Exploring Korea's evolving social dynamics, cultural trends, and lifestyle changes
In the infinite scroll of YouTube Shorts, a peculiar sensation emerges. The videos are neither entertaining nor offensive. Yet the finger keeps swiping. No memorable scenes remain, but time vanishes in seconds. This state—known as "brainrot"—is not a matter of personal taste. It is a structural feature of the platform itself.
An old pop song from the 1997–98 financial crisis is resurfacing as a map for today's generative-A.I. upheaval
In the late 1990s, Korean arcades became refuges for displaced workers. Now, A.I. offers a similar escape. A meditation on transition, dignity, and what we owe to those caught between eras.
A university professor argues that Korean education has systematically excluded students from the design process, creating a closed system that stifles potential and prevents adaptation.
In the age of artificial intelligence, Korean education is moving faster than ever—but in the wrong direction. A university professor argues that the system has forgotten its most important users: students themselves.
Interpreting Global Gen Z Social Psychology Through Luffy. From Jakarta to Madagascar, young protesters are waving Luffy's pirate flag as a symbol of freedom, justice, and resistance against corrupt power structures.
How "My Mister" Finds Profound Connection in the Simple Ritual of Pouring Soju for a Friend
In a South Korean drama, the healing power of a shared drink finds profound connection not in grand romance but in the simple ritual of pouring soju for a friend.
A professor's lament about bureaucracy, innovation, and the gap between aspiration and reality
Exploring the paradox of Korean universities: modern buildings with 20th-century administrative systems, and why institutional reform remains elusive in the age of generative AI.
A quiet Korean singer-songwriter, a faded photograph, and a three-minute ritual for getting through the night
Exploring Heo Hoy Kyung's intimate meditation on endurance and the small rituals that sustain us through difficult times.
Deep inside Seoul's Jongno district lies Cheongjinok, a restaurant that serves haejangguk—the hangover soup that has sustained this city for decades. A New York Times-style meditation on authenticity, memory, and what it means to eat like a local.
How glocalization holds the key to Korean food's worldwide success. A column on the K-food globalization seminar at Ewha Womans University.
Director Yeon Sang-ho's provocative $170,000 film exposes the brutal cost of Korea's rise and asks who was erased in the rush to global stardom. A haunting exploration of beauty, identity, and erasure in modern Korea.
Lee Sun-hee's "Inyeon" is a 2005 masterpiece that transcends music to become a philosophical statement on Korean culture. Exploring the Buddhist concept of destined connection, this article examines how one ballad became the emotional vocabulary through which an entire nation understands love, fate, and reunion.
When a simple verse becomes a mirror to society's deepest wounds
A poet's five-line verse becomes an unexpected challenge to Korea's comparison culture, as KOBACO's new public service campaign addresses the mental health crisis behind relentless competition.
How one generation of young adults is redefining what it means to build a life from scratch—and why corporate Korea is paying attention
When young adults age out of Korea's child welfare system, they face independence without family support. How corporate ESG initiatives are helping fill the gap.
A Washington Post exposé reveals uncomfortable truths about South Korea's online advertising ecosystem
A Washington Post investigation reveals how South Korea's advanced digital infrastructure has enabled predatory advertising practices, from explicit adult content to illegal gambling—and what it means for the future of online regulation.
How a once-celebrated demographic label transformed into a symbol of generational conflict, revealing deeper tensions in Korean society's relationship with youth, consumption, and identity.
