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People & Events

Dreaming of victory: Seoulites to face off in napping contest

In a city that runs on caffeine and sheer willpower, nearly 200 Seoulites are heading to the banks of the Han River this Saturday for a high-stakes competitive nap. Billed by city officials as a grueling test of "sleep concentration," these elite horizontal athletes will attempt to drift off into deep REM cycles while the rest of the world rudely continues to exist around them. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday that the 2026 Han River Nap Competition will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, at Multiplex Plaza in Yeouido Hangang Park along the Han River. Now in its third year, the event has become one of the city’s more unusual recurring cultural programs, intended to underscore the value of rest in the midst of a fast-paced urban life. A total of 170 participants were recruited from April 16-20, selected from applicants based on submitted personal stories. Competitors will be judged on their ability to maintain deep sleep despite deliberate disruptions — including being tickled with a feather and exposed to the sound of mosquitoes — administered twice during the c

Apr 29, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Dreaming of victory: Seoulites to face off in napping contest
Travel & Food

Seoul's most surreal subway station: unknown story of Noksapyeong Station

The notes of Chopin’s Nocturne drifted up through the deep underground air inside Noksapyeong Station in Seoul on Monday afternoon this week, echoing off curved walls and bouncing against translucent glass banisters. A commuter sat at an upright piano in the concourse — one of the station’s cultural fixtures — and for a few unannounced minutes, the cavernous hall felt less like a subway station and more like a dream that missed its exit. That is precisely the effect Noksapyeong Station tends to have on people. Even after 25 years of operation, Seoul Metro Line 6’s most architecturally audacious station can still make passengers pause mid-escalator, compelled to look up, down or sideways, at a structure that seems more like a science-fiction film set than a city subway system. In a sense, it was built for a world that never quite materialized. Station with grand ambitions When Seoul began constructing its sixth metro line in the mid-1990s, planners had a reason to dream big around the Noksapyeong area. Officials were considering relocating City Hall to the site of the current Yo

Apr 29, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
Seoul's most surreal subway station: unknown story of Noksapyeong Station
Arts & Theater

Galleries from 18 countries to take part in Art Busan next month

The annual Art Busan fair will open for a four-day run in the southeastern city of Busan next month, with about 110 galleries from 18 countries set to take part, organizers said Tuesday. This year's Art Busan, which marks its 15th anniversary, will take place at the BEXCO convention center in Busan, some 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, from May 21-24, according to the organizers. Nearly a quarter of the participating galleries are based overseas, including major players with international branches, such as Gladstone Gallery, Tang Contemporary Art and Whitestone Gallery. More than 30 galleries will join the art fair for the first time, including Hong Kong-based 3812 Gallery, Tokyo-based biscuit gallery and Sydney-based Gallery LNL. To cater to a growing number of young visitors, various activities will be held alongside the art fair, such as a community running program that will take place at the landmark Haeundae beach in the southeastern port city, the organizers said.

Apr 28, 2026By Yonhap
Galleries from 18 countries to take part in Art Busan next month
Books

Korea to launch graduate school for literary translation by 2027

Korea plans to open a new graduate school dedicated to literary translation by September 2027, creating a key engine for promoting Korean literature and cultural content globally, the state-run Literature Translation Institute (LTI) Korea announced, Tuesday. LTI Korea President Chon Soo-young said the institute is seeking to “evolve the existing Translation Academy into a regular master’s degree program” to train not only literary translators but also experts in promoting and planning Korean cultural content. “Through the graduate school, we aim to nurture high-level translation professionals who will lead global cultural exchanges in the digital transformation era,” she said at a press briefing marking the launch of a preparatory committee for the school. The new school, which will be based out of LTI Korea’s building in Seoul’s Samseong-dong, will offer a master’s program in Korean literary and cultural content translation with seven language tracks — English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Russian — focusing on translating from Korean into other la

Apr 28, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
Korea to launch graduate school for literary translation by 2027
Korean Heritage

Korea Heritage Service to transform Joseon royal tombs into vibrant public landscapes

Seeking to transform the solemn air of royal burial grounds into a vibrant cultural experience, the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) will launch a months-long series of public programs across five Joseon Dynasty tomb sites in Seoul. Beginning May 16, the initiative will feature guided tours and traditional performances at the UNESCO World Heritage sites, part of a broader effort to reimagine these centuries-old landscapes as accessible public assets. The program series, titled "Exploring Joseon Royal Tombs," is organized by the Central District Office of the Palace and Tomb Management Division and covers Taegangneung, Uireung, Seonjeongneung, Heonineung and Jeongneung. The schedule opens May 16 at Taegangneung with a forest trail walk centered on the story of Queen Munjeong and King Myeongjong, paired with a royal genealogy card-making activity. On June 20, the Uireung tomb site will host a guided exploration of the lives of King Gyeongjong and Queen Seonui, culminating in a participatory performance that blurs the line between history and theater. In a nod toward social equity, the KHS has

Apr 28, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Korea Heritage Service to transform Joseon royal tombs into vibrant public landscapes
Trends

‘I can’t afford them now’: Actress Go Joon-hee reveals 20-year Hermès collection

Go Joon-hee is drawing attention after revealing a luxury bag collection she built over two decades — while admitting she would not be able to afford the same pieces at today’s prices. On Monday, a video titled “Go Joon-hee reveals her Hermès bag collection of 20 years for the first time” was uploaded to her YouTube channel, offering a rare look into her personal archive of high-end fashion items. Opening the video, Go said, “Like the Chanel episode I did before, I brought all the Hermès bags I share with my mom.” The actress appeared alongside staff as she began showcasing the collection, which includes items accumulated over roughly 20 years. When asked whether she had ever counted how many luxury bags she owns, Go downplayed the idea, saying, “Calling them luxury bags sounds too extravagant. My mom probably has more bags than I do.” However, curiosity quickly shifted to the total value of the collection. Asked how much the bags might be worth today, she said, “The prices back then and now are completely different. At today’s prices, even I wouldn’t be able to b

Apr 28, 2026By Xportsnews
‘I can’t afford them now’: Actress Go Joon-hee reveals 20-year Hermès collection
Korean Heritage

Gov't plans events for 150th anniversary of Kim Koo’s birth

The government has finalized a slate of events marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of independence activist Kim Koo, which UNESCO has designated as a commemorative anniversary year for 2026, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok announced Monday. The prime minister presided over the first meeting of the Lee Jae Myung administration’s National Patriots and Veterans Affairs Committee at Government Complex Seoul Tuesday, where officials approved a plan organized around three pillars: “Reilluminating Values,” “Integration and Solidarity,” and “Memory and Succession.” The slogan “My Wish, Culture of Peace” — drawn from Kim Koo’s writings — will be applied uniformly across the commemorative events. Planned events include an international academic conference scheduled for July or August, a joint symposium between the Kim Koo Museum & Library and the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History in October, a Gwanghwamun cultural week in August and a Baekbeom Award ceremony also in August. The government said it will launch a comprehensive veterans and patriotism culture po

Apr 28, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Gov't plans events for 150th anniversary of Kim Koo’s birth
People & Events

Monaco’s modern ‘Swan Lake’ ballet set for Korean debut

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo is set to return to South Korea in May, presenting the domestic premiere of "LAC," a contemporary reimagining of Tchaikovsky’s "Swan Lake." The production, choreographed by artistic director Jean-Christophe Maillot, marks the company’s fifth visit to the peninsula. The tour begins May 13 at Hwaseong Arts Center in Gyeonggi Province, moves to Seoul Arts Center Opera House on May 16 and 17, and concludes May 20 at Daejeon Arts Center. The production will be attended by Maillot and Princess Caroline of Monaco — also known as Her Royal Highness the Princess of Hanover — who established the ballet company in 1985. Her visit is described as a private engagement in her capacity as company president. "LAC," which premiered in 2011, strips away the traditional veneer of the 19th century fairy tale. In its place, Maillot and Prix Goncourt-winning writer Jean Rouaud have constructed a psychological drama centered on childhood trauma and familial tension. The aesthetic is defined by the stark scenography of French street artist Ernest Pignon-Ernest and costumes by

Apr 28, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan
Monaco’s modern ‘Swan Lake’ ballet set for Korean debut
Trends

Feeling isolated in Korea? Counseling options for foreign students

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. Many international students living in Korea report feelings of loneliness and depression caused by language barriers. In an unfamiliar environment, they try to build new relationships from scratch, with academic pressure adding to their emotional stress. Experts emphasize that these feelings are not a personal failing but a natural response to environmental change — and that rather than enduring them alone, students should seek help through counseling. Start with your university counseling center International students can initially turn to their university counseling center. Major universities such as Seoul National University, Yonsei University and Korea University offer individual counseling and stress management programs for enrolled students. Some universities provide counseling in English, helping reduce language barriers. Because counselors can also understand academic and adjustment-related issues, these centers are considered the most practical first point of contact. However, available languages, number of sessions and waiting times

Apr 28, 2026By Kormedi.com
Feeling isolated in Korea? Counseling options for foreign students
Trends

Drinking no longer default for Korea’s Gen Z

On a recent weeknight near Seoul's Hongdae area in Mapo District, a group of students gathered at Yeokjeon Halmaek, a familiar bar franchise. They ordered cans of zero-sugar Coke and a single highball, splitting one shot among four glasses. No one asked for soju. For bar owners, scenes like this now feel routine. "Alcohol is usually where the margins are," a worker at the Hongdae bar told The Korea Times on the condition of anonymity. "So now when a table orders a lot, I can't help but notice. They feel like a VIP." For Korea's younger generation, drinking is no longer the default social currency it once was. But the shift is not a simple turn toward abstinence, it's something more interesting — a renegotiation of what alcohol means, who it is for and how much of a life it deserves. Among the Korean Gen Zs, the frequency of drinking is falling sharply, while the nature of consumption is tilting toward lighter, more deliberate choices. Highballs with modest proof, craft low-alcohol beers and other nonalcoholic alternatives are gaining ground, reshaping not just what Koreans drink, but wh

Apr 28, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min
Drinking no longer default for Korea’s Gen Z
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