Under the stars, among the sounds of the Gayasan forest

SEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — Every window in the classroom is open. A group of visitors lies on yoga mats with their eyes closed as a cricket starts up outside, then a bird, then the steady drone of cicadas. A singing bowl rings once, and the room goes quiet. The exercise is the final stage of "Forest Sound Demon Hunters," a soundscape program set to run this fall at Gayasan National Park Nature Center. The center is one of 10 nature centers the Korea National Park Service runs nationwid

2026-10-03 16:00:00:00

Packages and promotions

Cassia Sokcho rolls out autumn desserts for foliage season Persimmons, chestnuts and figs take center stage in a new seasonal dessert lineup at Cassia Sokcho in Gangwon Province, timed for peak foliage season at nearby Seoraksan. Starting Oct. 6, the hotel's fourth-floor cafe and bakery, Horizon, will offer the limited-edition menu. The Autumn Harmony afternoon tea set includes persimmon mousse, persimmon sago juice, mousse shaped like a pine mushroom, red wine-poached pear, marron glace, chestn

2026-10-02 09:00:00:00

Five years, reimagined: Sofitel combines AI, art and dining

Imagine checking into a hotel that does not actually exist. For its fifth anniversary, Sofitel Ambassador Seoul Hotel & Serviced Residences has created a virtual version of its Jamsil property, inviting visitors to explore its spaces, playfully interact with its digital world and even hunt for a hidden croissant. “The Secret Check-in,” running through Oct. 5 at The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido, re-creates some of the hotel’s key spaces in a virtual environment. The hotel says it is the first time a

2026-09-30 17:01:22:00

Who you know, not what you have, gets you into Seoul Club

Seoul Club does not say what it costs to join. When the figure was last made public about a decade ago, the initiation fee alone stood at 75 million won ($55,000). Paying the fee, however, is the easy part. In a city where exclusivity usually comes with a price tag, one of Seoul's oldest institutions rations entry by a signature. Without two existing members willing to vouch for an applicant, no amount of money opens the door. Tucked on the eastern slope of Namsan in Jangchung-dong, Jung-gu, the

2026-09-29 14:56:38:00

Jennie's heeled flats lead turn to lower, slimmer shoes

A pair of black ballet flats with a modest heel has become one of the harder items to get a hold of this fall. Jennie of Blackpink wore Repetto's Camille in the music video for her solo single, “Less Than a Lover,” and since then, shoppers hoping to buy the French label's shoe have faced a wait of several months. "The Repetto Camille that Jennie wore in her recent solo music video now takes three to four months to get. It's a design that adds a few centimeters of heel to the familiar flat shoe,"

2026-09-28 14:05:09:00

Korean fashion turns to 2000s K-drama for inspo this fall

For spring and summer, color did most of the styling work in Korean wardrobes. Tomato core, lemon core, mint core. Balletcore ribbons, slacker-core layering and saturated prints made an outfit legible at a glance. This fall, palettes become more moderate in looks built on restraint with a hint of femininity. Referred to Korean shoppers as "grown woman," the style is quickly gaining ground among consumers in their 20s and 30s. Kitsch and Y2K mood styling with oversized logos and busy patterns are

2026-09-25 16:00:00:00

Joseon-era porcelain that inspired costume contest winner goes on display

A small Joseon-era porcelain carp, caught mid-leap from blue-painted waves, is getting its moment in the spotlight after it inspired the top prize at the National Museum of Korea's annual costume contest, Dress Like a Museum Exhibit. The museum said Wednesday it will display the "White Porcelain Carp-shaped Water Dropper" on the third floor of the permanent exhibition hall through Oct. 22. Believed to date from the Joseon era (1392-1910), the blue-and-white porcelain water dropper depicts an old

2026-09-23 16:07:32:00

Karina, Winter of Aespa, Riize play modern-day immortals in new Seoul tourism campaign

Two members of K-pop girl group Aespa alongside boy band Riize are stepping out of an old ink painting and into present-day Seoul in the city's latest global tourism campaign, which launched Wednesday with a teaser video. The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Organization named Aespa's Karina and Winter, along with Riize, as honorary tourism ambassadors for 2026. The artists front "Absolutely in Seoul," a campaign built around what organizers call "Seoul Syndrome," a lingering

2026-09-23 12:41:48:00

K-drama exhibition turns famous scenes into travel plans

The red door from "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" opens onto a map of Korea. Beyond it lie the gold bars from "Vincenzo," the royal kitchen uniform Im Yoon-ah wore in "Bon Appetit, Your Majesty," and a kiosk that turns a visitor's favorite drama moments into a trip to a Korean city outside Seoul. The K-Drama Exhibition, themed "Scenes to Destinations," opened Sept. 18 and runs through Nov. 19 on the fourth floor of HiKR Ground in central Seoul. The Korea Tourism Organization and Studio Drag

2026-09-23 11:58:43:00

Psy to bring ‘Gangnam Style’ back to Gangnam

Psy, whose global hit “Gangnam Style” put the Seoul district on the world stage, will return to Gangnam next month. The 2026 Gangnam Festival will transform Dosan-daero, one of the district’s busiest thoroughfares, into a two-day celebration of parades, live music and cultural performances. The festival, hosted by the Gangnam-gu Office in southern Seoul, runs Oct. 3-4 and includes a grand parade, a K-pop concert, a family concert and events centered on fashion, beauty and food. Keep an eye out f

2026-09-22 16:46:40:00