Most Popular
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Korea enters full election mode
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Immigrant woman stabbed to death by Korean husband
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Seoul bus drivers go on general strike, cause morning rush hour delays
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Lee Jong-sup resigns as envoy to Australia
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Yellow dust engulfs S. Korea, advisory alert issued
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Official campaigning kicks off for April 10 elections
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S. Korea to boost support for single-parent families
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Court upholds jail term for man who attempted to murder ex-girlfriend
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Kia EV9 wins world car of year
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Korea misses out on global bond index boost
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[Weekender] For Koreans, ’tis a time for spending
For Koreans, Christmas comes with its own set of spending rituals.It is no surprise that the beloved holiday is accompanied by quasi-mandatory consumption patterns, in a country where specific dates, like Nov. 11, are automatically equated with buying particular products.The most notable Christmas product is Christmas cakes. Although the original tradition overseas is to bake Christmas cakes at home, in Korea consumers head to bakeries for their Christmas treats.According to bakery chain Paris B
IndustryDec. 22, 2017
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[Weekender] Light up the holiday nights: 4 must-visits to get in the Christmas mood
As 2017 nears its end, the city of Seoul comes alive with a mesmerizing blend of holiday lights and music echoing through the streets. For those still undecided on where to go on Christmas day, following is a list of four places one won‘t regret visiting. Shinsegae Department Store, Hoehyeon-dong, Jung-guEvery November, the now-87-year-old Shinsegae Department store building transforms into a winter wonderland, thrilling visitors. The magical musical light show captures the hearts of locals and
TravelDec. 22, 2017
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[Weekender] Celebrate Christmas early with private hotel parties
Christmas has become an expensive holiday for young people in Korea. Many restaurants dish out set course “Christmas Meals” at double usual prices. Lodgings are offered at exorbitant prices, amid a surge in demand. Clubs and bars are much the same, tacking on extra charges for Christmas tables. Even for those willing to fork out the money, all these are hard to come by, as rooms and tables are quickly booked.Amid skyrocketing prices, some women especially in their 20s and 30s are seeking out alt
CultureDec. 22, 2017
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[Weekender] How do skyscrapers work?
Skyscrapers are not just buildings that are tall, but are the outcome of a complex combination of evolving technologies. From highly sophisticated engineering techniques to futuristic elements, today’s skyscrapers have absorbed the latest technology to realize a luxurious human dream.The challenge when building a skyscraper is how to overcome the forces of nature -- wind, heat from above and below and natural disasters that can happen without warning.The key to overcoming these challenges is in
IndustryDec. 15, 2017
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[Weekender] Skyscrapers altering skyline of Korea
With an unprecedented boom in construction of skyscrapers in South Korea, today’s tallest building in the country can never sit comfortably as candidates queue up to replace it. The 305-meter, 68-story Posco Tower-Songdo was opened in 2011 in Songdo International City, as the world’ most expensive private real estate project. Located in the Incheon Free Economic Zone, the skyscraper was the nation’s tallest building, flaunting its imposing height. With an investment of 516 billion won ($413 mill
IndustryDec. 15, 2017
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[Weekender] South Korea’s skyscraper dream
Cloud-piercing skyscrapers filling the skylines are often held up as a symbol of a country’s economic power and technological development.Korea’s first high-rise 63 Building located in Yeouido, western Seoul, opened doors to the public in July 1985 during the country’s rapid economic growth.The 274 meter high, 63-floor building is no longer the tallest building here. But it stands as a landmark and a symbol of the so-called Miracle on the Han River. After the 1997 Asian financial crisis the Kore
IndustryDec. 15, 2017
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[Weekender] Where soju tastes sweet, and folks reminisce on yesteryear
In director Lee Jang-ho’s 1980 film “A Fine, Windy Day,” the pojangmacha is a place where members of Seoul’s growing underclass meet daily to talk about their pains, gains and fantasies over cheap food and soju.In a country notorious for its die-hard drinking, pojangmacha — meaning “covered wagon” in Korean and referring to a tented outdoor food stall — have been at the center of Korea’s after-work camaraderie. Thirty-seven years have passed since the release of movie that portrayed the country’
CultureDec. 8, 2017
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[Weekender] The allure of pojangmacha
A foreign visitor to Korea may wonder what a brigade of what looks to be red tents may be doing lined up on the streets of Jongno-gu, Seoul. These pojangmacha, meaning a “covered wagon” in Korean, refers to makeshift eateries offering booze and food that have been a symbol of the common people here for generations.The origin of pojangmacha is unclear but many trace it back to the street vendors of the 1950s and ‘60s who would drag around their wheeled stalls, selling soju by the shot along with
CultureDec. 8, 2017
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[Weekender] Chicken feet and more -- odd, must-have specialties at Korea’s tented bars
Korea’s pojangmacha, or tented bars, have evolved over the years both in appearance and gastronomical offerings, now more polished and offering a wider array of dishes to go with drinks. But some distinctly Korean specialties, featuring odd ingredients unfamiliar to most foreign visitors and even many Koreans -- from chicken feet and cow innards to cartilage and squirming fish -- remain staple dishes at the tarp-covered watering holes. The food dishes, many of them doused in spicy sauces, are o
FoodDec. 8, 2017
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[Weekender] From Moncler to PyeongChang coat, padded jackets rule South Korea's fashion scene
Choosing the right padded jacket -- this winter’s ‘it’ item -- is a much more complicated task than one may think. It’s not just design and color, but the type of insulation also has to be decided -- goose, duck or synthetic materials, as well as their composition ratios, waterproof or not and even the overall weight. For many South Koreans, however, it all seems to come down to a choice between luxury and cost-effective alternatives. Moncler‘s 2017 Fall/Winter collection (Moncler)On the high-en
IndustryDec. 1, 2017
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[Weekender] School uniforms? Why Korean students wear long, padded coats this winter
If you happen to be near middle or high school students during the morning commute, you may be surprised at the striking uniformity of their attire. Students are decked out in identical-looking, black, padded jackets that come down to their knees or even longer. Photos of groups of students wearing the coats -- making it look part of the school uniform -- went viral on social media showing the incredible popularity of the coats among teens. A group of students wearing long padded coats at school
Social AffairsDec. 1, 2017
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[Weekender] One coat that conquered street fashion in South Korea
Whether you’ve noticed it or not, long padded coats are all the rage in South Korea. PyeongChang Winter Olympics' official down jackets flew off the shelves, with people lining up overnight in front of stores to get hold of the limited item. School commute scenes nowadays can’t be described without mentioning a new quasi-uniform look, complete with black, hooded, knee-length padded jackets. Despite the striking uniformity, the coats are not a uniform. They are the season’s latest ‘it’ item among
Social AffairsDec. 1, 2017
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[Weekender] Exploring Seoul’s hidden underground world
From a slain dictator’s covert hideout to a forgotten subway station, secret bunkers have been lying for decades underneath the bustling city of Seoul. Recently, some of these spaces were unveiled to the public for the first time under a special one-month tour program. Although city-run tours of the “ghost station” in Sinseol-dong and the air-raid shelter underneath Gyeonghuigung Palace are to end this weekend, one underneath Yeouido, turned into a museum, will remain open for visitors. (Shot by
North KoreaNov. 24, 2017
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[Weekender] Inside NK’s underground invasion tunnel
North Korean-built underground tunnels designed for a surprise invasion of South Korea pose a bone-chilling reminder that the 1950-53 Korean War never actually ended. After the first was discovered in November 1974, three more tunnels were uncovered in the following decades. All four run either below or nearby the Demilitarized Zone in the South and have been altered since to deprive them of their initial purpose. The Korea Herald visited the third tunnel Tuesday. The tunnel is 73 meters below t
North KoreaNov. 24, 2017
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[Weekender] What lurks beneath
Beneath the bustling cities of South Korea lie underground bunkers that have hardly been entered for decades. From a dictator’s covert hideout to infiltration tunnels dug by North Koreans near the Demilitarized Zone, some of these secret underground places are pieces of the country’s checkered history, although there are not many records that explain their mysterious existence. Late strongman Park Chung-hee’s secret shelter, or so believed by most people today, was discovered in 2005 during cons
Social AffairsNov. 24, 2017
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[Weekender] Good old radio receivers are back
With mobile devices offering radio service through apps, radio receivers were thought to be machines of the past. Some “listeners,” however, still tune in to the receivers as of a way to connect with the past. Hwanghak-dong Market, located in the heart of Seoul, is a place that takes visitors straight back to the 1970s. The market, filled with old sewing machines, cameras and LP players, seems to be indifferent to the passing of time. At the market, radio receivers are enjoying their second heyd
CultureNov. 17, 2017
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[Weekender] Can radio kill the video star?
In short, the answer is no. But while radio probably won’t get to outshine video, it also won’t lose its place, either. Technology has changed quite a lot since The Buggles released “Video killed the radio star” in 1980 -- but it has not always changed for the better.Screens now have a dominant presence in Korea, where the most common sight of people is with their faces glued to their smartphones that have thousands of videos and other contents demanding simultaneous attention.But has video real
TechnologyNov. 17, 2017
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[Weekender] Listen to your favorite book this autumn
Yoo Jong-ho, 24, listens to podcasts every morning in the subway. The college student, who spends five hours each day commuting to school, said listening to book podcasts was the best way to pass the time productively.Since podcasts began in 2005, book podcasts have emerged as a powerful social platform for avid readers to gather and share their thoughts on books. The form or duration may vary, but the content of most book podcasts focuses on book-related reviews, news, commentary and discussion
CultureNov. 17, 2017
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[Weekender] Radio waves from outside keep N. Koreans in loop
Amid tight controls on the flow of information, radios in North Korea come with their dials fixed to government-controlled broadcasters. But risk-takers willing to defy the regime reset their dials behind closed doors, trying to catch signals from the US, UK, South Korea and Japan that float across the border every night and slip past state censorship.It is illegal to listen to foreign broadcasts, and they are often jammed by North Korean authorities, but they rank as top sources of information
North KoreaNov. 16, 2017
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[Weekender] Trevari CEO offers ways to make reading yours
Trevari is different from most people’s idea of a conventional book club. Instead of a single group of people who enjoy books, Trevari does things on a much bigger scale. The company does all the “annoying administration” of running and managing 111 separate reading groups so people can just enjoy being members. “For a regular meeting to occur with a group of people, it is important that someone manages the schedule and reminds members of the topics. And a lot of people don’t realize that it is
CultureNov. 10, 2017