Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Restored Gyeongbok Palace hall offers rare look into incense, royal rituals

A newly painted hall at Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul will open its doors this November, offering visitors a rare glimpse into Korea’s royal heritage through expert talks on historic palace architecture, ceremonial incense burners and the fragrances of 1392-1910 Joseon-era court rituals. The Gyeongbok Palace Management Office, under the Korea Heritage Service’s Royal Palaces and Tombs Center, will host four sessions of its Heungbokjeon Royal Culture Academy on Saturdays from Nov. 7-28. The free program will take place at Heungbokjeon, a hall within Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul, and is designed to help participants explore royal history through two themes: palace architecture and the cultural significance of incense burners. The opening lecture on Nov. 7 will feature writer Lee Man-hee, who will draw on his book, “Secrets of the Palace No One Tells You,” to examine spaces within Gyeongbok Palace that no longer exist, using historical materials, including the Bukgwoldohyeong, an old architectural plan of the northern palace. The following three sessions will focus on the i

Oct 12, 2026By Lee Kyung-min

Restored Gyeongbok Palace hall offers rare look into incense, royal rituals

Ex-US lawmaker underscores Seoul-Washington ties

Greg Pence, a former U.S. congressman and the older brother of former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, visited Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul on Sunday as part of a delegation from the Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC), highlighting the enduring bond between Korea and the United States. During the Sunday service, the former lawmaker shared his family's personal connection to the Korean Peninsula and thanked Rev. Lee Young-hoon, the senior pastor of the church, and the congregation for their warm welcome. The delegation's visit is part of an ongoing exchange program organized by the Jay Kim ROK-US Institute in cooperation with the FMC. Kim served the U.S. House of Representatives between 1993 and 1999. The visiting FMC delegation included other former U.S. lawmakers David Trone, Ron Klein, Mimi Walters and Elizabeth Esty, alongside FMC CEO Peter Weichlein. "I am deeply grateful to Rev. Lee Young-hoon and the beloved congregation for welcoming us so warmly," Pence said during his address. "It is a great blessing to pray and worship together with all of you." Pence shared the

Oct 12, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul

Ex-US lawmaker underscores Seoul-Washington ties

Craftsmanship takes center stage in Korea's string instrument capital

Tucked inside the bustling Seocho District in southern Seoul, the Seoripul Musical Instrument Street has long served as the heart of Korea’s classical music scene. Situated near the Seoul Arts Center and the prestigious Korea National University of Arts, this designated cultural zone is home to scores of instrument workshops, rehearsal spaces and specialized repair shops. It is a neighborhood where the delicate scent of wood varnish drifts into the alleyways and the world’s finest string instruments find their voice. Starting Oct. 17, the district will showcase this centuries-old craft during the 2026 Seoripul K-String Fair at the Rhode Art Center. Running through Oct. 23, the event stands as Korea’s premier modern string instrument festival, bringing together 13 master instrument makers based in Korea and Italy to display 28 handcrafted masterpieces, including 21 violins, five violas and two cellos. Crafting a violin is a painstaking pursuit of acoustic perfection. Artisans spend hundreds of hours carving maple and spruce, shaping the instrument’s delicate arching to control so

Oct 11, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

Craftsmanship takes center stage in Korea's string instrument capital

PHOTO Seoul Trail walking for international students

International students take part in the 2026 Seoul Trail Walking Festival for International Students along Course 10 of the Seoul Trail in the city's Mount Umyeon area, Friday. The event offered international students studying in Korea an opportunity to experience Seoul’s natural beauty, history and culture while connecting with fellow participants. Some 2026 Korea Times Global Supporters joined the event. Courtesy of Seoul Trail Information Center

Oct 10, 2026By Ahn Seong-jin

[PHOTO] Seoul Trail walking for international students

Korea's premier ceramics festival invites visitors to touch clay

Visitors to one of Asia’s foremost ceramic celebrations are doing much more than admiring gallery displays this autumn — they are sinking their hands into wet clay and embarking on interactive treasure hunts. At Icheon Cerapia, the main hub of the 2026 Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale, the Korea Ceramic Foundation has launched a series of hands-on community events running through Nov. 1. Designed to make traditional and contemporary ceramic arts approachable for general audiences, the weekend festivities invite families, couples and art lovers to actively participate in the creative process. Located in Gyeonggi Province, just an hour south of Seoul, Icheon has served as the heartland of Korean pottery for centuries. The region played a pivotal role in the production of Joseon-era white porcelain and Goryeo celadon, leveraging its rich natural clay deposits and historic kiln sites. Today, the Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale bridges cultural heritage with modern artistic expression, drawing ceramicists and collectors from around the globe. Among the standout interactive

Oct 9, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

Korea's premier ceramics festival invites visitors to touch clay

Rooftop craft beers, local flavors bring Munich magic to southeastern Seoul

For most of the year, Garak Market in southeastern Seoul is a whirlwind of wholesale frenzy, where trucks loaded with fresh produce, seafood and meat rattle past early-morning traders. But come mid-October, the capital’s sprawling food hub drops its gritty commercial exterior, sets up a rooftop lawn and pops the top on a distinctly Bavarian tradition. Starting Oct. 16, the Seoul Agricultural & Marine Products Corporation will host the third annual Garak Oktoberfest. Held on the third-floor Sky Park atop Garak Mall, the three-day festival will transform the massive market complex into an airy rooftop beer garden through Oct. 18. While Munich relies on centuries-old brewing traditions, Garak puts a uniquely local spin on the autumn classic. Pairing independent craft brews with bites sourced straight from the market below, visitors can sip cold lagers alongside freshly prepared seafood, local grilled meats and colorful street food spreads. The festival kicks off with a lively neighborhood parade leading up to the venue. Across the weekend, visitors can look forward to live music, lawn gam

Oct 9, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

Rooftop craft beers, local flavors bring Munich magic to southeastern Seoul

WEEKENDER A century of Hangeul Day: From cultural independence to AI challenge

When King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) created “Hunminjeongeum,” the Korean alphabet now known as Hangeul, in 1443, it did not immediately replace the Chinese characters which Koreans had used for centuries. For centuries afterward, it was largely shunned by the dynasty's aristocrats and intellectuals, who favored the use of Chinese characters. It wasn't widely popular among ordinary citizens either. A major change came in 1894, when King Gojong declared Hangeul as the country’s official writing system. Three decades later, in December 1926, a group of Korean linguists and independence activists gathered and proclaimed Gagya Day — at the time, the name of Hangeul was not widely known and “gagya” was the starting sounds of people learning the alphabet. That marked the beginning of what would later become Hangeul Day, which this year reaches its 100th anniversary. It was set on Sept. 29 based on the lunar calendar and was moved to the current Oct. 9 in 1940. Historical legacy of Hangeul Day Establishing Gagya Day a century ago was part of a cultural independence move

Oct 9, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul

[WEEKENDER] A century of Hangeul Day: From cultural independence to AI challenge

Seoul light festival draws 300,000 visitors to Nodeul Island

A glowing laser-and-art spectacle on Nodeul Island has drawn nearly 300,000 visitors in its first week alone, turning an island in the middle of Seoul’s Han River into one of Asia’s most captivating nighttime destinations this autumn. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday that about 299,000 people attended from the opening through Monday, as families, couples and international visitors gathered for light installations along the Han River. Now in its fourth year, the festival runs through Oct. 11, combining media art with the island’s riverside landscape and offering performances, exhibitions and interactive programs. Among its featured works is “Firmamento” by Italian artist duo Quiet Ensemble, which is being presented in Asia for the first time and uses lasers projected onto a 30-meter-by-10-meter structure to evoke a field of stars. Taiwanese artist AKA Chang presents “Multimmersion” and “PAMUN” on barges along the river, incorporating water and wind into installations designed to create moments of quiet observation. Other attractions include illuminated will

Oct 8, 2026By Lee Kyung-min

Seoul light festival draws 300,000 visitors to Nodeul Island

Han River venues offer Hangeul Day events, concerts in October

To mark the arrival of the crisp autumn weather and Hangeul Day, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is rolling out a month of night-lit celebrations, live acoustic sets and outdoor activities along the Han River. Beginning Friday, the seasonal program will center around two signature riverfront venues: Hangang PlayPlace at Ttukseom Hangang Park and Gwangjin Bridge 8th Avenue, an observation deck suspended directly beneath a bridge over the water. The festivities launch on Hangang PlayPlace with a tribute to Hangeul Day, a holiday celebrating the creation of the Korean alphabet. Starting at 1 p.m., the complex will morph into an interactive Hangeul Playground. Visitors can join scavenger hunts for hidden letters, paint traditional magnet sets or craft mother-of-pearl bookmarked name tags. A riverfront reading lounge stocked with books on Korean culture will offer a quiet retreat, while the venue’s third floor will host back-to-back screenings of classic Korean films, including the iconic war drama "TaeGukGi." The celebration extends late into the night. Following the daytime festivities

Oct 8, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

Han River venues offer Hangeul Day events, concerts in October

Seoul designs new bilingual guide for Hanoi heritage site

Visitors to Hanoi’s historic Imperial Citadel of Thang Long can now explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site with a new Korean-Vietnamese guide, created by the Seoul Metropolitan Government using its official city fonts and colors. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday that it will distribute the Korean-Vietnamese guide to mark Hangeul Day on Friday and deepen cultural exchanges with Hanoi. The project comes as Seoul and Hanoi mark 30 years of their friendship-city relationship, adding a cultural dimension to ties between the two cities. The guide covers nine major historic sites and nine key artifacts, with a numbered map designed to help visitors follow a clear route through the citadel. Among the sites highlighted are Hanoi Flag Tower, Doan Mon Gate and an underground bunker, while artifacts in the permanent exhibition are arranged chronologically to illustrate the site’s history. The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, built during Vietnam’s Ly dynasty in the 11th century, is one of Hanoi’s major historical and cultural sites and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. S