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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.

Busan launches expanded evening cultural festival to boost nighttime tourism

Long celebrated for its sprawling sandy beaches, fresh seafood markets and bustling international port, Korea’s second-largest city is making a concerted bid to capture the imagination of travelers long after the sun goes down. City officials announced Wednesday the official return of the "Starry Night Busan Night Festa," an ambitious five-month cultural showcase that begins Saturday and runs through the end of the year. Backed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as part of its specialized night-tourism initiative, the festival aims to transform the coastal metropolis into an after-dark entertainment hub designed to extend visitor stays and invigorate the local urban economy. This year’s centerpiece is a new series of permanent street performances in Busan's historic downtown core. Dubbed the "Balcony Music Show and Street Festa," the program transforms the pedestrian-friendly Gwangbok-ro boulevard into an open-air theater. Beginning Saturday, the Street Festa will blend traditional Korean performing arts, street dance and live music with interactive cultural booths, flea

Jul 22, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Busan launches expanded evening cultural festival to boost nighttime tourism

Korea courts global investors to build next generation of tourism unicorns

Korea is betting big on tourism innovation, turning to international venture capital to transform its domestic startups into global market leaders. At the 2026 Tourism Global Business Day, hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism alongside the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), more than 270 entrepreneurs, investors and industry delegates gathered at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas for a two-day dealmaking summit. The event, which concluded Wednesday, set a record turnout for the annual gathering. Central to this year’s expanded program was a newly introduced matchmaking system that facilitated more than 330 one-on-one consultation sessions between promising local startups and institutional investors. Representatives from 20 prominent venture capital firms across six key overseas markets — the United States, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong — attended the Seoul conference. Many of these cross-border investors were brought in through KTO’s network of specialized Korea Tourism Startup Centers currently operating in Singapore, Tokyo and Bangkok

Jul 22, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea courts global investors to build next generation of tourism unicorns

Humans strike back: Shin Jin-seo defeats top Go AI KataGo 2-1

World No. 1 Go player Shin Jin-seo defeated KataGo, the world's strongest Go artificial intelligence (AI), in a historic exhibition match Tuesday, becoming the first human to win an official match against the AI under the tournament's handicap format. Shin, 26, defeated KataGo by 11.5 points after 221 moves in the decisive third game of the Ssen Math-Hankyung Gisin Championship, held at the Korea Economic Broadcasting studio in central Seoul. Although Shin played the three-game series under a two-stone handicap, he rebounded after losing the opening game to claim victories in Games 2 and 3, securing a 2-1 comeback triumph. The result marks the first official series victory by a human player over KataGo under the competition's conditions. Shin received an appearance fee totaling 150 million won ($108,000) for the three games, along with a 50 million won bonus for each victory, bringing his total prize money to 250 million won. He also received a Genesis G90 luxury sedan for winning two games. The match was organized to mark the 10th anniversary of the landmark 2016 Google DeepMind Challen

Jul 21, 2026By Hankookilbo
Humans strike back: Shin Jin-seo defeats top Go AI KataGo 2-1

Seoul Science Center extends hours for interactive summer festival

Inside the sleek, concrete halls of the Seoul Science Center, visitors will soon be invited to shop for scientific principles like groceries at a market. Instead of produce, the shelves will feature fingernail dye, pet rocks and live tornado demonstrations. Beginning July 29, the museum in northeastern Seoul’s Nowon District will host its annual Midsummer Science Museum festival, transforming the facility into an interactive, night-friendly retreat designed to provide families with activities away from the sweltering heat. The five-day event, running through Aug. 2, centers on an unconventional “science mart” concept that reinterprets everyday items through geology, chemistry and ecology. “We designed this year’s festival so that parents and children can discover science in their daily lives together,” museum director Yoo Man-sun said. “Through play and performances, we want visitors to naturally cultivate an interest in how the world works.” The festival’s playful menu blends nostalgia with hands-on learning. In one flagship activity, participants will dye their finger

Jul 21, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul Science Center extends hours for interactive summer festival

Seoul museum turns history into living journey with AR glasses

Visitors to the Seoul Museum of History can now walk through centuries of the city’s past and watch forgotten scenes emerge around them through a new augmented reality (AR) experience. The museum said Tuesday it is operating a pilot extended reality exhibition, “Time Travel in Seoul,” at its third-floor permanent exhibition hall, allowing visitors wearing AR glasses to encounter digital recreations of Seoul’s historical landmarks and everyday life. The experience uses spatial computing technology to respond to visitors’ movements in real time, placing 3D content directly over the museum environment. As visitors move through the exhibition, they can see a reconstructed 3D Donuimun Gate from the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty era, a moving Gyeongseong streetcar from the opening period and the Korean Empire era, and a rickshaw passing through scenes from the Japanese colonial period. The final section recreates modern Seoul with the 1988 Seoul Olympics’ symbolic “Boy with a Hoop” and the city’s guardian character, Haechi, welcoming visitors. The project combines the Seoul Museum

Jul 21, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Seoul museum turns history into living journey with AR glasses

Seoul spotlights 5 forest trails for summer escape

As temperatures climb across the capital, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is encouraging residents to swap air-conditioned interiors for shaded forest paths, unveiling five sections of the Seoul Trail that it said offer some of the city's coolest summer walks. The city said Tuesday it selected five recommended routes from the Seoul Trail's 21-course network, highlighting trails with dense tree cover, cool valleys, gentle terrain and scenic nighttime views. The Seoul Trail stretches 156.5 kilometers around the city's outskirts, linking mountains, streams and village roads. The trail opened in 2014 with eight courses before being reorganized into 21 shorter sections in 2024 to improve accessibility and allow visitors to complete a single course in about three hours. The city said more than 101,700 people had completed the full trail as of July 1, reflecting growing interest after new rest areas, skywalks and observation decks were added. Among the five recommended routes is Course 4, the Mount Mangu-Mount Yongma section, known for its forested paths and the Yongmasan Skywalk, a popular de

Jul 21, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Seoul spotlights 5 forest trails for summer escape

Busan unveils nighttime festival celebrating legacy as Korean War provisional capital

Long before the sprawling port city of Busan became internationally renowned for its glittering marine skyscrapers and premier cinematic events, it served as a desperate, densely packed sanctuary for a country on the brink of collapse. For 1,023 grueling days during the height of the 1950-53 Korean War, Busan was designated the provisional capital of South Korea, shielding hundreds of thousands of internal refugees while preserving the essential administrative seat of government. The city will temporarily turn back the clock on Friday to honor those dark yet resilient days. Municipal officials said the annual Wartime Capital Busan Heritage Night festival will return for a two-day run from Friday to Saturday. The specialized twilight event will unlock the doors of historic architectural monuments, former government bureaus and underground bunkers until 10 p.m., illuminating a historical chapter that local policy authorities are working to immortalize on the global stage. This year's festival timing is highly strategic. As Busan hosts international delegates for the 48th UNESCO World Herita

Jul 20, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Busan unveils nighttime festival celebrating legacy as Korean War provisional capital

Dog, cat lovers gear up for Seoul's 50-question pet test

Can your dog eat chocolate? No! Can your cat eat grapes? Absolutely not! If you are a pet owner in Korea, knowing these answers might just land you an award — or at least a very official certificate proving you are a qualified "fur parent." The Seoul Metropolitan Government opened registration on Monday for its eighth annual Pet Ownership Ability Test, a quirky, competitive exam designed to see who truly understands their companion animals. The free test, which has grown from a modest 189-person classroom trial in 2019 to become a massive virtual event, will accommodate 5,000 applicants this year on a first-come, first-served basis. For local pet lovers, the stakes are surprisingly high. The online written exam, scheduled for Sept. 6, consists of 50 grueling questions drafted by veterinarians and animal behavioral experts. Applicants are split into canine and feline divisions, facing questions that cover everything from animal protection laws and neighborhood "petiquette" to complex nutritional science information and how to cope with pet loss. To prevent cheating and settle ties, the c

Jul 20, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Dog, cat lovers gear up for Seoul's 50-question pet test

Korea reimagines its independence ideals as tool for modern diplomacy

Korea’s heritage officials and policy experts gathered Monday to explore how cultural assets can become a foundation for global cooperation and peace, revisiting independence leader Kim Koo’s vision of a nation strengthened by culture. The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) held the World Heritage Governance and Realizing a Cultural Powerhouse: Kim Koo’s Vision of Cultural Power and Policy Directions, an international academic conference jointly organized with the Korean Association for Policy Studies, at BEXCO in Busan. The conference was an official side event of the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. The event examined Kim’s belief that cultural strength could help create a nation that contributes to peace and prosperity around the world. Kim, a prominent figure in Korea’s independence movement, expressed his aspiration for a country with the power of culture and emphasized the importance of cultural influence beyond political and economic strength. The conference was divided into two sessions featuring presentations and discussions by domestic and international e

Jul 20, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Korea reimagines its independence ideals as tool for modern diplomacy

Jeju Olle founder posthumously awarded top cultural medal

The government posthumously awarded the Moran Medal of the Order of Civil Merit to the late Suh Myung-sook, the founding president of the Jeju Olle Foundation, in recognition of her pioneering contribution to eco-tourism and sustainable travel in Korea. On Saturday, Chae Hwi-young, minister of culture, sports and tourism, visited the Jeju Olle Traveler Center on Jeju Island to present the prestigious medal to her bereaved family. Suh died in April at the age of 68. "Through the medium of walking tours, the late president built a sustainable ecological and cultural space where nature, travelers and local residents harmoniously coexist," an official from the culture ministry said. Suh’s legacy dates back to 2007, when she established the nonprofit Jeju Olle Foundation and began creating and operating the very first trail on Korea's southern volcanic island. Inspired by her own journey along the famous Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James, in Spain, the former journalist sought to create a trekking route that could help tired people from the city relax and enjoy the beautiful scene

Jul 19, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Jeju Olle founder posthumously awarded top cultural medal
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