“A History of the Korean Ginseng Industry,” a book that unravels the history of Korean ginseng from an industrial perspective, has been published in English. According to Korea Ginseng Corp., the publisher of the book, it is an English version of the original that was written in Korean and published in 2019, with updates to reflect changes over the past years. Different from the Korean version that comes in two volumes, the English one is one volume divided into seven parts. It

In response to the worldwide sensation of “Squid Game,” local governments aim to promote the cities as appealing tourist attractions using the hit Netflix show. Locations that appeared or were mentioned in the series are turning into new tourist sites, and childhood games are being developed as hands-on experiences to boost Korean tourism, which has suffered greatly from the pandemic-caused slump. Incheon Tourism Organization made an online post Friday to introduce some filming loc

With South Korea soon to embrace a return to normal by “living with COVID-19,” many newlyweds are ready to go abroad for their honeymoons. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began early last year, honeymooners in Korea have been flocking to the southern holiday destination Jeju Island or the southern coastal region of Namhae in South Gyeongsang Province, taking advantage of package deals at luxury hotels. With the global vaccination rate on the rise and with some travel destination countr

The script of tvN’s hit drama “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha“ has made a surprising appearance on the bestselling lists of local online book stores Aladin and Yes24, attesting to the popularity of the 16-part series that ended its run Sunday. The final episode of the romantic comedy recorded a 12.7 percent viewership, the series’ highest rating, and a listing on Netflix’s Top 10 chart in more than 20 regions, including Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, New Zealand and A

The annual KIAF Seoul closed Sunday, attracting a record number of visitors and sales during the five-day fair at Coex in southern Seoul. Marking its 20th anniversary, the fair has become the hottest festival in the country among art fans, attracting interest in art among the general public. Around 5,000 people visited on the first day of the “VVIP” opening, raising 35 billion won ($29.5 million) in sales, surpassing the total sales of 31 billion won in 2019 when the fair was held p

A video starring soccer player Son Heung-min was released Monday, showing various tourism destinations inKorea. The Korean Tourism Organization and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism appointed the Tottenham Hotspur striker as an honorary culture ambassador in July, with a view to promote travel to Korea in Europe, where Son has numerous fans. Under the slogan of “This is my Korea. What’s yours?,” the 80-second video presents Korea with seven different keywords -- pas

South Korea inked a travel bubble agreement with Singapore on Oct. 8, the country’s second following a similar deal with Saipan. The deal is to allow those who are vaccinated to travel freely without the need for quarantine starting on Nov. 15. Their COVID-19 vaccination certificates will also be mutually recognized. While travelers from both sides have expectations for going on sightseeing tours like they had before the pandemic hit in early 2020, Noh Hyung Rae, 36, a lawyer at a private

Best known for her installation series, Lee’s first gallery exhibition in Seoul in six years showcases new painting series completed this year

A rare exhibition is taking place in the country’s eastern coastal city of Gangneung, Gangwon Province.  More than 120 exquisite celadon ceramics from the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), known locally as cheongja, are on display at “Celadon, the Microscopic World of Goryeo.”  Renowned for its subtle and elegant beauty, various shapes and sizes of celadon ceramics, which get their name from their mystic blue-green glaze, trace the untold story of the kingdom that flourish

Villages in these old cities are full of stories to tell

Bakery crafts riffs off sourdough and jambon-beurre sandwiches

When French diplomat Victor Collin de Plancy (1853-1924) was posted in Joseon Korea, he collected many unique treasures, including rare ancient Korean books. He returned to France with the treasures he found in Korea, including a 1377 Jikji book printed with movable metal type, and a beautiful wife named Lee Shim, a former royal palace dancer he had spotted performing for Emperor Gojong. Lee, who moved to France with Collin de Plancy in 1893 and accompanied him to Africa the following year, la