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Travel
[Weekender] Cozy, affordable ‘imokase’ course menus trending in Seoul

Located in the narrow alleyways of Seoul’s industrial district Euljiro -- dubbed “Hipjiro” for its renaissance as a hotspot for younger locals -- Joil Food is one of the city’s growing number of popular “imokase” joints. Stemming from the Japanese term “omakase,” which translates into “leaving it up to you,” an imokase establishment is a small eatery where the chef, who locals call “imo,” serves an affordable meal for custom
April 22, 2023 - 16:01:34
Books
[Weekender] Small but strong: Indie bookstores embrace individuality, diversity and community

Although the reading population of Korean adults is less than half the total -- meaning over half of adults do not read a single book in a year -- unique independent bookstores are enjoying growing popularity. There were 815 independent bookstores nationwide in 2022, according to Dongneseojeom (Bookstores in Neighborhood), an independent bookstore recommendation service. It has been keeping track of the number of bookstores since 2015 in its annual trend report. The number has been steadily incr
April 15, 2023 - 16:01:23
Hashtag Korea
[Weekender] Instant photos make comeback

In Seoul’s Yeonnam-dong, a trendy neighborhood for young hipsters, a particular trend has taken over an entire street: instant self-photo studios popping up almost next to each other. “Nine new self-photo studios have opened within just a few months in this area,” shared a person surnamed Hong who runs another such studio near Hongik University Station. It was a Tuesday afternoon and the freestanding photo studios inside stores like “Life Four Cuts” or “Haru F
April 8, 2023 - 16:01:10
Consumer
[Weekender] Foreign tourists flock back to Myeong-dong

Foreign travelers are returning to Myeong-dong after over three years of economic decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the central Seoul shopping district seeing signs of recovery. “Between last winter and now, I have been able to see a lot more foreigners in the Myeong-dong area, particularly on the main street. From morning until midnight, foreigners continue to flow into the area," a 27-year-old part-time worker surnamed Kim told The Korea Herald in Myeong-dong, Seoul, Tuesda
April 1, 2023 - 16:01:19
weekender
[Weekender] Korea wages uphill battle against school violence

CHANGWON, South Gyeongsang Province -- As the spring semester began in March, counselors at the Changwon Youth Counseling and Welfare Center in the southeastern industrial city were busy greeting children who feared going to school. The center provides free psychological testing, counseling and play therapy for youths between the ages of 9 and 24 suffering from bullying. Most come to the center on recommendation from their schools and parents, though some come on their own. It is hard to detect
March 25, 2023 - 16:01:21
People
[Weekender] Female SNU students find their footing on basketball court

It was not so long ago that girls were largely absent from school playgrounds in Korea. From soccer fields to basketball courts, while the boys played in sports games, the few girls that were spotted, most took on the roles as cheerleaders or worked as team managers. That was not the case at the Seoul National University gymnasium on a recent Thursday, where a team of women basketball players zipped across the court, practicing dribbles and crossovers, smiles never leaving their faces. Kwon Hee-
March 18, 2023 - 16:01:40
Social Affairs
[Weekender] Envisioning Korea in 2070 in births, deaths, marriages and immigration

A dynamic, cutthroat society that never rests -- that has been South Korea until now. Changes have taken place in this Asian country in recent decades at speeds no other nation could follow: from poverty to prosperity, from the ruins of colonial occupation and civil war to becoming a rising cultural superpower on the international stage. But at the same breakneck pace, Korea is leading the world into a future where the majority live past 90 years old and fewer people are working to keep the econ
March 11, 2023 - 16:01:00
Consumer
[Weekender] Why soju price hikes are causing Koreans so much anguish

Rumors of soju price hikes have stirred public disquiet over the past couple of weeks here, intensifying to the extent that the government decided to intervene in the market. The fuss temporarily ended after Hite Jinro, the country’s largest soju maker, officially announced that it was not planning on any price hikes. “I felt bitter when I heard about possible price hikes in soju, which seemed to hold out well, while everything else is getting more expensive,” said Kim, a 29-
March 4, 2023 - 16:01:33
weekender
[Weekender] Koryoin from Ukraine find new home in ancestors' land

GWANGJU -- Kim Volodymyr, a 17-year-old fourth-generation Koryoin, had no particular interest in K-pop, Korean language or food before coming to the country. He heard his parents talking about South Korea from time to time, but never thought that he’d be living in the country. Escaping from his hometown Kremenchuk, an industrial city in Ukraine that became the target of massive bombing, Kim entered his ancestors' land in July last year with a flight ticket sent by a friend who left Uk
Feb. 25, 2023 - 16:01:20
Culture
[Weekender] Taking the hotel experience home

Having guests over at home has become less common in Seoul over the past two decades, with restaurants and cafes on almost every neighborhood corner making it easy to dine out at any time of the day. But the COVID-19 pandemic has driven people to spend more time in their own spaces. The phenomenon has naturally led to the public's interest in home furnishing, interior design, and home-cooked meals. Capitalizing on the trend, high-end hotels are creating their own brands or working with vend
Feb. 18, 2023 - 16:01:46
Food
[Weekender] ‘Come grab coffee by the sea in Busan’

BUSAN -- South Korea’s southeastern port city of Busan is a popular holiday destination for those seeking to enjoy quality seafood and relax at the beach. But in recent years, tourists have been flocking to the city to get a taste of something different -- coffee. Global coffee competition winners are opening up cafes in Busan, with a shared goal of transforming the city into the next coffee hub like the Australian city of Melbourne. At the forefront of the movement is barista Jeon Joo-ye
Feb. 11, 2023 - 16:01:31
Technology
[Weekender] Humanlike AI chatbot ChatGPT takes world by storm

Artificial intelligence has become a part of our lives, sparking innovation around every corner. After Google DeepMind's AlphaGo surprised the world by winning a historic match against Korean Go grandmaster Lee Se-dol in 2016, the ability of a new humanlike chatbot has recently opened people’s eyes to how far AI has progressed. California-based startup OpenAI released ChatGPT to the public in November last year and gained over 1 million users within a week. The AI-powered chatbot is a
Feb. 4, 2023 - 16:00:47
weekender
Tale of Daechi moms: Women who go all in for kids’ college dreams

After over two decades of climbing the corporate ladder, Park, a 48-year-old who wished to be identified by her surname, resigned from an executive role two years ago to be a stay-at-home mom. The reason was simple: to micromanage her then-middle school and 10th-grade daughters through Daechi-dong’s cutthroat educational landscape. “It’s where ‘Sky Castle’ takes place. Moms give up time and money to send kids to prominent universities starting from elementary school
Jan. 28, 2023 - 16:01:19
Film
[Weekender] 16 movies to watch over Seollal holiday

Watching movies at theaters during the Seollal holiday is a rite of sorts for South Korean moviegoers, as more people spend time at home rather than traveling outside the city over the extended holiday period. It is also an important season for filmmakers and distributors, as the country's box office hits prove that films opening during the family holiday season record relatively higher ticket sales. Examples abound, such as family drama "Miracle in Cell No. 7," which opened durin
Jan. 21, 2023 - 14:01:19
Industry
[Weekender] Still looking for a calendar? Don't bank on it

Kim Min-ju, a woman living in Mapo-gu, Seoul, visited two local banks -- KB Kookmin Bank and Woori Bank -- for a printed calendar in mid-December, but she could not find one. "I should have lined up at a bank on Dec. 1 when they started distributing them,” Kim said. Kim is among those who regret their hesitation. Many people on Naver's blogs have shared a similar experience of leaving banks empty-handed and also asked for information on local banks with calendars in stock. &l
Jan. 7, 2023 - 16:01:23