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Kim Se-jeong

Korea Times K-Culture Reporter

I am covering trend, food and fashion. Previously, I covered diplomacy, city, environment and unification.

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People & Events

Daughter retraces Korean War veteran father’s journey through fiction

As Wednesday marks the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War, one American woman is commemorating it in a more personal way — through a novel that connects her father’s military service to the divided realities of the Korean Peninsula today. Patrice Bittel, a retired lawyer now pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at Pacific University in Oregon, recently made a research trip to Korea. Her goal was to collect firsthand experiences and impressions for her debut novel, “The Buddha Head,” a modern-day suspense story involving South and North Korean characters. But the trip was also a journey into her father’s past — one she only partially understood while he was alive. “My dad was in the Navy during the Korean War, and his job was to deploy depth charges,” she said during a recent Zoom interview with The Korea Times. Depth charges are explosive devices dropped into the sea to destroy enemy submarines. Her father, James Edwin Thomas, enlisted in the Navy in 1943 at age 17, served until 1949 and returned to active duty in 1951 during the Korean

Jun 24, 2025By Kim Se-jeong
Daughter retraces Korean War veteran father’s journey through fiction
Travel & Food

Aurora may be visible in Korea this summer: 3 good spots to watch rare event

Forget trekking to the Arctic. This summer, the skies over Korea may offer a rare surprise. The Aurora Borealis, also known as the northern lights, is renowned for its otherworldly beauty, but not typically visible from Korea. People usually travel to Arctic regions like Norway, Iceland or Alaska, U.S., to catch a glimpse of the elusive celestial phenomenon. Thanks to heightened solar activity, the aurora could become visible here this summer, giving Korean skywatchers a reason to look up. “Auroras happen when solar activity is high, and we’re experiencing that kind of activity this summer,” Won Chi-bok of the Korean Amateur Astronomical Society told The Korea Times. Auroras occur when supercharged particles from the sun race toward earth at speeds of up to 72 million kilometers per hour. When they collide with the upper atmosphere, earth’s magnetic field acts like a protective shield, redirecting the particles toward the north and south poles. There, the interaction between solar particles and atmospheric gases creates breathtaking ribbons of light that shimmer across the night

Jun 20, 2025By Kim Se-jeong
Aurora may be visible in Korea this summer: 3 good spots to watch rare event
K-pop

MyK FESTA kicks off in Seoul to expand global reach of Korean wave

In promoting Korean popular culture, the government has traditionally taken a supporting role. However, at MyK FESTA, the government is stepping to the fore. The four-day event organized by the ministry kicked off Thursday at Olympic Park in southeastern Seoul, featuring a mix of concerts, panel discussions and business networking. It has drawn a diverse crowd — from K-pop fans and beauty influencers to content creators and international buyers. “This event is an opportunity to help Korean popular culture expand into broader fields,” an official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on condition of anonymity. “In the medium to long term, we aim to develop MyK FESTA into a leading cultural industry expo, akin to the CES.” On the opening afternoon, the area outside the venue was relatively calm. Small groups of K-pop fans from both Korea and abroad gathered near registration booths or waited for ticket pickup. The crowd size was modest early in the day, with most attendees anticipating the evening concert. Waiting for the concert to start, the fans sampled Korean f

Jun 19, 2025By Kim Se-jeong
MyK FESTA kicks off in Seoul to expand global reach of Korean wave
People & Events

PHOTO Promoting respect through football

Lee Jae-sung, back row second from left, a Korean footballer who play for the German club Mainz 05, stands with children holding footballs during an event launching a fundraising campaign to promote unity and the value of respect for others at the Korean National Commission for UNESCO in Seoul, Monday. Lee is a member of UNESCO Friends. The raised funds will be used for educational football programs that will teach the importance of respect and unity to youth. Courtesy of Korean National Commission for UNESCO

Jun 19, 2025By Kim Se-jeong
[PHOTO] Promoting respect through football
People & Events

Ways to enjoy International Day of Yoga in Korea

Yoga enthusiasts in Korea will once again mark the International Day of Yoga on Saturday with celebrations in a couple of places around the country, featuring group practices, cultural performances and community gatherings. Since 2014, the International Day of Yoga has been commemorated globally on June 21, promoting yoga’s benefits for both physical and mental well-being. Each year, thousands gather in cities worldwide to participate. The main event in Korea will take place at 5 p.m. at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul. Participants will gather in the open air to practice Surya Namaskar — a flow sequence of 12 yoga positions — as well as Hatha and Vinyasa yoga, two popular styles. Organized by the Embassy of India in Korea and the Korean Yoga Association, the event will also feature a Kathak dance performance, a traditional art form from India, and demonstrations of Gyrokinesis, a movement practice that stimulates the nervous system by coordinating breath, focus and motion. Acro yoga, which incorporates acrobatic elements, will also be showcased. Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit

Jun 19, 2025By Kim Se-jeong
Ways to enjoy International Day of Yoga in Korea
People & Events

Egyptian artist bridges cultures in Seoul exhibition

Cairo-born artist Dina Fahmy El Rouby presented her works in an exhibition at the Egyptian Embassy in Korea over the weekend, celebrating the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Egypt. Titled "From Nile to Han," the now-concluded exhibition featured 45 works, including calligraphy and oil paintings. Some pieces incorporate augmented reality, allowing viewers to enjoy immersive experiences. “When selecting the artworks (for this exhibition), I wanted to create a connection between the two nations. So I thought a lot about colors,” El Rouby told The Korea Times in an interview in Seoul, Monday. “I tried to integrate, for instance, the Korean flag’s blue, red and white with Egyptian or Pharaonic symbols like the key of life, the Eye of Horus or the lotus flower.” She explained the lotus flower symbolizes eternity, while the Eye of Horus means protection, health and restoration. The exhibition is part of a series of events the embassy is hosting this year to promote Egyptian culture in Korea. A separate exhibition, "Egyptian Pharaohs: From Cheops to Ramesses I

Jun 17, 2025By Kim Se-jeong
Egyptian artist bridges cultures in Seoul exhibition
People & Events

Chinese student, French pansori musician win Sustainable K-Style Korean Communication Contest

A Chinese student from Korea University and a French pansori (Korean narrative music) performer were named winners of the Sustainable K-Style Korean Communication Contest organized by the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) in Seoul on Thursday. The event, aimed at fostering cross-cultural understanding through Korean culture, was led by Choi Jung-wha, the president of CICI, who was recently awarded the Legion of Honour at the rank of Officier by the French government. Cui Meiling of China won the grand prize with her presentation on "jeong" — a Korean concept of emotional connection. “Jeong may not be flashy, but it lingers for a long time. It can't be explained by logic, yet it has the power to move the heart. The reason K-dramas bring tears to the eyes of people around the world, and why K-pop fandoms are connected through acts of giving and care, is because they are infused with jeong,” Cui said during her presentation. French pansori performer Laure Mafo highlighted the beauty and depth of the traditional Korean art form and briefly showcased a performance to demonstrat

Jun 13, 2025By Kim Se-jeong
Chinese student, French pansori musician win Sustainable K-Style Korean Communication Contest
Travel & Food

Korea has many beautiful places to visit, says Turkish expat

"Just like how I, as a Turk, don’t know much about Turkey myself, there are also some Koreans who mistakenly think, ‘I have to go abroad to travel. What is there to see in Korea anyway?’ But that’s absolutely not true. Korea has so many beautiful places (to visit).” That’s what Kuvvet Ayse, 28, from Trabzon, Turkey, told The Korea Times in fluent Korean, Tuesday. Kuvvet became the first foreigner to visit all 76 sites in the Korean Heritage Passport, a campaign created by the Korea Heritage Service (KHS). The 76 destinations are part of the KHS' Visit Korean Heritage Campaign, which promotes cultural tourism by issuing special passports that visitors can stamp at each site. On the list are royal palaces in Seoul, the National Intangible Heritage Center in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province; Buddhist temples on the east coast; National Maritime Museum of the National Research Institute of Maritime Heritage in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province; Soesokkak River Pool on Jeju Island and more. Kuvvet completed the entire journey in just two months, averaging one site per day starting in April

Jun 12, 2025By Kim Se-jeong
Korea has many beautiful places to visit, says Turkish expat
Books

2 Korean publishing associations sue Google, Apple over mandatory in-app purchases

Korea's two publisher associations have filed class-action lawsuits in the United States against two tech giants, Google and Apple, accusing them of enforcing monopolistic in-app purchasing policies and imposing a mandatory commission of up to 30 percent. Currently, users of both Android and Apple devices in Korea must use the tech companies’ in-app payment systems when purchasing e-books or subscribing to book-related applications, and the app developers must pay up to 30 percent commission for each transaction. The Korean Publishers Association (KPA) and the Korea Electronic Publishing Association (KEPA) — whose members include Kyobo Book Centre, Korean online bookstore Yes24 and various webtoon apps — say they are representing the interests of the broader publishing and content industry in these suits. “These companies have long been victims of Big Tech monopolies but were too afraid to take action alone due to fear of retaliation,” Kim Hwan-cheol, chairperson of KEPA and founder of the online novel platform Munpia, said during a press conference in central Seoul, Tuesday. K

Jun 10, 2025By Kim Se-jeong
2 Korean publishing associations sue Google, Apple over mandatory in-app purchases
Arts & Theater

Stage adaptation of 'Hunchback' challenges taboos on disability, desire

"Hunchback,” an acclaimed Japanese novel that drew attention both for unflinching content and the author's disability, will make its world premiere as a theatrical production at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul this week. The play marks the first-ever stage adaptation of the novel by Saou Ichikawa, who lives with congenital myopathy and uses a ventilator and an electric wheelchair. The story centers on Shaka, a woman with a debilitating spinal disorder who refers to herself as a “hunchbacked monster.” The drama unfolds as she offers 100 million yen ($694,000) to a male caregiver in exchange for his help in becoming pregnant and then having an abortion. “Reading 'Hunchback' was both shocking and refreshing,” director Shin Chung said in a recent interview with the National Theater of Korea’s monthly magazine. “It felt like an experience that pushed me beyond the boundaries of what I thought I knew — beyond the limits of my own understanding. As a director, I hoped that creating an accessible performance could become a catalyst for breaking away from the conventional s

Jun 10, 2025By Kim Se-jeong
Stage adaptation of 'Hunchback' challenges taboos on disability, desire
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