Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Why Korea’s craft beer boom lost momentum

Gompyo Wheat Beer helped make craft beer mainstream at Korean convenience stores. Six years later, the beer that symbolized the category’s breakout success is being discontinued. Daehan Flour Mills, the flour maker that owns the Gompyo trademark, is leaving the beer business. The move aims to resolve a three-year dispute with former partner Sevenbrau over alleged technology leaks. Industry officials say the decline reflects a broader market downturn. Craft beer grew rapidly through novelty branding and convenience store distribution, but lost momentum as consumer tastes shifted. The viral wheat beer, a nationwide hit that sold 60 million cans over three years, will disappear once existing inventory runs out. While Daehan Flour Mills cites the Sevenbrau dispute as the official reason, industry insiders point to a more complex reality. Craft beer sales have weakened, and the Gompyo brand has lost its former strength. The trademark holder had little incentive to maintain the business amid an ongoing legal battle. The retreat, however, is not limited to a single brand. Craft beers that domi

May 9, 2026By Hankookilbo

Why Korea’s craft beer boom lost momentum

Gov't tightens oversight of travel agencies to curb low-cost ‘dumping’ tours

The National Assembly passed a sweeping amendment to the Tourism Promotion Act, in an effort to sanitize a tourism industry long plagued by predatory "dumping" practices and the disappearance of travelers into the underground labor market. The legislation, announced Friday by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, targets the country’s "designated travel agencies" — firms specifically licensed to handle large-scale tour groups from countries with which Korea maintains bilateral tourism agreements. For years, the sector has been haunted by so-called "zero-dollar tours," where agencies lure travelers with impossibly cheap packages, only to recoup losses by forcing visitors into aggressive shopping excursions at designated boutiques. Under the new law, such coercive tactics are now strictly forbidden. The amendment explicitly bans agencies from taking excessive commissions from shops or using those kickbacks to pay the wages of tour guides — a practice that often led guides to harass tourists into making purchases. Agencies found in violation face a suspension of operations fo

May 8, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

Gov't tightens oversight of travel agencies to curb low-cost ‘dumping’ tours

How to enjoy Korean amusement parks like locals

On any given weekend, Korea's theme parks fill with the familiar sounds of roller coasters and the chatter of crowds — but look a little closer, and something else begins to stand out. Groups of young visitors pause not at the entrance to rides, but in front of mirrors. Couples adjust matching headbands before posing for photos. Friends scroll through their phones, reviewing shots taken moments earlier, debating which are worth posting. In Korea, a trip to a theme park is no longer defined by what you ride; it is shaped just as much by what you wear, how you document the day and who you share it with. What might appear at first glance to be a conventional leisure activity has, over time, evolved into a distinctly Korean form of social experience, one that the country's parks are increasingly being built around. Theme parks weren't always high on the list of Korean tourist destinations. But with the popularity of Korean dramas and films, an increasing number of visitors are including a theme park visit on their itinerary. The Korea Times offers tips on how to make the most of the experi

May 8, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min

How to enjoy Korean amusement parks like locals

Why comedian Lee Young-ja grows basil in her countryside home

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. Comedian Lee Young-ja recently showed off the basil she grows at home herself. In a recent video uploaded to her YouTube channel, Lee named basil as one of her favorite foods. Showing the basil she personally grows, she said, “The aroma is so good,” adding, “This year, I’m going to make basil pesto with it.” Basil is especially popular among beginner home gardeners because it is easy to grow and can be used in a variety of dishes, such as pasta and salads. Its signature fragrant taste and aroma enhance the flavor of food. Basil is also rich in nutrients known to help reduce inflammation and provide antioxidant benefits. Basil contains high levels of rosmarinic acid, a compound with anti-inflammatory properties. Rosmarinic acid is found in herbs such as mint and rosemary. It is known to help relieve not only general inflammation but also conditions such as arthritis and ulcers. Basil leaves are also rich in vitamin K, a nutrient that helps prevent bleeding and strengthen bones. Vitamin K can regulate inflammatory responses in the body a

May 7, 2026By Kormedi.com

Why comedian Lee Young-ja grows basil in her countryside home

Where East Asia's night skies still shine

A sky dark enough to clearly view the Milky Way has become so rare in East Asia that communities now treat darkness as a natural resource worth protecting. DarkSky International recognizes places that reduce light pollution and preserve views of starry skies. The organization evaluates the faintest stars visible to the naked eye, the brightness of the night sky and the impact of artificial lighting. In practice, the sky must usually be dark enough for visitors to clearly view the Milky Way. Its certified sites include "sanctuaries," "reserves," "parks," "communities" and "urban places." Those places must meet sky-quality standards and provide regular public access, while communities and urban sites focus more on local efforts to reduce light pollution than on pristine viewing conditions alone. Across East Asia, DarkSky International has designated only five sites as International Dark Sky Parks. They include one in Korea, two in Japan, one in Taiwan and one in mainland China. The list shows that darkness now depends not only on geography, but also on dark sky-friendly fixtures, lighting

May 6, 2026By Hankookilbo

Where East Asia's night skies still shine

Seoul’s Changdeok Palace opens for silent morning strolls

Changdeokgung, the storied “Palace of Prosperous Virtue,” is widely revered as the most quintessentially Korean of the Joseon Dynasty’s royal residences. The palace was designed to harmonize with the undulating topography of Mount Bugak, making it a masterpiece of East Asian landscape architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage site. On Tuesday, the Korea Heritage Service announced a rare opportunity to experience this architecture in its purest form through a series of docent-free morning strolls through the palace’s fabled Secret Garden. The program, aptly titled “mueon jajeok (silent walk)," will run from May 14 to 17. For 90 minutes each morning, starting at 7:30 a.m., a small group of participants will be permitted to wander the historic grounds before the heavy gates swing open to the general public. In a departure from typical docent-led tours, the experience is designed as an exercise in "viewing through emptiness." There will be no narration and no historical lectures. Instead, visitors are invited to walk at their own pace, letting the morning light, the burble of gard

May 6, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

Seoul’s Changdeok Palace opens for silent morning strolls

London’s new Korean food festival tests authenticity in K-wave era

LONDON — What was billed as London’s largest Korean food festival quickly drew overwhelming crowds and long lines. Held over the May bank holiday weekend from Friday to Monday near King’s Cross, Jung Korean Food Festival brought together around 30 vendors, including hot food stalls, dessert teams and sponsored brands including Jongga and Bibigo. The event was co-organized by Korean cultural platform Market Root, which hosts pop-up events showcasing Korean and Korean-inspired designers and brands, and food content creator Rollin Lee. The festival gained lots of traction online even before opening day, but as videos of packed walkways and hourlong lines began circulating on social media, the scale of interest became clearer. A timed entry system was introduced for the remaining days as additional crowd control measures, highlighting both the demand for the event and the challenges of managing it. Some visitors gave up without entering, while others — especially those who traveled from outside London — expressed frustration at the long waits. Several stalls sold out early, sugges

May 4, 2026By Jiji Ahn

London’s new Korean food festival tests authenticity in K-wave era

Sports tourism becomes Korea’s next big ticket as fans turn games into getaways

Sports tourism is emerging as the travel industry’s next big hit in Korea, powered by fandom-driven travel trends, healthier lifestyles and a shift toward trips with a clear purpose. Once a niche for die-hard fans, “direct viewing” trips — in which travelers build their itinerary around a specific game or athlete — are now moving into the mainstream. From Gen Z office workers to middle‑aged sports lovers, more Koreans are choosing when and where to travel based on game schedules instead of cherry blossoms or shopping districts. Travel agencies are racing to catch up. NOL Universe, the country's largest tour operator, is currently developing five categories of sports‑focused products, ranging from European football league packages and U.S. professional sports such as MLB, NBA and NFL, to World Cup, Olympics and Asian Games cheering tours, fan meeting-linked products and motorsports trips. The company has already tested the waters with a fan meeting and live game tour built around national basketball team member Lee Hyun‑jung in Japan’s B.League early this year, followed

May 4, 2026By Lee Hae-rin

Sports tourism becomes Korea’s next big ticket as fans turn games into getaways

To revive remote outposts, gov't offers incentives for island hoppers

Seeking to bolster economies in its more remote regions, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety designated 2026 as the Year of Island Visits and said Monday it will offer travelers subsidies of up to 100,000 won ($72) to encourage tourism across the country’s various island communities. The initiative is the first of its kind and represents a broader effort to draw national attention to the tourism potential of Korea’s archipelagos. By increasing visitor traffic, officials hope to support balanced regional development in areas that often sit in the shadow of major urban centers. According to the ministry, the subsidies will be available for tourists who stay at least one night on an island during the peak summer months of July and August. The program will also coincide with the 2026 World Island Exhibition Yeosu Korea, an international event running from Sept. 5 through Nov. 4. A dedicated website, www.visitisland.kr, is scheduled to launch on May 18 to provide application details and eligibility criteria. The national program is being paired with a local campaign in South Jeolla P

May 4, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

To revive remote outposts, gov't offers incentives for island hoppers

Yumi in Busan: Guide to Kim Go-eun’s dreamy filming locations

In the popular tvN original series "Yumi’s Cells" Season 3, starring Kim Go-eun, the story delicately follows the protagonist’s emotional journey against the backdrop of Busan — ranging from seaside resorts and vintage bookstore alleys to pastel-hued, charming villages. The series, following Yumi (Kim), a successful author whose dormant romantic instincts are reawakened by the arrival of her editor Soon-rok (Kim Jae-won), portrays Busan as a warm travel destination that feels both exotic and nostalgic with the coziness of old-world spaces. If scenes from the drama keep playing in your head, why not head to the very spots that made your heart flutter? Here is a look at the Busan travel destinations that awakened Yumi's interest in love. Ananti at Busan Cove The setting for the group's workshop serves as the pivotal stage where Yumi and Soon-rok build their "slow-burn" connection, heightening their subtle chemistry before the sparks officially fly. The resort where they stay immediately caught viewers' eyes with its exotic vistas and spacious suites. In one poignant scene, Yumi watche

May 1, 2026By Park Jin-hai

Travel & Food