The International Federation of Journalists has condemned the ruling People Power Party in Korea over its criticism and filing of a defamation suit against public broadcaster Munhwa Broadcasting Corp. which reported on President Yoon Suk-yeol’s alleged use of foul language in New York last month. In a statement Tuesday, the IFJ said the "censuring of MBC and other Korean media" was a “clear violation of press freedom.” MBC has been sued by the conservative party for d

Politics Oct. 5, 2022

Buzzwords come and go in Korea after a few years. But one has stood the test of time -- “Leeds era,” which is read as “lijeu sijeol” in Korean. The term, believed to have originated from online football communities around 2005, is used to refer to a period of one’s greatest success or popularity, similar to a heyday or a golden era. It is used in various contexts including the appearance of celebrities to the performance of athletes. Since July this year, local cabl

Culture Oct. 2, 2022

In a controversial TV moment, KBS2 aired a scene last week that showed a group of minors getting surgical circumcisions. On an episode of the reality show “Mr. House Husband,” which centers on young married couples and their everyday lives, five teenage children of cast members underwent the surgery one by one, with multiple cameras capturing every slight change in their facial expressions. Meanwhile, a surgeon performed the procedure on their lower bodies, which was covered by a sur

Television Sept. 22, 2022

  Noksapyeong Station’s name might not be as widely recognized as Itaewon, the next stop on Seoul Metro’s Line No. 6. But partygoers heading to the nearby neighborhood on the weekend and residents of Haebangchon and Gyeongridan-gil in the area know well how uniquely the station is structured. “I used to work at a cafe located in the middle of Noksapyeong and Itaewon. I would get off at Noksapyeong because it was a little closer. But every time I had to climb up the stairs,

Hashtag Korea Sept. 20, 2022

When will the indoor mask mandate come to an end? That is the next question Korea is facing after two years into the pandemic. The health authorities are cautioning against the move as the daily number of cases show no sign of dropping soon. But that has not stopped some decision-makers to float the idea of bringing an indoor mask ban to an end. “We would like to begin discussing the transition from the current COVID-19 emergency system to a more normal one,” said professor Jung Ki-s

Social Affairs Sept. 18, 2022

A man has been arrested for killing a female subway attendant at Sindang Station at around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, according to police on Thursday. The suspect, in his 30s, is a former colleague and stalker of the victim. He is alleged to have waited for nearly an hour at the station while wearing a sanitary cap and followed the victim into the ladies’ toilet before he killed her with a weapon. The woman, in her 20s, suffered a cardiac arrest and was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Th

Social Affairs Sept. 15, 2022

Earlier this year, a popular Pyongyang-style cold noodle restaurant in central Seoul closed down after 37 years. The closure of Eulji Myeonok came after a court ruled that a redevelopment project in the area should be allowed to go ahead following a yearslong legal battle, forcing the restaurant to leave the building it used to occupy. Founded by the daughter of Korean War refugees, the restaurant was loved by customers across generations. People waited in line on its last day for a final taste

Social Affairs Sept. 13, 2022

Every summer, local district governments in Korea are tasked with tackling heat waves in resourceful ways. But while mist-spraying and parasols can cool down the heat, street trees are more effective at keeping temperatures down, according to a new study. Street trees create shade where temperatures are 15.4 degrees Celsius lower than their surrounding areas, according to a study published by the city-funded Seoul Institute of Technology earlier this month. Outdoor shade canopies, a popular an

Social Affairs Sept. 11, 2022

As COVID-19 travel restrictions start to ease further across Asia, more S. Korean travelers are eyeing Vietnam and Japan. South Koreans topped foreign tourist arrivals in Vietnam in August, according to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam. Some 486,000 foreigners traveled to the Southeast Asian country, of which 173,000 were from South Korea, followed by the US and Cambodia. With nearly 1 in 3 visitors to Vietnam last month being South Koreans, the figure marks the country’s growing d

Travel Sept. 11, 2022

When there is a risk of flash flooding, avoid underground areas. This is the lesson that a series of recent floods have highlighted after they caused multiple casualties. As powerful Typhoon Hinnamnor hit the southern city of Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, early Tuesday morning, several people went missing in a flooded underground parking lot of an apartment complex. Two were found alive while seven were pronounced dead on Wednesday. Residents said there were several announcements from th

Social Affairs Sept. 7, 2022

The Ministry of Economy and Finance is facing criticism over social media posts pitting consumers who go for regular burgers against those who prefer premium burgers. “Burgers versus handmade burgers. What is your consumer trend?” the post which was uploaded last week read. The post went on to describe two different consumers, one who waited for three hours in line in Gangnam for a gourmet burger and the other who spent less than 30,000 won grocery shopping. On Twitter, users hav

Social Affairs Sept. 1, 2022

In recent months, a severe taxi shortage saw people hailing a taxi on the streets of Seoul to no avail while ride-hailing apps like Kakao T failing to dispatch a driver, especially during nighttime peak hours. Between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., only one 1 of 4 attempts to call for a taxi succeeds, according to Transport Minister Won Hee-ryong last month. The taxi crisis is blamed on a number of factors, including a sudden post-pandemic spike in demand and a reduced driver pool after many switched o

Mobility Aug. 20, 2022

Seoul-based illustrator and animator Seo In-ji has worked for the likes of Girls’ Generation, Red Velvet and NCT Dream. Her works also include the covers of Rina Sawayama’s singles and a Peggy Gou music video. Having studied animation at university, the 31-year-old dreamt of seeing her work featured on the cover of a book or a billboard. “If you ask me if this is a dream come true, I would say it is,” she said, laughing, during an interview with The Korea Herald. One

Arts & Design Aug. 16, 2022

“Disgruntled young men” were one of the main forces behind the rise of a political novice named Yoon Suk-yeol to the highest office in South Korea earlier this year. Yoon, whose career had been entirely focused on rounding up bad guys as a state prosecutor, was hoped to restore justice in a society that they say was tilted in favor of feminists, labor unions and North Korean sympathizers. A few months after his election, however, the mood among younger conservative men appears t

Politics Aug. 15, 2022

Record-breaking torrential downpours swamped many parts of Seoul and Gyeonggi Province on Monday. But the hardest hit area in the region was Gangnam, the capital’s affluent residential district, and its surrounding neighborhoods. Images and videos of people wading through knee-high water near Gangnam Station and cars submerged underwater and left stranded in the middle of the road in nearby Daechi-dong went viral. This is not the first time that neighborhoods in southern Seoul have suf

Social Affairs Aug. 9, 2022