Despite prevalence of Christianity and Buddhism, indigenous shamanism lives on in everyday lives of Koreans

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

Applicants try year after year before being admitted; those successful mostly from big cities

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

Assassination attempt on military strongman Park Chung-hee killed first lady Yuk Young-soo in 1974

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

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

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

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

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

Seoul’s intelligence agency later acknowledged its role in the 1973 abduction of Kim, yet many details remain shrouded in secrecy

Roughly equivalent to madam or ma’am, "ajumma" is, according to the National Institution of Korean Language, an informal way of saying "ajumeoni," an appellation for middle-aged women. For the unmarried women, being called an ajumma can be considered an insult because it implies that she no longer looks like an “agassi,” a single, young woman. Even those who fit the dictionary definition of ajumma -- married with children -- often express their dislike f

To become a naturalized citizen of South Korea, applicants must have a basic knowledge of the Korean language, customs and culture, which is evaluated through a written test and an interview. The Korea Immigration and Naturalization Aptitude Test comprises of multiple-choice questions, a writing test and an oral test, which must be completed within 60 minutes. To pass, one must score at least 60 points out of 100. According to the Justice Ministry, Korean children in the fourth to sixth grades s

Complaints grow over pitfalls, trash problem of 'excessive' political banners

Koreans divided on proliferation of 'nim' as suffix after names as a way of address