Spicy stir-fried chicken rice bowl (닭갈비 덮밥). A comforting meal during the current heavy rain. Boneless skinless chicken thigh marinated in a gochujang-type sauce (Korean red chili paste) with garlic, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and sometimes ginger.
Nestled next to Dogok-dong, Gaepo-dong (개포동) is another affluent neighborhood tucked away in Gangnam, Seoul. Known for its top-tier public schools, lush parks, and the scenic Yangjaecheon Stream, Gaepo offers a peaceful charm with cozy coffee shops and tree-lined streets that bloom beautifully throughout the seasons.
As summer 2025 kicks off on June 20, warm weather and early seasonal activities are underway in Seoul.
Dogok (도곡동), one of the 25 neighborhoods in Seoul’s upscale Gangnam District, is joining in the seasonal spirit. A banner reads, “Dogok Early-Summer Picnic” (도곡 초여름 피크닉).
South Korea’s monsoon (rainy) season, known as jangma 장마, runs late June to late July. It’s the most uncomfortable time of the year to be in Korea – intense bursts of rain and persistently high humidity.
2011 and 2022 were especially heavy monsoon years where parts of Gangnam suffered severe flooding. Our car, along with hundreds of other vehicles, suffered massive water damage in 2011 and again in 2022. In our neighborhood, nearly all of the parked cars were scrapped.
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Korea has elected Lee Jae-Myeong as President (이재명 한국 대통령) and he will soon begin negotiating tariffs with President Trump of the U.S.. In particular, Lee is looking to make adjustments to Trump‘s planned 25% reciprocal tariffs. These reciprocal tariffs are expected to take effect July 8, 2025 as they are currently on a three-month suspension.
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New power bank rules, which went into effect on 3/1/2025, are slowly rolling out – with plans for eventual individual inspection and approval to carry. In January 2025, a malfunctioning power bank was likely responsible for a fire on an Air Busan flight.
At Incheon Airport, there are information tables setup next to each security checkpoint for departing passengers. Here, they offer details of this safety rollout and provide plastic bags to safely seal your batteries.
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South Korea provides its citizens with a public
Holiday for the (Presidential) Election Day. May 29-30, 2025 were in-person pre-election days with 3,568 elections booth open across the country, including at major transportation hubs such as Incheon Airport. So far, 34.74% of the population has voted.
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