The Compass: Discover South Korea's glow-eyed spiders, antique maps, and why COVID couldn't stop K-pop.

From the cosmopolitan capital of Seoul to the terraced hills and turquoise bays of Geojedo Island, South Korea brims with opportunities for exploration and adventure.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌    ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  

 

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South Korea

PHOTOGRAPH BY MAREMAGNUM, PHOTOLIBRARY / GETTY IMAGES

From the cosmopolitan capital of Seoul to the terraced hills and turquoise bays of Geojedo Island, South Korea brims with opportunities for exploration and adventure. In this edition, we take a look at antique maps that highlight Korea’s rich cultural heritage, discover new fossil spiders with "glowing" eyes that have been found in South Korea, and see how COVID-19 couldn’t stop K-pop’s global rise. Let's explore the South Korea.

HISTORY & CULTURE

PHOTOGRAPH BY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Antique maps highlight Korea’s rich cultural heritage See the intriguing ways that mapmakers have depicted the peninsula over centuries. READ MORE SHARE

PHOTOGRAPH BY THE AP The Korean War never technically ended. Here’s why. Seventy years ago, conflict erupted over who would control the Korean Peninsula. It stoked tensions that still roil today—and changed how wars are waged. READ MORE PHOTOGRAPH BY ED JONES, GETTY IMAGES See photos of life side-by-side in North and South Korea Photographer Ed Jones has rare, regular access to North Korea, but is based in South Korea—the perfect setup to document how life in both countries can be similar. READ MORE

SCIENCE

PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL ANTONY SELDEN New fossil spiders with 'glowing' eyes found in South Korea The ancient arachnids had eyes that shone in the dark—a key adaptation for night vision. READ MORE PHOTOGRAPH BY PETER DEL TREDICI First new species of temperate conifer tree discovered in more than a decade The Ulleungdo hemlock, found on a small Korean island, is likely already endangered, but it may hold the key to fighting invasive species. READ MORE

TRAVEL

DREAM NOW, GO LATER

PHOTOGRAPH BY NINA WESTERVELT, THE NEW YORK TIMES / REDUX COVID-19 couldn’t stop K-pop’s global rise Here’s why South Korea’s cultural wave is a creative force that only keeps growing. READ MORE SHARE

PHOTOGRAPH BY TIM FRANCO Two nations disputed these small islands for 300 years Many South Koreans consider a trip to the Dodko Islands a civic duty. READ MORE PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID GUTTENFELDER Korea’s heavily armed border is packed with tourists The DMZ is a living vestige of the Cold War era—it’s also a tourist attraction. READ MORE

PHOTOGRAPH BY MAREMAGNUM, PHOTOLIBRARY / GETTY IMAGES Discover the best of Seoul Make the most of your trip to Seoul with these top 10 tips. READ MORE SHARE RELATED: EVERYTHING TO KNOW ABOUT SEOUL +

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