The Korea Times

16 French-speaking artists to open exhibitions in Busan, Seoul on Korea's rapidly changing landscape

A collective of French-speaking artists called Nuances is presenting a group exhibition in Busan from Thursday to Aug. 30, bringing together filmmakers, photographers and visual artists who examine how Korean cities and landscapes experience a continual cycle of demolition, redevelopment and transformation. The exhibition, titled “ARCHÉOLOGIE DU PRÉSENT” (Archaeology of the Present), seeks to create a new form of contemporary archaeology where today’s disappearing spaces become tomorrow’s memories. Drawing on the dual influence of French and Korean cultures, the collective offers a sensitive and original perspective on contemporary Korean society through the richness of its contrasts and its rapid transformations. The group includes mostly French artists, but its identity extends beyond nationality. Among the participating artists are a Belgian and two Korean artists who lived in France for many years and are fluent in French. Filmmaker Sebastien Simon, one of the organizers and participating artists, told The Korea Times that their group was formed after a French artist showc

2d agoBy Bereket Alemayehu

16 French-speaking artists to open exhibitions in Busan, Seoul on Korea's rapidly changing landscape

Foreign Affairs

Rwandan Embassy celebrates Cultural Heritage Day for 1st time in Seoul

The Embassy of Rwanda in Korea celebrated its first Cultural Heritage Day in Seoul, highlighting Rwanda's rich cultural traditions and the growing friendship between the two nations at the Ambassador Seoul hotel on July 29. The event featured the renowned Kagoma Cultural Group performing the iconic Intore dance, recently inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, along with Korean performers in a showcase of cultural exchange, traditional music, dance and storytelling. Government officials, diplomats, business leaders, academics and members of the international community gathered to celebrate the country's vibrant heritage, highlighting the growing cultural exchange and friendship between Rwanda and Korea. Bakuramutsa Nkubito Manzi, the Rwandan ambassador to Korea, said in his welcoming remarks that culture is one of the most powerful ways of bringing people together. “Long before we become partners in business, tourism or development, we first come to know one another through our traditions, our stories and our people,” he said. He hig

Jul 31, 2026By Bereket Alemayehu

Rwandan Embassy celebrates Cultural Heritage Day for 1st time in Seoul

Foreign Affairs

Outgoing Irish ambassador reflects on 4 years in Korea

Michelle Winthrop has been Ireland's top envoy to Seoul since 2022. In her four years as ambassador, she has focused on strengthening the growing relationship between Ireland and Korea in several areas, including trade and investment, education, culture, innovation and shared democratic values. She will be remembered as a prominent advocate for mental health and well-being, encouraging more open conversations about emotional resilience, inclusive workplaces and healthy communities. She has spoken frequently about the importance of prioritizing mental health alongside economic and social development. Winthrop has only been with the Irish Foreign Service about 10 years, but she has a long background of working in development cooperation. She previously worked in Africa, particularly Ethiopia, East Africa, Indonesia and Latin America. While her time here coming to a close, she met with The Korea Times on June 18 to reflect on her time here. Q. What were your first impressions when you arrived in Korea? In Ireland, we have one-tenth the population of Korea but it's the same landmass size. My

Jul 17, 2026By Bereket Alemayehu

Outgoing Irish ambassador reflects on 4 years in Korea

Global Community

'Framed in Sound' project brings together photographers, musicians

A collaborative project between Korea-based global photographers and musicians will be presented with a photo exhibition and live music performances celebrating Seoul's international creative scene on Saturday. The project, "Framed in Sound," paired photographers with independent musicians during a photo walk on May 2, giving the photographers a chance to develop their portrait photography skills while providing musicians with professional promotional images. For the exhibition, 10 photographers will share five photographs each of their musician partners, who will perform later in the evening. The initiative was co-created by Filipino musician Nicky Juanite and Indonesian photographer Dhira Noor, who both saw an opportunity to support emerging artists by combining their respective communities. “We invited photographers and musicians to spend a day together at Hangang Park, with the hopes of benefiting from each other's talents," Juanite told The Korea Times. "Musicians received professional photographs they could use for their portfolios, promotional materials and future opportunities.

Jun 24, 2026By Bereket Alemayehu

'Framed in Sound' project brings together photographers, musicians

Global Community

Red Cross warns of rising global conflicts with 'Wars Have Limits' exhibition in Seoul

Marking the 60th anniversary of Korea’s accession to the Geneva Conventions, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) opened a special exhibition, "Wars Have Limits," in the lobby of the Seoul Museum of History, on May 15. Displaying the history of the Geneva Conventions and the humanitarian efforts of the Red Cross during the 1950-53 Korean War, the exhibition highlights the grave dangers posed by modern warfare technologies and examines the challenges they present to international humanitarian law, particularly with the emergence of drones, artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous weapons. While humanitarian needs are growing as wars continue to devastate lives around the world, the resources that can help affected populations are shrinking fast. As the world grapples with rising conflicts, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect on a principle the entire world has agreed on — that even in war, there are limits. At a reception event on June 4, David Quesne, head of the ICRC mission in Seoul, said that there are currently over 130 conflicts worldwide, more than dou

Jun 21, 2026By Bereket Alemayehu

Red Cross warns of rising global conflicts with 'Wars Have Limits' exhibition in Seoul

Global Community

World Refugee Day festival brings communities together in Seoul

To mark World Refugee Day, people from different walks of life gathered on Saturday for the fifth "Shall We Walk?" Refugee Festival at Ttukseom Hangang Park beneath Cheongdam Bridge near Jayang Station on Seoul Metro Line 7. Despite the rainy weather, the festival featured refugee performances representing cultures from around the world, where refugees took center stage to share their lives, stories and unique talents. Attendees enjoyed traditional Burundian drumming, Ethiopian and Jumma cultural dance performances, Sudanese, Pakistani and Afghan music, Korean songs, African traditional singing and K-pop, highlighting the cultural diversity that refugees offer to Korean society and showcasing refugee communities living in Korea. Organized by Refugee pNan, a local nongovernmental organization, the festival was designed to foster natural encounters that overcome prejudice. Rather than relying on lectures or formal discussions, the open-space event encourages understanding through shared experiences, aiming to reduce the distance and misconceptions often associated with the term “refuge

Jun 21, 2026By Bereket Alemayehu

World Refugee Day festival brings communities together in Seoul

Global Community

'Onggi Jonggi' art exhibition features Korea-based global artists who explore beyond social media and algorithms

Six global artists from diverse backgrounds are displaying their work during Insa Art Week at TOPOHAUS Gallery in central Seoul’s Insa-dong neighborhood, in group exhibition titled "Onggi Jonggi." Co-curated by Ella Kaill, founder and editor of Half Local magazine, the exhibition's vision is to step outside the frame of social media. "Onggi Jonggi," a term evoking a charming, irregular gathering of people or things, presents photography, paintings, sketches, textile work and pixel art, providing an exploration of Seoul through fresh and often unconventional perspectives. "We wanted to look at Korea in a slightly different way. If you look at social media, everything about Korea is Seongsu, pop-up stores and Olive Young. Those things are fine, but they're not the only things about Korea," she told The Korea Times at an opening event on June 12. Kaill, who first moved to Korea from England in 2019, was drawn by a long-standing fascination with the country. Having studied Korean language, cinema, culture and history at SOAS University of London, she arrived with a deeper understanding of

Jun 19, 2026By Bereket Alemayehu

'Onggi Jonggi' art exhibition features Korea-based global artists who explore beyond social media and algorithms

Global Community

10th Korean Refugee Film Festival returns with focus on refugee-led storytelling

After a year's absence, the anticipated 10th edition of the Korea Refugee Film Festival (KOREFF) is back with four major films made in Korea and Europe. The festival, founded in 2015 to bring refugee stories to the Korean public through cinema, is also part of the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention this year. This year's festival will feature two film premieres: “Allies in Exile” by Syrian refugee filmmaker Hasan Kattan, and “A Lighter Between Invisible Bars” by Liam Han, a refugee from Myanmar living in Korea. The program is rounded out by two European productions, “Green Border” (2023) by Agnieszka Holland, and “Souleymane's Story” (2024) by Boris Lojkine. Over the past decade, the festival has provided a platform for filmmakers, activists, refugees and members of the public to explore the realities of forced displacement through culture and storytelling. Stefan Maier, deputy representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Korea, said the festival’s central theme this year is “Festival of Refugees,” or the idea that refuge

Jun 16, 2026By Bereket Alemayehu

10th Korean Refugee Film Festival returns with focus on refugee-led storytelling

Global Community

German, Russian visual artists explore Korea through art and everyday experience

A group of international artists studying and living in Korea recently came together to present "Sweet Bread," a group art exhibit currently on display at KOTE in central Seoul's Insa-dong neighborhood, inspired by their experiences as foreigners navigating life in Korea. The exhibition is a collaboration between four art students from Germany and a photographer from Russia, who display a visual reflection of everyday life encounters in Korea, resulting in shifts in perception, habits and attention. Their collective perspective as outsiders allows them to reread everyday visual and digital stimuli as simultaneously seductive, soothing and excessive. Laila Kamil from the Academy of Fine Arts Leipzig, who came to Korea on an exchange program with Chung-Ang University, said their group was formed from friendships through university studies. Several of the artists met in sculpture classes at Chung-Ang University, while others had known each other previously in Germany. “Our group initially applied to several open calls for exhibitions but received little response. Eventually, through con

Jun 7, 2026By Bereket Alemayehu

German, Russian visual artists explore Korea through art and everyday experience

Global Community

South African sculptor Ndivhuho Rasengani opens solo exhibition in Seoul

South African artist and designer Ndivhuho Rasengani recently presented his first major installation exhibition in Seoul, titled "RITUALS OF DWELLING," at 37A gallery in the central Yongsan District, marking an important milestone in his evolving creative journey. Rasengani's work occupies the intersection of sculpture, kinetic installation and spatial research. With a fine arts master's degree from the Rhode Island School of Design and a background in foundry and digital fabrication, his practice moves fluidly between rigorous technical systems and intuitive handcraft. Although he officially worked for only a few years, his practice draws from a deeper foundation in architecture. His fascination with space, atmosphere and the materials that shape our environments continues to influence his artistic vision. The artist, having worked and evolved across continents, has shown his pieces at both public projects and private showcases in South Africa, China and the United States. In 2025, he established Rasengani Atelier, a formal evolution of his daily practice into a collaborative research

Jun 1, 2026By Bereket Alemayehu

Bereket Alemayehu

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16 French-speaking artists to open exhibitions in Busan, Seoul on Korea's rapidly changing landscape

Rwandan Embassy celebrates Cultural Heritage Day for 1st time in Seoul

Outgoing Irish ambassador reflects on 4 years in Korea

'Framed in Sound' project brings together photographers, musicians

Red Cross warns of rising global conflicts with 'Wars Have Limits' exhibition in Seoul

World Refugee Day festival brings communities together in Seoul

'Onggi Jonggi' art exhibition features Korea-based global artists who explore beyond social media and algorithms

10th Korean Refugee Film Festival returns with focus on refugee-led storytelling

German, Russian visual artists explore Korea through art and everyday experience

South African sculptor Ndivhuho Rasengani opens solo exhibition in Seoul

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