Free train fares, lodging coupons await travelers this fall in Korea

Train fares reimbursed in full, some 80,000 lodging discount coupons and up to 30,000 reward points for drivers heading to rural counties are just some of the offers lined up for travelers in Korea over the next two months. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization launched the campaign Tuesday. Running through October and November under the slogan "Autumn deep, travel light," the program bundles transportation, accommodation and package-tour discounts with r

2026-09-19 16:00:00:00

The thrill is in the find at Namdaemun's dish market

Almost any plate or cup can be ordered online in a few taps. Yet on a weekday morning, the corridors of Namdaemun Market’s tableware arcade were packed with shoppers in their 20s and 30s. Moving along the crowded aisles and reaching the shelves took patience. They were not necessarily there for a bargain. The appeal was more tactile: picking up a dish, seeing its colors and finish in person, and sifting through stacks of stock until something caught their eye. For decades, the wholesale tablewar

2026-09-19 09:00:00:00

In Chuncheon, dakgalbi is only the first course

CHUNCHEON, Gangwon Province — In the 1960s, when beef and pork were hard to come by, people in Chuncheon, a Gangwon city 80 kilometers west of Seoul, sliced chicken, the cheaper option, and grilled it over charcoal. By the 1970s, the dish had moved onto a wide iron griddle. Marinated chicken was stir-fried with cabbage, sweet potato and rice cakes, so a small amount of meat could feed a whole table. The filling, inexpensive meal became a favorite of the many soldiers stationed around the city an

2026-09-18 09:00:00:00

Dwaeji galbi gui, grilled marinated pork ribs

By Korean Food Promotion Institute Dwaejigalbi is a fixture of Korean barbecue restaurants and family gatherings. It has long been the more affordable counterpart to sogalbi (beef ribs), but its popularity rests more on flavor than price. The marinade is simple, built on soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil. Grated apple and onion do much of the work. They add a natural sweetness and help tenderize the meat during its hour-long rest. The ribs are traditionally cooked over charcoal, which gives the c

2026-09-17 16:44:38:00

Walk with giraffes by day and outrun zombies by night at Everland

Seven giraffes gather in a plaza at the center of Lost Valley. For years, visitors to the savanna-themed safari at Everland have only seen them through the windows of a vehicle. This fall, they can walk in. After sunset, another corner of the park fills with zombies who — taller than 2 meters —tower over survivors racing to catch the last train out of a doomed city. The fall festival at South Korea's largest theme park, Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, opened Sept. 12 and runs through Nov.

2026-09-16 13:49:09:00

Seoul buses to stop from first run Wednesday as mediation collapses

Seoul's city buses will stop running from the first departures Wednesday after the union and bus operators failed to reach a wage deal, setting up the capital's second citywide walkout in eight months. Mediation at the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission in Yeongdeungpo-gu, western Seoul, broke down around 10 p.m. Tuesday, roughly eight hours after the two sides sat down. The Seoul Bus Workers' Union said it would begin a full strike at 4 a.m. Wednesday as planned. Seoul's 64 private bus o

2026-09-15 22:22:27:00

Media wall in Gyeongju mislabels Chinese outfit as hanbok

A digital media wall in Gyeongju's Bomun Tourist Complex displayed a figure in Chinese-style clothing under the country heading "China" and captioned the outfit as hanbok, drawing criticism that the error plays into Chinese claims over Korean traditional dress. The Gyeongsangbuk-do Culture and Tourism Organization, which operates the screen, said Tuesday it had suspended transmission and corrected the content. The LED screen was installed at Hoban Square for last year's Asia-Pacific Economic Coo

2026-09-15 21:07:34:00

Nearly 9 in 10 middle-aged Seoul residents are caring for parent, child or both

Nearly 9 in 10 middle-aged Seoul residents care for a parent or a child, and almost half do both at once, a new city survey shows. The findings come from the first measurement of the Seoul Middle-Aged Quality of Life Index, presented Tuesday at a policy forum held at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul. The index was developed jointly by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul50Plus Foundation, a city-funded body supporting residents in midlife transitions. Of those surveyed, 88.1 pe

2026-09-15 20:58:43:00

Hannam the Hill, Seoul address Korea's biggest names keep choosing

The most expensive luxury on offer in Hannam-dong, Seoul, is the ability to enjoy a private life, out of reach. That is just what actor Byeon Woo-seok paid some 13 billion won ($9.7 million) for. The actor reportedly bought a 235-square-meter unit at Hannam the Hill in May. He joins a long list of corporate executives and celebrities, including So Ji-sub, Ock Joo-hyun and Choo Ja-hyun, as residents of the complex in central Seoul's Yongsan-gu. Hannam the Hill rose on the former site of Dankook U

2026-09-13 14:43:44:00

Korean Air to resume Oita service

Travelers headed for Japan's hot spring towns of Beppu and Yufuin will have a direct route from Seoul again this fall. Korean Air is resuming flights between Incheon Airport and Oita, Japan, from Oct. 25 through March 26. The route will operate four times weekly, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Departures from Incheon are scheduled at 9:15 a.m., arriving in Oita at 10:50 a.m. Return flights leave Oita at noon and land in Incheon at 1:45 p.m. Korean Air will fly the route with an Air

2026-09-13 10:48:04:00