The Sunfull Foundation will inaugurate "K-Respect Day" on Thursday, aiming to foster respect and understanding among people of diverse cultural backgrounds. "Korea is a multicultural country with 2.5 million foreigners. Despite their contributions, they still face prejudice and discrimination. This ceremony will promote understanding and respect for people from different cultures,” explained Min Byoung-chul, founder and chairman of the Sunfull Foundation. The ceremony will

Social Affairs May 20, 2024

The Supreme Court recently ruled that files from a “spy app” for illegally recording voice files cannot be used as evidence of adultery as it violates a communications-related law. In 2022, a woman sought compensation from her ex-husband’s mistress based on calls recorded between her ex-husband and his mistress as evidence. The woman collected the evidence using a spy app she had secretly installed on her husband’s phone. Two lower courts admitted the evidence, ruling t

Social Affairs May 19, 2024

It was only 3:40 p.m. on a Tuesday, but at Anna’s House, dinner was ready. The meal of the day -- braised half-dried pollack, seasoned bean sprout salad, kimchi, kimchi soup and rice -- was neatly arranged in big containers. Father Kim Ha-jong gathered around with a group of volunteers and they all recited a prayer in unison. “We are grateful to serve those in need … happier when giving than receiving.” After the prayer, priest Kim, who was born in Italy as Vincenzo

Hashtag Korea May 18, 2024

When opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck in a failed assassination attempt in January, the South Korean public remained in the dark about the assailant’s identity, including his name and occupation, until the New York Times disclosed the information. In April, when a Korean NASA engineer was charged in the US with a series of rapes, his name, age and photos were disseminated in US media. But in local media, the Korean suspect was cloaked in anonymity, with his photos

Social Affairs May 16, 2024

The police announced Friday that they will begin a service to verify gun permit licenses online in cooperation with Naver, the nation's largest search engine, starting this month. The service enables the online verification of licenses certified by the police for the possession of guns, swords, gas sprayers and electric shock devices, allowing for easy checks on Naver. Previously, license holders were required to carry plastic card-type licenses issued by the police station when possess

Social Affairs May 10, 2024

Find the answer at the bottom. The Three Kingdoms period (57 BC-AD 668) was a fascinating era in the Korean Peninsula's early history, marked by rivalry and exchanges among three distinctively different kingdoms, each possessing its own charm and history. The distinctive appeals of the three kingdoms -- Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla -- along with their evolving dynamics, leading to their eventual unification under one conqueror, make this period one of Korean history's most studied ti

Hashtag Korea May 8, 2024

On a Saturday evening in March, Hong Kee-cheon brought his prized telescope out to a park in Ilsan, northwest of Seoul. He pulled a cart laden with his astronomy gear, weighing over 60 kilograms in total, to the heart of the park, where two people had already set up their more compact telescopes. “Tonight, Jupiter and its moons grace us," Hong, 52, said, his eyes scanning the skies above, before he began assembling what he affectionately calls his "scope." By the time he was

Hashtag Korea May 8, 2024

High school students who have a history of school violence in high school will be barred from becoming elementary school teachers, as the government takes stronger action against school bullying. According to the college entrance plans for 2026 released by the government Monday, all 10 national universities of education have disqualified high school students with a history of violence from applying. The ban is a follow-up to the comprehensive measure for eradicating school violence announced b

Social Affairs May 6, 2024

"What do you do for a living?" Lim Eun-hye came to understand the power of this one simple line after losing the title of college student. Wanting to explore her true desires before settling into a mundane work life, she dabbled in various pursuits, including freelancing, traveling and social clubs. But she now bitterly admits that she was naive and out of touch with reality. "People didn't care who I was and what kind of values I was leading my life by,” Lim, 29, sai

Hashtag Korea May 6, 2024

In the 2020 Oscar-nominated film "Minari,” the eponymous Korean herb, which one of the characters explains “thrives where there is water,” symbolizes the resilience of the movie's Korean American immigrant family. While the film may have introduced minari to a wider audience, it fell short of exploring its varied uses in Korean cuisine, known for its light herbal taste, refreshing aroma and detoxifying properties. Native to East and Southeast Asia, this plant has th

Food May 5, 2024

Rubber band therapy Amidst the ever-evolving landscape of hi-tech skin gadgets, a new trend has captured the attention of South Koreans, with a promise of swift lifting and contouring effects. All that’s required is a simple pair of rubber bands. The secret? Hang the rubber bands around your ears for about 10 minutes. This therapy has earned public endorsements from celebrities like Seo In-guk, Myung Se-bin and Kim Ha-young, with a variety of related content available on YouTube and

Hashtag Korea April 27, 2024

A second public official from Gimpo City Hall was found to have died by suicide, police said Thursday. Police received an emergency call Thursday morning from a civil servant at Gimpo City Hall in Gyeonggi Province, who was unable to reach his colleague, a man in his 40s. He said he had received a text message from his colleague the previous evening saying, “I am sorry I couldn't finish my work first before going.” Within 30 minutes of the call, police found the man dead in hi

Social Affairs April 26, 2024

Yoon Jin-hee, 37, describes herself as a bubbly and funny personality, always cracking jokes first when around friends. But at work, she seldom reveals her witty side. "At work, only bosses make jokes. I've never seen a subordinate make a joke to their boss," said Yoon, who works for a government agency. “Male superiors mostly make ‘ajae’ jokes, which are hardly ever amusing,” she said. The term, based on “ajae,” a word for middle-aged men, is r

Hashtag Korea April 22, 2024

A court ruled in favor of a pharmacy that took legal action against a former employee who opened a competing business in the same building, on the grounds that such action goes against good morals and social order. A court in Ulsan said Sunday that the plaintiff applied for an injunction to prohibit the business operations of a new pharmacy, which was opened in the same building in January by its former part-time pharmacist. The plaintiff claimed that its former employee, after working there f

Social Affairs April 21, 2024

A member of the South Korean girl group Ichillin’ was briefly rendered unconscious after being struck by a foul ball while waiting for a performance during a pro baseball game in Seoul on Tuesday. The singer soon recovered consciousness, but her performance was canceled. “Chowon is currently in good health. There were no abnormalities found during a detailed (medical) examination, and she will undergo additional tests later today,'" her agency Kmet said in a statement

K-pop April 17, 2024