Weekender In series
Latest trends in Korean culture and society.
#Weekend
#Trendy
Would you like to subscribe?
Weekender In series
Latest trends in Korean culture and society.
Would you like to subscribe?
For these young Korean conscripts, military service is no longer lost time
Many Korean men used to describe mandatory military service as a suffocating period spent confined to barracks, bound by rigid routines and largely disconnected from the outside world. Conscription was widely seen as an involuntary pause in youth, rather than a continuation of the lives they had been building. But for Woo Tae-hyun, his 18 months in the military were the exact opposite. It was a strategically planned step toward his future goals. Discharged last December, the 22-year-old, current
May 30, 2026 - 16:00:00
K-beauty's next formula: Makeup that works like skincare
The luminous skin promised by elaborate skincare rituals has long been a draw for Korean cosmetics. The newer frontier, perhaps, is makeup that doubles as skincare. Products are now expected to care for the skin as much as they cover it, with heavy foundation yielding to sheer, breathable formulas rich in active ingredients. Demand for skincare-infused complexion products and premakeup preparation categories is rising, and export figures are climbing alongside it. Korean cosmetics exports hit a
May 23, 2026 - 16:00:00
AI made work faster. So why are workers more exhausted?
For years, artificial intelligence was imagined as the ultimate workplace liberator, a tool that could remove repetitive tasks, shorten working hours and leave people with more time to think. But now that the tools are part of daily office life, many workers say the opposite is happening. Rather than easing workloads, they say, AI is speeding up the pace of work to exhausting levels. The pressure may be especially acute in South Korea, where long hours and fast-response office culture are alread
May 16, 2026 - 16:00:00
In May, Korea turns to families
May is widely referred to as ‘Family Month’ in South Korea, with a cluster of family-related observances including Children’s Day (May 5), Parents’ Day (May 8), Teachers’ Day (May 15) and Couples’ Day (May 21). It is a time when the cultural calendar shifts noticeably toward children and parents, with museums, outdoor festivals and performance venues tailoring programs accordingly. Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul leads the month with programming designed for family viewing. The Se
May 1, 2026 - 16:00:00
Convenience stores are everywhere, but not the same
Since their arrival in South Korea in the late 1980s, convenience stores have operated on a simple logic that more locations bring more customers. That premise seems to have run its course, however, as reflected in a decline in store numbers from 54,852 in 2024 to 53,266 last year. Sales growth across the four major chains — CU, GS25, Emart24 and 7-Eleven — has slowed in tandem, falling from 8 percent in 2023 to 3.9 percent in 2024 and just 0.1 percent in 2025. In response, the industry is recko
April 18, 2026 - 16:00:00
Gettin' steamy in Korea: Tourists flock to 'jjimjilbang'
Visiting a jjimjilbang was at the top of Jonathan Le and Leslie Patino's itinerary long before their plane from San Diego touched down in Seoul. The couple had visited “Korean-style saunas” back home, but nothing prepared them for the scale or the heat of the real thing in Korea. “The size is just on another level,” Le told The Korea Herald, sitting in a glowing, 70-degree Celsius kiln room at a sprawling jjimjilbang in central Seoul. “When you sweat, it feels like you’re sweating off stress. Th
April 11, 2026 - 16:00:00
Two decades of waiting: Can anti-discrimination law take root in South Korea?
In 2007, the South Korean government introduced a bill to create the "first fundamental law to establish the constitutional principle of equality." It did not pass. In nearly two decades since, bills for a comprehensive anti-discrimination law have seen little legislative progress. While legislation remains stalled due to conservative resistance, the discriminatory practices such a law seeks to prevent have continued, exposing minorities — including the nearly 3 million foreign nationals in Kore
April 4, 2026 - 16:00:00
Who says hip-hop is only for the young? These midlifers say no
Six women in their 50s gathered in a basement studio in Hongdae, Seoul’s youth-filled district, at 8 p.m. on a Tuesday. Some had just finished work. One left her young children behind. Others had driven more than an hour to get there. They were not there for aerobics or Zumba. Baseball caps and street-style attire, they had come to learn hip-hop dance. In a society where middle-aged people are often expected to pursue “age-appropriate” hobbies and maintain a certain decorum, a hip-hop dance club
March 28, 2026 - 16:00:00
In K-beauty, hair gets the skin care treatment — and the world is catching on
In January, Vogue declared in a headline what Seoul already knew: "Korean hair care products bring a skin-care-first approach to repairing and hydrating." Korean beauty has quietly been ahead in both what it makes and how it thinks about the body — scalp included — being deserving of the same obsessive care as the face. And in recent years, the rest of the world seems to be catching up. According to data from the Korea Customs Service, exports of hair care products hit a record $478 million in 2
March 14, 2026 - 16:00:00
The women behind Korea’s fight for equality
Alongside South Korea’s rapid modernization, women's lives have been profoundly transformed. Korean women continue to face structural barriers, including one of the widest gender pay gaps among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and persistent gender-based violence. The push for equality has also fueled intense debates over feminism and gender relations in Korean society. Yet there have been major gains in education, employment and political participation. Acros
March 7, 2026 - 16:00:02
Trace BTS' history through these 7 tourist spots
With just a month to go until BTS takes the stage at Gwanghwamun Square, anticipation is building across Seoul. The performance — marking the group’s return to full-group activities after over three years — is drawing fans from around the world to the capital. Beyond the square itself, the city is dotted with places tied to BTS’ journey. From historic landmarks to meaningful fan spaces, here are seven stops that add an extra layer of meaning to any concert trip. Gyeongbokgung Jongno-gu, central
Feb. 21, 2026 - 16:00:00
Rise of YouTube politicians tests S. Korea's democratic resilience
A YouTube “silver play button” has become an unlikely new status symbol in South Korean politics. As lawmakers seek more direct ways to reach voters, the silver button, awarded to channels with over 100,000 subscribers, has become a mark of success. But the shift to direct communication carries both political opportunity and hidden costs. In the 300-seat National Assembly, lawmakers are increasingly using the US-based video platform to bypass traditional media and speak directly to voters, with
Feb. 14, 2026 - 16:00:00
Soaring gold prices reshape Korea’s rituals
Gold has long been woven into the fabric of Korean life. The precious metal has traditionally marked key rites of passage, from births and marriages to other major milestones. But soaring gold prices are reshaping customs, prompting cutbacks and substitutions in traditions once taken for granted. The spot price of gold in Korea hovered at around 245,000 won ($168) a gram as of Thursday, representing a roughly 80 percent increase from 138,000 won a year earlier, according to the Korea Exchange. B
Feb. 7, 2026 - 16:00:00
Team Korea’s brightest medal hopes at Milan Cortina 2026
It’s that time of the year again: The 25th Winter Olympic Games is set to bring the world’s top winter athletes together in Milan and Cortina, Italy, next month. Set against Italy’s striking urban and alpine landscapes, more than 3,000 athletes from around the world will compete from Feb. 6-22 across 116 events in 16 sports, sporting drama and spectacle. South Korea is sending a stellar team, with a 71-strong squad competing across six disciplines, setting its sights on winning at least three go
Jan. 31, 2026 - 16:00:00
Too old to dance? Not for 'Dancing Grandmas'
“You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen,” the famous Abba song goes. But for Jun Jum-re, 78, and Jung Yoo-ok, 76, the lyric needs revision. On stages across the world, they have offered a gentle rebuttal. With hair silvered and bodies marked by time, they became dancing queens well into their 70s — and they are having the time of their lives. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the two women traveled the world, performing to sold-out houses and receiving standing ovations in cities
Jan. 24, 2026 - 16:00:09
