Traditional patbingsu from Samcheong Bingsu in Seoul, July 11, 2023 (Photo by Saul Latham) Korea’s stifling, sticky summer heat, paired with the nation’s famous ppalli ppalli (hurry, hurry) culture, cries out for an opportunity to enjoy an icy sweet dessert and good company. That’s where bingsu, Korea’s popular shaved ice dessert, comes to the rescue.    Stores specializing in the dessert have become commonplace, and during summer, bingsu pops up on

Sungkyu of K-pop boy group INFINITE (Courtesy of DoubleH TNE)  For Sungkyu, the leader of K-pop boy group INFINITE, 2023 is a milestone marking a turning point in his career.     The 34-year-old put out his fifth mini-album, “2023 S/S Collection,” on June 28 shortly after staging a series of solo concerts abroad. It has taken more than a year for him to come up with a new album, following the release of his f

An elderly storyteller recounts folk tales and old stories to young kids as part of the “Storymama” project. (Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) It is widely known that older generations can enhance their well-being just by connecting with younger people. According to a 2008 study by Michelle Carlson, a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, older adults improved their brain and cognitive function after tutoring students for six months.

A Korean language class at the National Center for the Rights of the Child office in downtown Seoul in 2022  (Photo by the NCRC)  The National Center for the Rights of the Child (NCRC) in Seoul has a unique Korean language program mainly for Korean overseas adoptees.    It is a 15-week program held twice a year in collaboration with the King Sejong Institute Foundation. The NCRC launched t

Kim Gum-hyok, a policy adviser to the Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA) (Photo by Kim Gum-hyok)  Kim Gum-hyok, a 31-year-old North Korean defector, and his 28-year-old Seoul-born wife have a YouTube channel detailing their married life aptly titled “Seoul Pyongyang Couple.”     “It was simple, to share my married life. I wanted to tell that I’m doing well in South Korea. It was not to enco