Korea Times K-Culture Reporter
Lee Hae-rin is a City Desk reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues, tourism and taekwondo. She is passionate about speaking up for the rights of minorities, including women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and animals as well as discovering the latest makgeolli trend in town. Feel free to reach her at lhr@koreatimes.co.kr.
President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing growing pressure to sign a special bill into law that is calling for a new investigation into the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, as the bill, which was passed at the opposition-controlled National Assembly earlier this month, was transferred to the government on Friday.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, together with the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), will unfold its strategic marketing campaign through “mega roadshows” in 25 cities around the world in a bid to attract 20 million foreign visitors this year, the ministry announced, Friday.
IU’s new song “Love Wins” is facing a “queerbaiting” backlash ahead of its release, as the K-pop singer-songwriter allegedly appropriated and modified the political context of a slogan strongly linked with the LGBTQ community.
Pierre-Jean Quinonero, a rising star pastry chef from France, presented an iconic reinterpretation of a Korean wintertime dessert as Strawberry Bingsoo, or shaved ice treats with strawberries, with a French twist.
JEJU ISLAND – The latest season of the Netflix’s Korean original “Single’s Inferno” created a buzz with a bolder lineup of charming young Korean singles tasked with finding romantic partners.
The possibility of the plan for Gimpo to be merged into Seoul is losing momentum as the municipality’s attempt to hold a referendum before the general elections in April seems unlikely.
Nearly two tons of strawberries went missing just before their shipment in the southern city of Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, amid the recent price hike of one of Korea's most popular wintertime seasonal fruits.
The government should deploy sufficient administrative force and budget for a crackdown to bring a practical end to the country's age-old practice of eating dog meat, animal rights experts said Monday, amid growing concerns that the industry could continue operating in the shadows even after a legal ban on the practice takes effect in 2027.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s supposed plan to modify the existing emergency exit sign to feature a character with long hair, breasts and a skirt has triggered fierce criticism, with opponents of the change claiming that associating women with such an image is outdated and sexist.