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  • Travel & Food

    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,

    4 MIN READBy Park Jin-hai
    Meet Korea’s pioneering ‘instant noodle critic’
  • Travel & Food

    Hong Kong teams up with Korea's travel industry group to invite tourists back

    2 MIN READBy Baek Byung-yeul
    Hong Kong teams up with Korea's travel industry group to invite tourists back
  • Trends

    Why Gen Z are turning to 'worry stones' to ease anxiety

    2 MIN READBy Hankookilbo
    Why Gen Z are turning to 'worry stones' to ease anxiety
  • People & Events

    'KPop Demon Hunters' director visits Lotte World Adventure

    1 MIN READBy Jhoo Dong-chan
    'KPop Demon Hunters' director visits Lotte World Adventure
  • People & Events

    Exhibition honors heroes of Korean War

    2 MIN READBy Jhoo Dong-chan
    Exhibition honors heroes of Korean War
  • Korean Heritage

    Rare shamanic paintings gain national heritage status

    2 MIN READBy Jhoo Dong-chan
    Rare shamanic paintings gain national heritage status
  • Music

    Lim Yunchan wins Instrumentalist of the Year at Germany's top classical awards

    1 MIN READBy Yonhap
    Lim Yunchan wins Instrumentalist of the Year at Germany's top classical awards
  • Trends

    Rare Pokémon cards fetch premium prices among Gen Z, sparking thefts

    2 MIN READBy Hankookilbo
    Rare Pokémon cards fetch premium prices among Gen Z, sparking thefts
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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.

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Travel & Food

Gochang's 7 treasures: Visit Korea’s renowned UNESCO county

GOCHANG COUNTY, North Jeolla Province — Gochang, a quiet county on Korea’s southwest coast that is the size of Seoul, calls itself a “UNESCO destination with seven crowns.” From World Heritage sites and a biosphere reserve to an Intangible Cultural Heritage and a Global Geopark, the county holds seven internationally recognized designations that serve as Gochang’s main attractions and anchor the county government’s push for sustainable tourism. It makes for an ideal weekend getaway for travelers seeking heritage-rich destinations in Korea. Prehistoric stone city: Gochang dolmen site Gochang’s UNESCO story begins in the Bronze Age landscape around Maesan village, home to the largest and most diverse cluster of dolmens in Korea. Of the 1,748 dolmens recorded across the county, more than 440 were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000 for vividly illustrating the global “megalithic culture” of the second and first millennia B.C. These table-like stone tombs, alongside quarry remains that show how they were carved and raised, offer a rare insight into prehistori

Mar 26, 2026By Lee Hae-rin
Gochang's 7 treasures: Visit Korea’s renowned UNESCO county
Lifestyle

Low-cal, high-protein lunchboxes do the trick for BLACKPINK's Jennie and Rosé

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. The latest social media posts of Jennie and Rosé of the K-pop superstar group BLACKPINK are generating buzz for sharing what they pack for lunch with curious fans. Recently, the two shared photos of their lunchboxes. What both boxes have in common is food rich in protein. Since the stars also perform choreography that burns a lot of calories, replenishing energy is important for them. However, Jennie opted for a lunchbox centered on beef and vegetables, while Rosé chose one rich in seafood. Let’s take a closer look at these Korean idols' lunchboxes, which are low in calories but high in nutrients. Jennie's beef lunch Jennie’s lunchbox featured beef, rice and egg. She also added carrots and green vegetables, which are rich in antioxidants. It is a well-balanced meal containing carbohydrates, protein and dietary fiber. Beef and eggs are rich in protein and contain essential nutrients such as iron, vitamin B12 and zinc. Iron plays a key role in transporting oxygen and generating energy. Adequate iron intake helps prevent fatigue and reduced c

Mar 25, 2026By Kormedi.com
Low-cal, high-protein lunchboxes do the trick for BLACKPINK's Jennie and Rosé
Korean Heritage

Jongmyo chosen as official symbol for 2026 UNESCO World Heritage Committee session in Busan

Jongmyo Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Seoul, has been selected as the official symbol for this year's session of the World Heritage Committee to be held in the Korean port city of Busan in July, the heritage authority said Wednesday. The emblem unveiled by the agency highlights the aesthetic and historical value of Jongmyo, the country's first site inscribed on the UNESCO list in 1995 along with Seokguram Grotto, Bulguk Temple and the Janggyeong Panjeon of Haein Temple. Jongmyo is where the ancestral tablets of Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) kings and queens are enshrined. The new symbol incorporates the shape and color of the tiled roof of the shrine's main hall of Jeongjeon to express "the 600-year heritage of royal rituals and traditional architecture preserved in the heart of Seoul," the Korea Heritage Service said. The agency plans to release a promotional video for the emblem next month and develop related cultural products. The 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, an intergovernmental body that reviews the nominations and conservation of World Heritage sites, will ta

Mar 25, 2026By Yonhap
Jongmyo chosen as official symbol for 2026 UNESCO World Heritage Committee session in Busan
Korean Heritage

Experts urge Seoul city to conduct heritage impact assessment for Jongmyo Shrine

Heritage experts again called on the Seoul metropolitan government to assess the potential impact of a high-rise project near Jongmyo Shrine amid an ongoing dispute between local officials and heritage authorities over the development plan. The Korean National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), a UNESCO advisory body, said in a statement shared on its website Wednesday that the redevelopment plan in central Seoul "must not go ahead without a Heritage Impact Assessment." "Jongmyo is a World Heritage site representing the Republic of Korea, and its protection is not only a domestic task but also a pledge to the international community," the statement said, using the official name of South Korea. Jongmyo is where the ancestral tablets of Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) kings and queens are enshrined. Seoul plans to transform Sewoon District 4 located directly across the UNESCO-listed shrine into a high-rise business and residential district with a massive green park. The area includes the obsolete Sewoon Arcade, Korea's oldest electronics market. While city of

Mar 25, 2026By Yonhap
Experts urge Seoul city to conduct heritage impact assessment for Jongmyo Shrine
Trends

Exercise timing matters: 7-8 a.m. workouts linked to lower cardiovascular risks

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com. A study has found that people who exercise in the morning tend to have a lower risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and obesity, compared to those who exercise later in the day. Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center analyzed heart rate data collected over one year from wearable devices worn by approximately 15,000 adults. They defined exercise as periods when heart rate remained elevated for at least 15 minutes, and classified participants according to the time of day they exercised. They then compared each group in terms of major cardiovascular risk factors, including high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol and coronary artery disease. During analysis, they adjusted for various factors such as age, sex, income level, sleep, alcohol use, smoking and total exercise amount. Key findings Compared to those who exercised later in the day, the morning exercise group showed 35 percent lower risk of obesity, 31 percent lower risk of coronary artery disease an

Mar 25, 2026By Kormedi.com
Exercise timing matters: 7-8 a.m. workouts linked to lower cardiovascular risks
People & Events

Jeju tea house brings wellness experience to Seoul

Hoesoodaok, a tea house rooted in the local traditions and natural landscape of Jeju Island, has opened a pop-up store in central Seoul to celebrate its recent designation as a top wellness travel destination. The Jeju-based tea house is hosting its pop-up store at Seochon Lounge, a public hanok space run by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, from Wednesday through May 31. The event comes after the tea house was selected as one of the four new Excellent Wellness Tourism Destinations for 2026 by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). Among the 88 sites reviewed by the KTO annually for their quality of service and facilities, Hoesoodaok was the only newcomer from Jeju to earn the official title this year. The pop-up offers a reinterpreted version of the brand’s signature tea course. Visitors can experience a variety of seasonal teas made from ingredients grown on the island, served alongside tea snacks made from local crops. Starting April 7, the venue will host a special tea program that changes its lineup according to the harvest season. In April, the program features two types of flowe

Mar 25, 2026By Baek Byung-yeul
Jeju tea house brings wellness experience to Seoul
Korean Heritage

Ahn Jung-geun calligraphy returns to Korea for Seoul exhibition

A rare calligraphic work by independence activist Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910) will go on public display in Seoul to mark the 116th anniversary of his death. The piece, bearing the phrase “Poor but without flattery, rich but without arrogance” in Chinese characters, will be exhibited at the Ahn Junggeun Memorial Museum from March 26 to April 30, according to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. The piece is on a six-month loan from Japan’s Tokutomi Roka Memorial Museum of Literature, facilitated with the support of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. It arrived in Seoul for the exhibition on March 20. The calligraphy is believed to have been acquired by Japanese novelist Tokutomi Roka during a visit to Lushun, China, in 1913. In the upper left corner, Tokutomi wrote a commentary in 1918, which reads “It is natural that Mr. Ahn Jung-geun chose these words. Had he attained the state of finding joy in poverty and observing propriety in wealth, he might not have been content as the assassin of Ito Hirobumi — which is regrettable.” This calligraphy work was previously shown

Mar 25, 2026By Park Ji-won
Ahn Jung-geun calligraphy returns to Korea for Seoul exhibition
People & Events

From batik to Lao silk: ASEAN Culture House opens textile exhibition in Busan

A major exhibition spotlighting Southeast Asian textile heritage opens Wednesday at the ASEAN Culture House in Busan's Haeundae District. The exhibition, presented by the Korea Foundation (KF), will feature traditional fabrics, weaving tools and video installations that together will present the evolution and cultural significance of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) textile traditions. Titled “Weaving Hands, Women’s Time: Textile Traditions in ASEAN,” the exhibition brings together textile traditions from 11 Southeast Asian countries, offering a comprehensive look at both historical and contemporary practices. The exhibition aims to illuminate both the artistic value and everyday cultural significance of textile crafts, with particular focus on the role of women, according to KF. It highlights how generations of women’s labor have shaped Southeast Asia’s textile culture, preserving communal memory and cultural identity through continuous, repetitive craft practices. The exhibition also introduces textile traditions from the ASEAN region that have been inscribed on

Mar 25, 2026By Anna J. Park
From batik to Lao silk: ASEAN Culture House opens textile exhibition in Busan
People & Events

Im Jae-chul, critic who championed art cinema in Korea, dies at 65

Im Jae-chul, a film critic who championed filmmakers little known to the Korean public, died Sunday. He was 65. Born in South Jeolla Province in 1961, Im graduated from Seoul National University and joined JoongAng Ilbo, where he mostly wrote about movies from 1988 to 1996. After leaving the paper, he earned a master's degree in film theory from the City University of New York. Back in Korea, he chaired the steering committee of the Seoul Cinematheque, an organization dedicated to screening films, and served as chief programmer of the Gwangju International Film Festival (GIFF), where he introduced films with little exposure in Korea, along with their directors and film theories, to local audiences. In a 2002 interview from his time leading the GIFF's programming, Im said, “In this age of visual media, there is meaning in looking back at the genre films that were once popular in theaters.” Im also founded the film journal "Film Culture" and runs Film Forum, an art house cinema in western Seoul's Seodaemun District that offers film enthusiasts a deeper understanding of the genre. He int

Mar 25, 2026By Park Ung
Im Jae-chul, critic who championed art cinema in Korea, dies at 65
People & Events

First baby in 17 years, 4 new students: A rural Korean town’s rare moment of hope

A shrinking rural township in Korea celebrated two rare demographic milestones this month with its first newborn in 17 years and the enrollment of four students at its only elementary school. Hongseong County officials said Tuesday that Sreydani, an immigrant from Cambodia, and her husband Jeong Hae-deok welcomed a baby boy named Yong-jun on March 19. The birth was the first in the village of Eunha-myeon in 17 years. The community celebrated the news. Local organizations hung banners across the village. One banner read, "A special gift that came to Eunha-myeon in 2026. We celebrate the birth of baby boy Jeong Yong-jun of Jeong Hae-deok and Sreydani." The township also saw four students enroll in first grade at the local elementary school this month. The new arrivals brought the school's total student body to 17. The celebrations contrast with the country's broader demographic crisis. Eunha-myeon has recorded a decade of population decline. Data shows the number of residents dropped from 2,628 in 2015 to 2,197 in 2022 and 2,153 in 2023. The population fell to 2,057 in 2024 before falling

Mar 25, 2026By Hankookilbo
First baby in 17 years, 4 new students: A rural Korean town’s rare moment of hope
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