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  South Korea Expands ‘Culture Day’ to Weekly, but Movie Discounts Draw Backlash South Korea’s monthly “Culture Day,” previously held on the last Wednesday of each month, expanded in April to a weekly Wednesday program called “Culture Wednesday.” The change follows the Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry’s approval on March 3 of a revision to the enforcement decree of the Framework Act on Culture. The ministry said the revision broadens benefits such as discounted movie tickets and free or discounted admission to national heritage sites and sports events. But onli April 1, 2026
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  April Fools’ Day Celebrity News That Turned Out to Be True April 1 is known for pranks and falsehoods, so entertainment news that breaks that day is often met with extra skepticism. Still, a number of major celebrity stories reported on April Fools’ Day — or immediately after — prompted “No way” reactions before being confirmed as true. One of the best-known cases involved Hong Kong star Leslie Cheung, who died on April 1, 2003, at a hotel in Hong Kong. The news was so sudden and shocking — and fell on April Fools’ Day — that some fans initially April 1, 2026
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  Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young Sends Condolences on Death of North Korea’s Chang Ung Choi Hwi-young, South Korea’s minister of culture, sports and tourism, expressed condolences over the death of Chang Ung, a former honorary member of the International Olympic Committee. In a condolence message issued Tuesday, Choi said he was “deeply saddened” by the news and credited Chang with dedicating his life to advancing the Olympic movement and promoting sport, making “meaningful contributions” to international sports. Choi added that Chang’s efforts to build friendship and mutua April 1, 2026
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  Singer Jun Jin’s Wife Ryu I-seo Says She Is Pursuing IVF at 43 Ryu I-seo, the wife of Shinhwa member Jun Jin, said she is pursuing in vitro fertilization at age 43. A video titled, “Why the lovebird couple Jun Jin♥Ryu I-seo began preparing for pregnancy at 43,” was posted March 31 on the YouTube channel “My Love Ryu I-seo.” Asked about her goals for the year, Ryu said, “I’m currently preparing for pregnancy, so I’m doing IVF. I’m going to retrieve eggs one more time and try implantation.” When Jun Jin asked whether the IVF process was difficult, Ry April 1, 2026
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  Ryu Hwa-young, Lee Tae-ri announce weddings; Go Woori reveals pregnancy on April 1 April 1, better known for pranks, brought a run of real-life announcements in South Korea’s entertainment world: actor Ryu Hwa-young said she will marry in September, actor Lee Tae-ri announced a May wedding, and actor Go Woori is set to reveal she is pregnant on television. Ryu said on her social media account that she will hold her wedding Sept. 12 at a location in Seoul. Her fiance is known to be a businessman three years older than her. Ryu debuted in 2010 as a member of T-ara and la April 1, 2026
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  South Korea Requests Police Probe Into 186 Suspected KBO Ticket Scalping Posts The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday it has asked police to investigate 186 online posts suspected of high-priced or large-volume scalping of tickets as the 2026 KBO League season opened and illegal resales increased. The ministry said its reporting and monitoring found about 16,000 posts related to scalping in recent weeks. Around the March 28-29 opening games, it detected transactions priced as high as 13 times face value. It also said it found multiple signs of organ April 1, 2026
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  South Korea’s Big Four Financial Groups Seen Earning Over 5 Trillion Won in Q1; Woori Profit Up 30% South Korea’s four major financial holding companies — KB, Shinhan, Hana and Woori — are expected to post combined net profit of more than 5 trillion won in the first quarter, supported by steady interest income and a recovery in noninterest earnings. Woori Financial Group is projected to stand out, with profit expected to jump more than 30% as one-off costs fade. According to market estimates compiled by financial data firm FnGuide on Tuesday, the four groups’ combined first-quarter net April 1, 2026
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  LE SSERAFIM’s First VR Concert ‘Invitation’ Opens First Ticket Sales at Lotte Cinema LE SSERAFIM has opened ticket sales for its first VR concert, “LE SSERAFIM VR CONCERT: INVITATION,” drawing attention as bookings began. The first round of ticket sales, exclusive to Lotte Cinema, started at 6 p.m. on the 31st through the company’s mobile app and website. The tickets cover screenings from April 15 to May 5, and heavy traffic followed immediately after sales opened, reflecting strong interest. “Invitation” unfolds in a storyline where reality and fantasy intersect. It beg April 1, 2026
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  Everland Unveils Upgraded Night Finale With Fireworks, Drones and K-pop Starting in April, Everland in Yongin, south of Seoul, will stage a large-scale nightly finale built around its fireworks expertise accumulated over more than 30 years. The park said the show, titled ‘Guardians of Light,’ is not a simple fireworks display but an outdoor multimedia production combining art and technology, with characters flying overhead, laser effects and fireworks. Yang Jung-woong, a leading South Korean director who led cultural performances for the 2025 Asia-Pac April 1, 2026
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  New Books: An American Zen Monk’s Korea Journey and Lee Seok-yeon on Constitutional Principles An American Zen Monk’s Journey in Korea=Written by Hyeonan, Mo Gwa Namu. For readers who turn to spicy food or stimulating content to cope with stress, this new book offers a different approach. The author, who once enjoyed salsa dancing and driving sports cars, says he changed course after immersing himself in what he calls “American Zen meditation,” becoming a “Korean American monk.” For him, the sports car has been replaced by the lotus position. Following his teacher’s wishes, he mo April 1, 2026