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

K-books push deeper into global market at Frankfurt Book Fair

Korean publishers are expanding their reach at this week’s Frankfurt Book Fair, with 15 companies pitching rights deals and aiming to transform book titles into global, multimedia intellectual property. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korea Publication Industry Promotion Agency are operating an export consultation area at Frankfurt Book Fair from Wednesday through Sunday in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The 120-square-meter space features publishers including Munhakdongne, Pinkfong, Munpia, Mirae N, Book21 and Changbi, covering literature, picture books and web novels while connecting Korean rights holders with foreign publishers and agencies. Organizers are also displaying 103 titles from publishers unable to attend in person, with professional agencies handling consultations and follow-up discussions intended to move promising talks toward contracts. A separate 30-square-meter booth is highlighting 89 titles from 20 publishers and agencies selected for K-Book Global 100, a new program that supports translation and overseas marketing based on individual markets and langu

Oct 7, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
K-books push deeper into global market at Frankfurt Book Fair
People & Events

Seoul unveils 2026 Gourmet 100 list to map out capital's best bites

From hidden neighborhood eateries to trendy dessert spots, Seoul is offering international travelers a curated path through its culinary scene with the launch of its 2026 Gourmet 100 guide and an expanded citywide food festival. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday that 100 restaurants and food establishments were selected across seven categories — Korean, Western, Asian, grill, vegetarian, cafe and dessert, and bars and pubs — by a panel of 60 Korean food experts. The list, launched in 2020, includes 27 Korean food establishments, 23 Western, 15 Asian, 10 grill, eight vegetarian, nine cafe and dessert, and eight bar and pub venues, with 25 newcomers this year. The 2026 selection organizes Seoul’s culinary landscape into distinct categories, spanning traditional Korean fine dining, Western cuisine, Asian flavors, Grill establishments, Plant-Based eateries, Bars & Pubs, and a newly expanded Cafe & Dessert section. Highlighting both high-end gastronomy and casual neighborhood spots across the capital, the list features acclaimed venues ranging from fine-dining pillars Mingl

Oct 6, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Seoul unveils 2026 Gourmet 100 list to map out capital's best bites
Companies

SKT showcases AI battlefield command tools at Army festival

SK Telecom, Korea’s largest wireless telecommunications operator, was the lone private-sector company at Korea’s Ground Forces Festival, where it spent five days showcasing artificial intelligence (AI) and communications technologies designed to reshape how military commanders gather information, make decisions and stay connected in contested environments. SKT said Tuesday that it participated in the festival from Thursday to Monday at Gyeryongdae airfield in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province, presenting AI defense transformation technologies under its T military brand. The centerpiece was its AI staff system, which combines a data platform, ontology technology and digital twins to connect battlefield information and help commanders assess situations and make tactical decisions. The system is designed to bring together data generated by troops and equipment, as well as drones, robots and sensors, then deliver relevant information quickly enough to support faster decisions. Visitors and military officials could follow the process from data collection and analysis to digital battlef

Oct 6, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
SKT showcases AI battlefield command tools at Army festival
Companies

LG CNS unveils blockchain tech to help banks issue stablecoins, tokens

LG CNS launched a blockchain infrastructure platform designed to help financial institutions build services around stablecoins, tokenized securities and real-world assets as Korea’s financial sector moves toward broader use of digital assets. The information technology services giant said Tuesday that its new platform, called KITL, provides four core functions: digital wallets, transaction processing, fee payment and transaction data collection. KITL is designed to address infrastructure needs that arise when financial institutions handle assets on public blockchains, where transactions occur outside systems directly controlled by banks, securities firms and other service providers. Its wallet system can generate private keys only when signatures are required and discard them afterward, allowing institutions to issue wallets at large scale without continuously expanding hardware security module capacity, the company said. The technology was developed from work conducted for the Bank of Korea’s Project Hangang, where it was tested in a real transaction environment involving seven part

Oct 6, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
LG CNS unveils blockchain tech to help banks issue stablecoins, tokens
Companies

2026 Genesis GV80 Hybrid pairs twin-turbo V6 with EV-style torque

Genesis has entered Korea’s rear-wheel-drive hybrid luxury SUV market with the launch of the GV80 Hybrid, pairing a 2.5-liter turbo engine with an electric motor system designed to deliver stronger performance, improved fuel economy and a quieter ride. Genesis, Hyundai Motor Group’s luxury brand, began selling the GV80 Hybrid on Tuesday, marking its first model to use a rear-wheel-drive-based 2.5 turbo hybrid system. The SUV produces a combined 352 horsepower, about 16 percent more than the 304 horsepower offered by the 2.5 turbo gasoline model, while achieving combined fuel economy of 12 kilometers per liter in the 19-inch, two-wheel-drive, five-seat configuration. GV80 Hybrid uses a parallel hybrid system combining a P1 starter motor and a P2 drive motor capable of producing up to 59.1 kilowatts, with the latter handling propulsion and regenerative braking. Genesis said its new seven-speed transmission improves power delivery efficiency and allows the vehicle to reverse using the P2 motor without engine assistance. The company said the GV80 Hybrid can accelerate from zero to 100 kil

Oct 6, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
2026 Genesis GV80 Hybrid pairs twin-turbo V6 with EV-style torque
People & Events

Actor Park Bo-gum turns palace sounds into new Korean travel experience

Actor Park Bo-gum led a group of roughly 100 international visitors on a soundscape walking tour at Changgyeong Palace earlier this month, spearheading a campaign by cultural authorities to shift tourism promotion toward sensory travel. Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism alongside the Korea Tourism Organization, the "Korea Sound Journey" event brought together travelers and content creators selected from more than 2,300 applicants across 20 countries, including the United States, China, Japan and Thailand. The initiative directly expands on the country's 2026 global advertising campaign, "Begin to Hear Korea," which launched in July. Starring Park — serving his second consecutive year as Korea's honorary tourism ambassador — the promotional series features the actor alongside a Danish musician traveling across the peninsula to record intimate, everyday soundscapes. During the first half of the day, guided sound specialists led attendees through the palace grounds in small groups for a structured "sound walking" session. Equipped with directional field audio rec

Oct 6, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Actor Park Bo-gum turns palace sounds into new Korean travel experience
K-pop

KickFlip takes bold step forward with 'Kick Off The Wall'

Emerging K-pop powerhouse KickFlip is shedding its "rookie" label to step onto the global stage. Returning from a six-month hiatus, all seven members took a hands-on approach to their new mini-album, "KICK OFF THE WALL Pt. 1." Anchored by a feature from American singer-songwriter iann dior on the title track, "Kick Off The Wall," alongside co-lead "Incomplete," the release delivers a story of confronting uncertainty and forging your own path. Packed with energetic performances, personal songwriting and a bold crossover sound, KickFlip is betting on its most ambitious project yet to prove its reach extends far beyond Korea. To dig deeper into how this new direction came together, the band sat down to discuss the creative journey behind the music. Q. You are returning about six months after “My First Kick,” so how do you feel about this comeback? KickFlip: We’re excited to show many new sides of ourselves, starting with our first double title tracks, and we’re looking forward to sharing the album with everyone. Q. What story did you want to tell through “KICK OFF THE WALL Pt. 1”

Oct 6, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
KickFlip takes bold step forward with 'Kick Off The Wall'
People & Events

Seoul Botanic Park brings plants into everyday spaces

Living rooms have held a monopoly on indoor plants for far too long. A stubborn fern on a side table, a dusty ficus in the corner or a balcony overcrowded with forgotten pots — that used to be the default script for urban greenery. But a new exhibition at Seoul Botanic Park is tearing up that playbook, arguing that foliage belongs in the messy, intimate spaces where daily life actually happens. Beginning Wednesday and running through Dec. 31, "In Green" takes a fresh, lived-in approach to indoor plant styling. Rather than treating greenery as static decoration, the showcase at the park's Garden Support Center shifts themes every month to mirror how people navigate their homes as the seasons change. "I hope this exhibition serves as an opportunity for visitors to view plants not merely as objects of a specialized hobby, but as companions naturally sharing our everyday spaces — from living rooms and bedrooms to balconies," said On Su-jin, director of the Seoul Botanic Park. October kicks off in the heart of the home, transforming the kitchen into a verdant hub with practical, everyday

Oct 4, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Seoul Botanic Park brings plants into everyday spaces
People & Events

Palace museum opens outdoor wedding season under gingko trees

Beneath the brilliant autumn canopy of a century-old ginkgo tree, the National Palace Museum of Korea is opening its historic grounds to a new generation of newlyweds. Starting Friday, the royal courtyard adjacent to Gyeongbok Palace will transform into an outdoor venue where dozens of couples will tie the knot surrounded by centuries of Korean heritage. The program, dubbed "Gogyeol" — a blend of Korean words meaning "marrying at the palace museum" — will host 28 free outdoor weddings every weekend and holiday through Nov. 8. With two daily slots at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., the initiative aims to ease financial burdens for young couples while celebrating the nation’s cultural legacy in everyday life. To launch the season on Friday afternoon, the museum welcomed its inaugural wedding couple, including bride Mai, a high-profile Estonian content creator who gained national fame as the first foreign contestant crowned Miss Chunhyang . Now a prominent cultural ambassador sharing Korean traditions with millions online, Mai celebrated her wedding alongside distinguished guests, including Huh

Oct 3, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Palace museum opens outdoor wedding season under gingko trees
Others

Foreign homeownership in Korea surges 30% over 3 years, approaching 100,000 mark

Foreign nationals owned nearly 100,000 homes in multiunit housing, or "gongdong jutaek" — a category spanning high-rise apartments to low-rise "dasedae" multifamily homes — in Korea last year, with ownership rising roughly 30 percent over three years and Vietnamese holdings more than doubling, according to government data submitted to a lawmaker. The data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Real Estate Board, provided to Rep. Kim Mi-ae of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), showed that foreign nationals owned 99,215 multiunit residential properties in the second half of 2025. That marks a 30.3 percent increase, or 23,068 units, from 76,147 in the second half of 2022. Chinese nationals accounted for the bulk of the growth. Their holdings climbed 37.2 percent from 43,058 to 59,082 units over the period, representing 69.5 percent of the overall national increase. Vietnamese nationals posted the fastest growth rate, with their holdings surging 112 percent from 842 to 1,786 properties. American nationals remained the second-largest foreign group

Oct 2, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Foreign homeownership in Korea surges 30% over 3 years, approaching 100,000 mark
previous page
1516171819
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.