Tag Archives: South Korea

Resurrecting the Wooly Mamouth

Right now, in the 21st century, South Korean scientists are actually working to resurrect the prehistoric woolly mammoth using cloning technology and the flesh of a perfectly preserved specimen once buried in Northern Siberia. The hope is that if they can find an active cell from the meaty leg of a 40,000 year old frozen mammoth, it could hold the keys to bringing back the extinct species.

At the same time, shady tusk hunting Siberians looking for mammoth ivory support the Korean cloning project, by discovering frozen mammoths in the quickly melting permafrost of the Russian Far North. This bizarre supply chain inspired us to travel to Seoul, Yakutsk, and Moscow, to learn about humanity’s quest to both profit from, and clone, the legendary woolly mammoth.

Trapped: Inside South Korea’s Fringe Churches

Experts estimate there are 2 million South Koreans who are followers of fringe churches, but the exact figures are unknown. Shincheonji has allegedly become one of the most dominant fringe christian groups in recent years. Currently, it is estimated that there are over 250,000 Shincheonji Church followers within South Korea and internationally.

South Koreas Sex Toy Boom

Sex toy stores are opening up all over South Korea and customers have been flocking to them. In the past, the few adult stores that existed were hidden behind tinted glass and filled with dirty or outdated toys. Now times are changing and sex is becoming more visible to the mainstream. But more access to sex toys doesn’t negate South Korea’s many sexual taboos and the lack of sex education and industry regulation.

The Fake Funerals of South Korea

Whilst the rest of the world gorges itself on K-Pop, Korean movies, and smartphones produced by Korean tech giant Samsung, Koreans themselves have never been more bummed out. With over 14,000 of its citizens killing themselves in 2012, South Korea is the suicide capital of the developed world, despite its booming economy.

This troubling trend has resulted in a lot of national soul-searching and the formation of the “Well Dying” or “Near Death” movement, which aims to help people appreciate their lives more and thus reduce the number of suicides. The most bizarre manifestation of this movement is the rise of “Fake Funeral” services, where people are lectured by a philosophical guru, told to write out their own eulogies, and ultimately climb into a coffin to meditate for 30 minutes so as to experience the afterlife.