Where Seoul celebrates this fall

The Seoul Metropolitan Government released the autumn edition of its citywide festival map Monday, adding a new 'night-specialized festivals' theme built around fireworks, lighting and live music to help residents find things to do after dark dark

2026-09-01 14:43:58:00

Japan and S. Korea remain each other's top destination

South Korea was the top overseas destination for Japanese travelers by market share, as a weak yen and the country's growing cultural pull draw record numbers of visitors, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Monday. Japanese arrivals reached 2.28 million in the first seven months of 2026, up 18.8 percent from 1.92 million a year earlier, the ministry said. That growth far outpaced the 4.1 percent rise in Japanese overseas travel overall, which totaled 8.14 million people through Jul

2026-08-31 16:17:49:00

A decade in, Korea's overseas fact-checkers chase subtler mistakes

This week, a decade-old government hotline built to correct the world's mistakes about Korea marks a milestone: roughly 20,000 error reports logged and answered since it opened. The service, called Facts: Korea, launched Sept. 1, 2016, under a prime ministerial directive, initially run by the ministry's now-defunct Korean Culture and Information Service before the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism took it over directly in 2024. Anyone — Korean or foreign — can flag an error about the count

2026-08-31 15:03:19:00

Flood devastation

A catastrophic flash flood that swept through Nepal's Himalayan border region on Aug. 26 has killed more than 600 people in Nepal and neighboring Tibet, destroying homes, roads and bridges and leaving survivors in hard-hit areas such as Nuwakot waiting for relief supplies as rescue teams dig through thick mud and debris. Combined with 554 missing in Tibet, the total unaccounted for now stands at nearly 3,000, including more than 500 foreigners from over 30 countries such as India and the United

2026-08-29 12:18:14:00

A couple brought together by music, Korea and now Wagner

French conductor Adrien Perruchon led the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra in a four-hour concert version of Richard Wagner's "Ring" cycle — four operas that run about 15 hours when performed in full — earlier this month. Singing the role of Brunnhilde was his wife, soprano Lee Myung-joo. It was the first time Perruchon had conducted the work in any form, and the first time Lee had sung the role. "Der Ring des Nibelungen" is among the most demanding works in the classical repertoire. The four oper

2026-08-28 13:42:37:00

Korean religious groups offer condolences, aid after Nepal-Tibet floods

South Korea's major religious communities have expressed condolences and announced emergency relief plans after devastating floods and landslides struck the Himalayan border region between Nepal and China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Wednesday. The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul and the National Council of Churches in Korea all issued statements on Thursday and Friday, offering prayers for the dead and the swift rescue of survivors. The disaster, centered

2026-08-28 12:51:46:00

South Korea's ticket scalping crackdown: What changes on Friday

South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Friday began enforcing sweeping anti-scalping regulations that expose ticket resellers to administrative penalties of up to 50 times their total sales and introduce cash rewards for tipsters who report violations. The enforcement decrees, which are amendments to the Performance Act Enforcement Decree and the National Sports Promotion Act Enforcement Decree, took effect Friday, six months after the parent statutes were revised in February.

2026-08-28 11:57:10:00

Pianist Kim Saehyun looks beyond virtuosity after Long-Thibaud win

For 19-year-old pianist Kim Saehyun, the year since his Long-Thibaud Competition victory has been a period of rapid expansion, both in music and beyond it. In 2025, at 17, he won the competition in Paris by unanimous decision, sweeping the audience, press jury and Paris prizes as well. About a month later, he performed at a peace concert marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day at the Arc de Triomphe. Since then, he has toured internationally while pursuing bachelor's and master's d

2026-08-25 15:06:48:00

Changgeuk festival returns with diverse world of music theater

The World Traditional Opera Festival returns for a second season on Sept. 3, bringing together six domestic productions and two international troupes for a 24-day run at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul. The festival, themed "Music Drama Odyssey," opens with the National Changgeuk Company's "Rabbit's Eight Sufferings" and its barrier-free music drama "Mr. Ong," and runs through Sept. 26. This year's lineup expands the festival's domestic reach, featuring original works from the Namwon-base

2026-08-24 13:52:19:00

From Sumi Jo to Kim Koo: Commemorative medals capture culture, history

Soprano Sumi Jo joined a list of Korean cultural and sporting icons — among them BTS, Son Heung-min, Faker, Seventeen and An Se-young — honored with commemorative medals by the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation (KOMSCO), which last week released a medal marking the 40th anniversary of her debut on the world stage. Her portrait appears on the medal's face, while the reverse depicts her performance in the title role of Gilda in the opera "Rigoletto," the performance that launched her

2026-08-23 17:11:40:00