Most Popular
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Contentious grain bill put directly to plenary meeting for vote
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Yoon's approval rating plunges to all-time low
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Will tug-of-war between doctors, government end soon?
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Climate impacts set to cut 2050 global GDP by nearly a fifth
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Trilateral talks acknowledge ‘serious’ slumps of won, yen
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[Graphic News] More Koreans say they plan long-distance trips this year
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[KH Explains] Hyundai's full hybrid edge to pay off amid slow transition to pure EVs
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North Korea removes streetlights along cross-border roads with South
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Russia's denial of entry of S. Korean national unrelated to bilateral ties: Seoul official
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Farming households dip below 1m for first time in 2023
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[Weekender] After K-pop, Korea eyes ‘K-cop wave’
With Korean pop culture, known as K-pop, enjoying steady popularity around the globe, South Korea is looking to export its homegrown policing tactics and equipment in the hope that it can spur what they call the “K-cop wave.”Putting aside controversy at home over the excessive use of police equipment such as water cannons and pepper spray at rallies, South Korean police’s security capabilities have received the spotlight given its long years of experience in keeping public order through turbulen
Social AffairsDec. 4, 2015
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[Weekender] Tech plays bigger role in fighting crime
As crimes become more complex, the role of technology has been ever more crucial in nabbing and indicting suspects. From autopsies and fingerprint recognition to DNA and psychological analyses, the Korean police have improved over the years.Korea Crime Scene Investigation agents demonstrate how they secure evidence and investigate a crime scene. (Yonhap) Among the technologies that have been developed, the advancement of fingerprint analysis is especially noticeable since its introduction to Ko
Social AffairsDec. 4, 2015
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[Weekender] Targeted digital advertising on demand
It’s not just content that matters in the advertising world. Thanks to ever-evolving information technology, media platforms have become an equally important part of advertising. Adknowledge, a U.S.-based company, found a business opportunity in IT. The company consults on and arranges the placement of advertisements based on its analysis of mostly users of social media ― Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. The company has become an online sensation by placing Samsung mobile phone commerci
IndustryNov. 27, 2015
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[Weekender] Advertisers think outside the box
More advertisement creators are trying to think outside the box to promote products and services.Several foreign advertisements in recent years found new and innovative ways to communicate by breaking social expectations and making clever use of their advertising media. Screenshot of Sky TV’s 40-second live ad for Champions League matches.(Sky)Here are three advertisements that turned heads and at the same time won critical acclaim for their quality and ingenuity. Geico’s “Unskippable” series be
IndustryNov. 27, 2015
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[Weekender] Adding a human touch to commercial imagination
When a government institution or ministry airs an advertisement, the point is to convey a message of public interest ― usually on a tight budget and under numerous regulatory restrictions. No wonder that these “public” ads mostly fail to appeal to the public.But this year, a video campaign on the importance of recycling overturned such prejudice. Earlier this month, Korea Advertising Awards 2015 selected the Environment Ministry’s public advertisement “I Am Your Father” as the best overall video
Nov. 27, 2015
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[Weekender] Relatable, consoling campaigns tug at hearts of modern Koreans
For the last 25 years, a billboard inscribed with messages of hope, courage and love has been hanging on the Kyobo Life Insurance headquarters in southern Seoul.“Though simple, the words have consoled me during times of hardships and reminded me of life’s priorities during busy periods,” said 35-year-old Kim Yong-bae, who passes by the billboard on his way to work every day. The Kyobo Life Insurance billboard featuring a quote from an essay by American poet Mary Oliver is hung at the firm’s head
IndustryNov. 27, 2015
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[Weekender] Ad industry microcosm of economic change
In South Korea, one of the top 10 advertising markets globally by expenditure, the ad industry has evolved in line with the country’s rapid economic growth and downturns throughout its nearly 130-year history. As a mirror of society, ads offer a glimpse of the times. One example is a television commercial for energy drink Bacchus, which recently won the top honor in the Korea Advertising Awards, selected based on consumers votes.Under the theme of “Living life as a father/undutiful child/boyfrie
IndustryNov. 27, 2015
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[Weekender] Advertisers walk thin line between ethics and freedom of expression
TV personality and lawyer Kang Yong-suk appears on the controversial “I sue you” advertisement poster that was voluntarily taken down in October. (Kang Yong-suk’s blog)The “right to advertise,” despite the powerful support of the right to free speech, is now facing a new challenge. Kang Yong-suk, a TV personality and lawyer at Next Law, recently triggered the controversy with a poster of himself roaring “I sue you!” What was meant to be a witty ad was taken down shortly after concerns emerged
Social AffairsNov. 27, 2015
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[Weekender] Selling products, buying dreams
The 1998 film “The Truman Show” depicts how a person can live without noticing that his whole life has been one gargantuan billboard. Whether it is a carton of milk he drinks or something that he or his wife picks up from the floor, the everyday items in his life are exposed to tens of millions of viewers, attracting people’s attention and zeal to buy them. But the protagonist Truman Burbank does not realizethat he is a model in this 24-hour reality advertising show because his life as an adver
IndustryNov. 27, 2015
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[Weekender] Packaged kimchi becoming smaller, diverse and healthier
Throughout history, kimchi has held a defining presence in South Korea’s culinary scene. The beloved spicy, fermented vegetable dish is eaten with almost every meal and the culture of communal kimchi-making has stood as an emblem of traditional culture. Amid demographic shifts, a growing number of Koreans are choosing to purchase ready-to-eat kimchi, as they shy away from what can be a cumbersome task of making it from scratch and storing it. As the domestic packaged kimchi segment has evolved t
IndustryNov. 20, 2015
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[Weekender] Internship: Tool and requirement
Koreans often imply that our society is more competition-focused than comparable societies. That statement, at least in terms of finding employment and the lengths the young people go to find “respectable” jobs, may be true. For some time now, internships have been a “standard” part of a job seeker’s resume, along with a good alma mater, high GPA, unnecessarily high English language scores, and a whole list of other qualifications. (Bloomberg)And interns are everywhere. From newspapers and tele
Social AffairsNov. 13, 2015
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[Weekender] Youngsters toil in vain in bleak job market
Hardships from working overtime to sexual assaults are common, but future remains bleak for most jobseekers It is very common to see youngsters rushing to the subway station at dusk to catch the first train, when it is still dark and chilly, with a cup of coffee and toast in hand. They are eager to be the first ones in office, and for a reason.It used to be no different for young intern Jeon -- she wished to be identified only by her family name -- until all her hard work came to naught. She use
Social AffairsNov. 13, 2015
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[Weekender] Shortcut to determining career path
Although the issue of youth unemployment is undoubtedly concerning, many Korean college students still remain undecided about their career paths. Most have difficulty in determining their career paths as they are uncertain about their true interest or have inadequate information and experience regarding the range of occupations. A sophomore from Ewha Womens University’s law school is taking part in a law school internship held at Seoul Western District Court. (Yonhap)In this sense, internship ma
Social AffairsNov. 13, 2015
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[Weekender] Knowledge and hand-on experience key to efficiency
Many students opt to undertake internships in order to improve their chances of finding employment, and as an opportunity to gain practical experience in specific fields before beginning their careers. However, those who can confidently say that they had an efficient internship experience are small in number. This, in part, many take internships without adequate information about a position, while some say that many internships do not offer much by way of experience needs for specific fields. He
Social AffairsNov. 13, 2015
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[Weekender] A must-read for foreigners looking for internship in Korea
As in many economies where eager college students fall prey to corporate exploitation, internships in Korea have gained a notoriety that rivals the advantages they potentially offer. For non-Koreans hoping for an internship experience, however, the trouble begins before they even start. Foreign students attend a class at a Korean graduate school. (Korea University Graduate School of International Studies)Searching for openings can be a laborious quest without sufficient Korean language skills
Expat LivingNov. 13, 2015
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[Weekender] Can students afford to be an intern while pressured to “buy credits?”
Today’s university students lead a very hectic life, bogged down by worries of getting a job after graduation at time when the unemployment rate has peaked in Korea.For them, qualifications such as having a high GPA, work experience and extracurricular activities are deemed necessary, even just to apply for a job opening. Universities, in an effort to support students better prepare for the future, offer an array of programs, especially those that provide them with hands-on experience outside th
Social AffairsNov. 13, 2015
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[Weekender] Korea’s systematic recycling drive boosts sustainability
Having experienced rapid economic growth in the past few decades, Korea has proactively implemented recycling-oriented measures against the growing waste.The government implemented waste schemes during industrialization in the ’60s and ’70s, and in 1992 it began to actively push for recycling under the recycling promotion act. The state set legal limits on the use of packing materials and disposable products; imposed waste fees on manufacturers that make unrecyclable products; and provided suppo
NationalOct. 30, 2015
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[Weekender] Making use of garbage
Korea’s successful economic growth not only brought wealth and prosperity but also posed inevitable urban challenges, especially the waste.Bombarded with increasing amounts of trash, Seoul has striven to cut down on garbage with various recycling-oriented measures since the concept was first introduced here in 1992.Under tough green initiatives, the government has pushed for a systematic waste sorting system to boost recycling. Once individuals separate the garbage by type -- ranging from paper,
NationalOct. 30, 2015
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[Weekender] Industry jumps on upcycling bandwagon
In October 2012, actress Moon So-ri faced a bank of flashing cameras as she walked the opening red carpet at the Busan International Film Festival, clad in a white dress. But this time, what made the headlines the next morning was not her looks or acting skills, but her costume that was made of old dress shirts and parachutes. The maker of Moon’s dress, Kolon Industries, is one of the rising number of businesses that have in recent years been jumping on the green bandwagon here, transforming was
NationalOct. 30, 2015
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[Weekender] Interview: Redesigned space for upcycled art
A few minutes’ walk from the entrance of Gwangmyeong Cave in Gyeonggi Province stands the Gwangmyeong Upcycle Art Center, which opened in June. The Korea Herald got a look around the center’s two buildings -- one for exhibitions and one for hands-on classes and seminars -- with Suzy Kang, the executive director of Gwangmyeong City’s Cultural Regeneration Project Team, which oversees the center’s operations.“This is the first physical space in Korea devoted to the idea of upcycling,” Kang said.
CultureOct. 30, 2015