National Museum merchandise sales jump 90% in first half

Merchandise sales at the National Museum of Korea reached 21.8 billion won ($14.2 million) in the first half of 2026, up 90 percent from a year earlier, cultural authorities said Monday. It is also the first time that first-half sales at MU:DS, the museum's merchandise brand, have exceeded 20 billion won. The museum store offers a wide range of products, from everyday household items to souvenirs, inspired by Korea's cultural heritage and historical artifacts. The merchandise, branded as MU:DS —

2026-07-06 13:31:47:00

BTS fans protest Chile's block on concerts

Hundreds of BTS fans gathered in Chile on Sunday to protest the Chilean government's decision to halt the group's three scheduled "Arirang" world tour concerts in October. BTS' fandom, Army, demonstrated on the streets of Santiago, Chile, on Sunday, wearing purple outfits, waving purple balloons and holding picket signs. The protesters opposed the government's decision to cancel three concerts that were scheduled for October as a part of the group's "Arirang" world tour. BTS was scheduled to per

2026-07-06 11:29:08:00

BTS heats up London with The City Arirang

BTS' city-wide fan festival, "The City Arirang," kicked off its London edition at the Korean Cultural Centre UK on Saturday, with organizers also announcing that the fan-themed campaign will extend to the British Museum. Celebrating BTS' upcoming concerts in the UK during the "Arirang" world tour, The City Arirang invites fans to visit London's iconic venues transformed with a BTS theme. Fans can travel to these venues and take part in an eight-stop stamp rally. An exhibition at the KCCUK, locat

2026-07-05 16:45:29:00

Voice behind Seoul subway announcements dies

Voice actor Kang Hee-sun, well known as the voice behind subway announcements in Seoul, passed away Saturday. She was 65. Her voice is familiar to many Koreans and tourists through the subway's in-car Korean announcements advising passengers of what the next stop is and which side the doors will open. Kang was diagnosed with colorectal cancer that had metastasized to her liver and was given two years to live in 2021. In her illness, Kang underwent 47 rounds of chemotherapy but continued her work

2026-07-05 13:26:46:00

Seoul's apartment arcades, where local food lives on

Seoul's most authentic local food spots aren't in Seongsu or Hongdae. They're hidden beneath apartment blocks. The restaurants that have defined everyday Korean dining aren't always the ones making headlines. Many have quietly thrived inside "sangga" — commercial arcades built for Korea's large apartment complexes. Here, regulars outnumber tourists by far, and reputations are built over decades, not social media. One of the best-known examples is Eunma Apartment. Nearly half a century old, it re

2026-07-03 09:00:00:00

Lotte Cinema-Megabox merger collapses

Lotte Cinema and Megabox, South Korea's No. 2 and 3 cinema chains, will no longer pursue a merger, Lotte Shopping announced Wednesday. In the company's corporate filing released Wednesday, Lotte Shopping said the memorandum of understanding signed with Contentree JoongAng to merge Lotte Cinema and Megabox was terminated on June 30. Signed on May 8, 2025, the agreement to merge Lotte Cinema and Megabox had attracted attention for potentially reshaping the theater industry. The memorandum of under

2026-07-02 14:42:45:00

Beat the heat in Daegu with chimaek

The Daegu Chimac Festival kicked off Wednesday under the theme "Chimac 26: Departure." The festival celebrates Korea's much-loved pairing of fried chicken and beer. It runs through Sunday at the 2.28 Freedom Plaza near Duryu Station in Daegu, southeastern Korea. Launched in 2013, the festival attracts around one million visitors annually. It was nominated this year for Korea's Local 100 and Cultural Tourism Festival lists by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The festival is hosted by

2026-07-02 13:37:25:00

BTS' V asks fans to respect his privacy during world tour

V of BTS has asked fans to respect his privacy and not visit him at his hotel while the group is on its "Arirang" world tour. V posted the request via a message on Weverse Moment on Wednesday, asking Army to refrain from visiting the hotels where BTS is staying. Weverse Moment messages disappear after 24 hours. While expressing gratitude to the fans, V said that he does not want to share where he is staying, and that such visits could affect his performances. The post included a screenshot of hi

2026-07-02 11:28:11:00

Cha Eun-woo baptized in military, takes name 'John the Apostle'

Astro member and actor Cha Eun-woo was recently baptized into the Catholic church, his agency Fantagio said Wednesday. The agency said that Cha received the baptismal name John the Apostle during a baptism ceremony held at a Catholic church while serving in the military in June. In Korea, during military service, enlisted soldiers may attend religious services held in each unit division. Participation is voluntary, and any serving soldier, regardless of their previous religious affiliation, may

2026-07-01 17:40:44:00

Thai K-drama remakes to reach Indian viewers

Thai adaptations of Korean dramas will be available on Amazon MX Player in India this week, CJ HK Entertainment said. The company announced Wednesday that six Thai remakes of K-dramas have been distributed to Amazon MX Player, an Indian advertising-supported streaming platform, with all episodes set to be released on Thursday. The six titles — "Good Doctor," "Dear My Secretary," "23:23," "Start-Up," "Happiness," and "Thank You Teacher" — were produced by True CJ Creations, a local joint venture

2026-07-01 13:44:10:00