A baby’s 1st birthday is celebrated in a significant way in South Korea, with the custom of showering the little one with gold jewelry -- most commonly gold rings. The tradition began in the early 20th century after Chinese immigrants to Korea gave gold and silver rings or bracelets as gifts. Each ring typically contains 1 “don” (3.75 grams) of 24-karat gold. Don is the unit used for measuring gold in Korea, originating from Japan. These gold pieces serve dual purposes, symbo

Hashtag Korea May 2, 2024

Last November, a three-decade-old apartment complex in Gaepo-dong, Seoul, welcomed new residents with a new identity after being rebuilt: "Di-e-i-chi-peo-seu-ti-eo-a-i-pa-keu" in Korean, or "The H Firstier Ipark" in English. Previously, it was more simply called Gaepo Jugong. This 12-syllable new name, however, falls short of claiming the throne for the longest in the city, let alone the nation. The nation’s longest-named apartment complex, located in Paju, Gyeonggi P

Hashtag Korea April 29, 2024

At a clothes market in Seoul’s hipster capital of Seongsu-dong, shoppers were looking for something other than the latest trend. The one-day market, named “21% Party,” brought together conscientious consumers to barter over clothes and attend repair workshops and other engaging programs under the concept that "the most sustainable clothes are in your wardrobe.” “The name originated from our 2020 survey results, where we discovered that, on average, 21 percent

Hashtag Korea April 27, 2024

A male Siberian tiger named Taebaek died at a zoo in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, officials said Tuesday. According to Seoul Grand Park, the 6-year-old tiger was pronounced dead Friday at its zoo due to critical health conditions suspected to be related to liver disease. Zoo officials said they plan to conduct an autopsy to determine the precise cause of death. Born in May 2018 alongside siblings Baekdu, Halla and Geumgang, Taebaek appeared to be in good health until recently, when a significa

Social Affairs April 23, 2024

It was a serendipitous encounter on the subway back in the mid-1990s when young veterinary college student Park Tae-jin first laid eyes on an assistance dog accompanying a passenger he assumed was blind. "Having never witnessed such a scene before, I felt compelled to follow the person and the dog," said Park, now general director of Samsung Guide Dog. At that time, there were only around 10 guide dogs in South Korea, he explained. This seemingly coincidental event helped set his car

Hashtag Korea April 20, 2024

A sculpture modeled after the mutated fish creature from Bong Joon-ho's 2006 film "The Host" is set for removal this year from Yeouido Han River Park due to its design clashing with the park's aesthetics, Seoul City announced Thursday. The 3-meter-tall and 10-meter-long sculpture was installed in 2014 as part of an endeavor to enrich the area's cultural and tourist allure with a city budget of around 180 million won ($130,900). Following a new urban design initiative l

Social Affairs April 18, 2024

Fading into history are scenes of street vendors hawking the candy “yeot,” with rhythmic snips of blunt scissors. Despite being cherished in Korea for centuries, particularly among commoners due to its accessibility, the taffy is no longer the most sought-after candy in the nation, as only a handful of businesses are still dedicated to the craft of making it. For modern sweet enthusiasts, it has fallen out of favor, often perceived as too sticky and lacking the more delicate, soft

Hashtag Korea April 16, 2024

An online row has erupted after viewers interpreted "0" in a job posting made by a South Korean comic YouTube channel as offering literally zero openings, when it was meant to signify an unspecified number of positions. The sketch comedy channel “Nerdult," with approximately 1.85 million subscribers, posted a recruitment notice on their YouTube community page on Friday, seeking an undisclosed number of new actors. In the post, they left the number of available positions as

Social Affairs April 16, 2024

    The new National Assembly of 300 members selected in Wednesday’s general election will be devoid of any independent members for the first time in over five decades. A total of 58 candidates without any political party affiliation ran in 254 constituency races, but none prevailed. The Assembly previously lacked a nonpartisan representative three past sessions spanning from 1963 through 1972. But that was before partisan politics firmly took root in Korea, with the "democr

Politics April 11, 2024

Sharing voting proof shots on social media has been a trend in Korea for some time. In this election, the trend has evolved further with young voters preparing special papers to stamp voting marks on instead of stamping the mark on their hands. Unsurprisingly, these special papers reflect the voter’s personality, often featuring objects of their recent fascination, or even the baseball team they are rooting for. On X, Instagram and other social media platforms, a variety of proof shots

Politics April 10, 2024

Wednesday’s general election was to pick the 300 members for the next four-year session of the National Assembly, but voters who spoke with The Korea Herald said their ballots extend beyond the next parliament, embodying their hopes and expectations for Korean politics as a whole, with President Yoon Suk Yeol included. Here are their voices. ‘It's all a mess’ says 87-year-old voter leaning on cane Cherry blossoms had burst into full bloom just outside a Hangangno-dong

Politics April 10, 2024

In South Korea these days, it is not unusual to come across young women styling their bangs with hair rollers outside of their homes or hair salons, in offices, subways, buses or classrooms. While some onlookers deem this style inappropriate for public settings, one might even wonder whether it has become a fashion statement among younger women in Korea, transcending its original purpose of achieving voluminous bangs. Indeed, there have been numerous online discussions about whether donning th

Hashtag Korea April 9, 2024

Seoul’s all-inclusive monthly transit pass, the "Climate Card," surpassed 1 million issuances last week, just 70 days since its debut, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday. According to the city's data, the number of climate cards issued as of Friday had reached 1,008,000, since its launch on Jan. 27. Of the total, mobile-only cards accounted for approximately 49 percent, while the remaining 515,000 issuances were for physical cards, a city official said. The number

Social Affairs April 8, 2024

In many social relationships, whether personal or at work, power dynamics can create problematic imbalances. There are many words to describe them -- unjust, abusive, coercive, exploitative — but in Korean, there's a term that encapsulates them all: "gapjil." Originating from contractual terminology, the term came to be used for abuses of power in the workplace. Its use has expanded to other social relations, when individuals who, rightly or wrongly, perceive themselves to b

Hashtag Korea April 7, 2024

As many as 30 percent of Koreans who are working on next week's parliamentary election on April 10 are unlikely to be compensated with overtime pay or paid leave, according to a survey released Friday. A survey of 901 employees by job search website Incruit in April found that 17.3 percent reported having work obligations on the upcoming national election holiday, while 31.4 percent of them said their companies did not offer any compensation, either in the form of extra pay or vacation ti

Social Affairs April 5, 2024