The first course was a crudo of olive flounder, sliced thin and dressed with citrus segments, pink peppercorns and a green herb oil. Flatfish is one of the most commonly eaten fish in Korea and a fixture of raw fish restaurants across the country. This one came from a farm in Jeonnam-Gwangju certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, which is still unusual in the Korean market. Conrad Seoul served the dish at a luncheon for a small group of food journalists, titled "Today's Meal, a Choice

In the port city of Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, a bowl of jjamppong is as much a piece of local history as it is a meal. This weekend, the city is inviting visitors to taste its signature dish. The 2026 Gunsan Jjamppong Festival runs from Friday to Sunday at Baeknyeon Plaza in Jangmi-dong. The annual event aims to promote culinary tourism. Jjamppong, a spicy noodle soup made by stir-frying vegetables, seafood and meat before simmering them in broth, is one of the two pillars of Korean-Chinese

A collection of Korean song lyrics compiled nearly 300 years ago is finding new life as tableware, textiles and stationery as Korea marks 100 years since the designation of Hangeul Day. Fashion and lifestyle platform 29CM, operated by Musinsa, announced Thursday that it teamed up with the National Hangeul Museum and the Sejong Culture and Tourism Foundation to launch a line of Hangeul-themed cultural products, along with a pop-up exhibition in Seoul's Seongsu-dong. The project draws on "Cheonggu

A centuries-old typeface and a 17th-century novel are about to show up on sweatshirts and baseball caps. Korean fashion label Matin Kim, operated by Hago Haus, is releasing a seven-piece Hangeul collection Friday to mark the 100th anniversary of Hangeul Day. The designs draw on artifacts from the National Museum of Korea. The collection is a collaboration with the National Museum Foundation of Korea, which runs MU:DS, the museum's merchandise brand. The partnership taps into a booming museum mer

Chanel's signature tweed suits and a return to the knee-length skirt anchored the French house's spring-summer 2027 collection, unveiled at the Grand Palais in Paris on Monday. The show marked one year since artistic director Matthieu Blazy's debut at Chanel. While the lineup leaned on the house's classic tweeds, Blazy wove in modern twists throughout, loosening, sheering and reprinting the fabric most closely tied to the brand. Tweed was opened up into a wide windowpane print with mesh panels o

Visitors to two of Seoul's fall festivals can now pick up official city souvenirs without leaving the grounds, as the first "Seoul Goods" vending machines have opened for business. The Seoul Tourism Organization has installed the machines at Maeheon Citizen's Forest in Seocho-gu, the venue of the 2026 Seoul International Garden Show, and on Nodeul Island, which is hosting the 2026 Seoul Light Hangang Bitseom Festival. The machines will operate for the duration of each event. The garden show runs

A striped children's Halloween costume was removed from Zara's shelves and website on Saturday after sparking controversy that it resembled the uniforms worn by prisoners in Nazi concentration camps. The Spanish fashion chain had been selling the item, listed as the Kids' Halloween Groom Costume, online for 39.99 pounds (60,000 won). Zara described the two-piece set as a children's costume with a vertical stripe design, decorative topstitching, a lapel flower and a distressed effect. Critics sai

Actor Nana recently stepped out in a khaki-brown suede jacket worn loose over a red-and-white striped T-shirt and denim shorts. The look, which she shared on social media, drew attention for its collar, which rose to wrap around her neck. The jacket, a utility suede piece from young contemporary label E.B.M, pairs a stand collar with paneled seams and patch pockets for a structured silhouette. That collar detail has become the dividing line for this season's outerwear. Whether in leather, suede

SEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — Every window in the classroom is open. A group of visitors lies on yoga mats with their eyes closed as a cricket starts up outside, then a bird, then the steady drone of cicadas. A singing bowl rings once, and the room goes quiet. The exercise is the final stage of "Forest Sound Demon Hunters," a soundscape program set to run this fall at Gayasan National Park Nature Center. The center is one of 10 nature centers the Korea National Park Service runs nationwid

Cassia Sokcho rolls out autumn desserts for foliage season Persimmons, chestnuts and figs take center stage in a new seasonal dessert lineup at Cassia Sokcho in Gangwon Province, timed for peak foliage season at nearby Seoraksan. Starting Oct. 6, the hotel's fourth-floor cafe and bakery, Horizon, will offer the limited-edition menu. The Autumn Harmony afternoon tea set includes persimmon mousse, persimmon sago juice, mousse shaped like a pine mushroom, red wine-poached pear, marron glace, chestn

Imagine checking into a hotel that does not actually exist. For its fifth anniversary, Sofitel Ambassador Seoul Hotel & Serviced Residences has created a virtual version of its Jamsil property, inviting visitors to explore its spaces, playfully interact with its digital world and even hunt for a hidden croissant. “The Secret Check-in,” running through Oct. 5 at The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido, re-creates some of the hotel’s key spaces in a virtual environment. The hotel says it is the first time a

Seoul Club does not say what it costs to join. When the figure was last made public about a decade ago, the initiation fee alone stood at 75 million won ($55,000). Paying the fee, however, is the easy part. In a city where exclusivity usually comes with a price tag, one of Seoul's oldest institutions rations entry by a signature. Without two existing members willing to vouch for an applicant, no amount of money opens the door. Tucked on the eastern slope of Namsan in Jangchung-dong, Jung-gu, the

A pair of black ballet flats with a modest heel has become one of the harder items to get a hold of this fall. Jennie of Blackpink wore Repetto's Camille in the music video for her solo single, “Less Than a Lover,” and since then, shoppers hoping to buy the French label's shoe have faced a wait of several months. "The Repetto Camille that Jennie wore in her recent solo music video now takes three to four months to get. It's a design that adds a few centimeters of heel to the familiar flat shoe,"

For spring and summer, color did most of the styling work in Korean wardrobes. Tomato core, lemon core, mint core. Balletcore ribbons, slacker-core layering and saturated prints made an outfit legible at a glance. This fall, palettes become more moderate in looks built on restraint with a hint of femininity. Referred to Korean shoppers as "grown woman," the style is quickly gaining ground among consumers in their 20s and 30s. Kitsch and Y2K mood styling with oversized logos and busy patterns are

A small Joseon-era porcelain carp, caught mid-leap from blue-painted waves, is getting its moment in the spotlight after it inspired the top prize at the National Museum of Korea's annual costume contest, Dress Like a Museum Exhibit. The museum said Wednesday it will display the "White Porcelain Carp-shaped Water Dropper" on the third floor of the permanent exhibition hall through Oct. 22. Believed to date from the Joseon era (1392-1910), the blue-and-white porcelain water dropper depicts an old