Find path to serenity, joy through Seon meditation

On Saturday afternoon, dozens of people sat on thick yoga mats and sipped tea in drizzle at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, hoping to unlock the gateway to serenity and joy amid the distractions of city life. Choi Min-jae, 11, from Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, joined the outdoor meditation session to cope with school stress and pressure from academics. "I usually meditate at home by watching YouTube videos and today's session was really helpful, and I hope to see more of these programs in Seoul," h

Sept. 22, 2025

Napping contest

Participants settle into slumber during the 2025 Han River Sleeping Contest at the Multi Plaza in Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul on Saturday. The annual event rewards the most peaceful nap, with scores based on how steadily participants maintain a low heart rate before and after falling asleep. (Photos by Yonhap)

Sept. 20, 2025

Sekai No Owari hope to have fans feeling revived, renewed at Seoul concert

Hundreds of fans lined up in the drizzle Friday to catch a glimpse of Japanese band Sekai No Owar in Seoul. From teens to 30-somethings, fans didn't want to miss their chance to greet their favorite band during a special red carpet session in front of Space 550 in Seongsu-dong. "Thank you so much for the warm welcome. I was also surprised to see so many fans when we arrived at the airport. They gave us gifts, which made us feel happy and appreciated," Nakajin said during a press conference that

Sept. 19, 2025

[Exclusive] Culture Ministry admits zero agencies ever punished for breaking 2014 law

For 11 years, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism failed to penalize a single unregistered entertainment agency, despite a 2014 law requiring all talent management firms to obtain official licenses. The revelation comes as cases involving singer Sung Si-kyung and musical actress Ock Joo-hyun brought renewed scrutiny to the widespread practice of operating unregistered one-person agencies. The ministry acknowledged that unregistered agencies have long been in a regulatory blind spot. “Eac

Sept. 18, 2025

Culture Ministry grants grace period after top stars found running unregistered agencies

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will offer a temporary grace period for unregistered talent agencies, after high-profile cases involving Sung Si-kyung and Ock Joo-hyun exposed widespread violations. The ministry said Thursday it will run a “comprehensive registration guidance period” until Dec. 31, encouraging entertainment agencies to voluntarily comply with requirements under the Act on the Development of the Public Culture and Arts Industry. The law, enacted in 2014, obligates age

Sept. 18, 2025

A night of bel canto

A special lecture titled "Opera Essentials: Bel Canto" by Bahk Sahng-hoon, former Korean ambassador to Spain, was held Tuesday at the Peruvian ambassador's residence in Seoul. Organized by Corea Image Communication Institute, the event discussed how opera serves as a powerful medium that brings people together and adds depth to life. In attendance were (first row from left): Lee Sung-ju, former president of the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts; Didier Beltoise, president of Cs; Ki

Sept. 17, 2025

With bold ambitions, Uzbekistan's contemporary art scene opens to the world

BUKHARA, Uzbekistan — The first week of September was marked by two major events in Uzbekistan’s nascent contemporary art scene, revealing the Central Asian country’s ambition to foster a new economy centered on arts and culture. On Sept. 5, the inaugural Bukhara Biennial commenced its 10-week journey under the theme “Recipe for Broken Hearts” in the historic city of Bukhara, once a thriving center of exchange, scholarship and pilgrimage along the Silk Road. “The Bukhara Biennial is a significan

Sept. 16, 2025

Disney, Webtoon Entertainment to develop new digital comics platform

Webtoon Entertainment, the Los Angeles–based global arm of Korea’s Naver Webtoon, is teaming up with The Walt Disney Company to develop a new digital comics platform. The two companies signed a non-binding term sheet Monday to jointly develop the service. A non-binding term sheet refers to a preliminary document that outlines the key terms of a potential partnership or investment but does not constitute a binding commitment. As part of the collaboration, Disney will take a 2 percent equity stake

Sept. 16, 2025

Dressed as ancient earrings, pair goes viral

This recreation of Silla-era gold earrings, South Korea's National Treasure No. 2001, has gone viral. The costume, based on the ancient artifact officially named Gold Earrings from Hwango-dong, Gyeongju (57 BC-AD 935), was entered in the National Museum of Korea’s 2025 “Dress Like a Museum Exhibit” contest. The contestant teased their entry on Threads last Thursday. “It took me 10 days to finish. I’m the right earring,” the post said. Photos showed the contestant and a friend dressed as the famo

Sept. 16, 2025

Esports players with disabilities to compete in Game Esports Seoul 2025

Game Esports Seoul 2025 is set to take over Dongdaemun Design Plaza for three days, from Friday through Sunday, offering a mix of esports action, gaming demos and fan-focused activities aimed at both gamers and casual attendees. The festival, organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Business Agency, returns for a second year following its debut at Kyung Hee University last year. Highlights this year include the Eternal Return Korea Esports League playoffs, which will take pla

Sept. 15, 2025

Busan's emerging artists come together at Vault Art Museum

The second edition of “Busan, Connected,” an exhibition devoted to emerging artists in Busan, kicked off Tuesday at the Vault Art Museum, a building that served as the vault of the Bank of Korea Busan’s headquarters until 2013. The show, titled “Next together,” brings together some 20 artists or collectives based in the region, with a winner to be selected through an evaluation of the works on display. A total of 160 artists applied for a contest to participate in the exhibition, organized by th

Sept. 14, 2025

'Golden' from 'Kpop Demon Hunters' soundtrack tops British Official chart for 6th week

"Golden," the smash hit single from the original soundtrack of the Netflix animation film "Kpop Demon Hunters," has topped the British Official Singles Chart Top 100 for the sixth time. According to the chart unveiled Friday, "Golden" held on to the No. 1 spot, just as it did the previous week, surpassing Olivia Dean's "Man I Need" and Sabrina Carpenter's "Tears." "Golden" was sung by Korean American artists Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami as the film's fictional girl group Huntr/x. Since it debut

Sept. 13, 2025

2025 Nostalgic Concert to tour Korea, spotlighting veteran artists

The 2025 Nostalgic Concert (translated) is set to tour across Korea this September and October, the Culture Ministry said Friday. The series is part of an initiative to expand performance opportunities for senior citizen artists, showcasing veteran actors, voice actors, comedians and singers. It also aims to make arts and culture more accessible to residents of small and mid-sized cities, as well as communities that have traditionally been underserved. The 2025 Nostalgic Concert will be staged i

Sept. 12, 2025

Jeju Art for Earth 2025 blends sustainability, culture

Jeju Art for Earth 2025 kicked off its first edition Thursday at Dongbaekdongsan Wetland on Jeju Island, exploring sustainability through art created from recycled and natural materials. The majority of the four-day art festival, directed by Will Yaya and Jessica Jungmin Lee, takes place at Jeju Shinhwa World Marriott Resort, joined by 32 artists from 15 countries. A wide range of works created from discarded natural materials and recycled waste such as communication cables, aluminum, olive seed

Sept. 11, 2025

Entertainment industry welcomes J.Y. Park’s appointment as co-chair of presidential cultural committee

South Korea’s entertainment industry has largely welcomed the appointment of singer-songwriter and JYP Entertainment founder Park Jin-young, also known as J.Y. Park, as co-chair of the newly established Presidential Commission on Pop-Culture Exchange, alongside Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young. The committee, directly under President Lee Jae Myung, is part of Lee's pledge to make Korea one of the world’s top five cultural powerhouses. It will serve as a platform for public-private cooperation to

Sept. 10, 2025