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Meet Korea’s pioneering ‘instant noodle critic’

For many, instant noodles are a quick, cheap meal designed for convenience. But for Ji Young-jun, Korea's pioneering "ramyeon critic," they represent a lifetime of history, complex food science and a rapidly growing cultural phenomenon. Ji’s unconventional journey into the world of noodles began during a period of personal frustration. After enduring consecutive failures on Korea's grueling college entrance exam, he enlisted in the military. It was while wandering the aisles of the military commissary (PX) that he found an unexpected spark of inspiration. "Before finishing my service, I set a humble goal for myself: 'Let’s taste every single instant noodle available here,'" Ji recalls during an interview with The Korea Times, Monday. "Astonishingly, that simple objective completely revitalized my military life and filled it with excitement. I wanted to carry this amazing energy into the civilian world, so in 2013, I began sharing my detailed reviews on social media." For a decade, Ji balanced his passion for instant noodles with a stable career as a primary school teacher. However,

Jun 23, 2026By Park Jin-hai
Meet Korea’s pioneering ‘instant noodle critic’

Hidden treasure trove opens its doors as Seoul unveils first integrated heritage vault

A vast repository of art, history and cultural treasures usually kept out of public view is preparing to welcome visitors for the first time. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday that the Seoul Cultural Heritage Center Hoengseong, the city’s first integrated storage facility for museum and gallery collections, will conduct a pilot operation through July 22, ahead of its official opening in September. Located in Hoengseong County in Gangwon Province, the center was built to consolidate, preserve, research and share cultural assets held by Seoul’s museums and art institutions. During the monthlong trial period, visitors will be able to freely explore key public spaces, including an open storage area, outdoor exhibition grounds and a reference room. Admission is free, and the facility will operate from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, except Mondays. The center currently stores about 70,000 artifacts and artworks and has the capacity to hold as many as 720,000 items. Among its most distinctive features is an open storage facility displaying about 2,600 objects from major institutions, inc

Jun 22, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Hidden treasure trove opens its doors as Seoul unveils first integrated heritage vault

Korea National Park Service to offer themed eco-tours this summer

The Korea National Park Service (KNPS) said Monday it will run a series of themed ecological tours across the country's national parks from July 4 through Nov. 30, offering activities designed around valleys, coastal waters and local culture. The program, called "National Park Themed Ecological Tourism," groups excursions under four categories: ecological travel, historical and cultural travel, scenic travel and family travel. Eight parks are participating, including Juwangsan, Dadohaehaesang, Sokrisan, Gyeongju, Hallyeohaesang, Seoraksan, Woraksan and Wolchulsan. Two tours stand out for summer. At Juwangsan National Park, the "Jeolgol Valley Splash Walk" — a first for KNPS programs — allows visitors to wade through the valley's stream while observing freshwater ecosystems among the park's gorges and cliffs. The program runs July through August; starting in September, it transitions to fall foliage walks and local apple-picking. At Hallyeohaesang National Park, the "Seasonal Hallyeo Journey" takes participants island-hopping among the park's scenic islands — Bijindo, Manjido and Yeon

Jun 22, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea National Park Service to offer themed eco-tours this summer

Seoul’s historic heart offers 11 ways to trace its history

In a metropolis dominated by soaring glass towers and subterranean transit arteries, one downtown district is making a refreshing case for slowing down and traveling on foot. This season, the Jung District office in central Seoul is launching an expanded lineup of 11 curated walking tours designed to transform the city's historic core into an open-air museum. Running through November, the initiative builds on a highly successful pilot program that drew more than 9,400 participants last year, boasting a near-perfect 96.9 percent satisfaction rate among urban explorers. The crown jewel of this year’s rollout is the newly minted "Yi Sun-sin Road: Birth of a Hero." The 1.3-kilometer thematic trail traces the early footsteps of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, Korea’s legendary 16th-century naval commander. Starting at Euljiro 3-ga subway station, the 90-minute trek leads history buffs past the admiral's birthplace monument at Myeongbo crossroad, through the bustling aisles of the traditional Jungbu Market, and terminates at the historic Hadogam military camp site. For those seeking a blend of archit

Jun 21, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul’s historic heart offers 11 ways to trace its history

Seoul's Jung District prescribes forests to cure urban burnout

For residents of Seoul’s dense architectural core, the relentless landscape of Jung District offers little spatial reprieve. Yet looming just above the financial district's glass towers is a sprawling forest canopy. This year, local authorities are seeking to leverage that proximity to nature, transforming the southern slopes of Mount Nam into an expansive, open-air wellness sanctuary. The Jung District Office announced it will run a suite of free forest leisure programs along the Namsan Sky Forest Trail through November. The initiative, which logged satisfaction rates as high as 97 percent among participants last year, seeks to alleviate urban burnout through specialized ecological therapy, organized trekking and youth sensory education. At the center of this season's push is a newly minted forest therapy program led by certified instructors. Designed to lower stress and restore emotional stability, the sessions guide urbanites through barefoot trail walking, deep meditation and outdoor tea ceremonies. Operating four times a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the

Jun 19, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul's Jung District prescribes forests to cure urban burnout

Suburban Seoul walking trail finds its rhythm under banner of Czech icon

Seoul’s Seocho District has launched a new music-themed walking trail along Yangjae Stream, combining natural scenery with curated audio content to create a unique recreational experience for residents and visitors. The project, called the Havel Music Walk, stretches along the upper embankment trail between Havel Bench and Yeongdong 1 Bridge. The route takes its name from Vaclav Havel, the late playwright, dissident and first president of the Czech Republic, whose legacy of human rights and cultural diplomacy is memorialized along the stream. The starting point features a "Havel’s Place" installation — a public memorial bench and table design found in major global cities to promote dialogue and democratic ideals. District officials said the initiative is designed to transform Yangjae Stream from a simple walking path into a cultural waterfront destination where nature and the arts can be enjoyed together. The trail's theme, "The Melody of Culture Flowing on the Waves of Yangjae Stream," is reflected in a series of audio installations positioned along the route. The system is desig

Jun 18, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Suburban Seoul walking trail finds its rhythm under banner of Czech icon

Seoul opens 6 Han River park pools, water playgrounds for summer season

Seoul will open six outdoor swimming pools and water playgrounds along the Han River starting Friday, offering residents and tourists a popular urban escape from the summer heat. The facilities — located at Ttukseom, Yeouido, Jamsil, Gwangnaru, Nanji and Yanghwa parks — will operate through Aug. 30, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The sites are part of the city's extensive Han River park system, a major recreational destination that stretches across the capital. The city said more than 552,000 visitors used the facilities last year, a 77 percent increase from 2024, highlighting growing demand for affordable outdoor leisure activities in Seoul. Most locations will operate daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with extended evening hours until 10 p.m. from July 3 through Aug. 30 at selected venues, including Ttukseom, Yeouido, Jamsil and Nanji. Operations may be suspended during severe weather events, including typhoons, heavy rainfall or poor air quality conditions. City officials have also prepared special summer programs, including live acoustic guitar performances, orchestral

Jun 18, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul opens 6 Han River park pools, water playgrounds for summer season

Korea rebrands as weekend getaway to draw returning Chinese tourists

A growing number of Chinese travelers are turning Korea into a weekend destination, and tourism officials are moving quickly to capitalize on the trend with new marketing campaigns aimed at encouraging shorter but more frequent trips. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it is strengthening promotions tied to expanded multiple-entry visa programs, highlighting weekend travel, regional tourism and solo travel experiences for visitors from China and Southeast Asia. Since March 30, Korea and the Ministry of Justice have eased visa requirements for travelers who have previously visited Korea, issuing five-year multiple-entry visas to eligible Chinese and Southeast Asian nationals and 10-year multiple-entry visas to residents of 14 major Chinese cities, the ministry said. According to data from Korea Visa Application Centers in China, the number of general tourism multiple-entry visas issued in April rose 10 percent from March following the policy change. Chinese online travel platform Ctrip also recorded an 80 percent increase in multiple-entry visa applications in April compared

Jun 18, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Korea rebrands as weekend getaway to draw returning Chinese tourists

Korea plans new map for travelers, guided by K-drama scripts

Korea’s booming television industry has usually acted as an accidental travel agent, turning quiet provincial corners into bustling tourist hot spots overnight. Now, tourism officials and studio executives are trying to codify that cultural alchemy into a deliberate economic engine. The Korea Tourism Organization signed a joint agreement Wednesday with Studio Dragon, the country’s largest television production house, aimed at systematically channeling global fandom directly into regional economies. Under the new agreement, the two organizations plan to integrate a tourism strategy directly into the preproduction phase of upcoming dramas. Rather than capitalizing on a show's location after it becomes a hit, scenic regional backdrops and narrative elements will be mapped with travel in mind before a single scene is shot. The cornerstone of the initiative is the creation of the “Hallyu Olle Trail,” a network of curated travel routes across Korea's provinces. The project aims to link filming locations nationwide using symbolic installations and interactive spaces, effectively mappin

Jun 18, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea plans new map for travelers, guided by K-drama scripts

Munich’s iconic Oktoberfest is coming to Seoul — with official approval from Germany

The spirit of Munich’s world-famous Oktoberfest is set to arrive in Seoul this fall, as organizers prepare to bring Germany’s celebrated folk festival to the Korean capital, with official authorization to use the Oktoberfest name. Deutsche Oktoberfest Korea said Wednesday that Oktoberfest Seoul 2026 will take place from Sept. 11-20 at the Oil Tank Culture Park in Seoul’s Mapo District. The organizer said it recently obtained approval from the City of Munich to use the “Oktoberfest Seoul” name, marking a significant step in its effort to recreate the traditions and atmosphere of Germany’s largest cultural festival. The event is intended to introduce the heritage of Oktoberfest, one of Bavaria’s best-known cultural traditions, while expanding cultural exchanges between Korea and Germany. Visitors will be able to sample beers associated with Munich’s Oktoberfest, including Paulaner, alongside traditional Bavarian foods such as schweinshaxe, or pork knuckle, pretzels and weisswurst, or white sausage. The festival will also feature German folk music performances, appearances by

Jun 17, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Munich’s iconic Oktoberfest is coming to Seoul — with official approval from Germany
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