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Se-Woong Koo
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Foreign Media in South Korea: Arbiters of Truth, and Players in Their Own Right

On the evening of Mar. 18 the British Broadcasting Corporation’s Seoul correspondent Laura Bicker sent out a tweet that reverberated through South Korean cyberspace. Dear Korean press, please translate my articles fairly. My piece on the political gamble of talks with North Korea does not say President Moon is

Ho Kyeong Jang
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South Korea Women's March in Photos

On Mar. 4, with South Korea’s intensifying #MeToo movement, the annual Korea Women’s March took place in central Seoul. Hosted by Korean Women’s Association United (KWAU) and the 3.8 Women’s Day Organizing Committee, the march began in Gwanghwamun, south of the historic Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Ho Kyeong Jang
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Pyeongchang: Halal Food for Athletes But Not Regular Visitors?

Muslim athletes will now be able to get halal food at Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, after official caterer Shinsegae Food received halal certification from the Korea Muslim Federation (KMF) on Jan. 29 for its cafeteria at the athlete’s village. But for regular spectators and tourists, it remains unclear if and

Ho Kyeong Jang
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P(r)aying for Bigotry at Handong University

“Homosexuality is not just any crime. It’s a serious problem that tries to change laws, systems, society and culture and corrupt our children.” Jei Yanggyu, a professor at Handong University, voiced such concerns on the university’s internal website on Dec. 23. “If Handong loses its identity as

KOREA EXPOSÉ
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Why is Plastic Surgery So Popular in South Korea?

Plastic surgery is integrated into daily life in South Korea. There are a myriad of advertisements in subway stations, buses, and streets. Parents often “gift” their children some form of surgery after they finish their national college entrance exams or when they become legal adults. Some job applicants go under

Ho Kyeong Jang
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EXO Star's Prejudice of Depression is a Korean Prejudice

It had been less than two weeks since Jonghyun, a member of K-pop group SHINee, died, when a popular K-pop idol came under fire for making insensitive comments about depression, the illness thought to have plagued Jonghyun’s final days. At a fan event on Dec. 30, EXO member Baekhyun

KOREA EXPOSÉ
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How Bad Is Racism in South Korea?

You might have heard some horror stories about racism in South Korea. And yes, depending on where you are and whom you interact with, it does get “that bad.” It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that racism is both widespread and deeply entrenched in South Korea. Numerous surveys

Ho Kyeong Jang
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Obituary: The Legacy of Jonghyun

In an interview with Esquire magazine in April, Jonghyun of K-pop boy band SHINee shared the following story: “A few years ago, I cried in front of my mother and older sister. I was super drunk…. I woke them up late at night and asked them if they were happy.

Rachel Oh
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North Korean Soldier's Choco Pie (NOT Lifetime Supply)

Last month, Oh Chung-sung, a 24-year-old North Korean soldier, made an audacious sprint across the intensely guarded border that separates North and South Korea. He was dragged to safety by South Korean soldiers after fleeing a hail of gunfire. He sustained five gunshot wounds, and after undergoing surgeries, he woke

Steven Borowiec
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When the Moons Align: Black Bears Back to the Wild

Asiatic black bears occupy a special place in Korean folklore. The cute creatures, called ‘moon bears’ due to the crescent of white fur on their chests, appear as characters in stories, and cartoon depictions of moon bears were chosen as the mascot for the Paralympics held in Seoul in 1988

Steven Borowiec
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Corruption Suspicions Another Hiccup in Massive U.S. Military Relocation

Suspected corruption in South Korea threatens to undermine what has been called the largest construction project in the history of the U.S. Department of Defense. The U.S. military is currently undertaking a massive relocation of its forces out of bases in and north of Seoul and toward

Steven Borowiec
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The Last Gulps of the Canary in the Itaewon Coal Mine

After climbing a dusty, graffiti-strewn staircase to the entrance to Seoul Pub, one encounters a handwritten sign hanging on the glass door: “No drunken, fighting, sleeping, bothering, picking up.” Inside the bar, owner Jung In-chul explains that the sign is an expression of his desire to maintain a family-like atmosphere