“Standing right on the East Sea / Shining bright when I see ya / Every day and night / We’re getting closer / Now I can feel you.”   The music video “ISLAND – Dokdo, Beautiful Island of Korea” begins with a catchy tune and English lyrics sung by K-pop star Lee So-jung from the girl group Ladies’ Code.   The Northeast Asian History Foundation (NAHF) released the YouTube music video five days before Dokdo Day (October 25) to mark the occasion. It is Korea’s l

A view of the museum's permanent exhibition of its contemporary art collection. Courtesy of Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, has often been referred to as one of Korea’s top private art museums, displaying a number of national treasures and works coming from the collection of late Samsung Group founder Lee Byung-chul and his son Lee Kun-hee.   Since Leeum Director Hong Ra-hee, wife of Lee Kun-hee, resigned in 2017, however, the museum has only

gettyimagesbank Q.  In the middle of our conversation, my Korean friend used the term  don-jjul . What does it mean?     A.   Don-jjul  is used mainly by young Koreans, but this slang is starting to catch on. It’s a pun from  hon-jjul  (severely criticize one or give someone the business) – with “ hon ” (literally soul) replaced by “ don ” (money). This rather awkward combination takes on a new meaning similar to “Let’s shower s

Rice paddy in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Shim Hyun-chul ● Rice paddies in southwestern Seoul create a unique autumn landscape. ● City residents are willing to pay more for locally sourced “Gyeongbokgung Rice.”    Those who visit Seoul’s southwestern district Gangseo-gu around this time of year will find a unique autumn landscape not seen in other big cities.   Amber waves of grain in a 261-hectare rice paddy unfold before the eyes, stretching

BTS performs at its Love Yourself concert, held at Citi Field in New York, Oct. 6, 2018. Courtesy of Big Hit Music ● Collective actions by K-pop fans have become a must for idol groups eyeing global success. ● K-pop fan-driven collective actions are facing a backlash in some countries.   Loyal fans have played a huge role in the rise to stardom of nearly every major pop celebrity.   But for K-pop idol groups, who have grown to exert huge cultural in