[HanCinema's Digest] Culture Corner

Korea's rising obesity comes with social strains, 10 Magazine explores the problem with the modern Korean diet, the "father of modern Korea literature" celebrated a hundred years on, and get some perspective on Korea's intense gaming culture with E27.

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"One-third of Koreans are obese, causing massive social costs"

Are South Koreans getting a little soft around the edges? According to this recent report in The Korea Herald, around one-third of Koreans are technically obese, which is putting some strain on the social and health sectors. The government recently revealed that "A third of South Korean people are obese, causing Asia's fourth-largest economy to shoulder nearly 7 trillion won ($6.12 billion) in social costs every year".

...READ ON THE KOREA HERALD

"THE PROBLEM WITH THE MODERN KOREAN DIET"

10 Magazine writer Erin Hassanzadeh breaks down the myth that Koreans are "naturally thin" and puts a few revealing statistics in the spotlight. "Korea's rates of metabolic syndrome", as one data point, "are the same or higher than rates in the United States". The Korean diet has indeed shifted, largely in the wake of the country's intense globalisation efforts; "Cutesy cafes, Korean barbecue restaurants and Italian joints litter the streets in popular Korean neighborhoods, and modern Korean eating habits certainly reflect that", writes Erin.

...READ ON 10 MAGAZINE

"Celebrating Choonwon's poetry at 100th year of 'Mujeong'"

Choonwon Lee Kwang-soo's debut novel, "Mujeong", was first published back in 1917, and many historians consider his book the birth of modern Korean literature. To mark the hundredth anniversary of the book's release, George Mason University hosted a symposium that, in addition to showcasing the book itself, shared with the public some of the writer's less-known poems. Click on through to The Korea Times to read more about this iconic figure and get a taste of some of his poetic talents...

...READ ON THE KOREA TIMES

"Curious about the South Korea gaming culture? A closer look at the popularity of esports reveals some trends"

One cannot really talk about modern Korean culture without mentioning the country's incredible-and at times intense-gaming scene. Yes, in Korea becoming a professional gamer (and keeping parents off your back about it) is a real possibility. But as writer Martin Pasquier notes, "[T]his deeply enshrined gaming culture would not be possible without the sophisticated fibre-optic infrastructure that you will find in South Korea, also know to have one of the world's most wired society".

...READ ON E27