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Baek Byung-yeul

Korea Times K-Culture Reporter

Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.

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Trends

Italian design master urges Korean designers to focus on emotion, sustainability

Design is not a destination, but a continuous movement that defines the very essence of human life. That is the philosophy Michele De Lucchi brought to Seoul this week, when the Italian architect and designer visited Korea as the official design ambassador for the 10th edition of Italian Design Day. For De Lucchi, design should never be a static object in a gallery. It should evolve, grow and breathe alongside the people who use it — much like a dance that changes every time it is performed. "I have always felt that life is a dance because we are never truly still," De Lucchi told The Korea Times during an interview at High Street Italia in southern Seoul, Tuesday. "We are constantly regenerating our environment and our relationships through the objects we create." The 75-year-old maestro is a towering figure in the global design scene, best known for creating the Tolomeo lamp for Italian lighting brand Artemide. This iconic desk lamp won the Compasso d’Oro award in 1989 and remains one of the best-selling design objects in history. Beyond his commercial success, De Lucchi was a pivot

Mar 12, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Italian design master urges Korean designers to focus on emotion, sustainability
Films

‘The King’s Warden’ producer says success of movie ‘beyond our wildest dreams’

The historical drama “The King’s Warden” has emerged as one of the biggest recent box office hits in Korean cinema, a breakout success that even its producers did not foresee. Lim Eun-jung, CEO of production company Onda Works, said she still finds the scale of the film’s success difficult to process. “I am simply thankful to the director, actors and the staff,” Lim told The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul Wednesday. “To be honest, I never imagined we would reach the 10-million-viewer milestone. Given how difficult the market has been lately, our initial goal was just to break even. Before the release, the director and I cautiously whispered to each other that we hoped to double the break-even point since it was a holiday season, but the actual response from the public has been beyond our wildest dreams.” Set during the early Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), the film follows the deposed King Danjong (Park Ji-hoon), who is exiled to Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, where he forms a bond with the village chief, Eom Heung-do (Yoo Hae-jin), and discovers a renewed will to live despite

Mar 11, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
‘The King’s Warden’ producer says success of movie ‘beyond our wildest dreams’
Films

Why 'The Ultimate Duo' took 7 years to reach theaters

It took seven years, a global pandemic and a drunk driving scandal before crime action film "The Ultimate Duo" made it to theaters. The buddy detective thriller starring Bae Sung-woo and Jung Ga-ram will finally open on April 2, nearly seven years after filming wrapped in 2019, bringing an end to one of the industry’s more unusual release delays. Director Park Cheol-hwan, making his feature debut at 53, was candid about what the long wait meant to him. "I began my directing career a bit late, but I hope the audience will simply judge the film on its own merits,” Park said during a press conference in Seoul Monday. "I took a conservative approach to the production without using excessive camera techniques, which helped the movie maintain a timeless feel despite the long wait. I am truly satisfied with the final version of the film after the long editing process." “The Ultimate Duo” follows Jae-hyeok, a veteran detective played by Bae who has been demoted to a rural town. He teams up with a passionate rookie officer Jung-ho (Jung) and travels to Seoul for a final high-stakes investi

Mar 9, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Why 'The Ultimate Duo' took 7 years to reach theaters
People & Events

Plan for Korean War memorial park in Seoul gains momentum

The ambitious vision to build a memorial park for U.N. veterans in the heart of Seoul has gained significant momentum following a high-level meeting between South Korean and U.S. representatives. Lee Young-hoon, chairman of the Korean War U.N. Veterans Memorial Association and senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church, reaffirmed the joint commitment during a meeting with the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation (KWVMF) in Virginia, Tuesday (local time). Lee and KWVMF Chairman John Tilelli, a former commander of U.S. Forces Korea, signed a formal agreement and issued a joint statement to cooperate on establishing the tentatively named "U.N. Veterans Memorial Park" in Seoul. The project aims to preserve historical truths and stand as a symbol of the unwavering alliance forged during the 1950-53 Korean War. The brutal three-year struggle ended in a stalemate with an armistice agreement, which resulted in the long-standing division of the Korean Peninsula into North and South, demarcated by the Demilitarized Zone. The association, officially launched in November 2025 following an inaugur

Mar 7, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Plan for Korean War memorial park in Seoul gains momentum
Books

Author Lee Uk-bae wins prestigious 2026 BolognaRagazzi Award

The global influence of Korean picture books continues to rise, with veteran author Lee Uk-bae securing a prestigious win at the 2026 BolognaRagazzi Awards. On Friday, Sakyejul Publishing said Lee’s 2020 picture book "The Story of a Brother and a Sister" was selected as a winner in the Fables and Fairy Tales category of this year’s BolognaRagazzi Awards. The award is widely considered one of the most coveted honors in international children’s publishing. The organizers said they saw a record-breaking 4,120 titles submitted from 73 countries and regions, marking a 6.8 percent increase in entries compared to the previous year. The awards typically feature five core categories — Fiction, Non-Fiction, Opera Prima (debut works by illustrators), Comics and Toddler — but also designate a special focus each year. For 2026, the committee selected Fairy Tales and Fables as the special category, where Lee’s work earned the top honor. Lee, 66, has long been celebrated for his ability to infuse traditional Korean aesthetics and humor into modern picture book storytelling. "The Story of a B

Mar 6, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Author Lee Uk-bae wins prestigious 2026 BolognaRagazzi Award
Films

Iranian director in Korea calls for peace as war claims innocent lives

Komeil Soheili, an Iranian-born filmmaker residing in Korea, said the international community must stand against the justification of war as a basic principle of humanity regardless of political interests or the complex web of international power dynamics. The director emphasized that the lives of civilians should never be sacrificed for political gains and called for a deeper global understanding of the humanitarian crisis currently occurring in his motherland. "Enemy of my enemy won't be my friend necessarily," Soheili told The Korea Times on Wednesday. "We are against dictatorship and we are against war, and for me, there is no boundary where killing innocent children is acceptable for one side while it is not for the other." The filmmaker is currently watching the unfolding tragedy of his homeland from Korea. On Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel launched a wave of airstrikes against Iran. Although the strikes led to the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the military operations have continued, leaving the nation in a state of chaos and communication blackouts. Soheili is a na

Mar 6, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Iranian director in Korea calls for peace as war claims innocent lives
K-pop

BTS begins 15-day countdown to historic return

With only 15 days remaining until their official return, BTS is set to release their fifth full-length album "Arirang" on March 20, accompanied by a large-scale live performance in central Seoul. The seven-member band will release their latest album on March 20. On the following day at 8 p.m., the group will hold a massive comeback live performance at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square. This historic event will be streamed globally through Netflix. This is the first time the platform will broadcast a live music performance from Korea to a global audience. The teaser video opens with the thunderous cheers from members of the group's global fandom, known as ARMY. "We promised our fans that we would be back," group leader RM says in the teaser, which features footage of the members at Gyeongbok Palace, showcasing them against the backdrop of the historic royal residence. Hamish Hamilton, the British director of the Super Bowl halftime show since 2010, the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony and the MTV and Academy Awards, will lead the production of the Gwanghwamun concert. Hamilton’s collabor

Mar 5, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
BTS begins 15-day countdown to historic return
Films

Final film of late actor Kim Sae-ron embroiled in legal battle

Late actor Kim Sae-ron’s final film has become entangled in a legal dispute involving contract violations involving financial issues between the production and distribution companies. On Wednesday, Sungwon Pharmaceutical, the production company of the 2025 musical film “Guitar Man,” said it filed a criminal complaint against the movie’s distributor, CMnix Films. The production company submitted the complaint to the Seoul Seocho Police Station on charges of embezzlement and breach of trust. They said the distributor allegedly engaged in unauthorized profit-making activities. The distributor reportedly filed criminal lawsuits against internet users who leaked the film online and collected settlement money without informing the copyright holder, which is the production company. Sungwon Pharmaceutical said these legal actions were taken without their prior consent and the specific details regarding the amount of money collected have not been shared. They added that there are also concerns about the 100 million won ($67,541) marketing budget paid in cash by the production company. Wh

Mar 4, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Final film of late actor Kim Sae-ron embroiled in legal battle
Films

20 years after worker's death shook Korea, 'Oh, Valentine' examines his sacrifice

The life of a subcontracted worker in Korea is often defined by a rigid double structure in the labor market where job security and basic dignity are frequently treated as luxuries. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics, non-regular workers accounted for 38.2 percent of all wage earners as of 2025. These workers — including short-term contract, dispatched and part-time laborers — face structural disadvantages such as low wages and limited opportunities for advancement. These poor conditions do not just hurt the workers, but also cause deeper divisions in society and weaken the country's economy. Against this backdrop of systemic inequality, the documentary "Oh, Valentine" arrives as a stark reminder of the human cost behind these statistics. Directed by Hong Jin-hwon, the film sheds lights on the social and economic problems that subcontracted workers in Korea face. Hong, who has built a unique career as a visual artist, photographer and video creator, traces the roots of this issue back to Feb. 14, 2004. That day, Park Il-soo, a subcontracted worker at

Mar 3, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
20 years after worker's death shook Korea, 'Oh, Valentine' examines his sacrifice
Travel & Food

'Bomdong' bibimbap emerges as new food trend, supplanting Dubai chewy cookie

Koreans are moving away from viral sweets and falling in love with healthy seasonal greens. While Dubai chewy cookies, a chocolate treat filled with pistachio cream and crunchy kadayif pastry, recently dominated the nation's tastebuds, the spotlight has abruptly shifted to "bomdong" bibimbap, a dish featuring seasoned cabbage over rice. According to the Korea Agricultural Marketing Information Service (KAMIS), bomdong is a type of spring cabbage primarily cultivated in the southern coastal regions of South Jeolla Province. Its sudden popularity is being fueled by a retro meme involving a 2008 episode of the variety show “2 Days & 1 Night,” where comedian Kang Ho-dong enjoyed a large bowl of the simple dish. A short-form video of this 18-year-old clip has recently surpassed 5 million views and search interest for spring cabbage reached the peak score of 100 on Feb 28 on Google Trends. People in the food industry say this shift is happening because many are tired of unhealthy desserts and want meals that are affordable, easy to prepare and built around seasonal ingredients. A single Du

Mar 3, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'Bomdong' bibimbap emerges as new food trend, supplanting Dubai chewy cookie
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