The Korea Times

Gwangju's plan to honor communist composer stirs controversy

The life and musical achievements of Gwangju-born musician Jeong Yul-seong, and his social stature in China, are presented in Korean and Mandarin along the walls of a street named after the musician in Gwangju's southern Nam District, Wednesday. Yonhap By Lee Hae-rinA plan to build a park in Gwangju in honor of communist composer Jeong Yul-seong, who was born in the city in southwestern Korea, has sparked sharp division in public opinion. The controversy escalated when the Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Min-shik publicly criticized the municipality for the initiative last week.“Gwangju City's plan to commemorate someone who was at the forefront of bringing down the Republic of Korea as a free country is deeply alarming. It must be completely withdrawn,” Park wrote on his Facebook, Tuesday, explaining that Jeong “contributed to the establishment of the North Korean government and sounded the invasion march to South Korea during the 1950-1953 Korean Wa

Aug 28, 2023By Lee Hae-rin

Gwangju's plan to honor communist composer stirs controversy

Ideological dispute over historical figures engulfs Korean politics

Society

Koreans uncomfortable with emergence of tipping culture

A bottle filled with cash is labeled “Tip Box” at a restaurant in Seoul. Screenshot from internet Minimum wage, food regulation law protect people against unsolicited gratuityBy Lee Hae-rinOut of the blue, tipping culture has burst onto the scene with some restaurants, cafes and even taxi-hailing platforms asking customers for tips.Given that Korea has been a tip-free society, most Koreans are showing strong resistance to the custom that is even sparking debate in the United States, where the growing tipping rates at restaurants and shops or “tipflation” syndrome, are baffling customers.Titled, “foreign culture we wish to never settle in Korea,” an online post with photos of a tip box placed at a bakery in Seoul has gone viral online recently. The photo shows a glass jar at the cashier of a famous bakery in Seoul, filled with Korean money and labeled in English with the words Tip Jar.The post triggered others to share similar experiences. One online user said an emp

Aug 25, 2023By Lee Hae-rin

Koreans uncomfortable with emergence of tipping culture

People & Events

Lawyer-and-mother offers legal guide for parents with digital-native children

By Lee Hae-rinLee Su-ji, a lawyer and a mother of a seven-year-old who co-authored a legal guide for parents with digital-native children / Courtesy of Lee Su-jiLee Su-ji, a lawyer with 10 years of experience who is also the mother of a seven-year-old child, has published a legal guide for parents with digital-native children, who grow up under the ubiquitous influence of modern information technologies, social media and potential exposure to digital crimes. In her first book published last month titled, “My child's SNS that I didn't know: Legal common sense to protect my child on SNS taught by a lawyer and mother,” the partner attorney at the Seoul-based Law Firm Changgyeong who specialized in criminal code and intellectual property rights, now shares legal knowledge based on both her personal and professional experiences.“I was in middle school when I had my first mobile phone and already a university graduate in the workforce by the time I started using a smartphone,” Lee said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. “In contrast, my daughter has g

Aug 24, 2023By Lee Hae-rin

Lawyer-and-mother offers legal guide for parents with digital-native children

Travel & Food

South Gyeongsang Province seeks to name new airport after heroic admiral

Seen is the aerial view of the planned airport on Gadeok Island in the southern port city of Busan, slated to be built by 2029. Korea Times fileBy Lee Hae-rinSouth Gyeongsang Province hopes a new airport on Gadeok Island would be the first airport named after a historic figure. According to the South Gyeongsang Provincial Council, Tuesday, ruling People Power Party (PPP) council member Park Choon-duk proposed naming the proposed new airport on Gadeok Island “Yi Sun-sin International Airport.”“To maximize the ripple effect of the new airport, which has been the southern region's long-cherished goal, the airport needs an internationally appealing name based on a national consensus, instead of being simply named after the region,” Park said.“There are many international airports around the world named after respected historic figures, such as the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport at the heart of Europe, the John F. Kennedy International Airport leading to the gate of the U.S., the Leonardo da Vinci Airport of Rome in Italy and the Indira Gandhi International

Aug 22, 2023By Lee Hae-rin

South Gyeongsang Province seeks to name new airport after heroic admiral

Environment & Animals

Calls grow to strengthen wildlife management, protection measures

A 20-year-old lioness rests in a nearby forest after escaping from its cage at a farm in Goryeong, North Gyeongsang Province, Aug. 14. The animal was shot to death by authorities an hour after breaking free from the farm. Courtesy of Gyeongbuk Fire Service HeadquartersBy Lee Hae-rinA series of incidents have occurred in Korea recently where wild animals that were held in captivity were subsequently shot dead after escaping from inadequate cages. This has prompted animal activists and experts here to call on the government to enforce wildlife management and protection measures.On Aug. 14, a 20-year-old lioness was shot to death by police and hunters at 8:12 a.m., an hour after it escaped from a private tourist animal farm in Goryeong County, North Gyeongsang Province. The animal broke out of the cage through the door that was accidently left unlocked by its keeper after being fed. The lioness, which spent its entire life in the cage, was found resting in a nearby forest and showed no signs of aggression, but was shot to death due to the potential threat to human life.This was one of m

Aug 21, 2023By Lee Hae-rin

Calls grow to strengthen wildlife management, protection measures

Travel & Food

Return of Chinese tourists revitalizes Myeong-dong, Seoul's tourism hotspot

A street in the Myeong-dong shopping district of downtown Seoul teems with locals and foreign visitors, many of them Chinese, Friday. The neighborhood that relied heavily on Chinese tourists expects to see more Chinese travelers as Beijing last week lifted a ban on group tours to Korea after more than six years. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukLocal merchants, city gov't scramble to brace for influx of Chinese travelersBy Lee Hae-rinMyeong-dong, Seoul's iconic shopping district, is coming back to life after China lifted restrictions on group tours to Korea last week. A once-familiar sight ― Chinese tourists, armed with shopping lists inspired by social media, filling their bags with popular Korean beauty products ― is becoming more visible again. Now the country's tourism industry and government are busy preparing for the anticipated wave of Chinese visitors, who have traditionally comprised a significant portion of inbound visitors to the country.On Friday, the buzz was palpable in Myeong-dong as foreign tourists, many of whom were Chinese, navigated stores and used their mobile ph

Aug 18, 2023By Lee Hae-rin

Return of Chinese tourists revitalizes Myeong-dong, Seoul's tourism hotspot

Society

Environmental, economic problems concerning Saemangeum airport project resurface

Bird's eye view of the Saemangeum International Airport / Courtesy of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and TransportBy Lee Hae-rinEconomic and environmental issues regarding a proposed airport in Saemangeum are emerging once again as the tendering process to construct it came to an end, Thursday. The Seoul Regional Office of Aviation wrapped up its four-day tender bidding process after receiving tender bid applications from building developers who are interested in the Saemangeum International Airport proposed project, which the government hopes will be built by 2029 in North Jeolla Province. The Saemangeum airport project is part of the government's efforts to seek balanced regional growth across the country, a policy adopted in 2019. The government plans to spend a total of 807 billion won ($600 million) on the airport project, with 510 billion won assigned for its construction. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the local government aims to develop the renowned tidal flat of Saemangeum into a global business and logistics hub with the construction of the inte

Aug 17, 2023By Lee Hae-rin

Environmental, economic problems concerning Saemangeum airport project resurface

Travel & Food

Banksy's work to be on display at Paradise City

Banksy's "Love is in the Bin" / Courtesy of Paradise CityBy Lee Hae-rinKorea will see one of the most evocative and iconic works of Banksy on display next month. Paradise City, an integrated resort complex in Incheon, announced Wednesday, that it will showcase the “Love in Paradise: Banksy and Keith Haring” exhibition in September with the support of Sotheby's, the global leading auction house, in celebration of the upcoming Frieze Seoul, international art fair, which kicks off on Sept. 6.The exhibition will be the Korean premiere of the British graffiti master's iconic piece “Love is in the Bin.” Another highly recognized image to be displayed is “Girl with Balloon,” which Banksy immediately shredded after it was auctioned off for $1.4 million (1.87 billion won) at Sotheby's in London in 2018. The shredded work, depicting a young child reaching out to a red heart-shaped balloon, was resold for $25.4 million in October 2021.The exhibition will run from Sept. 5 to Nov. 5 at the resort's exhibition space, Paradise Art Space, and feature 36 works by B

Aug 17, 2023By Lee Hae-rin

Banksy's work to be on display at Paradise City

Travel & Food

Espresso coffee bars surge in number in Seoul as tastes evolve

Espresso and rice cake served at Draw Espresso Bar in Seoul's Jung District / Courtesy of Draw Espresso BarFast pace of life and preference for affordable products spur diversity in coffee sceneBy Lee Hae-rinKoreans drink around 353 cups of coffee every year, according to Hyundai Research Institute's latest report. The figure is a sharp rise from 291 cups in 2015 and 2.7 times more than the world's yearly average of 132 cups.People in the caffeine-loving nation have primarily consumed instant coffee packaged in stick-type pouches ― more commonly known as “mix coffee” here ― or in the form of iced or hot Americano.However, that trend is changing quickly, as seen in a surge in the number of espresso bars offering a wide range of small yet strong shots measuring 20 to 30 millimeters a cup.At least 100 espresso bars opened in the country last year, according to industry data. Social media also reflects such a phenomenon with over 142,000 Instagram posts as of Wednesday showing pictures of small empty cups piled on top of each other with the hashtag “Espresso Bar”

Aug 17, 2023By Lee Hae-rin

Espresso coffee bars surge in number in Seoul as tastes evolve

Politics

First lady caught in controversy over social media verification mark

First lady Kim Keon Hee attends the opening ceremony of the 25th World Scout Jamboree in Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province, Aug. 2. Courtesy of the presidential officeBy Lee Hae-rinFirst lady Kim Keon Hee is once again mired in a controversy due to the official verification of her social media account.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed, Monday, that the ministry had asked X, formerly Twitter, to apply the gray checkmark on Kim's account following a request from the presidential office.The ministry “followed related procedures upon the judgment that the Twitter accounts of the president and first lady are exposed to many hacking risks and need official verification marks,” a ministry official said.Kim's account (@Firstlady_KR), which says, “President Yoon Suk Yeol's wife Kim Keon Hee” in Korean and “The First Lady of The Republic of Korea” in English on its profile, remains protected, following one unverifiable account and has zero followers as of Monday. First lady Kim Keon Hee's X account, formerly Twitter / Screenshot from XAccording to a

Aug 14, 2023By Lee Hae-rin

Lee Hae-rin

Read more

Gwangju's plan to honor communist composer stirs controversy

Koreans uncomfortable with emergence of tipping culture

Lawyer-and-mother offers legal guide for parents with digital-native children

South Gyeongsang Province seeks to name new airport after heroic admiral

Calls grow to strengthen wildlife management, protection measures

Return of Chinese tourists revitalizes Myeong-dong, Seoul's tourism hotspot

Environmental, economic problems concerning Saemangeum airport project resurface

Banksy's work to be on display at Paradise City

Espresso coffee bars surge in number in Seoul as tastes evolve

First lady caught in controversy over social media verification mark

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