Links for End of Year 2023, New Year 2024, plus logo doodles

Happy New Year 2024, a full month too late now. I promised I would do some kind of Goodbye 2023 post, but that didn't happen. And here is the reason: I'm lazy. 

Sure, I mean to do continue my trend and look at Naver's Top Search Terms for 2023 and maybe explain them a bit in English. But looking at this year's list, it was the most boring possible content I've ever seen. I have a very strong suspicion that these keyword lists are not true representations of what Netizens were searching for and instead are just the result of an approval process where questionable, sensational, or non-PC search terms were removed. The results from Google and Naver feel especially bland. Most are just the names of TV shows or movies. 

So instead of looking up what all these TV shows are about since I don't even watch TV anyway, I'll just list the relevant posts were you can check for yourself. And include a standard list of interesting links from the new year season. 

Spring is seemingly in the air today as February starts. So why not relax and enjoy some interesting links collected by yours truly. 

End of Year 2023 Links

Naver trending topics 2023

Here's a copy of Naver's top trending topics for the year, which saw noticeable rise in searches compared to last year, so give a hint at what topics were especially popular this year. As I said, most are TV shows or movies, sports events, or major natural disasters. Nothing juicy if you ask me. The actual top searches list is even more boring, and as usual, shows that the vast majority of Naver searches are just stuff like "YouTube" or "weather". 

Google's Top 10 searches in Korea and abroad 2023

The Google list at least shows a little more interesting stuff. 

Like cartoonist Joo Ho-min who made big news because of his instance on his special needs son being put in normal classrooms, and the controversy surrounding what to do when his kid inevitiably acts up in class. Should the attempt to integrate special needs kids trump the "normal" kids' rights to study in peace and safety? 

The death of actor Lee Seon-kyun made the list. As did two high profile knife stabbing rampages.

See the full lists yourself:

Other End of 2023 lists:


Top 5 apps that saw growth in installs in Korea for 2023:

  1. Coupang Play 쿠팡플레이 - similar to Amazon Prime video, the free OTT streaming platform that comes with a Coupang Wow membership
  2. Temu 테무 - Chinese cheap shopping website, already took USA by storm
  3. Disney Plus 디즈니플러스 - You know what this is
  4. Government Portal 정부24 - App that connects you to various government services
  5. NH Bank NH 올원뱅크 - online bank

And now, the normal links.


Links from December 2023 - January 2024

As usual, here are the interesting news links that caught my eye from December and January. Don't feel like you have to read them all. Sometimes just scanning the headlines is enough to keep you in the know. As usual, the links that start with "10원 Tips" are actually links to my Mastodon account, where I originally shared the link or usually as a standalone toot. 

Links are basically listed newest to oldest.
  1. [App/Web] Arabic translation now available in Papago
  2. Hyundai Department Store, Duty Free, Outlets to open new foreigners-only membership
  3. 10원 Tips - Forget your smartphone. Return to tradition with these adorable silicone #Sanrio characters (#MyMelody, #HelloKitty, whatever that other one is) T-money dongles. Now sold at all big convenience stores in Korea, 18,000 won. #산리오
  4. Dog gone! KakaoTalk to remove all free character emojis
  5. Injured Eagle from Denver Zoo Rescued in South Korea
  6. New JSA barracks named after 2 US Army officers killed in 1976 axe incident
  7. Gyeonggi opens $9.80 monthly sanitary pad stipend to foreigners
  8. Seoul subway uses bald eagle images to scare off pigeons
  9. Yu Jae-seok Continues His Reign
  10. How to Pay Student Loans on Nelnet as an Expat without a U.S. Bank Account
  11. KT Membership Sees 26% Surge in Monthly Active Users Thanks to In-App Services
  12. Everland to host 'Fairy Town' tulip festival on March 22 with Hello Kitty creator Sanrio
  13. Korea unveils W134tr rail plan to cut Seoul commutes to 30 minutes
  14. Inshorts introduces AI-based product placement for K-drama
  15. KakaoTalk’s “Memorial Profile” Service Boosts User Autonomy
  16. Apple Music Classical launches in Korea
  17. Culture ministry licenses first foreigners-only casino in 19 years
  18. Nike to lure Korean customers with Naver's generative AI ad - KED Global
  19. 10원 Tips - Order your Galaxy S24 Ultra on the Samsung online store and get it in one of 3 new colors... turns out the colors are themed after Korean bank notes. Neat! https://www.insight.co.kr/news/460424 #한국지폐 #갤럭시 #S24 #갤럭시S24울트라 #GalaxyS24 #Samsung #삼성
  20. Samsung hints at charging for Galaxy AI features after 2025
  21. S. Korea to abolish mandated holiday breaks for large supermarkets
  22. Korean bakeries captivate US consumers
  23. 'Hallo Chunhyang' play-within-a-play explores foreign experience in Korea's arts scene
  24. [FRIENDS OF KOREA] Cycling Korea's east coast in 1968
  25. 10원 Tips - Interesting issue: how can Korean AI programs incorporate training data when so much valuable potential data is locked up in Hangul (HWP) files? https://www.etnews.com/20240122000273
  26. 10원 Tips - These commemorative Korean themed boxes of Ballantine's whisky are so cute. #발렌타인 #Ballantines #whisky #위스키
  27. [LLG] She was his homeroom teacher, now they share a life together
  28. Seoul’s Seocho District Launches ‘Goteo Map’ App for Easier Navigation in Maze-Like Underground Mall
  29. Upstage installs Solar in KakaoTalk AI services
  30. ‘K-pass’ to provide transport discounts up to 53% across Korea
  31. New Galaxy S24 Series Boasts AI-powered Live Translation of Phone Calls
  32. AI-generated images spark uproar over Korean gender stereotypes and grievances
  33. 10원 Tips - Foreigners in Korea 2023 review:• 2.5 million expats arrived last year • 75% remain in the country for over 90 days, 25% short-term stays.Chinese 942,395 Vietnam 271,712 Thailand 202,121 USA 161,895 Uzbekistan 87,698 https://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Society/view?articleId=245554
  34. 10원 Tips - Naver logo doodle for "Daehan" (대한 大寒), traditionally the coldest time of the year (in ancient China) but getting milder in Korea.
  35. Kakao’s multimodal LLM Honeybee: Korea’s answer to Gemini, GPT-4
  36. 10원 Tips - Overview of popular apps on the iOS App Store made by Koreans 한국이 만들고 세계가 즐기는 앱 31 : App Store 스토리 https://apps.apple.com/kr/story/id1664662887
  37. Goodnotes Elevates AI Game with Acquisition of Korean AI Startup Dropthebit
  38. 10원 Tips - Somebody told an AI image generator to draw 20yo Korean men and then draw 20yo Korean women. The results were... well... Via https://www.fnnews.com/news/202401160706326854
  39. 10원 Tips - Korean word of the day: 스텔스 차량. Literally "stealth vehicle" (I was confused by coworker encountering one) but turns out it refers to cars driving driving down the road with lights off (usually because the driver forgot to turn them on). Easy way to cause accidents.
  40. 10원 Tips - SM Entertainment and YouTube partnered to officially remastered this K-pop classic: "시대유감" by Seo Taeji and the Boys (서태지와 아이들) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxENwcFvL3w #Kpop #SeoTaejiAndTheBoys #KPopClassic #SeoTaeji #서태지와아이들 #시대유감 #90s회상 #서태지 #양현석 #강원래.
  41. Why is AfreecaTV outperforming Naver, Kakao?
  42. Why is AfreecaTV outperforming Naver, Kakao? - The Korea Times
  43. Manga reader app Tachiyomi ceases development amid legal threats from Kakao Entertainment
  44. The top 10 most popular male celebrities among gay men in South Korea in 2023
  45. Naver unveils reports of Qatar Asian Cup utilizing AI
  46. 10원 Tips - Another hint that Apple Pay support is coming to Korean subway/bus transit sustem. https://hypebeast.kr/2024/1/south-koreas-apple-pay-introduces-transportation-card-feature
  47. 10원 Tips - Old version of Coupang play logo (top) vs new version (bottom). Anyone else prefer the old version? New one looks too similar to ProtonVPN for my taste. #쿠팡플레이 #CoupangPlay
  48. Kakao Pay sees foreigner usage surge in 2023 - The Korea Herald
  49. 10원 Tips - Interesting postscript appears on many (English language) Kyunghyang Shinmun articles now: "This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool."
  50. [KH Explains] What's at stake in Korea's digital currency push
  51. Apple Pay in North Korea!? “Is it even possible?”
  52. Supply chain issues bog down AliExpress, Temu in South Korea
  53. Busan to open nation's first K-pop high school in 2028
  54. 10원 Tips - Cyworld is gone from the app stores, but supposedly will come out with a new modernized app TBD. https://www.insight.co.kr/news/459173 #Cyworld #싸이월드
  55. Budget Cuts Threaten Essential Services
  56. Naver Whalebook supply volume triples in 2023
  57. Migrant wives twice as likely to experience depression as Korean women
  58. Proportion of single-person households jumps to 42% last year
  59. Seoul to get Climate Cards, river buses, hot-air balloon in 2024
  60. Today, I Learned That 3x More Korean Women in Their 20s Attempt Suicide Than Men.
  61. New Korean Air safety video features metaverse flight attendant, virtual K-pop stars
  62. K-pop artists with the most streams on overseas platforms
  63. SK Telecom, Naver, AfreecaTV to introduce AI in sportscasting
  64. Nexon fined over MapleStory in-game item selling
  65. Korea’s Hancom buys document software firm Clipsoft
  66. North Korea upgrades its Android security, says report
  67. Korean banks let consumers make ATM cash withdrawals and deposits with their smartphones using QR codes
  68. Orion's Custard cream cakes recalled for staph bacteria in Korea
  69. 10원 Tips - Korean hero of the day: guy uses the Korean gov's public safety app to document/report over 2800 instances of illegally parked cars. Refers to himself as a Korean "patriot". I salute you, sir! 🫡🇰🇷 https://news.nate.com/view/20240101n15048 #불법주정차 #신고 #애국자 #hero #거수경례
  70. 10원 Tips - Naver, Zum, and Chosun Ilbo logo doodles for "sohan", a lesser cold day before greater cold (in ancient China) but in Korea often the coldest day of winter. #소한 https://folkency.nfm.go.kr/topic/detail/4322?pageType=search&keyword=sohan
  71. 10원 Tips - Coupang Play app is recommending "movies to watch with your family". John Wick 4? Not sure these are the best "family" recommendations...
  72. South Korea’s New Digital Nomad Visa in 2024
  73. 10원 Tips - Can't stop thinking about this guy's homemade crocheted ddeokbokki #떡볶이 #ddeokbokki #귀엽다 #크로셰 https://mstdn.games/@ClumsyGolem/111608721966351384
  74. 10원 Tips - Korea ranked #49 on list of English proficiency among non-native-English countries. Via https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=61910
  75. [INTERVIEW] How Naver plans to challenge Facebook on its U.S. home turf
  76. Korea to welcome 'digital nomads' with new visa starting Jan. 1
  77. 10원 Tips - Interestingly, Threads is the #1 app in the Social Networking category on the Korean version of the App Store. Noticed a surprising amount of Korean content there. Probably spillover from the fact that so many Koreans use Insta? #Threads #스레드 #쓰레드
  78. 10원 Tips - Karrot Market now lets you customize search alerts by category and price. Huge improvement to the old "every single listing with that term" alert system. #karrotmarket #daangn #당근 #당근마켓
  79. 10원 Tips - Another blow to your new year enjoyment: the days of the infamous "4개 만원" of 4 cans of decent (imported) beer for 10,000 won at convenience stores are long gone. In its place is 3개 9천원. 3 cans for 9,000 won.
  80. 10원 Tips - Blast from the past: Kakao shows some throwbacks to early Daum Maps service. Is it crazy that I miss the web being like that? #Daum #Kakao #DaumMap #KakaoMap #다음 #다음지도 #카카오 #카카오맵
  81. 40-something working population hits 20-year low
  82. 'Parasite' actor Lee Sun-kyun found dead in apparent suicide amid drug probe
  83. Jamboree woes, heinous murders: Cataloging South Korea’s worst moments of 2023
  84. 10원 Tips - T-Money Pay is transforming into "Mobile T-Money"; highly suspected this is the penultimate step to integrating with Apple Pay. Likely that 2024 will bring full iPhone support for public transit tap-to-pay. #iphone #아이폰 #Tmoney #티머니 #ApplePay https://www.etnews.com/20231225000064
  85. More strollers sold for furry companions than infants
  86. A Society that Tolerates Disrespect of Fat Women
  87. Korea is not a Confucian country: German scholar
  88. KT opens customer center for foreigners in Ansan, offers services in 8 languages
  89. Christmas on Ganghwa Island 1927
  90. 10원 Tips - Last night, Santa's sleigh was captured by NORAD surveillance teams circling Seoul Namsan Tower and other landmarks. Hope you all got a visit! #메리크리스마스 #산타할아버지 #Christmas #Santa #Seoul https://www.insight.co.kr/news/458340
  91. Farming on the Frontier
  92. 10원 Tips - Naver logo sometimes changes to these types of advertisements. Here are 2 just from today I noticed, for Dior and Cartier. #Dior #Cartier #디올 #까르띠에 #Naver #네이버
  93. 10원 Tips - It's that time of year again! McDonalds "Lucky Burger" (#행운버거), the McRib of Korea, is back! I love these things. #McDonalds #맥도날드 #연말 https://www.fnnews.com/news/202312220940368197
  94. 10원 Tips - Somebody parked an airplane in their apartment's underground parking lot. https://www.insight.co.kr/news/458219
  95. 10원 Tips - Pretty collection of AI art inspired wallpapers featuring iconic scenes from Korea. Via VisitKorea https://vr.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/theme/wallpaper/index.html
  96. 10원 Tips - This site might be worth checking out for some people. Korea reshipping company with multilingual support. Buy from Korean websites, ship "domestically" in Korea to their offices, they reship to your country. Kfriday | Korean Address and Forwarding https://www.kfriday.net
  97. 10원 Tips - Korean word of the day: 편공족. A modification of 카공족 ("cafe study people") to make "convenience store study people". Like how 카공족 order 1 coffee then occupy a cafe table for hours (often with laptop), these 편공족 buy small items then sit at convenience store tables & do homework.
  98. 10원 Tips - Naver logo doodle for the winter solstice (애동지). Shows some delicious red bean rice cakes (팥떡). Traditionally ghosts come on this longest night of the year & they hate red bean like vampires hate garlic. #Naver #네이버 #애동지 #solstice #WinterSolstice #WinterSolstice2023
  99. Korea's efforts to promote rural cities are paying off, foreigners say
  100. 10원 Tips - List of top apps in Korea for 2024. Of course #YouTube dominates usage time, #KakaoTalk dominates usage frequency. Interestingly, here's the top new trending apps list: #AliExpress and #Temu (both Chinese shopping apps) win out for most growth this year. https://platum.kr/archives/219821
  101. 10원 Tips - KakaoTalk getting a cool new "AI summary" tool. In a group chat with 300 unread messages? Let Kakao's AI read and summarize the whole conversation for you. Neat! Available in the "Labs" section in Settings in newest update. #KakaoTalk #카카오톡 #카카오 https://www.insight.co.kr/news/458021
  102. 10원 Tips - Naver can make online interactive forms now. No more need to rely on Google Forms if you're in the Naver ecosystem. #Naver #네이버 #네이버폼 https://blog.naver.com/naver_diary/223298228343
  103. Who are the top 50 most-searched K-pop idols on Google over the last 20 years?
  104. 'Free Pass' for 65,000 won per month for subway, bus, and Daereungi
  105. Seoul to launch unlimited transit pass 'Climate Card' on Jan. 27
  106. Gallup reveals the list of the most popular singers in Korea this year
  107. 10원 Tips - Another detail I noticed in the Korea Post shipping info: if you choose the surface mail option (i.e. by ship), it takes 3 months (50-70 days). Don't send anything remotely urgent!
  108. 10원 Tips - Finally got my waiting list invite for #bluesky. Checked it out and… leaves a lot to be desired. Feels like a ghost town with the only real content being cat memes and politics. I don’t love #mastodon but it beats that place. For better or worse I think #twitter oh sorry #x is still where it’s at.
  109. 10원 Tips - Naver Whale and Disney promotion: change your Whale browser theme to one of Disney's commemorative 100th anniversary themes, do a proof shot on SNS, and win some free Disney promotional merch. #Disney #Naver #NaverWhale #네이버웨일 #네이버 #디즈니 #Disney100
  110. 10원 Tips - If you can do phone ID verification in Korea and read (or Google Translate) the Korea Post website, you can also fill out all the EMS paperwork online. Saves loads of time at the post office. Just hand over your package and reservation number. https://ems.epost.go.kr/front.SmEmsAcceptIntro.postal
  111. 10원 Tips - Korea Post has this nice English postage cost estimate form. Just input your destination, package size/weight, and what type of shipping you want (EMS, air parcel, ship parcel) and see the cost. https://ems.epost.go.kr/front.EmsDeliveryDelivery09.postal
  112. 10원 Tips - Cheers to Daum for improving their movie database look, including featuring English and Korean titles together right on the main results. Always use Daum now for comparing Korean/English titles. #Daum #다음
  113. 10원 Tips - Korean phrase of the day: 개구리화 현상 ("frog-ify phenomenon"). When someone who previously seemed like a prince/princess in your eyes now suddenly seems like just a gross frog. Like you discover that handsome guy is MAGA or a vegan and boom, attraction turns to disgust.
  114. Korean LLM Solar tops ranking of best open source models
  115. 10원 Tips - Naver logo doodle during yesterday's snow. Cute animation but I only took a screenshot.
  116. Immigrant and Multiethnic Children Live Outside of Seoul: Data
  117. 10원 Tips - Little late on this, but if you're planning on traveling abroad this Chuseok (or whenever), KTM has travel SIM cards with rates that beat any roaming deals I've seen. Japan 1GB/day = 3k won. Europe 1 month 10GB = 15k won! Delivery in 1-2 days. https://zdnet.co.kr/view/?no=20230810131124
  118. 10원 Tips - Good example of not trusting online translation too much. 1st pic- Google translated headline 2nd - Papago translated 3rd - original Papago was correct. Google bizarrely throws in the idea that the mom and son had sex. 아들과 짜고 should be plotted/organized with her son.
  119. 10원 Tips - All I want for Christmas is... a seasoned chicken meat Christmas tree. #하림 #양념치킨 #통살 #크리스마스
  120. 10원 Tips - BC Card launches partnership with GME for worldwide Mastercard focused on foreigners in Korea. GME is apparently a multilingual remittance service in Korea. Article: https://zdnet.co.kr/view/?no=20231213091637 GME homepage: https://www.gmeremit.com/
  121. 10원 Tips - Summary of the "Trend Korea 2024" list of hot keywords to watch for in Korean society next year. https://udemy.wjtb.co.kr/newsletter/id/10000464 #트렌드코리아 #트렌드코리아2024 #TrendKorea #TrendKorea2024
  122. Hancomdocs AI | Utilizing AI features in Hancom Docs
  123. YouTube Music surpasses Melon in South Korea for the first time
  124. Hyundai Card Reports Losses of 2.27 Billion Won Following Partnership with Apple Pay
  125. China’s Alipay posts whopping 700% growth in Korea this year
  126. Asiana Airlines to measure passengers' weights as per regulations
  127. MrBeast gains most subscribers on YouTube in Korea this year
  128. AI-altered clip of South Korean first lady delivering English speech misleads online
  129. New foreign tourist app allows mobile passport, payment
  130. In 2023, we will release popular videos and creators that have received a lot of love and attention from domestic users!
  131. 10원 Tips - Nice pyramid illustration showing relative popularity of apps in Korea in 2023. No surprise people open/use KakaoTalk most, YouTube second place. https://wowtale.net/2023/12/12/68026/
  132. 10원 Tips - Korean breast size stats are out:AA cup 18.3% A cup 35.2% B cup 28.5% C cup 17.5% D cup 0.5% Women in 20s/30s seem to average larger breasts than 40s/50s. Guessing nutrition plays a role? https://www.insight.co.kr/news/457322
  133. 10원 Tips - Naver Map update brings back guided navigation on public transit. App will show your live location, suggest where/when to transfer. I remember Google Map did this years ago. Hope it sticks around in Naver this time. #네이버지도 #네이버 #Naver #NaverMap https://blog.naver.com/naver_map/223289066322


Bonus - End of Year 2023 logo doodles

Here are some of the cute Korean portal site logo doodles I saved from the end of the year.


Zum


Chosun Ilbo


Hankyoreh



Nate

Naver

Naver

Naver's doodles are by artist Limoo (@limoopark) • Instagram photos and videos

Most incorporate the Blue Dragon in some way, as that is the Asian zodiac animal for 2024.


Happy new year folks.

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