. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.  An apparent foreign import, the annual Feb. 14 festivity has now firmly taken root in Korea as one of the most romantic days on the calendar.   “Valentine’s

Culture Feb. 10, 2022

For Pramesti, a 23-year-old Indonesian, Korean films and TV dramas have been a useful source of learning how native Koreans speak. Then the latest Netflix hit, “All of Us Are Dead,” made her question her knowledge about some Korean curse words.  “I heard a lot of Korean swear words from the lead characters, especially ‘ssibal.’ ... Many also said the word ‘saekki,’ which I know to be an insult, but it didn’t really seem like a curse as it w

Culture Feb. 9, 2022

Korean media content will continue to grow in popularity and become a staple in the global market, according to Helen Hoehne, chief of the organization running the Golden Globes.  In an exclusive interview with The Korea Herald, the president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association congratulated Korean veteran actor Oh Yeong-soo for winning the best supporting actor in television trophy at the 2022 Golden Globes Awards for his role in the smash-hit drama series “Squid Game.”

Film Feb. 7, 2022

South Korea’s pet scene is evolving, with over 10 million of the country’s 51 million population owning companion animals. Various businesses cater to pet owners or their beloved animal friends, ranging from high-end clothing to pet funeral services.  Amid a growing interest in pets, however, there are illegal businesses renting out puppies or kittens for those who want the pet experience, minus the responsibility or commitment to a long-term relationship. For them, pets are no

Social Affairs Feb. 3, 2022

The employment rate of the nation’s full-time employees working 40 hours a week has remained in the 50 percent rage for two consecutive years, raising concerns over deteriorating labor market amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, a lawmaker said Monday.  The “full-time equivalent” employment rate for 2021 posted 58.8 percent, nearly unchanged from 58.6 percent estimated a year earlier, according to Rep. Yoo Gyeong-joon of the main opposition People Power Party, citing

Social Affairs Jan. 31, 2022

　 The employment rate of the nation’s full-time employees working 40 hours a week has remained in the 50 percent rage for two consecutive years, raising concerns over deteriorating labor market amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, a lawmaker said Monday.  The “full-time equivalent” employment rate for 2021 posted 58.8 percent, nearly unchanged from 58.6 percent estimated a year earlier, according to Rep. Yoo Gyeong-joon of the main opposition People Power Party, citing

Economy Jan. 31, 2022

Starting in March, the signboards at Euljiro 3-ga and Sinyongsan stations in the Seoul Subway will become longer, with respective references to a certain company located at the station. The former will be renamed Euljiro 3-ga Shinhan Card Station and the latter Sinyongsan Amorepacific Station. The changes are the result of contracts worth 874 million won ($733,000) and 380 million won, respectively, which Seoul Metro has signed with the companies for the sale of naming rights. Under their thre

Social Affairs Jan. 31, 2022

North Korea announced on Monday it had employed a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile in its test a day earlier. “The test-fire of Hwasong 12-type ground-to-ground intermediate and long-range ballistic missile was conducted under a plan of the Academy of Defense Science, the Second Economy Commission and other related institutions,” said the North‘s official Korean Central News Agency.  “The launch was to verify the overall accuracy of the weapon syst

North Korea Jan. 31, 2022

Packaged instant noodle products of different flavors, from spicy beef broth to stir-fried black bean sauce and kimchi soup, are stacked on a shelf covering about two-thirds of the store’s wall on the right. On the left, a row of automatic machines to pour hot water into paper cups and boil it at the touch of a button are ready to cook the noodles. After buying a packet of ramen through a self-ordering kiosk, all you need to do is open the bag and put the dried noodles in the paper contai

Food Jan. 27, 2022

When Diana Nordeus encountered a large wooden frame installed at a highway rest area in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, last September with a supposedly cute sign saying, “How’s your belly doing?” she couldn’t just laugh it off.  To her, it seemed like yet another blatant display of Korean society’s obsession with thinness, with which she has had some first-hand experience.  “I was very malnourished when I first came to Korea in May last year and the

Social Affairs Jan. 25, 2022

The death of a retired racehorse which tripped for a TV drama scene has erupted a public outcry over animal cruelty in South Korea. But the life of other former racehorses is not any better, according to animal rights groups. “The average life span of a horse is approximately 25 years, but racehorses generally retire at the age of 8, which is when they can no longer win races, after enjoying their heyday at ages 2-5. Those which get injured are kicked out of racetracks a little earlier,

Social Affairs Jan. 24, 2022

Some young South Koreans, mostly girls, are looking for “pro-anorexia” friends on social media to encourage each other’s dangerous weight loss.  A search with the hashtags #pro-ana on Twitter return a host of tweets, most made apparently by young girls. They announce one’s resolve to fast or seek “pro-ana” buddies.  Pro-ana is a combination of the prefix “pro-,” meaning supporting or approving of, and “ana,” short for anorex

Social Affairs Jan. 20, 2022

The “Korean age” system came into the limelight Tuesday following leading presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol’s pledge to make the use of the international age system mandatory for all administrative matters. Alongside the international age calculation that measures how many years and months that a person has lived since his or her birthday, the nation has kept its unique way of counting a newborn as being age 1 from birth. This means a Korean baby, born on Dec. 31 last yea

Social Affairs Jan. 18, 2022

Aiming to further cement its rising global profile as a soft power nation, South Korea is set to introduce a new visa program this year to draw global cultural talents.  Dubbed the Hallyu visa in reference to the Korean Wave of films, TV dramas and music sweeping across the world, the new program is designed to support the entry of foreigners eager to learn about the Korean culture and entertainment industry.  A senior Justice Ministry official explained that those who plan to stay m

Social Affairs Jan. 13, 2022

In Netflix’s reality dating show “Single’s Inferno,” 12 attractive men and women try to escape a deserted island by becoming a couple.  The Korean show portrays the island as an “inferno,” where only successfully-matched couples can be heliported out of to “paradise,” a luxurious hotel. However, the location drew curiosity among global viewers for its beauty.  It is Saseungbongdo, an uninhabited island off the west coast of South Korea,

Television Jan. 11, 2022