In recent months, hundreds of people fleeing the war in Yemen have arrived at a tourist destination off the coast of South Korea. But neither the government in Seoul, or the South Korean public, seems to want them to stay.
Following the recent thaw in tensions that paved the way for historic summits between leaders of the US, South and North Korea, fear of prolonged hostility between the Koreas has been overshadowed by a renewed sense of hope.
While women’s rights and anti-abortion activists in Ireland celebrated a new era of legalized abortion last week, another place in the world was debating the future of its own abortion laws.
After South Korean President Moon Jae-in had spent months rekindling a relationship with North Korea, President Donald Trump on Thursday abruptly called off a June 12 summit with Kim Jong-un. The announcement — made publicly and apparently without prior notice to Moon — came just a day after Moon preened Trump with high praise at the White House.
The Reconnaissance General Bureau, North Korea's equivalent to the CIA, has trained up the world’s greatest bank-robbing crews, a constellation of hacking units that pull massive online heists. In just the past few years, RGB hackers have struck more than 100 banks and cryptocurrency exchanges around the world, pilfering more than $650 million. That we know of.
Since North and South Korean leaders met last week, there has been renewed hope that 2018 could see the formal end of the Korean War and Kim Jong-un giving up his nuclear weapons. But denuclearization isn't as easy as surrendering a truckload of bombs.
Seoul wants the troops to stay because US forces in South Korea play the role of a mediator in military confrontations between neighboring superpowers like China and Japan, a presidential official said.
The Shinchonji Church of Jesus was founded in South Korea back in 1984 by a man whose followers call him, "the promised pastor." The group has grown in its home country and expanded into Western nations. But not without notoriety.
The Korean American community is standing by a new statue honoring thousands of "comfort women," or sex slaves, used by Japanese soldiers during World War II. Japanese conservatives say the statue has to go. And both sides are taking the issue to the White House.
Primetime dramas in South Korea — known as K-Dramas — are filled with implausible story lines, complete with romantic twists and turns. They’ve been popular in Asia for years, but thanks to online streaming websites, they’re now gaining a cult-like following in the US.
In recent months, hundreds of people fleeing the war in Yemen have arrived at a tourist destination off the coast of South Korea. But neither the government in Seoul, or the South Korean public, seems to want them to stay.
Seoul, the capital of South Korea, has more megachurches than any other city in the world. But right now, Protestant evangelical leaders in South Korea don’t have the best reputation.
Kim Gee-yang got tired of waiting for Korean magazines to hire her as a plus size model. So she started her own magazine, where she sometimes publishes fat-shaming comments to take away their power.
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Culture
This apocalyptic Korean Christian group goes by different names. Critics say it's just a cult.
PRI's The World
July 11, 2017
The Shinchonji Church of Jesus was founded in South Korea back in 1984 by a man whose followers call him, "the promised pastor." The group has grown in its home country and expanded into Western nations. But not without notoriety.
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Global Politics
A California statue stirs passions in South Korea and ire in Japan
PRI's The World
January 29, 2014
The Korean American community is standing by a new statue honoring thousands of "comfort women," or sex slaves, used by Japanese soldiers during World War II. Japanese conservatives say the statue has to go. And both sides are taking the issue to the White House.
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Culture
Why every Korean kid knows not to keep the fan on over night
PRI's The World
November 04, 2014
There's a superstition that Korean parents tell their kids: If you go to sleep with an electric fan running in your room, you might die.
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Justice
They came to America as adoptees but were never made US citizens
PRI's The World
December 31, 2015
How a quirk in US law led to thousands of international adoptees becoming stateless.
KDrama_1.jpg
Arts, Culture & Media
Your next big, addictive TV series could be from South Korea
PRI's The World
February 20, 2014
Primetime dramas in South Korea — known as K-Dramas — are filled with implausible story lines, complete with romantic twists and turns. They’ve been popular in Asia for years, but thanks to online streaming websites, they’re now gaining a cult-like following in the US.
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A protest against Yemeni refugees reveals how South Korea has been 'educated to think about foreigners'
PRI's The World
July 05, 2018
In recent months, hundreds of people fleeing the war in Yemen have arrived at a tourist destination off the coast of South Korea. But neither the government in Seoul, or the South Korean public, seems to want them to stay.
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Conflict
South Korea makes a bold move with a former ‘comfort woman’ at its state dinner with the US and Japan
PRI's The World
November 08, 2017
South Korea sent a provocative message to Japan and the US by inviting a former "comfort woman" to a state dinner with President Donald Trump.
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Music
K-pop’s gross double standard for women
GlobalPost
April 25, 2016
The Korean pop music empire is now perhaps the country's biggest export, yet the product it peddles is all too often incredibly sexist.
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Religion
The biggest megachurch on Earth and South Korea's ‘crisis of evangelism’
PRI's The World
May 01, 2017
Seoul, the capital of South Korea, has more megachurches than any other city in the world. But right now, Protestant evangelical leaders in South Korea don’t have the best reputation.
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Media
In the US, I'm too skinny to be a plus size model. In Korea, I'm a fat woman.
PRI's The World
December 30, 2015
Kim Gee-yang got tired of waiting for Korean magazines to hire her as a plus size model. So she started her own magazine, where she sometimes publishes fat-shaming comments to take away their power.