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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.

From Guatemala to Sokcho: Young man comes to enlist in his father's homeland

When Guatemalan-born Kim Min-woo, 24, also known as Andres, suddenly appeared with his hair cut short, his father, Kim Dong-jun, 62, immediately realized what his son had decided to do. Min-woo, who had never visited Korea, had said since childhood that he wanted to “experience my father’s homeland firsthand.” The father and son looked into the enlistment procedures for dual nationals before boarding a flight to Korea. The first place Min-woo visited after arriving in Korea was Sokcho, Gangwon Province, his father’s hometown. He retraced his family roots by visiting Chilseong Shipyard where his grandfather worked, and the neighborhood where his father played as a child. On Sept. 12, Min-woo and his father visited Sokcho City Hall and met Mayor Lee Byung-sun. The elder Kim, a graduate of Sokcho High School, was one class year behind Lee and had participated with him in the Buddhist Students Association during their school days. Min-woo's father worked in the textile industry before moving to Guatemala in the late 1980s, where he settled and started a family. Min-woo is the younge

Sep 21, 2026By Hankookilbo
From Guatemala to Sokcho: Young man comes to enlist in his father's homeland

Seoul to host 10K running festival at Yeouido Park in October

Seoul is turning Yeouido Park into a massive track for fitness enthusiasts next month, launching the 2026 Seoul Runners Festival on Oct. 24. The city government said Monday that the event, to be hosted at the park's Culture Plaza, will feature open races, community events and family activities designed to showcase the capital's vibrant outdoor culture. The festival, tied to the city's monthly Night Run Project series, centers on the Seoul Plus 10K, a 10-kilometer run from Culture Plaza across the Seogang Bridge and back. Organizers said the course emphasizes personal pace and the satisfaction of finishing over competitive times, and may still change before the event. Proceeds from the run, sponsored by Hanwha Financial PLUS, will fund donations supporting promising young track and field athletes. Also on the schedule is a "crew battle," in which four-member mixed teams run the same 10-kilometer course and are ranked by their combined times — a format aimed at running clubs that train together regularly. A new Kids Run for children and families will prioritize a safe, fun finish over c

Sep 21, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul to host 10K running festival at Yeouido Park in October

Bucheon festival brings comics to life with global cosplay, community fun

BUCHEON, Gyeonggi Province — The area around the Korea Manhwa Museum in Bucheon turned into a lively celebration of pop culture on Friday as colorful comic panels came to life for the opening day of the 29th Bucheon International Comics Festival. Running through Sunday under the theme "Comics & Webtoons: Easy to Love, Endless to Enjoy," the annual three-day event kicked off with a rich mix of global cosplay competitions, interactive community programs and passionate fans bringing their favorite characters into reality. Friday's opening day offered a rich variety of experiences, drawing families, international visitors and dedicated pop culture enthusiasts. Inside the museum, local volunteers warmly greeted young visitors at hands-on craft booths, guiding children as they decorated everyday items like keyboards and hand mirrors with cartoon characters. "We joined the festival as volunteers out of a shared passion as Bucheon residents to promote our city's signature cultural identity," a local volunteer said. "At first, seeing all the cosplayers felt a bit unfamiliar. But seeing how passi

Sep 19, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Bucheon festival brings comics to life with global cosplay, community fun

GKL backs Busan cycling festival linking city bridges

Four thousand cyclists from Korea and abroad are expected to converge in Busan Sunday for a festival that will turn the city’s bridges and tunnels into a sprawling route for exploring its waterfront attractions. Grand Korea Leisure (GKL), which operates the foreigner-only Seven Luck casinos, said Friday it is supporting the 2026 Seven Bridge Tour, a large-scale noncompetitive cycling event scheduled for Sunday. The tour is the only event of its kind in Korea to connect major maritime bridges and tunnels across Busan by bicycle, according to GKL. Organizers expect about 4,000 cycling enthusiasts from Korea and overseas to take part, showcasing Busan’s tourism resources through a route that crosses some of its major transportation landmarks. The event will also include activities open to local residents, including the Seven Bridge Good Morning Bridge Walking event, which invites participants to walk across Gwangan Bridge. Another program, Seven Bridge Festival, will offer wellness activities at Yeongho Starlight Park as part of the broader tourism event. GKL said its support is intended

Sep 18, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
GKL backs Busan cycling festival linking city bridges

Seoul museum honored for bringing history to hospitalized children

For young patients confined to hospital wards, history lessons usually feel worlds away. But inside the pediatric units of Seoul’s major medical centers, an innovative museum initiative has been bringing ancient artifacts, interactive crafts and cultural heritage straight to the bedside of critically ill children — a pioneering effort that has now earned top national honors. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Friday that the Seoul Hanseong Baekje Museum has been awarded the prestigious "Museum & Art Gallery of the Year Award" in the educational program category. Presented annually by Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism alongside the Korean Museum Association, the accolade recognizes institutions making exceptional contributions to public enrichment and cultural accessibility. The museum’s award-winning "Hospital School" initiative launched in 2024 at Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital before expanding to Seoul National University Children's Hospital in 2025. Designed specifically for children undergoing prolonged inpatient care or grueling outpatient regimens,

Sep 18, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Seoul museum honored for bringing history to hospitalized children

Fold, crease, fly: Seoul opens registrations for paper airplane championship

Part high-stakes physics, part childhood pastime, Korea’s premier paper airplane tournament is landing at Yeouido Hangang Park on Oct. 10 — and the race to secure a spot begins this weekend. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Friday it will open online registration Saturday at 10 am to select 700 competitors for the 16th annual Han River Paper Airplane Festival. Open to enthusiasts of all ages, the event routinely sells out online within 60 seconds as aviation buffs, families and precision craftsmen from across the nation rush to claim a spot. The venue itself adds historical flair to the friendly rivalry. Yeouido, now a dense financial district dominated by corporate headquarters, glass skyscrapers, and parliamentary buildings, served as the birthplace of Korean aviation as the site of the country's first civilian airfield in 1916. For nearly two decades, the annual festival has drawn on that heritage, transforming the lush riverside park into an open-air arena for grassroots aerodynamics and family entertainment. The main tournament features two primary competitive disciplines

Sep 18, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Fold, crease, fly: Seoul opens registrations for paper airplane championship

Lakeside Peace Walk brings global taekwondo community to Chuncheon

Around 500 global taekwondo athletes and local residents walked side by side along the scenic shores of Uiam Lake in Chuncheon, Thursday, stepping outside the arena to share a message of unity and peace. The inaugural Chuncheon Peace Walk was co-hosted by Goodwill Cooperation Service (GCS) International, World Taekwondo, The Korea Times, Chuncheon City and the Chuncheon Leisure Taekwondo Organizing Committee. Organized to complement the ongoing 2026 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships, which runs through Sunday at Songam Sports Town Airdome, the event offered participants a refreshing break from the intense indoor competition. The walk also commemorated the 45th anniversary of the United Nations International Day of Peace, observed annually on Sept. 21. Starting at 10 a.m. from the Songam Sports Town Inline Skating Arena, participants enjoyed an easy 4-kilometer walk to the Uiamho Skywalk, a glass viewing platform over the calm waters of Uiam Lake. Upon crossing the finish line, every participant received a commemorative key ring and with local refreshments. The festivities continued t

Sep 18, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Lakeside Peace Walk brings global taekwondo community to Chuncheon

Korea grants free entry to royal palaces, tombs during Chuseok

From regal courtyards to historic grounds, Korea’s grand royal palaces and tombs are offering free admission this Chuseok — the nation's major autumn harvest festival — giving visitors a rare, four-day pass to dive headfirst into Korean heritage. The Korea Heritage Service said Gyeongbok Palace, Changdeok Palace, Deoksu Palace and Changgyeong Palace, along with Jongmyo Shrine and Joseon royal tombs, will waive admission fees from Thursday through Sunday. Changdeok Palace’s rear garden will remain excluded from the free admission program, while Jongmyo, which normally operates by reservation, will allow visitors to enter without advance bookings during the holiday. Visitors can also watch the changing of the guard ceremony at Gyeongbok Palace at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., guard patrol ceremonies at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and the royal guard patrol at 3 p.m. without reservations. The Korea Heritage Service is also offering an online program, “Everyone’s Genre Painting 2026,” starting Friday and running through Nov. 1, allowing participants to create personalized characters inspired by

Sep 18, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Korea grants free entry to royal palaces, tombs during Chuseok

Seoul's premier music district opens doors for 8th Seoripul Street Festival

Home to classical instrument workshops and performance halls, Seocho District’s music enclave in southern Seoul stands as Korea’s only official music-themed cultural zone. On Saturday and Sunday, the area will host the eighth annual Seoripul Musical Instrument Street Festival, bringing rare craftsmanship, live outdoor music and hands-on masterclasses to the public. First held in 2016, the two-day festival brings together local instrument shops, workshops, professional musicians, students and residents for a dynamic event where visitors can see, hear and play a wide range of instruments. As in the previous year, the festival will again run alongside the Seoripul Music Festival, giving visitors access to both events' performances and hands-on programs. Large instrument retailers Cosmos Musical Instruments and Europe Musical Instruments will display everything from classical instruments to traditional Korean instruments and folk instruments from around the world. Musicians from South America and Africa will also introduce and perform on traditional instruments from their home regions. V

Sep 17, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul's premier music district opens doors for 8th Seoripul Street Festival

Seoul Hanok Week returns with record lineup of tours and craft workshops

For generations, the elegant curved tile roofs and serene courtyards of "hanok" — Korea’s traditional vernacular housing — have served as living symbols of the capital’s heritage. Seoul is inviting international travelers to step past the threshold of these historic homes and experience them as dynamic cultural stages. City officials said Thursday that Seoul Hanok Week will return this October with an expanded schedule of immersive art exhibitions, live performances, neighborhood walking tours and hands-on craft workshops. The fourth edition of Seoul Hanok Week will run from Friday, Oct. 2, through Sunday, Oct. 11, across the neighborhoods of Bukchon and Seochon, with 82 programs — up from 66 last year, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Last year's festival drew about 74,000 visitors, and this year's expanded program will include 17 exhibitions, 15 tours, 29 hands-on activities, nine performances and 12 special events. Among the highlights is “Beyond the Gate, Hanok,” an open-house program marking the 10th anniversary of Seoul Exemplary Hanok program, with gui

Sep 17, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Seoul Hanok Week returns with record lineup of tours and craft workshops
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