Latest news with #LotteWorld
Korea Herald
05-06-2025
- General
- Korea Herald
How much is enough to raise a child in South Korea?
We asked 6 young parents about realistic, necessary costs of parenthood South Korea's dwindling birth rate has become something of a global curiosity and a national crisis, making frequent headlines. Yet behind the statistics lies a quieter, more personal calculus — one that plays out in the homes of young adults weighing whether to have a child. More often than not, the key factor is cost. So how much do young parents — or would-be parents — believe it takes to raise a child in South Korea today? And what feels realistic, or essential? To find out, we spoke with six parents in their 30s living in Seoul and surrounding areas. Here's what they had to say. 'Need more to be a better mother, daughter' Cho Min-jung, a mother of two daughters, ages 2 and 4, living in Gyeonggi Province, wishes she could spend around 3 million won ($2,200) per child monthly. 'If I had more money, I think I'd travel more with my kids. For those once-in-a-lifetime experiences, I'd probably make the decision more easily,' she said. For now, she is grateful for the simpler joys. 'They're happy just running around Yuldong Park,' she said. 'But they'll grow up, and things will change. They can't spend forever just running around, blowing dandelions.' Cho also hopes to give more back to her own mother, who currently lives with her and looks after the children while Cho works. She pays her mother 1 million won a month for the help, which she said is far less than the 2 million won a babysitter would typically charge for just one child. 'If I had more money, I'd pay my mom more,' she said. 'I'm really a bad daughter.' Lee Eun-ji, a mother in Seoul raising a 3-year-old girl, said the ideal amount to spend on raising a child would be one parent's salary. For her, that's about 4 million won a month. 'Every meaningful childhood experience comes with a cost,' she said. She recalled feeling guilty when she learned that other parents were able to enroll their children in Montessori programs, which focus on self-directed learning and hands-on activities. 'I wanted that kind of exposure for my child, but it costs 500,000 won for just 12 classes. It was too much,' she said. Instead, she began taking her daughter on weekend outings. But even those are not cheap. 'A trip to Lotte World (amusement park in Seoul) followed by dinner can easily cost more than 100,000 in a single day,' she said. 'Child's needs change, but cost don't shrink' 'If I were to provide everything I want for my child, I'd need about 5 million won a month,' said Park Na-hyun, the mother of a 4-year-old son, living in Seoul. She explained that as children grow, the types of expenses change, but the financial burden remains constant. For example, when her son was an infant, Park's husband worked in a city far from Seoul during the week, leaving her to manage child care on her own. To cope, the couple hired a live-in babysitter from Monday to Thursday, which cost nearly 4 million won per month. Now that their child is older, the spending has shifted. 'Now, we don't have a babysitter since my mother-in-law is helping take care of him. Clothing and toys come to just under 1 million won a month. Piano and swimming lessons add another 350,000 to 400,000,' she said. 'And I feel like the financial pressure is only going to grow from here.' Park plans to enroll her son in an English immersive preschool that charges 2.5 million won a month. Once he starts kindergarten, she also plans to hire a babysitter for after-school care, since classes usually end before she finishes work. 'Really, the more, the better' Asked about the costs of raising his 3-year-old son, Choi Jun-seo did not hesitate. He began itemizing what he considered to be the ideal monthly budget. 'The babysitter costs 1.8 million won a month. For clothing, it would be nice to have about 200,000 won. Food comes to around 500,000. Toys and education are about 250,000. And for experiences like kids' cafes or shows? Maybe another 250,000,' he said. Altogether, his estimate totaled approximately 3 million won per month. 'It would also be good to have an extra 300,000 set aside, for insurance or maybe a pension plan for my kid,' he added. 'Really, the more, the better.' 'Manageable for now, but worried about what's ahead' For Kim, the father of an 8-month-old baby, the cost of parenting feels manageable for now. 'I don't need much,' he said. 'Right after the birth, we spent a lot on baby supplies, but these days we probably spend around 1 million won a month.' That amount covers everything his child currently needs, including formula, baby food, diapers and other basic essentials. But Kim is already looking ahead and worrying. 'I think the real financial burden will start around age 5, when my son begins English-language preschool,' he said. "An extra 2 to 3 million won would be needed." Even so, Kim plans to send his son to one. 'I used to be against the idea,' he said. But after spending time with other moms and dads, he changed his mind on the notion that everyone else seems to be planning to send their kids to English-language preschool before elementary school. 'I mean, I don't expect my kid to be at the top of the class, but I don't want him to be at the bottom either. I worry all the other kids will already speak English, and mine won't. I'm afraid he'll fall behind.' Han, an elementary school teacher and the mother of a 6-year-old son, describes herself as a relatively frugal parent. 'It's hard to pinpoint the ideal amount to spend,' she said. 'You could spend endlessly, but you can also spend moderately and still be fine. I'd say around 2 million won.' Her son attends a private kindergarten that costs 400,000 won a month. He also takes piano lessons twice a week and art lessons once a week. These academies each cost about 130,000 to 150,000 won a month. Han doesn't feel guilty about not doing more, but she understands why some parents might. 'I get it,' she said. 'It feels like most moms are doing so much for their kids, and if you're not, you feel like you're in the minority. So it's natural to compare.' For now, the financial strain feels manageable. 'I really want to say that it's not overwhelming,' she added. 'I'm pregnant with my second child right now, which I think proves the point.'
Korea Herald
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
‘Johnny Somali' trial raises the question: How should Korea handle 'nuisance influencers'?
Calls grow for stern response to foreign creators who come to mock and harass As he arrived for his second trial hearing at the Seoul Western District Court on May 16, American YouTuber 'Johnny Somali' briefly turned to reporters, smiling and sticking out his tongue. The 24-year-old streamer, whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, has been barred from leaving South Korea and is being tried on three charges, including obstruction of business and violations of minor public order laws. Ismael represents a new kind of content creator — one that South Korea is confronting for the first time as the country increasingly attracts YouTube-driven tourism and attention-seeking influencers. Nuisance influencers, as CNN called them, deliberately stir up trouble in public to generate views and online visibility. Trouble for clicks Ismael arrived in South Korea around October last year. His disruptive behavior here, including playing loud music and obscene videos in public and livestreaming himself vandalizing a convenience store, quickly drew attention online. However, the act that sparked the most public outrage occurred on Oct. 9. On that day, he uploaded a video of himself kissing the Statue of Peace in Itaewon, central Seoul, and performing a lewd dance in front of it. The statue commemorates the victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery during World War II — a painful and enduring wound in Korea's collective memory, stemming from the country's colonialization by Japan from 1910 to 1945. He appeared to have discovered one of the most potent triggers of public outrage in South Korea: the nation's historical trauma with Japan. In another video, he held up the 'Rising Sun' flag — a symbol widely associated with Japanese imperialism — and referred to Dokdo, a group of rocky islets in South Korea's easternmost waters that are at the center of a territorial dispute with Japan, calling them 'Takeshima,' the name used by Japan to assert sovereignty over the area. While these incidents brought him nationwide attention, it was his actions at the Lotte World amusement park, a convenience store, and on public transportation — including subways and buses — that led to criminal charges of business obstruction and violations of public order laws. He is also accused of producing and distributing a deepfake video in which the face of a Korean female streamer was digitally manipulated onto footage that appeared to show her kissing him. Just as Ismael's trial began in March, South Korea saw the emergence of another YouTuber with a similar approach. American YouTuber 'Ice Poseidon' came under fire that same month for a livestream in Busan where he and his companions shouted in public, kicked trash and mocked Korean food, saying, 'Kimchi is disgusting.' While riding in a taxi, he also spoke Korean in an exaggerated, mocking tone, seemingly to ridicule the elderly driver. How to respond? As public frustration grows over disruptive foreign content creators in South Korea, online users are calling for a boycott of controversial streamers whose offensive behavior appears to be rewarded with attention — and ad revenue. 'Many people keep watching, commenting, and even subscribing while criticizing them. But that attention is exactly what feeds YouTubers like Somali,' one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 'People should stop giving them any attention, and immigration authorities should prevent them from entering Korea.' As of May 28, Ice Poseidon, the streamer who sparked outrage in Busan, had 695,000 subscribers on YouTube. Johnny Somali's YouTube channel has been suspended, making it difficult to determine his current following. At the same time, South Koreans are calling for the authorities to respond sternly in Ismael's case to establish a precedent for dealing with similar incidents in the future. While Ismael was eventually prosecuted, though without physical detention, some people say the initial response from South Korean law enforcement was too lenient, allowing him to persist in harassing locals and disturbing public order. 'I hope a fair and firm ruling is delivered in Johnny Somali's case to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future,' said Seo Kyoung-duk, a liberal arts professor at Sungshin Women's University known for his efforts to promote Korean culture abroad. 'A strong punishment should be imposed to set an example,' he wrote on Facebook. In response to an inquiry from The Korea Herald, an official from the Korea Immigration Service reiterated the general principle that, under Article 46 of the Immigration Control Act, a foreign national may be subject to deportation if their actions are deemed harmful to national interests or public safety. 'A comprehensive review of specific facts, including whether any laws were violated, is necessary before making a determination,' the official added. Ismael's third trial hearing is scheduled for Aug. 13. If convicted and sentenced to prison, he would have to serve his term in a local prison. Separately, immigration authorities could review whether to impose a deportation order and a reentry ban, according to legal experts.
Korea Herald
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Lotte World partners with Nexon for new MapleStory attraction
Three MapleStory-themed attractions to unveil in the first half of 2026 Lotte World, an amusement park in Jamsil, Seoul, has teamed up with Nexon, the publisher of MapleStory, to introduce a new theme zone called "Maple Island." The attraction, set to open in the first half of 2026, will be the park's first collaboration with external intellectual property for a dedicated theme zone. Previously, the two partnered on a smaller scale, introducing attractions such as World KartRacing (2021) and KartRider Racing World (2022), both based on Nexon's KartRider: Drift IP. According to Lotte World, Maple Island will feature souvenir shops, food and beverage outlets and photo zones, all inspired by the three universes of the MapleStory game. The new zone will span 1,980 square meters. The addition of Maple Island will also bring three new attractions to the park, including a rollercoaster and two child-friendly rides. 'Lotte World has become a theme park where imagination comes to life through collaborations with webtoons, games and animations,' said Kwon Osang, CEO of Lotte World. 'With this collaboration with Nexon, we will offer a unique experience that bridges the gap between the online and offline worlds.'
