Free speech or public harassment? Korea begins the hard fight over hate banners

If you’ve walked through any major South Korean city recently, chances are you’ve seen a banner warning that Chinese students are all potential spies, or that Korea is being “colonized” by Chinese tourists. These aren’t random flyers or fringe graffiti. They’re political banners, hung in public with party logos and legal protection — until now. In November, the South Korean government issued new national guidelines to curb hate speech and disinformation in political banners. For the first time,

Dec. 6, 2025

Why do Gen Zers flaunt their solo moments on social media?

Would you flaunt a birthday spent alone? An 11-second YouTube clip, titled “How to Spend Your Birthday Alone,” does exactly that, and has struck a chord with like-minded viewers on YouTube. The video has become one of the most beloved and defining pieces of content on the channel Naknaklog, showing the creator celebrating her birthday solo, cueing up a message from a favorite celebrity, treating herself to an extravagant round of charcoal-grilled delicacies and omakase, dressing up for a perfect

Dec. 4, 2025

Fly before the baby comes: Behind babymoon craze in South Korea

Pregnancy comes with a heavier belly, swollen legs, sore backs and hormonal mood swings. But for many mothers-to-be in South Korea, it also brings something else: the urge to splurge on an overseas vacation. These "babymoons" first gained popularity here more than a decade ago, as a final getaway for parents-to-be before the round-the-clock feedings and sleepless nights begin. The practice has since become a rite of passage, much like a honeymoon for couples. A quick search of “babymoon” on Inst

Nov. 30, 2025

Korea once had its own 'bless you.' Does it need to be revived?

Nisa Sermchaiwong, a 26-year-old American who moved to Seoul for graduate school in 2022, recalls the awkward moment she first said “bless you” to a classmate who sneezed. “I was in our school lab, and I guess my friend was sick because she sneezed five times in 10 minutes,” she said. “I said ‘bless you’ each time because that’s the norm in the States.” But in a silent room, the gesture quickly became uncomfortable. “Our lab was very quiet because everyone was working. And each time I said ‘bles

Nov. 28, 2025

Why Korea’s 900-year-old shipwreck bowls look suspiciously new

When South Korean archaeologists announced on Nov. 10 that they had raised a 15th-century tax ship from the seabed off the western coast of Taean, photographs of another find from the same waters also drew major attention. Next to the Joseon-era (1392-1910) vessel known as Mado 4, divers had located two tightly stacked bundles of celadon from the Goryeo Kingdom (935-1392), 87 pieces in total, believed to date from around 1150 to 1175. After basic cleaning, the bowls and cups were presented to th

Nov. 27, 2025

Got a complaint? Here's how you can file petitions in Korea

There comes a time when anyone may need to seek the help of authorities, including when facing the complications of immigration policy. To support foreign nationals, the Korean government provides multiple channels, such as dedicated websites, call centers and free legal consultations. Still, the process can be challenging without guidance from someone familiar with it. This guide introduces the main resources available in South Korea and explains how to use them effectively to manage administra

Nov. 24, 2025

Legalizing same-sex marriage is still unpopular in South Korea. But does it need to be popular?

South Korea made a quiet but meaningful policy change in October. For the first time, the national census now allows same-sex couples living together to identify each other as “spouse” in official records. While this adjustment does not confer any legal rights, it marks a symbolic step in recognizing LGBTQ+ households in the state’s demographic data. But as same-sex couples slowly appear in national statistics, legal marriage still remains out of reach. And public support for it is not growing.

Nov. 22, 2025

True Crime (6) Marrying to kill

A marriage is meant to be the ultimate expression of love, a sacred vow between two people, blessed and celebrated by family and friends. A promise of loyalty, trust and lifelong partnership. But what if that bond is tainted from the very beginning? What happens when one walks down the aisle with love in their heart, while the other sees only images of money? Such was the marriage of Lee Eun-hae and Yoon Sang-yeop. In this episode, we dive into a 2019 case known as the Gapyeong valley murder, wh

Nov. 20, 2025

Students by the number: Old tradition dies hard in Korea’s classrooms

In the 1970s and '80s, when as many as 60 to 70 students were packed into a single classroom at school, students’ height served as a key barometer of order. At the start of each semester, students were given numbers for checking attendance based on their height and seated accordingly, from the front to the back of the classroom. Records from the Seoul Archives show that in some schools, seating arrangements were adjusted midsemester to reflect growth spurts. For teachers, it was more than a seat

Nov. 15, 2025

Dining after midnight in Korea

Seoul has earned a reputation as a city that never sleeps, and its overnight workers, students and partygoers alike need sustenance to make it through. South Korea's capital and most populous city offers plenty of ways to eat close to midnight or in the wee hours, but in other regions, too, there are ways to get a late bite, albeit with more limited options. Considered the country's main gateway, Incheon Airport has a number of restaurants, cafes and fast food joints on its premises. Most operat

Nov. 12, 2025

Meet the man making recycling less ugly in Korea

You had a fun night out. But the next morning, the hangover hits hard. Your sister orders delivery, but after all that drinking, you can barely take a bite. Soon, leftovers, crumpled napkins and takeout containers start to pile up. And like any older sister would, she tells you to clean it up. How would you feel? That was four years ago for Seo Ho-seong, founder of Uglee Lab, the startup behind Oneul Sugeo, a service that picks up your trash from your doorstep and takes care of Korea’s notorious

Nov. 12, 2025

Koreans brush teeth openly and together from childhood. Why?

Even after two years of teaching English at an elementary school in Seoul, Clare Mitchell from Canada still finds herself surprised by her students’ after-lunch ritual of brushing their teeth together in the restroom. “When you brush your teeth, you spit and sometimes bits of food come out. It’s not exactly something you want to show others. Watching kids do it so casually, even from such a young age, was a bit of a shock,” she told The Korea Herald. Back in her country, personal grooming ritual

Nov. 8, 2025

Korea can't live without dawn delivery. Can it still protect the workers behind it?

“Every night, I place my order after putting my kids to bed. By the time we wake up, the groceries are at the door,” said Seo Min-jung, a 37-year-old working mother in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province. “I don’t know how I would manage mornings without it.” For tens of millions of South Koreans like Seo, ultra-fast overnight delivery is not just a convenience. It’s almost a lifeline. Whether it’s diapers, rice or last-minute school supplies, services like Coupang’s “Rocket Wow Delivery” have made it no

Nov. 6, 2025

Tips on using public transportation in Korea

South Korea boasts one of the most advanced public transportation systems in the world, and passengers can save a substantial amount of money using the transfer system, particularly when traveling long distances within the greater Seoul area. But navigating the extensive networks of multiple subway lines, city buses and intercity trains and buses can be challenging, particularly for those unfamiliar with the system. Transit expenditures can be settled at the end of the month using some credit ca

Nov. 6, 2025

'Korean Vegan' whose recipes deliver flavors of life

Over a basin of salted napa cabbage, a woman throws in a handful of spicy red seasoning and mixes it with gloved hands. The sound of leaves rubbing and sauce squelching soon fills the kitchen. Her hands never stop, even as she begins to speak — not about cooking, but about friendship. “You’re gonna get dumped. Not by your boyfriend. Not by your girlfriend or your fiance or your spouse,” she says. The red seeps deeper into the cabbage as she makes kimchi, Korea’s traditional fermented vegetable d

Nov. 5, 2025