South Korea’s Nov. 9 Google Trending Searches: Arrest, Energy and Folk Village Controversy Lead the List
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South Koreans searching Google on Nov. 9 were focused on a mix of crime stories, social controversies, sports achievements and economic developments. The top 10 trending search terms included an arrest-related investigation, an amusement program criticized over child discipline, baseball manager Ryu Ji-hyun and professional chef Jung Ji-sun.
The rankings are based on Google Trends' real-time trending searches in South Korea. Search-volume figures are approximate estimates, not exact totals, and rankings do not necessarily correspond to the largest search volumes. The most-searched term by estimated volume was Jung Ji-sun, ranked No. 10, with more than 5,000 searches. Both 'arrest,' ranked No. 1, and 'Korean Folk Village,' ranked No. 4, recorded more than 2,000.
Child discipline attraction sparks controversy at Korean Folk Village
The Korean Folk Village, a cultural attraction in Yongin, Gyeonggi province, drew attention after a children's horror-themed program prompted allegations of child abuse. In the program, actors dressed as ghosts reprimand children after their parents describe behaviors or habits they consider problematic.
Videos from the attraction's autumn festival triggered public criticism over whether using frightening characters to discipline children was appropriate. As of Nov. 9, nine complaints had been filed through South Korea's national civil petition system, while police had received one request for an investigation related to suspected child abuse, bringing the total to 10 cases.
Yongin city officials said they sent staff members to the attraction on the afternoon of Nov. 9 to examine how the program was being operated.
Ryu Ji-hyun begins first training camp with Hanwha Eagles
Baseball manager Ryu Ji-hyun ranked fifth with more than 500 estimated searches as the Hanwha Eagles began their first training camp under his leadership in Miyazaki, Japan. Coverage has focused on his conversations with young pitcher Jung Woo-joo and the challenges of shaping the team's roster for next season.
Ryu previously managed South Korea's national baseball team, guiding it to the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic earlier this year for the first time in 17 years. He also led South Korea to its fifth consecutive Asian Games baseball gold medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Hanwha has brought him back to the professional league after four years.
South Korean climbers win two silver medals in Fukuoka
Bouldering, a discipline of sport climbing performed on shorter walls without ropes, ranked third with more than 100 estimated searches. South Korea's national climbing team won two silver medals at the World Climbing Nations Grand Final Fukuoka 2026, held Nov. 7-8 in Japan.
The six-country team competition concluded the sport climbing season. Each national team consisted of two men, two women and one coach. South Korea finished second behind Japan in both bouldering and lead climbing.
In the bouldering team event, South Korea fielded Cheon Jong-won, Lee Do-hyun, Noh Hee-joo and Seo Chae-hyun. Lee and Seo completed the final mixed problem, helping the team score 188.8 points, behind Japan's 233.9. In the lead team event, Cheon, Lee, Kim Chae-young and Seo scored 125 points, compared with Japan's 157.5.
Para-climber Yoon Tae-in also made history by winning a medal at the Para Series, becoming the first South Korean athlete to achieve that distinction in the competition.
Celebrity chef Jung Ji-sun trends after Taiwan restaurant staff departures
Television chef Jung Ji-sun generated the largest estimated search volume on the list, exceeding 5,000 searches despite ranking 10th. Reports said 10 employees had left her 140-pyeong restaurant in Taiwan — approximately 463 square meters — within just six weeks of its opening.
Other coverage examined how Jung became known as a popular chef in Taiwan, including an artificial intelligence-generated advertisement designed to appeal to younger consumers, particularly members of South Korea's so-called MZ generation, a term commonly used for millennials and Generation Z.
Crime, employment and investment concerns drive other searches
The No. 1 search term, 'arrest,' recorded more than 2,000 estimated searches. One major story involved a man in his 60s who was arrested and referred to prosecutors on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s who had fallen asleep on a late-night subway train.
Another investigation involved allegations that people associated with Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-joon illegally recruited party members with voting rights. Prosecutors sought arrest warrants for six people, with a court decision on whether to detain them expected Nov. 10.
Other trending terms reflected economic and policy discussions. 'Energy' ranked second with more than 200 searches, alongside reports that Korea Electric Power Corp.'s residential energy cashback program had surpassed 2 million participating households and saved 1,025 gigawatt-hours of electricity, equivalent to a year's electricity consumption by households on Jeju Island.
'Cheonmu multiple rocket launcher,' ranked sixth with more than 200 searches, appeared alongside reports that Hanwha Aerospace was conducting a sea-based firing test of the weapons system and pursuing plans to mount it on an unmanned surface vessel.
'Employment,' ranked eighth with more than 500 searches, was associated with a proposal under consideration to provide 1 million won per month to young people who voluntarily leave their jobs. The proposal prompted discussion about potential eligibility and concerns over incentives.
'Exchange-traded funds,' or ETFs, ranked ninth with more than 500 searches. Market coverage highlighted sharp gains in space and quantum technology ETFs, alongside a roughly 12% decline in a leveraged secondary-battery ETF. The seventh-ranked term was the earned income tax credit, a government support program for eligible workers and households.
The complete ranking was: No. 1 arrest; No. 2 energy; No. 3 bouldering; No. 4 Korean Folk Village; No. 5 Ryu Ji-hyun; No. 6 Cheonmu multiple rocket launcher; No. 7 earned income tax credit; No. 8 unemployment; No. 9 exchange-traded funds; and No. 10 Jung Ji-sun.
The figures reflect approximate search-volume estimates published through Google Trends' South Korean real-time trending search data as of Nov. 9, 2026.
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