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IMF’s Korea Review Miscast as Debt Warning

The IMF’s 2025 Article IV consultation judged Korea’s short-term fiscal policy as appropriate and urged medium-term reforms. Yet one major newspaper reframed the report as a debt crisis warning, importing figures and thresholds the IMF never used.

September 24, 20255 min read

Young Forty the new sandwich generation of Korea

A concept coined in the 2010s to rebrand middle age as adventurous has, by 2025, become shorthand for privilege and hypocrisy—illustrating how cultural capital erodes across generations.

September 21, 202513 min read

Fragmented Governance Weakens Korea’s Social Enterprises

Split oversight and shifting budgets leave cooperatives and village companies vulnerable, highlighting the need for procurement reform.

September 17, 20257 min read

Why Fruit Prices Remain High in Korea: Inside the Wholesale Monopoly and Reform Debate

Since the 1980s, public wholesale markets like Garak have shaped fruit distribution in Korea. Decades later, five corporations control most transactions, operating under licenses rarely challenged.

September 11, 20258 min read

Loaf of bread in Korea costs nearly double Japan and more than France

International comparisons show Korea leading regional price charts as the market lacks low cost supermarket anchors.

September 7, 20253 min read

Lotte Card Breach Shows Korea’s Limits on Punitive Damages and Accountability

The 2025 Lotte Card breach, the company’s third major exposure in fifteen years, reveals how Korean financial institutions remain trapped in a cycle of weak enforcement, delayed detection, and eroding consumer trust.

September 4, 202512 min read

Korea’s Tattooist Act: From Legal Gray Zone to Public Health Regulation

Korea is moving to legalize tattooing under a strict public health framework, introducing licensing, safety rules, and oversight after decades in the shadows.

August 31, 20256 min read

Connected but Unprotected: South Korea’s Seniors and the Digital Dilemma

Smartphone ownership among South Koreans over 65 is among the highest in the world. But heavy reliance on YouTube and KakaoTalk has left seniors vulnerable to misinformation, fueling political polarization and intergenerational tensions.

August 19, 202511 min read

Climate Change and the City: Why Shade is the New Infrastructure

In August heat, even a short walk can feel punishing. Yet many of Korea’s new towns offer little shade. As climate change stretches summers and intensifies heat, the simple act of walking demands a new vision of urban planning.

August 17, 20256 min read

Korean Teens, Short-Form Algorithms, and the Rise of Extremist Humor

How Korea’s teens are being shaped by short-form feeds, hate memes, and algorithms—impacting focus, empathy, and social attitudes.

August 11, 202513 min read

Unchecked Regenerative Clinics Challenge Korea’s Medical System

A 2024 revision of Korea's regenerative medicine law widened access to experimental treatments, but left critical oversight structures incomplete — exposing both patients and insurers to risk.

August 5, 20258 min read

South Korea Reverses AI Textbook Policy After Public and Legal Pushback

South Korea has officially removed AI textbooks from its national curriculum, following technical failures, legal confusion, and mounting public opposition after just one semester of use.

August 4, 20255 min read

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