Honbap: Eating Alone Is a New Norm
Upon entering any restaurant in South Korea, after saying hello, the staff inevitably ask the same question: How many in your party? Not at this restaurant. The staff here assume you’re all alone. When I walked into Dokgojin, a barbecue eatery in Bucheon, a suburb west of Seoul, the
Gwanghwamun Democracy 2.0: Air Pollution Roundtables
Jongno, where Gwanghwamun Square is located, is one of Seoul’s most polluted and heavily congested districts. So when I heard that a huge outdoor event on air pollution was taking place on the square, I raised my eyebrows. “Isn’t it sad that we’re
Se-Woong Koo: Mentioned in Le Monde and Quartz for "Gaejeossi"
The video of a senior conservative lawmaker who pushed his bag at an assistant without so much as a glance has gone viral, not just in South Korea but around the world. Quartz and the Big Browser blog of Le Monde have both written about it, extensively the essay
What the Puck? South Korea Sells Nationality for Winter Olympic Glory
On Tuesday, South Korean footballer Lee Seung-woo scored a stunning goal to help his national team defeat Argentina 2-1 in a FIFA U-20 World Cup match. Lee is in his first year playing for FC Barcelona Juvenil A, and has even caught the attention of Argentinian legend Diego Maradona, who
"Humanities Bullshit"
An anonymous netizen posts on a forum: “What did president Park Geun-hye do right?” Another responded: “I own and run a pub near Gwanghwamun Square. Thanks to president Park, I got so many customers and paid off my debts…. Lol.” This is how “Humanities
A Eulogy for Another Radical Centrist
So this upstart politician — the son of a doctor, the renegade, and a center-liberal candidate who claims to be neither right nor left — appeared to some voters in the recent presidential election to be the only hope (or the lesser evil) to prevent the worst case scenario from taking place.
Islamophobia Erupts in South Korea after UK Terror Attack
Terror struck Manchester on Monday. The suicide bomb killed 22 people, while the 22-year-old bomber, Salman Abedi, reportedly had connections to al-Qaeda and ISIS. Many South Korean netizens offered condolences to families of the victims of the appalling incident, but these were soon overshadowed by a tide of Islamophobia.
The Age of E-Mart Under Moon Jae-in
South Korea’s first branch of E-mart, now the country’s largest retailer and originally inspired by Walmart, opened in November 1993. That was about four years after the country’s first convenience store, the Seven Eleven near the Olympic Village in Seoul, appeared. It’s
Cannes 2017: Introducing the Korean Filmmakers
Cannes Film Festival 2017 opened amid the usual fanfare last Wednesday. In South Korea, Cannes is showcased as a sign of incredible international prestige for the country when Korean actors and directors are invited. This year, filmmakers Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho, and Hong Sang-soo are featuring prominently in
Can Moon Jae-in Finally Clean up South Korea’s Prosecution?
South Korea is sometimes described as a “Republic of Prosecutors.” The unusual term reflects the abnormal amount of power wielded by the country’s Prosecution Service, which monopolizes the authority both to control investigations and to prosecute. Over the years, frustration has been mounting over the disproportionate power the
Mark of the Beast
If you regularly walk around central Seoul, you’ve probably seen, or heard, them — elderly folks walking around carrying placards with heartwarming messages such as “Lord Jesus Heaven. No Jesus Hell” and “666.” As they walk, they carry with them speakers that play hymns, or broadcast their evangelizing messages.
What's in a Name: Can a Fortuneteller's Advice Change Your Fate?
“I changed my name to Mi-eun. From now on, please call me by my new name only.” My friend kindly corrected me when we met for the first time in seven years. “I wanted to get a new start in my life. You know, my grandmother always said my