The Korea Times

Musical 'Frozen' to fuse K-pop vocals, multi-casting and Disney magic

The musical “Frozen” will arrive in Korea next month as what its creative team called the most refined version of the Disney blockbuster yet, shaped by global experience and local talent. The international crew behind the Korean premiere said Seoul audiences can expect a production that both honors the beloved film and showcases the distinct vocal color and casting style of Korean musical actors. Associate director Adrian Sarple described the Seoul production as a culmination of nearly a decade of workshopping the show around the world. “The Korean production is the version that combines all the ideas and experiences we’ve accumulated over the past eight years on stages worldwide,” he said during a group interview with reporters Thursday. For music supervisor Sebastian de Domenico, the most striking difference in Seoul lies in the sound of the cast. “The vocal style that our Korean performers bring by nature seems to be influenced by K-pop,” he said, explaining that the team specifically asked auditionees to sing both show material and a K-pop track of their choice. “Their

Jul 16, 2026By Lee Hae-rin

Musical 'Frozen' to fuse K-pop vocals, multi-casting and Disney magic

Sports

Inside Korea's fiercest football derbies: Local rivalries fuel K League's passion

Everywhere this summer, the World Cup is turning football into a global obsession — and Korea is no exception. But inside the country, interest in the sport doesn't begin or end with the national team; it lives week in, week out in the K League, where, much like in Europe's traditional football heartlands, club rivalries, called "derbies," shape how fans see the game and themselves. Rival cities trade songs, banners and barbs, and even those who can’t explain the offside rule quickly understand what is at stake: pride, belonging and the right to say, “our side won.” For local fans who love their club, football is not just a game but a ritual where the city’s identity is tested and defended for ninety breathless minutes. With that in mind, The Korea Times mapped out four key K League derbies that, based on interviews with 12 devoted, lifelong fans who would do anything to see their club win, offer a vivid window into Korean football’s culture and dynamics. East coast derby: Ulsan vs. Pohang In the K League 1 with 12 teams, the east coast derby is a quintessential regional riva

Jul 16, 2026By Lee Hae-rin

Inside Korea's fiercest football derbies: Local rivalries fuel K League's passion

Travel & Food

Chinese tourist surge reignites debate over driving in Jeju

Jeju Island’s renewed push to allow Chinese tourists to drive rental cars on the southern resort island is reigniting a decade-old debate over safety, insurance and legal loopholes. Allowing Chinese tourists to drive could boost visitor spending, according to the island's Vice Governor Park Cheon-su during a livestreamed meeting July 2 with senior provincial government officials. “A large portion of independent foreign travelers are Chinese, but they cannot use rental cars at the moment,” Park said. “If necessary, we could consider providing several hours of driving training in a short period so they can drive, as part of easing regulations.” Park’s remarks quickly triggered a backlash online. Many questioned who would be responsible in the event of accidents and whether Jeju’s already overtaxed road safety system could withstand an influx of foreign drivers inexperienced with Korean traffic systems. In response, the provincial government issued a statement on July 4 explaining that the idea was “not a reviewed or decided policy.” As more Chinese travelers move around the

Jul 14, 2026By Lee Hae-rin

Chinese tourist surge reignites debate over driving in Jeju

Travel & Food

Local casinos regain momentum as Chinese group tourists return

Korea’s foreigner-only casinos are gaining renewed momentum this year, triggered by a steady recovery in inbound tourism and expectations of a surge in Chinese group travel in the second half, according to a recent analysis by Shinhan Securities. According to Shinhan’s analysis report, unlike other tourism segments that move with domestic consumption, casino performance is closely tied to inbound flows, making the pace of Chinese visitor growth the key variable for the remainder of the year. “Inbound indicators such as arrivals, foreign spending and foreigner-only casino earnings are now numerically confirming what the market is feeling as an inbound boom,” Ji In-hae, an analyst at Shinhan, said. Korea’s casino industry is open only to foreign visitors as domestic gambling is tightly controlled under Korean law — Kangwon Land is the only casino open to Koreans. Korea launched a temporary visa-free program for Chinese group tourists last September to revive inbound tourism and regional economies. The brokerage expects earnings to improve across the board, but says the extent of

Jul 13, 2026By Lee Hae-rin

Local casinos regain momentum as Chinese group tourists return

Music

Bass Yoo Seung-ho wins 2nd prize at Sumi Jo In'tl Singing Competition in France

As the Sumi Jo International Singing Competition wrapped up its second edition in France, Saturday, Korean bass singer Yoo Seung-ho, 25, won second prize in the final round of the contest at La Ferte-Imbault Castle in the Loire region. The top honor went to American baritone Trevor Haumschilt-Rocha, 27, while Romanian soprano Paulo Iancic, 32, finished third. Yoo, a senior in vocal music at Seoul National Univeristy and top graduate of Gyeongbuk Arts High School, was competing abroad for the first time. “I didn’t expect much because all the other participants were so good, and it was my first international competition,” Yoo told reporters after the awards ceremony. “I’m happy to get such a good result. It doesn’t feel real. I want to tell my parents first, and when I return to Korea, I’ll keep studying hard and do my best,” he said. The competition, launched in 2024 as the first international vocal contest named after a Korean soprano, is held every two years for singers aged 18 to 32. Jo serves as part of the jury. This year’s edition drew more than 500 applicants from 5

Jul 12, 2026By Lee Hae-rin

Bass Yoo Seung-ho wins 2nd prize at Sumi Jo In'tl Singing Competition in France

Sports

Global talent, local failure: inside contradictions of Korean football

Public outrage over Korean football reached a boiling point after the national team's group-stage exit from the World Cup last month. Discontent had been building especially since 2023, when the Korea Football Association (KFA) appointed and later dismissed former national team coach Juergen Klinsmann, before naming Hong Myung-bo as his successor in 2024. The sports ministry looked for any illegalities regarding the appointments. So did the police. The National Assembly called in KFA President Chung Mong-gyu and Hong to testify. Hong stepped down following Korea's defeat to South Africa last month. On Monday, Chung from the KFA resigned just hours before the inaugural meeting of the K-Football Innovation Committee. On Wednesday, football insiders, lawmakers, grassroots coaches and former players gathered at the National Assembly to examine what had gone wrong within the KFA. Participants agreed that Korean football is facing an unprecedented crisis during the two-hour emergency forum. Speakers described the current state of Korean football as marked by structural problems and warned that,

Jul 9, 2026By Lee Hae-rin

Global talent, local failure: inside contradictions of Korean football

Travel & Food

Inside China's panda city, where conservation and tourism coexist

CHENGDU, China — The moment plane touches down in Chengdu, it is immediately clear this is China’s panda capital. Giant black-and-white sculptures line the arrival hall, cartoon pandas beam from wayfinding signs and duty-free displays, and airport cafes serve lattes topped with foamy panda faces. It is a preview of a metropolis where China’s most beloved animal is everywhere, from street murals to subway ads, and sits at the city's cultural identity and tourism boom. As endangered species, giant pandas are one of only three panda species, and they are only found in China. Around 1,800 are believed to be the total number of live giant pandas, cool and humid bamboo forests in the mountains in Sichuan Province, where Chengdu is the capital, is home to 72 percent of them. The city has transformed the ecological trait into a powerful tourism brand. At the heart of its “panda city” image is the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. “This base covers about 3,570 acres,” said panda tour guide Zhao Liping as she was leading a group of reporters past leafy enclosures at the

Jul 9, 2026By Lee Hae-rin

Inside China's panda city, where conservation and tourism coexist

Others

Korea launches 1st direct probe into stock manipulation by TV staff

Korea’s financial regulator has launched an unprecedented probe into allegations of stock manipulation involving employees of Maeil Business TV, marking the first case initiated directly by its special judicial police. According to financial investment industry sources, the Financial Supervisory Service’s (FSS) Capital Markets Special Judicial Police, conducted a search and seizure on the broadcaster’s headquarters in Seoul, Wednesday, securing relevant materials. Authorities suspect that three individuals — a producer, a program host and a guest contributor — purchased stocks using nonpublic information obtained through their work. They are believed to have promoted the same stocks on air, driving up prices before selling them for profit. The FSS estimates the illicit gains exceeded 1 billion won ($720,000). The case is notable as the first investigation launched independently by the FSS without a prior referral from the Securities and Futures Commission. The move follows expanded authority granted to the agency earlier this year, allowing it to initiate probes directly when

Jul 8, 2026By Lee Hae-rin

Korea launches 1st direct probe into stock manipulation by TV staff

Books

Nobel Laureate Han Kang's Seoul bookstore closes amid gentrification

Korean author Han Kang’s independent bookstore, “Onul Books,” has closed its doors after eight years, Wednesday, marking the end of a literary space that had drawn devoted readers from across the country and abroad. The bookstore, which had opened in Seoul’s Yangjae neighborhood in 2018 and relocated to the city’s historic Seochon neighborhood in 2023, became known not only for its curated selection of books but also for its intimate literary programs such as a book club, reading sessions and writing classes. Han stepped down as head of the bookstore in 2021 and joined its board. “The shared sensory experience of reading together in the bookstore was truly meaningful,” Han told reporters on Tuesday at the bookstore before its last reading session with visitors. Han personally hosted the final reading event, spending time with readers who gathered to mark the closing. The bookstore had gained heightened attention after Han won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2024, drawing a steady stream of visitors, including international fans. Han attributed the closure to circumstances

Jul 8, 2026By Lee Hae-rin

Nobel Laureate Han Kang's Seoul bookstore closes amid gentrification

Music

Ysaye Int'l Music Competition to stage final round in Korea

The Ysaye International Music Competition, a global platform for young violinists founded in Belgium, will hold its final round in Korea this year for the first time, reflecting Asia's growing importance in the classical music world. The 2026 finals will take place July 10 and 11 at Incheon Arts Center in Gyeonggi Province, co-hosted by the Korea International Arts School and the Belgian organization. The competition, launched in 2018 in Liege, birthplace of Belgian violinist-composer Eugene Ysaye, has until now held all its stages in Belgium. This year, 121 applicants from 23 countries entered the competition, with preliminary and semifinal rounds already held in Belgium. Twenty violinists are expected to compete at the finals. Competition director and founder Elena Lavrenova said the decision to move the finals abroad for the first time was driven by both artistic philosophy and geography. “We chose Korea because we had the best partners in Korea,” she said during a press conference, adding that the majority of applicants now come from Asia. She stressed that the competition, built

Jul 7, 2026By Lee Hae-rin

Lee Hae-rin

Read more

Musical 'Frozen' to fuse K-pop vocals, multi-casting and Disney magic

Inside Korea's fiercest football derbies: Local rivalries fuel K League's passion

Chinese tourist surge reignites debate over driving in Jeju

Local casinos regain momentum as Chinese group tourists return

Bass Yoo Seung-ho wins 2nd prize at Sumi Jo In'tl Singing Competition in France

Global talent, local failure: inside contradictions of Korean football

Inside China's panda city, where conservation and tourism coexist

Korea launches 1st direct probe into stock manipulation by TV staff

Nobel Laureate Han Kang's Seoul bookstore closes amid gentrification

Ysaye Int'l Music Competition to stage final round in Korea

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