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Do unborn babies need names? In Korea, absolutely
Lee, a mother of two daughters, often calls her eldest “poop,” a nickname she gave to her from when she was in the womb. “I just thought it was cute. 'Ddong' (meaning poop in Korean) sounds funny, and for some reason, it felt perfect for this little creature tumbling around in my belly,” Lee told The Korea Herald. Lee isn’t the only one who thinks poop makes a cute "taemyeong," a womb-time nickname that literally means "fetus name." It’s actually quite popular among many Korean moms-to-be. Rappe
Aug. 5, 2025 -
Video of unidentified creature in Han River goes viral
A video showing what appears to be an unidentified creature in the Han River has gone viral, according to local media reports Wednesday. The video titled “A Real Monster Emerges at the Han River in Seoul” was posted July 11 by fishing-themed YouTube channel Jungdam Story. It shows the YouTuber fishing at night near a parking lot by the National Assembly in Yeouido, when he spotted something large and moving in the water. At first, he thought it was a big fish. Upon closer observation, he appeare
July 30, 2025 -
Tailoring weddings for queer couples that law shuns
In South Korea, where marriage is legally defined as a union between a man and a woman, same-sex weddings have existed only in the stories of a few trailblazing couples. Among them are filmmaker Kim Jho Gwang-soo and his partner Kim Sung-hwan, the first openly gay couple known to have held a wedding ceremony in South Korea in 2013. A decade on, such weddings are no longer taboo or something only a few brave outliers dare to pursue. They've now become a viable option for many same-sex couples, al
July 30, 2025 -
How Koreans keep kids' heads fashionably round
In Korea, when a baby sleeps soundly, whether lying flat or with their head turned to one side, parents don’t just admire the peaceful sight. They have a task at hand: gently repositioning the baby’s head from side to side during sleep. It’s a small but deliberate effort to prevent flat head syndrome and encourage a well-rounded head shape. While flat head syndrome is a real condition caused by constant pressure on the back or side of a baby's head, South Korean parents often have additional con
July 29, 2025 -
Why some Koreans considered iPhone ‘half-baked’ until it could replace their wallet and record calls
For more than a decade, a certain group of South Korean iPhone users passed around the same dry joke online: features like Apple Pay, call recording and transit card support would "only come to iPhone after unification with North Korea." The comparison wasn’t literal. It was a way of saying these features felt so delayed that they belonged to the realm of the near impossible. But as of now, that punchline has expired. On July 22, Apple and T-money officially launched support for Korea’s nationwi
July 28, 2025 -
100-day rule for newborns
For many Korean parents, bringing a newborn home from the hospital plays out like a covert mission. From the moment the baby leaves the hospital, every move is meticulously planned. Swaddled tightly in layers of blankets, the infant is swiftly ushered through the underground parking lot and into the car. There's no detour, only a direct drive home. Upon arriving the parking lot of their home, the parents rewrap the baby, shielding the child from sunlight and wind before making a quick dash indoo
July 22, 2025 -
True Crime (1) Killer behind the lens
Have you ever imagined what it would be to get a glimpse of someone’s final moments, before life slips away? It’s a disturbing thought, but death makes headlines. In 1982, a South Korean photographer was consumed by the desire to witness and capture death. He believed death could be art; provocative, forbidden art that would make his name known worldwide. In this first installment of True Crime, we revisit the case of South Korean photographer Lee Dong-shik, who was, in the end, nothing more tha
July 18, 2025 -
Can Korea's 'text-hip' reading craze outlive the hashtag?
When Gim Ji-min arrived at the Seoul International Book Fair 2025 in June, she thought the buzz on social media was exaggerated. “I honestly assumed people were just hyping it up on Instagram,” said the 26-year-old sociology Ph.D. student. “But the moment I stepped inside, I knew this was different. Every trendy book-themed tote bag, keychain, and bookmark had already sold out.” She wasn’t alone in her surprise. Over five days, more than 150,000 people packed Seoul’s Coex convention center. Tick
July 17, 2025 -
Restrained romance of 'KPop Demon Hunters' ignites fan imagination
Netflix’s record-breaking hit "KPop Demon Hunters" is making major waves worldwide and has online communities buzzing with fan-made content. Many such fans longing for a deeper romance between main characters Rumi and Jinu have been creating and sharing photoshopped images of the two kissing, holding hands, or going on dates. Co-directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, "KPop Demon Hunters" is an animated movie centered on the fictional K-pop girl group Huntrix. Its members, Rumi, Mira, and Z
July 16, 2025 -
Hidden cultural moments in KPop Demon Hunters
“Do Koreans really put a napkin under their spoon and chopsticks?” said Natalia Lima, a 28-year-old Brazilian woman who has watched Netflix’s hit animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" more than twice. In the scene that caught her attention, main characters Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, members of the fictional K-pop group Huntrix, are eating gukbap (Korean soup with rice) at a restaurant where Mira places her spoon and chopsticks on a folded napkin. "In Brazil, utensils are usually placed directly on the t
July 15, 2025 -
Baby’s first haircut can go a little extreme in S. Korea
A baby’s first hair naturally falls out over time, but some parents in South Korea choose to shave it early. Why? The practice stems from a long-held belief, though less common today, that shaving encourages hair to grow back thicker and fuller. As in many cultures, lush, full hair is highly valued in Korea, often regarded as a symbol of health and youth. The shaved hair is often kept as a memento, stored in decorative keepsake boxes or framed for display. Some even have it crafted into a brush,
July 15, 2025 -
Day care starts at birth
Behind a glass wall, rows of tiny newborns sleep soundly in bassinets, swaddled in soft blankets and waiting for their first journey home. A nurse gently lifts one and carries it toward the viewing window. On the other side, the new mom and dad stand frozen in awe as they catch their first glimpse of their precious child. It’s a scene straight out of a Korean drama — and one that plays out in real life every day in South Korea. Here, it is common for newborns to be separated from their mothers s
July 7, 2025 -
No camera, just a prompt: AI video creators are taking over social media
"Create a video of a young Korean girl playing at a beach." From the way the girl cautiously steps into the water to the sunlight glimmering on the ocean surface, it was remarkable how much detail the video managed to capture from such a simple prompt. This prompt-based AI video also features realistic sound effects, such as crashing waves and the gentle splash of water with each step she takes. Amid rapid advances in artificial intelligence, including the May 20 release of Google's Veo 3, conte
July 1, 2025 -
K-parenting 101: Don’t forget the socks
Leaving the house with a newborn feels like prepping for battle. From bottles, diapers and pacifiers to extra clothes, everything has to be packed like you’re never coming back. And once the door opens, it’s game on. For South Korean parents, among the countless things to pack, there's one item that must never be forgotten: socks. If you dare to take your baby out without socks, be ready for stares and a flurry of nagging from Korean grandmothers on the street, at the supermarket, or wherever th
July 1, 2025 -
KakaoTalk is finally testing typing indicators. For many Koreans, it just feels wrong
For 15 years, South Korea’s iconic messaging app KakaoTalk thrived without a feature so basic that most of us never noticed it was missing until now. Since its launch in 2010, KakaoTalk has uniquely dominated South Korean communication, standing apart from global giants like Apple and Meta. Rather than WhatsApp and iMessage, Koreans have always relied heavily on homegrown platforms, particularly KakaoTalk. Yet, strangely enough, KakaoTalk never had a simple feature that was included in almost ev
June 26, 2025