Tuesday did not just mark the start of a new government led by President Yoon Suk-yeol. It also marked the first official debut -- at least in the eyes of the public -- of first lady Kim Keon-hee, who has been ostensibly missing on the campaign trail. Kim, 49, has been keeping a low profile for months after being embroiled in various controversies surrounding her past, including an allegation that she falsified credentials to take a part-time lecturer seat at a local university. She delivered

Politics May 11, 2022

Theme parks in South Korea are crammed with visitors as the country marks Children’s Day on Thursday, buoyed by relaxed COVID-19 containment measures. On this special holiday for kids, parents play a guessing game in picking places to go to entertain their children, as theme parks and other kid-friendly venues usually get massive crowds. Those who chose Everland as their destination this year seem to have failed on making the right decision, as postings on social networking sites compl

Travel May 5, 2022

Popular internet slang words derived from the Korean word “eorini,” which means children, may promote negative stereotypes and discrimination against children, the country’s human rights watchdog said Tuesday. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea urged related government bodies to find ways for the public to refrain from using the newly coined words that compare a beginner in a certain field to a child, saying it can demean children. “Eorini” is a for

Social Affairs May 4, 2022

Virtual walking tours have emerged as an alternative to quench a thirst for travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, letting people explore far-flung destinations from the comfort of their own homes. YouTube channels centering on such virtual tours produce videos intended at giving viewers the vivid feeling of walking through an ordinary neighborhood in Seoul and other areas in the country. To diversify their content and attract more viewers, these creators are adding new features like time-lapse

Television April 24, 2022

Local clinics and hospitals received over 700 billion won ($564 million) won in total in February and March for conducting rapid antigen tests from the national health insurance scheme, data has revealed. According to data submitted to the National Assembly by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Tuesday, the National Health Insurance Corp. received claims for payment of medical expenses involving COVID-19 rapid antigen tests totaling 730.3 billion won between Feb. 3 and April 3. This is e

Social Affairs April 21, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly cruel to older people. Digitally estranged, those living alone were virtually cut off from the world as social distancing disrupted operations of senior centers and other community services. To fill this void in senior care, authorities and institutions have deployed companion robots. These care machines with artificial intelligence have been billed as an example of the pandemic accelerating the deployment of cutting-edge technology. They are inten

Social Affairs April 14, 2022

Impeached President Park Geun-hye on Friday endorsed her close aide Yoo Young-ha, who seeks to run for Daegu mayor in the June elections, making her first political move after being freed from prison in December. “I believe that the dream I wanted to achieve will come true by Yoo in Daegu that is my hometown and Yoo’s,” the former leader said in a five-minute video released via Yoo’s YouTube channel. Park, who was ousted from power in 2017 after a corruption scandal i

Politics April 8, 2022

As South Koreans push to break free of the pandemic’s long grip, Incheon Airport, the country’s main international gateway, is gearing up for the long-awaited return of air travelers. Although not quite to pre-pandemic levels yet, passengers were seen forming lines in front of certain airline counters on Wednesday, including South Korean flag carrier Asiana Airlines. However, many were unattended, with no flights scheduled. On Wednesday, usually one of the quietest days of th

Social Affairs April 7, 2022

Buoyed by the popularity of Korean cultural products, a Korean language learning frenzy is spreading around the world. Unlike in the past, when most Korean learners studied for practical reasons like for academic research or jobs, more people now seem to do so out of interest in the country itself. As of 2020, some 1,669 elementary, junior high and high schools in 39 countries have opened and operated Korean classes, with about 160,000 students enrolled, according to Education Ministry data. I

People April 6, 2022

My first memory of Youn Yuh-jung dates back to 1991 when she played the role of a talkative and fussy mother in the television series “What is Love,” which holds the record for the third-highest average viewership of any Korean television broadcast here. In the eyes of a 9-year-old child, Youn looked far from the stereotypical Korean moms that I’ve seen on TV before. It was not just because of the snobbish role she played. It was more about her stiff appearance and husky v

People March 31, 2022

Long gone are the days when we had to sign up for early morning in-person English classes to learn from native speakers. YouTube, which has countless videos with a focus on English education, has emerged as the most useful tool for those who want to outgrow textbook-based language learning. Offering a wide range of subjects from scripts of US television series to video blogs of daily life in English-speaking countries, many channels target general learners who need a guide to English grammar

People March 29, 2022

With the lifting of the IT-based COVID-19 contract tracing scheme, owners of cafes, restaurants, and small and medium-sized shops now ponder over what to do with the digital devices they used for scanning personal QR codes. Since March 1, the government scrapped electronic contact tracing and vaccine passes in which visitors to public facilities including singing rooms, indoor gyms and residential nursing homes were required to get checked through mobile applications on their smartphones.

Social Affairs March 24, 2022

The reason you haven’t contracted COVID-19 yet? Probably because you have no friends. At least, that’s what one South Korean physician believes. “The adults who have not yet been infected with COVID-19 are those who have interpersonal problems,” read a Facebook post uploaded by Ma Sang-hyuk, vice president of the Korean Vaccine Society, on March 16. The post was removed but a screenshot has been widely shared online, sparking controversy. Unlike other virus exper

Social Affairs March 22, 2022

The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories, a Korea Herald series exploring the city’s subway stations and surrounding areas. -- Ed.  An exotic scene created by the mixture of Korean and Chinese culture unfolds when walking out of Exit 12 at Daerim Station on subway lines No. 2 and 7 in southwestern Seoul. Large restaurants with colorful signs written in Chinese sell hot pot and lamb skewers, dishes that have become increasingly popular among Koreans in recent years. Small shops f

Social Affairs March 20, 2022

A vote took place at one of the most expensive apartment complexes in central Seoul last May. “Due to the indiscriminate actions of passersby within the complex, damage to residents such as trash throwing, unauthorized use of facilities, theft accidents and pet excretion continues to take place,” read the notice for the vote, asking residents to express their opinion through the poll on the installation of fences and a gate to limit the access of strangers. Of 1,148 households in

Social Affairs March 19, 2022