Korea Times K-Culture Reporter
I am covering trend, food and fashion. Previously, I covered diplomacy, city, environment and unification.
Kim Dong-jin, chairman of the Hulbert Memorial Society, delivers a speech during the 77th commemoration event in Seoul for Homer Hulbert (1863-1949), an American Christian missionary who educated many Koreans during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He also supported Korea's independence from Japan, and the Korean government awarded him the Order of Merit for National Foundation posthumously. Courtesy of Hulbert Memorial Society
![[Photo] Honoring Homer Hulbert](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
A war leaves scars not only on those who are attacked, but also in many ways on the people on the aggressor’s side. In these times of general affluence in South Korea, not many can relate to the devastations of the ongoing conflict despite the history of the 1950-53 Korean War. Russia’s war against Ukraine, launched in February 2022, has killed and wounded countless Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. The number of fatalities among Russian soldiers is just as high. There are also stories of North Korean soldiers who fought with the Russian side, killed and seized as prisoners of war. But the war has also driven many Russian men to leave their country to avoid conscription. Some have ended up seeking refuge in Korea. In 2023, Koreans heard stories of Russian asylum seekers stranded for months at Incheon International Airport, unable to enter the country as they sought protection. A few months later, however, those stories disappeared from the news — and, I have to admit, from my mind. Then, in June, more than four years after the invasion began, I encountered a self-described Russian
Korea's casino industry has been thriving in recent years, fueled by a steady rebound in inbound tourism, as the country's 17 foreigner-only casinos benefit from a growing number of visitors from Asia. This has prompted securities firms to issue bullish outlooks on the sector, as they expect more Chinese visitors in particular, given Korea's visa waiver program for Chinese group tourists. Yet, their visits to casinos here are a thorny issue in the industry because it is illegal for Chinese citizens to gamble overseas. While Chinese travelers are believed to account for a significant share of casino revenue, operators are reluctant to publicly identify them as their primary target market, let alone disclose data on their clients. Although they continue marketing activities in China, they do so discreetly. The Chinese government is aware of the situation. In a recent letter sent to The Korea Times, the Chinese Embassy in Seoul criticized the Korean casinos' practices of specifically targeting Chinese. "Chinese law maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward gambling, and it is also illegal for
Through ongoing daily performances, the 48th World Heritage Committee meeting is proving a valuable forum for showcasing Korea's intangible cultural heritage at Busan's BEXCO. The National Intangible Heritage Center's (NIHC) new production, "Hexagram 22" — inspired by the 22nd hexagram of the I Ching — is the key event, with performances already sold out. Visitors and committee participants at the meeting have the opportunity to experience a wide range of traditional performing arts through the Korea Intangible Cultural Heritage Performing Arts Market Showcase. The showcase runs at 1 p.m. every day except Wednesday at the Korea Stage in Exhibition Center 1. With the last events scheduled next Monday, each day features two to four performances by practitioners and preservation organizations for Korea's intangible cultural heritage. July 23 The showcase opens Thursday with "Yowangmaji," presented by the Jeju Chilmeoridang Yeongdeunggut Preservation Association for National Intangible Cultural Heritage. The ritual from Jeju was performed to pray to the sea gods for protection and an abun
Former Vice Culture Minister Yong Ho-seong won an artificial intelligence (AI) jazz music contest held in Montreux, Switzerland, on Friday (local time), according to the organizer. Yong's composition, "Frozen Edge," took the top prize at the AI.LOVE.JAZZ, which was held alongside the Montreux Jazz Festival, one of the world's largest jazz festivals. This year marked the inaugural edition of the AI.LOVE. JAZZ competition. Yong joined the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 1993 and served as first vice minister from 2024 to 2025 before retiring. Beyond his public service career, he is also known as a drummer and music critic. After retiring, the former vice minister enrolled at SM Universe, an educational affiliate of SM Entertainment, to study AI-assisted music composition. Since then, he has devoted himself to creating music inspired by Shakespeare's 154 sonnets. "Frozen Edge," inspired by Sonnet 97, explores the emptiness following a breakup, comparing the emotion to the biting cold of winter. He submitted three works to the competition and plans to release a series of albums. Sp
The 68th edition of the Seoul International Book Fair is less than a week away. Scheduled to take place from June 24 to 28, one of Korea's longest-running literary events has already demonstrated its popularity, with early-bird tickets selling out ahead of the opening. This year's fair is bringing together 538 publishers from Korea and abroad, along with 326 speakers and authors participating in book talks, lectures and workshops. The popular event has recently faced criticism from some small publishers, who argued that its growing scale and commercialization have marginalized independent presses from the book fair. Exploring AI and future of humanity Artificial intelligence (AI) will be a major theme throughout the fair. The event's keynote lecture will feature novelist Eun Hee-kyung and poet Hwang In-chan, who will examine representations of the body in literature and the meaning of human embodiment in an AI-driven era. AI will also be the focus of a separate session featuring actor and writer Kim Shin-rok and neuroscientist Chang Dong-seon. Together, they will explore a question: Can h
The Grammy Awards announced Tuesday (U.S. local time) the creation of a new category for Asian pop music, following previous nominations of K-pop stars BTS and BLACKPINK member Rosé in major categories. The Recording Academy, the organizer of the prestigious music awards, said it will add the Best Asian Pop Music Performance award. Other additions include Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance, Best Traditional Folk Album and Best Latin Song. Earlier this year, "Golden" from the hit animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" won Best Song Written for Visual Media, becoming the first K-pop song to receive a Grammy Award. BTS, meanwhile, became the first K-pop act to perform at the awards show and earn a Grammy nomination when the group's song "Dynamite" was nominated in the Best Pop/Duo Performance category in 2020. The global stars have since earned multiple nominations in the succeeding years. BLACKPINK's Rosé also made Grammy history for being the first K-pop artist to open the awards ceremony when she performed her global hit "APT." with pop
Singer-songwriter EJAE, who performed the hit song “Golden” from the popular animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” joined renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli in performing FIFA's official World Cup anthem, “DNA,” at the tournament's opening ceremony in Mexico City, Thursday (local time). Wearing a sleeveless blue gown with crossed halter straps, the Korean American singer drew attention from Korean audiences by singing a brief line in Korean: “Although I fall, I stand up again.” FIFA said “DNA” embodies the spirit of solidarity and unity for the historic tournament, which is being co-hosted for the first time by three countries — the United States, Canada and Mexico. The competition will be held across 16 cities and feature 48 teams until July 19.
K-pop music producer Alex Karlsson, who has made music for boy group BTS, will speak at a music conference slated for Monday in Seoul. According to Leeway Music & Media, Karlsson will be among the panel at a music conference organized to celebrate the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and France this year. The venue for the conference will be THILA Ground in the Hongdae area of western Seoul. Karlsson was behind BTS’ “We Are Bulletproof: The Eternal” (2020). He has also worked on music for other popular K-pop groups, such as SuperM, ENHYPEN, TXT, ATEEZ and Le Sserafim. Other speakers at the conference include jazz artist Amy Gadiaga, Mutant Ninja founder Tarafa Sahloul and Salpot Music Group's Andnew. They will share their thoughts and insights on K-pop, its globalization and the power of music. Monday’s conference will be followed by two other sessions, scheduled for June 15 and 22. The final session is set for the day after the French global music festival, “Fete de la Musique,” which will also take place in Seoul this year.
Four tidal flats in southern Korea have received a recommendation for inscription on UNESCO's World Heritage List from an international advisory body, the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) said Friday, in a positive development for the Korean government ahead of the World Heritage Committee's session in Busan in July. Korea's tidal flats, also known as "getbol," were first inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2021. Since then, the government has sought to expand the site by adding four additional tidal flats — in Yeosu, Goheung and Muan in South Jeolla Province, and Seosan in South Chungcheong Province — to the existing World Heritage tidal flats in Gochang in North Jeolla Province, Seocheon in South Chungcheong Province, and Boseong and Suncheon in South Jeolla Province. According to the KHS, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) concluded that Korean Tidal Flats Phase II satisfies the World Heritage criterion for biodiversity conservation and the protection of threatened species, and recommended the World Heritage Committee approve a major boundary modification