Of course as in most cases, fame accompanies unwelcomed complications. On Aug. 7, an anonymous online post claiming to be from a “warrior of the Islamic State” warned there would be three bomb attacks at the complex later that day. This caused evacuations of some 1,000 workers preparing for the Seoul Festa, as well as the players, coaching staff and employees of the LG Twins preparing for a game...

A couple of months ago, a plea from a person about the right to smoke in his or her own home circulated on the internet, sparking debates about whether smoking in an multiunit apartment at the expense of one’s neighbors can be justified. “I’m smoking in my home, and you people are yelling at me every night,” the person wrote, apparently infuriated by quarrels with neighbors. “You may be illitera...

Last month, Netflix revealed the list of its most-streamed TV shows of all time. “Squid Game,” which topped the list with 1.65 billion hours, also claimed the top spot in terms of the consecutive number of days it was ranked No. 1 worldwide. The global success of “Squid Game” is not only grounded in its quality and universal appeal, but also the existence of streaming platforms like Netflix tha...

Seoul’s worst flood in recorded history has put its mayor, Oh Se-hoon, in the spotlight, but not in the way he would have hoped. Despite him busily visiting scenes of damage in between holding disaster response meetings, the public‘s attention has been directed to what he said more than a year ago. “Gangnam Station had been subject to flash floods in case of torrential rain. ... But, residents ...

Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related. -- Ed. Answer: (b) Throughout its 5,000-year history, S. Korea has had no shortage of heroes. But only one claims the title of “Seong-woong,” roughly translated as “a sacred hero.” Adm. Yi Sun-shin (1545-1598) of the Joseon era is considered among history‘s greatest war heroes. Revered f...

While torrential rains were punishing Seoul on Monday night, social media exploded with users sharing images and videos of flash floods swamping roads, subway stations and buses. Here are some of the viral photos and tweets from the chaotic evening. 1) Identity of the “Seocho-dong guru” remains in mystery A man wearing a suit and using his smartphone while sitting on the roof of his submerged ...

One in 3 parents who murdered or attempted to kill their own children since 2020 were given suspended prison sentences, while all parent killers sentenced during the same period were handed jail terms, local media reported Friday. The local Segye Ilbo newspaper said it analyzed verdicts given to 15 filicide cases and 15 patricide or matricide cases from January of 2020 to May of this year. Among...

Around a fortnight ago, emergency operators in North Chungcheong Province received a call from a driver who suffered second-degree burns while driving. The cause of the accident? Trying to enjoy a bowl of hot noodles while driving on the freeway, for some reason. What seems to be a random act of foolishness is actually linked to the leading cause of traffic accidents and deaths in South Korea: f...

South Korea recorded its first-ever decline in total population last year, data showed Thursday, with fewer births, an aging society, and falling numbers of foreigners entering the country due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the census data released by Statistics Korea on Thursday, 51.74 million people were living in Korea in 2021, about 91,000 less than the year before. It is...

On July 15, a female college freshman was found dead on a college campus, naked. The suspect -- a male freshman at the same Inha University -- faces charges of raping the woman and causing her death. His attack on the woman, in which he drank with her, took advantage of her heavily intoxicated condition, filmed his actions and left her to die after she somehow fell from the third floor of a buil...

Humanity has less than 7 years left until the “point of no return” in the climate crisis, according to the Climate Clock in Seoul. The digital clock, which is set up on the roof of Herald Corp. headquarters building in Yongsan, central Seoul, stands at six years, 361 days, nine hours and 59 minutes, as of 3 p.m. Tuesday. According to the clock’s operators in New York, the estimated time left be...

Everyone puts on a mask. Sometimes it is a persona of a good son, a model parent, a dependable co-worker, a trusted friend, or a combination of these. Or perhaps even all of them. But what if the mask gets stuck and you feel your life is a masquerade and a fraud? Lisa Son, professor of psychology at Barnard College of Columbia University, points out the risks of what is known as “impostor syndro...

Last Thursday, the Constitutional Court kicked off open hearings on the constitutionality of the death penalty, which is stated in law but has not been carried out for over two decades here. The country currently has 59 men on death row, but the last time anyone was executed was Dec.30, 1997, when 23 were hanged. Categorized as “abolitionist in practice” by Amnesty International, South Korea ha...

Seoul currently boasts one of the longest metro systems in the world, exceeded in length by only seven regions including Shanghai, London, Moscow and New York. What started out as a single line system in 1974 has expanded exponentially to nearly 300 kilometers connecting some 300 stations scattered across 11 lines, not counting the nine additional routes like the Suin-Budang Line that connects t...

An autopsy on the family of three that were found dead last month in a submerged car found that they had taken sleeping pills, police said Wednesday. Officials at the Gwangju Nambu Police Station said they were recently notified of this from the National Forensic Service, although the NFS is currently conducting additional analysis to determine the amounts that the family took. Ten-year-old Cho...