Reader's Digest: Kakao service outage, DMZ, Korean bakery chain

Last week, headlines were abuzz with news about a local high school student winning a comic contest with a political cartoon. The cartoon was entitled “Yoon Suk-yeol Train” (윤석열차) and criticized the South Korean president. Although South Korea’s constitution guarantees freedom of speech, the contest received a stern warning from the Ministry of Culture (문화체육관광부). After some pushback, the government appears to have backed off, in yet another public embarrassment for the Yoon administration.

Reader's Digest

Kakao apps hit with service outage due to fire at the data center

(Korea JoongAng Daily)

While messaging apps such as Apple iMessage, Meta’s WhatsApp, or Facebook Messenger may dominate many countries around the world, South Korea relies heavily on KakaoTalk. A fire at a server building in Pangyo, Gyeonggi-do (경기도 성남시 판교) led to a huge outage that has not been resolved at the time of writing. The broad-reaching implications of the outage have ignited discussions about whether South Korea is too reliant on a single app.

Filipina's Korean dream dashed by trafficking, sexual coercion

(The Korea Times)

A recent special report told the story of a singer from the Philippines who accepted a job offer from a Korean recruiter in the 2010s. The recruiter intentionally presented the opportunity as a performance gig at a hotel - but she ended up being expected to do anything to satisfy paying customers.

Ex-PPP leader Lee Jun-seok referred to prosecution for making false accusation related to his sexual hospitality scandal

(The Korea Times)

Police on Thursday referred Lee Jun-seok, the ousted former leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), to the prosecution for indictment over false accusation charges in connection with his sexual bribery allegations. This will undoubtedly deal a serious blow to his political career, as the referral seems to indicate that the police accept the allegations as a fact.

Woman murdered by husband even after several reports of domestic violence

(The Korea Herald)

The disturbing story of a woman who was murdered after repeatedly reporting her husband’s domestic violence against her is reigniting conversations about misogynistic violence in South Korea, and authorities’ often-lacking responses to it.

DMZ belongs to all humanity, argues Korean ecologist

(The Hankyoreh)

The demilitarized zone between North Korea and South Korea is the most heavily armed border in the world - but the lack of human activity has also made it one of the world’s most ecologically conserved areas.

This Bakery Chain Is So Much Better Than Whatever You’re Eating

(The Takeout)

Could baked goods be the next cultural export of hallyu (한류)? One of the most popular U.S. food blogs recently covered Korean bakery chain Tous Les Jours (뚜레쥬르), which has nearly 1700 locations worldwide. Of course, this pales in comparison to another Korean bakery chain with a French name: Paris Baguette (파리바게뜨), which boasts nearly 3900 locations.