Screens in the Seoul Metro, primarily used for providing information, will play short films starting at the end of this month. According to Seoul Metro on Tuesday, this year's Seoul Metro International Subway Film Festival, an annual event that transforms the everyday commute into a free public film festival, will showcase 50 short films 210 seconds or less in length to commuters from Aug. 29 through Sept. 25. During this period, the films will be displayed on screens inside subway cars a

Social Affairs Aug. 6, 2024

This year, summer in South Korea is even more sizzling with excitement as its athletes have delivered outstanding performances at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Major milestones in Korea’s history of participation in the Summer Games -- like shooter Ban Hyo-jin’s win of the country's 100th gold medal and the men’s saber fencing team's win of Korea's 300th medal of any type -- have sparked awe. But equally if not more deserving of recognition are the firsts i

More Sports Aug. 5, 2024

Almost six out of 10 Koreans are unwilling to date someone with opposing political views, a survey shows, pointing to a deepening rift between liberals and conservatives in the country. Data from the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, which surveyed 3,950 Koreans aged 19 to 75 last year, revealed that 58.2 percent of respondents did not wish to enter a romantic relationship with partners who do not share their political views. In civic and social activities, over 70 percent of resp

Social Affairs Aug. 4, 2024

With full-scale drone delivery services starting this month, residents on remote islands or inland locations can now receive food, daily necessities and first aid supplies with greater ease and convenience. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the K-drone delivery service commenced on the first day of August, covering 32 island districts, 17 regional park areas and one port across 14 municipalities. Although the service initially launched on Jeju Island in July, this

Social Affairs Aug. 3, 2024

A recent fatal attack by a sword-wielding man in Seoul has brought the country's control of lethal weapons into question. On Monday night at an apartment complex in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, the suspect, a 37-year-old resident there, wielded a 120-centimeter Japanese sword against a victim in his 40s, eventually resulting in his death. Police have said they barely knew each other. The suspect, who was arrested at his home about an hour after the killing, told police he had believed the victim

Social Affairs July 31, 2024

Can South Koreans today manage a day without coffee? Data from market research company Euromonitor International suggests it's unlikely, as they consume an average of 405 cups annually as of last year -- well above the global average of 152 cups. Korea's voracious coffee consumers have unleashed a price war among retailers, leading budget coffee shops here to converge on the standard price of 1,500 won ($1.09) per Americano for several years now. At the opposite end of the spectrum,

Hashtag Korea July 30, 2024

Instagram has emerged as the social media app South Korea's teens spend the most time on, outpacing KakaoTalk by more than double, data showed Monday. According to data from mobile marketing and data analysis company IGAWorks, Korea's smartphone users under 20 spent a total of 94.1 million hours scrolling on Instagram in June, making the app the leading social media platform in popularity for the age group. This figure was nearly double the time they spent on the next most popular

Social Affairs July 29, 2024

South Korean label Starship Entertainment apologized for the excessive security actions taken against a fan of its boy group Cravity at an airport last month. The K-pop agency posted an official statement to the boy band's fan community on Monday in response to a fan’s post on X. The fan alleged that Cravity’s security guard physically assaulted and mocked them at Gimpo International Airport on June 23 as the band returned to Korea from promotional events in Japan. The fan, id

K-pop July 23, 2024

Following the global popularity of K-pop, K-dramas and K-food, get ready for another "K": K-fashion. Alongside established Korean fashion houses like Songzio, Wooyoungmi, Juun.J and System, a new generation of local fashion labels is making waves globally, establishing Korea as a fashion hot spot, particularly for today’s style-savvy millennials and Generation Z. Recognizing Korea’s dynamic and emerging fashion profile, a 2023 US News & World Report survey ranked the

Hashtag Korea July 23, 2024

South Koreans ate an average of more than two chickens per month last year, doubling their per capita chicken consumption over the past two decades, according to data released Sunday. Statistics from the Korea Rural Economic Institute show that per capita chicken consumption reached 26 birds last year, with domestic production accounting for 20 birds per person and imports making up the remaining six. By the weight of chicken meat consumed, excluding bone weight, the per capita figure increase

Social Affairs July 21, 2024

South Korea's planned leap into the era of artificial intelligence-powered learning has hit resistance, primarily due to parents' concerns about potential digital overload. In a petition posted on the National Assembly’s online platform in May, one such voice requested that the planned introduction of AI digital textbooks in schools starting next year be shelved. Citing the "numerous negative effects of smart devices," the petition called for scientific research to ensu

Hashtag Korea July 17, 2024

Amid the battle between streaming services and megaplexes for film dominance, a passionate few long for a cinematic experience only niche theaters can provide: curated gems on the big screen. For casual viewers who prefer monthly subscriptions to streaming services and occasional blockbuster splurges, the appeal of these smaller-scale theaters may not be as compelling. However, beyond the sheer size of the screen, these venues' offerings of films from all eras, along with other cinema-rel

Hashtag Korea July 13, 2024

The three “bok” days of summer, when Koreans traditionally consume dishes to replenish stamina, have in recent years become days when animal rights groups hold protests to condemn the eating of dog meat. But this year, more than 20 such groups are planning to gather for a different reason: to mark the “first dog meat-free 'boknal'” in S. Korea, following the passing of a National Assembly bill banning the breeding, butchering, distribution and sale of dog meat

Social Affairs July 11, 2024

To address a sharp rise in accidents involving e-scooters and e-bikes, the South Korean government plans to implement a lower speed limit for micromobility vehicles in a project scheduled for the latter half of this year. According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on Tuesday, the maximum speed for micromobility vehicles will be slashed to 20 kilometers per hour, from the present 25 km per hour, in major cities like Seoul and Busan from July to December. Once the pilot project proves

Social Affairs July 9, 2024

A gooey chocolate bar from Dubai -- a color-splattered shell filled with dessert-inspired ingredients -- is sparking the new sweet craze in South Korea, with high demand largely being met through homemade versions or replicas crafted by local confectioneries. While this handcrafted chocolate bar filled with pistachio cream and kataifi, a filo-based pastry, is experiencing supply shortages internationally due to Dubai-based Fix Dessert Chocolatier's daily order limit of 500, the scarcity has

Social Affairs July 8, 2024