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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

First K-pop, now K-books: Korea hopes its next big export is literature

Korea has conquered global airwaves with its pop music and dominated television screens with its sleek dramas. Now, Seoul is making its most aggressive push yet to ensure that the next global Korean wave phenomenon begins on the printed page. Publishers and media executives from 31 countries gathered at the Lotte Hotel World in Seoul, Monday, for the opening of the 2026 K-Book Copyright Market. The three-day event, now in its eighth year, has quietly evolved into Korea’s premier business-to-business forum for literary rights. It serves as a vital pipeline for expanding the international footprint of Korean books and intellectual property. Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism alongside the Korea Publishing Industry Promotion Agency, this year’s market matches 100 domestic firms with 100 overseas buyers for an estimated 1,850 one-on-one consultations. The stakes are increasingly high. Industry titans, including Penguin Random House, HarperCollins and Hachette are in attendance, alongside newcomers from emerging markets like Guatemala, the Czech Republic and Lebanon.

Jun 22, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
First K-pop, now K-books: Korea hopes its next big export is literature

Why Koreans are pouring their hearts out to a blunt TV grandmother

Kim, a woman in her 20s, turned to a grandmother for dating advice. This was not the gentle kind of grandmother who tells people what they want to hear. Her advice was blunt enough to serve as a wake-up call for Kim. Kim could not forget her first love, an ex-boyfriend. When she heard rumors that he might break up with his current girlfriend, she wondered whether she should wait for him. After hearing her story, the grandmother said bluntly. “Get a grip. There are plenty of men in the world,” she said. “But there is only one of him,” Kim said, still unable to let go. The grandmother seemed to have been waiting for that answer. “Do you know something? There is also only one of you in the world,” she said. “You should meet someone who loves you. Why would you wait until they break up?” Kim’s eyes widened. She covered her mouth with one hand and fell silent as the words hit their mark. The audience let out a stunned “wow,” then broke into applause. The "grandmother" was Kim Young-hee, 43, the comedian behind “Malja Grandma,” a character on KBS2’s “Malja Show.”

Jun 21, 2026By Hankookilbo
Why Koreans are pouring their hearts out to a blunt TV grandmother

Busan brings 'Carmen' to waterfront under summer stars

On a sweeping industrial expanse along Busan’s historic waterfront, workers will soon begin transforming a prominent landmark development site into a massive open-air theater. The production is French composer Georges Bizet's "Carmen," and the backdrop will be the shifting silhouettes of container ships and the night sky over the North Port. The grand-scale staging, scheduled for July 11 and 12, is a calculated cultural overture by Classic Busan, the city’s performing arts body. Conceived as a public celebration ahead of the highly anticipated opening of the Busan Opera House, the two-day festival aims to democratize an art form traditionally sequestered behind gilded indoor walls. At the center of the production is Chung Myung-whun, the renowned conductor and artistic director of Classic Busan. Chung, who led a critically acclaimed concert version of "Carmen" indoors last year, is expanding the opera into a sensory public festival. Director Eom Sook-jung is tasked with adapting the psychological drama of the free-spirited gypsy and her tragic lover to the vast spatial demands of a

Jun 20, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Busan brings 'Carmen' to waterfront under summer stars

BTS' RM named first global ambassador of Nat'l Museum of Korea

RM, the leader of K-pop supergroup BTS, has been named the first global ambassador of the National Museum of Korea to help promote the country's cultural heritage around the world, the museum said Saturday. The singer, whose real name is Kim Nam-joon, was named in recognition of his longstanding interest in Korean traditional culture and art, as well as his efforts to support the preservation of cultural heritage, according to the museum. RM donated 100 million won ($65,231) each in 2021 and 2022 to the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation to support the preservation and restoration of Korean cultural assets abroad. An avid art collector, RM is set to hold a special exhibition of works from his personal collection at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in October. The singer will participate in various promotional activities for the museum and help introduce Korean history and traditional culture to global audiences. "I will do my best to help more people appreciate the beauty and value of our cultural heritage," RM said. You Hong-june, director of the museum, expressed hope tha

Jun 20, 2026By Yonhap
BTS' RM named first global ambassador of Nat'l Museum of Korea

'Reply 1994' star reveals yearlong cafe job amid career slowdown

Actress Min Do-hee has revealed that she is ending her yearlong part-time job at a cafe, saying the experience helped her regain confidence and purpose during a difficult period when acting opportunities were scarce. On Wednesday, Min shared her story through a Youtube video. In the video, she opened up about why she began working at a cafe and reflected on her daily life as a part-time employee. "It has already been more than a year since I started working part-time," Min said. "To be honest, I never expected to work there for this long." She said she initially felt nervous and embarrassed about taking the job, but now views the experience positively. "When I first started, I was anxious and self-conscious, but now I think it was one of the best decisions I made," she said. "I think starting anything is the hardest part." Min also spoke candidly about the circumstances that led her to seek work outside the entertainment industry. "It was a period when I didn't have any work and felt very discouraged," she said. "I was constantly feeling down." The actress said the cafe job helped her reali

Jun 20, 2026By Hankookilbo
'Reply 1994' star reveals yearlong cafe job amid career slowdown

Summer exhibitions in Seoul celebrate worlds of sci-fi, superfans

For readers looking to escape the sweltering heat of a Korean summer, two municipal cultural spaces are offering portals into entirely different realms — one grounded in distant galaxies, and the other in the fervent devotion of subcultural fandoms. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced the launch of two distinct exhibitions at its flagship, book-centric cultural complexes. Seoul Book Bogo, located in Songpa District, is hosting a science fiction and cinema showcase titled “Beyond the Scene” through Aug. 30. Meanwhile, Seoul Art Book Bogo, situated within the Gocheok Sky Dome complex in southwestern Seoul, has opened “Love’s Sudden Crash,” a deep dive into the cultural mechanics of superfandom running through Sept. 6. Run by the Korean Publishers Association, both spaces operate as hybrid cultural centers rather than traditional lending libraries. This summer, they are focusing on how deep cultural immersion can fundamentally shift a person's worldview. At Seoul Book Bogo, the science fiction exhibition reframes the genre as a tool for societal critique rather than mer

Jun 19, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Summer exhibitions in Seoul celebrate worlds of sci-fi, superfans

Korea turns traditional crafts into regional tourism drivers

Korea is launching an ambitious cultural initiative aimed at transforming its local heritage into a vibrant driver for regional tourism, leveraging its ancient artisanal traditions to stimulate local economies. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in tandem with the Korea Craft and Design Foundation, launched "Korea Craft Week 2026" on Friday. Running through June 28, the ninth edition of this national festival spans 10 cities across five regional hubs, presenting more than 450 cultural events designed to weave traditional artistry directly into the fabric of everyday life. The policy marks a distinct shift toward sustainable, stay-based travel. By reinterpreting local histories through a modern artisanal lens, officials hope to inject economic vitality into provincial destinations facing demographic challenges. This year's primary focus settles on Buyeo, an ancient fortress town in South Chungcheong Province. The government has effectively turned the entire village of Gyuam-myeon into an open-air theater of heritage. Visitors can wander through the "123 Sabi Craft Village," eng

Jun 19, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea turns traditional crafts into regional tourism drivers

To woo Japanese travelers, Korea taps enduring J-pop icon

For millions of Japanese citizens who have never ventured beyond their nation’s borders, Korea is making a direct, highly personalized pitch to become their first passport stamp — and it has enlisted one of Japan’s most enduring pop culture icons to lead the charge. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, alongside the Korea Tourism Organization, announced the launch of the “My First Trip to Korea” campaign. Running from June through December, the initiative specifically targets the large segment of the Japanese population that holds no prior travel experience abroad, aiming to lower both the economic and psychological barriers that often discourage international novice travelers. To break through decades of insular travel habits, Seoul is relying heavily on Tsuyoshi Kusanagi. To a generation of Japanese television viewers, Kusanagi is the affable, remarkably versatile former member of SMAP, the legendary boy band that dominated J-pop for a quarter-century. Armed with an earnest, self-deprecating charm and remarkably fluent Korean, Kusanagi has long bridged the complicat

Jun 19, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
To woo Japanese travelers, Korea taps enduring J-pop icon

Korea’s new tourism strategy: pop-ups, tailored tickets

Seeking to capitalize on the soaring global appetite for Korean culture, the government is transforming mundane transit hubs into immersive cinematic portals designed to bring international travelers deeper into the provinces. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in partnership with the Korea Tourism Organization, launched the "Global K-Festival Pop-up Store" Friday. Running through July 5 at Seoul Station and Noon Square in downtown's Myeong-dong shopping district, the interactive hubs present local festivals not as regional events, but as premier international destinations. The initiative targets a persistent challenge in Korea’s tourism industry: the heavy concentration of foreign visitors in the capital. By deploying multilingual staff and interactive media, the ministry aims to redirect foot traffic toward 10 selected cultural celebrations across the country, including the Incheon Pentaport Music Festival, the Boryeong Mud Festival and the Daegu Chimaek (chicken and beer) Festival. Designed around the theme "Feel the Vibe, Live the Festival," the pop-up spaces mimic class

Jun 19, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Korea’s new tourism strategy: pop-ups, tailored tickets

Joseon-era marketplace returns to life in downtown Seoul

The bustle of a 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty-era marketplace is returning to the heart of Seoul this weekend, as artisans, merchants and traditional food vendors transform the grounds of the Seoul Museum of History and nearby Gyeonghui Palace into a sprawling celebration of Korean heritage. The Seoul Museum of History said it will host the traditional craft market festival "Seoyeokbak Marketplace" from Friday through Sunday, bringing together 92 traditional brands for one of the city's largest culture-themed outdoor events. Organized in partnership with the social planning company Project Question, the festival reimagines a traditional Joseon marketplace for modern audiences, offering visitors a chance to experience Korean crafts, traditional attire, food and merchant culture in a single venue. The event will feature two "yukuijeon" (referring to the six items exclusively sold in these royal shops), 27 licensed market stalls, four taverns, three artisan villages, 46 street vendors and 10 itinerant merchant groups modeled after the trading culture of the Joseon era. Visitors will be able to b

Jun 18, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Joseon-era marketplace returns to life in downtown Seoul
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