Jul 16, 2013 | Writing
SEOUL, South Korea — It started out as an airline tragedy. Then it grew into a racially charged row. On Monday, Asiana Airlines announced it will sue a San Francisco television broadcaster for defamation — after a news anchor unknowingly read a distasteful ethnic joke...
Jul 12, 2013 | Writing
KYOTO, Japan — Natsuki Ohshima, 24, has found a gem. Straight out of college, he has scored a professional job as a corporate recruiter. His generation, born in the 1980s, has grown up in the midst of economic stagnation lasting two decades. So even he admits that...
Jul 11, 2013 | Writing
SEOUL, South Korea — On Tuesday, a Chinese artist made headlines when he offered North Korea its very own wax figure of the deceased dictator, Kim Jong Il. It’s a nod to the hermit state’s ruling family. The Dear Leader, as he’s called, is the father of the current...
Jun 28, 2013 | Writing
SEOUL — There’s no question that China and South Korea are uneasy neighbors. Over the years, relations have been tense over issues like North Korea’s nuclear program, and illegal Chinese fishing in South Korean waters, to name a few. But despite the loggerheads, this...
Jun 27, 2013 | Writing
SEOUL, South Korea — If there’s one key art form where North Korea beats the South, it’s beer-making. Pyongyang is home to Taedonggang, a government-made, full-bodied lager that The New York Times called one of the finest beers on the Korean peninsula. The beverage is...
Jun 21, 2013 | Writing
SEOUL, South Korea — If North Korea’s government had its way, the world would know nothing about what really happens within the country’s borders. Journalism is essentially forbidden. Those who dare ask hard questions do so at the risk of torture and...