Family members dressed in traditional hanbok gather for the ancestral rite early in the morning on Chuseok, which falls on Aug. 15 on the lunar calendar. Dozens of dishes are laid out on the table for the rite, prepared by female family members over several days. After the ceremony, family members eat breakfast together. They make up for living apart in different regions by spending time together...

JANGSU, North Jeolla Province ― This year’s Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving Day, falls in the second week of September, the earliest in 38 years. Chuseok, one of the major traditional Korean holidays, celebrates the fall harvest and abundance on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. The moon is said to look fuller on Chuseok than on any other day. But the early Chuseok this year h...

In kitchens across the nation, families gather together to make traditional Korean dishes for Chuseok, one of South Korea’s largest annual holidays. This Sunday, households will be busy crafting songpyeon, half-moon-shaped rice cakes, and other delicacies to offer up to ancestors in appreciation of a good harvest this coming Monday morning. Those ceremonial tables, loaded to bursting with caref...

Chuseok, oftentimes referred to as Korean Thanksgiving, is one of the country’s most celebrated holidays and ushers in the fall season. Traditionally a time to spend at home with family members and loved ones, Chuseok is all about sharing in the riches of good company and good eats. However, for those looking for ways to spend the upcoming holiday outside the home, Seoul has countless destinatio...

This year’s exceptionally early Chuseok holidays mark the first time the “substitute holiday system,” which guarantees an extra day off in lieu of public holidays that fall on a Sunday, will be implemented. As expected, all government organizations and most large companies will observe the extra holiday, whereas many small and medium-sized businesses cannot afford to offer a day off, to the dism...

Lee So-young, a 33-year-old office worker in Seoul, pictures herself spending her mornings 70 years from now listening to classical music and sipping on herbal tea. “I want to become a gracious granny who embraces the joy of life every moment,” she said. “Maybe I would still be able to travel the world.” Despite this rosy picture, she hesitated for a moment when asked of how she would prepare f...

South Korea’s population is rapidly aging, but the government appears to lack policies to deal with the demographic change. According to Moody’s, a global credit rating agency, a total of 13 countries including Korea will be categorized as “super aged” societies by 2030, meaning that more than one-fifth of the population will be over the age of 65. Last year, more than 12 percent of Korea’s 50 ...

Stepping inside Gangnam-gu Haengbok Convalescence Hospital, it is easy to mistake the property for some kind of leisure resort. There is a sauna, a beauty salon, as well as a cafe on top of its fully equipped physical therapy center. With colorful paintings on the walls and lush trees surrounding the grounds, the hospital has that modern and cozy, “home away from home” ambience. Located in Segok...

During the Stone Age, working until dying was the most common retirement plan. Many simply never lived past 40. In South Korea today, many retirees are choosing the same path, but not because life ends before retirement, but because life continues after retirement. The life expectancy for South Koreans born in 2012 is 81, according to the World Health Organization. The figure is expected to re...

Industries catering to senior citizens in Korea have been expanding at a rapid pace in recent years as the pensionable population grows. The market for goods and services geared toward the elderly is projected to grow at an annual average rate of 12.9 percent until 2020, according to a report by the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry, while the average overall growth rate is estimated to stay ...

Jindo Island is rich not only in historical and cultural traditions, but also gastronomy, according to locals and tourists who have visited the island over the years. Jindo residents claim that the best seafood in Korea is found on their island thanks to the strong sunlight and powerful sea currents. The region’s specialties ― laver, seaweed, abalone and green onion ― are often known, along with...

JINDO, South Jeolla Province ― A grueling 5-hour drive from Seoul seems to be a small price to pay for the chance to become immersed in this island’s majestic scenery of mist-shrouded cliffs hovering above a picturesque coastline. Jindo Island of South Jeolla Province is South Korea’s third-largest island. Despite being raised in the public consciousness for the recent Sewol ferry tragedy that l...

JINDO, South Jeolla Province ― Jindo County Governor Lee Dong-jin pledged to promote the region’s cultural assets and modernize the agriculture and fisheries sectors to get the local economy back on its feet. “We live in an age in which culture, art and even nature need to be commercialized in order to succeed. We plan to capitalize on Jindo Island’s unique cultural resources to get the economy ...

Just off the southwest corner of the Korean Peninsula, Jindo Island is a treasure house of ancient shamanism and folk culture, brimming with stories to tell. In the words of an old proverb, don’t boast your talent in calligraphy, painting, dancing and singing when you visit Jindo. The collection of some 230 small islets is full of rich cultural heritage. “Jindo used to be a land of exile for sc...

JINDO, South Jeolla Province ― As a successful businessman who owns a wedding hall and a photo studio, Cho Jae-yong, 37, is a motivated and a respected Jindo resident, who has built a thriving business based on his diligence and a strong human network. But he misses the good old days. “I ask myself every day, ‘What if I could go back to the night before April 16?’” Cho told The Korea Herald. Ap...