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Kwon Mee-yoo

Korea Times Politics & City Reporter

Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.

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Arts & Theater

'Maybe Happy Ending' wins 6 Tonys, including Best Musical

Composer Will Aronson and lyricist Hue Park's "Maybe Happy Ending" took home six honors, including the Best Musical, during the 78th Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Sunday (local time). This is the first time an original musical that was created and premiered in Korea has won at the prestigious musical awards. The duo also bagged Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score Written for the Theatre together. "This season is full of artists working in totally different styles and we are so honored to be among them," Park said in his acceptance speech for Best Original Score. "We tried to blend Korean indie pop, American jazz, modern classical and traditional Broadway, a melting pot of sensibilities, and we are so grateful the Broadway community has embraced us." With the win, Park became the first Korean national to receive the prestigious award, though Korean American artists have previously been recognized. Darren Criss won Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his portrayal of Helperbot Oliver; Michael Arden won the Best Direction for a

Jun 9, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
'Maybe Happy Ending' wins 6 Tonys, including Best Musical
Arts & Theater

Korean musicals can resonate beyond border, says Broadway producer

At the Link Arts Center in downtown Seoul, as Korean and international producers and creators gathered for the K-Musical Market's annual showcases and pitches, Rachel Sussman — Tony-winning Broadway producer and co-founder of The Business of Broadway — took the stage with a clear message: Korean musicals are closer than ever to finding their place on the international stage. When Sussman first partnered with the Korean Arts Management Service (KAMS) in 2022, the goal was to foster mutual understanding between Korean creators and the American theater industry. Four years later, that partnership has produced workshops, showcases and now, a growing optimism that Korean musicals — if attuned to universal themes and cultural nuances — could soon become a regular part of the global theatrical circuit. "My organization, the Business of Broadway, which is an educational initiative in New York, began a partnership where producers from the KAMS program would come to New York and we could teach on how the Broadway business operates from the producer's perspective,” Sussman told The Kore

Jun 6, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
Korean musicals can resonate beyond border, says Broadway producer
Korean Heritage

Who was Hungarian bomb expert behind Korea’s fight for independence?

In the 2016 film "The Age of Shadows," a mysterious foreign explosives expert named Ludvik (Foster Burden) assists Korean independence fighters against Japanese colonial rule. Though dramatized for the screen, the character was inspired by a real yet little-known historical figure — a Hungarian bomb technician known only as “Magyar,” a word that simply means “Hungarian” in his native language. The identity of this enigmatic foreign ally was recently unearthed by Mozes Csoma, former Hungarian ambassador to Korea and now a professor at Karoli Gaspar University in Budapest. Through archival research, Csoma has confirmed that Magyar was not just a generic reference to a Hungarian national, as previously assumed, but likely the man’s actual surname. Csoma identified him as Gabor Jozsef Magyar, born in 1896 in Selmecbanya, who was captured by Russian forces during World War I and detained in Siberian prisoner-of-war (POW) camps. The search for Magyar began in 2019, during Csoma’s diplomatic posting in Seoul. The Hungarian Embassy co-hosted an academic conference with Dankook Uni

Jun 1, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
Who was Hungarian bomb expert behind Korea’s fight for independence?
People & Events

K-Culture Forum in London explores future of hallyu in digital age

The Korean Cultural Centre UK (KCCUK) will host the K-Culture Forum at the Royal Society of Arts in London on June 9, bringing together cultural leaders, innovators and thinkers to explore new directions for Korea’s soft power amid a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Under the theme “Celebrating Creativity: Digitally, Boldly, Korean,” the forum aims to present a vision for the future of the Korean wave, also known as hallyu, while embracing uncertainty as an opportunity for creative transformation. “Culture transforms uncertainty into possibility,” KCCUK Director Sun Seung-hye said. “At the forefront of Korea’s soft power, we aim to present the future of hallyu here in the U.K. — the birthplace of the creative industries — while boldly navigating the digital era with Korean creativity and aesthetics.” The event consists of two parts — a series of keynote talks in the morning, followed by an open forum and networking reception in the afternoon. It is expected to bring together prominent voices in Korean culture alongside international experts in art, economics, phi

May 26, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
K-Culture Forum in London explores future of hallyu in digital age
People & Events

Women architects in spotlight

Visitors take a look around the 2025 International Special Exhibition of Women Architects at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul, Tuesday. Under the theme of "Arch of Inclusion, Architecture Bridging Worlds," SANAA co-founder Kazuyo Sejima, UN Studio partner and senior architect Astrid Piber, COBE CEO Mari Randsborg and Cheong So-yi of Korea's Land and Housing Institute took part in an international symposium, discussing future urbanism and architecture from the perspective of women. Yonhap

May 20, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
Women architects in spotlight
Korean Heritage

Rare Joseon-era world atlas from 18th century to be auctioned in UK

Five rare Korean maps from the 18th-century atlas "Cheonhado" (Atlas of the World), once owned by a former New Zealand ambassador to Seoul, will go under the hammer in the U.K. Tuesday, offering a rare glimpse into premodern Korean cartography and worldviews. The hand-crafted maps — part of the private collection of Patricia (1920-2010) and Denis Dunlop (1917-2012) — will be featured in Woolley & Wallis auction house's "Japanese & Korean Works of Art" sale under the name of "Ch’onha Chido." The lot's estimate is between 2,000 and 3,000 British pounds ($2,675.21 to $4,012.81). Created during the late Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), the "Cheonhado," also known as "Cheonhajido," was a Korea-centered atlas that typically featured a world map, maps of Korea’s eight provinces and depictions of neighboring regions such as China, Japan and the Ryukyu Islands (now Japan's Okinawa Prefecture). It was produced mainly for administrative training, military planning and ceremonial purposes. The five pieces to be auctioned are presumed to be part of a once-complete atlas. "Crafted entirely by hand

May 20, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
Rare Joseon-era world atlas from 18th century to be auctioned in UK
People & Events

Youth gambling prevention week rallies public support in Seoul

As part of a weeklong national campaign to address the growing threat of underage gambling, the Ministry of Education and the National Gambling Control Commission (NGCC) held an event in Seoul, Friday, presenting a united front against a problem that is increasingly affecting young Koreans. Now in its second year, the Youth Gambling Prevention Week runs from May 12 to Sunday under the theme “Building a Social Safety Net to Prevent Youth Gambling.” The campaign emphasizes that the issue is not a matter of individual behavior but a growing social concern that demands coordinated action across government, schools, families and the private sector. The Seoul event at Dongdaemun Design Plaza served as the campaign’s centerpiece, following earlier regional events in Busan and Daejeon and convening relevant ministries, the gambling industry, youth-related organizations and private companies such as Kangwon Land and SportsToto Korea. The program featured talks with experts, recovering gambling addicts, parents and public figures; a magic show by YouTuber Nicky; youth busking performances; a

May 16, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
Youth gambling prevention week rallies public support in Seoul
People & Events

Choi Jung-wha awarded French Legion of Honour Officier medal

Choi Jung-wha, chairperson of the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) and honorary professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, became the first Korean woman to be awarded the Legion of Honour at the rank of Officier by the French government. Ambassador of France to Korea Philippe Bertoux presented the honor on behalf of the French president in a ceremony Thursday at the ambassador’s residence in central Seoul. Choi was previously awarded the Chevalier grade of the same order in 2003, also marking a first for a Korean woman, and her elevation to Officier recognizes her decades-long contributions to strengthening Korea-France relations and promoting cultural exchanges. A lifelong advocate for cultural diplomacy, Choi has been widely recognized for her work in promoting Korean culture overseas and fostering global dialogue. During the ceremony, French Ambassador Bertoux praised Choi as a rare and charismatic figure who continuously inspired admiration through her energy, warmth and commitment to cultural diplomacy. "Choi's devotion to France began with her love for the French

May 15, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
Choi Jung-wha awarded French Legion of Honour Officier medal
Opinion

Can K-pop still be K-pop without Korea?

“K-pop is K-pop — throwing in British is like forcing fish and chips into kimchi.” This was one of the comments I encountered after publishing my recent article on dearALICE, a British boy band trained under K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment. Such comments capture a growing debate seeking to define this globalizing moment in Korean pop culture: What exactly qualifies as K-pop? It had been years since I last interviewed so-called idols, but meeting members of dearALICE in London was a delight — they were young, bright and full of ambition. In my piece, I avoided explicitly labeling dearALICE as a “K-pop" group. Instead, I borrowed their own words, describing them as a British boy band doing their own music, inspired by K-pop and in the process of figuring out their identity. But still, I found myself frequently referring to K-pop throughout the article. Maybe I, too, subconsciously viewed them through a K-pop lens — a natural reflex when a group trains in Seoul, debuts under collaboration with SM and appears on K-pop stages. I was intrigued to see the article spark debate onli

May 14, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
Can K-pop still be K-pop without Korea?
Arts & Theater

Matt Doyle, Senzel Ahmady to lead ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Korea

The Seoul production of the Broadway hit musical “The Great Gatsby” revealed its star-studded cast Wednesday, with Tony Award winner Matt Doyle and rising musical theater talent Senzel Ahmady set to lead the show, ahead of its August premiere at GS Arts Center in southern Seoul. Doyle, who won the 2022 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role in “Company,” will take on the role of the enigmatic millionaire Jay Gatsby. Known for his emotionally rich performances and exceptional vocal ability, Doyle has built a solid resume on Broadway with appearances in “Spring Awakening,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” “War Horse” and “The Book of Mormon.” Starring opposite Doyle as Daisy Buchanan is Senzel Ahmady, a breakout star best known for her two-year run as Jasmine in the North American tour of “Aladdin.” The production brings a roster of Broadway talent to Seoul, featuring Gerald Caesar as Nick Carraway, Amber Ardolino as Jordan Baker, Jeanna De Waal as Myrtle Wilson, Wes Williams as Tom Buchanan, Tally Sessions as George Wilson and Ed Staudenmayer as Meyer W

May 14, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
Matt Doyle, Senzel Ahmady to lead ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Korea
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