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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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Travel & Food

Lotte World's new Kong X Godzilla ride delivers thrills beyond screen

Deep inside Lotte World Adventure in southeastern Seoul's Jamsil, a massive metal door slides open to reveal a dark hallway. Monitors flicker with technical data, while alarms hum faintly in the background. This is Base M-42, a fictional secret outpost of Monarch, the research organization tracking giant monsters known as Titans. The theme park is set to officially open its newest multimedia dark ride, Kong X Godzilla: The Ride, this Friday. Ahead of the grand opening, Lotte World held a special media preview, allowing reporters to step into the boots of a rookie Monarch agent and experience what is arguably the park's most ambitious project to date. The new ride marks the world’s first attraction built around Legendary Entertainment's Monsterverse IP, bringing popular characters Kong and Godzilla to life in an immersive indoor setting. Covering roughly 5,120 square meters on the third floor of Lotte World Adventure, the project represents the largest single-attraction investment in the park’s history. While Lotte World did not disclose the exact cost, officials confirmed that it com

Jul 24, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Lotte World's new Kong X Godzilla ride delivers thrills beyond screen
K-pop

What to know about rare ear disorder that side-tracked IU's return

K-pop singer and actor IU is drawing public attention for a rare ear disorder after worsening symptoms of patulous Eustachian tube (PET) dysfunction forced her to postpone her upcoming album release and cancel a scheduled September concert. With news of her ear condition already having disrupted her highly anticipated comeback plans, many are asking what exactly PET dysfunction is and why it poses such a devastating setback for a vocalist. On Monday, the 33-year-old artist opened up about her ongoing struggle on the fan communication platform Berriz. "While it does not affect my daily life, the symptoms persist day and night, making it difficult to maintain my condition when singing," IU wrote, apologizing to fans for the schedule changes. PET dysfunction occurs when the Eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear to the back of the nose and usually remains closed except during swallowing or yawning, stays abnormally open. This allows air and sound to flow continuously into the middle ear, causing autophony, a condition where a person hears their own voice or breathing abnormally loudl

Jul 22, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
What to know about rare ear disorder that side-tracked IU's return
Films

'Teenieping' sequel dives into maternal love with bigger spectacle

Following the success of “Heartsping: Teenieping of Love,” which drew more than 1.2 million viewers in 2024, the beloved TV animation franchise “Teenieping” is returning to the big screen with a deeper emotional story centered on family and maternal bond. Directed by Kim Su-hoon, CEO of SAMG Entertainment, the new fantasy animated movie “Teenieping: Legend of the Whale Heartstone" follows the miraculous adventure of Princess Romi and her fairy companion Heartsping as they set out to save Romi's mother, Queen Belita. "It took about four years to produce this film," Kim said during a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday. "We received so much love for the first movie that we felt a lot of pressure. I hope audiences will enjoy this new installment as well." Unlike the first movie, which focused on the budding friendship between Romi and Heartsping, the sequel places motherly love at the center of its narrative. The primary setting of the ocean and the symbol of the whale were specifically chosen to reflect this theme. "This film focuses heavily on the relationship between a mother an

Jul 21, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'Teenieping' sequel dives into maternal love with bigger spectacle
Films

'Hope' triggers fierce debates among viewers

Director Na Hong-jin's new sci-fi film "Hope" is igniting massive debates online and offline, drawing sharply divided reactions from both critics and moviegoers since its July 15 release. Paradoxically, the polarizing reception has fueled widespread public curiosity, which pushed the movie past the 2 million viewer mark on Sunday, just five days after its premiere. The film tracks the chaos that unfolds when a mysterious monster suddenly invades Hopo Port, a fictional coastal village located near the Demilitarized Zone. The local police station chief (Hwang Jung-min) and village people, including Seong-gi (Zo In-sung), scramble to deal with extraterrestrial entities while residents form a defense group against them. Supporters praise the film as a groundbreaking masterpiece, highlighting its intense action sequences, grand scale and rebellious narrative structure that breaks away from traditional Korean cinema. Prominent movie critic Lee Dong-jin gave the film four out of five stars, praising its raw energy and cinematic ambition. "It is a bold race through a bizarre mess where the entire

Jul 20, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'Hope' triggers fierce debates among viewers
Music

BTS draws French president to Paris concert ahead of World Cup halftime show

K-pop powerhouse BTS drew French President Emmanuel Macron and first lady Brigitte Macron to its stadium concert in Paris on Friday (local time), highlighting the global influence of the band ahead of its historic upcoming performance at the World Cup final. President Macron shared a video of the concert on his social media on Saturday with a message in French saying "Bienvenue a Paris," which means welcome to Paris. The K-pop band held the European finale of its world tour, titled "BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG,’” at the Stade de France from Friday to Saturday. During the first show on Friday, the French leader and the first lady surprised the audience by watching the performance from the stands. The presidential couple appeared on the stadium's giant screens during the concert while the band members were moving around the stage to interact with the crowd. The stadium instantly erupted into cheers as the screens showed the couple smiling and holding the official BTS glowing fan light sticks. French media observed the concert took place as Korea and France celebrate the 140th anniversary o

Jul 19, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
BTS draws French president to Paris concert ahead of World Cup halftime show
People & Events

Jeju Olle founder posthumously awarded top cultural medal

The government posthumously awarded the Moran Medal of the Order of Civil Merit to the late Suh Myung-sook, the founding president of the Jeju Olle Foundation, in recognition of her pioneering contribution to eco-tourism and sustainable travel in Korea. On Saturday, Chae Hwi-young, minister of culture, sports and tourism, visited the Jeju Olle Traveler Center on Jeju Island to present the prestigious medal to her bereaved family. Suh died in April at the age of 68. "Through the medium of walking tours, the late president built a sustainable ecological and cultural space where nature, travelers and local residents harmoniously coexist," an official from the culture ministry said. Suh’s legacy dates back to 2007, when she established the nonprofit Jeju Olle Foundation and began creating and operating the very first trail on Korea's southern volcanic island. Inspired by her own journey along the famous Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James, in Spain, the former journalist sought to create a trekking route that could help tired people from the city relax and enjoy the beautiful scene

Jul 19, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Jeju Olle founder posthumously awarded top cultural medal
Films

Sci-fi film 'The Fin' explores discrimination in unified Korea

The new dystopian sci-fi film "The Fin," directed by Park Sye-young, offers a grim look at a post-unification Korean Peninsula where environmental collapse has created a deeply divided society. The movie follows the struggle of the Omegas, a marginalized group of mutants with fins and three-toed feet, who face severe discrimination and labor exploitation by the human population. Park said the inspiration for the film came from his reflections on historical discrimination and modern social issues. "I came up with the idea of the Omegas while thinking about how marginalized people in Korean society face discrimination and how they are altered by government propaganda and image washing," Park said during a press conference for the movie, Friday. "It was a challenging project, where a small team poured everything they had into it for four years, and I think that intense effort and sweat can be felt in the film." The film centers on an unnamed Omega (Goh Woo), who escapes his harsh labor duties at East Colony 114, drawing the attention of Su-jin (Kim Pu-reum), a government official tasked with

Jul 14, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Sci-fi film 'The Fin' explores discrimination in unified Korea
Films

Hit comedy 'Okay! Madam' returns with luxury cruise sequel

The action-comedy film "Okay! Madam," which drew over 1.22 million viewers amid the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2020, is returning with its sequel, "Okay! Madam: Bon Voyage." Director Lee Cheol-ha expressed his deep gratitude and excitement about the sequel, recalling the bittersweet memories of releasing the original film during the height of the pandemic. "I remember looking back at the situation six years ago when the pandemic was spreading and prebooked tickets were being canceled, which made the actors very sad during our promotional events," Lee said during a press conference in Seoul on Monday. "It was heartbreaking that our hard work could not reach more viewers at the time, but we were so grateful that many people still watched it, and the film generated good revenue through streaming platforms, which allowed us to make this sequel." The sequel expands its universe from an airplane in the first movie to a massive luxury cruise ship, following a former secret agent Mi-young (Uhm Jung-hwa) and her family, who get caught up in a cruise hijacking in the middle of the ocean. Lead acto

Jul 13, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Hit comedy 'Okay! Madam' returns with luxury cruise sequel
Films

'Korean cinema's crisis is invisible from NY' says US film fest chief

"From New York, and the U.S. in general, the drought is almost invisible," Samuel Jamier, the executive director of the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) said, challenging the prevailing anxiety surrounding the future of Korean cinema. "Film, television and K-pop blur into a single triumphant category — Korean content — and its sheer popularity overshadows the predicament of the industry that produces it." In a recent email interview with The Korea Times, the executive director offered a refreshing global perspective on Korea’s pop culture scene, arguing that while structural bottlenecks are very real in Seoul, the global appetite for Korean storytelling remains as fierce as ever. His insights come as NYAFF kicks off its landmark 25th anniversary edition, running from Friday (local time) to July 26 in New York, featuring a massive Korean cinema spotlight co-hosted by the Korean Cultural Center New York and the nonprofit Film at Lincoln Center. Supported by the Korean Film Council, this year's festival is screening 23 Korean movies across five venues. Opening the festival on Frid

Jul 11, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
'Korean cinema's crisis is invisible from NY' says US film fest chief
People & Events

K-beauty expands into men's grooming

Korea's globally recognized beauty industry, long associated with skin care, cosmetics and hairstyling for women, is increasingly extending its influence into men's grooming, with a new international festival aiming to showcase the country's growing barber culture. Organized and hosted by N2RAGE Global, Korea’s first beauty subculture community exclusively for men, the DISTRICT 82 festival is set to take place on Aug. 24. The organizer said Thursday the event will bring together barbers and hairstylists from Korea, Japan, Brazil and other countries for a day of live demonstrations, educational seminars, music performances and an international barber competition. “The event will be a platform where grooming is presented not simply as a service but as part of contemporary youth culture,” said An Hee-jin, global head of N2RAGE. “It will attract up to 700 professionals and enthusiasts.” The event reflects a broader evolution of K-beauty, a term for Korea's globally influential cosmetics sector that has traditionally focused on skin care and women's trends but is now expanding into

Jul 10, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
K-beauty expands into men's grooming
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