Nation lags rivals despite its high level of traditional education

Harry Smith has seized every opportunity to learn during his 50-year career. After he was diagnosed with kidney cancer, he took to Coursera, a massive open online course platform, to keep learning and taking courses from top-rated universities for the first time in his life. “I want to learn new things because that’s what brings joy to my life,” he said in a contribution article on Coursera.  Harry Smith, a student on Massive Open Online Course platform Coursera, talks about his learning experie

That life is a never-ending learning process is a hackneyed idea, but it carries with it the idea that learning is down to the individual.Once compulsory education is over, it is completely up to them to decide on what and how to educate themselves.Korea’s academic pressures are notorious. Starting from an early age, students struggle to meet the expectations of their parents and teachers. If they hit the end goal of getting in to a good university and landing a reputable job, they often conside

Being a minimalist is confined not only to reducing the possessions of material things but giving up on unnecessary and superficial social relationships in life, according to an author who wrote a book in Korean about how to live a minimalist life and take care of domestic work.“Having deep relations with two people is more comfortable and (psychologically) healthier than having superficial relations with 10 people. Because you don’t say much and say only necessary things to a person you deeply

The idea of minimalism is often perceived in a quantitative sense. However, in today’s consumer market minimalism is not about buying less but about buying better, and retail players are scrambling to present items and services that can encourage spending by appealing to consumers’ sense of value. Minimalist storage and decoration items available at Ikea (Ikea)“Today’s consumer does not care about the perception of others. Everything is focused on finding happiness for the self, for defining one

For most people, moving is always an immense hassle. However, it took only two hours for 37-year-old Kim Yoon-jin and her family to pack up their belongings and move out of their residence in Seoul last month.“Granted the hired moving professionals were very speedy, our move took even less time because we own less things,” said Kim who considers herself a minimalist with little materialistic desires.There was a time when Kim cared deeply about things like making more money and living in a bigger

Yangpyeong Strawberry FestivalThe Yangpyeong Strawberry Festival is being held through the end of May. Visitors can pick their own strawberries at the strawberry farms and participate in a variety of activities and programs in the village. Reservations are required.Exclusive events for bloggers are on offer at blog.naver.com/yp_nadri. Up to 50 teams can participate. The festival is open to visitors of all ages. Visit www.yp21.net for information provided in Korean, English, Japanese and Mandarin

Nature trail in the DMZ offers unusual experience of strolling on land little touched by men for more than 60 years　

Yangpyeong Strawberry FestivalThe Yangpyeong Strawberry Festival is being held through the end of May. Visitors can pick their own strawberries at the strawberry farms and participate in a variety of activities and programs in the village. Reservation is required.Exclusive events for bloggers are on offer at blog.naver.com/yp_nadri. Up to 50 teams can participate. The festival is open to visitors of all ages. For more information, visit www.yp21.net for information provided in Korean, English, J

For those weary of typical travel itineraries -- looking at landscapes, eating local food, sightseeing -- The Korea Herald recommends a number of unique, and somewhat strange, places to visit, ranging from interesting accommodations to unusual places of interest. Robotic comfortsIn Nagasaki, Japan, there is a hotel staffed almost entirely by robots, from automated employees at the reception desk and electric bellboys to droid waiters at a restaurant. 　Upon entering the futuristic establishment,

Beauty is no longer the preserve of the young, but a timeless value that all human beings are entitled to pursue, regardless of age, gender or social status.At least, this is the belief of a growing number of senior citizens, who zealously strive to improve their looks -- and who are not afraid to show it.The economic situation has improved over the years, and more seniors are able to spend more on themselves, though some assert that beauty care is still a luxury for the few who can enjoy an aff

The definition of “elderly” is becoming less clear by the day, as society turns older and those traditionally grouped as seniors become younger in terms of health, appearance and economic activity.It has led to the coining of the new term “No-no generation” in South Korea, a combination of the English word “no” and the Chinese character “no” meaning old. Combined together, the phrase refers to the elderly of today who are saying “No” to growing old.  (123RF)This new silver generation defies ster

In an age when people Google just about everything in search for a quick answer, know-how and guidelines on how to age gracefully are also popular topics. In the quest to age well, many tend to search out anti-aging, with contents offline and online dedicated to such information as anti-aging foods and the secrets to staying young, as though aging is a process we should defy.Seeking to bring about a society where people can age with dignity, Kim Young-ok is a feminist activist currently running

Desks, cellphones and backpacks are essential gifts for first graders

A rising culinary trend dubbed “semi-home-cooking” delivers to a very specific consumer base: people who are wary of eating out but do not want the hassle of cooking -- and cleaning up -- in their own kitchens.A number of services have begun selling “food boxes,” where prepped ingredients -- prewashed, peeled, sliced and diced -- and sauces are delivered straight to their door, often on the day of order, for hassle-free cooking.A box for the Korean staple doenjang jjigae from food box service My