The Korean Wave, or Hallyu, is one of the most remarkable success stories in soft power and nation branding. With global icons like BTS and Blackpink leading the charge, this cultural phenomenon originated in a newly industrialized, economically struggling South Korea over 30 years ago. While traditional concert revenues are significant, a 2023 report by Allied Market Research revealed that the K-pop events business generated approximately $8.1 billion in 2021, with projections estimating it cou

Has California reached its limit in providing benefits for immigrants living here illegally? That's the indication after Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed three bills passed by the liberal Legislature. The state at least has definitely hit an election-year pause. Newsom says publicly he blocked the closely-watched measures for good policy reasons. And those reasons were sound. But it was also good politics for him in the long run, and more immediately for California Democratic ally Kamala Harris. Th

이번 회에는 저희 책 Advanced Vocab에서 소개한 중상급 영단어들을 알려드립니다. 단어의 우리말 뜻을 기억하는 데에 그치지 않고, 난이도 있는 단어를 실제로 활용하는 단계까지 나아가 보기 바랍니다. 〈군집, 모임〉 1. gravitate [ɡrǽvətèit] 인력에 의해 끌리다 ‘중력’을 뜻하는 gravity는 ‘무거운’, ‘심각한’이라는 뜻을 지닌 grave와 어원이 같다. gravitate는 중력에 끌리듯 어떤 것에 마음이 이끌리는 것을 표현하는 단어다. People, like bees drawn to honey, gravitate towards the new and unusual. 사람들은 마치 벌들이 꿀에 이끌리듯 새롭고 평범하지 않은 것에 끌린다. ● 사내아이들은 자연스레 자동차에 끌리고 여자아이들은 인형에 끌린다. Boys naturally gravitate t

In 2006, I briefly stayed in Buffalo, New York, on my way from the University of California, Berkeley to Harvard. In October that year, a heavy blizzard hit Buffalo so hard that everyone was stuck at home for about a week, suffering through all manner of ordeals, from blackouts and empty refrigerators to road blocks caused by huge piles of snow. The people of Buffalo called the untimely weather calamity “the October surprise,” because a blizzard was not expected in the fall. In the U

The first time Jen Barnett and her now husband Brett Andrews discussed permanently leaving the US was in 2016. Barnett, an Alabama native and Emory University alum, said rising political polarization in the US and a long-standing desire to live abroad pushed them to scout out Vancouver, Canada, as a possible destination -- with Seattle as a possible “blue state” home. But it turned out, neither city felt like a place they wanted to live long-term. So they shelved the idea until 2020

2) 해커스 텝스 문법 Part Ⅰ Choose the best answer for the blank. 1. A: Selena’s coach ___________________ her dedication. B: Really? Well, that’s an important trait for an athlete. (a) looks kind upon (b) looks kindly upon (c) looks kind (d) looks kindly 해석 A: Selena의 코치는 그녀의 헌신을 좋게 인정하고 있어. B: 그래? 그건 운동선수에게 중요한 특성이잖아. 해설 부사 자리 채우기 문맥상 ‘코치는 그녀의 헌신을 좋게 인정하고 있어’라는 의미가 되어야 하므로 ‘지켜보다’라는 뜻의 구동사 look upon이 포함된 (a)와 (b)가 정답의 후보이다. 동사 look upon을 꾸밀 수 있는 부사 kin

Lip-synching during stage performances does not bother me. In fact, I sometimes prefer it. I know this is likely a minority opinion. Maybe it’s because I grew up on MTV and also watched shows like “American Bandstand,” “Soul Train,” and British music show “Top of the Pops.” The shows above all featured “live” performances by pop acts, but everyone knew they were lip-synching. Many acts also “played” their instruments on stage with

The script of Latin American politics too often reads like a “dictator novel,” and on Sept. 11, another chapter drew to a close with the death of Alberto Fujimori. As the president who most defined -- and divided -- modern Peru, Fujimori’s legacy remains a topic of heated debate. One version of Fujimori’s epitaph would commend his economics and condemn his politics, but the deeper lesson his life story offers may be that it is impossible to separate the two. Fujimori&rsqu

Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Income Tax Act Proposed by Rep. Lim Kwang-hyun (Democratic Party of Korea) ● To prevent a contraction in the domestic stock market with the implementation of the financial investment income tax in 2025, this amendment proposes increasing the basic deduction for financial investment income tax from 50 million won ($37,200) to 100 million won. Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Distribution Industry Development Act Proposed by Rep. Oh Sae-hee (Democra

It seems the nation is engulfed in a relentless maelstrom. Unseemly rumors and speculations surrounding Kim Keon-hee, the wife of President Yoon Suk Yeol, continue to boil at a level in which even state governance is disrupted. Yet, the first lady shows no sign of curbing her behavior. Nor does Yoon exhibit anything but single-hearted dedication to protecting her. Yoon’s devotion defies his signature motto of “common sense and fairness” as the nation’s top prosecutor. It

It has been a long night of terror for American pluralism and democracy. The Republican Party since 2016 has burrowed ever deeper into authoritarian terrain. You don’t have to be a political scientist to register that reality. Democratic political parties aren’t awash in lies and they don’t nominate criminals and coup plotters to leadership. Not so complicated, really. Trumpism is a daily assault on many targets, including basic decency. But among them is optimism. When lies ar