my timesThe Korea Times
lkm

Lee Kyung-min

Korea Times AI content 2 team Reporter

Value context and insight. lkm@koreatimes.co.kr

Go to EmailGo to URL

Read more

People & Events

Summer exhibitions in Seoul celebrate worlds of sci-fi, superfans

For readers looking to escape the sweltering heat of a Korean summer, two municipal cultural spaces are offering portals into entirely different realms — one grounded in distant galaxies, and the other in the fervent devotion of subcultural fandoms. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced the launch of two distinct exhibitions at its flagship, book-centric cultural complexes. Seoul Book Bogo, located in Songpa District, is hosting a science fiction and cinema showcase titled “Beyond the Scene” through Aug. 30. Meanwhile, Seoul Art Book Bogo, situated within the Gocheok Sky Dome complex in southwestern Seoul, has opened “Love’s Sudden Crash,” a deep dive into the cultural mechanics of superfandom running through Sept. 6. Run by the Korean Publishers Association, both spaces operate as hybrid cultural centers rather than traditional lending libraries. This summer, they are focusing on how deep cultural immersion can fundamentally shift a person's worldview. At Seoul Book Bogo, the science fiction exhibition reframes the genre as a tool for societal critique rather than mer

1d agoBy Lee Kyung-min
Summer exhibitions in Seoul celebrate worlds of sci-fi, superfans
Companies

AI race pushes LG CNS and Doosan into broad technology alliance

As companies scramble to secure an edge in artificial intelligence and automation, LG CNS and Doosan Corp. have agreed to join forces in a wide-ranging partnership that stretches from agentic AI and robotics to data centers and cloud computing. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday at LG Sciencepark in Seoul to strengthen their competitiveness in emerging technology businesses, including AI transformation, robot transformation, data centers and cloud services. The agreement brings together LG CNS’ digital transformation capabilities and Doosan Corp.’s industrial technology expertise at a time when businesses are investing heavily in AI-driven productivity and next-generation infrastructure. Under the deal, the companies said they will establish a joint business cooperation body within one month and develop detailed plans for collaborative projects. One of the central pillars of the partnership is AI transformation. LG CNS said it will leverage its enterprise agentic AI platform, AgenticWorks, to help strengthen Doosan Corp.’s agentic AI capabilities and develop

1d agoBy Lee Kyung-min
AI race pushes LG CNS and Doosan into broad technology alliance
People & Events

To woo Japanese travelers, Korea taps enduring J-pop icon

For millions of Japanese citizens who have never ventured beyond their nation’s borders, Korea is making a direct, highly personalized pitch to become their first passport stamp — and it has enlisted one of Japan’s most enduring pop culture icons to lead the charge. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, alongside the Korea Tourism Organization, announced the launch of the “My First Trip to Korea” campaign. Running from June through December, the initiative specifically targets the large segment of the Japanese population that holds no prior travel experience abroad, aiming to lower both the economic and psychological barriers that often discourage international novice travelers. To break through decades of insular travel habits, Seoul is relying heavily on Tsuyoshi Kusanagi. To a generation of Japanese television viewers, Kusanagi is the affable, remarkably versatile former member of SMAP, the legendary boy band that dominated J-pop for a quarter-century. Armed with an earnest, self-deprecating charm and remarkably fluent Korean, Kusanagi has long bridged the complicat

1d agoBy Lee Kyung-min
To woo Japanese travelers, Korea taps enduring J-pop icon
People & Events

Korea’s new tourism strategy: pop-ups, tailored tickets

Seeking to capitalize on the soaring global appetite for Korean culture, the government is transforming mundane transit hubs into immersive cinematic portals designed to bring international travelers deeper into the provinces. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in partnership with the Korea Tourism Organization, launched the "Global K-Festival Pop-up Store" Friday. Running through July 5 at Seoul Station and Noon Square in downtown's Myeong-dong shopping district, the interactive hubs present local festivals not as regional events, but as premier international destinations. The initiative targets a persistent challenge in Korea’s tourism industry: the heavy concentration of foreign visitors in the capital. By deploying multilingual staff and interactive media, the ministry aims to redirect foot traffic toward 10 selected cultural celebrations across the country, including the Incheon Pentaport Music Festival, the Boryeong Mud Festival and the Daegu Chimaek (chicken and beer) Festival. Designed around the theme "Feel the Vibe, Live the Festival," the pop-up spaces mimic class

1d agoBy Lee Kyung-min
Korea’s new tourism strategy: pop-ups, tailored tickets
People & Events

Joseon-era marketplace returns to life in downtown Seoul

The bustle of a 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty-era marketplace is returning to the heart of Seoul this weekend, as artisans, merchants and traditional food vendors transform the grounds of the Seoul Museum of History and nearby Gyeonghui Palace into a sprawling celebration of Korean heritage. The Seoul Museum of History said it will host the traditional craft market festival "Seoyeokbak Marketplace" from Friday through Sunday, bringing together 92 traditional brands for one of the city's largest culture-themed outdoor events. Organized in partnership with the social planning company Project Question, the festival reimagines a traditional Joseon marketplace for modern audiences, offering visitors a chance to experience Korean crafts, traditional attire, food and merchant culture in a single venue. The event will feature two "yukuijeon" (referring to the six items exclusively sold in these royal shops), 27 licensed market stalls, four taverns, three artisan villages, 46 street vendors and 10 itinerant merchant groups modeled after the trading culture of the Joseon era. Visitors will be able to b

2d agoBy Lee Kyung-min
Joseon-era marketplace returns to life in downtown Seoul
People & Events

Seoul rolls out market rewards program

Shoppers browsing neighborhood markets across Seoul next week will have a new incentive to fill their baskets: spend more to get something back. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it will launch the 2026 Seoul Household Support Payback Week from June 24 to June 30, offering consumers refunds of up to 30,000 won ($20) in digital Onnuri gift certificates for purchases made at traditional markets and shopping districts across the city. The weeklong campaign will take place at 120 traditional markets and shopping areas in all 25 districts of Seoul. City officials said the program is designed to ease household spending burdens while helping traditional markets and small business districts attract more visitors and boost sales. Under the program, shoppers who make purchases during the event period can receive digital Onnuri gift certificates based on their total spending. Consumers who spend at least 15,000 won will receive a 5,000-won certificate. Those spending 30,000 won or more will receive a 10,000 gift certificate, while purchases of 60,000 won or more qualify for a 20,000-won certific

2d agoBy Lee Kyung-min
Seoul rolls out market rewards program
Companies

Shin Ramyun leaves spicy impression at major Mexico City festival

Thousands of festivalgoers in Mexico City are getting a taste of Korea's signature spicy noodles as Nongshim ramps up its overseas marketing push at one of the country's largest cultural events. Nongshim said it is operating a Shin Ramyun promotional booth Thursday at Campo Marte 26, a major festival being held in Mexico City from June 11 to July 19. The event combines Mexican food and cultural experiences, art exhibitions, concerts and fan activities, drawing large crowds from Mexico and abroad. At the festival grounds, visitors can sample Shin Ramyun by using instant noodle cooking machines installed at the booth. The company is also distributing hand fans featuring SHIN, the brand's mascot, to help attendees cope with the city's summer heat while strengthening familiarity with the brand. Nongshim said it plans to further expand the visibility of Shin Ramyun by continuously airing promotional videos on large screens installed throughout the festival venue. The company has already seen strong interest from visitors. On Wednesday, the first day Nongshim operated a booth at the festival, mor

2d agoBy Lee Kyung-min
Shin Ramyun leaves spicy impression at major Mexico City festival
Companies

Nexen Tire ramps up European logistics footprint

Nexen Tire is expanding its logistics footprint in Europe, opening a larger automated warehouse at its manufacturing plant in Zatec, Czech Republic, as the company seeks to strengthen supply stability and respond more quickly to customer demand across the region. The company said Thursday that the expanded finished-goods warehouse has begun full-scale operations at its European production facility. The investment comes as Nexen Tire increases production capacity in Europe and looks to build a more efficient supply chain for customers across the continent. Nexen Tire launched the first phase of operations at the Czech plant in 2019 and expanded the site with a second production facility in 2024. The plant now has annual production capacity of about 10 million tires, prompting the company to expand its storage and logistics infrastructure to accommodate rising output and growing regional demand. Construction of the expanded warehouse began in October 2024. The new facility has a total floor area of 7,104 square meters and stands 51 meters tall. With the expansion, tire storage capacity increa

2d agoBy Lee Kyung-min
Nexen Tire ramps up European logistics footprint
Travel & Food

Korea rebrands as weekend getaway to draw returning Chinese tourists

A growing number of Chinese travelers are turning Korea into a weekend destination, and tourism officials are moving quickly to capitalize on the trend with new marketing campaigns aimed at encouraging shorter but more frequent trips. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it is strengthening promotions tied to expanded multiple-entry visa programs, highlighting weekend travel, regional tourism and solo travel experiences for visitors from China and Southeast Asia. Since March 30, Korea and the Ministry of Justice have eased visa requirements for travelers who have previously visited Korea, issuing five-year multiple-entry visas to eligible Chinese and Southeast Asian nationals and 10-year multiple-entry visas to residents of 14 major Chinese cities, the ministry said. According to data from Korea Visa Application Centers in China, the number of general tourism multiple-entry visas issued in April rose 10 percent from March following the policy change. Chinese online travel platform Ctrip also recorded an 80 percent increase in multiple-entry visa applications in April compared

2d agoBy Lee Kyung-min
Korea rebrands as weekend getaway to draw returning Chinese tourists
People & Events

K-pop’s biggest stars head to Incheon as Seoul Music Awards goes global

Incheon is set to become the center of the K-pop world Saturday as many of the industry’s most prominent acts gather for the 35th annual Seoul Music Awards. The ceremony, a long-standing fixture of the Korean music calendar, is expected to reach audiences in some 150 countries through an ambitious global livestreaming operation. Local officials and the Incheon Tourism Organization said the event will take place at the Inspire Arena, a sprawling venue widely recognized as the country’s largest indoor entertainment complex. For the western port city that has spent years developing its infrastructure to capture a larger share of the lucrative international event market, the awards show represents a high-profile test of its municipal capabilities. The ceremony, hosted by newspaper Sports Seoul and overseen by the event’s organizing committee, determines its winners through a metric-driven formula that balances digital streaming data, physical album sales, panel evaluations by industry experts and popular sentiment gathered through global fan voting. This year’s lineup features a gen

2d agoBy Lee Kyung-min
K-pop’s biggest stars head to Incheon as Seoul Music Awards goes global
previous page
12345
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.