An average wage earner in South Korea would have to save up one’s entire income for 14 years to buy a home in Seoul, a government study showed Wednesday. The price-to-income ratio -- the median home price divided by the median annual household income -- for Seoul in 2021 jumped to 14.1 from 12.5 in the year before, according to the 2021 Korea Housing Survey released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The figure was higher than that of any other region in the country, wi

Economy Dec. 21, 2022

At the bottom of a winding path in the quiet neighborhood of Wa-dong, Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, resides one of South Korea's most infamous child sex offenders in a nondescript apartment. In 2008, a middle-aged man called Cho Doo-soon sexually attacked and maimed a then-eight-year-old girl in a church restroom. The inhumane assault resulted in unspeakable injuries to the victim, which she still suffers from according to a recent statement by her father. This also led to a flurry of proposed

Social Affairs Dec. 19, 2022

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

Hashtag Korea Dec. 17, 2022

All members of the South Korean parliament have pledged to take part in a campaign to get rid of hate speech, bullying and human rights violations in cyberspace, the Sunfull Foundation said Sunday. “All 299 lawmakers have signed a pledge to support using good language during their political activities,” announced the organization’s founder Min Byoung-chul during an award ceremony held Dec. 7 to commend 35 parliamentarians for using what they perceive as a respectful language, a

People Dec. 11, 2022

Recently, South Korea suffered its worst Halloween nightmare when a catastrophic crowd crush on Oct. 29 claimed 158 lives, mostly young people simply out to have fun and enjoy the festivities. In light of the tragedy, district offices around crowded areas and party districts in Seoul have rolled out some specific safety measures. Within the famous nightlife streets of Hongdae, located in Mapo-gu, red lines have been drawn on sloped streets to help warn pedestrians. And by the end of the month, t

Social Affairs Dec. 6, 2022

Around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, with still an hour to go for the kickoff, Gwanghwamun Plaza in Seoul was already packed with soccer fans. Across the square were flashes of red, emitted from the LED headbands that symbolize the Red Devils, the official supporters club for the South Korean national soccer team. Many said they wouldn't miss watching South Korea take on the top-ranked Brazil in the country’s third Round of 16 match ever on World Cup stages. “I’ll be there once my shift e

Soccer Dec. 6, 2022

South Korea went down in the Round of 16 match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 against Brazil, as the top-ranked team in the world easily beat the underdogs 4-1 at the match held at the Stadium 974 in Doha on Tuesday, Korean Time. Widely considered favorites to win at all, the Canary Squad proved to be too much for the Koreans to handle. The game ended up being a landslide after Vinicius Junior scored the first goal seven-minutes into the match, followed by goals from Neymar,Richarlison and

Soccer Dec. 6, 2022

Red Devils, the South Korean national soccer team’s official supporters club, will take to the streets of Gwanghwamun Plaza to cheer for their team against the perennial powerhouse Brazil in the Round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday gave the go-ahead to the Red Devils' request to use the square to broadcast the game. Tens of thousands of fans are expected to gather at the square in central Seoul, as the public screening event amassed

Soccer Dec. 5, 2022

After the game-winning goal that carried South Korea to a victory over Portugal in the Group H finale of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Hwang Hee-chan laid a kiss on his left wrist before the play commenced. This was a tribute to his grandparents, who raised him as a child and whose names are tattooed on his wrist. Hwang had once said in an interview that his grandparents were “everything in his life,” that they were the first people that pop up in his mind whenever he makes a goal.

Soccer Dec. 5, 2022

During the Group H finale of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 between South Korea and Portugal on Saturday, Korean time, Korean fans at the stadium started shouting “Messi! Messi!” when the Portuguese team’s captain Cristiano Ronaldo got the ball. The support seemed random, as the Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi was not on the field of the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar: his team was not even in the same group and had clinched its spot in the top 16 two days earlier

Soccer Dec. 4, 2022

The results by the South Korean national team in Group H of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 have followed a peculiar pattern: It defeated the group-winner Portugal in the finale, tied with the next highest-ranked Uruguay 0-0, and was beaten by the lowest-ranked Ghana 3-2. Would the pattern continue when the Taegeuk Warriors play against the five-time World Cup champion Brazil at 10 p.m. Monday, or 4 a.m. Tuesday in Korea? The Korean team has indeed shown in the past -- mostly during the Koreans�

Soccer Dec. 4, 2022

Prior to the Group H finale between South Korea and Portugal, the odds of the Taegeuk Warriors reaching the top 16 seemed slim to a near-comical level. Now after the Koreans have done the improbable, fans are waiting to see if they can keep on their miracle run in the next match against Brazil at the round of 16. The odds are stacked against South Korea as high as ever; Brazil currently sits at the top of the FIFA ranking and has won the World Cup five times in the past -- more than any other na

Soccer Dec. 4, 2022

South Korea pulled off a 2-1 upset against powerhouse Portugal on Saturday, Korean time and, despite Uruguay’s 2-0 defeat over Ghana, achieved an improbable feat of making the knockout stage. It is the Taeguk Warriors’ first trip to the knockout stage since 2010. This marks the third time in the nation’s history that South Korea has made it to the final 16. Portugal, despite the loss to the underdog, advanced to the next round. Two other teams in the Group H, Uruguay and Ghana

Soccer Dec. 3, 2022

South Korea’s heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Ghana in the Group H match of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 on Monday has put the team in a bit of a pickle. It now faces Portugal, the only undefeated team in the group, in a do-or-die match. South Korean fans are hoping history would repeat itself in the upcoming Group H match: In the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan, South Korea defeated the heavily favored Portugal squad in the final group stage match. The situation was similar, albeit not exactly the

Soccer Nov. 30, 2022

Despite the eventual loss, Monday’s match against Ghana has produced some bright spots for struggling South Korea in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. One of them is the rediscovery of Cho Gue-sung. He scored two goals against the Black Stars during his team’s 2-3 loss, marking the first time a Korean has ever scored more than once in a single World Cup match. The 24-year-old K-League player’s stellar performance in his first World Cup start appears to be drawing the attention of te

Soccer Nov. 30, 2022