South Korea’s dating culture might seem odd and at times confusing, as an entirely different set of rules of engagement have evolved compared to Western cultures. There are a plethora of hashtags related to love or relationship goals. But, do those of the emerging generation of Koreans really want a relationship, or just the feelings of butterflies in the stomach without the serious commitment? 　While Facebook, Instagram and online dating apps are popular, KakaoTalk, the country’s most popular m

Culture Aug. 16, 2018

Celebrated in both North and South Korea, Wednesday marks the 73rd anniversary of Liberation Day or “Gwangbokjeol.” Citizens pay tribute to those who fought for Korea’s independence from Japanese colonial rule. South Korean flags, or Taegeukgi, wave proudly across the country, in front of public buildings, hotels and streetlights. Despite the lingering heatwave, many citizens were spotted on the streets carrying mini flags. The government recommended a few places to visit on the meaningful day:

Social Affairs Aug. 15, 2018

Around 100 lighthouses are built along the eastern coastline of Busan, allowing fishermen to take off to sea at night. Gijang-gun’s beautiful lighthouses play a vital role in keeping the southern port city bustling with tourists. Each lighthouse boasts its own structural design, shaped like a baby’s bottle, baseball or World Cup trophy. Organized by the Busan Metropolitan Government and the city’s tourism organization, an open studio event will start next Monday and end on Sept. 5. The 80 teams

Travel Aug. 13, 2018

K-pop group Black Pink’s Jennie stars as a guest in the episode of SBS’ “Running Man” that airs Sunday.The show revealed a number of stills in which the singer showed off a surprising level of expertise in archery.  (SBS) (SBS)In the photos, Jennie celebrates after taking her turn at hitting the mark. Dressed in a sky blue outfit, she closes one eye to zero in on the bullseye target. Marking a change from the last time she appeared on the show in July, Jennie seemed confident as she told the res

Television Aug. 12, 2018

Police on Thursday said they had found the body of a 30-year-old man who went missing Monday night after falling off a bridge in Dalseong-gun, Daegu. With the help of local fire authorities, Daegu Dalseong police reportedly found the victim’s body beneath the bridge near the Gangjeong Goryeong weir around 6:55 p.m. Wednesday.  (Yonhap)A caller reported hearing what sounded like “someone screaming, then falling into the water” around 11:15 p.m. Monday. Dispatched police officers found the victim’

Social Affairs Aug. 9, 2018

A 58-year-old man has been arrested on a charge of drug use after a person initially called authorities to report “a parked car with the driver suspected of drinking and driving,” police said Wednesday. According to Masan Jungbu Police Station, the day laborer was resting inside his Daewoo Matiz parked by the road in the direction of Masanhappo-gu in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, with the engine running at around 2 a.m. Sunday.  (Yonhap)Dispatched officers said they conducted a sobriety t

Social Affairs Aug. 8, 2018

An armed robber in a mask and sunglasses got away with 4.56 million won ($4,050) in cash from a bank in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, in broad daylight Tuesday, police said. According to authorities, the incident took place at 11:48 a.m. Tuesday. Surveillance footage showed a masked man in sunglasses barge into the bank, commit the theft and escape in a car parked nearby in a span of two to three minutes.  (Yonhap)Employees at the local Korean Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives bra

Social Affairs Aug. 7, 2018

A male student has admitted to the rape of a 13-year-old girl who was found dead about two weeks ago in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, police said Monday. The victim’s family had brought forth fresh allegations to suggest she was assaulted by two boys, according to Incheon Yeonsu Police Station. The victim’s aunt discovered her body upon coming home around 7:25 p.m. on July 20.  (Yonhap)There were no signs of forced entry into the house or on the body to indicate a struggle. No suicide note was found at th

Social Affairs Aug. 7, 2018

Monday’s unexpected downpour hit Gangneung, Gangwon Province, with more than 250 millimeters of rain, wreaking havoc in the region. The heavy rain left commuters stranded on the streets, cars submerged in water and roads waterlogged. Local business owners were also affected by the rain as they had to close for the day. KTX bullet train passengers reportedly experienced difficulties, as they were stuck at the station due to a halt in operations Monday morning. The eastern province received the se

Social Affairs Aug. 6, 2018

Police on Monday said they have begun an investigation into an apparent murder-suicide after a neighbor called in to report a man’s dead body in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon. The two deceased people involved have been identified to be a married couple, both 70-years-old. According to police, authorities received a call at 12:53 a.m. Monday from a neighbor who discovered a “man’s body having fallen on top of a car” in front of their fourth story apartment. The neighbor reportedly told police a “loud slamm

Social Affairs Aug. 6, 2018

South Korea continues to experience a record-breaking heat wave, with more than 15 days of high temperatures over 35 degrees Celsius. According to the weather agency, Wednesday was the hottest day in the capital city in 111 years with the day-time high recorded at 39.6 C. As the summer holiday season reaches its peak, many holidaymakers have hit the road, heading for coastlines to escape from the blistering heat wave. Busan’s Haeundae Beach was especially packed with local vacationers and touris

Social Affairs Aug. 5, 2018

The Busan High Court on Sunday upheld the appellate ruling on five men in their 20s charged with the aggravated rape of a woman they met through a mobile messaging app. The top court upheld the conviction of the five men and reaffirmed their sentences of five to eight years in prison, highlighting the necessity of strict punishment to prevent repeat offense. Along with the prison sentence, the court ordered 120 hours of sexual offender treatment, identities to be revealed for five years and rest

Social Affairs Aug. 5, 2018

Surfing has become a new growing scene for Koreans in recent years. It is a sport or hobby more and more Koreans are eager to give a try amid the sweltering heat. Only a decade ago, hitting the waves on a surfboard would have been considered bizarre to many locals. “If you searched for ‘surfing’ on the internet, the only results you would have gotten were either ‘wind surfing’ or ‘surfing the web’ 10 years back,” Lee Hyung-joo said in an interview with The Korea Herald. Lee Hyung-joo, one of the

Culture Aug. 2, 2018

With sunflowers in full bloom, the sixth annual sunflower festival is being celebrated in the host county of Haman, South Gyeongsang Province. Local farmers have reportedly planted 1 million sunflowers on 48,000 square meters of land. Festivalgoers can take part in activities such as music performances, cheese-making classes and face painting. The festival, which began on July 21, runs through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. General admission is 2,000 won ($1.80), which will used to support

Travel July 31, 2018

Police on Tuesday launched an investigation into a suspected case of elder abuse after a man in his 70s diagnosed with dementia was left inside a van for seven hours amid the sweltering heat. According to Daegu Gangbuk Police Station, the 79-year-old man surnamed Lee was found unconscious inside the van registered to a senior social welfare center in northern Daegu around 4 p.m. Monday. At the time of discovery, Lee’s body temperature was measured to be over 40 degrees Celsius, police said. The

Social Affairs July 31, 2018