Korea Joongang Daily
Korea JoongAng Daily

[WHY] Where did all the beards go? Korean men's style and the fall of facial hair.

Boy bands such as BTS, Stray Kids and NCT all have one thing in common: the members don't grow their facial hair. No beards, and no mustaches are present. Instead, a hairless upper lip and jawline free from fuzz show off a clean-cut face.

2025-10-18

[WHY] Korean talk shows are flopping. So who’s still making them?

Korean talk shows once ruled TV, but changing tastes and online media have pushed them to near extinction. As stars and audiences move to YouTube, one question remains: what happens when a country stops talking on TV?

2025-10-11

[WHY] BTS may not be done with military service just yet: Why all men must complete reserve forces training

All seven BTS members are set for a full-group comeback now that they have finished their mandatory military service — except they still have eight more years of military duties.

2025-10-04

[WHY] Nothing is fair in specs and war: how Korean youth are suffering in the job market

It is notoriously difficult to get a job as a young college grad these days. One thing that stands out in the Korean job market is the “spec war," with students and job seekers building up "specs," or qualifications, to fill out their resumes.

2025-09-27

[WHY] The mystery behind all those Trader Joe's bags in Korea

Why are there so many of those plain canvas Trader Joe's bags all over Seoul lately? Why takes a closer look at what's behind the practical yet surprisingly fashionable phenomenon.

2025-09-20

[WHY] In Korea, the elements control your fate — or at least your name. Oh, and don't forget your wallet.

If you want a cool Korean name to match your playlist, wardrobe and culinary preferences, head to a fortune-teller, who will use a traditional Korean philosophy to come up with the perfect fit.

2025-09-13

From Go to jump rope: Kids in Korea look for more than academics in cram schools

Korean parents are famously dedicated to their children’s education. But beyond the usual cram schools for math and English, a growing number are enrolling their children in private academies for everything from Go to jump rope.

2025-09-06

Seoul Station's invisible people: Homelessness drops, but why?

Homelessness near Seoul Station has nearly halved since before the Covid-19 pandemic, and yet experts caution that the decline may stem from a narrow definition of the term.

2025-08-16

Sleep tomorrow, but invest like crazy: Why apartments are the hot get-rich-quick scheme in Korea

Apartment prices in Korea are skyrocketing, especially in Seoul, becoming a form of high-stakes investment roulette in pursuit of faster and larger gains than those on offer from the stock market — but that attitude is creating a bubble.

2025-08-02

[WHY] Status on your sleeve: Why Korea's varsity jackets show off more than just school spirit

The puffy varsity jackets students wear are called gwajam — a portmanteau of gwa, the Korean word for department, and jamba, for jacket — and are ubiquitous on college campuses around the country.

2025-07-26