Last year, pop idols Blackpink were designated as promotional ambassadors for the UN Climate Change Conference. The group has continued its advocacy this year, delivering new calls for environmental awareness and rallying fans around environmental activism. Other K-pop bands and their fans also promote social causes – particularly environmental protection. However, the music industry’s current…
June 19, 2022
A recent arson attack on a lawyer’s office revived concerns that violent crimes motivated by anger are on the rise in South Korea. The national police reported that around 40% of domestic arson attacks over the past decade have been “impulsive” and that this share has been steadily increasing over the years. While there is…
June 18, 2022
Billionaire Elon Musk recently drew attention to the falling number of births in South Korea, using it as a warning to other advanced economies. The country’s fertility rate in 2020 was 0.84 and the total population had begun to decline that year. However, the underlying problem is not, as Musk implies, people’s failure to “celebrate…
June 6, 2022
Seoul has hosted a Queer Festival annually since 2000, celebrating the LGBTQ+ community in Korea that faces persistent social reprisals. But this year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government refused to extend a permit for the event, which the organizers see as motivated by discrimination. The most vocal opponents of the festival, and gay rights overall, are…