my timesThe Korea Times
baekby

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.

Go to Email

Read more

People & Events

Korea Times welcomes new cohort of Global Supporters

The Korea Times officially launched the latest cohort of its Global Supporters program on Monday, welcoming 50 students from 41 countries to serve as ambassadors for the English-language daily over the next six months. The program drew record interest, with 281 applicants from 44 countries competing for spots. Applicants were selected based on their social media activity, self-introductions and motivation. The group represents a wide geographic spectrum, spanning 41 countries including France, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, China, India, the United States, Vietnam and Russia. Running through February, the supporters will participate in major events hosted by the newspaper, promote its content and create digital material. The Korea Times launched the program in 2021 in an effort to reach out to prospective readers and to engage with existing readership. During the appointment ceremony held at the newspaper's headquarters in Seoul, Oh Young-jin, president and publisher of The Korea Times, offered a warm welcome to the new members and emphasized long-term engagement. "We welcome you all to The Kor

Sep 1, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Korea Times welcomes new cohort of Global Supporters
  • PHOTO Successful completion for Korea Times Global Supporters
People & Events

PHOTO Successful completion for Korea Times Global Supporters

Student supporters from the first half of the 2026 Korea Times Global Supporters program pose during a completion ceremony at the newspaper's headquarters in Seoul, Monday, after finishing a series of global engagement projects. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Sep 1, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
[PHOTO] Successful completion for Korea Times Global Supporters
  • Korea Times welcomes new cohort of Global Supporters
Films

'The Odyssey' overtakes 'Spider-Man' as Korea's top overseas movie of 2026

Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" has become the highest-grossing foreign film released in Korea this year, surpassing "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" in a box office race that had been running neck and neck for weeks. As of Sunday, "The Odyssey" has drawn 8,471,082 admissions, according to the Korean Film Council, edging out "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," which had previously held the title of top-earning foreign film of 2026 here. Nolan's film crossed the 8 million mark on Friday, just 24 days after its release, faster than "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," which took 26 days to reach the same milestone, and set the record for the fastest run to 8 million box office sales among this year's releases. It has held the top spot in advance ticket sales for 28 consecutive days starting two days before its release, and has topped the daily box office every single day since its Aug. 5 debut, a 25-day streak that shows no signs of breaking. The film's success defies almost every recent trend in the Korean box office. Annual movie attendance remains far below pre-pandemic levels amid the rise of streaming

Aug 30, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'The Odyssey' overtakes 'Spider-Man' as Korea's top overseas movie of 2026
Travel & Food

Why foreign tourists are trading palaces for peaks in Korea

Overseas visitors to Korea are increasingly choosing mountain peaks over historic palaces. On Sunday, the trend was highlighted when 11 members of France's Fédération Française de la Randonnée hiked in Bukhansan National Park with Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young and renowned climber Um Hong-gil. The visit is part of a larger group of about 40 association members currently touring Korea in three separate 11-day trips, hiking not just Mount Bukhan, but also Hahoe Folk Village in Andong, Mount Nam in Gyeongju, Mount Geumjeong in Busan, Suncheon Bay and a temple stay at Hwaeom Temple near Mount Jiri. The Korea Tourism Organization arranged the trip as part of its marketing push for Korean walking tourism. The timing lines up with a campaign the tourism agency launched in July with the Korea National Park Service, aiming to draw a combined 3 million visitors to national parks by 2028. Under the initiative, foreign visitors can borrow hiking boots and trekking poles for free and receive a keychain souvenir at participating parks, lowering the barrier for tourists who arrive in Korea withou

Aug 30, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Why foreign tourists are trading palaces for peaks in Korea
Travel & Food

1 in 5 foreign tourists enter Korea via regional airports

One out of every five foreign visitors entering Korea now arrives through regional airports outside the capital area, as expanded low-cost carrier routes and surging international demand change the way international tourists travel in Korea. According to data released by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) at a seminar, Thursday, regional entry points such as Cheongju, Daegu, Gimhae and Jeju accounted for 20.7 percent of all foreign arrivals during the first half of this year. Cheongju International Airport recorded a 109.1 percent jump in international arrivals compared to the same period last year. The growth was largely driven by an influx of Taiwanese travelers and an increase in budget airline flights. KTO President Park Sung-hyeuck highlighted the broader recovery of the nation's tourism industry. He said foreign tourist arrivals reached 12.8 million through July, up 21.3 percent from a year earlier. "Regional airports, local destinations and K-content serve as new contact points, making it crucial to read these changes through data and find practical solutions for the field," Par

Aug 27, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
1 in 5 foreign tourists enter Korea via regional airports
People & Events

Regulatory storm threatens Korea's integrated resorts

Korea's casino and integrated resort industry is facing a major crisis as the government pushes to increase the maximum tourism development fund levy from 10 percent to 15 percent of total revenue. The regulatory shift comes as major operators are still struggling to recover massive initial investments and manage escalating operational costs following years of market uncertainty. Industry executives and tourism experts gathering at The Korea Times' roundtable discussion on Wednesday highlighted that the proposed policy changes could hinder future expansion and harm competitiveness. The discussion focused on the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's revision of the Tourism Promotion Act, which the government reportedly began pushing forward in July. Along with raising the cap on the tourism fund levy, the ministry is seeking to implement a five-year license renewal system and a prior approval process for business ownership transfers. While the government argues that these measures are necessary to align with global standards and reclaim public benefits, local resort operators point out

Aug 27, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Regulatory storm threatens Korea's integrated resorts
Films

Actor Koo Kyo-hwan turns immortal in 'Reawaken Man: The Red'

Director Baek Jong-yeol teamed up with actor Koo Kyo-hwan to adapt the popular webtoon "Reawakened Man" into the action film "Reawaken Man: The Red." The director said he focused on reshaping the original comic's premise into a fast-paced action film about an unemployed youth who gains the ability to revive after death. "The original webtoon has a very famous premise about an ordinary person acquiring a completely extraordinary power," Baek, a former commercial and music video director who previously directed "The Beauty Inside" (2015) and Netflix's "Believer 2" (2023), said Wednesday. "My main focus was figuring out how to effectively reconstruct this narrative within the short runtime of a film medium." "Reawaken Man: The Red" follows Seok-hwan (Koo), an unemployed young man. After dying, he realizes he possesses a supernatural ability to revive 72 hours after death, which makes him the target of a mysterious group. Koo continues his impressive box-office streak following his lead role in director Yeon Sang-ho's "Colony," which hit Korean theaters in May and drew over 5.9 million movieg

Aug 26, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Actor Koo Kyo-hwan turns immortal in 'Reawaken Man: The Red'
Films

Lee Chang-dong explores power of human connection in 'Possible Love'

Master director Lee Chang-dong says his new feature film "Possible Love" explores how human affection and personal bonds can sustain people through economic hardship and societal pressure. "The movie is literally a story about love," Lee said during a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday. "It goes beyond romantic love to explore the love people experience throughout their lives, asking what kind of love is possible for us and how we can protect it." The story centers on a laid-off worker and his wife who cross paths with a wealthy couple living in a completely different social tier. Mi-ok (Jeon Do-yeon) works at a mask factory, while her husband Ho-seok (Sul Kyung-gu) suffers from severe trauma after losing his job during a violent strike crackdown. Their quiet struggle changes when they meet documentary filmmaker Ye-ji (Cho Yeo-jung) and her husband Sang-woo (Zo In-sung). When Ye-ji invites the struggling couple to Sang-woo's beachfront villa for a joint summer vacation, long-suppressed desires and deep-seated class tensions begin to surface. The project faced severe funding hurdles durin

Aug 25, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Lee Chang-dong explores power of human connection in 'Possible Love'
Films

'Portrait of a Family' delivers warmth amid dark realities

Filmmaker Lee Ji-won, who earned critical acclaim with her 2018 movie "Miss Baek," is expanding her thematic scope from isolated individuals to nontraditional family ties in "Portrait of a Family," crafting a story that explores resilience in the face of harsh realities. The film follows baseball star Joong-goo (Ryu Seung-ryong) and high-profile actor Nam-mi (Ha Ji-won), whose lives fall apart when Joong-goo's secret daughter Dong-joo (Kim Si-a) appears. Eight years after their public downfall, the estranged family must reunite, as Dong-joo becomes embroiled in a middle school student's death. While the movie tackles uncomfortable social issues such as power imbalances and prejudice, its strength lies in its emotional core. Rather than leaving audiences in despair, Lee offers a message of hope and tries to show how broken people can find solace by choosing to stand by one another. Ryu brings deep emotional weight to the lead role. He captures the quiet pain of a fallen star who finds motivation in his drive to protect his daughter. "Even when everything collapsed, the small back of my da

Aug 25, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'Portrait of a Family' delivers warmth amid dark realities
Films

'The Intern' remake to offer fresh Korean twist on hit Hollywood film

Remaking a beloved Hollywood film was a daunting task, but director Kim Do-young focused on highlighting the unique charm of her Korean cast and adapting the story to reflect modern Korean sentiment. Speaking during a press conference in Seoul on Monday, the director, known for her empathetic storytelling in films like "Kim Ji Young: Born 1982" (2019) and "Once We Were Us," (2025) shared her approach to bringing the 2015 hit film "The Intern" to Korean audiences. "Because the original was so widely loved, remaking it was not easy," Kim said. She said her focus was on making the original narrative feel relevant to modern Korean viewers. "Since the original came out over a decade ago, times and perspectives have changed. I tried to reflect Korean cultural nuances, such as modern workplace slang, while capturing a relatable office life story for audiences across all generations." The upcoming film, scheduled to hit local theaters on Sept. 16, follows Sun-woo (Han So-hee), the passionate CEO of a fast-growing fashion startup. The story unfolds as Gi-ho (Choi Min-sik), a veteran worker with 37

Aug 24, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'The Intern' remake to offer fresh Korean twist on hit Hollywood film
previous page
34567
next page

Top 5 stories

Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.