Louvre director shines new spotlight on hanji, Korean traditional paper

Xavier Salmon, who oversees the print collection at the Louvre Museum in Paris, considers himself, in a way, an ambassador for hanji, Korean handmade mulberry paper. What fascinates him is its duality in practical use and poetic texture for creating art. During his visit to Korea last year, Salmon traveled through Seoul and major Buddhist monasteries, including Haeinsa and Bulguksa. Having selected 12 photographs, he matched them with 12 Parisian heritage sites, forming a visual dialogue — all p

Dec. 1, 2025

Louis Vuitton opens six-story Seoul venue blending retail, culture and dining

Louis Vuitton opened a new multipurpose space in Seoul on Saturday, bringing retail, cultural programming and dining under one roof. The project, titled “Louis Vuitton Visionary Journeys Seoul," occupies six floors inside "LV The Place Seoul, Shinsegae The Reserve" located at the Shinsegae Department Store in Jung-gu, and reflects the house’s ongoing effort to expand beyond traditional luxury retail. Visitors entering the building find interiors marked by reinterpretations of "saekdong," the tra

Nov. 30, 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

Make your own kimchi in Gwangju

GWANGJU — The southern city long celebrated for its bold flavors is inviting travelers to experience kimchi as more than a side dish — as culture, history and even performance. On Dec. 5, Gwangju will launch “Gwangju: Where Kimchi Becomes Art,” a new one-night, two-day culinary tourism program developed as part of the national K-gastronomic Belt initiative. The program follows the success of a day-trip version introduced in October. With strong demand from visitors, the city expanded the program

Nov. 29, 2025

Whiter skin for sale: South Korea’s glutathione dilemma

By Morgan Norris I walked into Olive Young, often dubbed the “Sephora of Korea,” and asked which products they’d recommend for skin whitening. After visiting multiple branches across Seoul from Gangnam to Myeongdong, one product kept surfacing as a recommendation: glutathione. Initially known for its antioxidant and detoxifying properties, glutathione gained traction in Korea during the 2010s, hyped by influencer endorsements and aggressive marketing. Intravenous, oral and topical forms became w

Nov. 29, 2025

'The Nonsense' is a study in unsettling ironies

If the enduring popularity of the classic crime thriller through an age of diminished attention spans lies in its promise of closure — the reassurance that the world can be sorted into guilty and innocent, the satisfaction of an order restored — then "The Nonsense" might be a hard sell. Director Lee Je-hui's debut feature, which made its world premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival in October, will confound those seeking tidy resolutions with its cryptic tale, one that complicates

Nov. 29, 2025

Kim You-jung reinvents herself in Tving’s year-end bet 'Dear X'

Kim You-jung — long celebrated as the nation’s “little sister” since her early days as a child star — steps into her darkest role yet, shedding her bright image to play a cold-blooded sociopath in one of Tving’s biggest swings for the latter half of 2025. In “Dear X,” Kim stars as Ah-jin, a top actor with a traumatic past marked by childhood abuse, who strategically cycles through lovers as stepping stones to fame. The 12-episode thriller traces her ascent as she weaponizes charm, beauty and cal

Nov. 29, 2025

How Korea’s trails became a cultural destination

Lari, a 20-year-old from France, hiked Gwanaksan in southern Seoul during her first visit to Korea in June. A YouTube video of K-pop singer Boo Seung-kwan at the summit inspired her, as she is a fan of his group, Seventeen. “I really liked the views throughout the trail, even though I was a bit scared at the very top. The few people I met were nice, and someone even helped me find the right way at one point,” Lari said. Long regarded as a destination mainly for older locals, Korea's trails are n

Nov. 29, 2025

Yeon Sang-ho doubles down on low-budget filmmaking as industry seeks new footing

Yeon Sang-ho, the director behind the zombie blockbuster "Train to Busan" and Netflix's "Hellbound," is returning to micro-budget filmmaking with "Paradise Lost" (working title, translated from Korean), his second ultra-low-cost project in as many months. CJ ENM announced Thursday that the mystery thriller has locked in its cast and will begin shooting in December. Kim Hyun-joo, who has starred in several of Yeon's previous works, including "Hellbound" and "Jung_E," will lead the film alongside

Nov. 28, 2025

Wattpad bets big on Hollywood with 'Chasing Red' adaptation

A US-based online fiction platform under South Korean portal giant Naver is pushing deeper into Hollywood with plans to adapt one of its most popular stories, "Chasing Red," into a feature film starring Madelaine Petsch and Gavin Casalegno. The project, announced Tuesday, is the latest effort by Wattpad and its parent company Webtoon to transform its web novel into mainstream entertainment. Production is scheduled to begin in Saudi Arabia in early 2026, with Mackenzie Munro directing from a scre

Nov. 28, 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

Drive-in movies, hansik cooking, and light-space exhibition

There's something about watching a movie through a windshield — engine off, seat reclined, snacks within arm's reach — that no multiplex can replicate. Jayu-ro Drive-in Theater, perched beside Paju's scenic riverside route in Gyeonggi Province, delivers that intimate, retro comfort with a modern polish. The theater moved to its current location in 2022, spreading three screens across a spacious lot that welcomes cars and pets alike. A snack bar stocks old-school favorites: baked squid, dried fil

Nov. 28, 2025

Movies in theaters this week

"Zootopia 2" (US) Opened Nov. 26 Comedy/Drama Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard Bunny-fox duo Judy and Nick investigate a mysterious pit viper who becomes the first reptile to enter Zootopia in over a century, in this sequel arriving nine years after the original. "Wicked: For Good" (US) Opened Nov. 19 Musical/Fantasy Directed by Jon M. Chu The second part of the Broadway musical adaptation follows Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) as they take opposite sides in Oz's polit

Nov. 28, 2025

Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland opens its annual winter celebration Friday with Christmas Fantasy, a park-wide festival running through Dec. 31. Visitors can enjoy a Christmas parade featuring Santa, Rudolph and festive floats, along with a new nighttime “K-Pop Demon Hunters Sing-along Fireworks Show” created with Netflix. Daily photo sessions with Santa, elves and Everland mascots add to the family-friendly fun, while the Grand Stage presents two showings of the holiday musical “Very Merry Santa Village.” The Alpine

Nov. 28, 2025

Packages and promotions

Lotte Hotel Seoul brings back annual winter strawberry event Lotte Hotel Seoul's annual winter strawberry event is back, offering a dessert buffet and afternoon tea set through April 30. The Peninsula Lounge & Bar presents more than 30 strawberry-based sweets, such as cakes and chocolate fondue, alongside 10 hot dishes, including lamb chops and carved beef. The special December buffet is 150,000 won per person, with seatings on Thursday and Friday evenings and three sessions on weekends and holi

Nov. 28, 2025