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Curated picks from Mori's Korea — food, life, culture, beauty, pet, and travel.
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Mori guides you through Korean food, life and culture — with her friends Zoe and Alex and her Mom joining in now and then.
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Latest from Mori
Fresh stories from this week.Korea Forecasts Autumn Leaves Like the Weather. Here's How to Plan Around It.
Autumn colour starts at the summits and comes down. Seoraksan logged its first colour on September 28; Bukhansan, inside Seoul, is still weeks away. How to pick your week, get to both mountains, and eat well in Gangwon.
Gangnam's Free K-Pop Concert Is October 4 — PSY, ZEROBASEONE and Five More, and Yes, You Need a Ticket
Seven acts, one boulevard, a ticket price of zero (plus a 3,000-won booking fee) — but getting in runs through a Ticketlink booking, an ID check, and a wristband. Here's what's happening at the 2026 Gangnam Festival on October 4, and how to plan around it.
PC Bang Tourism Is Booming — and Its Biggest Star Is Chasing a Second Asian Games Gold
Foreign tourist spending on K-leisure — PC bangs, karaoke rooms and traditional culture experiences — jumped 35.8% year on year in early 2026. Ground zero is a 24-hour gaming café built by Faker's own esports team — and from September 29 to October 2, Faker is chasing a second Asian Games gold medal against seven other nations, including Team India.
K-Hiking: Why Foreign Visitors Are Adding Mountain Trails to Their Korea Trips
Korea's national parks logged an estimated 2.05 million foreign visits last year — more than double the previous count, though the park service changed how it counts — and one of the busiest mountains, Bukhansan, sits inside Seoul's own city limits.
Korea, in Small Facts
A few everyday things that surprise first-timers — plus Mori's picks for each topic.
Food
Banchan (반찬)
The small side dishes that come free with any Korean meal, refilled on request — not an extra, just how the table is set.
Table BBQ etiquette
The grill in the middle is shared, and meat gets snipped with kitchen scissors right at the table — not cut with a knife.
Ordering "for the table"
Dishes are usually shared rather than individually plated — it's normal to order for the group, not per person.
Life
Ondol (온돌)
Underfloor heating built into most Korean homes — historically wood-fired, now usually electric or hot-water based.
Apartment living
Most Koreans live in high-rise apartment complexes, often known by their builder's brand name rather than a street address.
Waste separation
Recycling is strict and detailed — food waste is sorted separately and often billed by weight via special bags.
Culture
The everyday bow
A slight nod-bow is the standard everyday greeting — deeper, more formal bows are saved for holidays and elders.
One age system now
As of June 2023, Korea legally switched to international age-counting for almost everything, retiring the old "Korean age" system.
Speech levels
Korean has distinct formal and informal speech levels tied to age and relationship — it's built into the grammar, not just word choice.
Beauty
Sunscreen, every day
Daily SPF — even indoors — is treated as a baseline skincare step in Korea, not an occasional summer add-on.
"Glass skin"
A dewy, smooth-looking skin ideal pursued through layered hydration, rather than heavy makeup coverage.
Cushion compacts
The sponge-dabbed liquid foundation compact was a Korean invention — Western brands have been copying the format for years.
Daiso's first all-beauty store
In late August 2026, Daiso opened its first beauty-only store, near Konkuk University — about 1,800 skincare and makeup items instead of just a few shelves. It's a bet that "budget beauty" under ₩5,000 has become a real shopping category on its own.
Pet
Dog & cat cafés
Cafés where you can sip coffee while hanging out with resident dogs or cats are a well-known part of Seoul's café scene.
Pet registration
Korea requires dogs to be registered, usually via microchip, as part of a national pet-registration system.
Jindo dog (진돗개)
A native Korean breed designated a national monument — loyal, alert, and traditionally used as a hunting and guard dog.
Travel
T-money card
One rechargeable card covers subway, bus, and even some taxis and convenience stores nationwide — pick one up on arrival.
Jjimjilbang (찜질방)
24-hour public bathhouses that double as a cheap overnight stay — a real budget-travel trick, not just a spa visit.
Convenience stores, everywhere
CU, GS25, and 7-Eleven are on nearly every block, with hot food and seating — an easy fallback meal between sights.
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