[Weekender] The dedication of marrying oneself: Why some Koreans throw 'sologamy' weddings

Kim Seul-ki, a manager at Lush Korea, has publicly declared her commitment to singledom by holding a solo wedding. “Now that everyone knows I’ve declared sologamy, questions about my marital status just naturally dissipated. It’s very satisfying and I can’t think of any negative sides to it,” Kim, 39, said, recalling her marriage to herself last year. “It made me feel like my perspective on life and my values could be accepted as they are,” she added. Ki

Social AffairsOct. 28, 2023

[Eye Plus] Haegeum music filling in the blanks of life

“Haegeum is like ink that has permeated into my life,” Kim Sae-jin said. Kim majors in haegeum at the Korea National University of Arts, a special educational institution to foster artists. Haegeum is a traditional Korean string instrument that is played by pulling the bow across its two strings. It is also nicknamed the “ggaeng-ggaeng-i” for its high-pitched sounds. The haegeum's body consists of a soundbox made of bamboo and oak, a bamboo bar and two tuning pegs. T

CultureOct. 28, 2023

[Weekender] Indie bookstores thrive in reading-reluctant Korea

Despite consistently falling reader engagement, independent bookstores are surviving -- and even thriving -- in South Korea. "Over the last decade, we've seen a pretty sharp drop in the number of people picking up at least one book a year – down from 72.2 percent in 2013 to just 46.9 percent in 2021. But when you consider all the different ways people can get their info these days, maybe that's not quite the disaster it seems," said Baek Won-geun, the brain behind 15 of

ConsumerOct. 21, 2023

[Weekender] Community festivals bring autumn to life

Step into the crisp autumn air, as a multitude of community festivities in Seoul are poised to breathe life into the foliage season this month. Taking place from Oct. 13-22, visitors can enjoy the fall scenery and weather through a walk in the park and a gala concert. Alternatively, immerse yourself and learn more about Korean culture by taking part in evening events or visiting the Bukchon Hanok Village. Here is a list of some of the fall festivities set to take place in Seoul. Gyeongchun Lin

weekenderOct. 14, 2023

‘Nongak is a friend’

“Nongak is close as a friend to me. I experienced happiness, anger, sorrow and joy, developing love with it,” said Jeong Hyun-ji, who plays the sogo -- a small, traditional Korean hand-held drum -- in the Gochang Nongak Cheongchun Gutpae. Gochang Nongak Cheongchun Gutpae is an official youth troupe that performs Gochang Nongak, the traditional music created and developed by farmers in the coastal county of Gochang, North Jeolla Province. “I always swim into the meaning of nonga

CultureOct. 14, 2023

[Weekender] Waiting on the North: Unified Korean dictionary project's long journey

How long does it take to create a dictionary? The first comprehensive German dictionary, compiled by the Brothers Grimm in 1838, took more than 120 years to complete. In 1911, during the Japanese occupation of the Korean Peninsula, the quest to create the first-ever Korean dictionary began. The dictionary was published in 1947, two years after Korea's liberation in 1945. Another quest to create an extensive and comprehensive Korean dictionary called "Gyeoremal-Keunsajeon” has bee

CultureOct. 7, 2023

[Eye Plus]Geomungo, a beloved ancient instrument, still captivates

“The geomungo has been called ‘baekakjijang,’ which means the ultimate instrument,” Park Chae-won said, introducing her instrument. Park is a Korean music major specializing in the geomungo at Seoul National University. The geomungo is an ancient Korean instrument with a hollow wooden body and six silk strings. It is played with a pencil-sized bamboo stick called a suldae. Since being invented by Wang San-ak, a prime minister during Korea’s Goguryeo kingdom (37 B.C.

CultureOct. 2, 2023

[Weekender] Behind the scenes of Korean food crazes

Besides the enduring popularity of Korean staples, a series of food crazes has been providing fresh gustatory excitement in Korea, however temporary their popularity may be. These trending foods span a wide array of categories, ranging from beverages and snacks to bread and noodles. Some are fleeting fads, while others become consistent sellers in the food industry. And then there are also those relinquish their momentary fame to other emerging culinary sensations. Currently reigning supreme are

weekenderSept. 23, 2023

[Weekender] Why Korean managers can’t turn a 'Blind' eye on employee feedback

This April, tragedy narrowly averted a GS Construction Consortium’s apartment construction site in Geomdan New Town, Incheon. The upper layers of an underground parking garage, designated as a children's playground, gave way, triggering a chain collapse. While no casualties were reported as the accident happened late at night, the subsidence revealed a grim scenario had it occurred post-completion. A month later, GS Engineering & Construction, the builder, admitted to omitting ste

weekenderSept. 16, 2023

[Weekender] Hiking, a newfound hobby for young Koreans

Hiking has long been considered a popular activity for the middle aged or retirees looking for ways to spend their days in a healthy and low-cost way in South Korea. But the charm of climbing has extended to younger generations, with major trekking trails across the country filled with people in their 20s and 30s. Once regarded as nothing but arduous and time-consuming, hiking has become a favorite weekend activity, says Han Min-seon, a 28-year-old writer in Seoul. "I enjoy climbing Bukhans

weekenderSept. 9, 2023

[Eye Plus] Nongak is a 'lifelong friend'

“Gochang nongak first came into my life at a college traditional music band. Since then, I've gone to Gochang every summer and winter to learn the music,” said Kim Mi-jung, a kkwaenggwari player of Gochang nongak, a type of traditional farmers’ music developed in Gochang-gun, North Jeolla Province. The kkwaenggwari is a metal percussion instrument or gong with a radius the length of the span of one's outstretched hand, and a wooden mallet. With its high-pitched tone,

CultureSept. 9, 2023

[Weekender] Storytelling grannies share their love with children

Contagious laughter broke out among a group of 6-year-olds as 78-year-old Yang Moon-jah energetically narrated a Korean folktale about a fart competition between a man and a woman. The septuagenarian delivered the tale with impeccable clarity, ensuring every word resonated throughout the entire 20-minute storytelling session. Officially known as an "iyagi halmeoni" in Korean, which translates into "storytelling grandmother," Yang boasts nine years of storytelling experience w

weekenderAug. 26, 2023

[Eye Plus] ‘Nongak brings me joy. It is an escape from life's heaviness'

“When I started learning 'gochang nongak,' it was completely different from anything I had learned before," said Jeong Ha-rin, an amateur gochang nongak performer from Busan. “Now, gochang nongak brings me so much joy. It became an escape from life's heaviness and seriousness,” Jeong added. Gochang nongak is a type of traditional music developed by farmers in Gochang, North Jeolla Province. “My father was a member of the Korean traditional art's c

CultureAug. 26, 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

[Weekender] Retreats and reads: Glimpse into Korean presidential summers

In the sweltering heat of South Korean summers, even the most powerful figures in Korea -- its presidents -- yearn for summer respite. Delve into the history of presidential summer vacations, their reading rituals that give the public a sneak peek into their minds and the seemingly unbreakable jinx of interrupted summer breaks. Obligatory reading list South Korean presidents like to reveal their summer reading lists, and their book picks often become bestsellers for the season. From these summ

PoliticsAug. 12, 2023

‘Tradition is a part of life, rather than something special’

Oh Hai-sun, 25, first joined a nongak crew as a middle school student. There he fostered his interest in the traditional Korean music genre. “I have never lost a day to practice performances with my friends every lunchtime. I enjoyed the moment. We participated in a series of competitions and won some prizes, which also increased my interest in nongak,” Oh said. Oh plays jing for Gochang Nongak, traditional music created and developed by farmers in the coastal county of Gochang, Nort

weekenderAug. 12, 2023

[Weekender] Hurry up and wait

People started arriving one after another holding parasols to line up at the entrance of Kokkili Bagel, a local bakery in Yeongdeungpo-gu, western Seoul, a little after 7 a.m on July 29. Though the door was closed and the lights were off, more bagel lovers gathered and formed a long line that stretched to the street’s end as it neared 8:30 a.m., the bakery’s opening time. They were all there to do their Kokkili Bagel “open run” that morning. Origins of 'open run�

CultureAug. 5, 2023

[Weekender] A fish with a dozen names

The newest snack craze in South Korea is Meoktaekkang. Convenience stores nationwide are selling out of the fish-flavored snack from local food company Nongshim. For those who may find it hard to understand what the name means, meoktae is one of the many names that Koreans use to refer to Alaska pollack, which is among the most consumed fish here. The "kkang" derives from Nongshim’s signature snack, the shrimp-flavored Saewookkang. The fish, whose most widely recognized Korean na

Hashtag KoreaJuly 29, 2023

[Weekender] S. Korea ranks third in terms of passport power: What does it mean?

Passports are far more than just simple travel documents that verify a holder's personal information. In fact, the thin, palm-sized booklets also function as the barometers for a nation's status on the international stage -- in that some passports have the power to allow its holder to gain access to international destinations without extra entry requirements, such as visas, while some passports don't. In this regard, a recent report showed that South Korean passports are one of th

weekenderJuly 22, 2023

[Weekender] The sweet truth: Dissecting sugar-free products

For Kim Hyo-jung, a 31-year-old office worker in Seoul, who is one of many health-conscious consumers looking to avoid sugar and added calories at every turn, sugar-free drinks have long been a fact of life. “Who doesn’t know too much sugar is bad for you? I don't think I am being particularly picky because almost everyone around me (thinks) like me,” Kim said, adding that finding sugar-free soft drinks hasn’t been too hard. For some time, sugar-free or zero-sugar pr

Social AffairsJuly 15, 2023