Most Popular
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Hyundai Motor eyes 80,000 jobs, W68tr investment at home by 2026
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Doctors' group picks new leader amid tense standoff over increased enrollment quota
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Seoul bus drivers go on general strike, cause morning rush hour delays
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Official campaigning kicks off for April 10 elections
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Dialogue hopes fade as doctors pick hard-liner as new head
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Coupang pledges W3tr to expand Rocket Delivery nationwide by 2027
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[Election Battlefield] Political novice to face off star politician in ‘swing district’
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Korea enters full election mode
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[Kim Seong-kon] The April 2024 election will decide our future
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Seoul’s bus union prepares for strike
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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
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[Weekender] Breakdown of Korea’s recycling process
Having lived in the United States since her childhood, 27-year-old graduate student Lee Hee-jung was surprised when she saw her roommates sifting through the garbage to separate milk cartons from trash bags filled with paper. “Back in the U.S., I would lump together trash and put it on the road where trash operators would pick it up. Since recycling is not mandatory in our state, that was pretty much all I had to do. Now I struggle here with my roommate nagging me for not following the recycling
Social AffairsOct. 30, 2015
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[Weekender] Up-and-coming writers test fiction’s boundaries
Since the early 2000s, South Korea welcomed a new group of writers who delved into their unique experiences as Korean millennials, as well as the horrors and joys of modern Korean life.Among them, one of the most prominent writers is Kim Ae-ran, who rose to instant literary stardom in 2003 when her short story, “No Knocking in this House,” won the Daesan Literary Award.Kim Ae-ran (Yes 24)It depicted the life of five young women who live in separate rooms at a boarding house but have minimal cont
BooksOct. 23, 2015
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[Weekender] Book cafes aren’t just about books
The publishing industry might be struggling, but book cafes -- library-like cafes that offer a collection of books for people to read and purchase -- are thriving. Enter most book cafes in the Seoul area on a weekend afternoon, and you will be hard-pressed to find an empty seat.The cafes’ popularity, however, does not necessarily signify an equal love for books among the public, it seems. One glance around the cafes shows the majority of customers working on their laptops or poring over textbook
BooksOct. 23, 2015
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[Weekender] Web fiction sees renaissance
It started out in the mid-’90s.Web fiction -- written works of literature available primarily or solely on the Web -- began small and intimate on online community sites when people -- amateur writers -- began uploading fan fiction of their favorite stars, romance or fantasy stories for hobbies. Some novelists, who never got a chance at publication, also used this medium under different pen names. In early 2000, Web fiction, then dubbed “Internet novel,” reached its peak, inspiring film adaptatio
CultureOct. 23, 2015