The End of South Korea’s Rural Schools
Anpyeong Middle School, home to just seven students, is set to close next year, signaling the end of an era in South Korean public education.
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Salt Flowers: Glimpses of South Korea’s Labour Landscape
A less visible side of South Korea's dazzling economy is occupied by workers who perform manual labour at factories and shipyards, often under hard conditions.
Memories of Dictatorship from Not Long Ago
As someone who has experienced South Korea's history, I have deeply mixed feelings toward dictatorship. But I also feel ambivalent toward unfettered freedom.
Men Who Yearn to Be Erect, and the Women Who Bear Them
There is a great deal of talk in South Korea about men's sexual performance or "jeongnyeok." But there is very little talk of women's desire or sexual agency.
South Korea’s Real Culture of Shame
One remarkable thing about South Korea is the focus on shame, when things for which one ought to be ashamed are on display, quite uninhibitedly.
When the Elite Don’t Care
Less than three percent of South Korean university students trust politicians. Recent confirmation hearings for a prime minister-designate show why.
History Guides the Future in South Korea’s Latest Blockbuster
A historian's commentary on the recent South Korean blockbuster "Ode to My Father" and its relevance to the modern-day Korea.
A Nation as Beautiful as a Rolex Knockoff
Physical appearance rules supreme in South Korea. But beneath this fixation on beauty is an uncomfortable truth that we are not what we appear to be.
Say You Love Kimchi, And Nothing Else If You Want in
When ‘political’ and ‘active’ in manners that the South Korean state approves, foreigners are encouraged to speak. But doing the opposite may exact a price.
Chaebol Nutcase: Welcome to a Feudal Aristocracy of the Orient
The Korean Air heiress is in jail, but convicted chaebol CEOs hope for freedom as the government proposes pardon "as a way of overcoming the economic crisis."
The Republic of Korea: No Democracy as We Know
South Korea dissolves a political party for the first time since 1958. Debate rages on as to what this implies for the country's democracy.
Thank God for LGBT Rights
Evangelicals may have succeeded in blocking the adoption of Seoul's human rights charter, but their tainted reputation will ultimately help the LGBT cause.