The Korea Times

Critical Mass cyclists take back Seoul's streets

A group of Korean and foreign cycle enthusiasts gathered at Sinyongsan Garo Park in central Seoul on a cold but sunny Jan. 17 afternoon. Even though it was the middle of winter, about 30 showed up for the 14th Critical Mass in Seoul to ride through the city's busy central core. Critical Mass is a monthly bicycle ride held in hundreds of cities worldwide to promote cycling, protest car-centric infrastructure and advocate for safer, more sustainable urban mobility. Previously, Seoul had Critical Mass gatherings going back to about 2001, but there had been nothing since the COVID-19 pandemic until 2024, when Kim Eui-ho and fellow cyclists discussed bringing it back. They began organizing monthly rides, inviting anyone willing to pedal through the city together. Today, they say they are the only active Critical Mass group in Seoul. Kim is the co-founder of Gridy, a bicycle messenger service. He explained to The Korea Times that the goal is the same as any other Critical Mass in the world. “However, one point that may differ from other cities is that Seoul has an extremely low population of

Feb 18, 2026By Bereket Alemayehu

Critical Mass cyclists take back Seoul's streets

Global Community

Cameroonian educator’s first book tells story of overcoming hardship, aims to inspire children

After leaving Cameroon and coming to Korea more than 25 years ago, Chrysanthus Fogha Caspa recently published his first-ever book in English and Korean in January. Titled “I Want to Go to College,” the book is a memoir aimed at motivating children — especially young Africans in Korea, on the African continent and beyond. It recounts the author’s journey of pursuing a college education against all odds, overcoming discrimination and other obstacles, before ultimately migrating halfway around the world to Korea, an unfamiliar country. Though published recently, Caspa says the book has been forming inside him since he was 7 years old, the age at which he lost his mother. “Her death marked a turning point," he said. "She had been my greatest supporter, the one who convinced me that I could become anything — a doctor, a lawyer, anything, if I studied hard.” Losing her at such a young age exposed him to new tough hardships, including discrimination from relatives and society itself. The decision to finally write the book came years later, after he became a father himself. One day,

Feb 7, 2026By Bereket Alemayehu

Cameroonian educator’s first book tells story of overcoming hardship, aims to inspire children

Global Community

Central Seoul's disappearing industrial core comes alive in Greek filmmaker Liron Shalit's documentary 'Living Euljiro'

Greek filmmaker Liron Shalit's documentary "Living Euljiro" explores the hidden losses faced by people in central Seoul's Euljiro area, who were about to be evicted due to a massive urban redevelopment project. His film captures the beauty of the centuries-old alleys and the deep relationships formed with residents whose lives were upended. Shalit has been creating award-winning short documentaries since 2017, exploring themes such as social issues, human rights, disability, natural disasters and urban life. He came to Korea in 2020 to work on a documentary about digital sex crimes, specifically the notorious Nth Room case. But like many projects that year, it was interrupted by COVID-19, leaving the film unfinished. “On a winter day during the pandemic, I was wandering through Euljiro, where I encountered something that would change the course of my work," he told The Korea Times. "The streets were alive with the sounds of metalworkers, cutting, hammering, shaping raw material by hand. Then, almost impossibly, I stepped into a gallery hidden in the same alley — clean, well-organize

Feb 2, 2026By Bereket Alemayehu

Central Seoul's disappearing industrial core comes alive in Greek filmmaker Liron Shalit's documentary 'Living Euljiro'

Global Community

American flaneur turns Korea’s cities into poetry in book series

American flaneur Andy Knowlton has captured his musings in a series of books documenting his wanderings in Korean cities. With the first book spotlighting Daegu, he also has books planned for Busan, Pohang in North Gyeongsang Province and Jeonju in North Jeolla Province. His books, published by Pondicherry Books, an independent imprint he founded himself, blend observation, reflection and quiet storytelling, setting them apart from traditional travel writing. Although he is American by nationality, Knowlton was born in Paris and spent part of his childhood in France, where people known as flaneurs have been practicing flanerie — basically strolling — since the 19th century. It’s said that flanerie is not just walker, but a way of being in the city, closely tied to modern urban life, poetry, philosophy and the art of observation. As he explains, a flaneur is not simply someone who walks a lot, but who walks not to arrive somewhere, but to absorb modern life, faces, gestures, fashion, decay, beauty and boredom. Knowlton’s books follow a similar format, presenting minimalist writing

Jan 15, 2026By Bereket Alemayehu

American flaneur turns Korea’s cities into poetry in book series

Global Community

Refugee forum urges Korea to embrace diversity as source of strength

Responsibility for refugee protection should not rest solely with the government, according to participants in the Korea Refugee Forum, held at Seoul National University of Education on Dec. 9. Instead, forum participants said, meaningful protection and integration requires collaboration across sectors, communities and institutions. This “whole-of-society” approach encourages long-term thinking about social inclusion, coexistence and access to services, rather than focusing only on short-term asylum procedures. As the first national-level forum dedicated exclusively to refugee issues, the event highlighted the intensification of forced displacement in recent years due to a combination of conflicts and wars, persecution, human rights violations and the global climate crisis. Organized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Mission to Korea, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, Refugee Human Rights Network and Refugee Research Network, the forum was held in alignment with this month’s Global Refugee Forum Progress Review Meeting at UNHCR headquarters

Dec 25, 2025By Bereket Alemayehu

Refugee forum urges Korea to embrace diversity as source of strength

Global Community

Media framing fuels misconceptions about refugees in Korea

The Korean media’s persistent tendency to frame refugees as security risks continues to fuel public fear and distort policy debates, overshadowing the far less visible human stories of people fleeing conflict. That was the conclusion at a special lecture, titled "Portrayal of Refugees in Korean Media," organized by the Human Rights Society (HRS) at Korea University's Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) in collaboration with the refugee-led initiative Hanokers at Seoul Startup Hub on Nov. 10. The event explored how different media outlets strategically frame news about refugees and how it impacts policies and public perception in Korea, providing a rare opportunity for Korean and international students to gain insight into the lived experience and perspective of migrants living here with a refugee background. The portrayal of refugees in Korean media plays a major role in shaping public perception and political debate. It offers a mix of fear and sympathy, while historically leaning toward risk-focused political narratives, especially conservative ones, that frame refugees

Dec 24, 2025By Bereket Alemayehu

Media framing fuels misconceptions about refugees in Korea

Global Community

Songcamp event brings together Korean, foreign creatives to develop new songs

Imagine throwing a group of creative people together in one place and giving them one day to come up with as many songs as they can. Korean artist Park Yeon-gyung, who goes by Tasha, wanted to see what this would be like. She put together such an event, modeled on what the K-pop world calls a "song camp," bringing together music industry professionals — including songwriters, lyricists, producers, and instrumentalists — for a short, intensive creative workshop. Participants churn out dozens, maybe even hundreds, of song demos, hoping that even one will sell and be produced into a commercially released song. This high-pressure atmosphere is competitive, expensive and often described with a lot of stress rather than joy. Instead of fully adopting the industry model, Tasha decided to focus on creative inspiration, warmth and human connection. “When I heard K-pop companies talk about song camps, they made it sound so stressful,” Tasha told The Korea Times. “But for me, it sounded romantic. Musicians coming together from all over the world, making music, sleeping and eating together

Dec 15, 2025By Bereket Alemayehu

Songcamp event brings together Korean, foreign creatives to develop new songs

Global Community

German artist's cultural contributions result in Seoul honorary citizenship

Anna Rihlmann, better known as Anna Yoon, a German-born freelance artist working in theater and film, was one of the 17 foreign residents to be granted honorary citizenship of Seoul on Nov. 26. The city government awarded the honor to nationals from 16 countries in recognition of their contributions to enhancing the city’s culture, economy, welfare, technology, civic life and international image. Rihlmann has lived in Korea for 11 years and considers herself a Seoul citizen. She served as a reporter for the Korean Cultural Center in Berlin, promoting Seoul to German-speaking audiences. She has also reinterpreted traditional Korean folktales through theater, contributing to Seoul’s creative arts scene. Q: How has living in Seoul shaped your personal or professional journey? Rihlmann: I have been interested in Korean culture since high school, particularly in Korean cinema. I visited Seoul for the first time during high school through a church exchange program. I still have so many memories of experiencing Korean culture. I had a huge lack of sleep, but I was never so happy in my life

Dec 1, 2025By Bereket Alemayehu

German artist's cultural contributions result in Seoul honorary citizenship

Global Community

How Lindsey Walker built a community for immigrant support in Korea

Lindsey Walker never imagined that her life would eventually lead to organizing food drives for immigrant families in Korea. Originally from the United States and once employed on Wall Street, she came to Korea after the global recession in 2008, planning to stay for just a year. But life had other plans. With a Korean partner and years spent abroad, including in Australia, Korea eventually became her home. She describes herself as a jewelrymaker, community builder, helper, book hoarder and wanderer. In 2020, when the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, she noticed something troubling. Lockdowns and social distancing devastated immigrant communities in Korea, as English teachers lost jobs, factories closed, nannies and cleaners were dismissed from homes, and international students had no safety net. She said that when people don’t have money, they cut back on necessities. “One of those necessities is food,” she said. “And when people are hungry, they don’t make smart decisions.” Determined to help migrants and needy families, Walker organized her first food drive at The

Oct 29, 2025By Bereket Alemayehu

How Lindsey Walker built a community for immigrant support in Korea

Global Community

21st Performing Arts Market in Seoul brings global creativity to Korea

Every October, Seoul pulses with creativity, dialogue and possibility as the Performing Arts Market in Seoul (PAMS) returns. This year, the 21st edition of PAMS marks its 20th anniversary of promoting Korea’s performing arts on the international stage. PAMS 2025 takes place from Oct. 14 to Nov. 9, running for a total of 27 days. The main segment, known as Market Focus, runs Tuesday to Friday, offering events and programs that highlight key themes and participants of this year’s edition. The events have been scheduled across multiple major venues in Seoul, including the National Theater of Korea, Seoul Namsan Gugakdang, ARKO Arts Theater, Daehakro Arts Theater, SFAC Theater QUAD, TINC, Arts Theater at the Korea National University of Arts (Seokgwan-dong Campus), and Jindalrae Theater operated by the Gangbuk Cultural Foundation. PAMS 2025 is co-hosted by the Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS) and National Theater of Korea (NTOK), and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Arts Council Korea (ARKO). In a greeting message, KAMS President Kim Jang-ho highlighted th

Oct 14, 2025By Bereket Alemayehu

Bereket Alemayehu

Read more

Critical Mass cyclists take back Seoul's streets

Cameroonian educator’s first book tells story of overcoming hardship, aims to inspire children

Central Seoul's disappearing industrial core comes alive in Greek filmmaker Liron Shalit's documentary 'Living Euljiro'

American flaneur turns Korea’s cities into poetry in book series

Refugee forum urges Korea to embrace diversity as source of strength

Media framing fuels misconceptions about refugees in Korea

Songcamp event brings together Korean, foreign creatives to develop new songs

German artist's cultural contributions result in Seoul honorary citizenship

How Lindsey Walker built a community for immigrant support in Korea

21st Performing Arts Market in Seoul brings global creativity to Korea

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