Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Economic Essay Contest Where did the bank go? Rebuilding spatial memory in digital finance

Every month she walks to her old bank, now a convenience store, still peering inside before heading home. For her, banking was never just about money. It was ritual, rhythm, and place. Trust built through a teller’s smile, a familiar layout, and a stamped bankbook. That world is fading. Korea’s banks are going digital. KakaoBank serves millions without physical branches. Woori Bank has closed nearly 20 percent of its locations in five years. The Industry calls this progress but for many elderly users, it’s dislocation. The bank’s entrance becomes a login screen. The teller’s desk becomes a row of icons. Their loss is not only human; it’s spatial. This essay argues that the real cost of digital banking isn’t technical, but topological. It disrupts the cognitive and emotional spaces older people rely on. Drawing on Marc Augé’s “non-places” and transaction cost theory, I explore how digital finance alienates elders by erasing spatial familiarity — and why rebuilding that sense of place is essential for trust. French anthropologist Marc Augé coined “non-place” to

Jul 2, 2025By Dorothea Rosskopf

[Economic Essay Contest] Where did the bank go? Rebuilding spatial memory in digital finance

Economic Essay Contest Lost in translation at bank: Foreigner’s view on financial AI in Korea

Moving to Korea two years ago came with a series of challenges. Opening a bank account should have been a simple stress-free process; however, it was anything but. I found myself sitting in a customer service chair, receiving form after form to sign, not understanding a single word and with the unsettling feeling that, at some point, I might have signed away my organs! It may sound dramatic, but that confusion is a feeling shared by many of the more than two million foreigners living in Korea, as of 2024. As we enter the age of AI, stories like mine, albeit told with humor, reveal a deeper problematic: the difficulty of accessing essential services in an environment that, although highly technological, has not yet adapted those tools to adequately serve its growing foreign population. In a country with where technological advances are widespread, it is troubling that the service sector, and banking in particular, has yet to integrate these innovations to make life easier for those who do not speak the language or are unfamiliar with local processes. Korea is a world leader in connectiv

Jul 2, 2025By Hermayonie Centeno

[Economic Essay Contest] Lost in translation at bank: Foreigner’s view on financial AI in Korea

Korea nominates new talents for upcoming Asia Model Festival

The Asia Model Festival Organizing Committee (AMFOC) and Korea International Cultural Exchange Foundation on June 23 hosted Face of Korea, a contest to nominate representative models participating in the upcoming Asia Model Festival: Face of Asia, at the Namsan Crest72 in Seoul. Marking the 20th anniversary this year, the Asia Model Festival: Face of Asia aims to choose the region’s top male and female models through preliminaries in up to 25 countries including Korea, Japan, China and Mongolia. In Korea, the event is scheduled to be held at High1 Resort in Gangwon Province for one week starting Oct. 25. The Face of Asia finalists will be given an opportunity to not only be casted by Korea’s major model agencies but also participate in key fashion events such as Seoul Fashion Week, Asia Open Collection and Asia Model Awards. A total of 26 male and female models participated in the preliminary contest, appearing on the catwalk for various fashion brands including Jinbarbie, POUM, J.KAREN and Line Collection. “The Face of Korea nominated Hwang Ju-won, Lee Soo-in, Park Ji-yeon, Kim Ta

Jul 1, 2025By Jhoo Dong-chan

Korea nominates new talents for upcoming Asia Model Festival

Yoido Full Gospel Church leads efforts to tackle Korea's low birthrate

Yoido Full Gospel Church is leading the way in tackling Korea’s ongoing demographic crisis by showing that the church’s faith-centered approach to fostering a family-friendly environment is actually working. The church said Tuesday that households led by church members in their 20s to 40s boast an average of 1.61 children per household as of May. This figure is more than double the national total fertility rate of 0.72. At a time when the country grapples with a record-low fertility rate, these statistics offer a glimpse of how community life can shape family structures. Lee Young-hoon, senior pastor of the church, emphasized that addressing the low birthrate is not merely a matter for government policy, but a vital mission for the church. "The issue of low birthrate is not simply an administrative challenge for the country, but a calling for the church to protect and practice the gospel of life," he said. "We will continue to work hand in hand with the government to spread a healthy community culture." Over the past decade, Yoido Full Gospel Church has launched a variety of initiativ

Jul 1, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

Yoido Full Gospel Church leads efforts to tackle Korea's low birthrate

Seoul’s All That Jazz keeps the groove alive, decades on

For a lonely traveler in search of a lively night in a foreign city, Smalls Jazz Club might be the spot in New York. In Tokyo, there’s Blue Note Tokyo. And in Seoul, it’s All That Jazz, which as set the tempo for the city’s jazz scene since 1976. Tucked away in Itaewon — perhaps Seoul’s most international neighborhood — Korea’s first jazz bar, with its signature blackwood interior, has long served as a haven for music lovers and performers alike. Jin Nak-won, who has run the club for nearly 40 years, told The Korea Times in an interview that it all started with the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s “Take Five.” “That saxophone drove me crazy,” said Jin, 68, a nostalgic smile spreading across his face. “I was in fourth grade, and music was always playing in my cousin’s house, usually from an old record player in the master bedroom. One day, I happened to hear the song — it was just unbelievably good. I loved it so much that I played it on repeat all day until their family came home.” Jin didn’t even know what the song was at the time. It wasn’t until a few years l

Jul 1, 2025By Park Ung

Seoul’s All That Jazz keeps the groove alive, decades on

Celebrity chef on mission to promote Korean snack foods in New York

Celebrity chef Jung Ji-sun is promoting Korean snack foods at a major international food event in New York. The owner and chef of Tian Mimi, a Chinese restaurant chain in Seoul, is participating in this year’s Summer Fancy Food Show, which began Sunday (local time) and runs through Tuesday. As North America’s largest specialty food and beverage trade show, this year’s event features around 2,600 companies and is expected to attract more than 40,000 attendees. Korean snack foods, often referred to as street foods, include tteokbokki, or spicy simmered rice cakes, instant noodles, blood sausage, fish cakes and an assortment of deep-fried options such as squid, vegetables and shrimp. These snacks are commonly sold on streets at popular tourist spots and local markets throughout the country, as well as in dedicated restaurants. Jung, known as the “queen of dim sum,” showcased how to cook instant noodles and other snack foods using an instant noodle cooker, demonstrating that Korean snacks and delicacies can be conveniently prepared with everyday kitchen appliances. With Korean cuisi

Jun 30, 2025By Ko Dong-hwan

Celebrity chef on mission to promote Korean snack foods in New York

Gwangju woman joins donor club after overcoming poverty, disability

A 57-year-old woman from Gwangju, who was once dependent on basic welfare payments and living with a disability, has emerged from years of poverty to achieve self-reliance — and is now giving back as a major donor. According to Gwangju’s Seo District Office, Tuesday, housing manager Song Soon-hee joined the district’s Honors Club, pledging to donate 500,000 won ($367) each month for the next five years. She also made an initial contribution of 5 million won after joining the club. The Honors Club, established in November of last year, is the nation’s first donor community led by a local government, recognizing individuals who pledge more than 30 million won to the district. Just a decade ago, Song was grappling with chronic illness and living in poverty, dependent on government support. Her turning point came with a small but meaningful gift from a local welfare official — an LED lamp offered as a gesture of encouragement. At the time, her home was so dim — its sunlight blocked by a nearby building — that it stayed dark even during the daytime. After receiving the lamp, she

Jun 26, 2025By Jung Da-hyun

Gwangju woman joins donor club after overcoming poverty, disability

‘Probably over $36 million’: Korean popera singer Lim Hyung-joo's income revealed for first time on TV

Globally acclaimed popera singer Lim Hyung-joo will unveil his personal income on television for the first time, revealing that he became a millionaire at the age of 20. Lim will appear on EBS and E Channel’s co-produced show “Seo Jang-hoon’s Millionaire Next Door,” airing Wednesday night. Touted as “the pioneer of Korean popera and a legend in the global popera scene,” Lim’s appearance marks his first on a Korean variety program in 15 years, excluding news clips and performance broadcasts. Lim had long declined offers from TV producers to feature his life in documentaries, but he is now set to open up on “Millionaire Next Door” about the human side behind his glamorous stage persona. The episode will also spotlight his 400-pyeong (approximately 14,200-square-foot) mansion and the emotional story it holds. “I became a millionaire at 20, so I have every right to be here,” Lim said, explaining why he decided to appear on the show after years of turning down offers. He was the first Korean musician to sign with all four of the world’s major classical music labels and

Jun 25, 2025By Xportsnews

‘Probably over $36 million’: Korean popera singer Lim Hyung-joo's income revealed for first time on TV

Daughter retraces Korean War veteran father’s journey through fiction

As Wednesday marks the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War, one American woman is commemorating it in a more personal way — through a novel that connects her father’s military service to the divided realities of the Korean Peninsula today. Patrice Bittel, a retired lawyer now pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at Pacific University in Oregon, recently made a research trip to Korea. Her goal was to collect firsthand experiences and impressions for her debut novel, “The Buddha Head,” a modern-day suspense story involving South and North Korean characters. But the trip was also a journey into her father’s past — one she only partially understood while he was alive. “My dad was in the Navy during the Korean War, and his job was to deploy depth charges,” she said during a recent Zoom interview with The Korea Times. Depth charges are explosive devices dropped into the sea to destroy enemy submarines. Her father, James Edwin Thomas, enlisted in the Navy in 1943 at age 17, served until 1949 and returned to active duty in 1951 during the Korean

Jun 24, 2025By Kim Se-jeong

Daughter retraces Korean War veteran father’s journey through fiction

Who is Asuka Kirara? Former AV star linked to The Boyz’ Ju Haknyeon prostitution rumors draws renewed attention

Asuka Kirara, a former Japanese adult film actress, is back in the spotlight following reports of a private meeting and alleged prostitution involving Ju Haknyeon, a former member of K-pop group The Boyz. On June 18, media reported that Ju Haknyeon met with Asuka Kirara at a private bar in Tokyo on May 29. The encounter reportedly continued into the early morning hours and included physical contact such as hugging. Additional reports raised suspicions that their meeting may have involved prostitution, fueling intense public scrutiny of both figures. Born in 1988, Asuka Kirara debuted in the AV (adult video) industry in December 2007 and starred in over 400 films. In 2009, she was awarded both Best Actress and Best HD Actress at the SkyPerfecTV! Adult Broadcasting Awards. Later that year, she signed with HMP Prestige and remained active until her retirement in February 2020. In 2023, she received a special award in the overseas model category at the 11th Korea Arts and Culture Awards. She now works as a social media influencer and CEO of her own company. Meanwhile, Ju Haknyeon took to soc

Jun 21, 2025By Xportsnews

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