Category: Essays
We aim to examine major economic, social, and cultural issues unfolding in Korea with depth and balance.
This section explores why certain events occur, what underlying forces shape them, and how we should understand and interpret these developments.
At the intersection of current issues and broader social questions, we seek to explore the spirit of our time and the values we must collectively shape moving forward.
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She Became a Star: Xu Xiyuan
On June 17, 2026, Chinese-language media including Hong Kong’s Sing Tao Daily carried news that a distant asteroid finally had a name. The Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature under the International Astronomical Union (IAU) had confirmed the official designation of asteroid No. 208663 as “Xu Xiyuan.” That name belongs to the Taiwanese actress who…
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What It Means to Buy Samsung Stock
On June 5, 2026, Samsung Electronics announced its “Together with the People, Gratitude Festival.” For four weeks, from June 8 to July 5, every customer who purchases a Samsung product will receive Onuri vouchers — government-issued local commerce certificates — worth 20% of their purchase price. Uniformed public servants including soldiers, police officers, firefighters, and…
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I Used to Love Starbucks
On the morning of May 18, 2026, a small promotional poster appeared on Starbucks Korea’s official app and online store. It was advertising the Tank tumbler series as part of a “Buddy Week” event — and stamped across that poster, targeting May 18th specifically, was the phrase “Tank Day.” Below it, one more line: “Bang…
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King Sejong’s Tomb: A Walk Through Korea’s ‘Finest Land Under Heaven’
On Saturday, May 9, 2026, the courtyard in front of Yeongneung — the tomb of King Sejong in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province — was thick with the scent of ink. The Sejong National Hangeul Calligraphy Contest was underway, an annual celebration of the beauty of the Korean alphabet. In an age when digital keyboards have become…
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Please, Be a Leader
April 23, 2026. Pyeongtaek. About 40,000 people gathered in a square next to the Samsung Electronics campus. The police estimated 30,000; the union claimed 40,000. It was the rally of Samsung Electronics’ Cross-Company Labor Union. Flags flapped in the wind. Labor songs filled the air. Their demands were two. A 7% wage increase. And the…
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NVDY, What Is It Really?
More people than ever are diving into stock investing. Day traders, long-term holders, dividend hunters — the market has room for every style. But there is one type of product that tends to stop even experienced investors in their tracks: the income ETF, specifically the kind that promises monthly — or even weekly — cash…
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A Christian at a Buddhist Expo
On Saturday, April 4, 2026, COEX Hall B in Seoul’s Samseong-dong was packed with visitors to the Buddhist Expo. The event drew enough attention to make national headlines, with roughly 250,000 people attending over four days. Suspended from the ceiling were banners bearing this year’s theme: a rounded graphic of 〈空〉—emptiness—alongside its Chinese character. Beneath…
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A Ship Named Arirang
What BTS’s Comeback Concert at Gwanghwamun Left Behind At eight o’clock on the evening of March 21, 2026, the opening began. A low, traditional melody settled over Gwanghwamun Square — Arirang, sung by the female vocalists of a traditional Korean music ensemble. Neither fast nor elaborate, the sound was mournful and quietly aching. On the…
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Seollal Spent Alone, Tteokguk Eaten Alone
Tuesday, February 17, 2026 marks the 4,359th Seollal in Dangi, the traditional Korean era count.A holiday that has endured on this land for 4,359 years. Seollal is the day the Korean New Year begins according to the lunar calendar. Families gather to welcome the new year. The younger bow to their elders in a formal…
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Gossip Among AI Agents on Moltbook
On January 28, 2026, a new world opened—one into which humans are not allowed to intervene.A platform called Moltbook had launched. It is a social network designed exclusively for AI agents. Humans can only observe their conversations from the outside; participation is not permitted. Quite literally, this is a space where AI agents gather and…