In South Korea, self-service kiosks have been proliferating. They take coffee orders at cafes, process meal selections at restaurants and manage ticketing at movie theaters. But one machine has recently stirred debate by automating something some believe is more traditional: the giving of cash gifts that guests bring to weddings. A photo of such a kiosk went viral online, stirring up both fascination and unease. Some praised it as a practical update to a long-standing custom, while others found

South Korean fandoms are renowned for their deep loyalty, with fans often viewing their idols not just as entertainers, but as role models. Fan connections tend to deepen when their actions receive support from their stars. Members of the K-pop girl group NewJeans, for example, pre-paid for food and beverages at several restaurants near the National Assembly in December last year, to support fans who joined the massive rally calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol amid the martial

Content creators filming in public spaces: A new norm to embrace or a behavior to regulate? One-person media is enjoying a heyday in Korea. The number of domestic digital creators, including YouTubers and TikTokers, exceeded 35,000 in 2023, with the personal media industry‘s total revenue reaching 4 trillion won ($2.8 billion), according to a report by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission released in January. The rapid growth of digital con

Child stars have long been a staple of the entertainment world, and their stage has expanded to social media. These new young personalities, often managed by their parents, amass huge followings, raising questions about the consequences of early fame and its ethical boundaries. A recent controversy

When someone you personally know passes away, how do you mourn? For some, posting about it on social media, particularly Instagram, has become a part of the mourning process. Following the death of actor Song Jae-rim on Nov. 12, the platform was flooded with tributes. Friends and colleagues posted m

The debate over whether to ban smartphones in the classroom continues to rage worldwide. South Korea is no exception, as it looks to address an epidemic of smartphone addiction among young students. In August, Rep. Cho Jung-hun of the People Power Party proposed a bill to limit smartphone use in sch

Should the threat of deepfakes mean the end of school graduation albums? We asked our readers Yearbooks have long been cherished as a way to remember the school days, friendships and experiences that shape our youth. However, in South Korea, people are now questioning whether the tradition of creati

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

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 st

Seoul Metro‘s trains have had priority seats reserved for pregnant women since 2013. These pink seats, located at the ends of some rows, however, have been a source of continuous controversy. Recently, debate erupted online and in local media when one individual proposed that the city install a sens