Inside barracks: Military life still a scarring experience for many

Kim Gi-cheol remembers his son's determination to fulfill his military duty as a South Korean citizen, despite having the opportunity to secure an exemption by acquiring foreign nationality. Having spent an extended period abroad, his son was relatively unfamiliar with the Korean language and culture. Nevertheless, Kim never imagined that his son, who was proud to serve his home country, would be dead just three months after enlisting. In November 2022, while stationed at a general post in

DefenseSept. 4, 2023

What summer of stabbings means for South Korea

"Less-lethal" guns to be distributed to law enforcement. More security cameras to be installed in parks, streets and public spaces. More frequent police patrols. These are just some of the measures South Korea has recently announced, as it scrambles for solutions to respond to a spate of apparently unprovoked attacks on members of the public. “In order to deal with ‘don’t-ask-why crimes’ on the fundamental level, (the government) will restructure police (forces)

Social AffairsSept. 3, 2023

Popular webtoon-based TV series drive more readers to original works

Kakao Entertainment webtoons are enjoying a renewed bump in popularity from TV drama adaptations by broadcasters and video streaming platforms that have become major hits this year. Disney+’s superhero action series “Moving” became the most watched Korean original project on Disney+ and Hulu, topping Disney+'s TV series charts in several countries, including Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and other Southeast Asian countries. Proving its growing popularity, the original webtoon “

BooksSept. 2, 2023

Heat-related illnesses tripled this summer in Seoul

Seoul City has seen a threefold increase on-year in the number of serious heat-related illnesses this summer, authorities said Friday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Management Headquarters, a total of 158 cases were reported through 911 emergency calls between May 15 and Aug. 31. This year's figure is approximately three times larger than the 50 cases recorded last year. Of those patients, 104 were diagnosed with heat exhaustion, followed by 24 cases of heat stroke

Social AffairsSept. 1, 2023

Korea to have 6-day Chuseok holiday with Oct. 2 as extra day off

South Korea will have a six-day Chuseok holiday this year, as the government plans to designate Oct. 2 as a one-off temporary holiday in a move aimed at shoring up domestic economy. President Yoon Suk Yeol confirmed the plan on Thursday at the 19th Emergency Meeting on Economic Affairs for Examining Economic Promotion Strategies held in his office in Seoul. If the plan proceeds as planned, all Korean citizens will be eligible to enjoy a six-day break spanning from Sept. 28 to Oct. 3. The Chuseok

Social AffairsAug. 31, 2023

South Korea's first lady backs dog meat ban

First lady Kim Keon Hee said she would work with animal activists until the dog meat industry was eradicated in Korea, continuing her campaign to promote awareness of animal rights. "We all know how we came forward today with a heart filled with sadness and urgency. Here, all of you are giving everything to save these small lives, but there are animals out there dying so cruelly and unbearably that it's truly hard to watch," she said as she appeared at a press conference held by l

PoliticsAug. 30, 2023

Why statues became center of ideological dispute

A heated debate is unfolding over the conservative Yoon Suk Yeol administration's plan to relocate the statue of an independence activist, once again placing ideological divisions in the political spotlight. At the center of the renewed controversy is the statue of Hong Beom-do, a prominent figure in Korean independence history, who was associated with the Soviet Communist Party during his time in the Soviet Union. The debate was sparked when the Defense Ministry on Saturday openly acknowle

DefenseAug. 29, 2023

Ruling party proposes Oct. 2 as temporary holiday

    The ruling People Power Party has formally proposed that the government designate Oct. 2 as a one-off public holiday. The day, which falls between Korea's major mid-autumn festival holiday, Chuseok, and National Foundation Day, aims to provide a six-day extended break, allowing families to reunite after lengthy COVID-19 restrictions and also to stimulate domestic consumption, according to the party. On Monday, ruling party leader Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon said at a Supreme Council meeting

PoliticsAug. 28, 2023

Tipping culture sparks controversy among Koreans

A popular Seoul-based bagel shop recently became a lightning rod when a photo from the shop went viral online. Sitting next to the cash register was a tip jar -- a sight that touched the nerves of many Koreans who feel store owners are shifting the burden of rising operating costs to consumers by attempting to introduce gratuities. Tipping is not expected or practiced by customers in South Korea, but over the years, a few local businesses have started asking for tips. The bagel place in question

Social AffairsAug. 27, 2023

[Herald Interview] Proud Korean Peggy Gou aims to make 'timeless' music

Peggy Gou is a superstar DJ doing tours around the world year-round. Her shows are always sold out across mostly European cities. Gou’s latest single “(It goes like) Nanana” has been on the UK top 10 singles chart for 10 straight weeks, and topped the charts in the Netherlands and Belgium over the summer. Although she may not be as widely known as BTS in her home country, Gou is a proud South Korean, born and bred in Incheon. “When people see other Asian performers and as

PeopleAug. 27, 2023

President Yoon appoints chief of broadcasting watchdog

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday approved the appointment of Lee Dong-kwan as the new head of the state broadcasting watchdog, the Korea Communications Commission, despite controversy surrounding Lee and his son. Yoon conferred a letter of appointment to Lee, a former journalist who served as a senior secretary for press affairs during the Lee Myung-bak administration, at the presidential office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Friday in the late afternoon. The appointment decision came even after the

IndustryAug. 25, 2023

Protests erupt in Seoul over Fukushima water release

South Korea’s main opposition party warned it would take a series of actions condemning the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s policies on Japan as Tokyo began a phased release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant on Thursday afternoon. Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the head of the Democratic Party of Korea, said in an emergency meeting gathering all of the party’s lawmakers that Yoon, with his “leniency with Japan,” was “no less responsible for the

PoliticsAug. 24, 2023

Korea to downgrade COVID-19 to flu level

Korea will reclassify COVID-19 to the same category as the seasonal flu starting Aug. 31, health authorities said Wednesday. COVID-19 will go down from class 2 to class 4, the lowest infectious disease category which comprises diseases such as the seasonal flu, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, gonorrhoea and syphilis, that the government considers manageable with stability. The decision was based on the declining number of infections and stabilization of the quarantine situation. The daily average o

Social AffairsAug. 23, 2023

[KH Explains] Did social upheaval fuel the superconductor hype?

The outsized reaction to the LK-99 superconductor in South Korea could very much be due to people’s desperate need to escape reality. In the past few weeks, young Koreans online fantasized about a unified nation with dominant global power, all thanks to the homegrown invention of a room-temperature superconductor. These whimsical scenarios, spreading like wildfire on online communities and social media, portrayed a world where South Korea gets a seat at the UN Security Council, the won b

TechnologyAug. 22, 2023

[Hello Hangeul] ‘Cultural education should not be just about promoting Korea’

Education about Korean culture should go beyond merely presenting Korea's proud cultural heritage. It should be a two-way communication, beginning with addressing what foreigners are most curious about, said Lee Eun-jeung, director of the Institute of Korean Studies at the Free University of Berlin. In an e-mail interview with The Korea Herald, the professor said that if the education on Korean culture is carried out solely with the intention of showcasing what Koreans want to present t

Hashtag KoreaAug. 20, 2023

[Weekender] 'Old money' rises as the new black in fashion

The “old money” fashion trend that has been spreading globally has reached South Korea. As of Thursday, the hashtag #oldmoney accrued over 8.5 billion views on TikTok, with #oldmoneyaesthetic and #oldmoneyoutfits amassing 3.8 billion and 1.4 billion views, respectively. Old money refers to wealth that is deeply rooted in tradition, or wealth that is inherited rather than acquired through personal earnings. In this regard, the idea behind the old money look means looking like someone

NewsmakerAug. 19, 2023

Stabbing threat at K-pop concert turns out to be prank by 11-year-old

The recent online threat of a mass stabbing at a K-pop group’s concert turned out to be a prank by an 11-year-old girl, local police said Friday. The child, whose identity has been withheld, posted an online threat Tuesday that claimed that she would stab fans gathered at a concert held at the Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul. Seoul Guro Police Station dispatched 39 officials to conduct an extensive search of the venue until after the concert was over at midnight that day. Officials track

Social AffairsAug. 18, 2023

More Koreans to suffer from 'climate depression': experts

A growing number of Koreans are suffering from "climate depression," after experiencing extreme heat waves, heavy rains and a typhoon this summer, according to local experts. Although no hard data has been presented, experts believe that the number of people suffering from climate depression will increase significantly in the future. “Already, the World Health Organization is taking the issue of climate depression seriously. If climate change continues, more and more people may s

Social AffairsAug. 17, 2023

Breaking silence, N.Korea says US soldier intends to seek asylum

Shattering its silence on the issue, North Korea on Wednesday asserted that US soldier Travis King intentionally crossed the inter-Korean border into its territory and expressed his intention to seek asylum. But the US Defense Department dismissed the report, referring to the claims as "alleged comments." North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency, primarily catering to international audiences, unveiled the "interim findings of the investigation into US soldier Travis

North KoreaAug. 16, 2023

Have food deliveries had their heyday?

During COVID-19, social distancing forced Koreans to eat at home, leading many to seek solace in the convenience of delivered food. Now that life has essentially returned to normal, a new cost-benefit analysis is reshaping the food delivery landscape: declining numbers of orders, decreases in delivery jobs and increases in commissions, pushing up food prices and weighing down order volumes. According to Mobile Index, the big data analysis unit of local data tracker IGAworks, the number of users

Hashtag KoreaAug. 15, 2023