The Korea Times

Singer Sung Si-kyung to bridge Korea-Japan tourism

Sung Si-kyung, a veteran singer known for his smooth voice and fluent Japanese, has been appointed as an honorary ambassador for Korean tourism by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), leading the way in attracting more Japanese visitors. The KTO said Monday that the appointment took place during the K-Tourism Road Show event in Tokyo, Saturday. The move comes as the KTO seeks a relatable and culturally connected face to encourage Japanese travelers to keep coming back to Korea. The 46-year-old singer famously taught himself Japanese, achieving a level of fluency that allows him to appear on Japanese variety shows without an interpreter. Sung has garnered attention for co-hosting the Netflix show “K-foodie Meets J-foodie” with Japanese entertainers and has been actively sharing covers of Japanese songs on his YouTube channel, which boasts millions of subscribers. During the KTO event held at Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills Arena, Sung introduced Korea’s regional hidden gems to attendees with his fluent Japanese. The Tokyo festival, which drew over 30,000 visitors over two days, was part of

Apr 13, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul

Singer Sung Si-kyung to bridge Korea-Japan tourism

Films

Korea returns to Cannes with ‘Hope,’ ‘Colony’ after year of absence

Korean cinema is making a return to the Cannes Film Festival this year, with two films selected for the official lineup of the 79th edition, after its absence last year raised concerns about the sustainability of the local film industry. The executive committee of the Cannes Film Festival announced Thursday that director Na Hong-jin’s “Hope” was invited to the Competition section, while director Yeon Sang-ho’s zombie thriller “Colony” secured a spot in the Midnight Screening section. This marks the first time in four years that a Korean feature has returned to the festival’s prestigious Competition section since Park Chan-wook’s “Decision to Leave” in 2022. The two films’ invitation is significant, given that no Korean feature films were included in last year’s lineup. Industry observers pointed to the shift toward streaming platforms and a prolonged slump in the domestic movie market as key factors behind the absence, Korea’s first in 12 years. “Hope,” which will compete for the Palme d’Or alongside films from some of the world’s most celebrated directo

Apr 12, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul

Korea returns to Cannes with ‘Hope,’ ‘Colony’ after year of absence

Travel & Food

Lotte World brings MapleStory to life with new themed zone

Cherry blossoms in full bloom along Seokchon Lake on one side, purple roller coasters rising on the other. The outdoor grounds of Lotte World Adventure in Jamsil, southern Seoul, looked noticeably different Tuesday, filled with orange mushrooms, green slime and red snails that fans of Nexon’s popular online game MapleStory would instantly recognize. On April 3, "Maple Island Zone" opened in Magic Island, the outdoor area of Lotte World Adventure. A roughly 1,980-square-meter area built in collaboration with Nexon, the new themed zone brought the online game's fantasy worlds into physical space. MapleStory, a 2D side-scrolling game first released in 2003, has maintained popularity for over two decades, building a loyal following that spans generations. At the center of the zone are three new rides built around the game's signature worlds. Stone Express is a roller coaster themed around the game's forest world of Arcana, Arcana Ride takes visitors along a rail circling a spirit tree, and Eos Tower is a drop ride set in the toy kingdom of Ludibrium. The existing Gyro Spin ride also changed

Apr 9, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul

Lotte World brings MapleStory to life with new themed zone

Travel & Food

Hopes grow among travelers for lower fuel surcharges

Petru Oancea, a Romanian resident of Seoul with two children, is planning to travel with his two daughters to visit his father back home for the summer in July and August but could not find affordable tickets. "I usually fly with LOT Polish Airlines for less than 3 million won ($2,040) for three," Petru said Wednesday. "But since the Iran crisis, the price jumped almost triple. I needed to buy the tickets soon, but could not find any affordable tickets. Fuel surcharges have gone up so much." Asked if he is more hopeful with the announcement on Wednesday that a ceasefire might reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Petru expressed relief. "With the news, I am getting hopeful that I might be able to travel this summer," he said. "I almost gave up the plan because the prices were crazy. I am really hoping that the ceasefire will lead to the end of war. Then, the fuel surcharge will go down also. I have not looked it up yet, but will have a look later in the day." Oancea is not alone in his optimism. Hope for cheaper fuel surcharges is growing among travelers, as Iran's blockade on the Strait of Hormu

Apr 8, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul

Hopes grow among travelers for lower fuel surcharges

Films

Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway return for ‘Devil Wears Prada’ sequel after 20 years

Hollywood legend Meryl Streep said she never expected the 2006 movie "The Devil Wears Prada" to resonate as widely as it did, expressing hope that the long-awaited sequel will do the same. "I always knew it would be very popular with women and girls, but its larger success with a bigger audience completely shocked me," she said Monday at a press event in Seoul. "Men came up to me and said they understood my character. That meant a lot." The sequel took 20 years after the release of the first film, with Miranda Priestly, played by Streep, still at the helm of Runway magazine as it tries to survive in a rapidly changing media world. Anne Hathaway also returns as Andy Sachs, now a seasoned investigative journalist, who ends up working with Priestly again. Hathaway said the 20-year gap between the two films was not too long and that the sequel came at exactly the right time. "Andy is 22 in the first film, full of ideas but a little light on life experience," she said. "In this film, she has had 20 years to go out and live the life she wanted. She has acquired skill, point of view and a fair b

Apr 8, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul

Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway return for ‘Devil Wears Prada’ sequel after 20 years

Films

Actor Jang Dong-yoon steps behind camera with ‘The Yeast’

Actor Jang Dong-yoon is making his directorial debut with "The Yeast," a warmhearted coming-of-age story centered on a traditional Korean ingredient to offer audiences courage and comfort. "It did not start from some grand ambition," Jang said after a premiere of the movie, Monday. "As I continued working as an actor, my desire to create grew naturally, and that led me here." "The Yeast" follows Da-seul (Kim Seung-yun), an 18-year-old girl who loves makgeolli, a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage, and is the daughter of a local brewery family. When she notices the taste of the makgeolli has changed one day, she sets out on a journey to find the missing yeast behind it. Jang wrote the screenplay and directed the film, which previously screened at the 29th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. Jang, who starred as an actor in many series and movies such as Netflix's 2023 series "Daily Dose of Sunshine" previously tried his hand at directing with the 2023 short film "Please Be My Ear," but "The Yeast" marks his first feature. The director said the idea of the movie came to him du

Apr 6, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul

Actor Jang Dong-yoon steps behind camera with ‘The Yeast’

Films

'Train to Busan' director returns to zombie genre with star-studded ‘Colony’

Director Yeon Sang-ho, best known for the global zombie hit "Train to Busan” (2016), is back with another zombie film, gathering big-name stars in Korean cinema. "Zombie films are a great genre for revealing the latent fears of society," Yeon said during a press conference in Seoul, Monday. "Just as 'Train to Busan' tried to capture the fears of its time, I hope audiences will see 'Colony' as the fear I feel now, 10 years later." "Colony" is set inside a sealed building where survivors trapped by a mysterious infection must fight back against evolving infected beings. The film stars Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-been, Kim Shin-rok and Go Soo. The film marks Jun’s return to the big screen after more than a decade, following "Assassination" in 2015. "I am so excited to be back," she said with a bright smile. "I have always been a fan of Yeon, and I was happy to join knowing I would work alongside such outstanding actors." Yeon said the wide spectrum she showed in films like "My Sassy Girl" (2001) and "Assassination" appears in a more concentrated form in "Colony," d

Apr 6, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul

'Train to Busan' director returns to zombie genre with star-studded ‘Colony’

Films

Jeonju film festival to turn lens on martial law crisis

This year’s Jeonju International Film Festival, set to run from April 29 to May 8, will shine a spotlight on films dealing with 2024’s martial law declaration, an event that plunged Korea into its deepest constitutional crisis in decades. The festival named "The Longest Night: Namtaeryeong" as its closing film, a documentary by director Kim Hyun-ji, who previously earned widespread praise for "A Man Who Heals the City” (2023). The festival's program notes introduce the film with a striking line — "A year has passed since a madman's scheme was foiled." The reference is to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s surprise declaration of martial law on the night of Dec. 3, 2024, when armed soldiers entered the National Assembly grounds in an attempted insurrection. The crisis was nullified within around six hours after lawmakers convened an emergency session and voted to lift the decree. "Namtaeryeong" focuses not on that night itself but on events two weeks later, on Dec. 21, when protesters made their stand near Namtaeryeong in southern Seoul. Moon Seok, programmer of the film festival, said a

Apr 3, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul

Jeonju film festival to turn lens on martial law crisis

Films

‘My Name’ confronts trauma of Jeju April 3 Uprising

Veteran filmmaker Chung Ji-young, known for his works tackling Korea’s painful historical truths, is back with new film “My Name” to honor those lost in the Jeju April 3 Uprising. The Jeju April 3 Uprising refers to a tragic period from 1947 to 1954 when government forces clashed with armed leftist groups, leading to the deaths of up to 30,000 citizens — more than 10 percent of the island's population. To bring this historical tragedy to life on screen, “My Name” encompasses this massive historical trauma in a personal, two-generation story. Set in 1998, it follows Jeong-sun (Yeom Hye-ran), a mother who suffers from painful memories of the uprising, and her 18-year-old son Yeong-ok (Shin Woo-bin), who struggles with his own identity and the shifting social dynamics of his school. The film uses a frame structure to link the past and present. As Jeong-sun travels back to the sites of her faded memories to find the cause of her trauma, she confronts the brutal loss of her husband and family. Simultaneously, Yeong-ok faces school violence from a cruel transfer student, Gyeong-tae

Apr 3, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul

‘My Name’ confronts trauma of Jeju April 3 Uprising

Travel & Food

Everland's spring reinvention features upgraded safari, performances

YONGIN, Gyeonggi Province — Since opening in 1976, Everland theme park has led the Korean leisure industry and evolved into a unique destination on the outskirts of Seoul where visitors can enjoy botanical gardens and wildlife alongside world-class amusement rides. To mark its five decades of history, the park is undergoing a spring transformation by reopening its iconic Safari World with a renewed focus on animal welfare and launching a series of large-scale performances that redefine the visitor experience. Eco-friendly, animal-centered Safari World Safari World is one of the most popular attractions at Everland and a key part of its identity that sets it apart from other amusement parks. The redesign of Safari World marks a significant shift from simply viewing the animals to understanding their behaviors and habitats. After about a year of preparation, the reopened Safari World offers a more immersive experience where visitors can observe eight species of predators, including lions, tigers, brown bears and hyenas. “The most important focus of the renovation was animal welfare,”

Apr 3, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul

Baek Byung-yeul

Read more

Singer Sung Si-kyung to bridge Korea-Japan tourism

Korea returns to Cannes with ‘Hope,’ ‘Colony’ after year of absence

Lotte World brings MapleStory to life with new themed zone

Hopes grow among travelers for lower fuel surcharges

Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway return for ‘Devil Wears Prada’ sequel after 20 years

Actor Jang Dong-yoon steps behind camera with ‘The Yeast’

'Train to Busan' director returns to zombie genre with star-studded ‘Colony’

Jeonju film festival to turn lens on martial law crisis

‘My Name’ confronts trauma of Jeju April 3 Uprising

Everland's spring reinvention features upgraded safari, performances

Top 5 stories