KE Radar
Is South Korea Prepared For Earthquakes?
“Students felt weak tremors then came out into the hallways for evacuation. But the teachers stuffed us back in the classrooms, saying that this was not an earthquake,” tweeted the below user, whose identity could not be confirmed beyond the fact that she attends an all-girls high school in Pohang.
Former Spy Chief Could Be Next On Chopping Block for Park Geun-hye Saga
Appearing at the prosecutors’ office in Seoul on Monday morning, former National Intelligence Service Director Lee Byung-kee told reporters, “I regret having disappointed the people of this country over the question of having National Intelligence Agency funds funneled to the Blue House.” Lee, 70, is being questioned in relation to
Naver Goes 'Water Demon' in Escalating Beef with Google
If you looked up “Naver” on Naver, South Korea’s main web portal, on Friday afternoon, the top news result was a headline about the company receiving an innovation award. If you typed the same terms into Google, you’d get an op-ed from the Kyunghyang newspaper titled, “Naver and
Itaewon Bar Apologizes to Indian Student for Foreigner Ban
In June, a video of Kislay Kumar, a student from India, being turned away from a bar in Seoul briefly went viral due to the brazenness of the discrimination he faced on the basis of his nationality. In a video of the incident, a bouncer can be heard saying, “No
Media Roundup: S. Korean Chatter Ahead of Trump's Visit
U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to arrive in South Korea tomorrow on the second stop of his five-country tour of Asia, his first trip to the region as president. Trump’s South Korea itinerary includes a trip to a U.S. military base, the National Cemetery in Seoul
South Korean Perp Walks: What's Up With the Blurred Handcuffs?
If you happened to catch television coverage of then-South Korean President Park Geun-hye arriving for a court hearing in May, you might have noticed that before she even disembarked from the jail bus, there was a pixelated blob on the screen waiting for her. The pixelation was strategically placed to
Not All Genitalia Images Are Obscene: Supreme Court Rules
Pictures of genitalia are not obscene. A caveat: so long as their “evil” can be contextualized through criticism or explanation. That was the ruling by the Supreme Court last Thursday, concluding a six-year debate over just what constitutes obscene materials in South Korea. The case centered on Korea University law
"I Think of the Mountain": History of Hiking in S. Korea
The CIA World Factbook describes South Korea as “mostly hills and mountains.” 64 percent of the country’s land is forest, according to a 2014 report by Korea Forest Service. Given this geography, hiking naturally is a popular pastime in South Korea. Or is it so natural to assume so?
Pro-Choice Petition Reaches the Blue House
This week, the question of whether South Korean women should have access to legal abortions is being officially addressed at the highest levels of government. On Sep. 30, a petitioner wrote on the presidential office’s website about lifting the abortion ban and legalizing abortion pills. The petition, now closed,
End of Itaewon As We Know Nears
Rendering of Hannam Newtown District 3 as it would look after redevelopment (courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government) Itaewon in central Seoul is one of South Korea’s most diverse and interesting neighborhoods. American soldiers from the nearby military base are a fixture. Diplomats from around the world are stationed at
Spending Candlelight Protest Anniversary in the Slammer
One year after the start of a historic protest movement that ended with the ouster of a president, central Seoul is set to be filled with candle-holding citizens again this Saturday. Last year’s nationwide demonstrations were sparked by allegations of influence peddling involving then-President Park Geun-hye, her confidante
Government Mulling Easier Access to Menstrual Cups
Good news for South Korean women: In the wake of a scandal last month involving evidence that the country’s top-selling sanitary pad products contained toxins, the government is taking a step toward legalizing menstrual cups, although the government denies that this action is caused by the pad scandal. Last