Tag: South Korea

A winter that will never be the same

Hope-turns- despair…Cold and confused, a pet dog named Pudding cuts a lone figure at the entrance to its village in  Yeonggwang County, South Korea waiting for its family’s return.

By Foong Pek Yee

foongpekyee@gmail.com

Jan 4, 2025

Every approaching vehicle brings Pudding  hope that quickly turns despair as they zoomed past with no sight of its loved ones.

But Pudding never give up hope to be with them again.

Just days earlier, Pudding and nine of its family members bade farewell happily before leaving for a holiday in Thailand.

Little did they know that it was their last farewell.

Pudding’s  family members were among the 179 people killed in the Jeju Air Flight 2216 that crashed at Muan International Airport, South Korea in the morning of December 29, 2024.

The plane, from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport with 181 on board,  175 passengers plus six crew members, saw two survivors.  Both were crew members.

While Pudding is still waiting  in vain for their return – the tragedy that unfolded  at Muan International Airport, about 50 minutes drive from its village, also South Korea’s worst aviation disaster in the country’s history-  sent shock waves across the world.

The head of Pudding’s family is  a 79-year-old grandfather.

He, his wife , two daughters,  a son-in-law and four grandchildren were among the 179 fatalities .

Where are you…Pudding longing for its family. 

On new year’s eve, South Korea’s animal rescue group , Care (Coexistence of  Animal Rights on Earth ) posted on social media that they have rescued Pudding who is now under their custody until they found  a home for him.

According to Care, they have received permission from a family member to rescue Pudding found wandering alone in the open amidst harsh weather conditions.

Care has sent Pudding for health checks at a veterinary hospital in Seoul.

The story of Pudding was reported in The Korea Times on Jan 2, 2025,  followed by some  media organizations all over the world.

Photos :The Korea Times captured from Care’s Instagram.

Update: Jan 7, 2025

Photos  at the memorial : The Korea Times. Credited to Yonhap

A picture is worth a thousand words.

On Sunday (Jan  5, 2025) afternoon, a week after the crash, Pudding pay  its last respects to its family members at a joint memorial altar set up in front of Seoul City Hall in Seoul,  reported The Korea Times on Jan 6, 2025.

Clad in a blue outfit and with its gaze fixed on the altar,  Pudding  did not bark even once throughout the service.

Its attention  zoomed in on its family’s  memorial tablet as head of Care, Kim Young-Hwan, read a eulogy.

The Korea Times report quoting a temporary caretaker from Care said: “At home, Pudding often looks at the front door, seemingly listless. The dog gets excited just hearing the leash, wanting to go outside.”

 

More and more young South Koreans opt to remain single.

Coping with modernity:  Younger generation of South Koreans are at the crossroads. (photo taken in Myeongdong on Feb 3, 2024).
May 2, 2024
By Foong Pek Yee
The streets in Songpadong in Seoul are quiet on a winter evening.
We enter a cafe packed with young people, much to our relief  we spotted an empty table for two.
Chloe , 31,  says the cafe is her favourite,  and that its roof top section commands a panoramic view of the city skyline.
That was in February this year.
It is a matter of  choice : The lifestyle of many young South Koreans today is very different from that of their parents. (photo taken in Songpadong on Feb 8, 2024) 
That evening at the cafe came to my mind recently – prompted by screaming headlines: the number of single – person households in South Korea have exceeded the 10 million mark for the first time in history!
Two million out of the 10 million single-person households are in Seoul, and Chloe is  one of them.
This is because she is single and staying on her own.
Her parents who stay together  come under the two-person household category.
According to official statistics,  the 10.02 million single – person households is  a whopping 41.8% of the 24 million households in South Korea.
The rest include  5.9 million two – person households and 3.1 million four person households.
The country’s population is 51 million.
The Korean Herald on March 17, 2024,  reported that only 50%  of South Korea’s adult population are keen to get married, quoting  findings by the presidential committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy .
For instance, Chloe loves music and travelling while her mother was already married in her mid 20s.
Many young South Koreans today have the means to live life on their own terms, and  marriage and starting a family before one turns 30 is increasingly rare.
With extended family no longer common in South Korea today, many elderly also fall into the single-person household category  when their spouse passed away.
And South Korea is set to be a super ageing society next year (2025 ); meaning those aged above 65 comprise more than 10 million and the figure is over 20% of the country’s 51 million population , reports The Korean Herald on April 23, 2024.
As time goes by: Many traders in traditional markets in Seoul are middle age or elderly people. (photo taken in Namdaemun on Feb 6, 2024)
Keeping a tradition :  Traditional Korean cakes are still a must during festive season like Seollal ( Lunar New Year) and for  ancestral prayers in South Korea.(Photo taken in Namdaemun on Feb 6, 2024)
Economic considerations, increasing life challenges and uncertainties  and choice of lifestyle are among factors that influenced South Koreans’ thinking on marriage and family.

Surging inflation and changing lifestyle

Adapting to the new economic landscape to stay ahead.

By Foong Pek Yee

At 29,  and staying alone in a studio in Seoul,  Park  Na-Ra is into cooking her dinner these days.
The interior designer says the availability of smaller food packages  and lower pricing has made it convenient to cook simple dishes and, cost saving as well.
Park says she will plan her meals and buy the ingredients to avoid food wastage.
Like many young and working South Koreans, Park says she and her colleagues and friends have no choice but to  cut down on eating out because it can be expensive nowadays.
Eating out is a form of socialization and entertainment that is popular among South Koreans.
A simple meal:  But the  high cost of eating out saw many South Koreans opting for cheaper options like packed meals from convenience stores.
Amid surging inflation, retailers are also actively exploring ways to keep their businesses going.
And smaller packaging of food to keep prices low has turned out to be a viable option as people are increasingly more careful with their spending.
In June, the Korean Herald reported  that smaller packaging of meat, vegetables and fruits are well received by  South Koreans.
It reported that sales of vegetables went up by 25.1% and 17.3% in single person households and family households respectively in May.
It has been a norm for single people to eat out often before this.
According to Statistics Korea, there are  6.64 million single person households, comprising 31.7% of the total households  in South Korea in 2020.
Rising cost of living also saw many office workers going for packed meals in  convenience stores which is cheaper than eating in restaurants.
Hansot Dosirak  (a South Korean boxed lunch takeout chain ) reported its sales has gone up by 23% during lunch hours near Seoul’s office clusters in June against the same month last year.
The takeout chain also reported a 15% increase in sales across its locations nationwide, according to theinvestor in a report on  July 27.
The menu starts at 3,200 won (RM11).

South Koreans take lunch box to beat soaring inflation

Big demand for lunch box or packed meals during hard times.
By Foong Pek Yee
They call it lunchflation  in South Korea  – meaning
expensive lunch amid soaring inflation.
Office workers in particular head to convenience stores instead of restaurants for lunch these days.
 Convenience stores offer many types of ready-to-eat meals to meet customers’ preference, and budget.
The stores provide microwave ovens for them to heat up their packed meals on the spot.
Earlier this week, Arirang News reported a steep climb on monthly sales of lunch box in convenience stores in South Korea since January.
A simple meal:  But dine- in can be expensive for many South Koreans of late.
According to Arirang News, popular meals like kimbap (rice rolls) and jjajangmyeon (noodles in thick sauce) in restaurants saw a 9.1% price increase each in the first half of this year, on a year on year basis.
A roll of kimbap used to cost about 2,500 won (RM8.50) before and, customers usually order two rolls at least.
Said to be the cheapest item in restaurants , kimbap often comes with a bowl of soup and one or two types of banchan (side dish)  for each customer.
While almost all Korean restaurants provide plain water, some even include coffee free of charge and, the complimentary items are free flow.
A common one pot meal like kimchi chigae (kimchee stew) for one person and comes with about three types of banchan (side dish) used to cost about 8,000 won or RM27.
I was told  that the price has gone up to about 10,000 won (RM34) recently,
No longer affordable:  Many eat kimbap as a snack when spending is not a concern.
Airang News also highlighted that online sales for quick and easy food items went up by 50% to 70% in the second quarter compared to the first quarter this year alone.
And the current situation is not expected to change any time soon.