The Korea Herald Series

Latest News

Hashtag Korea
[Weekender] Geeks have never been so chic in Korea

The stereotypical nerd with glasses who gets straight As in school has never been so fashionable in South Korea. Once relegated to the corner of the school cafeteria, geeky individuals have stepped into the limelight, as the mainstream warms to the intriguing blend of their characters and fashion, encapsulated by the term, “geek chic.” The term is not new. But the fashion is undergoing a revival amid a growing appreciation for nerd-like qualities, making geeky style elements all th
May 18, 2024 - 16:01:36
weekender
[Weekender] Pet food makers bet big on ‘recession-free’ pet food market

Kwon, an office worker in her 30s residing in Seoul raises a small white Maltese called Seolgi. She says that she is increasingly feeling the pinch from prolonged inflation that has also hit the prices of her dog's food. A 20-kilogram bag of dog food, equivalent to about a month's worth of food for Seolgi, was priced at 38,000 won ($28) last year, but now the price has reached more than 44,000 won. However, Kwon said she has no intention of reducing her spending on her beloved companio
May 11, 2024 - 16:01:11
Culture
[Weekender] Korean psyche untangled: Musok

Shamanism. It resonates with Koreans -- in private. Rarely is it endorsed openly, however. Accusing someone of having acknowledged its power in any official capacity forces the person to counter the assertion, at all costs. How this plays out in real life was on vivid display last week. K-pop giant Hybe, the company behind BTS, cornered its sublabel Ador Chief Executive Min Hee-jin over plotting to take independent the lucrative subsidiary that manages popular girl group NewJeans. A shaman was i
May 4, 2024 - 16:01:01
Social Affairs
[Weekender] How DDP emerged as an icon of Seoul

When the Dongdaemun Design Plaza first opened its doors in March 2014, the structure, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, was met with mixed reviews. Replacing a baseball stadium built in 1959 and another sports stadium dating to 1925 nestled in the fashion retail district of Dongdaemun, the DDP faced criticism for its perceived lack of harmony with its surroundings, with some likening it to "a spaceship that crash-landed in Seoul." Now, a decade after it opened, the DDP has finally s
April 27, 2024 - 16:00:58
Hashtag Korea
[Weekender] Why aren't K-pop stars cashing in on cosmetics?

K-beauty is trending globally. Many Korean celebrities, particularly K-pop stars, command vast, devoted fan bases, influencing fashion and beauty trends. Combine the two and one might naturally assume there would be numerous cosmetic brands launched by Korean stars, similar to Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, Kylie Jenner's Kylie Cosmetics or Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty in the US. The reality, however, is quite different. Korean stars might be the faces of top beauty brands, but they rar
April 20, 2024 - 16:00:53
Culture
[Weekender] How young Koreans find peace of mind in pet stones

Some perhaps remember a stone slab from director Bong Joon-ho’s Academy Award-winning film “Parasite,” which Ki-woo, one of the main characters, holds onto throughout the film. In the film, his friend Min-hyuk delivers the stone, stolen from his grandfather’s collection, telling Ki-woo the stone will bring wealth to his family. The stone, which is known as "suseok" or scholar’s rock here, is a collectible item that was prominent among scholars during the J
April 13, 2024 - 16:00:52
Culture
[Weekender] Jeju commemorates its deepest scar

The home of the late Jin A-young sits overlooking the rocky shores at Weolryeong-ri 381, Hanrib-eup in Jeju City, in the west of Jeju Island. The unassuming house, preserved in almost the exact state as it was when Jin died on Sept. 8, 2004, at the age of 90, is about the only earthly remnant of her life, torn apart by the massacres that took place there over half a century ago. On a table in her home was a dust-covered pack of antacids, one of her daily necessities. Jin had suffered from chro
April 6, 2024 - 16:01:37
Arts&Design
[Weekender] Qatar opens up path for next generation with art

DOHA, Qatar -- As you near the National Museum of Qatar in Doha, a large-scale layered structure comes into sight. The museum, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, is reminiscent of the “desert rose,” a crystal cluster of gypsum formed in the desert that indicates the presence of water. The museum, which opened in 2019, presents the story of Qatar from prehistoric times to the present, and also houses contemporary art collections that include some of the world’s most renow
March 23, 2024 - 09:02:03
Social Affairs
[Weekender] A new equation in sharing costs of marriage

“The groom provides the home, and the bride furnishes it" has been a long-standing custom in Korean marriages. But, with evolving perspectives on gender roles, and home prices virtually beyond reach for average Korean men of marrying age, the way couples manage the finances of their marriage is undergoing severe changes. Newlyweds, single men and single women interviewed by The Korea Herald generally envisioned an equal partnership founded on equal contributions -- be it financially,
March 16, 2024 - 16:01:31
weekender
[Weekender] 'C-commerce' on rise in Korea

Chinese e-commerce platforms, equipped with ultracheap deals, have been gobbling up market share from domestic rivals here. Even as local retailers suggest there has been no serious impact from the Chinese surge, they can be seen ramping up their readiness. According to market tracker Wiseapp, the monthly user counts for AliExpress, Temu and Shein, three big Chinese players, have continuously been hitting new record numbers in Korea. AliExpress, the biggest among them, saw 8.18 million monthly u
March 9, 2024 - 16:01:18
weekender
[Weekender] Car camping: How solo female campers enjoy outdoors

After the COVID-19 virus hit, camping caught on among Koreans as an outdoor leisure activity that didn't break social distancing rules. The pandemic may have officially ended, but the camping craze has stuck around. In the past few years, the popularity of car camping has stood out. As of end-2022, 41.6 percent of Koreans said they went car camping at least once compared with the corresponding figure of 4 percent in the previous year, a survey released by the Korea Tourism Organization in J
March 2, 2024 - 15:59:28
Culture
[Weekender] Discover the joys of life without a smartphone

In December, college student Kang Min-gu was preparing for his final exams when he decided to put his cell phone in a special type of locker called the "Room of Immersion." Once items are placed in the cylinder, also called a "smartphone prison," and a timer is set, it can only be opened before the time is up by breaking it. Kang, who majors in Korean medicine, meant to set a timer for 60 minutes so he could focus on his studies. But when he realized he had accidentally s
Feb. 24, 2024 - 16:01:37
Food
[Weekender] 'Too cute to eat'

At Melting Of, a dessert cafe in Seoul’s vibrant Hongdae neighborhood, seven tables buzzed with youthful energy among the predominantly female patrons. "It's too cute to eat!" one woman at a table exclaimed in a high pitch as the order arrived, just a moment before beginning to devour the treats. At another table occupied by a young couple, the woman was absorbed in taking photos of a pandoro sweet bread with cream shaped into a rabbit. She meticulously reviewed each photo
Feb. 17, 2024 - 16:01:18
weekender
[Weekender] How Sinchon lost its student shine

Seoul's Sinchon neighborhood has long been a vibrant playground for youngsters and foreign visitors alike. It's known as a college area thanks to its proximity to prestigious universities like Yonsei, Ewha and Sogang, and its youthful buzz attracted an influx of franchise brands opening stores there in the early 2000s. Starbucks, for instance, launched its first South Korean store in Sinchon. Lotte Group opened the country’s first Krispy Kreme branch in the student area because o
Feb. 10, 2024 - 16:01:51
weekender
[Weekender] Born to battle: Decoding Korea's hypercompetitive society

Han, a 30-year-old living in Seoul, was once a promising student. She entered Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul on a scholarship and secured a well-paying job at a large company upon graduation. However, the constant competition and long work hours eventually took a toll. Despite being promoted to assistant manager before her colleagues, Han started to experience burnout. "The cycle of competition just didn't end. I had to beat my colleagues to get promoted. I wasn't happy," H
Feb. 3, 2024 - 16:01:37