[Weekender] The collaboration 'X' factor: When consumption meets cultural code

Looking back on what we have consumed over the year could be one way to wrap up the year 2021, while preparing to make better choices in the new year. Whether an impulsive purchase or a considered decision, consumption patterns show what we desire and what cultural codes and trends are leading the society today. The pandemic challenges the once taken-for-granted in-person connections and communications. But this year also saw active communication between the market and businesses, leading to s

CultureDec. 4, 2021

[Weekender] Exam skills won’t help you survive ‘Squid Game’

In the Netflix smash hit “Squid Game,” there is a line that resonates with most South Koreans: While boasting that she is street-smart and capable, the self-proclaimed silver-tongued Mi-nyeo says, “I’m totally smart. I just never studied.” The line stems from the widespread belief -- not just here but in many other parts of the world -- that being brainy and doing well on school exams are not necessarily the same. But in a country where 12 years of schooling can

Social AffairsNov. 27, 2021

[Weekender] Who needs staff, when there are robots and tech-savvy customers?

At this year’s annual Seoul International Cafe Show which took place earlier this month, automation and smart devices such as drip coffee-making robots enjoyed the spotlight. “From smart coffee roasters to drip coffee-making robots, there were various opportunities to get a taste of the ‘smart cafe’ experience,” one official at the event said. These are the latest sign of automation and a demographic shift in South Korea where cashier-free stores have increasingly

ConsumerNov. 14, 2021

[Weekender] Building bridges: English program helps children of defectors born abroad dream big

The nonprofit Wish School aims to use English to build a bridge to the wider world for children born to North Korean defectors outside the Korean Peninsula, who often suffer from identity confusion and maladjustment. Since May 2020, the organization has provided professional English programs tailored for defectors’ children born in China. “We provide an opportunity for children to develop a trilingual ability to use English, Korean and Chinese and become global leaders,” Wish

North KoreaNov. 13, 2021

[Weekender] Natural wine is hip. What’s the hype all about?

It was around three years ago in Japan that Moon Dong-sun stumbled upon natural wine. He was blown away by the unique taste and colors. Upon returning to Korea, he drew up a plan to open a natural wine bar, introducing the new experience of wine to Seoulites. Early this year, Moon opened a natural wine bar in the trendy Hannam-dong in Seoul. Moon said that natural wine has rapidly become popular, and specialized bars have been emerging across the city. “The natural wine market is gr

FoodNov. 6, 2021

[Weekender] From boat to table: Taean teems with blue crab riches

TAEAN, South Chungcheong Province -- Just before sunup, Lee Young-ho, a seasoned fisherman with over 30 years of experience, silently waits for boats carrying blue crabs as the season for the seafood reaches its height. Soon afterward, small and big boats sail into Sinjin Port in Taean County, South Chungcheong Province, the second-largest source of blue crab after Incheon, accounting for 29 percent of total production of the country. A crane lifts 28 boxes filled with blue crabs weighing 40

TravelOct. 30, 2021

[Weekender] How many tumblers do we need? The greenwashing dilemma

For years, Starbucks Korea enjoyed a boost in sales from its seasonal merchandise such as tumblers -- one of the franchise’s more popular items, often seen as an eco-friendly substitute for single-use cups. But when the coffeehouse chain unveiled a new range of Halloween-inspired items on social media earlier this month, the mood appeared to have shifted. “Introducing the Halloween merchandise mysteriously enchanted and kept in a wizard’s secret room,” a tweet from the

ConsumerOct. 23, 2021

[Weekender] Separating recyclables from trash is harder than it seems

Plastic waste and disposable packaging are overflowing as coronavirus concerns prompt more South Koreans to shop online and order delivery food or takeout coffee. According to the Ministry of Environment, the amount of plastic waste generated last year increased by 20 percent compared with the previous year. Paper waste increased by 25 percent on-year. Korea introduced a garbage volume-rate system in 1995, meaning people have to pay for garbage bags as an incentive to minimize trash. The cou

Social AffairsOct. 16, 2021

[Weekender] Standing on their own: North Korean refugees test startup dreams

Ahn Myeong-hee, a 31-year-old defector from North Korea, was overwhelmed by the hardworking people, the rapidly changing social phenomena and the highly competitive environment when she first arrived in the South. “One day I was standing at a subway station and watching people walking fast. It made me think that I’d really have to live my life to the full to become successful,” Ahn said. “At the same time, I appreciated the fact that you can see the outcome as much as t

EconomyOct. 2, 2021

[Weekender] Metaverse: the new gold rush

A growing number of South Korean companies are turning to the metaverse to offer new services, promote their products and train their staff, ushering in what has been described as the “future of the internet.” BGF Retail, the firm behind convenience store chain CU, opened the second store on Zepeto recently -- a 3D avatar metaverse platform run by South Korea’s largest web portal operator Naver. Following the opening of the “world’s first” virtual store in A

ConsumerSept. 25, 2021

[Weekender] Netflix series about abuse in military emboldens calls for change

A hit Netflix series exploring the culture of abuse among South Korea’s enlisted soldiers is fueling calls for the military to get tougher on rights violations, just as a military task force in charge of reform is set to wrap up its work. “D.P.,” short for Deserter Pursuit, aired Aug. 27 and is one of the top shows in Korea. It looks at the country’s mandatory conscription system, and physical and mental abuse in the military take center stage. Most of this abuse takes

DefenseSept. 18, 2021

[Weekender] Dead poets’ salons

 In celebration of National Reading Month in September, some 8,700 book festivals and related programs are planned to promote the classics and new works to the public, according to the Culture Ministry.Adults read an average of 10 books per year while school-age children read an average of 41 books a year, Culture Ministry data from early 2020 showed. Culture critics attribute this significant drop in reading after the teenage years to “reading fatigue” stemming from pressure t

TravelSept. 11, 2021

[Weekender] Saving little by little with money making apps

Ahn Jung-hyun, a 32-year-old worker at an insurance company, knows her salary, 65 million won ($55,370) a year, is well above average. But during her intermittent break time, she never stops making a little extra. Instead of playing mobile games or watching Netflix, Ahn clicks on a number of apps that offer actual money or discount coupons as marketing rewards -- and every little helps. Ahn is one of growing number of Koreans in search of extra income through money making apps. A mobile ped

MarketSept. 4, 2021

[Weekender] Young players breathe new life into golf

Five months after taking up the sport, Kim Arum finds herself more frequently at golf ranges -- real or virtual -- than at restaurants or cafes. She often hangs out with friends on the green, practices almost every other day at an indoor golf studio after work and splurges on golf hats, golf shirts and pants. It has become her favorite pastime these days, said Kim, who works at a TV station in Seoul. While many indoor sports suffered a blow from the virus crisis, this particular one has foun

GolfAug. 28, 2021

[Weekender] Laid to rest, freedom fighter puts veterans in limelight

Hong Beom-do, a highly revered independence fighter against the Japanese occupation of Korea, was laid to rest at home Wednesday, 78 years after his death in Kazakhstan. The previous day, President Moon Jae-in posthumously awarded him the highest national order of merit. At a burial ceremony held at Daejeon National Cemetery, Moon called Hong a war hero and the commander-in-chief of the Korean Liberation Army, whose return he said “gives hope to South Koreans working together to find thei

DefenseAug. 21, 2021

[Weekender] Gotjawal: The mysterious forest that keeps dying to survive

South Korea’s Jejudo, an oval shaped island located in the Korea Strait between Korea and Japan, is teeming with life. Formed through an underwater volcanic eruption some 1.8 million years ago, basalt shaped and covered the land, with Hallasan standing at its core. Yet death pays a crucial role to the island’s survival. English writer Virginia Woolf’s observation on life and death in humans also applies to mother nature: “Someone has to die in order that the rest of us s

TravelAug. 7, 2021

[Weekender] A smart, safe plan B for virus-ridden summer: Vacance-at-home

Kang Seol-ah, 31, was supposed to be on Jeju Island for summer vacation this week, but instead, she chose to buy a small tent and decorative light bulbs to set the camping mood at home. The resurgence of the coronavirus has scared her, as it has forced restaurants and tourist sites to close early, even on the southern resort island known as the cleanest region in South Korea. Her plan B was camping at home, lounging on a camping chair and drinking ice cold beer in her new linen dress from H&am

TravelJuly 31, 2021

[Weekender] Electric personalities: New breed of influencers

Not content with stopping at fast-food tills, toll booths and bank tellers, tech is coming for influencers’ jobs, too. A new wave of artificial intelligence-created digital characters has leapt across the uncanny valley -- the chasm in appeal for renderings that are unsettlingly, but not convincingly lifelike -- and risen to the fore of the marketing world, in some cases clinching deals worth millions of dollars. Korean companies have developed their own virtual influencers, but they a

TechnologyJuly 24, 2021

[Weekender] Why is Kim Jong-un clamping down on millennials, K-pop and slang?

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has a new concern: how to control the country’s younger generation. The 37-year-old leader warned in April that “a serious change” was taking place in the “ideological and mental state” of young North Koreans, and that their ideological education was vital to the survival of the party and the country. Furthermore, the reclusive regime has been cracking down hard on the attire, speaking habits and culture of North Korean millennia

North KoreaJuly 17, 2021

[Weekender] Explore the heart of Seoul by bike

Biking in Seoul, you can come across historic traces of the city which you may otherwise miss when taking bus, subway or car to get around. Here is a bike-ride course that takes you around the heart of Seoul -- from Deoksugung Palace’s stonewall road to Insa-dong. If you don’t have a bike – don’t worry – the city has a bike rental service named Seoul Bike or Ddareungi, through which you can rent bikes at Ddareungi stations across the Seoul. You can start your bik

CultureJuly 10, 2021