Today’s Korea Times article, Man fined for obstructing ancestral rite, is nicely timed to ensure good behaviour over the Chuseok period. But the ancestral rite Mr Kim disrupted was not any old rite. This is a family grievance that goes back to 1453 and the reign of King Sejo: The court said Kim got into … [Read More]
Category: Society (page 2)
Adultery law – why was it ever a criminal offence in the first place?
The recent news item that the adultery was to be decriminalised in South Korea, 62 years after it was written into the criminal code, got me wondering as to why, when a country is rebuilding itself after a devastating war, would it be considered a priority to add adultery to the list of criminal offences. … [Read More]
Looking back at 2014: Domestic news
Our final look back at 2014: mainly domestic news stories from South Korea: The Sewol and safety culture The MV Sewol capsized on 16 April, causing the death of 304 passengers. A number of factors contributed to the disaster, including lax safety inspections, unsafe modifications, unsecured cargo, overloading, and an inexperienced crew hired on temporary … [Read More]
Busan will be extinct before Seoul, apparently
The report doesn’t seem to have been translated into English yet, and I can’t find it in Korean on the website of the National Assembly Research Service, but it has certainly provided some eye-catching headlines, the general gist being that “South Koreans will be ‘extinct’ by 2750 if nothing is done to halt the nation’s … [Read More]
The Sewol story in links
A random collection of links relating to the sinking of the Sewol on 16 April, updated as necessary. Arirang News compares the capsising of the Sewol with that of its sister ship the Ariake. Confucian guilt spreads in Korea – Death of innocents sparks condemnations of wicked adult world: an early use of the C-word … [Read More]
Connie Talbot donates to Sewol disaster
Connie Talbot, the runner up in Britain’s Got Talent 2007 (she lost out to Jeju goodwill ambassador Paul Potts), is currently in Korea for some concerts – aged 13. The Chosun Ilbo reports that she will be donating the profits from this Sunday’s concert in Seoul to the ferry disaster. She thus joins the ranks … [Read More]
No-one’s in the mood for celebrating
In a brief article two days ago, Variety noted the impact of the Sewol ferry disaster on the Korean box office, on TV schedules, and on pop concerts. No one is in the mood for enjoying themselves right now. Not that such an injunction is needed, but I hear that government officials and diplomatic staff … [Read More]
Looking back at 2013: Domestic news
Our final look back at 2013, including a random collection of news stories, mainly domestic, that caught our attention. In the news Asiana Airlines flight 214 from Incheon crashed on landing at San Francisco airport on 6 July. The Boeing 777 had approached the runway too low and too slow. An American local TV station … [Read More]
Looking back at 2012: Domestic news
In our final round-up of Korea-related stories which caught our eye in 2012, we look at domestic and business news. Modern Life and how to escape it. Korea came 24th out of 34 leading countries in an OECD quality of life index, coming bottom of the class in job security and gender income inequality and … [Read More]
Korea – the Amsterdam of Asia?
We’ve heard of the Koreans being the Irish of Asia. But in a recent video video interview in the Wall Street Journal World Bank president Jim Yong Kim says that “Koreans have expressly said they want to be the Amsterdam of Asia.” To many, that would mean Korea wants to legalise certain narcotic substances – … [Read More]
Seoul’s host bars
Lucy Williamson on an interesting emerging phenomenon in Seoul: host bars, where women pay for men’s company. First on the Today Programme (15 August), then on Crossing Continents (16 August), now in the Magazine (18 September) [Read More]
Seven shots of soju is “excessive”? It’s hardly even a warm-up
“The World Health Organization defines excessive drinking as the equivalent of seven shot-sized cups (1 fluid ounce per cup) of soju for men and five for women” says the Joongang Ilbo. If you define it like that, it’s hardly suprising if 42.5% of Korean men find themselves drinking “excessively” at least once a week. [Read More]
Dodgy savings bank loans provide unique buying opportunity
Fancy a Lamborghini? Contact the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation, who are trying to offload assets from failed Korean savings banks. The cars were repossessed when their owners failed to pay up. Via Wall Street Journal http://on.wsj.com/L1CQiS [Read More]
Chinese upset in kimchi cabbage row
“The Koreans stole Dano from us, and now they’re stealing our cabbages,” say Chinese netizens, according to the Korea Times, following a report that the UN’s Codex Alimentarius Commission will decide to adopt the name “kimchi cabbage” as an international standard for the cabbage formerly known as “Chinese”. [Read More]
Gangnam is worth more than the whole of Busan
3 districts in southern Seoul account for just 0.1% of the total land area of Korea, but 10% of the total real estate value. Gangnam alone is worth more than the whole of Busan. I know which I prefer… http://t.co/X37tBkB2 [Read More]
Korea’s metrosexuals lead the world
Korea is the metrosexual capital of the world, accounting for 18% of global sales of male beauty products and potions, according to the Chosun Ilbo. [Read More]