People walk along a trail at Handam Beach in Jeju on June 16.YONHAP
Good evening! Here are the stories you need to know in Korea.
In today's news, President Lee Jae Myung and Pope Leo XIV share gifts at the Vatican. In other stories, the government is eyeing adding hair loss treatments to national insurance coverage. We also explore Daerim-dong, Seoul's unofficial but representative Chinatown.
Why is Lee meeting the pope? The meeting between President Lee Jae Myung and Pope Leo XIV comes as part of the Korean leader's two-day official visit to the Vatican. It marks the first visit by a Korean president in five years. The last president to travel here was former President Moon Jae-in in 2021.
What did they discuss? Lee held his first one-on-one meeting with the pope on Monday, with the private dialogue lasting around 30 minutes. The two exchanged views on developments on the Korean Peninsula and the preparations for the 2027 World Youth Day, set to take place in Seoul.
What gifts were exchanged? The pope gave Lee a copy of his message for the 59th World Day of Peace, a book on the papal audience halls and a ceramic artwork depicting a cornucopia, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung. Lee presented the pope with a sculpture called "In the Bosom of the Father" (translated), which portrays the parable of the Prodigal Son.
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Gov't eyes including hair loss treatment in national coverage
Health insurance is going to cover hair treatments? The decision hasn't been made yet, but the government is looking at covering hair loss treatments under national health insurance. Officials are considering coverage for younger patients at first, those aged 20 to 34. They say that young adults may be sensitive to their hair loss, which can result in depression, social withdrawal and low self esteem.
Why is the government looking at this now? Expanding national insurance coverage for hair loss was actually an election pledge under Lee Jae Myung's presidential campaign. He said in December last year that thinning hair was more than just a cosmetic concern. "In the past, this was seen as a cosmetic issue, but these days it seems to be accepted as a matter of survival," Lee said.
When is a decision likely to be made? Health Minister Jeong Eun-kyeoung said the ministry would gather opinions in the second half of the year before making a decision. It is also set to hold public forum to discuss insurance coverage for hair loss with 200 members of the public.
This place looks cool. Where is it? This is Daerim-dong in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul. The area is known as Seoul's representative Chinatown — not to be confused with the officially designated Chinatown located in Incheon. The neighborhood is home to around 45,000 residents, with more than 60 percent being Korean Chinese or Chinese nationals.
What is so unique about the neighborhood? Daerim-dong is known for its authentic Chinese cuisine and markets, which stock goods imported straight from China. While walking around the neighborhood, it's common to hear Korean, Chinese and the Yanbian dialect being spoken. One Korean Chinese resident says the area "feels like home in a way the rest of Seoul doesn't."
How did Daerim-dong become Seoul's representative Chinatown? According to Kim Yong-pil, editor of a neighborhood news service centered on the Korean Chinese community in Seoul, Korean Chinese people started arriving in the mid-1990s, settling in Garibong. The area had a lot of cheap housing, with Namguro Station being home to a pre-dawn day-labor market where many could find work. In the early 2000s, people began moving to Daerim when Garibong went into redevelopment, with more ethnic Koreans arriving after the government introduced its H-2 visit-and-employment visa.
