Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Museum of antiquity in Seoul opens portal to modern Europe

The ancient kingdom of Baekje once thrived as a vibrant crossroads of East Asian cultural exchange, connecting the traditions of the Korean Peninsula, China and Japan. Today, a municipal museum dedicated to preserving that legacy is expanding its historical mandate, transforming itself into a modern gateway for global diversity — one child at a time. The Hanseong Baekje Museum announced Thursday a collaborative educational initiative with European cultural institutions designed to introduce young Koreans to foreign cultures through hands-on creative play. The program underscores a growing movement among Seoul’s public institutions to foster global citizenship and creative thinking in early childhood education. The initiative’s centerpiece, a workshop titled "COSTRUIAMO" (Let’s Build!), will debut July 10 in partnership with the Italian Cultural Institute in Seoul. The program aims to translate Italy’s towering architectural history and design philosophy into an interactive playground. Children will experiment with spatial concepts, building their own miniature structures to n

Jul 2, 2026By Lee Kyung-min

Museum of antiquity in Seoul opens portal to modern Europe

Flowers foster Korea-Japan friendship at exhibition in Seoul

The Japanese Embassy in Seoul opened a special flower exhibition Wednesday to mark the 10th anniversary of the Ohara School of Ikebana's Seoul chapter, presenting ikebana, or the traditional Japanese art of flower arrangement, as a symbol of cultural exchange between the two countries. Organized jointly by the embassy and the Ohara School Seoul Chapter, the two-day exhibition runs through Thursday at the embassy's Public Information and Culture Center in central Seoul. The event commemorates the 10-year anniversarry of the establishment of the Seoul branch and highlights the role of traditional arts in fostering people-to-people exchanges. Ikebana dates back centuries and emphasizes harmony, balance and the beauty of nature over elaborate decoration. The Ohara School, one of Japan's leading ikebana institutions, was founded in 1895 and is particularly renowned for its "moribana" style, which recreates natural landscapes using seasonal flowers and branches set in shallow containers. The exhibition features more than 50 floral arrangements by 42 artists from the Ohara School's Seoul and T

Jul 1, 2026By Anna J. Park

Flowers foster Korea-Japan friendship at exhibition in Seoul

Cha Eun-woo baptized as Catholic during military service

Actor and singer Cha Eun-woo has officially become a Catholic after being baptized during his mandatory military service, his agency confirmed Wednesday. A representative from Fantagio said Cha received the Catholic sacrament in June, confirming earlier local media reports. According to the reports by News1, the ASTRO member was baptized during a religious ceremony held on his military base as part of faith activities available to service members. Cha enlisted as an active-duty soldier in the Korean Army in July last year and is currently serving in the Army military band. He is scheduled to be discharged in January 2027. The actor has remained in the spotlight even while serving in the military. Earlier this year, he faced controversy over a tax payment dispute. Initial reports claimed authorities had imposed an income tax reassessment of about 20 billion won ($14.7 million), but later reports said he ultimately paid approximately 13 billion won in additional taxes. Cha apologized over the controversy at the time. "I sincerely apologize to my fans and everyone else for the disappointment

Jul 1, 2026By Xportsnews

Cha Eun-woo baptized as Catholic during military service

Seoul expands free weddings, cultural programs at historic houses

Looking to move past the era of treating historic architecture merely as static museum pieces, Seoul metropolitan authorities are opening the heavy wooden doors of the city’s public "hanok" — traditional Korean houses — to become interactive backdrops for contemporary civic life. Starting this summer, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will dramatically scale up community programming across its network of public properties in the historic Bukchon and Seochon neighborhoods, municipal officials said Wednesday. The pivot follows a highly successful spring season that saw over 44,000 visitors, alongside a tidal wave of interest in a new pilot program offering free wedding photo sessions for newlyweds inside designated historic properties. The lottery-based wedding photography initiative initially drew dozens of couples vying for just four slots when the program was launched at the Hong Geon-ik House, one of the city's best examples of a merchant's home from the 1930s. Couples cited a desire to escape the sterile environment of commercial studios in favor of the natural lighting, slopi

Jul 1, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

Seoul expands free weddings, cultural programs at historic houses

Soldier again, mother always

It took years for former Army Staff Sgt. Choi Woo-ri to return to uniform. Leaving the military was never about giving up her dream. It was a decision she made for her family after she and her husband, both career soldiers, struggled to balance military service with raising their three young children. “My discharge wasn’t giving up on my dream. It was simply putting it on hold,” Choi said in an interview with The Korea Times. Choi, who now serves as a long-term standing reservist with the Army’s 60th Infantry Division, said she had wanted to be a soldier since childhood. Her father, a former reconnaissance battalion soldier, was her biggest role model, while lessons from an elementary school teacher about serving the nation left a lasting impression. Learning about the 2010 sinking of ROKS Cheonan while working as a security officer in her early 20s cemented her decision to enlist. Becoming an Army noncommissioned officer in 2011, Choi spent years doing what she had always dreamed of before stepping away from military service to focus on her family. Even after leaving the Army, howe

Jul 1, 2026By Bahk Eun-ji

Trot singer released on parole 5 months early as fans cheer return despite hit-and-run conviction

Trot singer Kim Ho-joong walked free Tuesday after being granted parole, ending his prison term about five months earlier than originally scheduled for his drunk hit-and-run conviction. The singer was greeted by devoted fans outside prison, highlighting the unwavering support he continues to receive despite widespread public criticism over the case. Kim was released Tuesday morning from Somang Correctional Institution in Yeoju after passing a parole review by the Ministry of Justice earlier this month. His original release date had been set for November. Dressed in a black suit and wearing a face mask, Kim left the prison without making any public remarks before getting into a waiting white vehicle. Supporters had gathered outside the correctional facility hours before his release. Fans repeatedly shouted his name as his car departed, while banners reading "My son, you've been through so much. We love you" drew attention. Others held purple banners and signs representing his fan club, Aris, reaffirming their support. According to Kim's agency, the singer's immediate priority will be reco

Jun 30, 2026By Xportsnews

Trot singer released on parole 5 months early as fans cheer return despite hit-and-run conviction

PHOTO Korea Times hosts visa information webinar for international students

Lee Seong-je, top right, a career development specialist at the Korea International Trade Association, speaks during an online seminar on visas, employment and long-term stay for international students in Korea, Thursday. The event was the second webinar in a series hosted by The Korea Times to help international students better navigate life in the country. Dozens of students from across Korea attended the session. Screenshot from the Zoom seminar

Jun 30, 2026By Ahn Seong-jin

[PHOTO] Korea Times hosts visa information webinar for international students

Photo of Gaya tombs wins top prize in UNESCO heritage photo contest

A photograph of tombs from the Gaya Confederacy (42 B.C. – A.D. 562) in southeastern Korea won the Grand Prize in the Discover Korea's World Heritage Photo Contest, according to The Korea Times, Monday. The competition was hosted by The Korea Times in collaboration with the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) ahead of the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which will be held in Busan from July 19 to 29. Korea is home to 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites and 12 tentative sites. Participants were invited to submit photographs featuring one of the country's World Heritage or tentative sites. From a total of 576 entries, The Korea Times and the KHS selected 60 winners. Grand Prize winner Tim Schilstra of Canada captured the Songhak-dong Tumuli in Goseong, South Gyeongsang Province, one of the seven burial sites that make up the Gaya Tumuli, which were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023. The burial mounds belonged to the Gaya Confederacy, a polity that flourished in the southeastern Korean Peninsula during the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C. – A.D. 668) but is oft

Jun 30, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min

Photo of Gaya tombs wins top prize in UNESCO heritage photo contest

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists wins Miwon Peace Prize

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was named this year's winner of the Miwon Peace Prize. The nonprofit organization was founded in 1945 by Manhattan Project scientists including Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer and is best known for its Doomsday Clock. Organizers announced the winner on Monday, citing the group's decades-long efforts to raise awareness of existential threats and reshape how the world understands risk. The Doomsday Clock, created as a symbolic measure of how close humans are to causing their own catastrophic disruption, stands at 85 seconds to midnight as of 2026 — the closest it has ever been to the symbolic destruction represented by the end of the countdown. The Bulletin integrates threats including nuclear weapons, climate change and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence into that single global signal. The award, established by the Kyung Hee University system and its affiliated organizations, honors individuals or institutions whose work advances peace and the future of humanity. It commemorates the legacy of Kyung Hee’s late founder

Jun 29, 2026By Jung Min-ho

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists wins Miwon Peace Prize

Daegu sets stage for global push with chicken and beer festival lineup

Daegu is turning its signature summer festival into a global spectacle this year, unveiling the performance lineup and opening ceremony details for the 2026 Daegu CHIMAC Festival as it seeks to cement its status as an international tourism draw centered on the classic combination of chicken and beer. The city said Monday the opening ceremony will be held at 7:30 p.m. on July 1 at 2·28 Freedom Square in Duryu Park, located in Dalseo District. A central feature of the ceremony will be the unveiling of a large illuminated “chicken and beer globe,” a symbolic installation representing the festival’s ambitions. The main stage will host nightly performances from K-pop and indie artists. The lineup includes FT Island on July 1, N.Flying on July 2, 10cm on July 3, rappers Wonstein and Hangzoo on July 4, and comedian Park Myung-soo with singer-songwriter Car, the Garden on July 5. Organizers said paid seats at the main venue sold out within 11 minutes of reservations becoming available, reflecting strong demand for the event. The 2·28 Democracy Movement Memorial parking area will be transfo

Jun 29, 2026By Lee Kyung-min

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