SHORT ARTICLES

For a concise yet deep insight into today's issues.

48 Hours on Fake Dopamine
48 Hours on Fake Dopamine
Hugo Adam
Thousands of Koreans a day order meals that never come and take smoke breaks without cigarettes. I spent two days living the same way, to understand why it works. ‘Your order has arrived.’ My ph...
K-Beauty Moves Fast. But Can It Stay Distinct?
K-Beauty Moves Fast. But Can It Stay Distinct?
Seowon Moon
Walk into an Olive Young store in Seoul today, and it becomes clear that K-beauty is no longer defined only by large legacy brands. Shelves are filled with names that did not exist, or were barely ...
2026 is the new 2016
2026 is the new 2016
Seoyoung Kim
The Chainsmokers, the puppy dog filter with the tongue out, King Kylie wearing a satin bomber jacket with a velvet choker: all of this reminds us of the 2016 era vibes. We all agree that 2026 isn’t...
Have You Seen This Girl?: The Symbol of Hatsune Miku
Have You Seen This Girl?: The Symbol of Hatsune Miku
Dayoon Kang
Hatsune Miku is everywhere, and she is hard to miss. Even if the name is unfamiliar to you, you have probably seen her iconic teal pigtails—or, perhaps, you have heard of Vocaloid, the software fro...
Welcome to Korea! Are you here for BTS?
Welcome to Korea! Are you here for BTS?
Saffron Willett
“You must love K-pop!” These were the words that I heard when receiving an award for an extended essay on Korean war geopolitics, a topic seemingly far removed from the world of K-pop; they were wo...
Does the Boycott March Onward?
Does the Boycott March Onward?
Chae Soomin
Are boycotts effective at all? It is a question that needs to be raised after Coupang’s audit report on February 26th, stating that its total net revenues were $8.8 billion: up 11% Year-over-Year o...
The Game South Korea Was Built to Lose
The Game South Korea Was Built to Lose
Hugo Adam
A 1970 mathematical simulation, four simple rules, and the demographic collapse no policy has managed to reverse. Imagine a world governed by four rules on a grid, i...
Too Little, Too Late? How Government Inaction Fueled the Cambodian Scam Crisis
Too Little, Too Late? How Government Inaction Fueled the Cambodian Scam Crisis
Lee Yeryoung
On August 8, the body of a 22-year-old South Korean university student was discovered in the back of a car in the Bokor Mountain region of Cambodia. Found with his hands bound, an autopsy of the la...
Reckoning with the Itaewon Tragedy, Three Years Later
Reckoning with the Itaewon Tragedy, Three Years Later
Kim Juhyung
It’s October 29th, 2025. People in purple jackets are solemnly gathered in Gwanghwamun Square. The digits on their phones turn to 10:29 AM. For one minute, sirens whine throughout Seoul in remembra...
The Government Wants to Kill Me
The Government Wants to Kill Me
Yoon Jaein
Some lives are harder to live than others. When your body is constantly on the verge of giving out on you like a broken lightbulb going on and off, it becomes much easier to entertain the idea of d...
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