National Museum of Korea on track to surpass 6 million annual visitors

The number of visitors to the National Museum of Korea is expected to surpass 6 million this year for the first time since it opened in 1945. The museum said Wednesday that as of Nov. 30, it had recorded 5,814,265 visitors so far this year. At the current pace, total attendance is likely to exceed 6 million as early as next week. It would be the first time the museum has reached that milestone since its founding on Dec. 3, 1945, making it the highest annual attendance in its 80-year history. Cum

Dec. 4, 2025

'Dream Life of Mr. Kim' asks: Who are you without your title?

In Korean society, we could say that identity is rarely a solitary thing. From an early age, we are placed into systems: given a class number at school and later assigned to a department in a company, a title affixed to our name. That title matters because it becomes social proof of who we are. So we grow up learning to exist as “someone who belongs somewhere.” That frame defines us. And as long as it holds, our place in society feels stable. The novel recently adapted to the hit eponymous drama

Dec. 2, 2025

Han Kang’s ‘Human Acts’ tops country's bestseller lists for second year

“Human Acts,” the searing novel by South Korean writer Han Kang, who last year became the first Asian woman to win the Nobel Prize in literature, has claimed the top spot on Korea’s major year-end bestseller lists. Leading overall sales in 2025, “Human Acts” topped Kyobo’s annual rankings for the second consecutive year, according to Kyobo Book Center, the country’s largest bookstore chain, and Yes24, its leading online bookseller, on Monday. The consecutive top ranking has been achieved only fi

Dec. 1, 2025

From fragmented memories of shame, adoptee author weaves a home in language

We rarely remember childhood with clarity. What remains are flashes, blurred images capturing only that which faintly surfaces. The past does not unfold like a film with a neat beginning and end. That, perhaps, is the beauty of memory. The same is true for Laure Mi Hyun Croset, a writer who was born in Korea and adopted to Switzerland at 10 months old. Her early memories, too, resist coherence, surviving only as isolated images, blurred at the edges like “a scattered series of uneasy Polaroids s

Nov. 30, 2025

Busan International Children’s Book Fair returns for second year

The second Busan International Children’s Book Fair will be held at Bexco in Busan from Dec. 11-14. The event is the country’s first and largest book fair dedicated to children’s literature, according to the Korean Publishers Association, which organized the event and also runs the Seoul International Book Fair. Building on the momentum of its inaugural edition last year, the 2025 fair adopts the theme “The Young Ones and the Sea.” Just as the ocean is the cradle that nurtures life and connects

Nov. 28, 2025

Tale of blood, revenge endures as 'The Orphan of Zhao' marks 10th year

A landmark production for the National Theater Company of Korea, “The Orphan of Zhao: Seeds of Revenge,” is marking its 10th anniversary with a seventh run at the National Theater’s Haeorum Theater through Sunday. Adapted and directed by star director Koh Sun-woong, the play premiered in 2015 and has since become one of the company’s signature repertory works, drawing steady acclaim with an average seat occupancy of 93 percent and a cumulative audience of 36,000. The production is a rarity in Ko

Nov. 26, 2025

Tributes pour in for Lee Soon-jae, including from Yoo Yeon-seok, Taeyeon

Tributes poured in from across the theater and entertainment industry following the news of veteran actor Lee Soon-jae’s death on Tuesday. Nah Yung-suk, the star producer behind the travel reality series "Grandpas Over Flowers" (2013-2018), in which Lee appeared, expressed his sorrow at a press event for a new program. “I hadn’t seen him in the past year due to his health," said Nah. "During our travels and in private, the thing he most often told us was that he wanted to stay on stage until the

Nov. 25, 2025

Obituary: Beloved ‘grandpa’ Lee Soon-jae’s life on stage, screen

Actor Lee Soon-jae, a towering figure in Korean entertainment and one of the nation’s longest-working performers, died Tuesday. He was 91. According to his family, Lee died early on Tuesday morning. Even in advanced age, Lee had continued to work across television, film and theater, remaining active until late 2024, when health problems forced him to withdraw midway through the run of the play “Waiting for Waiting for Godot.” His final screen appearance came in the KBS series “Dog Knows Everythi

Nov. 25, 2025

Bora Chung scares again with ghostly ‘Midnight Timetable’ that haunts, questions society

Bora Chung, whose “Cursed Bunny” became an international sensation after landing on the International Booker shortlist, is ready to give readers another fright with a new collection of ghost stories. While the 2022 Booker spotlight led to a flurry of renewed interest in her earlier work, Chung’s latest collection, “Midnight Timetable,” offers entirely new stories. Published in Korean shortly after the nomination, the book has now been released in the US, UK and Australia, with rights sold to mor

Nov. 24, 2025

After ‘Gat,’ Yunbyul Ballet Company brings holiday cheer with ‘Black & White’

For those seeking a festive night of dance and fresh new works, the upcoming ballet gala "Black & White" promises both, says Yun Byul, artistic director of Yunbyul Ballet Company. Co-produced by the Mapo Art Center and the ballet company as its 2025 year-end celebration, the gala invites audiences to enjoy a night of dance with the festive spirit of a holiday party on Dec. 10 and 11. The program features eight works — from classical pieces such as "Swan Lake" and "Don Quixote" to four original c

Nov. 24, 2025