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Culture
[Weekender] Last chance to get into the festive mood

It’s getting colder come evenings, but the crosswalks are bustling with people taking photos. Christmas decorations and lights illuminate the streets and alleys. People flock around the seasonal attractions, enjoying the holiday spirit with friends, lovers and family. Hotels and department stores are in a fierce competition to see who puts up the best, brightest and biggest decorations. Social media is bursting with suggestions on the perfect spot to take photos of popular decorations as w
Dec. 24, 2022 - 16:01:51
Hashtag Korea
[Weekender] Feces heals? Peculiar Korean home remedies and their effectiveness

Korea has had an abundance of home remedies throughout its history. Many of them are as simple and harmless as drinking plum tea when you have a cough, but some can be as extreme as downing water from human feces. These methods have varying levels of effectiveness and most medical experts voice concern about following them blindly. One example of time-old home remedies still practiced by many in Korea is poking your finger with a needle to cause it to bleed in case of indigestion. Although not a
Dec. 17, 2022 - 16:01:04
weekender
[Weekender] Spring-warm or winter-cool? Personal color tests, the latest beauty craze

Are you warm-toned or cool-toned? The current craze for South Koreans is to take personal color tests -- or consultations that provide recommendations for people's personal color types. The tests, largely held offline for accuracy, have professional analysts evaluate whether people fall under the category of "warm-tone" or "cool-tone," by scrutinizing their skin tone. According to the tests, warm-toned people generally have a yellow-base skin undertone, while cool-toned
Dec. 10, 2022 - 16:01:26
Social Affairs
[Weekender] A year without hagwon, away from concrete jungle

Childhood is no longer filled with dreams. Instead it is beset by competition, pressure and anxiety, as more children are exposed to an overheated education environment from an early age. But some students and their families are taking a step away from the heat, traveling south for a sabbatical at a countryside school. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, in charge of the primary and secondary education of the capital city, has been encouraging students to try out a school life in the cou
Dec. 3, 2022 - 16:01:38
Travel
[Weekender] Jeju Biennale shows the island's natural identity

JEJU CITY -- About an hour‘s flight from the South Korean capital of Seoul, Jeju Island is a popular destination for those who want to get away from the grit of the city. The ubiquitous porous basalt, covering more than 90 percent of the island, is evidence that the island was created as a result of volcanic activity. "Dolharubang," or village guardian statues carved out of porous basalt, fresh seafood, mandarin oranges and more than 368 parasitic cones are iconic symbols of t
Nov. 26, 2022 - 16:01:48
Technology
[Weekender] Revived G-Star back with bang

BUSAN -- For Ji Young-hoon, a 22-year-old South Korean who had just finished his mandatory military service duty in September, this year’s G-Star -- the country’s largest annual gaming exhibition felt like seeing an old friend after a long time. “I was here three years ago right after I took Suneung (Korea’s national college entrance exam). I have been looking forward to this year’s G-Star because the last two years’ events were not enjoyable,” Ji told T
Nov. 19, 2022 - 16:01:26
Culture
[Weekender] In hyper-connected Korea, a growing urge to unplug

Smartphones brought the world to our fingertips. But they have also brought endless notifications, social feeds and a deluge of information and distractions. Fatigue from this ever-persistent and ultra-fast connectivity has led to a growing interest in ‘digital detox’, or unplugging from the digital and online world, among South Koreans. Kim Young-jae, a 40-year-old office worker, felt a strong urge to disconnect recently. It was after the Oct. 29 Itaewon crowd crush which left 156 p
Nov. 12, 2022 - 16:01:07
weekender
[Weekender] Medicine for better college, does such panacea exist?

The annual Sunung, or College Scholastic Ability Test, that will decide the outcome of 12 years of education for many Korean teens is a month away. The test is a major event that pushes back working hours and the opening of the stock market by one hour, and even halts airplanes for 25 minutes for the English listening test. The Korean passion for academic achievements, coupled with Koreans’ obsession with health supplements, has given rise to a big market for supplements and traditional me
Oct. 29, 2022 - 16:01:45
Travel
[Weekender] Mountain temples perfect place to enjoy autumn

As the temperature starts to drop, the heavy jackets come out from the depths of their closets and trees everywhere start to dress up in their seasonal flaming reds, dazzling yellows and brilliant oranges. With autumn in Korea seemingly getting shorter every year, travelers are gearing up and preparing to traverse the country to get the most out of the season at popular destinations for leaf peeping. With the fall foliage expected to be most spectacular from late October through early November,
Oct. 22, 2022 - 16:02:09
Social Affairs
[Weekender] Strong dollar, weak won: What does it mean for ordinary people?

Over the past year, the Korean currency has lost nearly 20 percent of its value against the dollar. A dollar is equal to about 1,429 won, according to the currency’s closing rate on Wednesday. But a year ago, you needed 19 percent less of the Korean currency, or 1,196.5 won, to buy a dollar. The won’s depreciation, driven largely by the dollar’s gains worldwide, has sent the exchange rate into a territory trodden only during major financial crises. A won-dollar rate above 1,400
Oct. 15, 2022 - 16:01:17
Culture
[Weekender] Drone's new mission: Light up the sky

Drone light shows are taking over local festivals and company promotion events as a new crowd pleaser. The small vehicles, equipped with colorful LED lights and capable of flying at speeds of 6 meters per second, quickly gather and scatter to form various shapes and relay messages, with the night sky serving as a black canvas. At one moment, the light-bearing quadcopters morph into a slow-moving whale and the next into an angry bull, dazzling spectators on the ground. South Korea is fast catchin
Oct. 8, 2022 - 16:01:36
weekender
[Weekender] Customize your image with fragrances at perfume 'gongbang'

“Perfume and fragrances are ways I can present myself as I want,” said 24-year-old Lee Seo-hyun, who frequently uses perfume craft workshops to create her own perfumes. For Lee, perfume is not just a luxury item, but a tool for self-expression. “I admire people who use perfumes skillfully. It feels like they really have a deep understanding about themselves," she said. Lee says that different perfumes convey different impressions of a person, ranging from tender to profess
Oct. 2, 2022 - 16:01:15
Arts&Design
[Weekender] Unseen sides of Busan shown at Busan Biennale 2022

BUSAN -- When you think of Busan, what comes to mind? While many would think of beaches in the port city, only a few would think of the hillside roads that connect villages and people from its surrounding regions. Sambok Road, a mountainside road in Choryang village that overlooks coastal areas, is one the venues of the Busan Biennale 2022. “I think what really defines Busan is this kind of winding mountainside road which is found across the city and little-known to people outside of Busan
Sept. 24, 2022 - 16:01:35
Social Affairs
[Weekender] Built to inspire awe

In Seoul's southern district of Banpo, an apartment complex recently won a prize at the international iF Design Award 2022 in Germany, not for the design of its main building, but for its grand and magnificent front gate. Standing 8 meters tall and 70 meters long, the large curved entrance gate is the first impression of “the H Banpo La Class,” the apartment complex built by Hyundai E&C last year. At night, the massive structure is illuminated with more than 12,000 LED lights,
Sept. 17, 2022 - 16:01:07
Economy
[Weekender] From eggs to stocks: Chuseok gifts evolve in reflection of the time

Shin Jeong-eum, a 61-year-old Seoulite, remembers her childhood when her family was delighted with beef wrapped in a simple paper package and a carton of eggs held together by straw as Chuseok gifts. As for her, Shin's favorite moments in the 1970s were receiving new clothes from her relatives as they celebrated the traditional mid-autumn harvest festival, honoring their ancestors. “Nowadays, it’s all about gifting luxury items and we can just send the gifts after purchasing them t
Sept. 9, 2022 - 11:01:41