Korea has come a long way, but still has room for improvement

Lifting of travel ban leads to explosive popularity of backpacking trips to Europe, honeymoons to exotic destinations in '90s

In Korea, it has traditionally been the case that a person is considered to be one year old when he or she is born, counting the time spent as a fetus in his or her mother’s womb as the first year of life. A person ages one year at the turn of the calendar year, instead of on his or her birthday. For instance, if a person is born on Dec. 30, 2023, he or she is a year old. Two days later, on Jan. 1, 2024, they will turn two and then three on the next New Year’s Day -- Jan. 1, 2025. Da

Among the basic practical issues when travelling to another country are luggage and transportation logistics. This edition of Survive & Thrive will take a look at apps that help you rent lockers for your bags or public bikes in Seoul. Luggage storage In nearly every subway station in Seoul, there are self-service lockers that one can use for a fee. T-locker -- also known as Ttota Locker -- is an app that allows you to use them. The “Ttota” icon on the app’s map refers to

A portmanteau of cafe, study and tribe, the phenomenon offers a glimpse into cultural aspects of cafe-lingering in Korea

Gateway to Korea's second-biggest city hopes to expand its railway network throughout Asia and Europe

Pubs, tented stalls illegally encroaching upon sidewalks contribute to alley's charm

Leaders took Seoul Games as opportunity to show off country's economic and athletic development

Find the answer at the bottom of the page. Valentine's Day on Feb. 14 is celebrated all across the world but in South Korea, it is widely regarded as a day when women give chocolate to men. As such, White Day, a month later on March 14, is when men reciprocate by gifting candy to women. Neither of these "traditions" started here. It was actually in 1970s Japan when giving chocolate on Valentine's Day became exclusively for women, and an "answer day" of White Day

As one of the most tech-savvy countries in the world, South Korea has a number of useful mobile apps that can aid everyday tasks, ranging from delivery and transportation to administrative services. For the next few weeks, Survive & Thrive will introduce free apps that provide such services in English, or those that foreign residents and tourists might find useful. Naver Map To navigate the streets of the massive concrete jungle that is Seoul, Google Maps may not be the best idea. A loca

Digital gadgets, luxury bags offered as collateral to cover higher living expenses

South Korea is finally letting go of an age counting method that no other country in the world uses. Under the traditional East Asian way of reckoning age, a person is considered 1 year old at birth, counting the time spent in the mother’s womb as the first year of life, and grows a year older at the turn of the calendar year, regardless of the actual date of birth. Japan dropped the method from its legal system in 1950, and China hasn’t used it since the 1966-1976 Cultural Revolutio

Stereotyped as 'unruly,' kids are shunned at cafes and restaurants but many see it as detrimental to a more inclusive, family-friendly society

Find the answer at the bottom of the page. For clean air in South Korea, head east or south, rather than west. According to data from IQAir, a global air quality company, cities in the country’s central western South Chungcheong Province near the Yellow Sea recorded the highest levels of PM2.5 fine dust particles last year. The city of Cheonan topped the 98-city ranking as the smoggiest city, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 30.3 micrograms per cubic meter, followed by Asan at 28.

Korean Air aircraft with 115 aboard blows up in mid-air in a shocking act of terrorism by North