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...

The 75th Cannes Film Festival was one of the most productive outings for South Korean movies to date, marking the first time the nation claimed two major trophies at one of the world’s most prestigious film events. It was another reminder of how the country’s cinema went from relative obscurity to claiming a bigger spotlight on the international stage. Song Kang-ho, star of “Broker,” became the...

Back in 2007, a small but significant step was taken by the Ministry of Education when it decided to revise school textbooks to remove a certain widely used phrase: “Our country has continued a tradition of a mono-ethnic country, which is rare in the entire world.” Despite the government making various policies for the rising population of people with different ethnic backgrounds in recent years...

With Son Heung-min becoming the first Asian player ever to win the Golden Boot in Premier League history, debate about the best soccer player South Korea has ever produced seems all but obsolete. Joining the Tottenham Hotspur in 2015 as the 13th player in the country’s history to play in one of the world’s top soccer leagues, Son had exceeded expectations by becoming the lead goal-getter of the ...

“Ma Dong-seok is his own genre.” Korean moviegoers often say this in reference to the Korean-American movie star, also known as Don Lee, in recognition of his unique screen presence and charisma. A recent survey by online research firm PMI on Koreans aged 20-60 asked what word comes to mind when hearing his name. The answers were in the order of: “muscular/huge,” “tough/strong,” “Mavely (a comb...

* From waking up a dozing student to tidying up graves, online advertisements with unusual but real job descriptions offer a peek into the Korean society. The Korea Herald looks at some of these unusual ads. The following is the third installment. –- Ed. A job ad that still exists on the hyperlocal community app Karrot Market is from a person searching for someone to do his or her homework assig...

Presidential secretary Yoon Jae-soon has come under fire for poems he published in the past, including segments that seemingly romanticize sexual harassment. Yoon, secretary for administrative affairs for President Yoon Suk-yeol, published a poem 20 years ago titled “Inside a Subway Car” that said the subway was a place “where freedom of mischievous boys was guaranteed” and where “(boys) could p...

* From waking up a dozing student to tidying up graves, online advertisements with unusual but real job descriptions offer a peek into the Korean society. The Korea Herald looks at some of these unusual ads. The following is the second installment. – Ed. Korea’s two biggest -- and longest -- holidays are Seollal and Chuseok, around which the hyperlocal community app Karrot Market is bustling wit...

Less children The issue of not having children is not confined to youngsters refusing to get tied down. Statistics Korea’s December report showed that 8.8 percent of married women in the country as of 2020 do not have children, up from the 4.4 percent recorded in 2010. Of married women with no kids, 43.3 percent agreed with the statement “Marriage with no children is all right.” Reasons for not...

From waking up a dozing student to tidying up graves, online advertisements with unusual but real job descriptions offer a peek into the Korean society. The Korea Herald looks at some of these unusual ads. The following is the first installment. -- Ed. Last week, a self-proclaimed mother posted an ad on a hyperlocal online marketplace, looking to hire a helper for her high school son. Job descri...

The history of Korean people spans across thousands of years, but the Republic of Korea, aka, South Korea, is relatively young, with its history punctuated by military dictatorships and struggles to establish a truly democratic system. The presidential system itself has undergone multiple changes along the way, and several of the nation’s leaders have had less-than-fortunate endings. Here are f...

Famed poet Kim Ji-ha, who died on Sunday at the age of 81, left behind a legacy of decades-long battles against the military dictatorship, followed by disputes later in life. Kim died at 4 p.m. at his home in Wonju, Gangwon Province, after suffering from an unspecified illness for the past year, the Toji Cultural Foundation said on behalf of the bereaved family. He passed away “peacefully, afte...