At conservative protests in South Korea, it is not uncommon to see demonstrators waving American flags - or even (in)famously dressing up as Captain America. The symbolic act underscores a deep-rooted belief that the United States is an unwavering ally, committed to South Korea, and acting in its interests.
Significance. Foreign investors are rapidly expanding into South Korea’s monthly rental market, which will exacerbate Gen-Z’s existing frustrations with housing affordability. Traditionally reliant on jeonse—a long-term deposit-based rental system—young Koreans now face rising monthly rents as jeonse options dwindle.
South Korea's political landscape is marred by a history of contentious candidate selection processes, leading to public disillusionment and political instability.
In South Korea, two recent airline accidents have intensified concerns over aviation safety, raising questions about the reliability of domestic carriers. As South Korea positions itself as a major travel hub in Northeast Asia, incidents that undermine trust in air travel directly affect its tourism sector.
Opinion polls are big in Korea. You can find one to support your views, no matter what they are. Now, this is concerning in itself, and from what I’ve seen, it pays to be pretty skeptical about polls when it comes to gauging public sentiment.
Event or Trend: Pro-Yoon Suk-yeol rallies in Seoul on 18-19 January saw a surge in anti-China rhetoric and conspiracy theories, particularly allegations of Chinese interference in Korea's 2020 general elections. These unverified claims were propagated widely through social media and after repetition by conservative lawmakers have entered mainstream political discourse.
The impeachment of Yoon brought out a new academic phenomenon - the scholarly live report as academics compete with random commentators, acerbic trolls, and journalists for likes and reposts in a race to the bottom.
South Korea’s conservatives like to change their party name after a f@*k up - and this time, they’ve really f@*ked up.The public is really pissed. Nobody wants this - and soon the economy will start to feel the effects as general strikes spread and investors say WTF? I’m outta here! What confuses most people, is why the party leader would want this - he’s shooting himself in the foot. He will soon be as unpopular as Yoon.
For those outside Korea, it’s hard to imagine that the country’s politics are influenced by centuries-old mysticism. Shamanism (musok), once a cornerstone of indigenous spirituality, has quietly evolved into a shadowy force in modern politics.
On 3 December South Korea’s president imposed martial law. Within six hours the National Assembly voted to overturn the declaration. While democracy prevailed, the incident exposed entrenched political instability in South Korea.
