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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

Claire meets Claire: Korean American actor finds her moment on Broadway with ‘Maybe Happy Ending’

For Korean American actor Claire Kwon, her journey to her Broadway principal debut as Claire in "Maybe Happy Ending" felt nothing short of destined. The musical, developed concurrently in Korea and the U.S. and set in a near-future Seoul, tells a story of two Helperbots discovering love, life and mortality. And for Kwon, being part of a production that deeply reflects elements of her cultural identity was both a joyful and proud experience. Kwon joined the Broadway cast in January as an understudy for Claire, a cynical Helperbot 5 living in a yard for outdated models, and officially stepped into the role for the first time on March 19. Her first performance as the lead was a night she’ll never forget. “Wow, my debut was everything I could have dreamed of and more. When I first appeared onstage, I was so overwhelmed by how many people I could hear cheering me on from the audience,” Kwon said in a recent email interview with The Korea Times. “From there, I really tried to focus on telling the story and sharing a beautiful experience with everyone in the theatre. The focus on the st

Apr 12, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
Claire meets Claire: Korean American actor finds her moment on Broadway with ‘Maybe Happy Ending’
Arts & Theater

Goguryeo-era golden seal sold for record price in Hong Kong auction

A golden seal, believed to date back to Korea's ancient Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C.E.-668 C.E.), fetched an astounding HK$10.8 million (2.04 billion won or $1.39 million) at a major Hong Kong auction. This amount far surpassed its presale estimate by more than nine times, setting a new record for the price of ancient seals. The golden seal with a horse-shaped knob was auctioned at China Guardian's Hong Kong 2025 spring sale, titled Important Private Asian Collection of Ancient Seals and Bronzes, on Sunday. Initially, its estimated price ranged between $153,800 and $282,100, yet it ultimately garnered a much higher final bid. The relic, standing 2.8 centimeters tall and weighing just 88 grams, bears a Chinese inscription that reads, “Marquis of Guiyi of Goguryeo, conferred by the Jin Dynasty." According to Park Dae-jae, a professor of Korean history at Korea University, this wording indicates that the Jin Dynasty of China likely used the bestowal of official seals as a diplomatic strategy to win over or solidify ties with neighboring states such as Goguryeo, offering insight into the pol

Apr 7, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
Goguryeo-era golden seal sold for record price in Hong Kong auction
  • Ancient Goguryeo-era golden seal may fetch 6 figures at Hong Kong auction
Korean Heritage

Korea's royal rite music ‘Jongmyo Jeryeak’ enchants Singapore

“Jongmyo Jeryeak,” a traditional Korean musical ritual originating from the royal ancestral ceremonies of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), captivated international audiences during its recent debut performance in Singapore. Presented by Korea’s National Gugak Center, Jongmyo Jeryeak was performed at the Esplanade — Theatres on the Bay on Friday and Saturday as part of the venue’s annual "A Tapestry of Sacred Music." This festival, now in its 16th edition, celebrates spiritual and religious music from around the world, emphasizing themes of harmony and healing. This year’s event featured artists from 10 countries, including Brazil, Turkey, France, India and Japan, alongside Korea. Designated by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Jongmyo Jeryeak historically accompanied ancestral rituals at Jongmyo Shrine in Seoul, paying homage to the deceased kings and queens of Joseon. Composed of ceremonial orchestral music and matching dance movements, the ritual has been continuously practiced for over 600 years, representing Confucian ideals of respect and reverence.

Apr 6, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
Korea's royal rite music ‘Jongmyo Jeryeak’ enchants Singapore
Arts & Theater

'Wicked' brings emerald magic to Korea with stellar international cast

The touring production of the blockbuster musical "Wicked" will open in Korea in July, marking a highly anticipated return after 13 years. Following successful runs in Australia and Singapore, the production draws attention with its acclaimed international cast, headlined by Sheridan Adams as Elphaba and Courtney Monsma as Glinda. Adams, who dreamed of playing Elphaba since first hearing Idina Menzel's iconic "Defying Gravity," secured her lead role after impressing creators with her powerful audition performance. Her portrayal over 400 performances of the fiery green witch who challenges social norms has already garnered praise. Opposite Adams, Monsma portrays the good witch with bright charisma and a clear voice, adding subtle complexity to the role. Monsma, who also portrayed Anna in the Australian production of Disney's "Frozen," fell in love with "Wicked" after watching it as her very first musical. Joining Adams and Monsma is Liam Head, who takes on the role of the charismatic Prince Fiyero. Head, whose credits include "Grease" and "Legally Blonde," is a multifaceted artist with ex

Apr 4, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
'Wicked' brings emerald magic to Korea with stellar international cast
Lifestyle

King Sejong Institute launches new app for seasonal foreign workers

The King Sejong Institute Foundation (KSIF) released a new Korean language learning application designed specifically for foreign workers in the agriculture and fisheries industries. Timed to coincide with Korea’s Fishermen’s Day on Wednesday, the app, KSI Korean: Agri & Fisheries, aims to offer practical language support to seasonal laborers. Developed based on the foundation’s 2024 Korean textbooks for agricultural and fisheries workers, the app offers short, 15-minute daily lessons focused on essential vocabulary and expressions commonly used in the workplace. It also features enhanced audio functions to support repetitive listening practice, helping users apply what they learn to real-life situations. The need for accessible Korean language learning tools is growing with the increasing number of seasonal migrant workers in Korea. According to the Ministry of Justice, the number of foreign seasonal laborers in Korea jumped from 30,401 in 2023 to 56,895 in 2024. However, learning Korean has long been a challenge for foreign workers and their employers due to the demanding natur

Apr 2, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
King Sejong Institute launches new app for seasonal foreign workers
Travel & Food

'Gimbap' curator brings Korea's hidden gems to Gwangjang Market

At Seoul’s bustling Gwangjang Market, already beloved by locals and foreign tourists alike, eager food lovers lined up for a mouthwatering pop-up event featuring five unique varieties of "gimbap," or seaweed rice rolls. This pop-up offers a flavorful journey across Korea without ever leaving the capital — gimbap filled with aromatic "minari" (water parsley) with juicy pork belly from Gunpo's Bujayoung Kimbap and crispy fried cutlassfish from Jeju’s Uncle Tong Gimbap. There's also Sokcho’s famous pollack roe gimbap from Janghong Gimbap and Busan’s fiery combination of spicy chicken, fried tofu and enoki mushrooms from Big Hand Kimbap. Rounding out this lineup is self-proclaimed gimbap curator and pop-up organizer Jung Da-hyeon’s creation: pan-fried, bite-sized kkoma gimbap paired with spicy gochujang (chili pepper paste) beef tartare — inspired by the signature dish of Gwangjang Market. On Thursday, the opening day of the pop-up, the waitlist filled up just eight minutes after the doors opened at 10:30 a.m., with the line stretching along the staircase of the five-story bu

Mar 30, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
'Gimbap' curator brings Korea's hidden gems to Gwangjang Market
People & Events

Asia Model Festival holds business forum to expand globally

Asia Model Festival (AMF), a leading event in the region's model, fashion and beauty industries, recently hosted a seminar to introduce its plans for global expansion, share growth strategies and strengthen cooperation among its international partners. The event, hosted at the High1 Grand Hotel in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province, from Tuesday to Thursday, gathered key industry representatives and partners from across Asia to discuss strategies for worldwide business expansion and collaborative projects. Participants explored ways to foster mutual growth, facilitate market entry opportunities for brands and establish collaborative frameworks. "Over the past 20 years, AMF has significantly contributed to globalizing Asian culture. Through this briefing, we aim to build an even stronger global network and set the stage for a new era of growth," Yang Eui-sig, chair of the Asia Model Festival Organizing Committee, said during its Alliance Annual Seminar. AMF CEO Lim Hoon highlighted the festival's evolution beyond traditional model competitions. "AMF will become a cultural business platform that

Mar 23, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
Asia Model Festival holds business forum to expand globally
People & Events

Korea Times reporter wins Amnesty International Media Award

The Korea Times reporter Jung Da-hyun won the 2025 Amnesty International Korea Media Award Thursday for her investigative coverage, titled "Deepfake crisis at schools," produced in collaboration with the Excellence Lab team at sister publication Hankook Ilbo. The award-winning series examines the alarming prevalence and impact of deepfake crimes among teenagers. Judges praised the comprehensive reporting for its detailed analysis and practical guidance on confronting these emerging threats in educational environments. "The situation repeats and worsens. After a storm of outrage passes, new perpetrators and types of crimes arise. Each new crime learns from the previous, systematically destroying the ordinary lives of innocent individuals," the judges said in a statement. "Technology, instead of serving humanity, often becomes a means for crime. Although 'deepfake' combines 'deep learning' and 'fake,' this neutral term fails to conveys the full extent of harm caused by such synthetic media crimes against their victims." Amnesty International Korea, the Korean branch of the international hu

Mar 20, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
Korea Times reporter wins Amnesty International Media Award
Arts & Theater

18th-century moon jar fetches $2.8 mil. at New York auction

An 18th-century Korean moon jar from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) has sold for $2.83 million (4.1 billion won) at Christie’s New York auction Tuesday, surpassing its pre-auction estimate of $1.8 to $2.5 million.

Mar 19, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
18th-century moon jar fetches $2.8 mil. at New York auction
Travel & Food

'From Kiln to Kimchi' celebrates Korean heritage at American Museum of Natural History

Brooklyn-based food creator and owner of Orion Bar Irene Yoo never imagined seeing lines of visitors at an American museum waiting eagerly for cups of "ramyeon," or Korean instant noodles. But on March 14, that's exactly what happened as the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City hosted "From Kiln to Kimchi," celebrating Korean culture in its iconic Gilder Center.

Mar 18, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo
'From Kiln to Kimchi' celebrates Korean heritage at American Museum of Natural History
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