SABUK, Gangwon Province -- “Never kick a lump of used coal briquette; has your heart ever burned for someone?” reads one of the most beloved Korean poems by poet Ahn Do-hyun. The resonance of this three-line-stanza poem in Korean draws its depth from the commonplace “yeontan” -- the perforated, cylindrical briquettes that fueled the hearths of most Korean households in the mid- to late- 1900s. A few years ago, the symbolic power of yeontan became a hit for 37-year-

Find the answer at the bottom. Alcohol is often served to encourage freer social interaction, but being aware of local drinking customs is also recommended for avoiding awkward situations. The end of the year is a common time for group or office dinners in Korea, where following a drinking etiquette developed from Korean Confucianism -- with its formal displays of respect for elders and those of higher status in a group -- is often considered important. At after-work group dinners called &q

Daiso, a popular 1,000 won store ($0.76) chain in Korea, has officially become fully Korean-owned, shedding its last Japanese corporate shareholder, Tuesday. Although Daiso is well-known in Korea, it has often been labeled as a Japanese company, mainly because Daiso Sangyo, a Japanese entity, had been its second-largest investor with a 34.21 percent stake. Just a day earlier, Asung Daiso announced that its parent company Asung HMP acquired Daiso Sangyo's entire 34.21 percent stake. This a

Ever wondered what Koreans most enjoy on their Christmas dinner tables? While the classic yuletide meal of turkey and stuffing are hard to find and there's no specific Korean Christmas dish, people often turn to a special treat enjoyed on other special occasions: cakes. Sharing a cake after a Christmas meal, which could be anything from a takeaway pizza and fried chicken to a more special menu, has become a cherished holiday tradition for many Korean families, with some splurging upwards

According to a survey of single men and women of Korean nationality, the ideal husband should be earning an annual salary exceeding 60 million won ($45,745) and have a height of 178.7 centimeters, while the ideal wife should earn around 44 million won annually and be 164.2 centimeters tall. The survey, conducted by matchmaking agency Duo on Korean singles between 25 and 39, also showed that both men and women prefer their partner to be working in an office setting. Around 45 percent of males a

The sense of constriction has become more palpable for Kim Min-hyung, a 30-something office worker in Seoul, as his belongings have piled up in his studio apartment over time. While buying a closet might be a straightforward and conventional solution, it carries the risk of further reducing his already confined living space. So Kim is contemplating using a self-storage service. "While renting a storage unit may appear unnecessary, I believe it's a sensible option considering Seoul&

As over half of Korean senior citizens expressed a desire to work, nearly 1 in 5 seniors are actively engaged in job seeking, reports showed Monday. According to a report from Korea Employment Information Service, which analyzed Statistics Korea’s data, among individuals aged between 65 and 79, 55.7 percent expressed a desire to continue working. That is an increase of 0.9 percentage point from a year ago and 12.1 percentage points from a decade prior. Of the older individuals aspiring f

A Korean frozen gimbap product, which created a huge buzz in the US organic market, is now making its domestic debut. According to E-mart 24, E-mart's convenience store chain, on Friday, it has stocked Baba Gimbap’s frozen gimbap product for a two-week special sale. Created by Korean food firm Allgot, the supplier behind the Trader Joe’s hit rice rolls, the gimbap is rapid frozen at minus 50 degree Celsius so that it retains the shape and texture of a freshly wrapped roll duri

Members of a drug ring engaged in the production and distribution of methamphetamine derived from off-the-shelf cold medicine have been arrested, police authorities said. According to Jeju Provincial Police on Thursday, two individuals, both in their 50s, were sent to the prosecution Wednesday on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act. The accused include a man responsible for manufacturing the drug and his accomplice. Both men are suspected of manufacturing a total of 20 grams of meth

“This is not a campsite,” reads a banner that hangs prominently -- yet seemingly powerlessly -- in a public parking lot at the port of a small island off the city of Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province. After gaining social media fame as a haven for fishing and camping, the island of Neokdo’s usually quiet fishing villages are grappling with visitors in camping cars and tents overstaying their welcome. Often they occupy prime spots in public space, leaving them mostly unattend

A man in his 60s has been sentenced to a 14-month jail term for praising the North Korean regime in an award-winning poem published on the North Korean state-run news site Uriminzokkiri. The Seoul Central District Court on Monday found the 68-year-old South Korean guilty of violating the National Security Act when he submitted an anti-state poetry piece to the North Korean mouthpiece in September 2016. The court sentenced him to 14 months in prison and imposed a one-year suspension of qualific

A plethora of textbooks and learning materials cater to Korean language learners from diverse backgrounds. But, there’s a significant gap for a particular type of learners whose grasp of work-related Korean is crucial not only for quality control and skills development but also for their own safety. In August, a groundbreaking work was released to fill the void of job-related technical books for non-Korean native speakers in welding. Welding, essential for various manufacturing processes

Long before the seemingly inscrutable neologism "gorpcore” entered the global fashion lexicon, middle-aged men in South Korea were trailblazing the look, seamlessly incorporating Gore-Tex jackets and hiking boots into their daily attire for work, dining and socializing. Leisurely strolling through Seoul's Dongmyo flea market, some of these ajeossi, an appellation for middle-aged men in Korean, caught the eye of a young menswear designer in July 2018: Kiko Kostadinov, whose anti

Starting next year, job seekers will have the right to reject the results or seek clarification if they perceive artificial intelligence-powered interviews to be unfair in their recruitment process. The Personal Information Protection Commission announced Wednesday new legislation regarding the amendment of the Personal Information Protection Act. The amendment process began on Thursday and continues to Jan. 2 of next year. Under the proposed amendment, if job applicants feel that their rights a

A bus driver who caused a tunnel accident that killed four people last month was found to have been using a phone behind the wheel, which resulted in a delayed response to the changing traffic conditions, police authorities said Tuesday. According to Boeun Police Station, the 59-year-old man, who had been receiving treatment for injuries at a hospital, admitted to checking text messages on his phone when the accident occurred. On Oct. 21, a tourist bus rear-ended a 15-seat van inside Suriti Tu

What phrases would you like to hear more frequently from your partner? An online survey of divorced singles reveals that it's words of encouragement or appreciation for their efforts that they longed for most when they were married. According to the survey, conducted by South Korean matchmaking agencies Only U and Bien-Aller on 514 individuals, the top answer from male respondents (31.1 percent) was the empowering phrase, "You're the best." The top choice among female respond

Um Tae-hwa’s dystopian thriller "Concrete Utopia" won best picture at the 59th Daejong Film Awards, one of the major film awards in South Korea, on Wednesday. The film secured an additional five trophies, including Best Actor for Lee Byung-hun, Best Actress, Sound Effects, Visual Effects and Art Direction. The disaster thriller unfolds the narrative of the residents of an apartment complex that survived a catastrophic quake in Seoul. Ryoo Seung-wan received the best director

Electric-powered bicycles, one of the most recent additions to South Korea's urban landscape, are quickly becoming a popular choice for short-distance travel, with many seen parked on streets and sidewalks across the nation's cities. Replacing e-scooters, which once dominated Seoul's micromobility scene, e-bikes are enhancing public accessibility through affordable bike-sharing services. Micromobility refers to lightweight, single-person vehicles that are used for transportation

Among divorced singles seeking new relationships, Korean men preferred the least women they perceived to be “feminist” as a potential date. Meanwhile, Korean women showed the most aversion to “mama's boy” types as possible dating partners, a survey showed Monday. According to the survey of 538 divorcees (269 men and 269 women), conducted by South Korean matchmaking agencies Only U and Bien-Aller, the highest percentage of male respondents at 35.7 percent were disin

Plastic fidget toys resembling colorful pocket knives are a hit among Korean kids, but parents have expressed concern that they could encourage children to play with actual knives -- or worse. On Monday, the South Chungcheong Province’s Office of Education became the latest authority to prohibit the possession of the toy, locally known as a "carrot knife," on school premises. They stated, "Carrot knives are not toys; they are deemed dangerous items that could provoke vio