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South Koreans really hate it when you ask for directions, video proves

Mike
Sep 17, 2013
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An American tourist apparently learned the hard way recently to never ask Koreans – Korean smokers, actually – for directions, if the following video is to be believed.

After eating live octopus for your viewing pleasure – and it really is quite the spectacle – the host of this YouTube video inexplicably decides to keep rolling, telling viewers that Koreans are a laid back and wonderful people, before immediately asking two young men taking a smoke break for directions to a nearby landmark. They respond by physically attacking him and stealing his camera.

Fluffy cat and dog sushi turns heads and wins hearts in South Korea

Rona Moon
Sep 16, 2013

One day, some unsung genius stared at the fluffy pure-white fur of their beloved cat, thought “mmm, looks just like fluffy white rice”, and grabbed a red towel and a black sock to make their dream come alive. Boom! Fluffy cat sushi was born.

Over in South Korea, fluffy cat and dog sushi has become all the rage, with proud netizens displaying their home-made creations anonymously on internet message boards. Don’t get me wrong – this sushi is purely for decoration and made from household pets with beautifully white fur! Furthermore, it’s easy! If you have a pet at home who’s willing to sit still to be adorned, you can make your own delicious little morsel just like these.

Korean government makes request for kimchi to be recognised as intangible cultural heritage

Andrew Miller
Sep 14, 2013

If you were asked to think of a traditional Korean food, kimchi would most likely come to mind. If you’re unfamiliar with the dish, it’s a fermented, rather spicy, side dish made up of vegetables and various seasonings, and it forms the staple ingredient for hundreds of different Korean dishes. With kimchi valued so highly, it is perhaps no surprise that the Korean government wants to see it classified as intangible cultural heritage.

“Study Cube” combines prison cell and latrine… for kids!

Mike
Sep 12, 2013

Everyone hated studying when they were kids. Hell, everyone hated studying in college. That’s why you sat up on the top floor of the dorm with both a textbook and a beer open and somehow convinced yourself that studying drunk was totally cool as long as you were also drunk while taking the test.

But now a South Korean company has made it possible for kids and college students alike to get some hardcore studying done by creating a study prison that you may also be able to poop in because it totally looks like an old-timey latrine.

“Do you know Gangnam Style?” Controversy ensues online over the promotion of South Korean culture

Master Blaster
Aug 30, 2013

It was amazing how Gangnam Style and PSY’s brand of comedic dance music spread through our hearts making him a household name globally. Well, maybe not Japan for some reason, but everyone else couldn’t get enough of the chubby rapper and his horse dance.

It was a pop culture phenomenon that Korea could be proud for putting out, which leads us to the ongoing debate between Korean net users: How proud should a country be of its culture?

Currently there is a movement on the internet in Korea telling people to stop asking foreigners if they know who PSY is or if they’re aware of kimchi at every possible moment and just have faith that people abroad are aware and like Korean culture.

The future of eco-friendly electronics? Samsung introduces new line of origami-inspired printers

Andrew Miller
Aug 28, 2013

Samsung is known the world over for its stylish, high-quality products, but we doubt that anyone could have predicted the latest creation from Korea’s premier electronics maker. Let us introduce you to a brand new range of eco-friendly printers that are all inspired by none other than the art of origami.

“Smile Lipt” surgery promises to make you smile even if you don’t want to

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Aug 24, 2013

Possibly taking a fashion cue from The Joker, women in South Korea are undergoing a bizarre plastic surgery procedure to enhance their smile. Dubbed “mouth corners lift” or “smile lipt” (a made-up word incorporating the words “lip” and “lift”), the surgery involves cutting the sides of the mouth to create the illusion of a smile.

How would America react if Japan suddenly attacked South Korea?

Rachel Tackett
Aug 16, 2013

Here at RocketNews24 we have a major soft spot for Japanese culture and its quirks. But there’s no denying that the country has a nasty habit of glossing over controversial moments in its history. This has led to some long-lasting tension between Japan and its neighbors, namely China and South Korea.

This week Japan celebrates the end of World War II. At the same time, Korea takes a different angle on the times and celebrates the end of Japan’s colonization and subjugation of their country. This anti-Japan sentiment remains rooted in many aspects of Koreans’ psyche, and led to the creation of a certain documentary which aired on the Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) last Sunday, August 11. The program was titled The Archipelago’s Perilous Night and posed the questions, “What would America do if Japan suddenly attacked South Korea? Who would they aid?” Korean Internet users were quick to respond with their own speculations.

Members of the public injured at LG’s G2 smartphone giveaway event

Andrew Miller
Aug 15, 2013

Korean electronics giant LG has had to cut its G2 smartphone publicity event short after many members of the public were injured. The company hosted a giveaway of coupons that could be exchanged for free LG G2 smartphones and was expected to be held at other arenas across Korea. However, LG didn’t anticipate just how much of a reaction the free phone campaign would create as a man, intent on getting his own free phone, discharged a firearm into the crowd.

Air conditioning temporarily banned in Korea to counteract summer power shortage

Rachel Tackett
Aug 14, 2013

In the midst of a severe heat wave, South Korea is facing a terrible energy crisis. And so, in an effort to save power, the government has taken the step of prohibiting the use of air conditioners – the very devices that few of us would ever dream of going without at this time of year – in public buildings for a number of days.

Public restroom inspires creative thinking, results questionable

Preston Phro
Aug 13, 2013

No one likes using public toilets, do they?

With the smell, the uncomfortable and unfamiliar surroundings, and the fear of butt-cooties latching onto our heinies, it’s only out of desperation that most people will drop their pants and park their naked butts onto a public toilet seat. So when one of the more fastidious members of society is faced with a dire situation, what do they do?

Korean cutie teaches us the importance of camera angles and smiling nicely

Cara Clegg
Aug 12, 2013

The girl above (yes, they’re both the same girl!) has shared a video of her incredible transformation from the rather unflattering left-hand pose to the cutie on the right. Read on to find out how she did it!

Completely unscientific study suggests that Korea is full of psychopaths! 【Quiz】

Rachel Tackett
Aug 7, 2013

Early last month, news of a particularly grotesque murder unsettled the people of South Korea. Not only was the under-aged victim raped and killed by her 19-year-old assailant, the boy went on to mangle her corpse and send pictures of the broken body to his friends using his phone. As if killing another person wasn’t bad enough, to further violate the body and broadcast this fact without any hint of remorse can only mean that this fellow is one truly deranged psychopath.

Now, all of South Korea is on high alert for psychotic behaviors. Online quizzes such as the “Psychopath Test” have been trending in Korean forums, helping Internet users identify the mentally disabled, starting with themselves. Take a look at the test and see how you rank.

Korean media receives harsh criticism for not stopping man from committing suicide

Andrew Miller
Aug 2, 2013

Members of the Korean media have come under fire this week after they filmed a man who warned via his Twitter account that he would jump from Mapo Bridge-a known suicide spot-and made good on his promise.

There staff on the scene made no effort to intervene and have been arrested as accomplices to the man’s suicide.

Google Street View captures view from top of Mt. Fuji, negates only reason to climb it

Mike
Jul 25, 2013

There’s a saying in Japan about Mt. Fuji that goes to the tune of, “You ought to climb it once, but only a fool would climb it twice.”

That’s because, as yours truly learned just last weekend, climbing Mt. Fuji is a lot like spending up to eight hours repeatedly swinging a mallet into your knees as hard as you can. It’s also – at least this year, after having been declared a World Heritage Site – so crowded you’re guaranteed to be spending the climb with your face in dangerous proximity to someone else’s ass at all times.

Lucky for those that haven’t climbed it yet, Google Street View strapped some poor sucker with 100 pounds of weird Google robot gear, maybe gave him a bottle of water and some peanuts, and told him to walk right on up and take some pictures from the top. “It’ll be cool,” they probably said. “We promise.”

Nine Taiwanese accused of smuggling 60.75kg of gold in their anuses

Master Blaster
Jul 23, 2013

Customs authorities in South Korea are pleased to announce that they have cracked a smuggling ring in which gold was brought into the country via people’s cracks. Police have issued warrants for the arrest of the alleged mastermind of the crime, a 47-year-old man going by the name of Zou, along with eight accomplices.

Japan sets new world record for largest mailbox, now ready for your puny mail

Jessica
Jul 18, 2013

A lot of world records are inherently silly. Sure, you could set a record for the most mascot characters dancing in sync, but why would you? Because you are Japan, that’s why! And now Nippon has grabbed another who-even-thinks-of-that world record: largest mailbox.

Least surprising news ever? China and Korea are the most anti-Japanese of all Asian countries

Andrew Miller
Jul 17, 2013

Despite most Asian countries being notably fond of Japan, according to the results of a recent public opinion poll carried out by an American research organization, China and Korea have a distinctly poor image of the land of the rising sun, and it appears to be getting worse over time.

Has Japan’s K-Pop bubble burst? Weakening yen hits major Korean record label hard

Philip Kendall
Jul 13, 2013

It wasn’t so long ago that everywhere you looked in Japan there were ads for Korean pop groups, cosmetics and health drinks. More people than ever were snapping up Korean language textbooks and, despite territorial squabbles and a few extreme-right noise makers, Japan was positively leaping on anything prefixed by the letter ‘K’.

Recent reports, however, suggest that all is not well in the K-Pop (Korean Pop music) camp in Japan, with major Korean record label and talent agency S.M. Entertainment reporting losses of more than 70 percent compared to the same period last year. Has the K-Pop bubble finally burst in Japan?

Three nations come together in friendship to share their dumpling wrapping skills

Casey Baseel
Jul 11, 2013

The dumplings known in Japan as gyoza are typically filled with diced cabbage and pork. Most of the time they’re also packed with enough garlic to make them as dangerous a temptation for office workers on their lunch break as a frosty mid-day beer.

Even though China, Japan, and Korea all have distinct food cultures, being so close to one another on the map means that some things are bound to cross borders. Case in point: all three countries love gyoza, and rightly so!

But while they’re united in their love for the food is universal, it turns out each nation has its own unique way of wrapping them, as our Japanese correspondent living in Germany recently found out.