Fall nights bring Seoul's outdoor dining to life

On crisp fall evenings, some of Seoul's most inviting scenes unfold beneath the red tents lining its sidewalks. Plastic tables and chairs spill into the streets, where steaming dishes arrive straight from the kitchen and soju is passed around late into the night. Known as "ya-jang," or outdoor drinking spots, these open-air gatherings are especially popular in fall, when friends, families and co-workers come together over food and drinks in the cool evening air. Menus typically feature Korean co

2026-10-09 13:28:13:00

Hangeul, more than Korean alphabet

For many people outside Korea, Hangeul begins with a name. A K-pop fan learns to recognize the letters spelling the name of his or her favorite idol. A viewer pauses a Korean TV drama to decipher a word on a storefront. Someone who discovered Korean culture through a song or webtoon starts learning Hangeul — first out of curiosity, then perhaps to understand the language behind something they have come to love. For Lim Seong-hwan, director of the National Hangeul Museum, that represents a striki

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

Read 'The Land of Sejong' to celebrate Hangeul

Read "The Land of Sejong" by Kim Jin-myung and win 30 million won ($22,411). Marking the 580th anniversary of King Sejong's proclamation of the Korean script Hunminjeongeum and the 100th anniversary of Hangeul Day, a book report contest is being held to celebrate Hangeul's history. Hosted by the King Sejong the Great Memorial Society and organized with support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Education, the Korean Language Society, and around 30 cultural organiza

2026-10-07 16:56:41:00

In the age of streaming, why are vinyl sales rising?

Vinyl records are gaining ground in Korea’s music market, with sales in the first half of 2026 already surpassing last year’s full-year total. According to Circle Chart, 937,173 vinyl records were sold in South Korea from January through June. That is about 1.7 times the total recorded for all of 2025. The figures cover domestically produced vinyl records. Vinyl record sales have risen steadily, from 424,073 in 2023 to 471,781 in 2024 and 548,977 in 2025. Vinyl accounted for 0.36 percent of tota

2026-10-07 14:20:31:00

[Treasures From National Museum of Korea] Taegeukgi

Period: Joseon era Materials: Silk Dimensions: 180.5 x 268.0 cm Designation: Treasure Taegeukgi, the Korean national flag, features the taegeuk, or the yin and yang symbol. and sagwe, which are the four groups of bars. Each of the four sagwe has a specific meaning: starting from the top left, moving clockwise, the geon bars symbolize air, south and summer; the gam bars symbolize water, west and autumn; the gon bars symbolize Earth, north and winter; and the ri bars symbolize fire, east and sprin

2026-10-07 11:11:20:00

Korean arts feature in Italy festival

The K-Art & Culture Festival is bringing Korean art heritage to the city of Pietrasanta, Italy, this month through exhibitions, media arts and performances. Now in its second year, the festival showcases the depth, beauty and distinctive spirit of Korean traditional arts and culture through contemporary interpretations. Bojagi, Korean calligraphy, minhwa, or traditional Korean folk painting, sculpture and media arts are just some of the art forms presented in the artistic landscape of Pietrasant

2026-10-06 10:50:44:00

Got old towels? Animal shelters could use them

Animal shelters are calling for donations of old towels, especially as temperatures drop. For shelters, old towels are more than household items. They're used to clean kennels, maintain basic hygiene and, in winter, keep animals warm. Many animal shelters are located outside major metropolitan areas, where staff and resources are limited. Washing and drying towels after every use can be difficult, when even drying dogs after shampooing can add to the workload. Towels used to care for sick dogs o

2026-10-05 11:32:21:00

[Treasures From National Museum of Korea] White Porcelain Jar

Period: Joseon era Materials: Ceramics (white porcelain) Dimensions: 41 cm tall Designation: Treasure 1437 This item is a type of vessel known as a moon jar, or "dal hangari" in Korean, after its spherical form. This example is not perfectly symmetrical, having undergone minor distortion during firing. Its round mouth is slightly larger than the base. A transparent glaze was applied to the surface, and long, thin cracks formed in the glaze. The white porcelain vessel is generally regarded as a f

2026-09-30 13:28:24:00

BTS RM donates W100m to National Museum of Korea

RM of BTS has donated 100 million won ($74,000) to the National Museum of Korea to support the public organization's acquisition of cultural artifacts. According to the National Museum of Korea on Wednesday, RM made the donation through the Friends of the National Museum of Korea, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the museum's development. The institution leads sponsorship initiatives encompassing artifact acquisition, academic support and the museum's facility development. "As a

2026-09-30 13:19:55:00

Japanese character Chiikawa finds a growing fan base among Korean adults

Early in the morning, hours before the mall opens, people line up at Yongsan Station in central Seoul — not for the trains but for merchandise featuring viral characters from the Japanese manga series "Chiikawa." At the first and only official Chiikawa store in South Korea, fans in their 20s and 30s wait for hours to buy plush toys, key rings, phone cases, stationery and other goods featuring the characters: Chiikawa, Hachiware, Usagi and more. The name Chiikawa comes from the Japanese words "ch

2026-09-28 18:02:33:00