“Korean Studies Beyond Korea” explores the current landscape of Korean studies through interviews, in-depth analyses and on-the-ground stories told from diverse world areas. Funded by the Korea Press Foundation, this series delves into the challenges and opportunities facing the field as Korea's rise as a cultural powerhouse has drawn interest from scholars, researchers and leaders from around the globe. – Ed. For a long time, the field of Korean studies in Europe remain

When thinking of Hongdae district, a popular hotspot in Seoul, most people would typically imagine bustling streets teeming with trendy cafes, bars and lively busking performances. However, for An Ga-young, Hongdae is the dirtiest place she has ever encountered -- a realization that struck her during a plogging activity she participated in February. Alongside 20 other ploggers, she picked up 224 pieces of trash -- predominantly cigarette butts -- during the 37-minute session. The term “plo

AMSTERDAM -- At first it was through a Korean drama that Fauzia Jonas, a 52-year-old Dutch national, got captivated by Korean culture. Then came the K-pop sensation, BTS. Now, it is everything about Korea and Koreans that she wants to learn more about. “It drew me in like a magnet. The attraction (to the Korean culture) keeps getting deeper as I learn more about the culture and interact with Koreans,” she said, adding that she especially appreciates “the softness and warmth&rdq

Stretching from Seoul to Guri, Gyeonggi Province, Achasan Mountain is one of the best places to see traces of the Goguryeo dynasty, a period when Korea had the largest territory in its 5,000-year history, with its Achasanseong Fortress and over 80 sentry posts.  Located at the entrance of the mountain, the Goguryeo Blacksmith Village offers a glimpse into the lives of Goguryeo people and its flourishing ironware culture from some 1,500 years ago.  The folk village shows an actual bla

Unlike for COVID-19, there is no vaccine for climate change. However, there is a treatment to prevent further damage -- a circular economy that focuses on sharing, reusing and extending the life span of products rather than making mere profit, futurist Gerd Leonhard said in a keynote speech at H.eco Forum held Thursday. “We are going to have more money but there won’t be any planet to spend it on. You can’t do business on the broken planet,” he said, showing global ca

Herald Corp.’s first H.eco Forum opened in Seoul on Thursday, delivering a reality check -- that the Earth has about six years and 235 days to prevent the effects of global warming from becoming irreversible -- and yet signaling hope that we can still avert a climate catastrophe. Under the theme “We face the Climate Clock,” the forum, which was livestreamed, gathered global leaders, businesspeople and activists to discuss solutions to the climate emergency at every level and

If emissions continue at the current rate, the Earth has about six years and 235 days before the effects of global warming become irreversible. That is what the Climate Clock installed on the roof of Herald Corp. headquarters shows as of June. To turn back the Climate Clock, Herald Corp., which owns South Korea’s two major news outlets -- The Korea Herald and The Herald Business -- holds its first H.eco Forum on Thursday in Seoul. To give an overview of where we stand in terms of climate

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of interviews with the lineup of speakers who will discuss solutions to the climate crisis at the H.eco Forum, which is scheduled to be held virtually on June 10 under the theme “We Face the Climate Clock.” -- Ed. At school, Yoon Hyeon-jeong, a 17-year-old climate activist, was taught that climate change was a distant problem that could affect human beings in about 100 years. She had no idea it was an urgent problem that could steal her future

If emissions continue at the current rate, the Earth has about six years and 235 days before the effects of global warming become irreversible. That is what the Climate Clock installed on the roof of Herald Corp. headquarters shows as of June. To turn back the Climate Clock, Herald Corp. has a new mission: to address environmental problems and the climate crisis. As the first step, we are launching an annual H.eco Forum to provide a platform for insights and solutions to the climate emergency.

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of interviews with the lineup of speakers who will discuss solutions to the climate crisis at the H.eco Forum, which is scheduled to be held virtually on June 10 under the theme “We Face the Climate Clock.” -- Ed. South Korea pledged to go carbon-free by 2050 in October last year -- an ambitious goal for the world’s seventh-largest emitter of carbon dioxide. But the question remains: How? To lay out a detailed road map and ensure p

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of interviews with the lineup of speakers who will discuss solutions to the climate crisis at the H.eco Forum, which is scheduled to be held virtually on June 10 under the theme “We Face the Climate Clock.” – Ed. South Korea is a relative latecomer to renewables. Asia’s fourth-largest economy, however, still has time to catch up with its competitors and lead the world in offshore wind power, according to Matthias Bausenwein, who

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of interviews with the lineup of speakers who will discuss solutions to the climate crisis at the H.eco Forum, which is scheduled to be held virtually on June 10 under the theme “We Face the Climate Clock.” – Ed. It was only last December when a South Korean company joined the global RE100 campaign -- a pledge to use 100 percent renewable power. The list is growing, but probably not fast enough for the country’s export-driven econ

After decades of refusing to face up to climate change and focusing on economic growth at the expense of the Earth, this year could be a turning point in the global fight against global warming. The coronavirus pandemic was a huge wake-up call for humanity to rethink the way we live, creating an unprecedented opportunity to “build back better and greener.” “This year, we are finally at a starting point of acting on climate change. After 30 years of discussion, gaps on how we

The Climate Clock on the roof of Herald Corp.’s headquarters in Seoul showed, as of May, that there were about six years and 235 days left to prevent global warming from becoming irreversible.   Since the first Climate Clock was introduced in Berlin in 2019, the countdown has continued in a chilling reminder that the Earth is hurtling toward catastrophe. Despite the grim reality, Gan Golan, one of the clock’s creators, said in a video interview with The Korea Herald that many

The H.eco Forum on environmental issues will be launched on June 10 in Seoul, bringing together policymakers, businesspeople, scholars and activists to discuss what actions must be taken at individual, business and governmental levels to avert a climate catastrophe.  Under the theme “We face the Climate Clock,” the first edition of the H.eco Forum will center on addressing climate change -- the biggest crisis faced by humanity -- and the need for drastic changes to every aspect

At a glance, the series of numbers -- six years, 235 days, six hours, four minutes and 55 seconds -- makes little sense. But they are arguably the most important numbers for humanity. They represent the time we have left until the Earth’s deadline: the “point of no return” in the climate crisis. The monument-sized Climate Clock showing the numbers was unveiled Thursday on the roof of the Herald Corp. headquarters in Seoul, sending a chilling warning that the Earth is racing

Popular K-pop stars joined hands in a campaign to highlight the dangers of climate change and call for bolder action on the defining challenge of the age, marking the 41st Earth Day on Thursday. Some 31 members from seven K-pop groups including Oh My Girl, BTOB, Day6 and The Boyz shared their thoughts on climate change and encouraged their millions of fans around the globe to take part in climate action. In the first video, released Thursday on the campaign’s official website, the idol

A coalition of South Korean environmental groups urged the government to declare its intention to go coal-free by 2030 at the upcoming US-led climate summit of world leaders, with a two-day campaign featuring a blue-spotted giraffe mascot. President Moon Jae-in is among the 40 world leaders invited by US President Joe Biden to the Leaders Summit on Climate to be held online Thursday, where the leaders are expected to discuss how to limit global warming. Seeking to reestablish his country&rsq

As South Korea’s National Assembly works to draft and pass a climate law to make the country’s goals of going carbon neutral by 2050 legally binding, the law should put “justice” at its core to effectively address the climate emergency, according to a local environmental activist. Last year, the Moon Jae-in administration jumped on the climate crisis bandwagon by announcing its ambitious Green New Deal and promising to go carbon neutral by 2050. The National Assembly

South Korea’s first store dedicated to raising awareness about menstruation opened in Seoul earlier this year as part of efforts to fight the long-held stigma around periods and to give women more eco-friendly choices. The Period Shop, which opened in January near Daebang Station in Seoul, is a space for customers to openly explore, discuss and purchase period products. It offers a variety of sustainable menstrual products ranging from menstrual cups, reusable pads to washable period