South Korea - The Korea Times

MORNING CALM TALES Glory days of Seoul's black markets

Only a few days after I arrived in Korea, I stumbled upon something completely unexpected. My new apartment in Jamsil was just a stone’s throw from a supermarket, a two-story, nondescript building across from Lotte World and the Hanyang Shopping Center. At first glance, it seemed typical of what I’d soon learn were standard Korean housing complexes — usually anchored by a grocery store, a handful of shops selling household items, a small bakery, a dry cleaner, a locksmith, a shoe repair shop, perhaps a pharmacy and even academies for taekwondo, piano or art. Little did I know that this unassuming supermarket held a secret that would introduce me to a hidden world beneath the surface of everyday Korean life. At the time, I surmised that this supermarket — likely at its peak in the 1970s — had been a bustling hub before Lotte and Hanyang arrived. Its basement still housed a small grocery store, while the ground floor featured several shops and stalls selling bedding, underwear, stationery and other household essentials. But that wasn’t what caught my attention. Out of the corner

Aug 14, 2025By Jeffrey Miller

[MORNING CALM TALES] Glory days of Seoul's black markets

Kiwi band finds inspiration in Seoul’s indie undercurrent

Under the neon glow of Seoul’s sleepless nights, New Zealand indie pop band There’s A Tuesday spent over a week in Korea diving headfirst into its music scene. The Kiwi quartet — childhood friends Nat Hutton (vocals, guitar), Minnie Robberds (vocals, guitar), Gus Murray (drums) and Joel Becker (bass) — were in the city for a creative residency to write, record and perform, thanks to Asia New Zealand Foundation, BIG FAN and CJ Cultural Foundation. Through the Seoul Residency program, the group from Christchurch explored the origins and reach of Korea’s indie scene with curiosity from their arrival on July 31 through Aug. 10. Accompanying the band were their manager Cuillin Hearty; Savina Fountain, general manager of BIG FAN, a not-for-profit, multi-purpose music space located in Morningside, Aotearoa; and myself as music journalist. For Fountain, a Korean New Zealander, returning to Seoul was an eye-opening experience. “I’ve learnt how strong infrastructure in the music industry, such as CJ Cultural Foundation’s Tune Up program, supports Korean artists in reaching the worl

Aug 12, 2025By Samantha Cheong

Kiwi band finds inspiration in Seoul’s indie undercurrent

RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK Where the locals go for dakgalbi in Chuncheon

CHUNCHEON, Gangwon Province — When one hears that a friend is going to Chuncheon, I’m sure there is only one word that comes to mind: dakgalbi. This spicy stir-fried chicken dish is loved by many and its origins are here in this city. I have been to Chuncheon more times than I can count. It’s my comfort city. I had always gone downtown to “Myeongdong Dakgalbi-ro,” an alley downtown where there are dozens of different dakgalbi restaurants. On a visit a year ago, though, I decided to ask the head brewer at Gamja Island Beer Brewery, “Where do potatoes (a local term of endearment for Gangwon citizens) eat?” “Oh, definitely 1.5 Dakgalbi. We [the owners of Gamja Island] ate there all the time when we went to Kangwon National University. It’s super popular with locals.” 1.5 Dakgalbi could not be further from touristy Myeondong-ro. Located in Hupyeong-dong, it’s a 10-minute walk from the university's north gate. Opened in 1989, this place is consistently busy and was full at noon, 15 minutes after I’d arrived. The first thing I noticed about 1.5’s dakgalbi, when it sli

Aug 12, 2025By Kevin Grabb

[RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK] Where the locals go for dakgalbi in Chuncheon

Gimpo celebrates International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

GIMPO, Gyeonggi Province — More than 250 guests from various countries came together at Yanggok Middle School in Gimpo, Sunday, to mark the 2nd International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples celebrated in Korea. The event showcased the richness of diverse cultures, the uniqueness of Indigenous identities and the beauty of distinct traditions, creating a vibrant space for cultural exchange and mutual appreciation. Hosted by the Jumma Peoples Network Korea, a cultural organization of the Bangladesh Jumma Indigenous people established in 2002, and Dream of Nations Myanmar Community, an organization for Myanmarese Indigenous refugees resettled in Korea. The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples on Aug. 9 was first proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1994. This year's celebration recognizes and honors the rich diversity of Indigenous cultures, and acknowledges historical injustices, ongoing struggles and their contributions to humanity. It has been said that Korea has become home to many Indigenous peoples from around the world, including the

Aug 12, 2025By Bereket Alemayehu

Gimpo celebrates International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

Brick factory worker in Naju fined for forklift abuse of foreign colleague

The abuse of a foreign worker at a brick factory in Naju, South Jeolla Province, earlier this year has led to criminal charges and a fine against a Korean perpetrator. The Ministry of Employment and Labor on Sunday announced the results of its investigation into serious abuses of migrant workers at the brickworks. This came after a video went viral, showing a Sri Lankan worker, 31, bound to a load of bricks with plastic wrap and hoisted into the air by the forklift operator on Feb. 26, while other Korean colleagues watched and mocked the victim. Inspectors from the ministry’s regional office in Gwangju said the video-documented abuse constitutes assault and workplace bullying under the Labor Standards Act. So the forklift operator was immediately slapped with a fine of 3 million won ($2,100) by the ministry. The suspect also faces prosecution in connection with this case for criminal offenses including special confinement and special assault — both of which involve group actions. The investigators confirmed additional labor violations at the factory. A total of 21 current and former

Aug 10, 2025By Jung Min-ho

Brick factory worker in Naju fined for forklift abuse of foreign colleague

LAUGHING THROUGH HISTORY 17 'Even If I Can’t Get Married…'

Traditional Korean education focused on literacy in hanja, or Chinese characters, and was based on the classical Chinese canon. (Although hangeul, the writing system used for vernacular Korean, was created in 1443, it did not become the primary medium of education in Korea until after 1945.) The joke I’m translating today depicts an interaction between a teacher and students, and the description of the teacher as a “writing instructor” identifies the classroom as offering a classical education. Early examples of modern schools were established in Korea by missionaries toward the end of the 19th century, although such schools initially educated only very small numbers of students. In the early 20th century the relative merits of classical versus modern education were part of larger debates about the direction of Korea's future development, with advocates of modern education arguing that Korea needed to adopt foreign knowledge and thought in order to become strong enough to maintain its independence. As an example of a contrasting view, Park Nogap’s 1948 novella “Forty Years

Aug 7, 2025By G.S. Hand

[LAUGHING THROUGH HISTORY 17] 'Even If I Can’t Get Married…'

Labor minister vows ‘zero tolerance’ for discrimination against foreign workers

As Korea celebrates the 21st anniversary of the Employment Permit System (EPS) ― its labor migration framework with partner nations in Asia ― Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon pledged on Wednesday a “zero-tolerance” stance against discrimination targeting foreign workers. At an EPS conference in Seoul attended by representatives from 17 labor-sending countries, Kim underscored a firm stance against discrimination and called for respect for diversity. He outlined the ministry’s commitments to creating a fairer, safer and more inclusive environment for all workers, envisioning shared prosperity through international partnership. “We breathe, work and grow together with workers from 17 different countries. Their sweat, dedication, patience and commitment will never be forgotten,” Kim said during his speech at the event. “Ensuring that foreign workers are guaranteed their rights and can work in an equitable environment free from discrimination ― this is the most important principle we must uphold. Harassment, violence and other types of human rights violations against them mu

Aug 6, 2025By Jung Min-ho

Labor minister vows ‘zero tolerance’ for discrimination against foreign workers

Gov’t plans to discontinue Seoul’s foreign nanny program early next year

Excavation resumes at Gyeongsan Cobalt Mine, stirring questions of memory and justice

Sixteen years after excavations halted in December 2008, amid an undermining of the first Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) mandate, a new phase of work has resumed at the Gyeongsan Cobalt Mine to search for the bodies of massacre victims killed by South Korean government forces. This time, the focus is on the vertical shaft beneath the second horizontal tunnel in Pyeongsan-dong, with a backing of 300 million won from Gyeongsan City and North Gyeongsang Province. If large-scale burials are verified, stakeholders will push for a nationally led excavation. For now, the budget is limited and the work slow, due to safety concerns. The project is overseen by the Hanbit Institute of Cultural Properties, which in 2023 cleared soil sacks left from previous digs. This year’s excavation marks a modest but meaningful step toward recovering and identifying remains and artifacts buried at one of Korea’s most significant massacre sites. Between July and September 1950, as the Korean War escalated, state forces — including local police in Gyeongsan and Cheongdo, the Gyeongbuk Counter

Aug 6, 2025By Jack Greenberg

Excavation resumes at Gyeongsan Cobalt Mine, stirring questions of memory and justice

LAUGHING THROUGH HISTORY 16 'Are the Cat's Whiskers White Because It's Old?'

From a child’s perspective, there’s something odd about grandfathers. A comparison of the jokes in the humor book “Kkalkkal Useum” depicting grandfathers and grandsons versus those depicting fathers and sons shows a clear ambiguity in the relationship. Should a grandfather be respected and feared the same way that a father is? Within a patriarchal system, a paternal grandfather is in theory at the top of the hierarchy, above the father himself. But within a traditional family, the grandfather is often less responsible for providing discipline, and is thus free to treat the child more indulgently. Today I’m translating two jokes — both quite short — in which a grandfather lets a grandson walk all over him. When reading the first of the two, it should be remembered that the fear of aging is a part of our contemporary culture that doesn’t necessarily apply to Korea in this era. In this context, it’s less insulting for the child to point out that the grandfather has white hair (although that might sound like a jab today) than to act dismissively about his advanced age. The

Aug 4, 2025By G.S. Hand

[LAUGHING THROUGH HISTORY 16] 'Are the Cat's Whiskers White Because It's Old?'

African Dinner Club prepares Zambian dishes in Seoul

Have you been looking for African food and cultures in Korea? This Saturday afternoon, you have a chance to experience a little Zambia at Uplift, a recently opened bar in central Seoul's multicultural Gyeongnidan neighborhood. The Mwaiseni African Dinner Club is hosting its third pop-up dinner experience, bringing the heart of Africa to Seoul. Mwaiseni means “Welcome” in the Zambian language, and that’s what the organizers hope to offer, in a warm, vibrant space where people can come together and experience the richness of African culture through food, music and networking. This intimate cultural gathering invites guests to enjoy at least eight authentic African dishes, including peri-peri chicken (grilled chicken served with a spicy chili-based sauce), kapenta (crispy fried small fish) and guava and mango salad. Chungsil Kunda, the dinner club's co-founder, is from Zambia and has lived in Korea for 15 years. She came here for school and completed her undergraduate and graduate studies at a Korean university. “At the beginning of this year, just before taking a break from work af

Aug 4, 2025By Bereket Alemayehu

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