The word “Han” is a culturally developed concept of Korean ancestors through the history of desolation. “Han” can be defined as a Korean cultural concept of deeply-felt bitterness and enduring sense of having been wrong; a sense of extreme sorrow. It is common to hear Korean elders expressing Han towards Japanese people…
Category: Korea and Koreans
Evaluating South Korea’s Public Diplomacy
Governments around the world endeavor to form a just public diplomacy; the communication between the foreign ministry and foreign nations to promote its agenda. Ideally, it’s utilized to foster a better image of themselves to maintain long-term alliance relationships and create general goodwill with nearby countries. Such methods include public diplomacy dedicated campaigns…
The Excitement of K-Dramas
Over the past two decades, the Korean Wave or Hallyu has swept the world. Korean culture first spread to China and Japan, later to Southeast Asia and several other countries worldwide where it continues to have strong impacts. The prominent spread of the Korean Wave now extends its influence from the leisurely…
Language Differences Between North and South Korea
The separation of the two countries – North and South Korea – has caused a drift in the two cultures and especially in their languages. Throughout 70 years of separation, the Korean in North Korea has been kept more or less the same, whereas the Korean in South Korea has been constantly…
South Korea’s Spycam Epidemic
In South Korea, spy cameras, or “molkas” have been a big issue for a long time. These hidden cameras can be found anywhere: public restrooms, fitting rooms, subways, and even in trash cans. As a result, women live in fear because they could be recorded and revealed on pornographic sites. According to New…
South Korea’s Minimum Wage Raise Sparks Controversy
Last May, President Moon took office with a left-leaning promise to significantly raise the minimum wage in South Korea. In the past few weeks, he has been facing backlash from both liberals and conservatives regarding his minimum wage policies. On July 16, President Moon apologized in a meeting with his aides,…
The War that Many Thought Would Start Finally Ends?
April 27, 2018 a day that will always be remembered in Korean history. The two leaders of both North and South Korea have made history by meeting at the border of the two Koreas and for the first time. The North Korean leader decided to come to South Korea for a day long summit…
Evaluating Trump’s Actions Towards North Korea
When I began drafting this article, I was focused on evaluating the public’s rather positive opinion towards Kim Jong-Un’s seemingly ‘affable’ openness towards conversing with South Korea as well as its critical opinion towards Donald Trump administration’s ‘undiplomatic move.’ But soon, President Trump commented, according to The Telegraph, that America and North Korea “are…
[Editor’s Column] #KoreaToo
It was as if Korea had turned upside-down. In January this year, when a female prosecutor Seo Ji-Hyeon decided to publicize her experience of sexual assault, as well as the ongoing custom of muffling the cries of such victims, the citizens of South Korea fell into a shock. Many were shocked that such vulgar and…
1987 in South Korea
1987: When the Day Comes is a Korean movie that has recently been released in theaters around the globe. The movie is based on a true story of the events that took place in 1987 in South Korea surrounding the death of a student named Park Jong Chul. Known as the June Democracy Movement, protesters…