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David D. Lee
David D. Lee attended the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. He has covered social issues, popular culture and the political arena as a reporter in the US, Israel and South Korea. David currently works as a freelance reporter in Seoul, where he enjoys runs at the Han River and frequently goes searching for trendy cafes in the alleyways of the city.
David D. Lee attended the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. He has covered social issues, popular culture and the political arena as a reporter in the US, Israel and South Korea. David currently works as a freelance reporter in Seoul, where he enjoys runs at the Han River and frequently goes searching for trendy cafes in the alleyways of the city.
A viral ‘baseball goddess’, a wolf that never was and a deepfake epidemic. Generative AI is rewriting South Korea’s reality.
Years after three high-profile K-pop suicides shook South Korea’s idol machine, the grief – and guilt – remains.
Conservationists worry that reshaping Seoul’s Sewoon District risks erasing both heritage and livelihoods.
BTS’ return to the stage is set to redefine global music, with a free comeback performance, album drop and a massive world tour to come.
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The coastal city has become a hub for Korean tourists and businesses, but workers and residents say the boom has also exposed frictions.
As the ex-president appeals his life sentence for a martial law plot, judicial reform is back on the agenda for a deeply divided nation.
As K-culture conquers the world, its wealthy stars keep falling foul of a tax system ‘that has not yet fully caught up’.
The breach, which has fuelled public anger, shows how a domestic corporate scandal can escalate into a diplomatic flashpoint.
Hiring practices have traditionally been centred around which school a candidate attended, with higher-paying jobs going to elite alumni.
South Korea’s highly interconnected culture has fuelled a series of viral food crazes, the latest being a chocolate-loaded cookie known locally as ‘dujjonku’.
When stars shine brightest in the glare of publicity, the darkness that follows can feel absolute. This December, three more lights went out.
Long-time listeners say the genre has lost its identity, with English lyrics and shorter tracks alienating the local fan base.
Behind the multibillion-dollar export boom lies a hidden crisis of low wages, 60-hour work weeks and unliveable pressure on invisible staff.
A recent poll found most South Koreans in their twenties used an iPhone. The US is still seen as aspirational, despite recent frictions.
Young Koreans struggling with generational anxieties are finding meaning and connections in retro period K-dramas set in times of upheaval.
They leave home lured by promises of lucrative work only to face exploitation, torture and death in Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam and beyond.
The nationwide ban comes after a government survey found nearly 43 per cent of teenagers have trouble controlling their phone use.
From his own toilet to a scrubbed-down chair and coffee table, the North Korean leader’s anti-spy tactics reflect a new kind of arms race.
Experts warn that rigid visa rules and a lack of anti-discrimination protections are creating barriers for newcomers.
Eighty years after South Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, a younger generation’s shared passions are creating a new intimacy.
As the K-pop powerhouses return to centre stage, they set a daunting new benchmark for those who would follow in their footsteps.
Even Israel’s advanced Iron Dome defence system was pierced by Iranian projectiles, highlighting vulnerabilities Seoul must now confront.
Growing numbers of South Koreans are going to music festivals as fandom culture grows beyond K-pop and into genres like rock and hip hop.
Amid industry concern about similar moves by other artists, the group’s dispute may also prompt a review of the K-pop system, analysts say.
Forget play dates – in some parts of Seoul, four-year-olds are already training for the notorious Suneung college entrance exam.
As plastic surgery becomes normalised in South Korea, platforms such as Gangnam Unni are helping bring in foreign visitors chasing beauty.
As South Korea faces record low marriage rates, ‘I Am Solo’ offers a relatable escape, blending humour and heartache in the quest for love.
The division from a failed martial law attempt reveals a clash between older generations valuing economic stability and younger generations seeking social justice.
The actor’s apology for fathering a child outside of marriage raised issues of deep-rooted cultural stigmas and systemic inequities faced by single-parent families.
