Why school bullying hits a raw nerve

In South Korea today, school bullies are public enemy No. 1. On TV screens nationwide, viewers are enthralled by the meticulously plotted revenge of a high school bullying victim. In real-life politics, President Yoon Suk Yeol’s initial pick for the head of the National Office of Investigation, former senior prosecutor Chung Sun-sin, has been under scrutiny for weeks following revelations his son verbally abused a classmate years ago. It has been some time already since the TV and sports i

April 4, 2023

[Land of Squid Game] Making last-minute plans

Korean business and social schedules are typically much more flexible than those in the West. While Koreans most frequently accommodate the schedule of the most senior person involved, most foreigners want to carefully allocate their time in advance. When living and working in Korea, foreign nationals might be surprised or unhappy to receive notice of dinner gatherings, parties, or new work schedules just before the event takes place. Min Byoung-chul is an endowed chair professor at Chung-Ang

April 4, 2023

[Korean Dilemma] Foreign domestic workers: Yay or nay?

A revised bill to exempt foreign domestic workers from the minimum wage law has been submitted, prompting some to quietly support the move and others to criticize it as discriminatory. South Korea’s current minimum wage is 9,620 won ($7.31) per hour, which translates into about 2.1 million won a month. Many Korean full-time domestic workers, of which the pool is not big, get paid close to 3 million won monthly. In places like Singapore, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, live-in hel

April 4, 2023

[Hello Hangeul] Hangeul as a writing system for African tribe

In a small village called Bunyakiri in the eastern Congo’s rain forest, a community of Central African foragers learn to write their indigenous language with 가, 나, 다. The Chitembo Jeongeum Writing system, devised by four Korean linguists, is an adaptation of the Korean alphabet, Hangeul, to transcribe the sounds of the language spoken by this particular tribe of Twa hunter-gatherers, one of several groups of people known as Pygmies for their short stature. Chitembo is the language this gro

April 2, 2023

[Hello Hangeul] Sharing the Korean alphabet with the world

King Sejong the Great invented Hangeul in 1443 with the goal of increasing literacy among commoners who had few chances to learn the logographic hanja, or Chinese characters. Out of respect for the king's democratic intention and love for humanity, several projects were launched from the late 1990s onward to share the Korean alphabet with ethnic minorities in Asia, Africa and South America that did not have their own writing systems. Without a script, their languages were at the risk of disappea

April 2, 2023

[Subway Stories] The rise and fall of Noryangjin, from nation's first railway station to lackluster hagwon hub

Noryangjin Station, on Seoul Subway Lines No. 1 and 9, is best known as the home of the nation's largest fisheries wholesale market, a habitat for aspiring civil servants and the birthplace of "cup bap." What greeted this reporter upon stepping outside of the station was, however, a sprawling bright green soccer field set against the backdrop of Yeouido’s old landmark 63 Building and a few other high-rises. The soccer field, along with a baseball field and a running track, were b

April 1, 2023

[Korean History] From $10b to $680b: S. Korea’s glory road to export-driven prosperity

In 1977, a little over two decades after the war that hardened the division of the peninsula ended, South Korea celebrated an economic milestone with much fanfare: $10 billion in yearly export volume. It had been just a year since the country had stopped receiving US aid worth a colossal $12.6 billion from 1946 through 1976, which helped rebuild most modern infrastructure there had been before the war. “Our achievement of $10 billion in exports has a bigger meaning than just its size in

March 29, 2023

Korean lawmakers, foreign diplomats launch pro-diversity campaign in Korea

Seven South Korean lawmakers, 25 diplomats and 15 envoys from 40 different countries as well as a Seoul-based civic group have joined forces to launch a pro-diversity campaign, calling for the equal treatment of multicultural families and diverse ethnic groups here, officials said on March 28. According to the Sunfull Foundation, which has been campaigning against online hate speech and cyber bullying and is now leading a movement called, “Respect for Multicultural Families and All Ethnic

March 29, 2023

[Korea Quiz] Kim Jong-un's beloved daughter

Find the answer at the bottom of the page. Years before North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter, Ju-ae, made her first public appearance in November 2022, there were several indications of her existence. She first made her presence known to the outside world while still in the womb, when South Korean media in 2012 reported that Kim’s wife, Ri Sol-ju, appeared to be pregnant. This report was later confirmed the next year, when former NBA star Dennis Rodman visited the hermit

March 29, 2023

Shamans, curses and superstitions in contemporary South Korea

In episode 15 of Netflix's "The Glory," the shaman character, who is involved in the antagonist Park Yeon-jin's shady family business, suddenly drops dead in the middle of performing a ritual, leaving viewers bewildered by the sudden plot twist involving a supernatural scene. Shamanism may appear out of place in a modern-day revenge thriller, but superstitions and shamanistic practices are not far removed from the daily lives of many Koreans, even in their tech-savvy and fast

March 28, 2023

[Land of Squid Game] Never pointing at others with index finger

As in many other cultures, pointing at someone with your index finger is considered extremely rude in Korea, mostly because it is associated with blaming someone for their actions or pointing out their mistakes. However, gesturing towards someone with one's whole palm upturned is considered respectful. Min Byoung-chul is an endowed chair professor at Chung-Ang University's Business School who is widely known as a multicultural educator and for his practical English teaching. This con

March 28, 2023

Two troubling trends in Korean med school admissions

A look at the recent-year admissions data of Korean medical schools has revealed two disturbing trends: Applicants try year after year to get into the program and those who succeed are mostly from Seoul and major cities. Three out of 4 students admitted into medical schools across the country in the past four years had taken entrance exams multiple times before they succeeded, an analysis by the office of Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Kang Deuk-gu of 5,144 students enrolled showed. Repeat taker

March 24, 2023

Five kinds of puppyhood in Korea

March 23 is "National Puppy Day," which was started in 2006 by dog lovers in the US to honor the cute furry animals that bring joy and happiness to humans. Here, The Korea Herald looks at the lives of five different kinds of pups in South Korea. 1. Pet dogs The daily lives of puppies in loving and caring homes in Korea revolve around one important routine – walking with their owners. As many Koreans live in apartments, which often lack outdoor space, regular walks are crucial f

March 23, 2023

[Korean History] When Koreans lost a first lady

"History through The Korea Herald” revisits significant events and issues over seven decades through articles, photos and editorial pieces published in the Herald and retell them from a contemporary perspective. – Ed. Aug. 15 is a national holiday marking Korea’s liberation from 35 years of Japanese colonial rule in 1945. But the historic day for South Koreans turned into a nightmare 48 years ago in 1974, when then-first lady Yuk Young-soo was killed by a bullet meant fo

March 22, 2023

[Korea Quiz] Kim Jong-un's past

Find the answer at the bottom of the page. North Korea’s Kim Jong-un is the leader of the most reclusive country in the world, but it has not always been that way. The youngest son of late Kim Jong-il, the former leader of the totalitarian communist state, he attended the Liebefeld Steinholzli school near Bern, Switzerland in the late 1990s. No one at the time knew that he was a son of the North Korean dictator, as he was disguised as a son of an employee at the North Korean embassy. His

March 22, 2023

[Land of Squid Game] Never call me by my name

Not calling people by their given names is considered a part of Korean manners. In fact, doing otherwise is considered very disrespectful for some Koreans unless they are either in a close relationship with that person or they have a higher relative position. Most of the time, Koreans use titles when addressing one another, as in, Manager Kim or Director Lee. Relatively few people who are close to you will call you only by your given name. In professional settings especially, refrain from callin

March 21, 2023

[Korean Dilemma] Swearing on TV: How sensitive, or sensible, should we be?

Last week, a home shopping channel host blurted out an expletive on air. Upon mounting complaints from viewers, the nation’s broadcast media watchdog demanded an explanation from the channel before it decides on disciplinary action. The wealthy villains of the Korean revenge drama “The Glory,” which became one of Netflix’s most-viewed shows of all time less than a week after its season 2 release, hurl the most offensive swearwords almost every time they speak. Upon hearin

March 21, 2023

[Hello Hangeul] Korean language teachers persevere to help learners around globe

Korean used to be a language spoken only on the Korean Peninsula and by nearly 10 million Koreans overseas. But in recent years, it has become one of the fastest-growing choices for foreign language learners around the world, thanks to the sweeping, universal appeal of Korean dramas, shows and pop music. Behind the rapid increase of learners are committed teachers with the passion to help earnest young people pursue their dreams despite various predicaments. Their pay depends on the country or t

March 19, 2023

Korea's luxury fever nurtures label-loving kids

In Netflix's hit drama “The Glory,” the mother-in-law of the main villain, Yeon-jin who led the bullying against protagonist Dong-eun in high school, dressed her newborn granddaughter in a red Gucci onesie. Even though the baby would grow out of the clothes in a matter of weeks, she swaddled her grandkid with luxury clothes, saying, “You need to stand at a different starting line to get ahead of others.” While not to the extreme of the fictional character, the same b

March 19, 2023

[Korean History] Kim Dae-jung kidnapping: How future Nobel laureate nearly fell victim to junta

Kim Dae-jung, an opposition leader with a knack for public speeches, was the biggest threat to the military junta led by Park Chung-hee. Later, he served as the President of South Korea and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. This file photo from 1973 was originally published in The Korea Herald.An opposition leader was abducted while in exile in a foreign land. His captors bound him up and weighed him down with heavy stones, preparing to throw him from a ship into the sea. It was then that fate

March 16, 2023