The Korea Herald Series

Latest News

weekender
[Weekender] 'C-commerce' on rise in Korea

Chinese e-commerce platforms, equipped with ultracheap deals, have been gobbling up market share from domestic rivals here. Even as local retailers suggest there has been no serious impact from the Chinese surge, they can be seen ramping up their readiness. According to market tracker Wiseapp, the monthly user counts for AliExpress, Temu and Shein, three big Chinese players, have continuously been hitting new record numbers in Korea. AliExpress, the biggest among them, saw 8.18 million monthly u
March 9, 2024 - 16:01:18
weekender
[Weekender] Car camping: How solo female campers enjoy outdoors

After the COVID-19 virus hit, camping caught on among Koreans as an outdoor leisure activity that didn't break social distancing rules. The pandemic may have officially ended, but the camping craze has stuck around. In the past few years, the popularity of car camping has stood out. As of end-2022, 41.6 percent of Koreans said they went car camping at least once compared with the corresponding figure of 4 percent in the previous year, a survey released by the Korea Tourism Organization in J
March 2, 2024 - 15:59:28
Culture
[Weekender] Discover the joys of life without a smartphone

In December, college student Kang Min-gu was preparing for his final exams when he decided to put his cell phone in a special type of locker called the "Room of Immersion." Once items are placed in the cylinder, also called a "smartphone prison," and a timer is set, it can only be opened before the time is up by breaking it. Kang, who majors in Korean medicine, meant to set a timer for 60 minutes so he could focus on his studies. But when he realized he had accidentally s
Feb. 24, 2024 - 16:01:37
Food
[Weekender] 'Too cute to eat'

At Melting Of, a dessert cafe in Seoul’s vibrant Hongdae neighborhood, seven tables buzzed with youthful energy among the predominantly female patrons. "It's too cute to eat!" one woman at a table exclaimed in a high pitch as the order arrived, just a moment before beginning to devour the treats. At another table occupied by a young couple, the woman was absorbed in taking photos of a pandoro sweet bread with cream shaped into a rabbit. She meticulously reviewed each photo
Feb. 17, 2024 - 16:01:18
weekender
[Weekender] How Sinchon lost its student shine

Seoul's Sinchon neighborhood has long been a vibrant playground for youngsters and foreign visitors alike. It's known as a college area thanks to its proximity to prestigious universities like Yonsei, Ewha and Sogang, and its youthful buzz attracted an influx of franchise brands opening stores there in the early 2000s. Starbucks, for instance, launched its first South Korean store in Sinchon. Lotte Group opened the country’s first Krispy Kreme branch in the student area because o
Feb. 10, 2024 - 16:01:51
weekender
[Weekender] Born to battle: Decoding Korea's hypercompetitive society

Han, a 30-year-old living in Seoul, was once a promising student. She entered Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul on a scholarship and secured a well-paying job at a large company upon graduation. However, the constant competition and long work hours eventually took a toll. Despite being promoted to assistant manager before her colleagues, Han started to experience burnout. "The cycle of competition just didn't end. I had to beat my colleagues to get promoted. I wasn't happy," H
Feb. 3, 2024 - 16:01:37
Social Affairs
[Weekender] Behind the rise of unstaffed stores in Korea

Choi Seung-hoon, 32, a regular patron of self-service venues in Korea, recently broadened his experiences in unstaffed shops by purchasing a takeaway sashimi dinner set for one. “I usually eat alone,” he told The Korea Herald at Sea Fridge, an unmanned sashimi store near Sangwangsimni Station, central Seoul, as he looked through the glass refrigerator door at a selection of vacuum-packed, aged fish, mostly in packages with one or two servings. “I think this is good because I
Jan. 20, 2024 - 16:01:43
weekender
[Weekender] Movie theaters still struggling after pandemic disruptions

South Korea's multiplex cinema industry faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, with strict social distancing measures leading theater attendance to plummet. Yet even with the end of the pandemic, the industry has not experienced a significant recovery. Instead, the rise of online streaming platforms such as Netflix has impacted the traditional theatergoing experience. Meanwhile, all major multiplex cinema chains here have raised ticket prices in response to financial deficits duri
Jan. 13, 2024 - 16:01:41
weekender
[Weekender] Savor the season: Indulge in Korean winter delicacies

Winter in South Korea means withstanding severe cold. At the same time, it also means stuffing yourself with the delicious Korean winter foods that are in season. Korea is renowned for its four distinct seasons. And each of those seasons features a different set of foods taking the spotlight. In winter, three of Korea's most popular kinds of seafood take center stage -- gwamegi, yellowtail and oysters. Other seasonal delicacies include red bean porridge and even citrus fruit. Many Koreans
Jan. 6, 2024 - 16:01:27
Culture
[Weekender] Ringing in 2024: Six places to see the sunrise

For many Koreans, watching the sunrise on New Year’s Day is an important ritual, where wishes are often made for the days and months to come. The routine is typically enriched with celebrations across the nation, featuring vibrant musical performances and events to add to the New Year atmosphere. Sky Park in Seoul Located in Mapo-gu, the park is an ideal place for those who want to see the sunrise without having to travel far from the capital. The area’s district office said this w
Dec. 31, 2023 - 16:01:08
Hashtag Korea
[Weekender] From hearth to oven: Coal mining history baked into ‘yeontan’ bread

SABUK, Gangwon Province -- “Never kick a lump of used coal briquette; has your heart ever burned for someone?” reads one of the most beloved Korean poems by poet Ahn Do-hyun. The resonance of this three-line-stanza poem in Korean draws its depth from the commonplace “yeontan” -- the perforated, cylindrical briquettes that fueled the hearths of most Korean households in the mid- to late- 1900s. A few years ago, the symbolic power of yeontan became a hit for 37-year-
Dec. 23, 2023 - 16:01:12
Consumer
[Weekender] Korea's elderly poverty reveals itself in heart of Seoul

The streets of Nakwon-dong behind Tapgol Park in central Seoul are often referred to as a place for older adults, in particular, those living on limited means. “Here, a 10,000 won ($7.58) bill is enough to make your day," said Kim, 74, at a small restaurant in Nakwon-dong. "A bowl of hot soup with rice costs only 3,000 won, and you can even get coffee for an additional 200 won. If you want a haircut, it costs only 6,000 won. That's the reason why people like me, who are down
Dec. 16, 2023 - 16:01:19
Social Affairs
[Weekender] [K-School] From lobster to rose tteokbokki, Korean school food continues to evolve

At around noon on a Friday, hundreds of students filed through the cafeteria at Changdeok Girls’ Middle School in Jung-gu, central Seoul, as they took a school canteen food tray, spoon and chopsticks, quickly scanning the day’s lunch menu offerings. One at a time, the students loaded their trays with fish cake soup, bibimbap, chocolate breadsticks and a mango popsicle for dessert. These school lunches resembled delicious-looking home-cooked meals. “It’s not mass-produced,
Dec. 9, 2023 - 16:01:02
Culture
[Weekender] Can't get a date? Try a temple ... or city hall

On a chilly Saturday afternoon, a group of people dressed in Buddhist vests and pants strolled slowly around a pagoda at Jogyesa, making wishes and touring different corners of the Buddhist temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul. What seemed like a customary temple stay turned out to be an unusual affair. The 20 men and women were participating in a “dating” temple stay. They were gathered for the purpose of finding potential romantic partners over the weekend. "Meeting Temple Stay," o
Dec. 2, 2023 - 16:00:50
weekender
[Weekender] Meoktaekkang sweeps across Korea

Getting a snack shouldn't be this difficult. To get a packet, you must outpace rival shoppers who constantly check convenience stores applications for restocking alerts. Otherwise, the only way to get the 1,650 won ($1.26) product is by buying it online for more than double the price. The snack in question is Nongshim's pungent, addictive fish-flavored snack, Meoktaekkang. Based on "meoktae," a type of pollack, this salty, sweet snack seasoned with zingy green chili pepper, i
Nov. 18, 2023 - 16:00:54