From sugar-dusted tomato slices, a childhood treat beloved by generations of Koreans, to spicy malatang and modern reinterpretations of traditional dishes, tomatoes are taking on new roles in Korea’s evolving food culture. For many Koreans, tomatoes evoke memories of childhood. Some grew up eating sliced tomatoes sprinkled with sugar as snacks. Others remember "Toma Toma," a tomato-shaped ice pop first introduced in 2005 but brought back in 2017 by popular demand. Millennials grew up listening t

More foreign tourists are returning to Korea, according to a report published Thursday by Seoul-based travel platform CreaTrip. CreaTrip said around 14.5 percent of its foreign customers who had used the platform during an earlier visit to Korea returned for another visit over the past two years, meaning one in seven customers were repeat visitors. The data covers reservations made from January to September this year, with the figure up 3.5 percentage points from the same period last year. Retur

Busy schedules leave less time for gatherings, but some groups of friends are finding ways to celebrate multiple birthdays at once without giving up the personal touch of an individual celebration. Joint birthday cakes are gaining attention online as an "efficient" way among friends who are seeking a more convenient and enjoyable way to mark their special occasions. The celebrations bring together friends whose birthdays fall in the same month, as well as those born in different months who choos

Outdoor food stalls spill into an alley in Jongno, Seoul, where locals and tourists grill meat and drink soju late into the evening. Less than two meters away, the bars on the other side of the alley give off a different vibe: no outdoor seating, their doors firmly shut. The bars aren't closed. They are gay bars. For decades, the alley has served as a gathering place for gay men looking to meet new people, share drinks, and find a sense of community. But the area of Jongno-3-ga has grown into an

Korea is moving to establish a national games museum to recognize video games as cultural heritage, the Korea Creative Content Agency said Wednesday. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and KOCCA are jointly pursuing the tentatively named Museum of Korean Games, which will systematically document and preserve the history and cultural value of games. The museum will serve as a space to research, collect, and preserve artifacts and materials tracing the development of Korean games. It will

Period: Joseon era (1392-1910) Materials: White porcelain ceramics Dimensions: H. 22.1 cm, D. 12.1 cm This water dropper consists of a bamboo-shaped tube decorated in copper red, a body and spout decorated with cobalt blue, and white bands encircling the first joint of the bamboo tube and the upper portion of the body. The body contains an inscription comprising four Hanja, Chinese characters used in written Korean, that mean “ten thousand years of boundless longevity." Its spout is inspired by

South Korean actor Lee Kwang-soo is drawing attention for his unusually frequent and playful interactions with fans on Dear U Bubble, where he has earned a reputation for being highly responsive and approachable. Known as the “Prince of Asia” for his popularity across Southeast Asia, Lee brings the offbeat humor that made him a fan favorite on "Running Man" to the platform. He sends dozens of messages a day, runs polls and asks fans for advice on everyday choices, according to reports. He also r

Seoul-based cafes are emerging as venues for luxury brands to engage with Korean consumers through limited-edition collaborations that extend beyond traditional fashion retail. This fall, Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta and French luxury brand Maison Margiela are partnering with local Korean cafes, bringing their brand identities into everyday consumer settings. South Korea ranked first globally in per capita spending on personal luxury goods in 2024, at approximately $324 per person annual

Justin Bieber's surprise visit to Seoul on Friday has drawn attention online, with fans sharing sightings of the singer at restaurants and cafes across the city. Bieber arrived in Seoul with his wife, Hailey Bieber, as part of a promotional visit for his fashion and lifestyle brand Skylrk. He announced his arrival on Instagram, writing "Made it to Seoul," and has since shared a flurry of posts featuring his wife and travel companies. Sightings of the couple in Seoul neighborhoods including Seong

Many travelers enjoy buying perfumes on their travels for the associated memories, to gift as souvenirs, or to own unique scents linked to the region they visit. In Seoul, homegrown perfume brands such as Nonfiction, Tamburins and Granhand have attracted international customers with fragrances that reflect the city's modern side. Two other Seoul-based brands have decided on a different approach: drawing on traditional Korean culture to explore what makes a scent distinctly Korean. Chwi incorpora

Korean fried chicken is always a treat, but sharing the beloved staple at a single 400-meter-long table takes the culinary experience to a whole new level. The Seoul Metropolitan Government hosted a massive fried chicken festival Sunday on Jamsu Bridge, a day before the bridge began its transition into a pedestrian-only thoroughfare. Part of the Car-Free Jamsu Bridge Ttubeok-Ttubeok Festival, the inaugural Ttuchi-Ttuchi Chicken Day featured two dining sessions, at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Each session

For most people, a cup of coffee is a daily indulgence that costs less than 7,000 won ($5.27). For a select few, however, it can be a luxury experience worth as much as 3.5 million won, built around exceptionally rare beans and meticulously tailored brewing methods. Gongkhan 21, a specialty coffee house in Seoul’s affluent Gangnam district, is drawing attention for its high-end coffee. Its omakase menu offers customers the opportunity to sample rare coffees sourced from some of the world’s most

홍콩국제공항 스타벅스 매장에서 한국인 고객의 성 "김"을 "김치"로 표기하는 일이 발생했다. 김 씨의 제보에 따르면 사건은 지난 11일 오후 9시 38분께 홍콩국제공항 출국장 서쪽 홀 61번 게이트 인근 매장에서 발생했다. 김 씨는 아내와 함께 서울행 항공편에 탑승하기 전 음료를 주문하면서 이름을 묻는 직원에게 성인 "김"이라고 답했다. 음료가 준비되자 다른 직원이 "김"이라고 호명해 김 씨는 음료를 건네받고 이동했다. 김 씨는 당시 직원 두 명이 화면을 보며 서로 웃는 모습을 목격했지만 당시에는 다른 이유로 웃는 것으로 생각했다고 전했다. 약 한 시간 뒤 김 씨는 음료 컵에 "김치"라고 적힌 것을 발견하고 매장을 다시 찾아 경위를 물었다. 주문을 받은 직원은 이름을 잘못 입력했다며 사과했다고 김 씨는 전했다. 그러나 김 씨는 "김"과 "김치"의 발음이 다른 만큼 단순 실수라는 설명을 납득하기 어렵다며 현장 관리자를 불러줄 것을 요청했고, 관리자는 직원이 "김"을 입력한 뒤 화면을

A South Korean customer who ordered coffee under his surname, Kim, at a Starbucks location at Hong Kong International Airport on the evening of Oct. 11 was taken aback when he discovered that his drinks had been labeled “Kimchi.” Kim, 38, had stopped at the store before boarding a flight to Seoul with his wife. When his order was called out as “Kim,” he collected the drinks without checking the labels. It was only while waiting to board that he noticed the name printed on the cups. Baffled by th

You Hong-june, director of the National Museum of Korea, offered his resignation on Wednesday, following controversy over the inclusion of a scroll from his private collection in the museum's recent exhibition, "The Korean Table: Food, Nature and Life." According to the National Museum of Korea, You announced his resignation, saying he takes “full responsibility for all the criticism.” “The deep trust that the public has placed in the National Museum of Korea and the values built by its staff ov