On April 9, 2004, a notorious scam occurred at a McDonald’s in Washington, Kentucky. A man pretending to be a police officer called the assistant manager, Donna Summers, and falsely claimed that a white female employee had stolen money from a customer. Shockingly, Summers believed the man without question. Summers immediately thought of Louise Ogborn, a part-time employee, and asked ...

In the 1980s, the New York subway was a lawless place plagued by constant incidents. Annually, there were around 15,000 serious crimes, and fare evasion reached 250,000 instances daily. However, by 1988, serious crimes in the subway had decreased by a staggering 75%. How was this dramatic change possible? “The Decline in Crime in the New York Subway” In the ...

There is an old saying, “삼인성호(三人成虎),” which means, “If three people gather, they can create a nonexistent tiger.” This phrase implies that if several people repeat a lie, it becomes believable. In Korean, the number “3” is particularly significant. Examples include “천지인” (Heaven, Earth, and Human), the “three branches of government” (Legislative, Judicial, and Executive), the three tenses (past, present, ...

In 1971, Professor Philip Zimbardo conducted a prison experiment at Stanford University, which demonstrated how ordinary people could become cruel under certain circumstances. This experiment is commonly known as the “Stanford Prison Experiment” or the “Lucifer Effect.” The Stanford Prison Experiment The experiment involved creating a mock prison. Volunteers were randomly assigned to act as either “guards” or “prisoners,” and ...

As social beings, humans naturally live in groups among many others. Each individual’s personality traits vary, and there are numerous theories to categorize and explain these differences. Recently, the “MBTI” has gained popularity, but many other theories exist. “The ‘E on the Forehead’ Experiment Conducted in Japan” In Japan, there is significant interest in categorizing and understanding people’s personalities. Professor ...

In the early morning hours of Friday, March 13, 1964, Kitty Genovese, then 28 years old, was attacked by an assailant in front of her apartment in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York. Despite her screams for help, she received no direct assistance and ultimately died. It was reported that 38 people witnessed the incident from their apartment windows, but not ...

In the past, Adachi Ward, located on the outskirts of Tokyo, was a rundown area where incidents of trespassing, robbery, and theft frequently occurred. As crime became rampant, the local residents even formed patrol squads to monitor the area. However, since 2007, the crime rate miraculously dropped to 0%. “Adachi Ward in Tokyo Replaces Streetlights with Blue Ones” Just before ...

In South Korea, the program titled “The Two Faces of Humanity,” aired by “EBS” in the past, conducted various psychological experiments and presented their results. Among these experiments was one focusing on how a person’s clothing influences others’ perceptions. While individual differences exist, it can be said that in most cases, clothing has a significant impact. “EBS” conducted an experiment ...

Gwanghwamun is one of Seoul’s key office districts, home to the Seoul Government Complex, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the U.S. Embassy, and numerous large and small company offices. Consequently, the area is bustling with office workers, especially during lunchtime. In Gwanghwamun, you can easily find popular bakeries such as Paris Baguette and Tous Les Jours. Tous Les Jours is ...

Scholarship students dispatched by the U.S. Department of State are staying with host families in Korea. As I am responsible for the program, I often have to visit the students’ neighborhoods. Many students from the U.S. experience Korea’s harsh seasonal changes and winter weather, often falling ill. When this happens, I frequently accompany them to the hospital. When a student ...

Seoul is home to many university. campuses. In the southwestern part of the city, in Dongjak-gu, you will find “Soongsil University.” This is a four-year private comprehensive university and a Christian mission school. Founded in the 1890s as the first university in Korea, it voluntarily closed its doors in Pyongyang in 1938 to resist the Japanese government’s forced Shinto worship. ...

These days, finding a Starbucks store in Seoul is very easy. Since the first Starbucks opened in front of Ewha Womans University, the chain has rapidly expanded. Particularly, the Gwanghwamun area of Seoul is known worldwide for having the highest concentration of Starbucks stores within a 1 km radius. “Starbucks Near Soongsil University in Seoul” In the southwest of Seoul, ...