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Viral footage of racist attack on Korean streamer in France sparks outrage

A video showing a Korean Twitch streamer harassed with racist and sexist language during a livestream in downtown Toulouse, France, has gone viral, sparking global outrage. Yoo Yoon-jinn, better known online as Jinnytty, is a popular Korean content creator with over 1.1 million subscribers. She is known for her travel livestreams, sharing cultural experiences from places like the United States and Europe. On Wednesday, while livestreaming her walk through the streets of Toulouse, she was suddenly harassed by a man on a scooter. The attacker approached her without warning, slapped the camera she was using to stream and shouted a stream of racist and misogynist insults. “What are you filming? You dirty Chinese woman. Get lost, you filthy whore,” he yelled before fleeing the scene. The disturbing incident was broadcast live to thousands of viewers. Shaken, Jinnytty reacted in disbelief on the livestream. “What was that?" she said. "I was filming my face. I wasn’t pointing at him. He just went behind in the background. This is a public area.” As the footage spread rapidly online, vie

May 12, 2025By Anna J. Park

Viral footage of racist attack on Korean streamer in France sparks outrage

Irish community organizes sunrise walk to promote mental well-being

The Irish Association of Korea (IAK) is organizing Solas, a community walking event to promote well-being and raise funds for mental health services. A 5-kilometer walk is set to take place simultaneously in three regions of Korea —Seoul, Busan and Jeju Island — beginning at 4 a.m. on May 31 and continuing until approximately 7 a.m. Participants will meet in the darkness and experience the sunrise together as they walk. "It's beautiful going along the Han River at that time," said Gordon Winthrop, the main organizer and husband of Irish Ambassador Michelle Winthrop. "It's about emphasising that in the darkness there is light, there is always hope. By having that walk starting in the dark and as you continue your 5K walk and get to the end, it's got bright, the sun is up and there's hope." He added that this is not a competitive race. "It's not a run, it's not a sprint, it's not a race," he said. "Everybody's just walking at their own pace for the 5K route. It gives people a chance to meet, to mingle, to talk. With that, what we're trying to emphasize is the need to communicate. If you

May 12, 2025By Jon Dunbar

Irish community organizes sunrise walk to promote mental well-being

BWAHAHAHAHA 12 'Hearing That Made His Nostrils Flare'

The joke I’m translating today is based on a religious conflict between Christianity and Confucian belief. Although I haven’t been able to discover very much about the editor of “Kkalkkal Useum,” a man named Namgung Seol, I think it’s likely that he was Christian because this joke so clearly depicts the Christian as winning the argument — especially since it’s hard to imagine anyone finding this argument convincing. In 1916 only a small minority of the population of Korea was Christian, but the religion was more popular in Seoul than in rural areas, and was to some degree associated with modernization and Western-influenced education. In other words, I think it’s likely that the original audience for “Kkalkkal Useum” would have been more receptive to Christianity than the contemporary population of Korea as a whole. As I discussed last week, the humorists behind “Kkalkkal Useum” didn’t (and probably couldn’t) use the recent colonization of Korea or the colonial government as the targets of humor or satire, but this joke shows no reluctance about using relig

May 12, 2025By G.S. Hand

[BWAHAHAHAHA 12] 'Hearing That Made His Nostrils Flare'

Verger Gallery hosts DIMO Artspace’s fourth international group exhibition in Seoul

The fourth edition DIMO Artspace exhibition, titled “Metamorphosis; we are here,” features 29 Korean and global artists. This time it's at Verger Gallery in western Seoul's Yeonnam-dong from May 11 to 31. "Metamorphosis" marks the group’s fourth exhibition and carries the message: “We are here.” For many Korea-based foreign artists, this exhibition is more than a showcase of art; it’s an expression of identity, presence and visibility. It highlights artists who may not be widely known but have consistently pursued their work with passion and sincerity. Through this group exhibition, they raise their voices and share their experiences, reflected deeply in their creations. Song Da-eun, founder and CEO of the gallery, told The Korea Times that while most galleries in Korea tend to focus on local artists, she is taking a different path by exhibiting works from countries such as Australia, Finland, Denmark, France, Hong Kong, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine to broaden perspectives and connect people across cultures. “Many years ago, I traveled abroad and visited countless galle

May 11, 2025By Bereket Alemayehu

Verger Gallery hosts DIMO Artspace’s fourth international group exhibition in Seoul

From anxiety to art: Charity Lynn's creative journey in Seoul's music scene

In the tiny but vibrant indie music landscape of Korea, American illustrator Charity Lynn has established herself as a visual storyteller whose distinctive black-and-white illustrations have become intertwined with the country's local bands and venues. Since arriving here in 2021, Lynn has transformed from newcomer to sought-after artist, creating posters and artwork that capture the essence of the independent music community — all while developing a style she describes as "anxious and soft," a motto that perfectly encapsulates both her art and personality. Lynn recently added “promoter” to her list of jobs, booking an exciting lineup of indie bands for an upcoming event celebrating her birthday. "Recently, I've been trying to make more emotionally inspired art," Lynn explained during our interview at her apartment, as her cat Chai — herself an occasional artistic muse — wandered in and out of the room. "I want to show my feelings in a way that isn't predictable, presenting anxiety in a cute way." Lynn's signature aesthetic features monochromatic illustrations with meticulous a

May 11, 2025By Jamie Finn

From anxiety to art: Charity Lynn's creative journey in Seoul's music scene

Korean Americans poorer than average for Asian Americans as gap persists between immigrants and US-born

As economic disparities between South Korea and the United States have narrowed, the number of Koreans emigrating to the U.S. has declined over the past two decades — and a notable income gap has emerged between immigrants and Korean Americans born in the U.S., a recent study shows. According to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pew Research Center, the profile of Korean Americans has significantly changed in terms of regional distribution, income and educational attainment. Among the estimated 1.84 million Korean Americans living in the U.S. as of 2023, 56 percent — about 1.03 million — were first-generation immigrants. That share has dropped about 15 percentage points from 72.6 percent in 2000, when there were 1.17 million Korean Americans, including 850,000 immigrants. Experts say this shift is largely due to a slowdown in new immigration from South Korea. The study also revealed a considerable income gap between first-generation immigrants and their U.S.-born counterparts. Households led by Korean immigrants earned an average annual income of $88,400, which is $1

May 7, 2025By KTimes

Korean Americans poorer than average for Asian Americans as gap persists between immigrants and US-born

RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK Spill Out's New Jersey-style pizza arguably best in Korea

A common complaint among new arrivals to Korea is the lack of “good” pizza, whatever that may mean. Hidden in an alleyway in Yeonnam-dong is Spill Out, arguably the best pizza on the peninsula. Started a few years ago by the trio of Kevin Carpenter, Scott French and Eric Wright, this restaurant aims to bring “New Jersey-style” pizza to hungry people around the country. What is NJ-style pizza? Head chef Scott explains, “Where a New York pizza is sauce on bottom, cheese on top, Jersey style is cheese on bottom, sauce on top.” “So what?” you may be wondering. How can this be different? It definitely is. Scott uses less cheese on this pie than a New York-style pizza, and this leaves a lot more of the sauce exposed to the elements of the oven. The taste is extraordinary. Being a Jersey-style pie joint has also led to a Caesar salad pizza. Wait! Don’t stop reading. I know this sounds bizarre on paper, but trust me. This pizza is a Caesar salad dressing and chicken breast base put in the pizza oven. Once it emerges, it gets hit with fresh lettuce, and it’s spectacular. I ha

May 7, 2025By Kevin Grabb

[RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK] Spill Out's New Jersey-style pizza arguably best in Korea

BWAHAHAHAHA 11 'Something Terrible Could Have Happened!'

The joke I’m translating today finds humor in the ridiculous figure of an absent-minded old man. While other jokes from “Kkalkkal Useum” depict an unusual, even far-fetched situation, this one centers on a much more commonplace scenario: a memorial ceremony for a deceased person. The focus, however, is on the character of an old "yangban" — a member of the aristocratic elite from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Korea has a long tradition of humor mocking the foolishness, greed and incompetence of the yangban class, particularly as a component of oral genres like "pansori" (a musical storytelling genre) and mask dance, rather than in written forms. Increased literacy in late 19th- and early 20th-century Korea enabled the rise of popular humor in writing, but this joke shares at least a similar attitude — if not more — with that older tradition of oral humor. Note also that the three aristocratic figures depicted here hold government positions. Although “Kkalkkal Useum” was published several years after the colonization of Korea by the Japanese empire, which began in 1910

May 6, 2025By G.S. Hand

[BWAHAHAHAHA 11] 'Something Terrible Could Have Happened!'

Coupang introduces English app for foreign customers

Korean e-commerce giant Coupang said Tuesday it has launched an English interface for its mobile application to better cater to its foreign customers shopping online. The English interface will enable users to view functions central to the app, including product search, product descriptions, order information and payment, in English. Other services frequented by customers, including Rocket Delivery, cross-border shopping and Gold Box, which refers to daily special offers from Coupang, are also available in English. Users can access the English interface by changing the language setting in the My Coupang menu of the app. "The number of customers who search for products in the app in English is gradually increasing," a Coupang official said. "The English interface will enable an intuitive and convenient shopping (experience) for foreign customers."

May 6, 2025By Yonhap

Coupang introduces English app for foreign customers

Food and drink become art at ART OnO 2025

An art fair last month made art edible, offering food and drinks prepared by artists who were part of the ART OnO 2025. This sensory-driven special exhibition, titled “Sensorium - Back to Play,” introduced the concept of "Art You Can Eat, Smell and Touch." It was the work of SUPERMADE, a Seoul-based multidisciplinary artist group and cultural powerhouse working together with two artists from Korea and one from Thailand — No Sangho, Hyunsun Jeon and Sareena Sattpon. They transformed the space at SETEC in southern Seoul into a shared eating space, inviting visitors to experience art through food, drink and memory from April 11-13. “We wanted to move beyond the visual artwork that is typically seen at an art fair and reinterpret and create an artwork guests can touch, feel the weight and texture, smell, taste and digest — literally," said American artist Justin Nemeth, SUPERMADE's communication team manager, who produced and hosted the project. He said the second goal of the exhibition was to create a communal experience. "Art is meant to have humans connect and understand each ot

May 6, 2025By Bereket Alemayehu

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