Category: Fun Size

Burned Twice

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Credits
Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey
Music by Soraksan
Top Tier Patrons
Angel Earl
Joel Bonomini
Devon Hiphner
Gabi Palomino
Steve Marsh
Eva Sikora
Hunter Winter
Cecilia Löfgren Dumas
Ashley Wright
Edward Bradford
Boram Yoon
Chad Struhs
Stewart MacMillan
Louise Dreisig
The Car Explosion That Turned Into an Insurance Nightmare
Sometimes Korea feels incredibly safe and orderly right up until something goes catastrophically wrong.
Then you suddenly discover how many systems are held together with duct tape, legal loopholes, and bureaucratic shrugging.
This week’s Fun Sized episode started with what sounded like a freak accident. A smoking vehicle in Shawn’s neighborhood suddenly exploded near a GS25 convenience store. The fire spread quickly, engulfing nearby vehicles and damaging surrounding buildings.
One van was completely destroyed.
And then the owner found out insurance would not cover it.
The Explosion
According to Shawn, the incident happened when a woman driving a car noticed smoke coming from the engine. She pulled over near the convenience store, but before the situation could be contained, the vehicle exploded into flames.
The fire spread fast.
Nearby vehicles caught fire, including a van that was essentially reduced to scrap metal. Other property around the area also suffered damage.
It already sounded like a complete nightmare.
Then came the insurance issue.
The Parking Problem
The owner of the destroyed van assumed insurance would cover the loss. After all, his vehicle had been destroyed by an exploding car. Pretty straightforward logic.
Apparently not.
The insurance company reportedly refused to pay because the van had been parked improperly.
That technicality completely changed the outcome.
Instead of receiving compensation, the owner had to absorb the cost himself. Shawn estimated the replacement cost at around 20 million won, roughly fifteen thousand US dollars.
For a small business owner, that is devastating enough on its own. But the bigger issue is that losing the van also disrupted the person’s ability to work.
This was not just a transportation problem. It became an economic disaster.
Korea’s Obsession With Technical Violations
This story taps into something many long-term residents in Korea eventually encounter.
Minor infractions often become incredibly important once money or liability enters the picture.
Parked slightly wrong. Missing one document. Tiny registration issue. Technical permit violation. Suddenly an entire system pivots around that detail.
The frustrating part is that many things are loosely tolerated until the moment something goes wrong. Then every tiny rule suddenly becomes critically important.
People who have lived here long enough know exactly this feeling.
Everything is fine until it absolutely is not.
The Real Fear
The most unsettling part of this story is how random it feels.
You could simply be parked in the wrong place at the wrong time and suddenly find yourself financially destroyed because someone else’s vehicle exploded nearby.
Most people assume insurance exists precisely for these bizarre worst-case scenarios. Discovering there are loopholes large enough to erase coverage entirely is deeply unsettling.
And honestly, this is why stories like this spread so quickly in Korea. People immediately imagine themselves in the same situation.
Because they probably could be.

June 4, 2026
The Dark Side of Finger Hearts

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Credits
Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey
Music by Soraksan
Top Tier Patrons
Angel Earl
Joel Bonomini
Devon Hiphner
Gabi Palomino
Steve Marsh
Eva Sikora
Hunter Winter
Cecilia Löfgren Dumas
Ashley Wright
Edward Bradford
Boram Yoon
Chad Struhs
Stewart MacMillan
Louise Dreisig
AI Can Steal Your Fingerprints Now
Korea has spent years battling phishing scams, identity theft, voice scams, account hacks, and every other flavor of cybercrime imaginable. Now experts are warning about something that sounds like it came from a mediocre Netflix thriller.
Your selfie might be enough to steal your fingerprints.
That is not science fiction anymore.
In this Fun Sized episode of The Dark Side of Seoul, we looked at the growing concern over biometric crime and why Korean experts are sounding alarms about ordinary social media photos.
What Is Biometric Crime?
Biometric crime involves stealing and using a person’s unique physical characteristics. Fingerprints. Facial scans. Voice patterns. Retina data. Anything tied directly to your body rather than a password.
The problem is that AI tools have become frighteningly good at reconstructing this information from publicly available images and recordings.
According to European and Korean security experts, fingerprints can potentially be extracted from high-resolution photographs taken from several meters away. Europol has already warned about the growing criminal use of AI-assisted biometric theft tools.
And if you live in Korea, there is a very specific problem.
Koreans absolutely love hand gestures in photos.
The Peace Sign Problem
The classic peace sign.
The finger heart.
Thumbs up.
Cute poses with hands framing the face.
These are everywhere in Korean social media culture. Celebrity selfies. Couple photos. Idol promotions. Group shots. Café pictures. Literally everywhere.
The issue is that these gestures often expose fingertips directly toward the camera. Modern smartphone cameras are now detailed enough that fingerprints may be partially reconstructed from those images.
That means the exact pose used to look cute in a photo could potentially expose biometric information tied to banking systems, government IDs, or secure authentication systems.
Very cyberpunk. Very annoying.
Why Korea Is Especially Vulnerable
Korea already has a massive cybercrime problem.
Voice phishing scams regularly target elderly people. Fake banking messages are common. Account theft and personal information leaks happen constantly. Digital infrastructure is deeply integrated into daily life here, which means identity theft can become incredibly disruptive very quickly.
At the same time, Korea relies heavily on biometric systems.
Fingerprint scanning is common in phones, offices, immigration systems, banking authentication, and digital verification systems. Once criminals begin targeting biometric data seriously, the potential damage becomes much harder to reverse than simply changing a password.
You can reset a password.
You cannot reset your thumb.
This Isn’t Entirely New
Warnings about fingerprint theft from photos have existed for years, but AI has accelerated the problem dramatically.
Older methods required extremely clear photographs and complicated reconstruction work. AI tools now automate large portions of that process.
That means ordinary public photos become useful raw material for criminals.
And unlike hacking a database, people willingly upload this information themselves every day.
So What Are Experts Saying?
The current advice from security experts is surprisingly simple.
Stop showing your fingertips in photos.
That sounds ridiculous at first, but it is increasingly becoming legitimate cybersecurity advice. Similar warnings already exist for voice cloning, where scammers use short audio clips from social media videos to imitate someone’s voice.
We are entering a period where ordinary online behavior suddenly carries security implications nobody worried about ten years ago.
The casual selfie is slowly becoming sensitive data.
The Bigger Problem
The uncomfortable reality is that technology is moving faster than public awareness.
Most people still think of identity theft as stolen passwords or hacked accounts. Biometric crime changes the equation completely because your physical characteristics become the target.
And unlike old-school hacking, this kind of theft often happens invisibly. Nobody knows their fingerprints were copied from vacation photos until something goes very wrong.
Honestly, the weirdest part may be how ordinary all of this sounds now.
A few years ago, “don’t post your fingerprints online” would have sounded absurd.
Now it sounds like practical life advice.

May 28, 2026
Korean Myths that Won’t Die, and Some New Myths We Created | FUN SIZE!

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Credits
Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey
Music by Soraksan
Top Tier Patrons
Angel Earl
Joel Bonomini
Devon Hiphner
Gabi Palomino
Steve Marsh
Eva Sikora
Hunter Winter
Cecilia Löfgren Dumas
Ashley Wright
Edward Bradford
Boram Yoon
Chad Struhs
Stewart MacMillan
Louise Dreisig
This episode inspired by this satiric flyer from Michael Hurt of Seoul Street Studios
Korea’s Weirdest Nationalist Myths
Every country has myths about itself. Americans talk about freedom like it was personally handcrafted by bald eagles. The British still somehow think baked beans count as cuisine. France believes it invented civilization itself.
Korea, however, has elevated this into an art form.
There is even a word for it: 국뽕, or gukbbong. It basically means nationalism as a drug. The idea that Korea is uniquely exceptional in ways that often make absolutely no sense if you stop and think about them for more than five seconds.
And the funny thing is that many of these myths are not pushed by random internet trolls. You hear them from TV personalities, language instructors, influencers, tourism content, and occasionally professors who absolutely should know better.
“Korean Has More Levels, So Relationships Are Deeper”
This one refuses to die.
The argument goes something like this: because Korean has multiple speech levels and honorifics, Korean relationships must naturally be more emotionally nuanced, hierarchical, or spiritually deep compared to English-speaking societies.
That sounds profound until you remember that language reflects social systems. It does not magically create emotional wisdom.
Japanese has elaborate honorifics too. So does Javanese. Classical European societies had extremely rigid formal speech conventions as well. Meanwhile, plenty of Koreans still ghost each other on KakaoTalk like everyone else on Earth.
The myth survives because people confuse complexity with depth (which may explain why Korean websites are so obtuse).
“Korean Grammar Makes Koreans Better Listeners”
Another favorite.
Because Korean sentences often place the verb at the end, the claim is that Koreans must patiently listen to the entire sentence before understanding meaning. Therefore, Koreans supposedly become naturally superior listeners.
That sounds lovely in theory.
In reality, Koreans interrupt each other constantly. So do Germans, Japanese, and speakers of other verb-final languages. Human conversation does not suddenly become Zen meditation because the grammar works differently.
Honestly, if verb-final grammar automatically created patience, Seoul traffic would look very different.
“Did You Eat? 밥 먹었어?” Secretly Means “I Love You”
This one tends to circulate heavily in romanticized Korea content online.
The claim is that asking “Did you eat?” is secretly a profound declaration of emotional intimacy that cold Western textbooks simply cannot comprehend.
Now, obviously, asking if someone has eaten can express care. That is true in many cultures. Italians obsess over whether you ate enough. Southern Americans will emotionally blackmail you into taking leftovers home. Jewish grandmothers practically weaponize food.
But internet Korea discourse often presents this as uniquely Korean emotional sophistication.
It is not. It is just humans caring about food and wellbeing.
Metal Chopsticks and Korean Superpowers
Then we get into the pseudo-science section.
“Koreans are better surgeons because they grew up using metal chopsticks.”
“Koreans dominate archery because chopsticks trained fine motor skills.”
“Korean women are naturally better at golf because they spent generations making kimchi.”
At some point, chopsticks apparently became the source of all Korean excellence.
This is where gukbbong starts resembling astrology for nationalism. You begin with a vaguely cultural observation, then stretch it until it explains Olympic medals, medical skill, and apparently bladder control.
Which brings us to the new myths we invented during the episode.
The New Myths We Created
Because Koreans ride subways every day, they are naturally better at standing than other peoples.
Because Koreans can sit in cafés for six hours nursing one latte, they possess the strongest bladder discipline on Earth.
Because Koreans avoid direct confrontation and “read the air,” passive-aggressive communication in Korea has evolved into the most advanced form in Asia.
The joke works because these fake myths sound weirdly believable beside the real ones.
Why These Myths Exist
A lot of this comes from Korea’s modern history.
Korea went from colonization and war to becoming a major global economy in an incredibly short period of time. That kind of transformation creates understandable national pride. The problem starts when pride mutates into exceptionalism.
Especially online.
Social media rewards oversimplified cultural explanations because they sound insightful and travel well internationally. Saying “Korean grammar reflects social hierarchy” is reasonable. Saying “Korean grammar makes Koreans emotionally superior” gets clicks.
And once enough people repeat these ideas, they start feeling true.
The Real Korea Is More Interesting Anyway
The irony is that Korea does not need these myths.
The real story of Korea is already fascinating enough. The rapid industrialization. The contradictions between collectivism and hyper-competition. The way old Confucian structures collided with capitalism and internet culture.
That stuff is genuinely interesting.
You do not need to invent magical chopstick powers to make Korea compelling.
And honestly, if metal chopsticks created elite surgeons, half the ajosshis at barbecue restaurants should be capable of open-heart surgery by now.

May 21, 2026
Korea’s Flashing Problem

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Credits
Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey
Music by Soraksan
Top Tier Patrons
Angel Earl
Joel Bonomini
Devon Hiphner
Gabi Palomino
Steve Marsh
Eva Sikora
Hunter Winter
Cecilia Löfgren Dumas
Ashley Wright
Edward Bradford
Boram Yoon
Chad Struhs
Stewart MacMillan
Louise Dreisig
Korea’s Strange and Growing Flashing Problem
South Korea has had problems with flashing and public indecency for decades. The academic research on the issue goes back at least to the late 2000s, and honestly, probably much earlier than that. Yet despite years of concern, the incidents continue to happen with uncomfortable regularity.
In Korean media, flashers are often called “Burberry Men,” a nickname referencing the stereotypical image of a man in a trench coat exposing himself in public. It is one of those weird euphemisms that sounds almost comedic until you stop and think about what the crimes actually involve.
Because most victims are women and children.
And the recent cases are not exactly reassuring.
The Cases Keep Happening
One of the stranger serial cases happened in Asan between late 2022 and spring 2025. A man in his twenties committed nearly twenty offenses over that period. In one incident at a university, he set up a mobile phone near the entrance to a male washroom, then stepped into the hallway and exposed himself when women walked past. The phone captured both his body and the reactions of the victims.
That level of planning makes the whole thing feel even creepier.
In Seoul’s Jungnang-gu district throughout 2025, another offender repeatedly targeted elementary school girls. Similar incidents happened in Ulsan near apartment complexes. In many of these cases, the locations are depressingly predictable: around schools, parks, bus stops, train stations, elevators, and quiet residential areas.
Basically places where people should feel safe.
Then there are the public masturbation cases, which somehow make things even worse. Earlier this year in Cheongju, an elderly man approached women in a park and masturbated in front of them. A similar incident happened in Jeonju not long after.
If you talk to women who have lived in Seoul or Gyeonggi for a long time, you will hear stories about this sort of thing happening on buses and trains as well. It is one of those topics that men often underestimate simply because they rarely experience it themselves.
The Infamous Prosecutor Case
One of the most infamous public indecency scandals in Korea happened in 2014.
Kim Soo-chang, the chief prosecutor of Jeju, was caught publicly masturbating near a restaurant. The investigation later revealed he had done it multiple times. The scandal exploded because this was not some random drunk guy. This was one of the country’s top legal officials.
You would think the punishment would be severe.
Instead, the indictment was eventually dropped after he was ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment.
That outcome still frustrates many people today because it reinforced the perception that powerful people in Korea often escape serious consequences.
Why Does This Happen?
Psychologists generally classify flashing under exhibitionism or other paraphilic disorders. Research often links compulsive sexual exposure behavior to childhood trauma, abuse, or early sexualization.
That does not excuse the behavior, obviously. But it helps explain why some offenders repeat these crimes over and over despite the social and legal risks.
One disturbing detail is that many incidents involve children as targets. That raises the stakes enormously because the psychological effects on victims can last for years.
And Korea has already been dealing with broader concerns about crimes involving minors. Previous episodes of this podcast have touched on rising fears surrounding child safety and attempted kidnappings.
The Punishments Feel Weak
Under Korean law, flashing usually falls under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes. If children are involved, additional charges can apply.
Still, the punishments often feel surprisingly light.
Convictions commonly result in around a year in prison or fines of roughly five million won. Many people feel that is nowhere near enough, especially for repeat offenders.
There have also been growing discussions about mandatory psychological treatment and restrictions on where convicted offenders can go.
Because right now, the system often feels reactive rather than preventative.
Even North Korea Has Cases
Oddly enough, even North Korea is not immune from this problem.
In 2023, reports emerged that two elementary school girls were flashed while walking early in the morning to clean statues of the Kim family. The details are limited, but the story stood out because even in one of the most tightly controlled societies on Earth, this sort of behavior still exists.
Human behavior, unfortunately, does not disappear just because a government tries to control everything else.
A Problem Korea Still Hasn’t Solved
Back in 2014, one Korean report warned that public indecency incidents would likely increase in the future.
And here we are.
Korea has excellent CCTV coverage, harsh public shame culture, and increasingly sophisticated policing technology. Yet these incidents continue happening. That suggests the issue runs deeper than simply catching offenders after the fact.
It is a social problem, a psychological problem, and in some cases a legal problem.
And like a lot of uncomfortable social issues in Korea, people often seem more comfortable joking about it than confronting it directly.

May 11, 2026
Why Teachers in Korea Can’t Take Sick Days
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Credits
Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey
Music by Soraksan
Top Tier Patrons
Angel Earl
Joel Bonomini
Devon Hiphner
Gabi Palomino
Steve Marsh
Eva Sikora
Hunter Winter
Cecilia Löfgren Dumas
Ashley Wright
Edward Bradford
Boram Yoon
Chad Struhs
Stewart MacMillan
Louise Dreisig
Why Taking a Sick Day in Korea Isn’t That Simple
On paper, sick leave in Korea is straightforward. Employees are legally entitled to take time off when they’re unwell.
In practice, it’s much more complicated.
Sick Leave Exists… But It’s Not Used
Many workers, especially in education, feel pressure not to take sick days.
The reasons are both cultural and structural. Even though the law allows it, the workplace environment often discourages it. Teachers, in particular, are expected to keep working unless absolutely necessary.
That creates a gap between what the law says and what actually happens.
The Substitute Teacher Problem
In many private kindergartens, the system for substitute teachers barely functions.
If a teacher needs time off:
- They may have to find their own replacement
- They may have to pay for that replacement themselves
- In some cases, there is no replacement available
In those situations, teachers often choose to work while sick rather than deal with the disruption.
Even when support systems exist, they are inconsistent. Out of 17 regional education offices, only a handful provide meaningful financial support for substitute teachers.
Cultural Pressure to Keep Working
There is also a strong social expectation to keep going, even when unwell.
Some teachers feel the need to apologize for taking time off by buying drinks or gifts for coworkers. Others worry about how they will be perceived by employers or parents.
The result is a system where people feel obligated to work through illness.
When the System Fails
A recent case brought national attention to this issue.
A kindergarten teacher in Bucheon was diagnosed with the flu and advised to rest. Instead, she continued working under pressure for several days.
Her condition worsened. She was eventually admitted to intensive care and passed away two weeks later.
Cases like this highlight how the gap between policy and reality can have serious consequences.
Calls for Change
There are now growing calls to reform the system.
One proposal is to require teachers to take sick leave when diagnosed with infectious illnesses, both for their own health and to protect students.
The Ministry of Education has begun reviewing the issue, and unions are pushing for stronger protections.
A System That Needs Fixing
Sick leave in Korea is not just a legal issue. It’s a cultural and structural one.
Until the systems around it improve, many workers will continue to face the same dilemma: take a day off and deal with the consequences, or keep working and risk their health.
April 23, 2026
Fun size: The Gwanghwamun Gate Controversy

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Credits
Produced by Joe McPherson and Shawn Morrissey
Music by Soraksan
Top Tier Patrons
Angel Earl
Joel Bonomini
Devon Hiphner
Gabi Palomino
Steve Marsh
Eva Sikora
Hunter Winter
Cecilia Löfgren Dumas
Ashley Wright
Edward Bradford
Boram Yoon
Chad Struhs
Stewart MacMillan
Louise Dreisig
The Gwanghwamun Sign Debate: Hangul vs Hanja
Korea’s most famous gate is once again at the center of a familiar debate.
The question sounds simple: should the sign at Gwanghwamun be written in Hangul or Hanja? But behind that choice is a deeper conversation about history, identity, and how Korea presents itself to the world.
Why Gwanghwamun Used Hanja
For most of Korean history, written language relied on Chinese characters. Even after Hangul was created in the 15th century, Hanja remained dominant in official settings for centuries.
Important locations like Gwanghwamun used Hanja not just for practicality, but because it reflected Korea’s place within a broader East Asian cultural sphere.
The Role of Hangul Today
Hangul is now Korea’s primary writing system and a central part of national identity.
It is easier to read, more accessible, and better suited for modern Korean. For many people, using Hangul on major landmarks represents independence and clarity.
At the same time, replacing Hanja entirely raises questions about how much of the past should be preserved.
Why This Debate Keeps Coming Back
The Gwanghwamun sign has changed before. During the Park Chung-hee era, a Hangul version was used, showing that this isn’t a new issue.
Recently, the topic resurfaced after renewed public attention, possibly influenced by global interest in Korean culture.
That raises another question: are these decisions being driven by cultural values, or by modern branding?
A Question of Consistency
One of the biggest concerns is consistency.
If Korea moves toward Hangul for historical sites, should that apply everywhere? Selective changes can feel less like a principle and more like a temporary trend.
More Than Just a Sign
In the end, this debate isn’t just about language.
It’s about how Korea balances its history with its present identity. Hanja connects Korea to its past, while Hangul represents its modern voice.
The tension between the two is likely to continue—because both are still part of the story.

April 3, 2026