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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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Music

Where to slow down and listen: Classical music lounges in Korea

For classical music fans, listening is a focused, almost ritual experience. In Korea, a growing number of specialized listening rooms and audio cafes cater to that mindset, offering spaces designed for deep, undistracted engagement with music. Outfitted with high-end and vintage speakers, amplifiers and extensive LP collections, many venues aim to recreate the sound of a concert hall. Others are cherished for their history and status as local landmarks, sustained by loyal patrons over the decades. Here are some notable places to visit, from Seoul spots to long-standing regional classics. In Seoul Audeum Audeum opened as an audio museum in 2024. Chung Mong-jin, chairman of KCC Group, personally financed the museum and donated his collection of vintage audio equipment, cameras and 100,000 records. While visitors cannot listen to the collection during regular hours, the museum hosts audio concerts twice a month to allow participants to experience classical music played on high-quality equipment. The building was designed by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and won a Versailles Architect

Jan 28, 2026By Kim Se-jeong
Where to slow down and listen: Classical music lounges in Korea
  • At Renaissance, Seoul’s forgotten classical music salon comes back to life
Music

At Renaissance, Seoul’s forgotten classical music salon comes back to life

The bustling Daehangno area in Seoul is a haven for artists and art lovers. Theater posters layer the walls and audiences drift between small stages, cafes and late-night bars. Tucked inside the Arts Council of Korea’s (ARKO) Artist House is a quieter kind of stage. Behind its doors sits Renaissance, a music salon that feels less like a venue and more like a time capsule. Vintage speakers tower over the room. Record players and old amplifiers sit like relics of another era. Faded fliers and yellowing papers hint at stories that stretch back decades. Opened in May 2025, the space invites visitors to do something increasingly rare: sit still and listen. Renaissance is rooted in the legacy of one man — Pak Yong-chan (1916-94). Born into an affluent family in Imsil, South Jeolla Province, during Japanese colonial rule, Pak developed a love for classical music at an early age. He studied economics at Meiji University in Japan, and when he returned home, his luggage was said to be filled with classical music vinyls — as many as 8,000. When Seoul was taken by North Korean and Chinese forces

Jan 28, 2026By Kim Se-jeong
At Renaissance, Seoul’s forgotten classical music salon comes back to life
  • Where to slow down and listen: Classical music lounges in Korea
Travel & Food

Where to find Korea's Bakery World Cup-winning shops

A team of four Korean bakers has won La Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie 2026, widely known as the Bakery World Cup, in Paris, Friday (local time). According to the organizer, “Following two days of intense competition, South Korea ... won the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, succeeding the French team, the grand winner of the previous edition.” The team consists of leader Kim Jong-ho, Hwang Seok-yong, Choi Yong-hwan and Kim Myung-gi. The final round saw 10 teams competing under the theme “The Great Inventions of Your Country.” Representing Korea, the team created a piece inspired by the "geobukseon," or turtle ship, an ironclad warship built by Admiral Yi Sun-sin in 1592 during the Imjin War. The vessel is widely credited, along with Yi’s leadership, as a key factor in the victories of the Joseon Dynasty, which ruled Korea from 1392 to 1910. “The South Korean trio claimed this latest edition 10 years after their first and only previous victory,” the organizer said on its website. “This achievement highlights South Korean expertise in bakery-patisserie and their mastery

Jan 25, 2026By Kim Se-jeong
Where to find Korea's Bakery World Cup-winning shops
Music

Pianist Kim Kang-tae wins 3rd prize at Liszt Piano Competition Utrecht

Pianist Kim Kang-tae, 29, has won third prize at the prestigious Liszt Piano Competition Utrecht in the Netherlands, the Kumho Culture Foundation (KCF) said Sunday. Kim performed Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in the final round, finishing behind Russia’s Alexander Kashpurin, who took first prize, and the U.K.’s Thomas Kelly, who placed second. His awards include 8,000 euros, or approximately 14 million won, professional coaching, a customized website, recording opportunities and recital engagements at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam as well as in Norway, Italy, Hungary and Belgium. Launched in 1986, the competition is held every three years and is open to pianists between the ages of 19 and 29. Other Korean laureates include Minsoo Hong, who won second prize in 2017, and Park Yeon-min, who also took second in 2022. Born in 1997, Kim debuted through KCF’s young artists program. His previous accolades include second prize at the 2018 Takamatsu International Piano Competition, first prize at the 2017 Jirisan International Music Festival Competition and first prize at the 2016 Beijing

Jan 25, 2026By Kim Se-jeong
Pianist Kim Kang-tae wins 3rd prize at Liszt Piano Competition Utrecht
Travel & Food

Honey Butter Chip, tanghulu, dujjonku: Rise and fall of Korea’s viral food trends

From convenience store snack aisles to TikTok feeds, Korea’s food scene has repeatedly shown how quickly tastes can rise — and fall. Over the past decade, a stream of viral snacks and desserts has captured public attention, fueled by social media buzz, scarcity marketing and a growing appetite for novelty. Some items vanished almost as quickly as they appeared, while others settled into everyday menus. Looking back at both the blink-and-you-miss-it crazes and the ones that stuck offers a snapshot of how consumer psychology, online virality and health concerns intersect in Korea’s fast-moving food culture. Honey Butter Chip The 150-gram bag of potato chips glazed with honey and butter was catapulted to stardom shortly after its launch in 2014. Within three months, it reportedly became the bestselling product at all three major convenience store chains. Combining salty and sweet flavors, the chips proved irresistibly addictive. Scarcity played a key role in its rise. Production shortages — which some speculated were a marketing tactic — only fueled demand. By early 2016, manufact

Jan 23, 2026By Kim Se-jeong
Honey Butter Chip, tanghulu, dujjonku: Rise and fall of Korea’s viral food trends
Trends

Foreign residents have low awareness of Culture Day benefits

From time to time, Monica, 36, a working mother from Uzbekistan, and her Korean husband take their daughter Miso, 11, to the cinema near their home in Seoul. Miso loves animated films, and the family considers movie outings a small but meaningful moment amid their busy schedules. But, as Monica recently learned, she has been missing out on a benefit designed to make such experiences more affordable. “We recently watched ‘Zootopia 2’ and paid full price,” Monica told The Korea Times. “If we had known a discount was available on the last Wednesday of the month, we definitely would have planned around it.” The discount Monica was referring to is part of Culture Day, a government initiative designed to make cultural activities more accessible. Introduced in 2014, Culture Day offers reduced or free admission to a wide range of cultural venues such as movie theaters, public museums, galleries, concert halls and sports events on the last Wednesday of every month. In a 2024 survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, six out of 10 Koreans were aware of the program and 66

Jan 23, 2026By Kim Se-jeong
Foreign residents have low awareness of Culture Day benefits
Music

Girls' Generation's Seohyun draws mixed reaction with classical music performance

Since her debut as a member of the idol group Girls’ Generation in 2007, Seohyun has been active as a singer, songwriter and actor. Little was known about her hobbies until last week, when an announcement about her latest activity sparked online debate. On Jan. 14, Seohyun’s agency, Kkum Entertainment, announced that the singer would perform on March 13 at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul as a solo violinist with the Sol Philharmonic Orchestra, an ensemble composed of non-professional musicians. “Instead of the perfection of a professional performer, I will show the pure passion of someone who truly enjoys music,” Seohyun was quoted as saying. “I hope that through my challenge, many people will feel closer to classical music and discover its joy.” The announcement also indicated that she has been learning the violin for five months. Critics accused Seohyun of exercising her privilege as a superstar. “Five months of violin lessons … There are areas you shouldn’t touch. Classical music is a natural talent discovered before the age of six, and it takes incredible effort and tuit

Jan 18, 2026By Kim Se-jeong
Girls' Generation's Seohyun draws mixed reaction with classical music performance
Music

Korean Chamber Orchestra to premiere work by French composer Tailleferre

The Korean Chamber Orchestra (KCO) will open its new season with a concert featuring music by a French composer largely unknown to Korean audiences. According to the orchestra, the KCO will premiere Germaine Tailleferre’s Concertino for Harp and Orchestra with solo harpist Kwon Min-young at its season-opening concert at the Seoul Arts Center, Feb. 10. Tailleferre (1892–1983) was the only female member of Les Six, a group that helped shape French neoclassical music with wit and elegance in the early 20th century. She studied at the Paris Conservatoire and composed prolifically across genres, producing more than 200 works despite persistent gender barriers and the frequent lack of publication of her scores. Active as a composer until the age of 91, her music is marked by lyricism, bitonality and jazz influences. The program also includes Robert Schumann’s Overture, Scherzo and Finale for Orchestra, Op. 52, and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 43, featuring pianist Sun Youl. The concert will conclude with Hungarian composer Zoltán

Jan 15, 2026By Kim Se-jeong
Korean Chamber Orchestra to premiere work by French composer Tailleferre
Shows & Dramas

Meet chefs who sparked buzz in ‘Culinary Class Wars’ Season 2

“Culinary Class Wars” Season 2 reignited public interest in competitive cooking shows in Korea — not simply by crowning a winner, but by spotlighting chefs whose personalities, philosophies and life stories resonated with viewers. The season featured an unusually diverse lineup, ranging from veteran chefs with decades of experience to late bloomers who found their calling after multiple career detours, as well as a Buddhist nun devoted to temple cuisine. While the competition was a battle of skills, many viewers found themselves drawn to the contestants’ humor, confidence, vulnerability and willingness to challenge convention. Social media buzz, viral memes and spirited online debates followed each episode, turning the chefs into cultural talking points. Lim Seong-geun Although he did not take home the top prize, chef Lim Seong-geun left perhaps the strongest impression on viewers. Cooking for more than four decades, Lim is both a veteran chef and a content creator, and previously won “Korean Food War” Season 3. Audiences were drawn to his sharp sense of humor, frequent bluffs,

Jan 14, 2026By Kim Se-jeong
Meet chefs who sparked buzz in ‘Culinary Class Wars’ Season 2
Korean Heritage

Painting peonies and tigers: Where to learn minhwa in Korea

“Dip your finest brush in color. Keep your brush vertical — this is very important. Lower it gently onto the paper. Don’t apply pressure. You’ll see tiny yellow dots appear,” a teacher told students learning Korean traditional folk painting, demonstrating how to add stamen and pistil to a peony painting during a class in Insa-dong, central Seoul, Jan. 6. Known as minhwa, Korean folk painting thrived during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The works, often created by anonymous artists, depict animals, trees, flowers and everyday objects, and were traditionally painted with the hope of warding off bad luck and ushering in good fortune. The class is run by the Korea Minhwa Association, an organization dedicated to promoting minhwa at home and abroad. “There are many places where people can learn minhwa, but the classes offered by our association are the longest-running and among the most widely recognized in Korea,” said An Mi-gyung, the association’s vice president and a class instructor. An said interest in minhwa has been growing steadily in recent years. “We receive many

Jan 14, 2026By Kim Se-jeong
Painting peonies and tigers: Where to learn minhwa in Korea
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