Hyunjin of K-pop boy band Stray Kids has resumed his activities with the group after taking time out due to accusations that he had bullied a classmate in middle school. The act’s agency, JYP Entertainment, officially announced Saturday that Stray Kids had released a new record, “Mixtape: Oh,” as a whole group including Hyun-jin. In February, a former classmate who did not want his identity made public posted a message online saying he had suffered “severe emotional st

Performance June 27, 2021

A walking tour has been held in the United Kingdom for locals interested in Korean culture and history. The Korea Tourism Organization, along with the Korean Cultural Center UK, jointly launched a walking tour on Wednesday, to showcase locations and symbolic features in the city that have a connection to Korea. The two-hour tour was designed to reach out to British citizens craving future visits to Korea, while still waiting for the relaunch of cross-border travels following the pandemic.&nbs

Culture June 26, 2021

Gangwon Romantic Night Train Stargaze A summer stargazing tour to Gangwon Province package from Korail has kicked off, and promises a safe and convenient trip for passengers. The daily tour from KTX begins every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with a minimum of eight people required to register for departure. Prices vary from 66,000 won to 99,000 won per person until Aug. 31. Travel insurance, meals, and other personal allowances are not covered in the package. For information visit www.korailtr

Travel June 25, 2021

“Did you experience happiness during most of the day yesterday?” A video pops up with a self-reflective question the moment you enter a room with yellow fabric curtains at the exhibit‘s entrance. The special documentary clip from global survey firm Gallup shows how measuring the concept of happiness -- an invisible emotion -- has become possible today. “Our Happy Life” is an exhibition initially launched in Montreal by the Canadian Center for Architecture that ope

Arts & Design June 23, 2021

South Korean rock band YB, formerly known as Yoon Do-hyun Band, will be featured in legendary US heavy metal band Metallica’s newest album dedicated for charity, scheduled to be released Sept. 10. On Tuesday, YB posted the cover of Metallica’s new album, “The Metallica Blacklist,” on its Instagram account and announced it had participated in the project in February. The upcoming album is a special compilation and reissue to mark the 30th anniversary of Metallica&lsquo

Performance June 23, 2021

A maritime city on the southeastern tip of the Korean Peninsula, Busan is the country’s second-largest city with a population of some 3.4 million. Since the mid-19th century Busan has served as a gateway for new ideas and exchanges with foreign countries. When the Korean War broke out in 1950, it became a haven for war refugees. The National Folk Museum of Korea’s exhibition “Busan, Gateway to the World,” which opened June 2 as part of the 2021 Year of Busan Folk Culture

Culture June 22, 2021

 As more and more viewers around the world watch South Korean dramas on streaming platforms, the industry faces critical challenges that must be met if it is to continue to expand overseas. In an era of transnational streaming, cultural sensitivity has become an issue for content creators around the world. Korea is no exception, and Korean dramas have drawn criticism in recent weeks for racial and cultural stereotypes. The producers of two popular SBS TV dramas, “Penthouse 3&rdquo

Television June 21, 2021

Demand for travel is back in Korea. Fueled by the government’s recent announcements that travel bubble partnerships with other countries could be in the cards, grounded travel-hungry individuals are anticipating a return of quarantine-free holidays. So are businesses in the tourism industry that have been hit hard by a bruising pandemic since early 2020. A leading Korean travel agency which offered a Europe vacation package on a TV shopping channel on June 16 saw some 52,000 people bo

Travel June 19, 2021

Yeowoorak Festival, an annual gugak, or traditional Korean music, event, will return to the National Theater of Korea from July 2 to 24, after being held online last year. Now in its 12th year, the festival has established itself as a grounds for new experiments in gugak. And this year, the festival breaks away from having an artistic director and music director, and instead appointed a creative director to head the festival. Park Woo-jae, an acclaimed geomungo player was named as this year&rs

Performance June 18, 2021

The second season of hit medical drama series “Hospital Playlist” got off to an auspicious start Thursday, recording the highest first-episode viewership rating in tvN history. Thursday night’s episode recorded an average viewership rating of 10 percent, according to Nielsen ratings, making it the first tvN drama series to chart double-digit ratings on day one, as it reached as high as 12.4 percent at its peak. The TV drama written by Lee Woo-jung and directed by Shin Won-ho

Television June 18, 2021

Tongyeong Hansan Battle Festival Tongyeong Hansan Battle Festival commemorates the Great Battle of Hansan of 1592, one of the most intense naval battles in Korean history. Held from Aug. 12 to 21, the festival is sponsored by the city of Tongyeong, and managed by the Great Battle of Hansan Memorial Foundation. Visitors will be able to see a reenactment of the battle followed by other performances. A variety of hands-on experience programs will be available for visitors at Yi Sun-sin Park. Perfo

Travel June 18, 2021

With books going digital and online buying the preferred means of purchasing books, one of the major bookstore chains in South Korea has declared bankruptcy. The Seoul Book Center, operator of the country’s third-largest offline bookstore franchise, Bandi & Luni’s, was officially declared bankrupt as of Wednesday. The Seoul Book Center failed to clear some 160 million won ($143,000) on Tuesday, according to the Korean Publishers Association and publishing companies. Bandi &

Culture June 17, 2021

Walking along the narrow alleys of Tongeui-dong where modern and contemporary Seoul coexist in harmony, one will come upon a two-story cafe that greets visitors with colorful trees and flowers at its entrance. The first floor of Ra Cafe Gallery operates like any ordinary cafe, serving beverages and sandwiches during the day, and desserts by night. Upstairs, an unexpected trip beyond borders awaits. Ra Cafe Gallery first opened its doors in April 2012 in Buam-dong in Jongno, as part of poet Pa

Books June 16, 2021

The 18th Music in PyeongChang is set to kick off July 28 with performances around Gangwon Province, including the festival’s main venue, Pyeongchang Alpensia Resort’s concert hall. Under the theme “san (alive),” a total of 13 concerts will be held this year, along with two special concerts, seven touring concerts, and master classes conducted by artists participating in the festival. “The word ‘san,’ can be interpreted as ‘alive,’ or &lsq

Performance June 15, 2021

South Korean composer Shin Dong-hoon has won the Claudio Abbado Composition Prize, a prestigious award from the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic, organizers announced on Monday. Shin, 37, is the first Asian winner and the sixth recipient of the prize, named after Italy’s legendary conductor Claudio Abbado, who also served as the artistic director of the Berlin Philharmonic. The award is given to young composers with outstanding talents, but does not designate a specific date or

Performance June 15, 2021