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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.

IFEX Philippines 2025 features 500 exhibitors, traders in food, beverage

The International Food, Beverage and Ingredients Exhibition (IFEX) Philippines ended on a high note with the participation of key industry stakeholders, including manufacturers, suppliers and support organizations. Organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the Philippines’ largest international food, beverage and ingredients trade show ran from Thursday to Saturday in the World Trade Center Metro exhibition halls in the country's capital, Manila. CITEM is an export promotion government agency under the Southeast Asian country’s Department of Trade and Industry. The yearly exhibition has played a pivotal role in the food and beverage industry since its inception in 2004 as a networking instrument for export-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises of not only the Philippines’ but also overseas firms. According to CITEM on Monday, the trade show featured over 500 food exhibitors nationwide and welcomed global trade buyers, partner agencies, the diplomatic community and other guests. The Philippines’ first lady Louise Araneta-Marcos was amo

May 26, 2025By Jhoo Dong-chan
IFEX Philippines 2025 features 500 exhibitors, traders in food, beverage

Sustainable, balanced growth in food, beverage industry eyed at IFEX Philippines

The most notable feature of this year’s International Food, Beverage and Ingredients Exhibition (IFEX) Philippines was its co-hosting with the Sustainability Solutions Exchange (SSX) Exhibition and Conference, a platform in the country aiming to empower and prioritize environmental and social responsibility in the food sector and other essential industries. Both events were hosted and organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), an export promotion government agency under the Southeast Asian country’s Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). According to the CITEM Monday, the SSX Exhibition and Conference was held at the Philippine Trade Training Center, running from Thursday to Saturday, and featured industry panels discussing balanced and sustainable growth in the food and beverage industry. This year’s event was highlighted by the launch of the Green Economy Platform, a digital information hub for sustainability stakeholders. This is the latest initiative of the European Union-Philippines partnership toward the country’s efforts to progress

May 26, 2025By Jhoo Dong-chan
Sustainable, balanced growth in food, beverage industry eyed at IFEX Philippines

Busan emerges as Korea’s coffee capital, fueled by champion baristas and coastal charm

“Take a sip of water first, then a shot of espresso. You’ll experience the aroma more vividly as it spreads through your mouth.” That’s the advice of barista Lim Jeong-hwan at Aery Coffee, one of the most talked-about cafes in Busan these days. Lim’s espresso, made with competition-grade beans, bursts with fruity aromas and sweetness that challenge the stereotype of espresso as a bitter drink. Originally from Busan, Lim won the 2024 Korea National Barista Championship and placed fifth in the World Barista Championship. Coffee lovers now travel from across the country just to sample his creations. Busan is quickly earning its title as Korea’s newest coffee hotspot. Local baristas have made names for themselves in national and global competitions, and word of mouth has spread. The city is also geographically positioned for coffee excellence — over 90 percent of imported coffee in Korea clears customs through Busan Port, enabling rapid and cost-effective delivery of fresh beans. With subway access, visitors can easily reach many of the city's top cafes in just 30 minutes. The

May 24, 2025By Hankookilbo
Busan emerges as Korea’s coffee capital, fueled by champion baristas and coastal charm

Leash on, passport ready: Koreans travel abroad with pets in tow

An increasing number of Koreans are choosing to travel abroad with their companion animals, reflecting the growing trend of pet-friendly travel, industry officials said Tuesday. Nearly 15 million people in Korea — close to a quarter of the population — live with companion animals. The Korea Tourism Organization surveyed 2,144 pet owners last year and found that 70.1 percent had traveled with their pets, marking a 4.4 percent increase from 2023. Three out of four pet owners said they are willing to travel with their pets in the future, according to the survey. Mode Tour, the nation’s leading travel agency, unveiled its first pet-friendly international travel package at a recent pet fair, receiving an overwhelmingly positive response. “At this fair, Mode Tour operated a large booth to promote its pet-friendly overseas travel brand, Mode N Pet, showcasing customized packages that allow travelers to explore Vietnam’s top destinations, Da Nang and Nha Trang, with their pets,” the company said. Bound for Vietnam’s Da Nang and Nha Trang, the agency’s package includes dog-friendly

May 21, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Leash on, passport ready: Koreans travel abroad with pets in tow

Korea's top hotel chains bet big on upscale retirement homes

Major hotel chains in Korea are entering the senior residence market, targeting healthier and wealthier older adults, as the country becomes the world’s fastest-aging nation — marked by rising life expectancy and a sharp decline in birthrates. These high-end senior residences offer luxury services typically found in upscale hotels — such as five-star concierge services, housekeeping, meals, health care and cultural and leisure programs — designed to meet the needs of older adults who stay active in their communities and continue to enjoy consumption and leisure pursuits after retirement. Lotte Hotel launched its senior residence brand, Vitality and Liberty (VL), in 2022 and is currently developing properties in Seoul and Busan. Drawing on the five-star hotel’s 50 years of experience, the residence offers 24-hour response services, cleaning and room management and driver-accompanied car rentals. Additionally, 24-hour customized health care services are available through partnerships with Lotte Healthcare and the Bobath Memorial Hospital, part of the Lotte Medical Foundation in S

May 21, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Korea's top hotel chains bet big on upscale retirement homes

Foreigner-only casino Seven Luck shines in restaurant hygiene assessment

Seven Luck Casino at Seoul Dragon City — a foreigner-only casino in Yongsan District, Seoul, operated by Grand Korea Leisure (GKL) — received the highest restaurant hygiene rating from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Monday. This marks the first time a restaurant in a foreigner-only casino in Korea has been awarded the certificate. The ministry’s hygiene rating system assesses the sanitary conditions of restaurants based on inspections conducted by the Korea Food Safety Management Institute. The three-tier system assigns ratings across three levels: “excellent” (three stars), “very good” (two stars) and “good” (one star). “We are delighted that our efforts have been recognized,” said Kim Ik-don, head of the Seoul Dragon City branch of the casino. “Seven Luck Casino will continue to do its best to maintain a high level of service quality and become a popular tourist attraction for foreign visitors.” There are 17 casinos in Korea catering exclusively to foreigners. GKL operates three of them under the name Seven Luck in Seoul and Busan.

May 19, 2025By Lee Hae-rin
Foreigner-only casino Seven Luck shines in restaurant hygiene assessment

Tracing Han Kang's literary journey through Gwangju's darkest days

GWANGJU — Standing in the May 18 Democratic Square in Gwangju, watching jets of water shoot into the air from the plaza's fountain, it is hard not to think of Han Kang, the novelist who surprised the nation after winning the Nobel Prize in literature last year, and her 2014 work, "Human Acts." The fountain's spray, so ordinary on the surface, is the very image Han described after witnessing it during a research trip to the city, refracted through the eyes of Eun-sook, a fictional editor living in 1985, five years after "the incident." Still reeling from its aftermath, Eun-sook lives under an authoritarian regime, enduring state censorship and physical abuse by police. In that suffocating atmosphere, she finds herself briefly recalling the fountain. The water of the fountain, absent during the uprising, is now flowing again. Outraged by the sudden return to normalcy, she remembers picking up a public phone and filing a complaint. How could the city dare turn the water back on, as if nothing had happened? As if the dead had never existed? Nearly 45 years later, the same fountain still sur

May 16, 2025By Pyo Kyung-min
Tracing Han Kang's literary journey through Gwangju's darkest days

Tour program to Panmunjom to be resumed this week

The unification ministry is set to resume its tour program to the truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone this week following its suspension in late 2023 due to military tensions, officials said Thursday. "The government plans to resume the Panmunjom field trip Friday through a special tour program after it was suspended for public safety reasons," a ministry official said. The government had initially halted the Panmunjom tour in July 2023 after U.S. Army Pvt. Travis King crossed the border into North Korea during a tour to the Joint Security Area near the border, resulting in heightened military tensions. In November that year, the tour was partially resumed, but it was completely suspended again about a week later as North Korean soldiers on duty in the North's part of Panmunjom began carrying heavy firearms, pushing up military tensions in the border area. Since then, only foreigners, including foreign Korean War veterans, have been allowed to visit Panmunjom through an irregular tour program, while it has remained off-limits to South Koreans. As part of the upcoming resu

May 15, 2025By Yonhap
Tour program to Panmunjom to be resumed this week

Historic Korean diplomatic boat arrives in Osaka, rekindling cultural ties

OSAKA, Japan — A reconstructed wooden boat reenacting the voyages of diplomatic missions during the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty arrived in Osaka, Japan, Tuesday, helping to celebrate the 60th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan. The boat departed from Busan on April 28, sailing 1,311 kilometers across the Korea Strait to Osaka via Japan's Tsushima Island and the cities of Shimonoseki, Kure, Fukuyama and Tatsuno. Called "Joseon Tongsinsa," the Joseon-era diplomatic mission included diplomats, scholars, musicians, writers, artists and others who served as cultural ambassadors. The last voyage to Osaka was in 1764. “No better symbol represents the strong ties between Korea and Japan than the Joseon Tongsinsa,” said Culture Minister Yu In-chon during a ceremony welcoming the boat’s arrival in Osaka. “Today, younger generations in Korea and Japan enjoy each other’s music, dramas, films and animations, transcending geographical boundaries, which will lay the foundation for future relations.” Osaka city government officials and residents also attende

May 13, 2025By Kim Se-jeong
Historic Korean diplomatic boat arrives in Osaka, rekindling cultural ties
  • PHOTOS Korea Day at Osaka Expo 2025

Let the wind take you this spring — soar over Yangpyeong with paragliding

“It might feel like flying is nothing at all,” said a guide, smiling as if to calm the nerves of first-timers. The journey to my first paragliding experience began not in the sky, but on a rough, narrow mountain trail snaking up the side of Mount Yumyeong (863.9 meters) in Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi Province — dubbed a “paragliding sanctuary.” On the morning of May 4, six of us boarded a 1-ton truck en route to the launch site, bumping along the unpaved road. Tension was already thick in the air. Perhaps the bumpy ride was meant to take our minds off the flight ahead. Yangpyeong: A haven for flight Yangpyeong, located just 30 minutes from Seoul by train, is a popular weekend retreat for city dwellers. From Dumulmeori — the scenic meeting point of the Bukhan and Namhan rivers — to Mount Yongmun, the area is known for lush landscapes and cozy eateries. But unlike other tourist towns, its skies are often dotted with colorful parachutes. The region’s high elevation and ideal weather conditions — stable wind and temperature — make it perfect for paragliding. Because the s

May 10, 2025By KTimes
Let the wind take you this spring — soar over Yangpyeong with paragliding
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