Korea’s “Mind Cafés” Offer Silence in a Loud City
In a quiet corner of Seoul’s Hapjeong district, people enter a low-lit café where no one speaks, phones are banned, and music is barely...
Korea’s Zero-Waste Movement Goes Local—and Gets Creative
At a Saturday market in Jeonju, vendors wrap tofu in cotton cloth, swap shampoo bars like gifts, and refill soy sauce from steel tanks....
Can a Machine Make You Cry? Korea Debates AI-Generated Poetry
On a quiet February night in Daehak-ro, an audience listens as a poem unfolds: “I am a roof in rain / built from someone’s forgetting.”...
Korea’s Freelancers Want More Than Freedom—They Want Protection
At a café in Seongsu, 34-year-old translator Park Minkyung works on three deadlines at once—none of which come with insurance, sick...
Korean Teens Are Studying Abroad—Without Leaving Home
In 2025, 16-year-old Lee Harin attends high school in New York, takes extracurriculars in Singapore, and chats with classmates from...
Korea’s Seniors Are Aging Alone—And Building Their Own Networks
In a small community center in Mokpo, 12 elderly women gather every Thursday—not for bingo or health checks, but to teach each other how...
Koreans Are Deleting Social Media—Quietly, and on Purpose
One by one, without a farewell post or explanation, Koreans in their 20s and 30s are vanishing from social media. No drama, no...
Vegan 2.0: Korea’s Plant-Based Culture Gets a Makeover
Once seen as niche or even radical, veganism in South Korea is undergoing a quiet revolution. No longer limited to hardcore activists or...
Koreans Are Taking Sleep Seriously—and It's Becoming Big Business
In 2025, sleep isn’t just a biological need—it’s an aspiration. As stress and burnout rise, more Koreans are investing in rest like never...
AI Tutors Are Going Mainstream—But Can They Replace Human Teachers?
In a classroom in Daejeon, a 14-year-old student reviews grammar questions with an AI chatbot named “Saengsaeng.” It’s polite, patient,...
