Former student protest leader Gabriel Boric has made history in winning Chile’s presidential election on Sunday. And among his coalition of supporters were local K-pop fans -- many of whom, armed with a strong social media presence and digital skills, flocked to support the progressive millennial in the second round of the elections. ‘Like a genius joke that went too far’ For Claudia Patino, a 27-year-old graduate student from Chile who decided to study international relati

In a surprise move earlier this week, feminist politician Shin Ji-ye crossed party lines and joined the presidential campaign of conservative People Power Party candidate Yoon Suk-yeol. A long-time friend believes Shin’s move is driven by a personal vendetta. “I think she’s doing this to get back at (leader of People Power Party) Lee Jun-seok. My view is that she wants to get back at Lee for lambasting her, making fun of her on national TV,” American Green Party member

Shin ji-ye, a 31-year-old feminist with liberal political inclinations, made headlines Monday as she crossed party lines and joined the campaign of Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential nominee of the conservative People Power Party. The young politician ran as a Seoul mayor candidate for Green Party Korea in 2018, finishing fourth in the race with over 80,000 votes. Her campaign gained support from feminists and progressives as one of the first candidates in the country’s political history to

A glamping site near Bukhansan in western Seoul offers caravans for hire on its booking platform. But the booking site says rentals are only offered to a select few. Among a long list of the type of guests that “cannot make bookings,” are groups consisting of two men, or only men. "Under no circumstances can the groups mentioned above book with us -- no exceptions,” the glamping site said on web portal Naver. Kim Ji-hak, who heads nonprofit organization Diversity Korea

Foreign nationals who were fully vaccinated abroad can now register their vaccine status without applying for a quarantine exemption, health authorities said on Thursday. “Foreigners who register their first and second shots received abroad can request for a foreign vaccination certificate which will work as a vaccine pass and allow them to receive a third shot (in Korea),” the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said during a news briefing. To register, foreign nationals n

A bar in Busan has declared itself a “No Professor Zone” to create a friendlier environment for student customers. When someone took a picture of the announcement and shared it in a tweet, it went viral. “We profusely apologize. For other customers to enjoy themselves with ease, we are asking full-time professors to refrain from entering our place,” the poster reads. The message appears to target scholars at Pusan National University, which is located near the venue.

　미국을 비롯한 주요국의 주한 대사관이 7일 공식 트위터 계정을 통해 해외에서 백신 접종을 완료한 외국인들에게 백신 패스 혜택을 인정해줄 것을 한국 정부에 촉구했다. 　미국, 영국, 호주, 캐나다, 뉴질랜드, 인도 총 6개국 대사관은 트위터 공식 계정에 같은 내용의 트윗을 일제히 올리며 “(외국인들도) 해외에서 접종을 완료한 한국인들과 마찬가지로 똑같이 공공시설에 접근할 수 있어야 합니다” 라고 주장했다. 　같은 날 오후 주한유럽연합대표부와 아일랜드, 프랑스, 이탈리아 대사관도 비슷한 내용의 트윗으로 정부의 현 백신 패스 정책에 우려를 표명했다. 　여러 대사관이 이 같은 공동 성명 성격의 트윗을 올린 것은 이례적으로, 한국 정부에 대한 공개적 압박 조치로 해석되고 있다. 　정부는 6일부터 방역 패스 의무 적용 시설을 기존 유흥 시설, 실내 체육 시설에서 식당, 카페, 영화관등으로 늘렸다. 방역 패스 적용 시설에 들어가기 위해서는 쿠브(COOV 전자예

South Korea is devising a system to accept foreigners’ overseas vaccination records, a government official confirmed to The Korea Herald on Tuesday. “We’re drafting a ‘vaccine status form’ for foreign nationals vaccinated abroad,” an official at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. The plan will leave more people in the country eligible for booster shots, with more details to be announced Thursday, the official added. The comments came j

Seoul Subway Stories bring you interesting and informative stories about the subway in and around Seoul -- Ed. Carrying millions of commuters every day between Seoul and its sprawling suburbs, Seoul’s subway is known for its reliability. But if your train was delayed, making you late for work this morning, you can request an excuse letter from Seoul Metro. Records of train delays on Line 1 to Line 9 over the last 30 days are kept on the official Seoul Metro website. Only delays longer

Food delivery apps saw their users decline after South Korea entered the first phase of the “living with COVID-19” scheme last month. But amid growing competition and a push by delivery apps for “one order per trip” to promise a speedy service, a delivery rider shortage is likely behind the rising cost of your order, industry sources said. According to IGAWorks’ mobile index, Android phone users who used delivery apps Baemin and Yogiyo dropped by 8.9 and 7.5 perc

From Monday, restaurants, cafes, cinemas and other public places in Korea will ask for proof of vaccination or a negative test for entry, as South Korea brings back stricter social distancing rules in the face of growing daily cases and the new omicron variant.  This means foreign nationals vaccinated overseas are highly likely to be denied access to such venues.  Currently, the country’s vaccination verification system, the Health Ministry-run mobile app COOV, does not recogni

Residents in Korea and South Korean nationals abroad are scrambling to reschedule their Christmas travel plans after the government announced on Wednesday evening that a mandatory 10-day quarantine is back for all international arrivals starting Friday. Since early May, those fully vaccinated in Korea had been able to bypass quarantine when they returned. But after the first cases of the omicron variant were found the country, the government introduced stricter COVID-19 measures. The new measur

During a recent Sunday service at a church in the suburbs of Seoul, a pastor cautioned churchgoers to not watch a new Netflix series. The messages and symbols in the show are “anti-Christ,” he warned. The sermon was about the six-part dark fantasy series “Hellbound,” directed by Yeon Sang-ho, a churchgoer himself whose previous works include the megahit zombie thriller “Train to Busan.” The dystopian show, which centers on a religious group that cultivates i

As the “living with COVID-19” strategy has opened up the economy, more people are now heading back to restaurants, bars and clubs. But while the streets are bustling and lively again, hailing a taxi at night has become a headache. Lim Bong-gyun, secretary-general of the Federation of Korean Taxi Workers, said many drivers employed by public hire taxi operators quit during the pandemic as they felt that continuing to work in the industry would mean working at a loss. “When th

Hangang Park is a crucial part of the recreational life of many of us living in Seoul, offering rare public open space for joggers, cyclists and couples on dates. When the sun goes down and evening approaches, the Banpo part of the park lights up in vivid colors that cast shimmering reflections on the Han River. Located at Banpo-dong in Seocho district, Banpo Hangang Park boasts three buildings that radiates in changing colors. Known together as “sebit,” which literally translates t

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday had a lengthy message to share about K-pop group BTS’ winning of three trophies at this year’s American Music Awards. But he apparently had little to say about Chun Doo-hwan, Korea’s president from 1980 to 1988, who died on Tuesday morning. “Rest in peace. Condolences to the family members,” his spokesperson said during a press briefing late in the afternoon. Chun’s passing was earlier in the morning. The Korean sentences wer

Korea Airports Corporation said Friday that it is close to signing a business deal with the Ecuadorian government to operate Manta Airport. A negotiation team is currently visiting Ecuador for talks to finalize the deal, the corporation said. The deal, which is estimated to be worth 40 billion won ($33.76 million), will see the corporation acquire a 100 percent stake and operate the airport until 2051. A local corporation will be set up to manage and operate the airport’s facilities, in

Singapore Airlines celebrated the kickoff of the vaccinated travel lane between South Korea and Singapore with Flight 601 during a commemorative ceremony earlier this week. The event was held Tuesday in front of Gate 23 of Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 1. The ceremony was attended by Eric Teo, Singaporean ambassador to Korea; Jeon Hyoung-wook, vice president of the operations division at Incheon International Airport Corporation; Xavier Ho, general manager at Singapore Airline

A groundbreaking ceremony will take place on Friday for a new international airport in Cusco, Peru, which will serve as a gateway for visitors to Machu Picchu, the Korea Airports Corporation said Friday. The event will be attended by Peruvian President Pedro Castillo, Peruvian Minister of Transport Juan Francisco Silva, Korea Airports Corporation CEO Son Chang-wan, and officials from South Korea’s Transport Ministry and Hyundai Engineering & Construction. As part of the government-to

The Korea-US alliance has been estimated to possibly be worth over 3,000 trillion won ($2.53 trillion) for South Korea, according to a new study by the Korea Economic Research Institute. 　 The Seoul-based think tank estimated in a report that the bilateral alliance has generated an economic value of between 923.82 trillion and 3,041 trillion won during the 21 years since 2000. “For the stability and continued prosperity of South Korea, maintaining a strong alliance with the US is critic