South Korea’s curling stadium in Gyeonggi Province, hailed as the largest in Asia, has been ruled unfit to host the 2025 World Women’s Curling Championship due to a seating capacity. The World Curling Federation has determined that the facility in Uijeongbu does not meet the requirements to host the international sports event, as it offers only 120 spectator seats. While the stadium impresses with its technical features, it falls far short of the 900 seats required for a world cham

More Sports Dec. 18, 2024

Karrot, the go-to app for buying and selling secondhand items, is increasingly becoming a hub for forging friendships, particularly among foreigners seeking language exchange opportunities in South Korea. In Seoul's Yongsan-gu on Tuesday, a search for “Korean friends” revealed several postings reflecting a growing trend of cross-cultural connections on the app, which is South Korea's largest community marketplace platform. One user, identified as "chamhug," wrot

Technology Dec. 17, 2024

Child stars have long been a staple of the entertainment world, and their stage has expanded to social media. These new young personalities, often managed by their parents, amass huge followings, raising questions about the consequences of early fame and its ethical boundaries. A recent controversy surrounding Taeha, a 3-year-old YouTuber famous for his linguistic talents, has reignited these discussions. Taeha’s channel boasts over 801,000 subscribers as of Monday, and he has appeared

Hashtag Korea Dec. 17, 2024

With President Yoon Suk Yeol suspended from official duties and facing an impeachment trial, a wave of public debate has sparked online, flooding the Constitutional Court of Korea’s website. By Monday morning, 31,354 posts featuring the term “impeachment” had been submitted to the court’s online forum — an extraordinary leap from the typical one to three posts per day. The activity surged almost immediately after Saturday’s parliamentary vote on Yoon’s i

Social Affairs Dec. 16, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol’s term is set to end on May 9, 2027, but with the prospect of his early departure from office, that timeline is likely to be moved up significantly. This scenario became more likely after the National Assembly on Saturday voted to impeach him, suspending him from his duties while the Constitutional Court reviews whether to uphold or dismiss his removal from office. While there is a chance, theoretically, that Yoon is reinstated through the trial, South Korea’s

Politics Dec. 14, 2024

South Korea has moved closer to removing President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, with the National Assembly passing a bill initiating the impeachment process. What does this mean and what will happen next? 1. Steps to stability President Yoon Suk Yeol, who plunged the nation into shock with his doomed martial law attempt on Dec. 3, has been suspended from his executive duties immediately. This marks a significant step toward restoring stability. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is to be the acting h

Social Affairs Dec. 14, 2024

Forbes has released its 2024 list of the "World's 100 Most Powerful Women," recognizing two South Korean leaders: Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin and Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon. Lee ranked 85th, while Choi placed 99th on the annual list. The ranking, which evaluates candidates based on wealth, media presence, influence, and scope of activities, saw both executives return from last year, when Lee was ranked 82nd and Choi 96th. Forbes highlighted Lee's role as CEO of Hotel Shilla

Companies Dec. 13, 2024

The aftermath of the Dec. 3 martial law turmoil is felt even on the secondhand marketplaces of platforms like Karrot and Joonggonara. Items such as K-pop light sticks and Yoon Suk Yeol commemorative wristwatches —labeled with new meanings amid recent protests and shifting public sentiment toward the president — have seen contrasting fates in these digital marketplaces. Demand for K-pop light sticks has surged as they have emerged as a symbol of protest. Their limited production &mdas

Social Affairs Dec. 11, 2024

Jungsik, the fine-dining Korean restaurant helmed by Chef Yim Jung-sik, was awarded three Michelin stars Tuesday, becoming the first Korean restaurant in New York to receive the recognition. The Michelin Guide 2024 New York ceremony was held Tuesday at The Glasshouse in Manhattan, New York. Jungsik is the New York branch of the Korean restaurant Jungsikdang in Seoul, which opened in 2011. It first earned its two Michelin stars in New York in 2014. According to Michelin, the restaurant’s

Food Dec. 10, 2024

On the day of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived martial law declaration, the number of South Koreans installing Telegram surged dramatically, according to data released Tuesday. Telegram reached 47.09 percent of all messenger app downloads here on Dec. 3 — totaling 40,576 — nearly four times higher than the 9,016 recorded a day before, data from mobile big data platform IGAWorks showed. Yoon declared emergency martial law on the night of Dec. 3, only to reverse it the next

Technology Dec. 10, 2024

Who could have imagined that a K-pop debut track from 2007 would evolve into a rallying cry for political change? “Into the New World,” the debut single by Girls’ Generation, has reemerged as a protest anthem amid South Korea’s growing discontent with President Yoon Suk Yeol after he declared the ill-fated martial law earlier this week. On Thursday, the song was sung across candlelit rallies on the steps of the National Assembly in Seoul, where demonstrators waved flags a

Politics Dec. 6, 2024

Two third-year students at Sajik Girls’ High School in Busan celebrate their Suneung results with an enthusiastic double high-five on Friday morning. The state-administered College Scholastic Ability Test, held on Nov. 14 this year, had 522,670 participants, including high school seniors and graduates -- up 18,082 from last year. Two third-year students at Sajik Girls’ High School in Busan pump their fists in joy after checking their scores. A third-year student at Daegu Girls&rsq

Social Affairs Dec. 6, 2024

The chair of the Choongam High School's foundation publicly criticized President Yoon Suk Yeol and other former pupils for their involvement in Tuesday's declaration of martial law. Chair Yoon Myung-hwa denounced members of the government's "Choongam faction," including the president and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, calling them “shameful alumni.” The chair expressed her frustration on Facebook, writing, “The school office has been bombarded w

Social Affairs Dec. 6, 2024

Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, a key figure behind South Korea’s six-hour martial law chaos, is barred from leaving the country as state prosecutors, acting on a treason accusation raised by politicians, prepare for an investigation. According to legal sources, a division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, led by Chief Prosecutor Lee Chan-gyu, has been assigned to investigate President Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim, and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Park An-su, regarding Yoo

Defense Dec. 5, 2024

The US saw Donald Trump elected president in 2016 and again 2024. South Korea is seeing its president, though not same person, facing impeachment in both 2016 and this year. Is history repeating itself? An intriguing online theory is gaining attention, claiming that South Korea is caught in a historical loop, eerily mirroring the events of 2016. A viral post, along with numerous others sharing similar content, titled “foretold future” lays out a “parallel theory” linkin

Social Affairs Dec. 5, 2024