South Korea

The K-Pop industry has a dark side, one that Lee Kyung-Mi – now Monk Bohyun – knows all too well. From performing pop songs on stage to singing Buddhist prayer songs on YouTube.

Run by Monk Hongseung, Doban is a hidden culinary gem tucked away in a basement in the Gangnam district of Seoul. Monk Hongseung serves ‘temple food’ that forbids all animal products and even garlic, green onion and chives. Her secret sauce? Soy!

Kim Ji-hun trained with 30 other trainees for what would later become the biggest K-pop band in the world, BTS. However, life had other plans for Ji-hun. This is his story of being on the brink of fame and then losing it all.

Seung-Woo Yang entered the universe of the Korean Yakuza in his teens. A personal tragedy made him start photographing the world, to cement his memories with his friends.

In this episode of Rainbow Guide to Life, K-pop star Holland speaks to us about his coming out story and normalising queer identities in South Korea.

Hippos rescued from Pablo Escobar’s estate won’t stop having sex and pooping and someone actually paid a million dollars to buy a parking spot.There’s still enough weird news in the world to keep you distracted from the perils of the pandemic.

In 2019, Rev. Lee Dong-hwan became the first pastor to be suspended from a church in South Korea, for conducting a “blessing ceremony” at a Queer Culture Festival in Incheon. VICE World News speaks with Rev. Lee to find out more.

The number of children born in South Korea, who were put up for international adoption reached its peak in the 1980s. Now, this generation of Korean adoptees is returning back to their country of origin as adults.

Former members of Shincheonji speak with VICE World News and tell us why it’s so difficult to leave the church.

As the unprecedented times continue, the world is taking on some seriously strange obsessions - whether it is balloons in North Korea, warm woolens for your privates, death cafes in Thailand or the hijab wearing cats of Indonesia

VICE News explores the significance of the symbolic move by North Korea and what it means for the future of diplomacy between the neighboring countries.

The Yuzhmash factory let VICE News cameras inside for the first time.