In late 2019, South Korea was shocked by an online sex crime ring that blackmailed over 70 young women, many of them minors, into filming explicitly sexual content to be sold for profit on Telegram chat rooms. The ensuing public outrage resulted in a series of legal changes, collectively known as the “anti-Nth Room” legislation. The case, widely referred to as “Nth Room” after one of the chat r...

Initial investigation by the police into the deaths of 10-year-old Cho Yu-na and her parents found no evidence of foul play, fueling suspicion that the child has been a victim of so-called “family suicide.” The family of three, who went missing in late May, were found inside the submerged family car that was salvaged near Wando-gun, South Jeolla Province, on Wednesday. It was discovered that the...

A friendly gathering of co-workers is by no means a custom exclusive to South Korea, but the “hoesik” culture here is more than just a leisurely gathering. Usually conducted after work hours, hoesik generally consists of dinner, booze -- usually a lot of it -- and occasionally a trip to karaoke joints. Colleagues sharing good food and drinks on the company’s dime while getting to know each othe...

Honorific titles are tricky in many cultures but can be particularly baffling in South Korea, where things like social status, age, work experience, and even social prejudice can be factored in. This is part two of a series on the many ways to address another person in Korean. – Ed. In fact, ajumma is strongly associated with the stereotypical image and behavior patterns that are widely mocked i...

BTS going on a hiatus was expected. Like many other male celebrities in South Korea, the band members must fulfill their mandatory two-year military service, with the oldest, Jin, obliged to enlist by the end of this year. It is a fate many K-pop boy bands have faced before. In a country where military duty is compulsory for all able-bodied men, failure to serve can have consequences ranging fr...

Venturing into a narrow street of Nogosan-dong, western Seoul, one would stumble across a quiet neighborhood cluttered with small houses. Some of them have small trays laid out in front, one with a sign that reads, “A small diner for stray cats. Our regulars will briefly visit for a meal and be on their way. Please turn a blind eye to them.” Ask any Korean who they are, and the answer will proba...

President Yoon Suk-yeol’s unusual tendency of mixing English words into official comments has sparked controversies in South Korea, with some accusing the country’s leader of toadyism toward the US and the West in general. The most recent case of Yoon’s supposed preference for English expressions occurred during a meeting with leaders of the ruling People Power Party, when he suggested a name ch...

South Korea’s fight against smoking has had some success. In 1998, when the first nationwide survey of smoking prevalence was conducted in the country, more than 35 out of every 100 Korean adults were smokers. Now, it is just about 19. A closer look at the data, however, reveals some disturbing trends: e-cigarettes and unconventional tobacco products are gaining a strong foothold here, on top o...

Honorific titles can be tricky in many cultures, but can be particularly baffling in South Korea -- where various factors like social status, age, work experience and even social prejudice can be factored in. This is part one of a series on the myriad ways people address each other in the Korean language. -- Ed. In a scene played for laughs in the 2016 movie “Doctor Strange,” the titular protago...

The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories -- a Korea Herald series exploring subway stations and their surrounding areas across the city. – Ed Step out of Exit No. 12 at Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station on the Seoul subway and turn left at the second corner, and you will yourself surrounded by the Cyrillic alphabet. The area is commonly known as the Gwanghui-dong Central Asia Stree...

Unlike Europe, South Korea does not ban expressions of hatred against individuals or groups, unless it is tantamount to defamation. This may change soon, as some lawmakers move to protect former President Moon Jae-in from loud, vulgar rallies outside his retirement home. On Wednesday, a total of 15 lawmakers from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, to which Moon belongs, proposed a le...

The accusation that Moon sent two middle-aged women who would not fight back in any way upon provocation as his foot soldiers has not been confirmed. Some protesters claimed that Moon is “reaping what he sowed” for allowing protests against former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye. “He (Moon) turned a blind eye to the protests on Lee and Park in the name of freedom of speech. To file ch...

Among the few consolation prizes for Democratic Party of Korea’s bitter loss in Wednesday’s local elections was the resounding victory won by its candidate Oh Young-hun in the race for the Jeju governor’s office. Born and raised in the southern resort island, the 53-year-old politician was the first Democratic Party candidate to be elected Jeju governor in 20 years. Woo Keun-min in 2002 was elec...

South Koreans across the country headed to the polls Wednesday morning in nationwide local elections, results of which could determine how much momentum the newly launched Yoon Suk-yeol administration will have in pushing its agendas. The voting booths opened at 6 a.m. across the country, with 17 leadership positions at metropolitan or provincial levels, 226 heads of lower-level administrative l...

Koo Bon-chang, a 59-year-old retiree, is a man who has had numerous run-ins with legal authorities. So far, he has been sued 28 times, undergone police investigation, been indicted and been sentenced to fines multiple times for disclosing personal information on the internet of those who refuse to pay child support after divorce. “Some call it vigilantism. But when you think of the #MeToo movem...