Latest news with #SouthKoreans
Business Insider
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
Parents will do anything for their kids — even tracking down a Labubu
She first noticed the plush monsters with toothy grins dangling from kids' belt loops. Carly Anderson, 45, had discovered the Labubu craze. She was truly initiated into the obsessed fandom when she was gently laughed out of the Pop Mart store at her local mall for trying to buy one of the coveted toys in person. While she stood morosely by a Pop Mart vending machine, a "nice gentleman" gave her tips and a list of third-party stores where she might find a monster, she said. After 20 hours of legwork and around $180, she tracked down three of the little monsters at third-party sellers and local stores. What drove the obsession? Love. "Everybody jokes, 'Oh my gosh, who spends all this time looking for a Labubu?' But for me, this is much more about my daughter — seeing that she's excited about something, and I want to get excited about that thing with her," Anderson said. They've bonded and brainstormed over places they can try to acquire a Labubu, and have more time to devote to the hunt now that school is out for the summer. Anderson has also experienced a strange side effect afflicting other parents: She's grown to find the monsters endearing. "I have to say, at first I did not understand them at all and I thought they were so ugly, but somehow now I want one too," Anderson said. "I don't know what happened." Anderson is part of a new class of Labubu seekers: The parents, grandparents, and guardians conscripted into the hunt and became endeared to the little monsters along the way. Labubus first skyrocketed to popularity in Asia, where consumers clamored to get the snaggle-toothed monsters and adorn their bags with them. Their popularity has reached all corners of the globe, with Americans, Brits, and South Koreans all fiending to get their hands on the collectible. That's led to a feeding frenzy on the Pop Mart website, app, and reseller groups. To get a Labubu is no easy feat; it requires knowing when they'll drop on the app, on TikTok live, or — in very rare cases — if and when they'll make an appearance in a physical storefront. There's a whole online world of tricks for trying to get a Labubu. Behind those computer screens, Discord chats, Reddit posts, and Facebook groups are parents and grandparents desperate to get their hands on one of the fuzzy creatures. Some parents are now in the Labubu game for themselves: Lora Martin, 41, has been trying her best to get an authentic Labubu, but, in the meantime, acquired a knockoff, called a " Lafufu," that she's named Lil Debbie. "They're strictly for me. These collectibles are for me. I'm not ashamed to say it," Martin said. "It may sound selfish and weird, but I'm 42. I've worked hard and I love these kinds of things. I've been a collector my whole life; this is nothing new." She said that her kid, who also enjoys collecting things, isn't interested in Labubus; after all, as she noted, Labubus are explicitly marketed to adults. Her son, 5, is more interested in things like Bluey. Martin now has a Labubu from a reseller on the way. 'It's the crazy things we do for our kids' On the other end is Mia Ponzo, who used to hate Labubus. Then she found herself waking up at 4:30 a.m. every day for a week to get one. Ponzo is a grandmother based in Kuwait. She first became aware of the cultlike following that has sprung up around the fuzzy monster dolls through Hermes Facebook groups. She noticed that her fellow Hermes fanatics were posting about dangling the trendy creatures, which come adorned with a key ring, on their bags. "I initially thought they were the most disgusting things on earth, and I was like, 'who the hell would put this stuff on their bag, why would you ruin a beautiful Hermes bag with a Labubu?'" Ponzo said of the Hermes-to-Labubu pipeline. But then, "I don't know, the whole thing started to grow on me." Ponzo had been on the Labubu hunt for her granddaughter, who would only settle for a pink one. She woke up early to try to snag one when China-based Pop Mart drops a select few on its website; by chance, she ended up being able to order a full set of Labubus off of Pop Mart's Thailand website, but hasn't had success on the US-based site. In the meantime, she's gotten hooked on the thrill of the chase. She's now deep into everything Pop Mart and has three Labubus of her own, although she's drawn a line in the sand: "I would never put one on a bag. I don't think so. I don't even wear regular Hermes charms anymore." Meanwhile, Kellie Crawford, a 49-year-old mother in Pennsylvania, recently found herself conscripted into what she's deemed the great Labubu hunt. Her daughter went down a rabbit hole after encountering the monsters on TikTok, even going so far as to create an Excel spreadsheet and index cards on how best to acquire one. While her daughter was trying to game the system, Crawford found herself Labubu backchanneling: She posted on Facebook groups, tried to meet people locally, and did all that she could to secure a Labubu for her daughter's 16th birthday. "It was crazy. I think several parts of my life are just gone because of the time spent sitting trying to tap on a box and watching a clock tick down," Crawford said, referring to the Pop Mart virtual game that is often one of the easier routes to get a Labubu in a cart. She added: "It's the things we do for our kids. It's the crazy things we do for our kids." Finally, she found one on eBay for not too high of a markup, and bought it as a surprise. Before it arrived, her daughter finally purchased the exact same one through Pop Mart. Crawford had to come clean: The same one was already en route. "I was excited for her, but I felt like I burst her bubble a little bit," Crawford said. Then, they suddenly realized what this means: Now Crawford and her daughter could have twin "Labuskis" — the nickname her daughter has coined for the toys. "We have it dressed, and mine — I guess it's now my Labubu — is named Tilly Snack Pac Labuski," Crawford said. "She's the cutest thing, to be quite honest." jkaplan@
Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Seoul hosts 1st remembrance ceremony for Korean War abductees, vows to address humanitarian issues
The government on Saturday held its first official memorial ceremony for those abducted by North Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War, reaffirming its commitment to resolving long-standing humanitarian issues stemming from the country's division. The inaugural Korean War Abductees Remembrance Day event was held at Imjingak Peace Park in the border city of Paju, north of Seoul. It marked the first official observance of Korean War Abductees Remembrance Day, which was designated by law last year to be held annually on June 28. "Resolving humanitarian issues caused by the division of the Korean Peninsula is a fundamental duty of the state and a top priority," Vice Unification Minister Kim Nam-jung said during a speech at the event. Kim described the issue of wartime abductions as "one of the darkest legacies of division and war," stressing that any future-oriented approach to inter-Korean peace and coexistence must also include efforts to heal past wounds. "We can no longer delay the urgent task of confirming the fate of abducted loved ones and easing the pain carried by their families," Kim said. He added that the unification ministry under the new Lee Jae Myung administration will do its utmost to reduce military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and establish sustainable peace, ensuring that the tragedy of war is never repeated. "We will address the problems born out of national division and war one by one by reopening channels of communication with the North and work to resume dialogue," Kim said. "In moving from confrontation to reconciliation, we will make efforts to heal the pain of national division and suffering of families of wartime abductees." The Seoul government estimates that nearly 100,000 South Koreans have been kidnapped by the North since the war. (Yonhap)
Eater
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
How an Eater Editor Spends a Dreamy Weekend on South Korea's Jeju Island
'The one thing you'll notice is that it's really windy,' my mother said as we took off from Seoul's Gimpo Airport this past spring. We were on our way to Jeju, the island destination off the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula, accompanied by my wife and 2-year-old son. It was my first time visiting the island, but my mom had been half a dozen times with my dad before he passed away in 2021; they went whenever they wanted a break from bustling Seoul, where they were both born, or from Southern California, where they moved in the 1970s. It was the ultimate getaway. Though I'd traveled throughout South Korea, Jeju always felt like a fabled land, sunny and warm at times, rainy and blustery at others, but endlessly romantic. It's easily the most popular vacation spot for South Koreans. The flight route between Seoul and Jeju carries the most passengers in the world; on any given day, a plane takes off every seven to eight minutes. Jeju's fame outside of South Korea has grown recently with shows like Hyori's Bed and Breakfast (a super-chill reality show about people staying at the K-Pop star's actual vacation home) and Netflix's When Life Gives You Tangerines , a sappy coming-of-age drama starring yet another pop star, IU. The culinary nods in those series titles give a hint to the island's famed food. Surrounded by a bountiful ocean, Jeju depends heavily on seafood. Haenyeo, legendary free-diving women, hunt for abalone, urchins, and sea snails; they've developed an international reputation thanks to Japanese Breakfast singer Michelle Zauner, who wrote a song about them, and Eater's own James Beard-nominated coverage, but they also embody the resilience of Jeju culture against the mainland (even my mom has difficulty understanding their dialect). A distinct, moderate climate and eons of activity by the island's towering volcano, Mount Halla, have also made Jeju a fruitful place for raising all manner of agriculture and livestock, namely pigs. One long weekend isn't enough time to fully experience the island, which is about the size of Maui and requires up to an hour to drive across in any direction. Because we stayed at the towering Grand Hyatt in Jeju City instead of the more popular southern city of Seogwipo, most of our adventures were inland and scattered across the Western side. No matter where you stay or visit, the island provides opportunities to eat well in virtually every corner. There are cute cafes for matcha- or coffee-tinted drinks, homestyle restaurants offering bubbling stews and banchan, sleek barbecue spots serving Jeju black pig sliced over tabletop grills, seafood establishments turning out all manner of raw, grilled, and braised shellfish and fish, and rustic markets selling pristine produce and fried street food. The island abounds with incredible food, so trips long or short will include plenty of highlights. Note: The easiest way to get around is by rental car, which requires an international driver's license. Addresses for each venue below are presented in Korean so they can be plopped into a Korean-language navigation app like Naver. After a day of travel from LA (and a day lost to the time difference), we were in desperate need of a comforting, traditional Korean meal as soon as we landed on Jeju. We walked half a block behind the Grand Hyatt for a quiet mid-afternoon meal at Modajeong Haejangguk, a mom-and-pop restaurant filled with weathered tables, mismatched fans, and air conditioners. After reviewing the compact menu posted on the wall, we nibbled on nine types of banchan (including kimchi, lightly dressed soft tofu, candied anchovies, potato salad, and bean sprouts) until our meals arrived. After a long trip, nothing hits better than seolleongtang (profoundly sustaining beef bone soup) or haejangguk (a thrilling hangover cure with wilted cabbage leaves and chunks of coagulated pork blood). We also ordered godeungeo gui: pan-fried, extra-long mackerel (also called Korean seerfish) that boasted a luxurious texture, oily but not the least bit fishy. We scarfed down the fish, which were roasted a golden brown and served on an iron plate, until we'd picked the last bit of flesh from the bones. South Korea is more known for its dismal birthrate than its amenities for children, but when the country does have something for kids, it's world-class. The Arte Kids Park, a 20-minute drive from Jeju City, offers an immersive and extremely clean play experience for little ones. Upstairs, there's an adorable elementary school-style cafeteria with snacks, where we ordered a simple bowl of udon in odeng (fish cake) broth for our 2-year-old. Other dishes include jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles), tonkatsu, corn dogs, and fried rice. My favorite part was the well-organized array of utensils, metal cups, and other eating materials tucked into heated cases to protect against germs. A lot of play spaces I've experienced in America are kind of gross, so seeing this pristine haven in Jeju was itself a marvel (and the udon noodles were pretty tasty too). Address: 929 Wolgak-ro, Aewol-eup, 특별자치도, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea After leaving Arte Kids Park, our son fell asleep, which meant I needed to find myself a grown-up meal. Jeju's famous black pigs provide the island with ingredients for some of the best pork dishes in South Korea. I found this tiny roadside spot popular with golfers, and while my wife stayed with our son in the car, I bopped into the restaurant for a quick bowl of dwaeji guksu. The milky broth was sweet from the pork bones, making a great medium for simple wheat noodles and bite-sized pork belly slices. A tangle of sliced Korean scallions brought in a heady allium aroma, while seasoned radish shoots and short-fermented kimchi acted as the only sides. It reminded me a bit of Hakata-style ramen, with slightly chewy thin noodles and bites of meaty pork, and the simple broth was my favorite part. I spied a bottle of Jeju tangerine-flavored makgeoli in the fridge and wished I didn't have to drive, but otherwise it was a satisfying lunch just off the main highway. Address: 방문자 리뷰 86블로그 리뷰 15 I made it a point to try the popular galchi (belt fish, aka largehead hairtail), a silvery swordlike creature with elegant, flaky flesh. This popular seafood restaurant near the coast serves a twofer of spicy braised belt fish and whole-grilled belt fish. The braised version, also called jorim, comes in a big steel stainless box containing whole abalones, chopped octopus, rounds of radish, rice cakes, shrimp, and onions; a camping stove placed underneath the box keeps the fiery red chile broth simmering, reducing the liquid to a thick, sweet, salty, spicy sauce. Admittedly, eating belt fish requires picking out dozens of tiny bones, but it's worth the effort. The grilled version, which tastes of Dover sole, is a little easier to handle. Banchan of well-fermented kimchi, tiny anchovies, and even ganjang gaejang (raw soy-marinated crab) provide punches of umami between the spicy braised fish and the pan-grilled variant. Address: 제주 제주시 도리로 50 2층 The Five Day Folk Market in Jeju City opens on days ending in 2 or 7 (so each month on the second, seventh, 12th, and so on). We happened to catch it on a Sunday, when we had to fight for a free parking spot before entering. Walk through the sprawling semi-covered emporium for all manner of food, produce, clothing, and electronics. We picked up multiple varieties of Jeju gamgyul (tangerines), which lived up to their reputation as the finest citrus in the world, even out of peak season. The main hallabong variety is excellent — fragrant, sweet, tangy, and balanced — while the cheonhyehyang variety has thinner skin but a juicy flavor that's so sweet it hurts your teeth. We also snacked on piping hot hotteok: molten sugar-filled pancakes fried in butter. Just before heading out, we picked up a ketchup-laced corn dog fresh out of the fryer: a smoky, meaty wiener in a panko crust that was far better than anything at an American theme park. Osulloc is a big touristy tea farm and museum with a slick retail cafe serving matcha drinks and desserts. The day we went, the place seemed almost overrun. The classic steeped tea — brewed for exactly two minutes according to a tiny hourglass timer — was my favorite, a mellow, toasty sip whose aromas were amplified by the gourd-sized cup. On the more saccharine side, a cream-topped wedge of moist green tea cake was cut into a shape meant to recall Jeju's Mount Halla, while swirled soft serve ice cream blended yet more matcha with a simple sweet cream. The white-and-brown boricaeyeok spanner (green tea matcha floated over sweet barley tea) was probably the one to skip. After overloading on sugar, we headed to the tea fields for photo ops. My son found it hilarious to run through lanes of tea bushes that were too narrow for adults to chase him. Address: 15 Sinhwayeoksa-ro, Andeok-myeon, 특별자치도, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, South Korea Of all our meals on Jeju, I was most excited to try the island's famed black pigs, designated a heritage breed in 2015. Chef Hoon Song of Crown Pig carefully butchers the best-quality pigs and ages them to amplify their distinct, tender flavor, before lightly smoking the pork in applewood and oak. His somewhat isolated restaurant looks like a traditional Korean barbecue spot, with tables centered around steel pan grills, where servers handle most of the cooking. We opted for the Combination C, which comes with a pork tomahawk, arm shoulder, pork belly, and Boston butt for 99,000 won (about $70). Servers snip the rich, glistening pork with scissors as it cooks on the pan, allowing some fat to run off but keeping plenty of fatty chunks on the meat. Taking a bite, there's a gentle whiff of smoke followed by the most ethereal, tender pork that almost crumbles on the palate. The sensation isn't that different from a well-seared piece of wagyu beef, but with a juicy porcine sweetness that's distinct from almost all American pork. (There simply is no equal, and I'll fight someone on that.) The experience is heightened with chopstick dabs of ssamjang (fermented bean paste), grated wasabi, fine sea salt, and gochujang that add bursts of savory flavor. We wrapped our bites in fresh green lettuce or mounds of shredded scallions dressed in a red chile sauce. Korean barbecue might be known more globally for its tabletop grilled beef, but Jeju pork might better represent the spiritual zenith of the genre. Address: 특별자치도, 애월읍 애월읍 상가목장길 84 After a few days eating through South Korea's favored vacation destination, there's nothing better than strolling through a well-organized Korean supermarket for snacks to take home. Anyone who's enjoyed visiting a Korean grocery store in the U.S. should check out a Lotte Emart in South Korea. The location in Jeju City has some handy and affordable souvenirs to take home, including tangerine-flavored confections that are unique to Jeju. While you can find soju bottles from the more industrial brands like Jinro or Chamisul for around a dollar, there are also more expensive beverages, like the Asia-only crystal bottle of Suntory Kakubin blended whisky, which reminds me of Bill Murray in Lost in Translation ('For relaxing times…'). The hot foods section had handmade dumplings, pan-fried and boiled, while all manner of kimchi (napa cabbage, garlic chives, etc.) were displayed in the refrigerated areas. Those wouldn't necessarily travel well (though my mom likes to bring huge bundles of fresh banchan back to LA), but the rows of Korean candies (Koreans are particularly good at making coffee-flavored hard candies), chocolates, crispy snacks, and other sweets certainly would. Address: 제주특별자치도 제주시 탑동로 38 See More:
Straits Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
South Korea asks North to alert before releasing dam water
Isolated and impoverished, North Korea is especially vulnerable to natural disasters and has taken measures to prevent flooding. PHOTO: REUTERS SEOUL - South Korea's unification ministry on June 27 requested North Korea give prior notice when releasing water from a dam across the border, with Seoul citing humanitarian grounds. Isolated and impoverished, North Korea is especially vulnerable to natural disasters and has taken measures to prevent flooding – including releasing water from a dam near its southern border, which has raised safety and flooding concerns in South Korea. According to Seoul's unification ministry, which oversees its relations with the North, six South Koreans died in 2009 after Pyongyang released water without prior notice. The issue is 'directly related to the safety of our citizens living in border areas', Ms Chang Yoon-jeong, the ministry's deputy spokesperson, told reporters. 'Joint response to natural disasters is a humanitarian issue, and the South and the North have agreed several times to cooperate to prevent flood damage,' she said. 'Accordingly, we request that the North notify us in advance when releasing water from the dam on humanitarian grounds in order to prevent flood damage in the border area ... during the rainy season.' North Korea was hit by severe flooding in its northern regions near the Chinese border in 2025 , with state media reporting that more than 15,000 flood victims had to be relocated to the capital. South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung, who took office in June , has vowed a more dovish approach towards Pyongyang compared with his hawkish predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol. Mr Lee has said he would seek talks with the North following a deep freeze under Yoon when relations plummeted to their worst level in years. The Lee administration has halted the loudspeaker broadcasts – including K-pop tunes and international news – that Seoul had begun in 2024 in response to a barrage of trash-filled balloons flown southward by Pyongyang. In turn, a day after, North Korea stopped transmitting bizarre, unsettling noises along the border that had been a major nuisance for South Korean residents in the area. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The 42
2 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
Leona Maguire and Jennifer Kupcho tied for second in Michigan
LEONA MAGUIRE and Jennifer Kupcho are tied for second after the first round of the LPGA Dow Championship pairs event in Midland, Michigan on Thursday. The Cavan native and her American teammate finished with an opening round 67, leaving the duo three under par. Maguire and Kupcho made up for a bogey on the second hole, with birdies on the third, eighth, 12th and 16th. They are one of six teams that are tied for second. Advertisement Among the teams on 67, the Japanese duo of Saki Baba and Yuri Yoshida had reached five-under with five birdies in their first 14 holes but dropped back with two late bogeys. In addition to Maguire and Kupcho, they were tied with China's Liu Yan and Zhang Yahui, England's Jodi Ewart Shadff and Taiwan's Heather Lin, South Koreans Im Jin-hee and Lee So-mi, Americans Megan Khang and Lexi Thompson. Gemma Dryburgh and Cassie Porter combined for five birdies in a four-under-par 66 to take a one-stroke lead. Scotland's Dryburgh and Australian rookie Porter teed off on 10 at Midland Country Club and grabbed four birdies in their first nine holes. They answered their lone bogey of the day at the second with a birdie at the par-five third to finish the day one stroke clear atop a crowded leaderboard. The pair had picked up their first birdie of the day at the 12th, and their three birdies in a row at 14, 15 and 16 included a chip-in for Porter. 'We just rolled really well together,' Porter said, Dryburgh adding that their games complemented each other well in the alternate-shot format used for the first and third rounds, with best-ball rounds to come on Friday and Sunday. 'Tomorrow is about birdies and today was kind of more steady,' Dryburgh said. 'Obviously we made a few birdies today, but we can make even more tomorrow.' Defending champions Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand and Yin Ruoning of China shook off an early bogey and nabbed three birdies in a two-under 68 that left them in a seven-way tie for eighth. 'We did not wake up yet, it's too early,' Jeeno said. You can view the full leaderboard here.
