Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Seoul to transform Han River into giant water park

Urban rivers are usually reserved for scenic strolls or sunset picnics, but Seoul's municipal planners are taking a decidedly more hands-on approach to beating the early summer heat. As temperatures climb and summer settles over the city, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is turning the banks of the Han River into a sprawling oasis. This Saturday, the city’s Future Han River Headquarters will host the 2026 Floating Stage Water Festival at Yeouido Hangang Park. The seven-hour event is designed to transform the popular public waterfront into an interactive, all-ages playground where families can cool off. Rather than relying on standard city park sprinkler pads, the festival introduces heavy-duty infrastructure to maximize the splash factor. The venue's dedicated Water Zone features massive swimming pools, towering water slides, giant water rollers and a stylized fishing pool to keep visitors cool and safe. To make sure that nobody stays dry, municipal staff will coordinate recurring water cannon blasts, foam play areas and organized water gun fights throughout the afternoon. But the ev

Jun 17, 2026By Lee Kyung-min

Seoul to transform Han River into giant water park

Seoul’s tap water gets hip riverside makeover

Municipal authorities have long faced a notoriously tough public relations challenge: how to convince skeptical urbanites to ditch plastic bottles and actually drink from the tap. This weekend, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is gambling that the answer lies in the city's favorite summer pastime — lounging by the Han River with a cold drink and a stash of limited-edition merchandise. Starting Friday, the Seoul Waterworks Authority is launching a sprawling, ultramodern pop-up store titled "Aridapda, Arisu" (Beautiful Arisu) at the Yeouido Hangang Park Event Square. Nestled alongside the river, the three-week installation aims to rebrand "Arisu" — Seoul’s heavily filtered municipal tap water — from a bureaucratic utility into a trendy lifestyle choice centered on sustainability. The phrase Aridapda, a play on the Korean word for beauty and grace, is the centerpiece of a fresh campaign designed to highlight the city's rigorous water-quality standards in a way that resonates with a younger, eco-conscious crowd. Rather than bombarding visitors with dry technical charts, the pop-up t

Jun 17, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

Seoul’s tap water gets hip riverside makeover

RoundtableIntegrated resorts under pressure to reinvent themselves ahead of Japan's megacomplex

Korea's tourism and casino industry faces a critical turning point as it races to overhaul its public image and ease regulatory burdens before Japan opens its massive integrated resort in 2030. Industry experts and academic figures gathered at The Korea Times' roundtable discussion in Seoul on Thursday to share survival strategies against Japan's upcoming integrated resort in Osaka, which could trigger a massive outflow of tourists and capital. Kang Sung-sook, a professor at Tezukayama University in Japan, stressed that the Osaka development is designed to be much more than a simple gaming venue. "The Osaka integrated resort is not merely a facility to attract tourists," said Kang, who joined the meeting online. "It aims to become an innovation hub for international conferences, exhibitions and corporate activities." The Osaka project is spearheaded by a consortium where U.S. entertainment giant MGM Resorts International and Japanese financial services group Orix each hold an investment ratio of about 44 percent. The remaining 12 percent is backed by 22 local minority shareholders. The ma

Jun 17, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul

Integrated resorts under pressure to reinvent themselves ahead of Japan's megacomplex

Seoul to roll out hidden-camera YouTube series promoting tap water during World Cup

Seoul city is launching a two-episode hidden-camera YouTube series featuring Korean comedians to promote Arisu, the city's tap water, during public World Cup viewing events. The series, titled "Muldeun Akma Eungwondan" — loosely translated as the "Water-Bearing Cheering Squad," a play on the Red Devils, Korea's official football supporters' group — stars comedians Shin Gyu-jin and Kim Yong-myung. The concept is inspired by the hydration break, a stoppage introduced at this year's World Cup around the 22nd minute of each half to allow players to rehydrate in hot conditions. The city says the same principle applies to fans at outdoor viewing events. The first episode was filmed June 12 during Korea's group-stage match against the Czech Republic, in which the national team rallied for a 2-1 comeback win. The two comedians posed as pub staff and served Arisu to spectators, later revealing their identities and conducting on-camera interviews about hydration habits. The second episode, to be set during Korea's June 19 match against Mexico, will feature the pair roaming the Gwanghwamun publi

Jun 16, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

Seoul to roll out hidden-camera YouTube series promoting tap water during World Cup

Seoul to host character game event at Mount Nam

Seoul will host an outdoor game event at Mount Nam — one of the capital's most popular recreational spaces — this Saturday, centered on the city's official mascot characters and promoting the ecological value of the urban mountain. The event, titled "Game Challenge with Haechi and Soul Friends!", will take place June 21 near the octagonal pavilion at the summit of Mount Nam and is open to all visitors free of charge. Haechi is Seoul's mythical guardian mascot, and the Soul Friends are a group of companion characters associated with the four cardinal guardian deities of traditional Korean cosmology — Jujak (Vermilion Bird), Baekho (White Tiger), Cheongnyong (Blue Dragon) and Hyeonmu (Black Tortoise). The event is part of the city's ongoing Sustainable Namsan project and is designed to help visitors engage with the mountain's ecosystem in an interactive, lighthearted way. Participants can pick up a stamp card at the information desk and try four themed mini games, one per character: a shooting game targeting invasive species, a jigsaw puzzle, a trail etiquette game and a water-flow c

Jun 16, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

Seoul to host character game event at Mount Nam

Annual bastion of French busking marks diplomatic milestone in Seoul

For a single afternoon this month, the bustling student enclave of Sinchon will trade its typical K-pop soundtrack for Parisian jazz and French indie rock. The Seodaemun District Office said Monday it will host the 2026 iteration of the French street music festival Fête de la Musique on Saturday. The open-air event, co-organized with the Embassy of France in Korea, carries elevated diplomatic weight this year as Seoul and Paris mark the 140th anniversary of establishing formal diplomatic relations in 1886. Inaugurated in France in 1982 to celebrate the summer solstice through free, decentralized public performances, the Fête de la Musique concept has since expanded to roughly 120 countries worldwide. Seodaemun District adopted the template in 2017, transforming Sinchon — a neighborhood historically anchored by student activism and youth culture — into an annual hub for bilateral cultural exchanges. The festival schedule deliberately blends European and domestic sensibilities. The main stage will open at 5:00 p.m. with preliminary showcases by the local K-pop dance troupe Shining an

Jun 15, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

Annual bastion of French busking marks diplomatic milestone in Seoul

Choi Jung-wha, pioneer of cultural diplomacy, dies at 71

Choi Jung-wha, an honorary professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and chairperson of the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI), passed away on Sunday, according to her family. She was 71. Choi was a pioneering figure in cultural diplomacy and interpretation who dedicated her life to enhancing Korea’s national image and strengthening the country’s ties with France. Born in Seoul in 1955, Choi graduated from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies with a degree in French and later obtained her master's and doctoral degrees from the Graduate School for Translation and Interpretation at Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris. She became the first Korean to work as a simultaneous interpreter for international conferences. Throughout her career, she interpreted for more than 20 bilateral summits and over 2,000 international conferences. She served as the primary interpreter for French presidents, including Francois Mitterrand during his official visit to Korea and Jacques Chirac during his summits with former President Roh Moo-hyun. In 2003, Choi founded the CICI, a nonprofit o

Jun 14, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul

Choi Jung-wha, pioneer of cultural diplomacy, dies at 71

FEBC-Korea holds retreat to celebrate 70th anniversary

Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC)-Korea held a special retreat last week for its national steering committee members in Wonju, Gangwon Province, to mark its 70th anniversary, the Christian radio broadcaster said Thursday. The two-day event, which took place June 5 and 6 at Oak Valley Resort, drew around 1,500 steering committee members from 13 regional branches across the country. The attendance was the highest in the organization’s history. The FEBC-Korea steering committee was established in September 1980 to provide financial and prayer support for the broadcaster during a period of financial difficulty. Over the decades, it has grown into a major nationwide network supporting the station's radio-based missionary work. During the opening service, Rev. Kim Mi-yeol of Wonju Jungbu Church delivered a sermon emphasizing that the mission of spreading the gospel remains unchanged despite shifting eras. The retreat also featured a special lecture by Kim Jin-pyo, a former National Assembly speaker. In his address, Kim highlighted that the dedication and prayers of religious communities h

Jun 11, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul

FEBC-Korea holds retreat to celebrate 70th anniversary

Ivy lands rare Broadway lead in 'Chicago' after years of preparation

"Broadway felt like something that had already passed me by, something that would never happen. No, no, no." That was how Korean singer and actor Ivy reacted after learning she had been cast as Roxie Hart in Broadway's long-running production of “Chicago,” fulfilling a dream she once believed was out of reach. The production company behind “Chicago” announced on June 9 (local time) that Ivy would join the Broadway cast as Roxie Hart, one of the musical's lead roles. She is scheduled to perform at New York's Ambassador Theatre from Aug. 17 through Sept. 6. The casting is drawing attention because it is rare for a Korean to take on a leading role in an English-language Broadway production alongside American performers. It is even more notable because Ivy will be playing the same character she has portrayed for more than a decade in Korea. According to Ivy, she first heard about the possibility of appearing on Broadway four years ago. At the time, however, concerns about performing in English prevented her from seriously pursuing the opportunity. She started studying English and even

Jun 11, 2026By Hankookilbo

Ivy lands rare Broadway lead in 'Chicago' after years of preparation

Night markets become economic lifeline in Songpa District

The traditional open-air markets of Songpa District in southeastern Seoul have long served as the hyperlocal culinary backbones of their neighborhoods, anchored by vendors hawking everything from fresh produce to hand-pinched dumplings. But as shifting consumer habits and the relentless rise of e-commerce squeeze these historic commercial hubs, local authorities are turning to a vibrant, nocturnal strategy to lure back a younger generation of shoppers. Songpa District, a sprawling area in the southeastern part of the capital, announced that it will host a series of food and cultural night festivals across five traditional markets and commercial streets throughout June. The initiative marks a significant expansion of a pilot program that, at its peak last year, drew up to 3,000 visitors a day to the district's labyrinthine alleys. Organized by individual local merchants' associations, this year’s circuit includes two additional venues, reflecting an aggressive push by neighborhood vendors to boost foot traffic and stimulate local spending amid stubborn macroeconomic headwinds. The summe

Jun 10, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

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