Unusual all-20s lottery numbers in Korea spark rigging allegations. We calculated the odds

Winning set of 20, 21, 22, 25, 28, and 29 yields 36 winners, each with once-in-745 years chance Unusual lottery results in South Korea have once again sparked heated online debate, as all six winning numbers in the 1162nd DongHang Lottery draw announced Saturday fell within the 20s. The winning numbers are 20, 21, 22, 25, 28, and 29, plus a bonus number of 6. In this lottery, players pick 6 different numbers between 1 and 45. According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s Lottery Commission,

March 10, 2025

$10,000 for 21 weeks: SM's K-pop training academy to open in Singapore

SM Entertainment’s K-pop training academy will open its first overseas branch in Singapore this June. Its flagship program, priced at $10,000 (S$13,300), offers 21 weeks of intensive training with instructors directly hired from Seoul and the opportunity to experience what it takes to become a K-pop idol, said SM Universe, the training arm of South Korean entertainment giant. The course mirrors the rigorous routine of idol trainees in Seoul, requiring participants to commit to at least six hours

March 10, 2025

Outdated gender roles keep South Korea’s wage gap stubbornly high: labor union survey

Outdated gender roles remain the biggest driver of South Korea’s persistent gender pay gap — the largest among OECD nations at 31.2 percent — according to a new survey by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions’ Labor Institute, a research body under one of the country’s largest and most influential labor unions. The survey, which polled 1,095 adults, found that 31.1 percent of respondents identified traditional gender expectations — where men are seen as breadwinners and women as caregivers —

March 9, 2025

Spiritual, but not religious: For more Koreans, mindfulness matters more than membership

In Korea, being 'spiritual but not religious' means trading rigid doctrine for personal rituals, from temple meditation to shamanistic traditions South Korea, at least in modern times, has never had a religious identity centered around a single faith. People have followed various major established religions, including Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism and shamanistic traditions, often mixing and matching beliefs to suit their needs. Despite this diversity and fluid approach, nearly half of th

March 8, 2025

S. Korea urged to adopt bitcoin reserve, won-backed stablecoin amid Trump’s crypto push

South Korea should consider integrating bitcoin into its national reserves and issuing a won-backed stablecoin, financial experts and industry leaders said at a forum on Thursday. At the seminar, hosted at the National Assembly by the main opposition Democratic Party, the CEO of blockchain firm xCrypton, Kim Jong-seung, stressed the need for a strategic response if the US moves to create a "national strategic reserve of cryptocurrencies,” as announced by President Donald Trump. Trump is widely e

March 6, 2025

Is 65 too young for free subway rides? Most Seoul residents support raising it to 70

A majority of Seoul residents favor raising the minimum age for free subway rides, according to a new survey by the Seoul Metropolitan Council’s Transportation Committee. The poll, conducted from Dec. 11-15, 2024, among 1,144 Seoul residents aged 19 and older, found that 64 percent support increasing the eligibility age, with most of them (76 percent) suggesting it be raised to 70 from the current 65. The survey results highlighted concerns about the long-term sustainability of the policy. Among

March 6, 2025

Police arrest father-son pair in mother's death

A father and his middle-aged son have been arrested for the death of the father's wife and son's mother at their home in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, as they were apparently also attempting to take their own lives, authorities said Wednesday. According to the Ilsan Seobu Police Station, the two men were found at Jamsil Hangang Park, a riverside park along the Han River in southeastern Seoul, Tuesday night. A passerby spotted them and called police, leading to their rescue. Following their rescue,

March 5, 2025

Korea’s fitness paradox: Gyms are closing, but boutique studios are thriving

For years, Korea’s gyms battled to offer the lowest prices — but as closures mount, boutique studios believe community matters more than affordability When economic uncertainty looms, people often cut back on dining out, travel and entertainment. But one expense some South Koreans are unwilling to forgo is their boutique fitness membership. “It’s a lifestyle, not a luxury,” Jamie Kim, CEO of F45 Training & FS8 Korea, told the Korea Herald. Kim’s observation reflects a growing trend in Korea’s fi

March 2, 2025

83% of South Koreans have never had chance to really get to know a foreign national: survey

Despite growing foreign population, 70% of Koreans lack cultural diversity awareness Only one in six South Koreans have had any kind of meaningful interaction with a person from outside the country, while seven out of 10 say they have little to no understanding of what cultural diversity means, a new study shows. According to the first-ever 2024 Cultural Diversity Survey, released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Thursday, only 16.8 percent of respondents have ever engaged with

March 2, 2025

Young voices honor Korea’s independence

Seoul is commemorating the 106th anniversary of the March 1st Independence Movement with events across the city, honoring those who fought against Japanese colonial rule. Reenacting history at Seodaemun Prison The main event, "Seodaemun,1919: Echoes of Freedom" (direct translation: "Seodaemun 1919: The Cry of That Day") is taking place at Seodaemun Independence Park and Seodaemun Prison History Hall—once a detention site for Korean independence activists. Participants in period costumes reenact

March 1, 2025