BOSEONG, South Jeolla Province -- Although there are pockets of greenery in bustling cities, most of them are full of concrete buildings, dark windows and mostly black-and-white cars. Relieve your stress and take emotional refuge in rolling green tea plantations and a unique pine forest in a city famed for its green tea. Daehan Dawon Located in the southwestern part of the peninsula, Daehan Dawon, also known as Daehan Tea Garden or Boseong Green Tea Plantation, is one of the five major t

Watch sci-fi classics in CGV Arthouse Two epic sci-fi films -- “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968) and “Blade Runner: The Final Cut” (1982) -- are set to entertain moviegoers at 15 CGV Arthouse branches across South Korea. Screenings of the films, which started Wednesday, will run through May 9. Celebrating the beloved American films and Warner Bros’ 100th anniversary, CGV, the country’s largest multiplex operator, is offering the opportunity to experience two sci-

Gunpo Royal Azalea Festival The Gunpo Royal Azalea Festival will take place from April 28 to 30, the flower's peak season, at the areas around Royal Azalea Park in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province. The three-day festival welcomes flower lovers of all ages who wish to enjoy the vivid pink and purple blooms. An array of programs, including a ceramics exhibition, royal azalea art market, food trucks and more, is planned as well. Seojong Korean Music Orchestra and Gunpo Prime Philharmonic Orchestra w

Walt Disney Co. Korea will celebrate the annual Star Wars Day during the 24th edition of the Jeonju International Film Festival on May 4 in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. The US media giant fetes its beloved franchise on May the Fourth, referencing the popular “Star Wars” phrase “May the force be with you.” Following the Jeonju IFF opening ceremony on Friday, “Star Wars: A New Hope” (1977), “Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi” (1983), “Star Wars:

Netflix chief Ted Sarandos’ decision to invest $2.5 billion in Korean content for the next four years made headlines across local media outlets on Tuesday. The announcement represented South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s first major accomplishment on his US state visit. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Yoon said he “sincerely welcomed the unprecedented investment” made by Netflix. But some speculation remains as to whether Sarandos’ announc

SEONGNAM, Gyeonggi Province -- After building a webtoon creator-friendly environment and expanding business overseas, Naver Webtoon hopes to become a top global content platform by creating a new system to coexist with various creative content industries. “The PPS model was first introduced in 2013 and we have achieved outstanding performances since then. Webtoons became the major source for TV dramas, movies, music and more. Our company plans to become No. 1 storytelling platform via a ne

South Korea has had a diverse array of survival series, spanning everything from K-pop idol auditions to Korean cookery battles and grueling physical challenges. You might be forgiven for thinking there are no new survival ideas, Tving is set to add a touch of freshness with a dessert-making competition. “Dessert-related programs are not new in overseas countries but I found that South Korea did not have such programs yet. I simply wanted to take the first step to produce this type of pr

Tving’s 2022 sci-fi series “Yonder,” which was released globally via Paramount+ on April 11, has topped the streamer's international series chart. “Yonder” became the most-viewed work among other international series that were aired this year the first week after its release, Tving said in a press release Monday, quoting Paramount+. The international series chart includes all non-American projects that are serviced by Paramount+. “Yonder,” which was

The annual League of Legends World Championship is scheduled to be held in Seoul and Busan in October. According to Riot Games Korea, a new game system will be introduced at this year’s LoL Worlds with a total of 22 teams vying for the grand prize of the Summoner’s Cup. Starting Oct. 10, eight teams -- four pairs -- are set to compete in a double elimination tournament on the Play-In Stage. The preliminaries will take place at LoL Park, the stadium for LoL Champions Korea (LCK), in J

GWANGYANG, South Jeolla Province -- Gwangyang, some 300 kilometers south of Seoul, is home to vast fields of plum blossom trees, which draw huge crowds from around the country each spring. The flowers that blossom here are some of the first to bloom on the peninsula, signaling the arrival of the new season. From early to mid-March, the city and Hongssangri Plum Farm, widely known as Maehwa (plum) Village, is crowded with people who come to see the flower-filled fields. As the popcorn-like blosso

Punk band Crying Nut and indie band Say Sue Me will be performing at Damrosch Park at New York's Lincoln Center on July 19. According to the Korean Cultural Center in New York, Crying Nut and Say Sue Me will be the second group of Korean bands to perform at the Lincoln Center, following Jannabi and byebyesea last year. The bands will play at the K-Indie Music Night, a highlight of the Lincoln Center’s Korean culture and arts-themed festival, Korean Arts Week. Having debuted in 1995, C

South Korea’s beloved 2020 fantasy thriller “The Uncanny Counter” is scheduled to return in the second half of the year with expanded stories for its second season, featuring new and original faces. Cable channel tvN confirmed Thursday the star-studded lineup for “The Uncanny Counter 2.” Adapted from Kakao Page’s popular web comic of the same title written by creator Jang Yi, “The Uncanny Counter” presents the story about the counters, a group of p

Miryang Arirang Festival The 65th edition of Miryang Arirang Festival runs from May 18-21 along the Miryang riverside and at the Yeongnamnu Pavilion in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province. The four-day event promotes the Miryang style of Arirang, a national folk song that was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012. The highlight of the folk festival is "Miryang River Odyssey," a musical that combines the story of Miryang Arirang and the history of Miryan

South Korean television channel ENA hopes to repeat the sensational popularity of its courtroom series “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” (2022) with a new suspense thriller, “Lies Hidden in My Garden,” scheduled for release in June. Numbers of ENA dramas, including romance series “Good Job” (2022), rom-com “Love is for Suckers” (2022), comedy series “Unlock My Boss” (2022) and more, were released after “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,&rd

The cast of "Bargain" did not hide their excitement and anticipation as Tving's new crime thriller competes at this year's Cannes International Series Festival, setting a major milestone as the first Korean streaming service to be invited to the international television event. “When I walked out of the airport, a foreign fan came up to me with posters of my past films," said Jin Sun-kyu, adding that it was the first time a foreign fan asked for his autograph ove

INCHEON -- As the cherry blossom petals fall from the trees, dancing to the rhythm of the gentle breeze, spring is now in full swing. Although the colder-than-expected temperatures have had people holding on to their winter coats, there are many who, eager to greet the new season, are wandering outside in search of fun. This year's cherry blossom season was much too short, especially in the Seoul area, and many are looking to enjoy leisurely quality time and spring fun. Songdo Central Park

After proving themselves as major TV hits, more popular webtoon series are being adapted into TV dramas in Korea and around the world. The Grimm Entertainment announced Wednesday that the webtoon studio had signed copyright contracts related to its beloved series “Manager Kim” and “Hannamdong K-House” (unofficial translation) for their drama adaptations. “Manager Kim,” an action webtoon series illustrated by Jeong Jong-taek, revolves around Kim, a single fathe

Gochang Green Barley Festival The Gochang Green Barley Field Festival will be held from April 15 to May 7 in the Hakwon Farm area amid the green barley fields of Gochang-gun, North Jeolla Province. The festival celebrates the region’s plentiful barley. Visitors can take part in activities such as making flutes out of barley leaves, searching for hidden treasures in the barley fields and making essential oils. Other programs, including a concert by local artists, a magic show, a puppet sh

Actor Joo Won is returning to the small screen for the first time in three years with action-packed comic series “Stealer: The Treasure Keeper.” The 12-part action drama revolves around Hwang Dae-myung, who lives his life as a Cultural Heritage Administration official during the day and becomes a cultural artifact thief named Skunk at night. Aware that Skunk steals illegally owned national treasures, the members of Team Karma -- an unofficial heritage repatriation team -- approach Da

A South Korean film on former President Moon Jae-in's life after office will premiere at the 24th Jeonju International Film Festival this month, the organizer said Monday. “This is the President," which will be shown on April 29, documents the "down-to-earth aspects" of the politician who has retired to a quiet farming village, rather than detailing controversies and conflicts in the political arena, according to the festival website. In a 35-second trailer, Moon, Korea