Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Ups and downs of Seoul's Majang Meat Market

The statue of a bull near the entrance to the Majang Meat Market in Majang-dong, Seoul, is seen Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Park Ji-wonMajang Meat Market is well-known among locals as Seoul's best place to buy and eat fresh meat at a reasonable price. In recent years, it has emerged as a popular spot for TV personalities and YouTubers as “mukbang” or eating shows became popular. It is the largest meat market in the country with 2 million annual visitors. The market accounts for over 60 percent of meat, especially beef, distribution in Korea. “The market has grown along with the national economy. As people's income increased, the consumption of meat also increased,” Yoo Kwang-jun, head of a Korean beef co-op in Majang-dong, told The Korea Times. “When I first got a job here as a distributor about 36 years ago, it was very tough to work here. For example, the ground was just mud and was being used as cabbage fields back then. And the market smelled so bad that people had to wrap towels around their faces. But people gathered here to earn

Jan 6, 2021By Park Ji-won

Ups and downs of Seoul's Majang Meat Market

Koreans' trust in news media sinks amid pandemic

gettyimagesbankBy Park Han-solThe year 2020, throughout which residents in Korea were inundated with daily updates about the changing number of COVID-19 cases, was a period of uncertainty and confusion. Although reliance on accurate information about the pandemic proved to be more crucial than ever, the public remains largely distrustful of news media, a poll showed Friday.When asked about “the role of the press as a provider of information in regards to the issues directly related to the life and safety of the public” in the age of the coronavirus, 62% of respondents said they have “not much” trust in the media or “none at all.” Meanwhile, only 34% responded that they have “a fair amount” or “a great deal” of trust in their reporting.The nationwide survey of 1,000 adults over 18 years of age was jointly conducted by Media Today, an outlet dedicated to reviewing journalistic reporting practices, and the pollster Research View from Dec. 28 to 31.The numbers of those who expressed distrust in the news media were all higher tha

Jan 5, 2021By Park Han-sol

Koreans' trust in news media sinks amid pandemic

Shrinking Korea: demographic catastrophe looming

Country's population falls for 1st time in 2020By Jun Ji-hyeKorea's population is predicted to drop by half to less than 25 million by 2060 accompanied by a growing number of elderly people, resulting in decreases in the number of those able to fill jobs and serve in the military, according to a forecast by the Korea Economic Research Institute.This was backed up by the latest census figures released by the Ministry of Interior and Safety, Sunday, which showed that dramatic population changes have already begun as in 2020 the nation's population fell year-on-year for the first time, with deaths surpassing births. The ministry's data showed that Korea had a population of 51,829,023 as of Dec. 31, 2020, down 20,838 from a year earlier. This marked the first time that the country's population has fallen since 1962 when the country implemented its resident registration system. Ministry officials attributed the population decline to a record low number of births ― the country reported 275,815 births in 2020, down 10.7 percent from the previous year; while 307,764 people died, a 3.1 percen

Jan 4, 2021By Jun Ji-hye

Shrinking Korea: demographic catastrophe looming

Korean population falls for 1st time on record low births

As end to pandemic mask-wearing nears, Koreans scramble to arrange cosmetic surgery

GettyimagesbankWhen Ryu Han-na, a 20-year-old university student, got cosmetic surgery on her nose in mid-December, she had a simple reason: it might be the last chance to do so covertly before people start taking off masks this year as vaccines are distributed.Ryu, who has been attending her courses online throughout 2020, said the ability to recuperate at home and wear a mask in public without drawing attention were deciding factors."I always wanted to get a nose job ... I thought it would be the best to get it now before people start taking off masks when vaccines become available in 2021," she said as she prepared for the 4.4 million won ($4,013) procedure."There will be bruises and swelling from the surgery but since we'll all be wearing masks I think that should help," she added.That attitude is fuelling demand for such operations in South Korea, which had already experienced a pickup in cosmetic surgery in 2020.The country has been a world capital of cosmetic surgery even during non-pandemic times. The industry is estimated to be worth about $10.7 billion in 2020, up 9.2% year

Jan 4, 2021

As end to pandemic mask-wearing nears, Koreans scramble to arrange cosmetic surgery

Korean population falls for 1st time on record low births

The first baby delivered in South Korea in 2021, at 12:00 a.m. on Jan. 1, cries in Cha University Ilsan Medical Center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. YonhapSouth Korea's population fell year-on-year for the first time in 2020, census data showed Sunday, with a record low number of births getting surpassed by deaths to cause a natural decrease.According to the latest census figures released by the Ministry of Interior and Safety, South Korea had 51,829,023 people as of Dec. 31, 2020, down 20,838 from the end of 2019.The population had increased in each of the previous 10 years, though the growth rate had been steadily falling ― from 1.49 percent in 2010 to just 0.05 percent by 2019.For 2020, South Korea reported 275,815 births, down 10.65 percent from the previous year. But 307,764 people died in 2020, a 3.1 percent increase from 2019.The number of deaths increased every year from 2011 to 2018 before dropping in 2019 and then bouncing back up in 2020."Amid the rapidly declining birth rate, the government needs to undertake fundamental changes to its relevant policies," the interior min

Jan 3, 2021

Korean population falls for 1st time on record low births

Shrinking Korea: demographic catastrophe looming

Book sales increase amid pandemic

Book sales have shown a significant increase amid the pandemic. / Korea Times fileBy Park Han-solAmid the year-long pandemic and the everyday need for social distancing, demand for books has increased significantly across multiple platforms.According to Kyobo Book Centre, the largest bookstore chain in Korea, its sales from the period between Jan. 1 and Dec. 6 last year increased by 7.3 percent, compared to the previous year. A major online bookstore YES24 saw an even larger growth of 23 percent in its sales from January to November, compared to the year before.COVID-19 has brought changes to people's reading habits and their interest in different contactless mediums for consuming literature as well, especially in electronics and audio books.Millie's Library, an e-book subscription service provider, stated the number of its users has doubled since the beginning of last year. According to the audio book platform Welaaa, its number of audio books as well as its users have also surged by 90.1 percent and 394 percent, respectively.Such change in the demand for books is seen primarily as

Jan 1, 2021By Park Han-sol

Year of Ox highlights longstanding bovine-human relations

"Painting of a Herdsman" from late Joseon era attributed to Noga / Courtesy of National Museum of KoreaBy Kwon Mee-yooThe year 2021 is the Year of the Ox in the Chinese Zodiac. Creatures of the bovine subfamily were among the earliest animals raised as livestock, first domesticated over 10,000 years ago. Bovines and humans have been influencing each other throughout history, including when the first modern vaccine against contagious diseases was invented.The ox is the second animal in the Chinese Zodiac, and represents 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. in terms of time, and north-northeast on a compass. Though slow, the ox is known for doing its job, showcasing its earnest and prudent characteristics. Though commonly called the Year of the Ox in English, though the original Chinese term encompasses all varieties of cattle. Cow as one of the 12 guardians in Chinese Zodiac / Courtesy of National Folk Museum of KoreaChun Myung-sun, professor at Seoul National University's College of Veterinary Medicine, said cattle are one of the largest domesticated animals. The herbivore with four stomachs can eat up

Dec 31, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo

Year of Ox highlights longstanding bovine-human relations

Pandemic reshapes Korean wedding scenes

GettyimagesbankWith the wedding aisle adorned with a load of white and pink flowers and fancy dining tables decorated for the occasion, 38-year-old Choi Yu-mi's wedding looked like a typically lavish Korean marriage ceremony, except that the wedding hall held only dozens of guests, not hundreds.Tables laden with flower decorations, instead of wedding dinnerware, were placed between each guest table, while only four people were allowed at one big round guest table that usually accommodates up to eight people.Including Choi, her groom, their families, friends and the officiant, only 49 people were present for the wedding ceremony held in late December at a hotel ballroom in southern Seoul, which can sit up to 400 people.When the couple set out to arrange the wedding ceremony in June, they envisioned it as a normal-sized event with some 250 guests.The guest list has, however, taken deep cuts as South Korea has ratcheted up social distancing rules to curb COVID-19 outbreaks, and gatherings of only up to 49 people were allowed for indoor weddings when the couple's marriage took place earl

Dec 31, 2020

When ethical lapses revealed, stars quit, politicians stay

Star educator Seol Min-seok / Korea Times fileSinger, star educator quit TV shows over plagiarism By Kang Hyun-kyungWhen stars' ethical lapses are revealed, they apologize and drop out of TV shows or films they're shooting to take responsibility for their past misconduct. Sometime later ― usually after a certain period of hiatus ― they stage a comeback at least pretending they're sorry for their past actions. Yet these acts of repentance and taking of responsibility for past misconduct seems to be uncommon in politics. Unlike TV personalities who have been caught out, ethically flawed politicians ― as we've seen in many past nominees for Cabinet ministers ― hang in there, endure the storm and take the helm again once confirmation hearings are over. Star educator Seol Min-seok announced on Tuesday he would quit his TV appearances after local media reported that his master's thesis was plagiarized. In a social media post on Tuesday, Seol, who is also accused of distorting history, made an apology ― or something akin to an apology. “I know many people were disturbed by media repor

Dec 30, 2020By Kang Hyun-kyung

When ethical lapses revealed, stars quit, politicians stay

Cinema in 2021: Netflix-Disney Plus battle looming large

Korean cinema expert Darcy Paquet / Courtesy of Darcy PaquetDarcy Paquet says 2 platform giants' competition will create opportunities for local filmmakers By Kang Hyun-kyungAmid almost all sectors of the arts and entertainment reeling from COVID-19, there's one outlier that has been thriving since the outbreak of the pandemic ― streaming services. Netflix has seen a surge in subscriptions, thanks to the pandemic, stoking fears among some ill-prepared local film studios, concerned about what the dominance of Netflix means for the future of the production and distribution of local films. In 2021, however, the story will evolve in a different direction, according to film expert Darcy Paquet. Paquet, founder of Koreafilm.org and the translator who created the English subtitles for the Oscar-winning Korean film “Parasite,” said the scheduled launch of Walt Disney's streaming service Disney Plus in Korea, among other regions, will pose a grave challenge to the domination of Netflix in the streaming service. The looming battle between Netflix and Disney, however, will create mo

Dec 29, 2020By Kang Hyun-kyung

Cinema in 2021: Netflix-Disney Plus battle looming large

Pandemic-driven paradigm shift underway in hallyu

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