Humans of Seoul
Humans of New York-inspired blogs have sprung up all over the Internet, and now Korea’s capital city has its very own. Seongkyoon Jeong, editor in chief of Humans of Seoul, feels that “Korean society tends to emphasize group consciousness, often ignoring individual existence, values, and diversity.” “I wished I could peek at what people of Seoul...
The Ch’eat Sheet: On Korea’s Craft Beer Scene
The Craft Beer Fest at COEX Food Week (Nov 6-9.) displayed a physical model of the craft beer scene in Korea itself: in a corner of an immense convention hall a handful of vendors rapidly sold beer to a teeming crowd. It is not the first year craft beer partook in the Food Week Scene,...
On Seoul’s Guryong Slum and Pushing Poverty Under the Carpet
After the 1960s, a rapid increase in Seoul’s urban population led to inflated prices and a shortage of affordable housing in the city. A large number of slum settlements developed and in 1988 Guryong panjachon (a wooden board house) was created by residents who had been pushed out of their inner-city slums by the government...
Is Korea’s Coffee Scene on the Verge?
Dunkin Donuts is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year abroad and at home with special deals on donut sets that may be appearing in offices near you. The everyman’s rival brand to Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts trickled into Korea and other parts of Asia after the company went public in 2011. Economic pundits were skeptical the...
Korea’s Animal Casualties
During a lesson on describing animals, I asked my students about South Korea’s national animal. Foreheads wrinkled. Eyes glanced sideways. “Tiger?” said one student. “Bear?” said another. They looked to their Korean teacher for help. No-one was sure. In the 20 classes I taught that week, none of my 700+ students could provide a confident...
An Australian, an Ajumma, and a Lot of Skin
For many people, the allure of travelling has a lot to do with being out of one’s comfort zone. That goes for me too; like the time I got out of my comfort zone by getting out of my clothes. I then wished my comfort zone all the best for the future, asked it to...
365 Days of Chincha
We’re celebrating Chincha’s first birthday today and are currently in a food coma from too much galbi meat and Baskin Robbins ice cream cake. If we were sober we would be taking this time to tell you what a fabulous and wonderful time we have had in the last year and to thank you for...
