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THE MBN TV show I am a natural is a popular nature documentary that started airing in Aug. 22, 2012. The show has now aired more than 440 episodes and has an average viewer rating of 5%. According to Hanguk Gyungjae, it is one of the most popular culture programs on Korean broadcast. The show strive
Review
Kim Nayoon
2021.04.04 14:54
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"BREATHE IN, breathe out," a calm voice from your phone guides you. "Clear your mind, be present," continues the soothing voice as you practice your daily meditation. Many have turned to meditation apps to soothe their anxiety during the pandemic, but the genre itself has been steadily gaining a fol
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Senior Primo Laura
2021.03.07 19:23
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THE SISTINE Chapel ceiling, The Last Judgement, Pietà, David—these are just a few of Michelangelo’s highly acclaimed Renaissance masterpieces. Most of his artworks are frescoes [1] in the Sistine Chapel and marble sculptures that are part of the architecture, making them impossible to transport for
Review
Kim Shin-young
2021.03.07 18:21
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THE JOSEON dynasty sounds like a time that lay a great distance away from us and one that is impossible to revisit today. The nearest connection most people have had with the generation would be through Korean dramas or history channels on television. Experiencing a historical event through a second
Review
Jung Ye-won
2021.03.07 18:24
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IN TIMES when the Korean government is constantly reminding its people to practice “distancing in daily life,” youths are asked to refrain from gathering in large groups. After the COVID-19 outbreak, people have been searching for safer ways to socialize aside from hanging out in crowded bars and pu
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Lee Jong-min
2020.11.30 03:40
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TODAY, ART exhibitions are becoming more interactive and digital than they have ever been. We are now faced with installations that aren’t just encased in a frame on the wall, but are expanding across all four walls and even the floor. With the projected images constantly changing from the interacti
Review
Kim Shin-young
2020.11.30 03:41
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HUA MULAN is an honored war hero who appears in a Chinese folktale from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period (386-589). Disguised as a man, Mulan joins the imperial army in her father’s stead and trains to become a warrior to protect China from the Northern invaders. The ancient legend has bee
Review
Lee Jong-min
2020.11.01 19:48
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A COUNTRY’S history encompasses different eras, incidents, and significant changes that have helped shape it into the country we know and live in today. Due to the rather heavy and sensitive topics history often deals with, many find it a difficult field to approach, especially if it is of a foreign
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Kim Shin-young
2020.10.11 20:19
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EMPHASIS ON minimizing contact through “untact*” services has started a new age for the arts. Back when offline gatherings were still allowed, musicals and concerts were held at their offline venues, and people were free to roam around museums for hours on end. With heightened social distancing meas
Culture
Lee Jong-min
2020.10.11 20:18
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THIS SUMMER, the past came back in full blast. A remake of the 1994 hit song topped the music charts, and several Korean fashion YouTubers uploaded “lookbook videos” on how to dress like celebrities from the past. Newtro*, a reinterpretation of aesthetics and styles from the past, continues to influ
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Lee Jong-min
2020.08.31 10:19
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FOR STATIONERY and design lovers, South Korea is paradise—Artboxes and Daisos seem to follow you wherever you go, begging you to spend money there (and you oblige, of course). After a while though, you might need a change of pace. If you are looking for some trendy, creative stores filled with as many stickers as your heart desires, here are some recommendations in the Hongdae and Hapjeong areas that will satisfy all your stationery and gift needs. Recorder Factory Recorder Factory’s immediate vibe is “all things cute,” with their signature cartoon bunny peering out at you when you walk
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Ding Jaimie
2020.06.14 07:22
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IT IS safe to say that the word of 2020 is “social distancing.” While social distancing has been detrimental to the economy in general, one industry seems to be thriving more than ever: Over-the-top (OTT) platforms. OTTs are media platforms that use the Internet as a means to deliver television contents. Their numbers and value have grown exponentially since the 2000s, with the bankruptcy of the video rental chain Blockbuster and Netflix’s subsequent replacement marking the ascent of OTTs. While the surge of OTT platforms can be positive in terms of creating other options for customers, it is
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Kwon Do-in
2020.05.02 00:17
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SOME PEOPLE call it boring while others describe it as the best game of the century. Animal Crossing has earned a huge number of fans since its launch in 2001. The hype was especially excessive for this year’s release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the newly developed Nintendo Switch version. For the people who are adhering to the #StayHome directives amid the COVID-19 pandemic and heightened social distancing guidelines, the game has provided a so-called “healing effect” to its players. In order to understand the Animal Crossing fandom, one should take a look at how the series has evolved;
Review
Lee Jong-min
2020.05.02 00:12
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LEE YOUNG-EUN is an ordinary Korean citizen. She was born in Korea, received Korean public education from elementary to high school, and is now attending university in Seoul. Lee’s mother tongue is Korean, and like many of her peers, she identifies tteok-bo-kki as her comfort food. During her free time, Lee binge watches Korean TV shows and listens to her favorite group, EXO. From how she describes herself, Lee seems like a typical Korean college student. However, Lee has never felt that Korean society had accepted her for who she is—a Korean. Her slightly tanned skin and larger facial f
Culture
Noh Ruby
2020.05.02 00:06
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THE bestselling book of 2018 The 90s are Coming by Lim Hong-taek has become the bible for those who wish to understand the mindset and behavior of Koreans born in the 1990s. Today, it has established itself as the go-to book for those who find themselves uttering the line “back in my day…” It is also an interesting psychological report for the younger generation who, upon reading, will realize that their own actions may be somewhat of an enigma for their seniors. As part of the “90s generation” clan myself, this review aims to fact-check the author’s analysis of Korea’s youth. Rest assu
Review
Kwon Do-in
2020.04.04 16:13
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“INTRODUCING THIS must-have item, brought to you at a special price.” Nowadays, consumers tend to purchase various products from social media stars they admire—known as influencers. Influencers, with thousands of followers in their fanbase, make use of their accounts by establishing one-person stores online known as “cell markets.” However, there are limitations as to what individual shop owners can do by themselves, and as the fairly recent trend of cell markets have risen, several problems have begun to emerge. Many “fansumers” who were disappointed after receiving the so-called “flawl
Culture
Lee Jong-min
2020.04.04 16:03
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EVERY TRAVEL guide on Korea has an extensive list of attractions and recommended restaurants to visit. However, foreign travelers are often left with the same question at the end of their trip: “What kind of souvenirs should I take back home?” From traditional Korean gifts to K-pop goods, here are some suggestions from a local Korean on what tourists should buy when they visit Korea. Honey Butter Almond & Friends in Myeong-dong The Honey Butter Almond & Friends flagship store is only a few steps away from the Myeong-dong subway station. Although visitors can also find the original honey butter
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Lee Jong-min
2020.03.13 04:05
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AS YOU walk into the exhibition, you are overtaken by a hanging portrait of Chu-sa Kim Jeong-Hui. Referred to as the father of documental archaeology and chu-sa-chae**, Chu-sa lived during the late Joseon dynasty from 1786 to 1856. The biographical exhibition is divided into three themes: Hak ye il chi, Hae dong tong you, and You hee sam mae, each theme defining a period of his life. In celebration of his contributions to Korea, the Seoul Arts Center invites you to explore Chu-sa’s life and his best works. Hak ye il chi: Chu-sa’s literary and artistic works become one The first pieces in the e
Review
Noh Ruby
2020.03.13 03:54
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“THE ONLY divided country in the world.” This is one of the more infamous titles that Korea holds within the global community. It has been over 70 years since the Korean peninsula split into South Korea and North Korea, during which many North Koreans crossed the barbed wire to resettle here. There are various reasons North Korean defectors become motivated to flee to South Korea; economic difficulties, political oppression, and in pursuit of an overall better living situation. However, while they live on South Korean soil, several barriers continue to leave North Korean defectors feeling estr
Culture
Kwon Do-in
2020.03.13 03:38
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“THERE IS a whole language we have developed to communicate with each other where we are using signals: clothing items, articles of accessories, all sorts of ways,” comments a self-identified gay man in a video titled “Gay Men Decide Who’s the Gayest” by Cut, a YouTube channel known for making videos about identity and how social groups perceive each other in the United States. In some societies today, the LGBT+ community is pushing previously private vocabularies into everyday conversation and demanding to be heard, but in others, different levels of visibility are preferred and pursued. The
Culture
Prairie Soh
2019.12.02 02:39