Most Popular
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Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
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Army takes group action against Hybe for neglecting BTS
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Debate rages over ‘overly fatty’ samgyeopsal
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[Weekender] Korean psyche untangled: Musok
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Hankook Tire takes over control of Hanon Systems
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[Eye Interview] 'If you live to 100, you might as well be happy,' says 88-year-old bestselling essayist
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S. Korea, Japan, China agree to create new financing facility against regional crises
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From fake prostitution ring to nonexistent robber, prank calls hamper police
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Top prosecutor orders speedy investigation into first lady's alleged acceptance of luxury handbag
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40 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to bad weather
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[Land of Squid Game] Avoiding eye contact during conversations
In Korea, it is considered rude to look directly into someone’s eyes during a conversation, especially if you are being scolded or rebuked by your seniors or elders. In some cultures, making eye contact is a non-verbal part of communication; however, this is not the same in Korean culture. For example, when a Korean student is being scolded by their teacher, they usually look down at the floor. But this could be startling for foreign teachers working in Korea, interpreting it as a stude
July 6, 2022
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Hangover drinks: What are the best choices and do they really work?
Whether it’s soju and beer with colleagues or wine with friends, drinking is an important part of socializing in South Korea. South Koreans drank an average of 8.3 liters of alcohol in 2019, according to the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, citing OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) Health Statistics 2021. Though the average amount of alcohol consumed by South Koreans is below the OECD average, 2014 data from market research firm Euromonitor foun
July 4, 2022
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'Hoesik' can help blow off steam, or spark unfortunate events
A friendly gathering of co-workers is by no means a custom exclusive to South Korea, but the “hoesik” culture here is more than just a leisurely gathering. Usually conducted after work hours, hoesik generally consists of dinner, booze -- usually a lot of it -- and occasionally a trip to karaoke joints. Colleagues sharing good food and drinks on the company’s dime while getting to know each other a little better, talking more causally about work and enhancing teamwork is not
June 30, 2022
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[Korea Quiz] (9) Who can carry a gun in Korea?
Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. Answer: ⓓ South Korea is technically still at war with North Korea and most men here are trained shooters, stemming from their experience as active-duty conscripts. But not even the president -- the most powerful elected official and chief military commander -- can freely carry a gun. Only authorized personnel in security-related fields, such as poli
June 29, 2022
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[Land of Squid Game] Asking people's age before starting conversation
In Korea, people often use honorifics and appellations such as eonni (older sister) and oppa (older brother) when speaking with someone else. This is because Koreans generally follow the Confucian tradition of speaking differently with someone who is older versus someone who is younger. This is why Koreans will often ask others their age or the year they were born at the start of a conversation. Korea's millennial generation is less likely to ask about age when first mee
June 28, 2022
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[What should I call you?] No one wants to be called ‘ajumma’
Honorific titles are tricky in many cultures but can be particularly baffling in South Korea, where things like social status, age, work experience, and even social prejudice can be factored in. This is part two of a series on the many ways to address another person in Korean. – Ed. In 2019, Korea Yakult -- the former name of food and beverage company Hy -- announced it was officially changing the title of its female salespersons from “Yakult ajumma” to “Fresh Ma
June 28, 2022
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[Subway Stories] Samseong Station at the heart of glitzy Gangnam
In Korean, Samseong Station on Line No. 2 is written and pronounced exactly the same as Samsung, the country’s No. 1 conglomerate by any measure. Even some locals presume the two to be related, given the firm’s nearly ubiquitous presence in South Korea. They aren’t. Rather, it is the another Korean corporate behemoth -- Hyundai Motor Group -- that is linked to it. In 2014, the auto group bid a jaw-dropping 10.5 trillion won ($8.04 billion) to buy a plot
June 27, 2022
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How feeding seagulls became a boat trip selling point
As a cruise ferry on Han River was about to leave the dock on a Tuesday afternoon in June, dozens of seagulls began to gather around. Some sat on the top rails of the ship while others began to fly around as passengers started to come out to the deck. Once the engine starts, you get the sense what they are here for. People were holding snacks with their fingers or throwing them for the birds to eat. Laughter and joyful scream filled the ship as people of all age groups -- from elderly peopl
June 27, 2022
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[Korea Quiz] (8) How long does a typical Korean summer vacation last?
Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. Answer: ⓒ With summer just around the corner and the pandemic losing its grip, people are starting to make plans on where to go for their vacations and for how long. In 2021, Korean workers took an average of 3.7 days off for summer holidays, according to a survey conducted on 720 firms by the Korea Enterprises Federation. Despite the pandemic having brought travel to a
June 22, 2022
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[Land of Squid Game] Gifting toilet paper or detergent as housewarming presents
If you are invited to a housewarming party in the States, you might bring food, snacks, or a bottle of wine. But housewarming parties in Korea known as jipdeuri have a different tradition. Koreans bring rolls of toilet paper or laundry detergent, the two most common jipdeuri gifts. The meaning behind giving toilet paper is that the giver is wishing the recipient continued success and good health, just as easily as the paper unravels from the roll. If you are worried your host might rece
June 21, 2022
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[Subway Stories] Why Euljiro 3-ga Station is also called 'Shinhan Card Station'
When navigating through Seoul’s subway system, you will see that some stations have two names. Euljiro 3-ga Station, located in central Seoul with Line 2 and Line 3 running through, is also called “Shinhan Card station” after a credit card company whose headquarters is 10 minutes away on foot. English teacher David Stewart, 31, said displaying two names, which is designed to generate additional income for the city’s railway system, is understandable. “I barely p
June 19, 2022
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[Korea Quiz] (7) “Ani” doesn’t always mean no
Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. Answer: 아니 아직 Ani, I have not. “Ani,” which usually means “no” in Korean, may be one of the most versatile expressions in the Korean language. The most common usage of “ani” is as an exclamation you say in order to disagree. You can say “ani” as the response to a question or to correct a statement someone said to you. But bear
June 15, 2022
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[Land of Squid Game] Calling significant other ‘brother’
People often use pet names for their significant others, but “brother” or “sister” is usually off the table. In Korea, many young women will call the person they are in a relationship with “oppa” -- the same word that Korean people use for “older brother.“ It may sound strange to foreigners, especially if you are watching a TV drama, but for Koreans, it merely means that they are referring to their partner as someone older or wiser than them. It
June 13, 2022
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[What should I call you?] Why ‘Mr. Strange’ is a no-go in Korean language
Honorific titles can be tricky in many cultures, but can be particularly baffling in South Korea -- where various factors like social status, age, work experience and even social prejudice can be factored in. This is part one of a series on the myriad ways people address each other in the Korean language. -- Ed. In a scene played for laughs in the 2016 movie “Doctor Strange,” the titular protagonist keeps correcting those referring to him as “Mr. Strange” by saying, &ld
June 13, 2022
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[Subway Stories] Melting pot of culture, shopping and tourism in Dongdaemun
The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories -- a Korea Herald series exploring subway stations and their surrounding areas across the city. – Ed Step out of Exit No. 12 at Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station on the Seoul subway and turn left at the second corner, and you will yourself surrounded by the Cyrillic alphabet. The area is commonly known as the Gwanghui-dong Central Asia Street, with scores of shops run by Russians, Uzbeks and Mongolians. The street is one of the
June 12, 2022
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[Land of Squid Game] Being 1-year-old when born
Did you know that a South Korean baby born on New Year’s Eve is already 2 years old when the clock strikes 12? Yes, believe it or not, how Koreans calculate their age might leave you startled if you have never heard this before. In South Korea, a newborn baby is already 1 year old on the day of their birth and then gets an additional year when the calendar hits the new year. This is because in Korea, age is calculated from the day of conception. Boom! That means you become a year or t
June 8, 2022
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[Korea Quiz] (6) Noble bloodlines...of everyone, apparently
Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. Answer: c Like in other countries, there are family names in Korea that can be traced back to royal lineages or aristocrats, known as “yangban,” during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). For example, a person with the last name Kim originating from Gimhae is part of the Gimhae Kim clan. This person can theoretically be descended from the bloodline of the ancient Geumgwan Gaya
June 8, 2022
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[Video] Jongno or Jongro?: Why there are multiple ways to pronounce some Korean names
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s name can be pronounced in more than one way. Some pronounce his name in Korea as “Yoon Seo-kyol” while others call him “Yoon Sung-nyeol.” Neither is technically incorrect, according to the National Institute of Korean Language. But his name is not alone in having more than one pronunciation. Olympic gold medalist Kim Yuna also can be pronounced as both “Kim Nyeo-na” and “Ki Myeo-na.” Take Jongno 3-ga
June 7, 2022
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Korea Quiz (5) Road trip to North Korea?
Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. Answer: ⓑ South Koreans can travel to far-flung, exotic destinations if they want, but there is one place that remains off limits -- North Korea. The irony of this is that the two countries are just 195 kilometers apart, from capital to capital. By road, it would be around a three-hour drive. To put this in context, the distance between Seoul
June 1, 2022
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[Land of Squid Game] Not writing anyone’s name in red
When I first entered my hotel room in Frankfurt, Germany many years ago, I was shocked to see my name written in red. Although this was the welcoming message from the hotel, I immediately called management to have the color of my name changed. In Korea, names are written in red only after one is deceased. Foreigners have no problem with names written in a variety of colors, but when in Korea, never use a red pen to write someone’s name. By Min Byoung-chul Min Byoung-chul is an end
May 30, 2022