Kwon Mee-yoo

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

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

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

Chung Myung-whun to lead Italy’s La Scala as first Asian music director starting 2027

Maestro Chung Myung-whun, one of Korea’s most celebrated conductors, has been appointed music director of Italy’s Teatro alla Scala, becoming the first Asian to hold the post in its 247-year history. The opera house, commonly known as La Scala, announced Monday (local time) that Chung will assume the role in 2027, following the conclusion of current music director Riccardo Chailly's tenure. The decision marks a turning point for the Milan-based opera house, long considered one of the so-called "Big Three" alongside the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Royal Opera House in London. Chung, 72, will serve for approximately three years, overlapping with the term of La Scala’s new general manager and artistic director Fortunato Ortombina, whose tenure runs through February 2030. Chung’s relationship with La Scala spans more than three decades. Since making his debut at the Milanese opera house in 1989, he has conducted nine operas across 84 performances and led 141 concerts, holding the record for the highest number of appearances, apart from its official music directors. In 202

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV expected to visit Korea for World Youth Day 2027

Pope Leo XIV, newly elected as the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, is expected to visit Korea in 2027 to attend the next World Youth Day (WYD) in Seoul. If realized, the visit would make him the third pope in history to set foot on Korean soil. The prospect of Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Korea emerged as Pope Francis had already announced Seoul as the next WYD host city during the 2023 gathering in Lisbon. Given the tradition of popes attending WYD in person, including in 2005 when Pope Benedict XVI attended the Cologne event following the death of John Paul II, expectations for Leo XIV’s attendance in Seoul are high. First formalized in 1986 under Pope John Paul II, WYD has since become a landmark event in global Catholicism, bringing hundreds of thousands of young people from around the world together for worship. The Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul predicts between 400,000 to 800,000 participants for the 2027 gathering, including both domestic and international visitors. It would become the fourth papal visit to Korea, following those of Pope John Paul II in 1984 and 1989 a

From London to Seoul: How dearALICE is redefining K-pop boy bands

LONDON — Just two years ago, Olly, Dexter and Blaise knew little about K-pop beyond its biggest names. Now, they are preparing to step onto the SMTOWN LIVE London stage as members of dearALICE, the first-ever British K-pop boy band. Born out of a BBC reality show and trained under K-pop giant SM Entertainment, the band now stands at the forefront of K-pop’s ambitious global expansion, blending Korean perfectionism with distinctly British charm. Sitting down at the Korean Cultural Centre UK near Trafalgar Square on April 24, three of the quintet's members reflected on their journey. Members James and Reese were not able to attend the interview. “It was quite secretive at the start. You didn’t really know what you were walking into,” Dexter said, recalling the early audition process. “It was just an audition to be in a boy band. We showed up not knowing much. But then once we found out the opportunity to go to Korea to train with SM, all of us realized it was quite a big opportunity, not something you’d ever want to miss. I’m so happy we made it." Formed through the BBC rea

KCCUK director believes Korean philosophy is next K-culture

LONDON — When Sun Seung-hye, director of the Korean Cultural Centre UK (KCCUK), returned to the British Museum’s Korea Gallery in 2023 — some two decades after she helped ship initial artifacts from Seoul to London — she was struck by how dramatically things had changed. Back in the early 2000s, she worked quietly behind the scenes at the National Museum of Korea, coordinating Korea’s early forays into international cultural recognition. “At that time, sending artifacts to overseas museums felt like the best way to represent Korea,” she said during an interview with The Korea Times at KCCUK on April 24. "Now, it's everywhere — K-pop concerts at Wembley Stadium, Korean contemporary artists at Tate Modern and our literature winning global recognition like the Nobel Prize. It’s astonishing to see how far we've come." Sun, now in her third year as KCCUK director, reflected on her journey from museum curator and public diplomacy expert to leading one of Korea’s foremost global cultural outposts. With academic roots in aesthetics and art history, her career began at the Nat

‘The Great Gatsby’ dazzles London with Korean-led production

LONDON — A dazzling Broadway success crossed the Atlantic, as the musical "The Great Gatsby" made its West End debut at the London Coliseum, Thursday. Led by Korean producer Shin Chun-soo, the musical reimagines F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless tale of ambition, illusion and desire through a contemporary lens, set against the glittering backdrop of the 1920s jazz age. With Jamie Muscato as the enigmatic Jay Gatsby and Frances Mayli McCann as the luminous Daisy Buchanan, the production invites audiences into a world of opulence, longing and heartbreak. Shin — the first Korean and Asian producer to lead a Broadway and West End production independently — described the opening night as “a night where a long-held dream finally came true, filled with mixed emotions of excitement and tension,” during a press conference at the Korean Cultural Center UK in central London, Friday. “I hope West End audiences enjoy our show and take a moment to reflect on how we live,” he added. Formidable cast The West End production opened about a year after its Broadway debut in April 2024. While the

INTERVIEW Brooklyn-brewed, Korea-bound: How Hana Makgeolli is bringing tradition full circle

On a whirlwind tour of Korea, Alice Jun is doing something few could have imagined: reintroducing makgeolli to its birthplace — by way of Brooklyn. Over the past two weeks, the founder and brewer of Hana Makgeolli has been pouring her cloudy, dry alcoholic beverage at tasting events, restaurant pop-ups and seminars across Seoul, offering curious drinkers a new take on the centuries-old tradition. Her flagship Takju 16 Dry surprises the Korean palate with a crisp, tangy complexity, different from the sweet, diluted versions many Koreans remember from college retreats or mountain hikes. For Jun, this moment in Seoul marks a personal and cultural full circle — one that began decades earlier in her California childhood. Jun, a second-generation Korean American raised in Santa Maria, California, first learned to brew from her father. “I kind of learned how to brew like you learn how to cook — not very scientifically, very intuitively,” she said during a recent interview with The Korea Times in Seoul. Years later, as an NYU Stern School of Business student, she rekindled that childhoo

Taean Temple stupa becomes National Treasure