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SET IN Hera Palace, a luxurious 100 story high-rise in Seoul, The Penthouse: War in Life is an SBS K-drama that revolves around three women living in the competitive “war” of real estate and education. Written by screenwriter Kim Soon-ok who is well known for her mak-jang[1] style, this series is lo
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Kim Shin-young
2021.06.06 00:27
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DURING TIMES of uncertainty, some people turn to tarot cards for answers to their questions, and to regain a sense of security. These cards are believed by some to possess the power to access the deepest corners of the soul and reveal information about the future[1]. Although tarot card reading is q
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Aimanshina Aruzhan
2021.05.09 01:36
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“MY NAME is…” The eliminated contestants of JTBC’s audition show Sing Again revealed their names for the first time before exiting the stage for the final time. This strange moment of emotional goodbyes and welcome reveals set the tone for the “reboot” audition show that captivated viewers with its
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Lee Ju-won
2021.04.04 14:37
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PODCASTS ARE only getting bigger. In 2018, there were 75 million monthly podcast listeners in the United States, and now 164 million people are projected to be listening by 2024[1]. One of the main appeals of podcasts is their flexibility—with over 800,000 active podcasts that cover almost any topic
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Jung Da-il
2021.03.07 18:24
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“FLAWLESS,” “IDENTICAL,” “carefree”—these are some of the words that are used to describe K-pop idols. Their impeccable performances, not to mention their perfect on-screen appearances, make these stars come off as “machines,” rather than individual human beings. The new Netflix documentary BLACKPIN
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Kim Shin-young
2020.11.30 08:24
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PICTURE THIS: You are walking through a street in Seoul and you spot a claw crane machine. Unable to resist, you step closer and peer into the machine to check out the prizes. For a thousand won, you can try your hand at the classic arcade game and attempt to win a stuffed doll. However, as easy as
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Oho Yun-seo
2020.11.01 19:13
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NETFLIX, ONE of the top streaming services in the world, has formed a partnership with Studio Ghibli and released 21 Ghibli films on its website in February this year. This was the first time these movies have appeared on streaming sites, and although it has been decades since these films were produ
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Kim Da-eun
2020.10.11 20:21
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TROT, ONCE perceived as a fringe music genre appealing exclusively to the listening tastes of your grandparents’ generation, has experienced an explosive revival in the Korean music industry. Trot’s skyrocketing popularity has created legions of avid trot fans moving from K-pop fandoms and led to un
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Mun Su-hyeon
2020.08.31 10:21
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BUBBLE TEA, a beverage made with tea, milk, sugar, and tapioca pearls, is well-known as the “nation’s favorite drink” in Taiwan. After Gongcha’s foray into the Korean market in 2012, Koreans also became familiar with the drink. People later started to enjoy bubble tea from the original flavor to new flavors, such as the black sugar bubble tea. A cup of bubble tea holds an interesting story of development and expansion. Reasons to love bubble tea “Bubble tea is like gum. It’s fun to munch on,” said Jeong Ye-eun (Sr., UIC, Sustainable Development and Cooperation) in an interview with The Yonsei
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Lee Jong-min
2020.06.14 00:15
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A BEAUTIFUL face catches your eyes from the side of the street. There in front of a café, people are taking photos of a blown-up poster of a K-pop idol with “Happy Birthday” written across it. Whose birthday is it, you wonder. And why weren’t you invited? Well, it turns out everybody is invited. These celebrations, known as café events, are organized by various dedicated K-pop fans to celebrate important milestones in their favorite idols’ lives, from birthdays to debut anniversaries. Commemorating important milestones and anniversaries The most common occasion for a K-pop caf&ea
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Ding Jaimie
2020.05.01 18:55
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MANY CINEMATIC masterpieces are revered for their meticulously planned details: from the innocuously placed origami unicorns in Blade Runner to Da-song’s “self-portrait” in Parasite. The classics are able to convey meaning in every detail; nothing is there without a reason. One such small feature that contributes to fleshing out a believable character is their choice of drink.James Bond: “shaken, not stirred” martiniReleased in 1962, Dr. No marked the start of 007’s worldwide fame and popularity. It was also the first, but certainly not the last time Bond ordered a “shaken, not stirred” martin
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Kwon Do-in
2020.04.05 02:59
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AMERICAN HORROR writer H.P. Lovecraft passed away unpopular and impoverished in 1937, yet his fiction survived to inspire generations of cult and horror creators. Incomprehensible and inhumane, his inventive monsters birthed the genre of “cosmic horror” and are constantly reproduced in games, film, and books. But a dilemma looms in all Lovecraftian fiction: the author’s undeniable racism. The Mythos “Cosmic horror” deals with the fear of the unknown, a vital component in Lovecraft’s universe. Lovecraft created dozens of deities and aliens in his fiction that were enough for his readers to conj
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Kim Chae-yoon
2020.03.13 00:43
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“TELL ME your story. I want to hear your voice, and I want to hear your conviction. No matter who you are, where you’re from, your skin color, gender identity: speak yourself*.” After 14 months and 62 shows in 13 countries, BTS has finally wrapped up their “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself” tours with three final gigs in their hometown, Seoul. As BTS’ popularity continues to soar across music charts and continents, the tour’s core message has undoubtedly struck the hearts of millions of ARMYs** across the world. Breaking the Scene: Breaking records and boundaries BTS kicked off their history-maki
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Fan Vivian, Noh Ruby
2019.12.02 02:17
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THE AVERAGE Korean has never had to pause in the middle of a convenience store visit and think of certain items, like individual units of string cheese or crabsticks, as anything out of the ordinary. From the viewpoint of an uninitiated foreigner, however, items like pairs of hard-boiled eggs stick out like sore thumbs because they are not quite snacks or meals, neither are they a prudent decision when shopping for groceries. Perhaps it is important that the convenience store aisles reflect not only that what we consume is different from the rest of the world, but also that there is a differen
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Prairie Soh
2019.11.02 22:34
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COMPETITION IS entertaining especially when you are simply a spectator. The fun further intensifies when the competition is amongst charming idol trainees who are simply the modern, and the more attractive version of the Renaissance man: they can sing, act, rap, and dance to all genres. But what happens when there are a hundred of these stunning, talented individuals competing against one another? Such is a glimpse of the scene in the PRODUCE franchise, and the origins of its growing popularity reflect South Korea’s fascination with competition and rivalry. PRODUCE 101: how it all started The
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Kim Kyu-ri
2019.10.06 20:49
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THE ACT of storytelling is no easy task. To polish stories to perfection, writers employ different techniques to deliver their intriguing narratives. Among a range of narrative devices available, the plot device has been a favored tool among many storytellers. Simply put, a plot device refers to any element in a story that drives the plot forward*. While misuse of such technique can be regarded as cliché or tacky, under the right condition, plot devices can significantly transform the overall storyline to be all the more poignant and compelling. The MacGuffinThe MacGuffin is one of the
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Park Jae-ha
2019.09.03 23:13
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THE LANGUAGE of flowers, also known as floriography, is a messaging method that presents hidden meanings by linking specific significance to certain flower types. Gifting flowers is a common practice for events like weddings and funerals, to convey a myriad of meanings such as love, appreciation, and even pain. However, the tradition of flower language is not limited there as it spreads throughout human culture via works of storytelling. Plants were used in literature as far back as the Greek Mythology tales and the Hebrew Bible, and the tradition of flower language has further developed world
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Cho Seung-wan
2019.06.03 09:01
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TO BE sure of one’s identity and have the power to fully express it is a wonderful gift to be cherished. To add an artistic flair to it makes it a talent and art. Drag queens may have earned their reputation as men dressing up and performing as women, but it is clear that this is a potent means of self-expression for them. The drag community continues to catch people’s attention with their exaggerated looks, extravagant attire, and phenomenal stage presence. They are people who remain immensely dedicated to their work, and the art of drag is undeniably admirable. Drag is more than a profession
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Kim So-yeon
2019.05.07 14:40
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DRAGONS ENGULFING the sun, gods releasing anger onto people, or the moon and the sun fighting in an intense battle─these myths all explain the existence of an eclipse. Before science was used to explain certain phenomena, humans used stories to explain nature’s mysteries based on their experiences and beliefs. These explanations created folk tales that have been passed down to the present day, allowing people to reflect upon their own cultures. Etiological folklore especially serves as a way of understanding how our country was molded and brought to existence. The Origin of Korea In Korea, par
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Yang Soung-hyun
2019.03.06 11:15
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BEFORE THE emergence of scientific theories and principles to explain astronomical patterns and anomalies, ancient peoples used to construct stories to explain the phenomena they observed in the sky. It is said that the Babylonians associated celestial bodies with certain attributes by metaphorically interpreting their characteristics and movements*. Mercury, for example, symbolized deceit because of its quick movement and difficulty to locate. Such interpretations marked the beginning of what we now call “astrology,” which derives from the Greek word astron (“star”) and logia (“study of”). As
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Yang Ji-weon
2018.12.02 13:48