For the last 25 years, a billboard inscribed with messages of hope, courage and love has been hanging on the Kyobo Life Insurance headquarters in southern Seoul.“Though simple, the words have consoled me during times of hardships and reminded me of life’s priorities during busy periods,” said 35-year-old Kim Yong-bae, who passes by the billboard on his way to work every day. The Kyobo Life Insurance billboard featuring a quote from an essay by American poet Mary Oliver is hung at the firm’s head

In South Korea, one of the top 10 advertising markets globally by expenditure, the ad industry has evolved in line with the country’s rapid economic growth and downturns throughout its nearly 130-year history. As a mirror of society, ads offer a glimpse of the times. One example is a television commercial for energy drink Bacchus, which recently won the top honor in the Korea Advertising Awards, selected based on consumers votes.Under the theme of “Living life as a father/undutiful child/boyfrie

Marketers and their ‘right to advertise’ face challenges of moral standards.

 The 1998 film “The Truman Show” depicts how a person can live without noticing that his whole life has been one gargantuan billboard. Whether it is a carton of milk he drinks or something that he or his wife picks up from the floor, the everyday items in his life are exposed to tens of millions of viewers, attracting people’s attention and zeal to buy them. But the protagonist Truman Burbank does not realizethat he is a model in this 24-hour reality advertising show because his life as an adver

Korea’s commercial kimchi market transforms in line with demographic shifts, changing preferences

Koreans often imply that our society is more competition-focused than comparable societies. That statement, at least in terms of finding employment and the lengths the young people go to find “respectable” jobs, may be true. For some time now, internships have been a “standard” part of a job seeker’s resume, along with a good alma mater, high GPA, unnecessarily high English language scores, and a whole list of other qualifications.  (Bloomberg)And interns are everywhere. From newspapers and tele

Hardships from working overtime to sexual assaults are common, but future remains bleak for most jobseekers　It is very common to see youngsters rushing to the subway station at dusk to catch the first train, when it is still dark and chilly, with a cup of coffee and toast in hand. They are eager to be the first ones in office, and for a reason.It used to be no different for young intern Jeon -- she wished to be identified only by her family name -- until all her hard work came to naught. She use

Although the issue of youth unemployment is undoubtedly concerning, many Korean college students still remain undecided about their career paths. Most have difficulty in determining their career paths as they are uncertain about their true interest or have inadequate information and experience regarding the range of occupations. A sophomore from Ewha Womens University’s law school is taking part in a law school internship held at Seoul Western District Court. (Yonhap)In this sense, internship ma

Many students opt to undertake internships in order to improve their chances of finding employment, and as an opportunity to gain practical experience in specific fields before beginning their careers. However, those who can confidently say that they had an efficient internship experience are small in number. This, in part, many take internships without adequate information about a position, while some say that many internships do not offer much by way of experience needs for specific fields. He

As in many economies where eager college students fall prey to corporate exploitation, internships in Korea have gained a notoriety that rivals the advantages they potentially offer. 　For non-Koreans hoping for an internship experience, however, the trouble begins before they even start. 　 Foreign students attend a class at a Korean graduate school. (Korea University Graduate School of International Studies)Searching for openings can be a laborious quest without sufficient Korean language skills

Today’s university students lead a very hectic life, bogged down by worries of getting a job after graduation at time when the unemployment rate has peaked in Korea.For them, qualifications such as having a high GPA, work experience and extracurricular activities are deemed necessary, even just to apply for a job opening. Universities, in an effort to support students better prepare for the future, offer an array of programs, especially those that provide them with hands-on experience outside th

Recycling measures, volume-rate disposal system reduce waste

Korea makes sweeping improvement in waste management through strict recycling measures

In October 2012, actress Moon So-ri faced a bank of flashing cameras as she walked the opening red carpet at the Busan International Film Festival, clad in a white dress. But this time, what made the headlines the next morning was not her looks or acting skills, but her costume that was made of old dress shirts and parachutes. The maker of Moon’s dress, Kolon Industries, is one of the rising number of businesses that have in recent years been jumping on the green bandwagon here, transforming was

A few minutes’ walk from the entrance of Gwangmyeong Cave in Gyeonggi Province stands the Gwangmyeong Upcycle Art Center, which opened in June. The Korea Herald got a look around the center’s two buildings -- one for exhibitions and one for hands-on classes and seminars -- with Suzy Kang, the executive director of Gwangmyeong City’s Cultural Regeneration Project Team, which oversees the center’s operations.“This is the first physical space in Korea devoted to the idea of upcycling,” Kang said.