The Korea Times

Shanghai becomes new weekend getaway for Korean travelers

SHANGHAI — Koreans have dubbed it the “night owl getaway” — a weekend city of shimmering towers, acclaimed cuisine and a vibrant urban energy found nowhere else. In recent months, Shanghai has surpassed Tokyo and Hong Kong as the destination of choice for a new generation of Korean travelers, driven by China’s visa-free entry through 2025 and a rising appetite for its cuisine and urban life. According to government statistics, Shanghai welcomed 4.16 million international visitors through mid-August, marking a nearly 38 percent increase amid a strong rebound in inbound travel. Koreans accounted for 423,000 arrivals, a surge of 130.7 percent from last year, making them the city’s largest foreign visitors. Roughly 1 in 4 flights from Korean airports to China now land in Shanghai. The surge comes after China announced in November 2024 that Korean travelers can visit for up to 30 days without a visa. Online travel platform Klook reported reservations for Shanghai tours went up by 88 percent, day tours up 549 percent and mobility services up 538 percent during this summer holiday

Sep 10, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Shanghai becomes new weekend getaway for Korean travelers

Travel & Food

Hilton innovates services to boost comfort of foreign travelers in China

SHANGHAI — Hilton, the world’s third-largest hotel chain by room count, has unveiled new initiatives to enhance the travel experience for international visitors at its flagship properties in China’s major destinations, including Shanghai and the emerging tourism hub of Quanzhou. The efforts come amid a marked increase in inbound travelers to China. The proportion of inbound guests overtook prepandemic levels in June. Recent government data shows foreign nationals entering Beijing reached 1.88 million as of mid-August, a 36.6 percent increase compared to the year before, while Shanghai welcomed 4.16 million overseas tourists in the same period, a jump of nearly 38 percent. Koreans alone accounted for 423,000 entries, a spike of 130.7 percent from last year, making them the largest inbound group. Hilton has introduced advanced technology-driven amenities and city exploration programs to help guests overcome linguistic barriers in Shanghai. In July, Hilton launched an English-language guide in partnership with DiDi, a major Chinese ride-hailing platform providing transportation in 19

Sep 10, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Hilton innovates services to boost comfort of foreign travelers in China

Society

Hanbok rental boom by tourists sparks debate over preserving tradition

A debate over what constitutes authenticity in Korean traditional clothing has resurfaced as foreign tourists flock to Korea’s royal palaces in record numbers, with 1.36 million arrivals in July alone. Rental shops offering hanbok, Korea's traditional costume, have become a staple experience for visitors, particularly around Seoul’s palaces. This raises questions about the distinction between traditional and fusion styles and their impact on Korean cultural heritage. On Monday, the narrow, bustling alleys near exits 2 and 3 of Gyeongbokgung Station on Seoul Metro Line 3 were lined with more than 30 hanbok rental shops, each serving a steady stream of international and local customers. These shops, which offer multilingual services, generally charge 15,000 won ($11) to 30,000 won for two-hour rentals. Many sprang up after October 2013 when the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism began offering free palace entry to visitors wearing hanbok, turning the practice into a popular activity. According to the Korea Heritage Service (KHS), nearly 1.72 million visitors wearing hanbok entere

Sep 9, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Hanbok rental boom by tourists sparks debate over preserving tradition

Politics

Bill aims to expand legal definition of family beyond marriage

A progressive party has proposed a bill to extend legal rights and protections to adults living together outside traditional marriage or blood ties, as Korea moves toward recognizing more diverse family structures. As Korea faces one of the world’s lowest birthrates and a rising number of single-person households, its modernizing society increasingly clashes with a legal framework that leaves nontraditional couples without basic protections that married couples take for granted, from inheritance rights to hospital visitation privileges. The Life Partnership Relations Act, introduced by Rep. Yong Hye-in of the minor Basic Income Party, seeks to define a "life partnership" as a mutually agreed relationship between two adults who share a home and care for one another. Unlike marriage, the partnership would not create legal ties to a partner’s family or relatives, making it a personal union between individuals rather than a family-based network. “This country’s outdated family laws cannot reflect the reality of how people are living today,” Yong said during a press conference at th

Sep 5, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Bill aims to expand legal definition of family beyond marriage

Global Community

Multicultural music radio station marks 17th anniversary

Shin Hyon-ung, fifth from left, chairman of the Woongjin Foundation, and Kim Choong-hyun, sixth from left, CEO of Digital Skynet, pose with the radio show hosts of Multicultural Family Music Broadcasting, during a ceremony commemorating the service's 17th anniversary at the broadcaster's studio in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Woongjin Foundation

Sep 4, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Multicultural music radio station marks 17th anniversary

Travel & Food

New tourism task force aims to harness global reach of K-culture

Korea on Wednesday launched a new public-private task force aimed at transforming the nation’s tourism industry amid rising global interest in Korean culture. The K-tourism innovation task force was inaugurated at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, with more than 20 officials, scholars and industry leaders in attendance. The task force represents the first major tourism initiative under the Lee Jae Myung administration and aims to harness the global momentum of K-culture, transforming it into sustained industry growth. “Ten years ago, the number of inbound tourists coming to Korea was higher than that of Japan. But in recent years, Japan has overtaken us by double. Although K-culture is enjoying enormous global influence, we need to carefully examine what Japan has done well over the past decade,” Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young said during his opening speech. According to the ministry, the group will hold bimonthly meetings and act as a collaborative platform that brings together government agencies, academics, cultural experts and

Sep 3, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

New tourism task force aims to harness global reach of K-culture

Travel & Food

Greece eyes direct flights to Korea to boost tourism, economic ties

Greece’s ancient ruins and sun-drenched islands have long captivated the imaginations of Koreans — from retellings of mythology in comics to plates of Greek yogurt and Mediterranean salad in Seoul’s bustling cafes. Despite the growing fascination in Korea with Greek culture, few ever set foot on islands like Santorini or Crete, usually experiencing them only through a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon or a packaged tour that includes neighboring Turkey. With Greece’s Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni making her first official visit to Seoul, the two countries are hoping to turn a long-standing cultural fascination into concrete exchanges and new opportunities for two-way tourism. “The purpose of my visit is to strengthen the bonds of friendship between our countries in the field of tourism,” Kefalogianni told The Korea Times during a recent written interview. “The Republic of Korea is among the countries with which Greece is actively seeking to deepen tourism ties and increase visitor flows, as we see great potential for mutual growth.” During her visit, she focused on turnin

Sep 3, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Greece eyes direct flights to Korea to boost tourism, economic ties

Travel & Food

Cheers! Autumn beer festivals bubble up in Seoul

As Seoul finally begins to cool off from the summer heat, beer festivals are springing up across the capital, bringing together craft brewers, local flavors and cultural traditions in crowded markets and along scenic riverbanks. On Friday and Saturday, Baeknyeon Market in northeastern Seoul and the picturesque Ui Stream will host the 2025 Gangbuk Baekmaek Festival. Since its debut in 2023, the festival has drawn nearly 58,000 visitors by purportedly offering a hundred kinds of street food alongside beer at 68 stalls, with most items priced below 10,000 won ($7). Beer enthusiasts can sample offerings from 12 breweries from across the country, ranging from familiar lagers to experimental craft flavors that reflect Korea’s evolving beer scene. Evening performances held at the main stage along Ui Stream include well-known acts from ballad to pop, as well as busking. Event zones are planned for family picnics, romantic riverside camping, DJ parties and unique photo areas celebrating the community’s lively spirit. Meanwhile, Seocho District in southern Seoul is hosting evening parties for b

Sep 3, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Cheers! Autumn beer festivals bubble up in Seoul

Society

Firefighters face mental health strain as counselors remain scarce

Korea’s firefighters are facing growing mental health pressures as demand for trauma counseling outstrips the state’s ability to provide timely care, prompting national calls for reform and expanded support for first responders in the wake of recent tragedies. Data from the National Fire Agency, submitted to Rep. Han Byung-do of the Democratic Party of Korea, show that as of 2025, just 128 counselors serve South Korea’s 268 fire stations — fewer than half the number needed for adequate coverage. Last year, 102 counselors handled an average of roughly 779 cases each, highlighting the heavy burden placed on a limited staff caring for traumatized firefighters. Regional disparities remain severe. In North and South Jeolla Provinces, fewer than 40 percent of fire stations have a counselor on staff. Counseling sessions for firefighters soared to almost 80,000 last year, up 65 percent from 2020, underscoring growing mental health needs and persistent regional gaps. While half of Seoul’s fire stations are staffed with counselors, Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province continue to face ac

Sep 2, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Firefighters face mental health strain as counselors remain scarce

Law & Crime

Korea to tackle phishing crimes as annual losses reach $575 mil.

Korea is launching an intensive nationwide crackdown on phishing crimes, stepping up its fight as evolving criminal tactics make attempted scams an unsettling and pervasive part of people’s daily life, with financial losses soaring to nearly 800 billion won ($575 million) in just seven months. Police said all available investigative resources will be mobilized for five months, starting Monday and lasting until Jan. 31, alongside a special enforcement campaign targeting phishing crimes. Between January and July this year, 16,561 phishing cases — including voice phishing and smishing (a form of phishing using text messages) were reported nationwide. The financial losses reached 799.2 billion won, marking a dramatic 95 percent year-on-year increase in damages and a 14 percent jump in cases. Authorities note this is already the highest seven-month figure ever recorded, quickly approaching last year’s total annual loss of 952.5 billion won. Phishing schemes in Korea have grown increasingly sophisticated, blending seamlessly into daily life. Criminals are targeting victims through fraudu

Sep 1, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Lee Hae-rin

Read more

Shanghai becomes new weekend getaway for Korean travelers

Hilton innovates services to boost comfort of foreign travelers in China

Hanbok rental boom by tourists sparks debate over preserving tradition

Bill aims to expand legal definition of family beyond marriage

Multicultural music radio station marks 17th anniversary

New tourism task force aims to harness global reach of K-culture

Greece eyes direct flights to Korea to boost tourism, economic ties

Cheers! Autumn beer festivals bubble up in Seoul

Firefighters face mental health strain as counselors remain scarce

Korea to tackle phishing crimes as annual losses reach $575 mil.

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