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Mon, September 25, 2023 | 02:42

Understanding Korean Modernization

Understanding Korean Modernization

Ask foreign students whether Korea is modern or not and you will get lots of different answers. Many will nod their heads and point to the first-class infrastructure and public transportation that safely whizzes them around the capital city with free WIFI. They will acknowledge the technology on display at every moment, from the gadgets people hold in their hands to the digit...

2023-09-23 12:15

Korea in Ten Words: (3) Yeoyu

Korea in Ten Words: (3) Yeoyu

I never quite understood the term “yeoyu” when I first heard it. It means something like space, but also hints at abundance, freedom and contentment. It is both physical and mental. Financial and spiritual.

2023-09-17 11:20

The smell of Korean nostalgia

The smell of Korean nostalgia

In Korean, the word “hyang-su” can mean either perfume or nostalgia. It's a beautiful coincidence. The fact that the word can refer to either smell or memory is easy to understand for certain odors are capable of triggering very strong and profound memories of the past. In Marcel Proust's 1913 novel “In Search of Lost Time,” it was the smell of cake in tea that sent the Frenc...

2023-09-09 12:17

The Korean pendulum of disparity

The Korean pendulum of disparity

Korea constantly moves from one extreme to the other: from desperate poverty to the shattering affluence of Samsung chaebols, from isolation and xenophobia to a cosmopolitan cultural powerhouse, from collectivism and “jeong” to hyper individualism, and from being almost unheard of to the source of fascination and fetishization on TikTok.

2023-09-02 19:56

The beautiful schizophrenia of K-pop

The beautiful schizophrenia of K-pop

“You see”, the dean said to the attentively listening foreign officials, “Korean students are just not as creative as their Western counterparts.

2023-08-26 13:06

Do you choose Pyongyang or Tokyo?

Do you choose Pyongyang or Tokyo?

My friend opened up her phone as we waited for our food. “Arrgh!” she screamed not three seconds after looking at it. She had just seen a photo of President Yoon Seok Yeol and that alone was enough to drive her to anger and frustration. It didn't necessarily matter what he had done, what he had said, or what policies the article might be about: simply seeing a photo of him tu...

2023-08-19 14:03

Korea in ten words: (2) Shame

Korea in ten words: (2) Shame

There is no power or cultural trait possessed by one culture or race that is not possessed in some measure by all. The difference is one of degree. Language, culture and expression, then all affect how these cultural traits manifest and are communicated not only to other people but also across generations.

2023-08-12 12:09

Safety and anxiety in Korea

Safety and anxiety in Korea

For many years, in my lectures and media appearances, I have championed the safety of Korea.

2023-08-05 11:39

Korea in ten words: (1) Hyo

Korea in ten words: (1) Hyo

The emotional scene unfolded on the screen, and the students couldn't help but be drawn in by the raw intensity. Tears welled up in their eyes, and sniffs echoed softly across the room. These were punctuated by occasional shrieks.

2023-07-22 13:14

The beauty of flawed Korean morality

The beauty of flawed Korean morality

A simplistic and misguided view of Korean popular culture will present it as vacuous, bland, and only embracing a superficial look at deeper moral and psychological issues.

2023-07-15 12:57

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Top 10 Stories

1	Korea, Saudi Arabia celebrate 93rd Saudi National Day, vow stronger cooperation

2	Samsung, SK relieved by revised chip restrictions on China

3	Bears of Joseon part 2: Behind bars

4	Seoul, Beijing try to mend fences as Russia and N. Korea grow closer

5	Mirae Asset Global Investments' AUM reaches $219 bil.

6	S. Korea to stage massive military parade as tensions with North remain high

7	JTI Korea joins Jongno clean-up

8	Patients, doctors at loggerheads as operating room CCTV footage made mandatory

9	CKD Kochon Foundation awards Ukraine health authorities for treating tuberculosis patients amid raging war

10	Low growth becomes new normal for Korean economy

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