Riot Games Korea announced that the rest of the matches for the summer season will be held online, starting Friday, in response to the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the capital area. LoL Champions Korea had been holding matches in LoL Park Arena in Jongno, Seoul, without an audience since the start of the season before the resurgence of COVID-19. “As the spread of COVID-19 has recently worsened around Seoul, we believe stronger preemptive measures are necessary to ensure the safet

More Sports Aug. 21, 2020

Stay at Mayfield Hotel with Asiana Airlines mileage Mayfield Hotel Seoul is offering a chance for guests to use their Asiana Airlines mileage while COVID-19 precludes international travel. Guests can reserve rooms at the hotel with Asiana mileage until Sept. 16 for stays before the end of the year, excluding blackout days (Sept. 30 through Oct. 3, Oct. 31 and Dec. 24-26). Guests interested in using mileage will have to call the hotel for a reservation number and present personal identificatio

Food Aug. 21, 2020

The broadcast and political worlds are on heightened alert after a reporter for local radio broadcaster Christian Broadcasting System, who appeared on the same CBS radio program as Democratic Party leadership contender Rep. Lee Nak-yon on Monday morning, tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. Rep. Lee, the former prime minister and a leading presidential candidate, immediately canceled all scheduled activities upon learning of the development and went into quarantine after being tested Tues

Social Affairs Aug. 19, 2020

As COVID-19 cases surge, the release of “The Golden Holiday,” which was scheduled to hit the screens Wednesday, has been delayed until further notice. The announcement came just two days before the scheduled premiere date, making it the first major film to have its release delayed since June. “As the social distancing level is raised and concern about infection clusters in our society rises, we decided that the release of a new movie and gathering audiences in theaters could

Film Aug. 17, 2020

Superstar trio Ssak 3 bid farewell to fans, as the group wrapped up its three-month project on Saturday’s episode of MBC’s “Hangout With Yoo.” During the Saturday, the trio of entertainer Yoo Jae-seok and singers Lee Hyo-ri and Rain thanked fans and each other while also expressing regret at not being able to meet fans in-person because of the coronavirus situation. “We actually formed Ssak 3 to meet all the people here, but we couldn’t. That’s why our

Television Aug. 17, 2020

Popular webtoon, or digital comic, writer Kian84 apologized and revised his latest work “Bokhakwang,” as controversy over the latest episode posted Tuesday sparked online protests. “Bokhakwang,” which means king of returning to school, is the most popular work by Kian84 that is uploaded at around 11 p.m. on Tuesdays on web portal Naver. “I am very sorry for causing concern with inappropriate depictions in my work,” Kian84 wrote on his webtoon page on Thursd

Culture Aug. 13, 2020

Leading figures in cultural communication from around the world will join offline panel members to discuss the changes in how cultural contents are delivered in the post COVID-19 era at the 11th Cultural Communications Forum being held from Aug. 26-27. The two-day forum will feature speakers from the EU in the evening of the first day and speakers from North America in the morning of the second day, due to the time difference of the countries from where the speakers will join via video call. E

Culture Aug. 13, 2020

In celebration of the 75th anniversary of Korea‘s liberation from Japanese colonial rule this Saturday, the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, is putting the country’s oldest Taegeukgi, the national flag, on display in its Korean Empire Hall through Aug. 23. The oldest known extant Taegeukgi is held by the Smithsonian museum. Gojong, the last Joseon king and and the first Emperor of Korea, presented the flag to his diplomatic adviser Owen N. Denny from the US when Den

Culture Aug. 13, 2020

The South Korean film industry faces an unprecedented crisis with COVID-19, but at a forum earlier this month some industry representatives argued that the pandemic only amplified a preexisting problem. The forum, held at the National Assembly on Aug. 7, was hosted by Rep. Lim O-kyeong and organized by the Korean Film Council. It was the first such opportunity for movie industry personnel to speak with legislators about the issues the industry faces and discuss possible solutions. Barunson E

Film Aug. 13, 2020

Cho Seung-woo returns to the small screen once again as the righteous and lonely prosecutor Hwang Si-mok, in the second season of tvN’s crime thriller drama “Stranger.” “There are still four days left until the 15th, so I’d be grateful if people reviewed the first season,” said Cho at Tuesday’s online press conference as he struggled to fully explain his character to those who had not watched the show. The first season is gaining renewed popularity on

Television Aug. 12, 2020

T1 secured their playoff spot with a 2-0 victory over Team Dynamics on Sunday, leaving only one final ticket left for the taking. Four teams -- Damwon Gaming, DRX, Gen.G and T1 -- have secured playoff positions already and will battle in the playoffs over the next two weeks. Three teams technically have a chance to clench the final ticket to the playoffs, but all odds are in favor of Afreeca Freecs. Afreeca Freecs is far ahead of its competitors, KT Rolster and Sandbox Gaming, with an 8-6 r

More Sports Aug. 10, 2020

When students from Uijeongbu High School parodied Ghana’s famous dancing pallbearers, South Korea-based Ghanaian television personality Sam Okyere took to social media to criticize the students for painting their faces brown. A few days later, Okyere apologized after people said it was inappropriate to post a photo of the students without permission. They also took exception to his use of the hashtag “#teakpop,” which is typically used in a derogatory way about K-pop. Many K

Culture Aug. 10, 2020

Located across the west wall of the palace Changdeokgung in Wonseo-dong in central Seoul is what, at first glance, looks like a hanok cafe. Inside, however, authentic Scandinavian dishes are offered on Royal Copenhagen porcelain, offering a cuisine unfamiliar to many Koreans at perhaps the most Korean place. Sogongheon, meaning “a place that brings people together to do good,” opened after two years of construction. The two-story hanok, with a separate hanok annex behind it, breaks

Food Aug. 8, 2020

DAEJEON -- With international travel more burdensome than ever because of the spread of COVID-19, many Koreans are traveling domestically for a summer break. The city of Daejeon, about a two-hour drive south of Seoul or an hour by high-speed train KTX, offers a plethora of unique outdoor-contact-free experiences for people thinking of travelling safely amid COVID-19. “In Daejeon and Gyeryongsan there are many socially distanced tourist attractions that are less affected by COVID-19, suc

Travel Aug. 8, 2020

Korail has introduced multilingual information kiosks in five of the KTX stations most visited by foreigners. The touchscreen machines can be used in four different languages. KTX train schedules and flight schedules as well as live traffic information and routes to destinations are provided. The machines also have information on the station’s facilities and nearby tourist attractions. Information on Korail Pass for foreigners is provided as well. The kiosk is available at Seoul, Yong

Travel Aug. 8, 2020