Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Egyptian artist bridges cultures in Seoul exhibition

Cairo-born artist Dina Fahmy El Rouby presented her works in an exhibition at the Egyptian Embassy in Korea over the weekend, celebrating the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Egypt. Titled "From Nile to Han," the now-concluded exhibition featured 45 works, including calligraphy and oil paintings. Some pieces incorporate augmented reality, allowing viewers to enjoy immersive experiences. “When selecting the artworks (for this exhibition), I wanted to create a connection between the two nations. So I thought a lot about colors,” El Rouby told The Korea Times in an interview in Seoul, Monday. “I tried to integrate, for instance, the Korean flag’s blue, red and white with Egyptian or Pharaonic symbols like the key of life, the Eye of Horus or the lotus flower.” She explained the lotus flower symbolizes eternity, while the Eye of Horus means protection, health and restoration. The exhibition is part of a series of events the embassy is hosting this year to promote Egyptian culture in Korea. A separate exhibition, "Egyptian Pharaohs: From Cheops to Ramesses I

Jun 17, 2025By Kim Se-jeong

Egyptian artist bridges cultures in Seoul exhibition

How a former fashion worker built a hit bagel cafe in her late 40s

It’s been nearly four years since London Bagel Museum opened its doors in Anguk-dong, Seoul, but the lines outside the store show no signs of letting up. What began in 2021 as a bagel cafe has grown into a cultural landmark — a place where taste and ambiance meet in rare harmony. Behind this phenomenon is Ryo (real name Lee Hyo-jung), a 51-year-old creative director who also founded popular cafes Artist Bakery, High West and Layered. This month, she released a personal essay collection titled “Philosophy Ryo,” which gathers over a decade of her reflections shared on social media, accompanied by her own photos and illustrations. But this is no how-to guide for running a successful cafe. Rather, Ryo describes her book as a private journal on the “courage to live as one’s true self.” At a press event held on Monday at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, she explained her philosophy behind creating beloved spaces: “I never set out to make trends or carefully brand anything. I just kept asking myself what I genuinely liked, and what I wanted to do. It turns out my tastes resonate

Jun 17, 2025By Hankookilbo

How a former fashion worker built a hit bagel cafe in her late 40s

Korean Dream Hangang Grand Festival to be held on Liberation Day

The Korean Dream Hangang Grand Festival is set to take place along the Han River on Aug. 15, the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese occupation. It also marks the 80th anniversary of the two Koreas’ division. According to the festival’s organizing committee, Friday, it will host the event at Ttukseom Hangang Park on National Liberation Day under the theme “Beyond the Miracle on the Han River, to National Harmony and a Unified Korea.” “The Korean Dream Hangang Grand Festival will be more than an event for the country’s 80th anniversary of independence. This will be a gateway to national harmony. People will discuss the country’s future and vision here,” former Prime Minister Chung Un-chan said during a press conference for the festival at the Press Center in central Seoul, Friday. Chung serves as president of the Korean Dream Hangang Grand Festival’s organizing committee. “This year is also the 80th anniversary of the two Koreas’ division. The festival will be a turning point for the two Koreas’ unification.” Along with Chung, former deputy speak

Jun 14, 2025By Jhoo Dong-chan

Korean Dream Hangang Grand Festival to be held on Liberation Day

From heiress of retail mogul to idol: K-pop rookie Annie opens up about family’s opposition

Annie, a member of the soon-to-debut k-pop group ALLDAY PROJECT under The Black Label, has opened up about the strong opposition she faced from her family before pursuing her dream of becoming a singer. In a video titled “ALLDAY PROJECT – ‘DAY 1,’” released on the group’s official YouTube channel on June 13, Annie and her fellow members — Tarzzan, Bailey, Woochan, and Youngseo — shared their thoughts and emotions ahead of their upcoming debut. Annie, whose real name is Moon Seo-yoon, recalled first falling in love with K-pop at the age of seven after watching BigBang and 2NE1’s music video for “Lollipop.” “It was a total shock — it felt like a new world had opened up to me,” she said. “I instantly knew that I wanted to do what they were doing.” However, her early excitement was met with skepticism at home. “One day, I casually asked my mom, ‘What would you think if I became a singer?’ and she just laughed and said, ‘No way,’” Annie recalled. “That’s when I realized it wasn’t going to be easy.” When she later brought up the topic more s

Jun 14, 2025By Xportsnews

From heiress of retail mogul to idol: K-pop rookie Annie opens up about family’s opposition

Fans flock to BTS Festa amid growing hopes for full-group comeback

As BTS' 2019 hit single "Mikrokosmos" filled the air with soft beats for a brief lighting show around noon Friday, a wave of excitement swept through a big exhibition hall at KINTEX in Goyang, just northwest of Seoul. Fans erupted in delight, quickly immersing themselves in the moment. Many raised their phones to capture photos of a massive screen on one wall, while simultaneously waving their signature light sticks, known as "Army Bombs," with the other hand. As the screen began to show the members' faces one by one, the crowd responded with even louder cheers and emotional reactions. The event is part of the annual BTS Festa — a hybrid celebration held both online and in person to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the K-pop supergroup's debut on June 13. The two-day in-person portion opened Friday, transforming the area around KINTEX into a sea of purple as fans dressed in violet T-shirts, carrying matching parasols or handmade accessories, lined up from the early morning. Organizers say this year's edition is the biggest yet, buoyed by the fact that six of the seven members have al

Jun 13, 2025By Yonhap

Fans flock to BTS Festa amid growing hopes for full-group comeback

Gov't to issue AI copyright guidelines amid growing legal disputes

The government will publish new guidelines on the copyright of contents produced by generative artificial intelligence (AI) at the end of June to address escalating global copyright disputes and mounting legal and policy challenges driven by the rapid adoption of AI in creative industries. On Friday, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, together with the Korea Copyright Commission, convened the second meeting of the AI-related copyright system improvement council to discuss legal uncertainties surrounding the use of copyrighted materials for AI training and the copyright status of AI-generated outputs. Launched in March, the council brought together representatives from the AI industry, rights-holder organizations, academia, legal experts and government officials. Its primary goal is to address emerging copyright issues in the AI era and propose legislative reforms. The ministry said discussions covered insights from sub-committees and the latest international trends during the meeting. Notably, they reviewed two draft guides — one set for copyright registration of generative

Jun 13, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

Gov't to issue AI copyright guidelines amid growing legal disputes

Chinese student, French pansori musician win Sustainable K-Style Korean Communication Contest

A Chinese student from Korea University and a French pansori (Korean narrative music) performer were named winners of the Sustainable K-Style Korean Communication Contest organized by the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) in Seoul on Thursday. The event, aimed at fostering cross-cultural understanding through Korean culture, was led by Choi Jung-wha, the president of CICI, who was recently awarded the Legion of Honour at the rank of Officier by the French government. Cui Meiling of China won the grand prize with her presentation on "jeong" — a Korean concept of emotional connection. “Jeong may not be flashy, but it lingers for a long time. It can't be explained by logic, yet it has the power to move the heart. The reason K-dramas bring tears to the eyes of people around the world, and why K-pop fandoms are connected through acts of giving and care, is because they are infused with jeong,” Cui said during her presentation. French pansori performer Laure Mafo highlighted the beauty and depth of the traditional Korean art form and briefly showcased a performance to demonstrat

Jun 13, 2025By Kim Se-jeong

Chinese student, French pansori musician win Sustainable K-Style Korean Communication Contest

Seoul hosts regional round of int'l student speech competition

The Seoul regional preliminaries of the Korean Speech Contest for International Students opened last week and will continue through next Friday. The grand prize winner will go on to represent Seoul in the national round of the contest. All award recipients will also become eligible for support programs aimed at helping international students adjust to life in the capital. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is now accepting applications, and the winners of the speech contest will be used to select the city’s delegate to the APEC Summit for University Students, scheduled for August in North Gyeongsang Province. The summit is hosted by the Ministry of Education and organized by the provincial government, and is where the finals for the competition will be held. Applicants must choose one of four topics related to “Studying in Seoul” and submit a written speech using the designated form. Presentations should be about three minutes long. The topics are: "My dream job," "A unique idea to promote studying in Seoul," "My success story as a student in Seoul" and "My most memorable experienc

Jun 13, 2025By Park Ung

Seoul hosts regional round of int'l student speech competition

Medicon Festival lures global influencers, showcases Korea’s beauty power

Although Ale Anjos — a Brazilian content creator with more than 470,000 followers who shares her life in Korea and beauty tips — was already well acquainted with the country’s medical and cosmetic industry, she was still struck by how advanced its plastic surgery diagnostics have become. “You can see every detail of your skin. It was really impressive,” Anjos told The Korea Times, describing a 3D face scan that analyzed her skin, predicted aging patterns, and assessed her skin's biological age. “They scan your face, and it shows when you're likely to age, all your bad spots, your good spots, and the age of your skin. At least for me, I had good results.” Anjos was one of some 150 social media influencers from around the world who gathered in Seoul on Wednesday for the 2025 Medicon Festival — an event aimed at showcasing Korea’s advanced cosmetic procedures and state-of-the-art plastic surgery industry, part of the country’s growing push into global medical tourism. Now in its second year, the event highlighted the rise of Korea’s beauty-focused medical tourism indu

Jun 12, 2025By Park Ung

Medicon Festival lures global influencers, showcases Korea’s beauty power

Air Force doctor helps troops fight smoking with grit and trust

For Lt. Col. Kim Young-jin, commander of the medical battalion at the Air Force’s 20th Fighter Wing, tackling smoking isn’t about strict enforcement — it’s about empathy, persistence and meeting people where they are. Recognized with a health minister’s award on World No Tobacco Day, Kim has quietly led a shift in attitudes toward smoking within the base where she serves. Since joining the military as a nurse officer in 2007, she has organized mobile counseling sessions, lunchtime campaigns and informal conversations with troops. “You can sense it — people are changing, little by little,” she said. What sets her approach apart is its accessibility. Realizing that rigid clinic hours don’t suit military life, Kim brought counseling directly to the troops. More recently, she launched a task force with security and safety teams to reevaluate smoking zones and reduce secondhand smoke exposure. She also plans to expand cancer screenings — currently limited to pilots — to include their families. “When you see possible cancer risks in your children, it changes how you thin

Jun 11, 2025By Bahk Eun-ji

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