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The underground world of debt collection in South Korea

In the show Squid Game, the poor compete to the death for money to pay their debts. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with L.A. Times reporter Victoria Kim on the underground world of South Korea's loan sharks.

Lee Bae-yong and other officials wait to enter the memorial hall at Museong Seowon. She is the first woman to make offerings at the academy.

A woman takes a lead role in Confucian ceremonies, breaking a new path in South Korea

Women's equality has made slow progress in South Korea. Some South Koreans want to bring about change starting at the country's cultural roots by reinterpreting Confucius.

If some of the references in the hit Netflix series <em>Squid Game</em> are going over your head, we can help.

Feel like you're missing something in 'Squid Game'? Here's a rundown

Everyone's talking about the Netflix series Squid Game, about debt-ridden South Koreans playing deadly kids' games for cash — and if you feel like you're missing some cultural context, we can help.

In this Dec. 28, 2020, file photo, staff of the Pyongyang Department Store No. 1 disinfect the store to help curb the spread of the coronavirus before it opens in Pyongyang, North Korea.

The WHO has started shipping COVID-19 medical supplies to North Korea

North Korea has yet to report a single case of COVID-19, but outside experts widely doubt it escaped the illness that had touched nearly every other place in the world.

People watch a TV showing a file image of North Korea's missile launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Sept. 28. North Korea on Tuesday fired a suspected ballistic missile into the sea, Seoul and Tokyo officials said, the latest in a series of weapons tests by Pyongyang.

North Korea Has Fired A Short-Range Missile Into The Sea In Its Latest Weapons Test

The move has raised questions about the sincerity of Pyongyang's recent offer for talks with South Korea.

Taro Kono, a candidate of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and currently the minister in charge of vaccinations, delivers a speech in Tokyo on Sept. 17.

Japan's Outspoken, U.S.-Educated Vaccine Minister Wants To Be The Next Prime Minister

Taro Kono is seen as a political maverick with liberal views on social policy. He is popular with the public, but his own party's power brokers may hesitate to make him the leader next week.

For some older college students, studying later in life has its advantages: They have skills and tools that could only have come with age and maturity. (Clockwise from top left: Santa Benavidez Ramirez, Liz Bracken, Taryn Jim, Matt Seo, Sakeenah Shakir, Jarrell Harris)

'I Need A Degree In Order To Move Forward': Why Some Adults Choose College

About 7.6 million adults 25 and over attended college in 2018. Among them are a mother of four, a Navy vet and a grandmother finishing what she started more than four decades ago.

Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga bows during a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on September 3, 2021, following his announcement that he will not seek re-election for Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership this month.

Japan's Leader Will Step Down, Damaged By Criticism Of His COVID Response

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's exit raises the specter of a return to a "revolving door" succession of Japanese leaders.

BTS performing on Good Morning America in 2019.

BTS And Garth Brooks Are Among The Latest To Cancel Tour Dates Due To COVID

Live music's return continues to take hits due to rising COVID-19 rates around the world. K-pop superstars BTS, Garth Brooks and Nine Inch Nails are among the latest acts to cancel their tours.

North Korea Threatens Of 'Security Crisis' Over U.S.-South Korea Military Drills

North Korea has threatened a "security crisis" if Seoul and Washington proceed with planned military drills next week. If it chooses military provocation, Pyongyang has plenty of new weapons to test.

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