More than 200,000 people have signed an online petition demanding the Korean government complain to China for increased levels of fine dust that have recently been impacting South Korea.As of 1 p.m. on Thursday, more than 200,000 people had signed a petition on the website of Cheong Wa Dae, five days since the petition began collecting signatures Saturday. (Screenshot of Cheong Wa Dae website-Yonhap)The petition claims “fine dust is coming (to Korea) considerably more often that it did 10 years

Social Affairs March 29, 2018

Working Koreans believe that the rich should have assets of at least 4 billion won ($3.73 million), while they estimate themselves able to accumulate an average of 800 million won in their own lifetimes.Job Korea, a job information provider, conducted a survey of 708 working Koreans and discovered that around 4.1 billion won is the standard qualification to be deemed “rich.” Respondents on average expected to save around 800 million won throughout their life. Those in their 20s expec

Economy March 28, 2018

A conscripted policeman has been booked for trespassing into a girls’ middle school in Incheon, according to Incheon Namdong Police Station Tuesday.The policeman, who belongs to Incheon Seobu Police Station, is accused of going into a classroom of a girls’ middle school in Namdong-gu, Incheon at 4 a.m. on Saturday.He was found touching school uniforms and other items in the classroom by police that came to the site upon getting a report from the security company which had been serving the school

Social Affairs March 27, 2018

K-pop girl group Red Velvet has confirmed the set list for its performance in Pyongyang slated for next week as part of a South Korean art troupe. Organizers said Monday that “Red Flavor” and “Bad Boy” have been selected to be performed in Pyongyang from among a list of songs submitted by Red Velvet. Red Velvet is the only K-pop idol group to be included in the group of performers slated to put on shows in North Korea on April 1 and 3. Other musicians include Korean pop legend Cho Yong-pil, who

Performance March 26, 2018

Police have asked the court to issue an arrest warrant for rapper Jeong Sang-su on suspicion of assault and drunken disorderly conduct at a police station, Geumcheon Police said Monday.Jeong, who made his name on the hip-hop survival audition program “Show Me the Money,” is accused of hitting a man and a passerby at Sillim-dong, Seoul, Thursday. Jeong allegedly punched the face and stomach of a man who arranged to meet Jeong after finding out that Jeong had sent a text message to his girlfriend,

Social Affairs March 26, 2018

A scream detection system has been installed in several subway stations in Seoul, along with other devices.Seoul Metro said Friday that it partnered with telecom company KT to provide services that use information and communication technology at its subway stations.Seoul Metro, which runs Subway Line Nos. 1 to 8 in Seoul, installed the scream detection system called “Safe Mate” in women’s bathrooms at 10 stations on Line No. 5 including Banghwa, Yeongdeungpo-gu Office and Gunja stations.  Gimpo

Technology March 23, 2018

The official music video for Big Bang’s “Bang Bang Bang” surpassed 300 million views on YouTube as of Thursday afternoon.According to YG Entertainment, the video topped 300 million at around 6:30 p.m. The agency released a poster on its YG Life website celebrating the record number of views.The music video was released on June 1, 2015, along with the single which was released as part of the group’s album, “MADE” in December 2016. (YG Entertainment)This is the second music video by Big Bang to br

Performance March 23, 2018

K-pop videos will soon be streamed on a billboard four times the size of a basketball court in Seoul.SMTown Media Facade, made of curved screens and installed on the outer walls of the SMTown Coex Artium, will start operation Sunday, according to the Korea International Trade Association.SMTown Coex Artium is part of the Coex Convention and Exhibition Center in Gangnam, southern Seoul. The building offers experiences related to S.M. Entertainment stars and the agency.  (Yonhap)The new billboard

Culture March 21, 2018

(Shot and edited by Park Ju-young / The Korea Herald)With the 2018 fall-winter HERA Seoul Fashion Week having just opened, well-dressed visitors off the runway are another element to look forward to.Groups of fashionistas could be seen flaunting their outfits on their way to and from Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, the main venue, on the first day of shows.As a number of fashion bloggers, influencers on Instagram and photographers from newspapers and magazines gather at DDP during the week, vi

Arts & Design March 20, 2018

Lee Sung-nack, a board member at the Kansong Art and Culture Foundation, has released a new book that attempts to explain how portraits created in the Joseon era depicted their models in a realistic way. Lee, 80, worked as a dermatologist and professor before he got a Ph.D. in art history at Myongji University in 2014. Cover of "Joseon Dynasty Portraits: Expression of Scholar Spirits" (Yonhap)In his book “Joseon Dynasty Portraits: Expression of Scholar Spirits,” published on March 16 by Nulwa, L

Books March 20, 2018

“The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down,” written by South Korean Buddhist monk Haemin, has been nominated for the 2018 British Book Awards.The final shortlist for the awards was announced Friday (local time) by The Bookseller, the organizer of the awards and a British journal specializing in the publishing industry. Haemin’s essay was nominated for lifestyle book of the year. The British edition of “The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down” (Suo Books)Books from seven categories h

Culture March 19, 2018

A man in his 50s who smashed the car window of an acquaintance and set the car on fire had his jail sentence confirmed in an appeals court.The Seoul High Court said Monday it was upholding the lower court’s decision to sentence the accused to eight months in prison.The man, who suffers from schizophrenia, brought a weapon from home and broke the window of the car after seeing it parked on a road in April 2016. He then threw in an alight newspaper, eventually setting the car aflame.  (Yonhap)The

Social Affairs March 19, 2018

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is continuing its crackdown on taxi drivers who overcharge tourists, through May, it said Sunday. During the PyeongChang Olympics, Seoul uncovered 113 cases of local taxi drivers ripping off customers, who were mostly foreign visitors to the Olympics. The government will focus on the most common illegal practices including extra charges traveling to and from Incheon Airport, unreasonably high charges when traveling short distances between Seoul’s major tourist s

Social Affairs March 18, 2018

A man previously sentenced to seven years in jail for sexually assaulting his wife received a reduced term in an appellate court. He has since divorced his wife. The Gwangju High Court sentenced the man to four years in prison along with 80 hours of sexual abuse education, 10 years of wearing a tracking device and five years of disclosing his personal information to the public.The man in his 50s was indicted in June 2016 for hitting his ex-wife’s head during a meal and then committing rape. They

Social Affairs March 15, 2018

A slew of live performances will be taking place before the closing of the 2018 Winter Paralympics. K-pop performances featuring B1A4, BTOB, Samuel and others are to start Thursday at 5 p.m. at Gangneung-Wonju National University. On Saturday, the day before the closing of the Paralympic Games, an electronic dance music festival led by DJ Glory will be held at Yongpyong Resort for some 500 people. The festival will include chicken-and-beer parties. Poster of the Snow Festival in March (Photo cou

Olympic Games March 15, 2018