Can South Koreans today manage a day without coffee? Data from market research company Euromonitor International suggests it's unlikely, as they consume an average of 405 cups annually as of last year -- well above the global average of 152 cups. Korea's voracious coffee consumers have unleashed a price war among retailers, leading budget coffee shops here to converge on the standard price of 1,500 won ($1.09) per Americano for several years now. At the opposite end of the spectrum,

Hashtag Korea July 30, 2024

Instagram has emerged as the social media app South Korea's teens spend the most time on, outpacing KakaoTalk by more than double, data showed Monday. According to data from mobile marketing and data analysis company IGAWorks, Korea's smartphone users under 20 spent a total of 94.1 million hours scrolling on Instagram in June, making the app the leading social media platform in popularity for the age group. This figure was nearly double the time they spent on the next most popular

Social Affairs July 29, 2024

South Korean label Starship Entertainment apologized for the excessive security actions taken against a fan of its boy group Cravity at an airport last month. The K-pop agency posted an official statement to the boy band's fan community on Monday in response to a fan’s post on X. The fan alleged that Cravity’s security guard physically assaulted and mocked them at Gimpo International Airport on June 23 as the band returned to Korea from promotional events in Japan. The fan, id

K-pop July 23, 2024

Following the global popularity of K-pop, K-dramas and K-food, get ready for another "K": K-fashion. Alongside established Korean fashion houses like Songzio, Wooyoungmi, Juun.J and System, a new generation of local fashion labels is making waves globally, establishing Korea as a fashion hot spot, particularly for today’s style-savvy millennials and Generation Z. Recognizing Korea’s dynamic and emerging fashion profile, a 2023 US News & World Report survey ranked the

Hashtag Korea July 23, 2024

South Koreans ate an average of more than two chickens per month last year, doubling their per capita chicken consumption over the past two decades, according to data released Sunday. Statistics from the Korea Rural Economic Institute show that per capita chicken consumption reached 26 birds last year, with domestic production accounting for 20 birds per person and imports making up the remaining six. By the weight of chicken meat consumed, excluding bone weight, the per capita figure increase

Social Affairs July 21, 2024

South Korea's planned leap into the era of artificial intelligence-powered learning has hit resistance, primarily due to parents' concerns about potential digital overload. In a petition posted on the National Assembly’s online platform in May, one such voice requested that the planned introduction of AI digital textbooks in schools starting next year be shelved. Citing the "numerous negative effects of smart devices," the petition called for scientific research to ensu

Hashtag Korea July 17, 2024

Amid the battle between streaming services and megaplexes for film dominance, a passionate few long for a cinematic experience only niche theaters can provide: curated gems on the big screen. For casual viewers who prefer monthly subscriptions to streaming services and occasional blockbuster splurges, the appeal of these smaller-scale theaters may not be as compelling. However, beyond the sheer size of the screen, these venues' offerings of films from all eras, along with other cinema-rel

Hashtag Korea July 13, 2024

The three “bok” days of summer, when Koreans traditionally consume dishes to replenish stamina, have in recent years become days when animal rights groups hold protests to condemn the eating of dog meat. But this year, more than 20 such groups are planning to gather for a different reason: to mark the “first dog meat-free 'boknal'” in S. Korea, following the passing of a National Assembly bill banning the breeding, butchering, distribution and sale of dog meat

Social Affairs July 11, 2024

To address a sharp rise in accidents involving e-scooters and e-bikes, the South Korean government plans to implement a lower speed limit for micromobility vehicles in a project scheduled for the latter half of this year. According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on Tuesday, the maximum speed for micromobility vehicles will be slashed to 20 kilometers per hour, from the present 25 km per hour, in major cities like Seoul and Busan from July to December. Once the pilot project proves

Social Affairs July 9, 2024

A gooey chocolate bar from Dubai -- a color-splattered shell filled with dessert-inspired ingredients -- is sparking the new sweet craze in South Korea, with high demand largely being met through homemade versions or replicas crafted by local confectioneries. While this handcrafted chocolate bar filled with pistachio cream and kataifi, a filo-based pastry, is experiencing supply shortages internationally due to Dubai-based Fix Dessert Chocolatier's daily order limit of 500, the scarcity has

Social Affairs July 8, 2024

More South Koreans are consuming canned food and smoking, but are also opting to go makeup-free, according to a state-led survey released Sunday. According to the National Institute of Environmental Research's three-year biomonitoring survey of 6,608 Koreans from 2021-2023, 4.2 percent of adults aged over 19 reported consuming canned products, including food and beverages, more than four times a week. This marks an increase of 0.5 percentage points from 3.7 percent in the previous survey

Social Affairs July 7, 2024

5TH GBF WRAPS UP Herald Corp. Chairman Jung Won-ju (fourth from left in second row) and CEO Choi Jin-young (fifth from left in third row) pose with participants of the 5th Global Biz Forum at its closing ceremony held at the Mondrian Hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday. The forum, organized and hosted by The Korea Herald twice yearly, convened weekly for 13 weeks from March 20 to July 3. The next edition is scheduled to commence in September, continuing as a venue for knowledge-sharing amon

People July 4, 2024

Approximately 2,500 Koreans, mostly elderly people, received more than 365 outpatient treatments a year over the past few years, data showed Thursday. The Ministry of Health and Welfare data, obtained by the minor Rebuilding Korea Party Rep. Kim Sun-min, revealed that the number of patients who made more than 365 outpatient visits a year was 2,561 in 2021, 2,488 in 2022 and 2,448 in 2023. In each of these years, more than half of them were aged 70 or older. In 2023, for example, the highest nu

Social Affairs July 4, 2024

Jollibee Foods Corp. -- a multinational restaurant company based in the Philippines and owner of the country's largest fast food chain Jollibee -- will acquire a 70-percent stake in South Korean coffee chain Compose Coffee for $238 million, as part of its global expansion of coffee and tea businesses, the Manila-based firm said Wednesday. As per the company’s statement, 70 percent of the Korean coffee brand is to be acquired by Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd, while Jollibee Foods' m

Companies July 3, 2024

How delicate is the line when deciding to expose someone else's extramarital affair? A recent post on local online discussion forum website Nate Pann titled, "Should I ignore the affairs of my neighbor?" sparked a heated debate on this hot-button issue. The anonymous author of the post, who identified themselves as a person living next door to a newlywed couple, reported witnessing the husband bringing different women into his house frequently. "The wife does shift work ear

Hashtag Korea July 2, 2024