The sun sets over Seoul, Sept. 22. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

As the New Year approaches, 2024 feels like it flew by. But when you stop and think about all the stuff that happened this year, it doesn't seem quite that breakneck.

It is probably in the best interest of most foreign residents in Korea to stay out of the news. That said, here are the most significant developments of 2024 on life in Korea, as brought on, caused by or disproportionately affecting foreign residents.

10. 'Air raid' alert

When the government announced in February that mobile disaster alerts would start including some English keywords, they probably should have thought harder before putting it into action. When North Korea began launching trash balloons into the South, the newly bilingual alerts caused a panic among some.

Residents of Gyeonggi Province and Gangwon Province received a short message with a warning in Korean, followed by the English words "Air raid Preliminary warning." The poorly constructed message led some foreign residents, thinking the bombs were falling, to begin planning an evacuation. That text alert probably did more harm than the first wave of balloons carrying miscellaneous trash, which have since become a fact of life here.

A screenshot of the emergency alert sent to residents of Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces on Tuesday night warns that unidentified objects presumably carrying North Korean propaganda leaflets have been detected, with the term "air raid" used in English. Yonhap

9. Filipino caregivers

The Seoul Metropolitan Government introduced and launched a pilot program, looking to introduce Filipino domestic workers to help alleviate some of the difficulties of starting a family in low-birthrate Korea. The controversial program has highlighted social issues since its inception, from a suggestion to offer the workers below minimum wage, to all sorts of complications regarding the working and living conditions faced by these women.

The arrival of 100 workers at the airport wearing matching uniforms and masks in August became a highly reported story. After the women completed training, the six-month program began in September. When two participants went missing during Chuseok, the media made them out to be Public Enemy No. 1. They were later found to have taken new jobs in Busan, citing the strict conditions of the care work program, and were kicked out of the country.

The program hasn't been in the news much since then, despite having passed the halfway point recently. How well is it going? We can only hope no news is good news.

Filipino workers participating in a pilot program for foreign domestic helpers arrive at Incheon International Airport, Aug. 6. Yonhap

8. Hannam New Town redevelopment project

Evictions of Zone 3 for the Hannam New Town redevelopment project wrapped up in June, vacating a large area south of central Seoul's multicultural Itaewon. The ghost town covers parts of Hannam-dong and Bogwang-dong, where about 8,000 households have been cleared out. The redevelopment project will replace one of Seoul's most diverse communities with a new one that will become one of its most affluent.

The loss of this area has had an effect on surrounding neighborhoods as well, as there have been an increase in people, especially foreign residents, competing for the decreased supply of affordable housing.

Snow blankets the mostly abandoned section of central Seoul's Bogwang-dong, Nov. 29, half a year after eviction of its residents was completed. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

7. World's oldest Korean studies organization announces disbandment

Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) Korea announced that it was nearly out of money and its leadership announced plans to shut down before the bank account was completely depleted. This was explained at a members-only town hall meeting on Dec. 3.

The activity schedule was suspended in December, with two final lectures canceled. Prior to its closing, RAS Korea completed publication of Vol. 98 of "Transactions," its annual journal. Plans are being made to rehouse the RAS Korea library. The library and the RAS Korea office will both close in early February.

Executive members of RAS Korea were adamant that this current incarnation will be brought to an end, but have said it may continue on in some other form after dissolving. Some activities are set to continue, such as the Korean Literature Club and a new Youth Dialogue event series.

6. Climate Card rolled out

A monthly transit pass completed its four-month trial period and went into full-fledged operation in July, offering card holders unlimited public transportation access on most metro lines. This includes Seoul lines 1 to 9, the Gyeongui-Jungang Line, the Gimpo Goldline and the Bundang Line, but excludes the more expensive Shinbundang Line. It has saved frequent commuters a sizable amount of money, and also reduced car use.

A commuter buys the Climate Card, Seoul's unlimited transit pass, at City Hall Station, Jan. 29. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

5. Halloween still not back

Yes, this is 2022 news, but its effects are still felt two years later. As the second anniversary of the Halloween weekend crowd disaster passed, it was clear that Korea wasn't ready to go back to enjoying the festivities. Itaewon, where the disaster took 159 lives in 2022, seemed more like a police state, with safety officers and temporary barricades much more visible than any Halloween decorations or costumes. Other areas enjoyed more nightlife, but it seems like people still want to avoid having fun on this one weekend.

A Yongsan District worker directs foot traffic under a sign announcing a yellow alert for crowd size in central Seoul's Itaewon, early Oct. 27. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

4. Johnny Somali enrages Korea

The professional American internet troll and livestreamer Johnny Somali paid a visit to Korea, arriving on Sept. 27. His "activities" here have made him notorious, especially after he performed a provocative dance next to a Statue of Peace representing Korean victims of wartime sex slavery. A handful of livestreamers have tracked him down on a few occasions, leading to violent encounters. Following all the controversy, rather than encouraging him to leave, the livestreamer, whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, received a travel ban, as he faces criminal charges in Korea. So we're probably not done hearing about him.

Johnny Somali, an American YouTuber, apologizes in a video on Thursday for kissing a statue symbolizing Korean victims of wartime sexual slavery. Captured from YouTube

3. Haebangchon and Gyeongnidan go through more changes

After a traumatic 2023 for central Seoul's multicultural Haebangchon and Gyeongnidan neighborhoods, 2024 seemed a lot calmer. Then as the end of the year approached, things once again started looking grim.

Already CALI Kitchen and KYLDN Social Club have closed down. CALI Kitchen is transforming into the new Pineapple Express, without undergoing an ownership change, and the circumstances around KYLDN have yet to be explained. The Studio HBC is also changing hands, after current owner Ryan Goessl sold it to the owner of Pet Sounds. Next year will see more heartbreak as well.

Phillies, which had to leave its original location early last year, once again is being forced to move out. The restaurant's management said they are looking to secure another location. The beloved restaurant, which opened on March 15, 1997, will stay open until early January. Although last time they were told to close, they stayed open for over three additional months. To make things especially weird, the vacated building that housed Phillies' original location is still sitting empty and untouched, 20 months after the final party there.

"It hurts to see the area we love — once thriving with local businesses and community — become a place where survival is so difficult," Phillies owners said in an online statement posted Dec. 18. "While we might look for a new home, it's unlikely to stay in HBC, as these struggles seem to touch every corner of the neighborhood now."

As landlords move on and leases expire, it seems like a new generation of property owners is falling in love with vacant real estate.

Dusk falls over central Seoul's multicultural Haebangchon neighborhood, Aug. 11. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

2. 'Treadmill dad' reunited with kids

John Sichi regained custody of his children, after four years of fighting to retrieve them following their abduction to Korea by his Korean spouse. Sichi, who became known for his "treadmill protests," has since returned to the United States with his two children, aged 7 and 5, as of May when they were reunited.

Despite the happy conclusion to this story, there are still many similar cases of international parental kidnapping that remain unresolved. According to a report by the U.S. Department of State, eight child abduction cases involving an American parent whose child was taken by a Korean spouse remained unresolved as of 2023.

John Sichi stages a treadmill protest in front of Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, Nov. 30, 2022, demanding Korean authorities enforce court orders that his children should be returned to the United States under the Hague Abduction Convention. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

1. Martial law chaos

Yes, President Yoon Suk Yeol's sudden declaration of martial law late on Dec. 3 has had far-reaching consequences. For Koreans, many of them felt the urgent need to take to the streets to fight for their democracy. Foreign residents in Korea, who are barred from participating in political activities, have not been immune to the ground-shaking developments in this outrageous situation.

Some foreign communities, more used to national emergencies than others, even began preparing for the worst. As the world was watching, many foreign residents were flooded with messages from friends and family back home, wondering what was happening and if everyone was OK.

This article was completed before the tragic plane crash.