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Korean Identities Beyond Borders

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Perilla seeds

Unbiased History & Stories on Korea for Global Audience

Sponsored by Open Korea Foundation

  • This is samgyetang, one of Korea’s soul foods!

    Oct 31, 2025
    in Community, Feeds
    This is samgyetang, one of Korea’s soul foods!

    This is samgyetang, one of Korea’s soul foods! This one is a bit special — it’s made with perilla seeds,…

    korean soup, Perilla seeds
  • Is this Perilla Seeds?

    Oct 13, 2024
    in Community
    Is this Perilla Seeds?

    I have been wanting to make Potato Soybean paste soup (gamja-doenjang-guk:감자된장국) from Maangchi’s book. She asks for perilla seed powder…

    identification, Perilla seeds

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Latest Korean News

  • In Korea, it’s time to go public; IPOs roaring back as big names line up for listingNovember 11, 2025
    The Korean IPO market is reviving South Korea’s moribund initial… Read more: In Korea, it’s time to go public; IPOs roaring back as big names line up for listing
  • Fitch raises S.Korea’s growth outlook on policy stimulusNovember 11, 2025
    Shipping containers stacked at a port in South Korea Fitch Ratings… Read more: Fitch raises S.Korea’s growth outlook on policy stimulus
  • NCSOFT to accelerate global expansion with new titles led by Aion 2November 11, 2025
    Aion 2 (Courtesy of NCSOFT) NCSOFT Corp., a leading South… Read more: NCSOFT to accelerate global expansion with new titles led by Aion 2
  • DB HiTek capitalizes on legacy chip retreat by Samsung, TSMCNovember 11, 2025
    DB HiTek’s foundry campus in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province DB HiTek… Read more: DB HiTek capitalizes on legacy chip retreat by Samsung, TSMC
  • AliExpress-led Chinese e-commerce stumbles in South KoreaNovember 11, 2025
    (Courtesy of AliExpress) The surge of Chinese e-commerce in South… Read more: AliExpress-led Chinese e-commerce stumbles in South Korea

Latest Community Feeds

  • Original Song Titles vs. Used Song TitlesNovember 11, 2025
  • Incheon Grand Park 2025_11_07November 11, 2025
  • The Hypocrisy of ‘I’m Concerned – regarding HyunANovember 11, 2025
  • I can’t be the only one who thought thisNovember 11, 2025
  • Recommendations on food to tryNovember 11, 2025
  • Japchae (tonight’s dinner)November 11, 2025
  • President Lee condemns discrimination, calls for legal action against hate speechNovember 11, 2025
  • Korea no longer has the lowest fertility rate in the world… But there’s a catchNovember 11, 2025
  • Former President Yoon Faces Investigation Over Marine Death Probe PressureNovember 11, 2025
  • I wish MIXX never disbanded. They were truly ahead of their timeNovember 11, 2025
  • “Bossam: The Unsung Hero of Kimjang Season”November 11, 2025
  • If you can give a kpop group ONE emoji to represent it, which emoji would you choose?November 11, 2025
  • Let them DATE! It’s THEIR life! Why is it that hard to understand?November 11, 2025
  • only reason people dislike itzy’s music nowadays is because they search for something that’s not there anymore.November 10, 2025
  • If the top5 of 3rd gen GGs were non-existent, who would’ve been the most popular groups?November 10, 2025
  • Not really a fan, but i’m kind of concerned about HyunANovember 10, 2025
  • People comparing Katseye to other ggs is so annoyingNovember 10, 2025
  • Samgak gimbap first try!November 10, 2025
  • Can we ban posts that are just “X fandom gets / gives out too much hate”November 10, 2025
  • Updated Stats about song production and credits in BGNovember 10, 2025

All Articles

  • Art (3)
  • Feeds (15,101)
    • Community (10,319)
    • Entertainment (1,034)
    • News (3,745)
  • History (41)
  • People (16)

History of Korea

  • Exploring Ancient Korea: A Journey into Pre-HistoryOctober 12, 2017
    Introduction to Pre-Historic Korea The timeline of ancient Korea before documented history is a fascinating yet challenging area of study.… Read more: Exploring Ancient Korea: A Journey into Pre-History
  • The Rise and Fall of Go Joseon and the Emergence of the Three KingdomsOctober 19, 2017
    Introduction to Go Joseon The Go Joseon dynasty, often considered a pivotal era in Korean history, emerged around the end… Read more: The Rise and Fall of Go Joseon and the Emergence of the Three Kingdoms
  • The Rise and Fall of Korea’s Three Kingdoms: A Story of Power, Conflict, and UnificationNovember 30, 2017
    Introduction to the Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms period in Korea, encompassing approximately from the 1st century BCE to the… Read more: The Rise and Fall of Korea’s Three Kingdoms: A Story of Power, Conflict, and Unification
  • Choe Chi-wonFebruary 14, 2018
    Introduction to Choe Chi-won Choe Chi-won, born in 857, stands as a notable figure in Korean history, specifically during the… Read more: Choe Chi-won
  • King Gwanggaeto the GreatMay 14, 2018
    Introduction to King Gwanggaeto King Gwanggaeto the Great, a pivotal figure in Korean history, ruled from 395 to 413 CE… Read more: King Gwanggaeto the Great
  • Won HyoOctober 14, 2018
    Introduction to Won Hyo Won Hyo, a prominent figure in Korean history, is celebrated for his profound impact on the… Read more: Won Hyo
  • Jang BogoApril 14, 2019
    Introduction to Jang Bogo Jang Bogo, a prominent historical figure from the Silla Dynasty, played a pivotal role in shaping… Read more: Jang Bogo
  • GyebaekApril 14, 2019
    Introduction to Gyebaek Gyebaek is a prominent historical figure in Korean history, particularly known for his role as a general… Read more: Gyebaek
  • King MuryeongSeptember 14, 2019
    Introduction to King Muryeong King Muryeong, reigning from 501 to 523 AD, stands as one of the most influential monarchs… Read more: King Muryeong
  • The Rise and Fall of the Goryeo Dynasty: A Precursor to the Joseon EraJanuary 3, 2020
    Introduction to the Goryeo Dynasty The Goryeo Dynasty, established in 918 AD by the notable general Wang Geon, marks a… Read more: The Rise and Fall of the Goryeo Dynasty: A Precursor to the Joseon Era

Open Korea

Open Korea

Korean Identities Beyond Borders

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Helplines in Korea

112  | Police

Call to report life-threatening situations and emergencies requiring law enforcement. Text service and location tracking service is also available.

119 | Fire & Ambulance

The fire department and health emergencies requiring ambulance service. There’s also an English reporting section on their website.

182 | Missing Persons & Stolen Vehicles

This line is also used for non-emergency reports and requests such as inquiring about the cost of a fine for a traffic violation, information on car licenses, and how to contact officers in charge of specific cases.

1339 | Korea Center for Disease Control (KCDC) Foreigner Helpline

Particularly useful during the 2015 MERS scare, the KCDC provides foreigners with information about first-aid and diseases in English, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Mongolian.

1366 | Seoul Women’s Help Hotline

Not necessarily English-friendly and not outside of Seoul, this 24-hour service immediate response line for women involved in domestic abuse, sexual violence or prostitution should still be kept handy.

1330 | Korea Tourism Organization’s Travel Helpline

Tourism and translation services. The service is available 24/7 and provides information on tourist sites, transportation, restaurants, and more.

120 | Seoul Municipal Government Info

The Seoul “Dasan” helpline provides information on restaurants (Korean and international cuisines), transportation (bus, subway, taxi, etc.), Korean language schools, interpretation services, legal consulting, lost items, volunteer services, daily living in Seoul, and tourism. Available languages are Chinese, English, Japanese, Mongolian and Vietnamese from 9 am to 10 pm.

1345 | Immigration

Foreign resident can to ask just about any immigration-related question. Keep in mind that they tend to be on the negative side, as it’s the safer way for them to answer. Tip: Get their name and information so that if you visit the immigration office and get a different story you can tell them that you were told otherwise…

1331 | National Human Rights Commission of Korea

Call here to get information on human rights laws and social justice in Korea, as well as get assistance with filing a complaint and even receive counseling.

110 | National Government Call Center

This phone number is available for the public to call and inquire about anything from government policy to civil complaints. Available in 20 different languages.

Useful Official Links on Korea

Korean Arts

  • Archive of Gugak 국악아카이브
  • Artsnet 미술포탈 아츠넷
  • Digital Archive of Performing Arts 공연예술 디지털 아카이브
  • Intangible Heritage Digital Archive 무형유산 디지털 아카이브
  • Korea Digital Archives for the Arts 한국예술디지털아카이브
  • National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea 국립현대미술관
  • ​National Museum of Korea 국립중앙박물관
  • Seoul Photo Archives 서울사진아카이브

Korean Cinema

  • HANCINEMA The Korean Movie & Drama Database
  • Intangible Heritage Digital Archive 무형유산 디지털 아카이브
  • KMDb 한국영화데이터베이스
  • Korea Digital Archives for the Arts 한국예술디지털아카이브
  • Korean Annual Box Office Results 영화진흥위원회 박스오피스
  • Korean Film Archive 한국영상자료원
  • Korean Film Archive YouTube Channel
  • Korean Film Biz Zone
  • Korean Film Council 한국영화진흥위원회
  • KTV National Record Film 한국정책방송원 e영상역사관
  • North Korean film 북한영화 (통일부 북한자료센타)

Language & Literature

  • The Academy of Korean Studies 한국학 중앙 연구원
  • DLKL (한국 문학 디지털 도서관) by 한국문학번역원Digital Library of Korean Literature
  • The Korea Comparative Literature Association 한국비교문학회
  • The Korean Association of Language Sciences 한국언어과학회
  • Korean Literature Archive
  • Korean Literature Author Data Service
  • Korean Literature E-books in Multiple Languages
  • The Learned Society of Modern Korean Literature 한국현대문학회
  • The Modern Linguistic Society of Korea 한국현대언어학회
  • The Society of Korean Oral Literature 한국 구비 문학회
  • 국어 능력 인증 시험 (한국언어문화연구원)
  • 근대 문학 종합 목록 (국립 중앙 도서관)A comprehensive database for Korean modern literature. The site provides a search for authors and titles.
  • 한국 고전 종합 DB
  • 한글 학회 (Korean Language Society)

Statistical Sources

Government sources

  • Statistics Korea (KOSTAT 통계청)
  • Korean Statistical Information Sources (KOSIS 국가통계포털)
  • Open DATA Portal (공공 데이터 포털)

Themed statistics

  • Korean Social Science Data Archive (KOSSDA) 한국사회과학자료원
  • North Korean Statistics 북한통계 (KOISS)
  • 경제통계시스템 (Economic Statistics System)
  • 국가교육통계정보센터 (Korea National Center for Education Statistics & Information)
  • 노동통계 (Labour Statistics)
  • Media Statistics (Korea Press Foundation)
  • Trade Statistics (수출입통계, 관세청 Korea Customs Service)

History related sources

  • 한국역사정보통합시스템 (국사편찬워원회)
  • 한국사 데이터베이스
  • Kyujanggak Institute (규장각 한국학 연구원)Seoul National University Kyujanggak Institute for Korean studies
  • 한국학 디지털 아카이브
  • The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty 조선 왕조 실록
  • The Daily Records of Royal Secretariat of Joseon Dynasty 승정원 일기
  • 朝鮮王朝実録 (東京大学東洋文化研究所)
  • Korean Image Archive (한국 이미지 자료원)2,400 historic, original photographs of Korea (primarily focus on images captured pre-1970, and 35mm color slides) are available for research, presentation, lectures and other forms of scholarly works.
  • Sajin Taehan Min’guk (사진 대한민국)a collection of photographic records that vividly capture the people’s daily lives and social changes.
  • Academy of Korean Studies [한국학 디지털 아카이브]

Bibliographies and Indexes

  • 한국학술지인용색인 Korea Citation Index
  • KORCIS: 한국 고문헌 종합 목록 (국립중앙도서관)Korean Old and Rare Collection Information System
  • 近代朝鮮関係書籍データベース (東京大学東洋文化研究所)
  • 한국 잡지 박물관 DB