A large group of people wearing blue headphones, dance out in the open by the Han River. But no music is blaring. This is a silent disco. Instead of speaker stacks, DJs broadcast their sets directly to wireless headphones, allowing people to adjust the volume to their liking. This creates a more personalized, immersive experience while minimizing noise pollution, meaning people can gather and dance in places they normally couldn't. And in this case, it was the Han River's parks. More

Find the answer at the bottom. South Korea boasts one of the world's strongest military forces, a result of the Korean War (1950-53) having ended in an armistice but without a peace treaty, with continuing threats from nuclear-armed North Korea across the border. The country marks Oct. 1 every year as the Armed Forces Day, to honor the services of all military personnel -- including young conscripts -- to the nation. All able-bodied male South Korean citizens over age 19 are requir

Park In-soon can never forget August 2009. That was the month her son ended his life at 23 years old. Her son had been struggling with depression, but he had told her that he was feeling better. But two months after he stopped taking his medication, he took his own life. For Park, the news of his death felt like receiving a life sentence. She could not sleep. All she wanted was to follow him in death. Several weeks later, she got into a car accident, while driving home from a sunrise service a

Cho, a 31-year-old cafe owner in Seoul who requested anonymity, used to run a popular spot for pet owners. Her cafe, known for its dog-friendly atmosphere and puppuccinos, a drink for dogs, regularly welcomed customers with their pets. Occasionally, she would bring her own dog to work. But recent government warnings have made it difficult to allow dogs on the premises. “I received a warning from the government about having dogs here,” Cho said. “They told me a complaint was fil

In the middle of a bustling ballgame, a cheerleader casually fixes her makeup, seemingly preoccupied and unbothered — until a catchy beat suddenly brings her to her feet. She seamlessly launches into a dance routine, swiveling and swinging her thumb up and down to the bouncy, squeaky rhythm. This is not your typical cheerleading performance full of energy and acrobatics. Instead, the cheerleader maintains a cool, nonchalant expression as she throws her elbow up in place. The transition fro

Safety ranks high on the list of priorities for South Korean and foreign residents alike when choosing where to live in the country. But despite extensive online access to public records, assessing the relative security of specific Korean cities and neighborhoods remains a surprisingly challenging task. For starters, Korea generally presents an impressive safety profile, with homicide rates ranging from 0.5 to 0.6 per 100,000 residents according to the latest estimates from the United Nations Of

Kang Joo-hye is an artist who has a unique view of the world — literally. Blind in her right eye and experiencing double vision in her left, she chooses to communicate with the world through art. Created under the pen name “Migeung” — meaning crazily or beautifully positive — her drawings betray no hint of this struggle; they exude warmth and positivity. The survivor of two serious car accidents understands the media’s fascination with her story. However,

In South Korea, speed is key. What needs to be done quickly? Virtually everything. As encapsulated in the running joke that “ppalli ppalli” -- where "ppalli" translates to "quickly" or "hurry up" in Korean -- is one of the first Korean phrases that visitors pick up here, Koreans tend to display minimal tolerance for delays. “Being quick is considered to be efficient, at least in my workplace,” Song Min-jae shared, a Seoul resident in his

Chuseok, one of Korea’s two main traditional holidays, is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month on the lunar calendar. This year, it falls on Sept. 17, with the day before and the day after also designated as official public holidays. Chuseok is also known by other names, including “Hangawi (한가위).” A native Korean term, “Hangawi” combines two words: "han" (한), meaning “big,” and "gawi" (가위), meaning “middle or center.&rd

In today's digital landscape, emojis contribute a great deal to communication, but how well do they translate to the corporate world? For some, these symbols are efficient tools for communicating in the workplace, while for others, they seem unprofessional. Over 60 percent of workers in South Korea use emojis at work, according to a recent survey conducted by tutoring platform Preply. While about 90 percent of those emoji users exchanged them with peers at work, use with senior colleagues

Find the answer at the bottom. Hahoe is a traditional clan-based village in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, known for having the oldest surviving masks for mask dance dramas in South Korea. Eleven Hahoe masks have been passed down, representing different characters in a stage play, including a lion, a bride, a monk, a noble and a scholar. Traditionally, such masks were made from gourds or paper and burned at the end of the performance. However, Hahoe masks were crafted from wood and prese

A quiet revolution is sweeping through one of Korea’s most iconic street foods: tteokbokki. Once the beloved snack of schoolgirls and the young at heart, these chewy rice cakes drenched in sweet and spicy sauce have transcended their street food origins, thanks to the relentless innovation of the local meal kit industry. At an E-mart outlet in central Seoul, Korea's largest discount store chain, which this reporter visited on Aug. 27, there were over 20 different varieties of ready-to

Find the answer at the bottom. Portraits of people featured on a country’s banknotes are a reflection of the country's pride, identity and heritage. They often depict prominent figures from the past such as national leaders, scientists, artists or activists who have made significant contributions to the nation’s development. In South Korea, the banknotes come in four denominations: 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 50,000 won. Each features a different historical figure from the Jo

“Are you cool with Android?” Kwon Jung-hyeon, a soon-to-be middle school student, hesitated and shook his head. At 12, he said he had never considered using a mobile device that wasn’t an iPhone. Chae Yeon-woo, a 14-year-old middle school student, already owns an iPhone and iPad. She said if she could get a smartwatch, she would choose an Apple Watch to add to her collection. For her, the Samsung brand feels "bland,” catering to people of all ages but not appealing

  Oh Yoon-suk, a 43-year-old office worker in Busan, addresses his father -- but not his mom -- using honorifics. “I call my mother ‘eomma,’ but with my father, it’s always been ‘abeoji,’” he explained. “Eomma” is a less formal term for “mother,” while “abeoji” is a more respectful way of saying “father.” It’s similar to saying “father” instead of “dad.” Oh’s linguis

Find the answer at the bottom. In the center of the South Korean national flag, known as the Taegeukgi, there is a yin and yang symbol with red on the top and blue on the bottom. The four corners of the flag feature groups of black bars, each with a specific meaning: The top left bars, the “geon,” symbolize the sky. The top right ones, the “gam,” symbolize water. The bottom right “gon” bars stand for the earth, and the left “ri” bars fire. The wh

In South Korea, where getting into a top college is often seen as the golden ticket to success, a simple bumper sticker bearing an elite school's logo has ignited a fiery debate. The debate centers around the nation's undisputed top school, Seoul National University, and its "proud parent" bumper stickers distributed to parents of its students. An online post criticizing the SNU stickers as elitist quickly went viral, amassing millions of views and sparking heated discussions

Find the answer at the bottom. “Daebak (대박)” is a Korean slang term used to express excitement, amazement or approval. The word originally means “jackpot," often resulting in significant financial success, such as winning the lottery or a film becoming a mass box-office hit. In colloquial Korean today, the expression has broadened its usage to convey a sense of something being fantastic, surprising or overwhelmingly positive. People might say "daebak" when

Kim Eun-hye, 36, instantly regretted mentioning she had gone on a blind date over the weekend. Immediately after her remarks, the usually dull lunchtime conversation with her senior colleagues came to life. The two married seniors bombarded her with questions about her date: what's his job, where does he live, how tall is he? While Kim wasn’t really sure whether she should meet him again, they insisted she give him a chance, saying he could be the best option for someone her age. Th

How might AI alter filmmaking? Young South Korean filmmaker Kwon Han-sl has shown the impact could be massive. The 31-year-old spent five days last summer working with over six AI tools to create a three-minute horror film. It was a personal experiment in which he handled every aspect himself, from writing the screenplay to using AI tools and producing the entire film. But the result ended up better than he thought. “One More Pumpkin” garnered international acclaim, winning both th