Monthlong winter festival to illuminate Seoul SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - Workers were busy preparing light displays at Cheonggyecheon Stream in central Seoul on Thursday, just a day before this year’s winter-themed festival. During the annual festival, which runs until early next month, several tourist spots in downtown Seoul and nearby areas will be turning into a winter wonderland. Gwanghwamun Square, Cheonggyecheon Stream, and Bosingak Bell Pavilion will welcome visitors with glittering light displays and festive decorations. 2025-12-11 17:13:10

Wintry Seoul A woman bundles up against the cold as she waits from the traffic light to change at Gwanghwamun in downtown Seoul on Dec. 10, 2025 as the mercury dropped below zero.(AJP/Yoon Na-hyun) 2025-12-10 17:08:45

Seoul replays K-Pop Demon Hunters in pop-up Colorful displays at the Netflix K-Pop Demon Hunters pop-up store in Seoul’s Seongdong District on December 10, 2025. AJP Yoo Na-hyun 2025-12-10 16:11:02

PHOTOS: 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' immersive pop-up experience in Seoul SEOUL, December 10 (AJP) — The official pop-up store for the Netflix animated feature, “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” officially launched on Dec. 4 in the trendy Seongsu-dong district of Seoul. It is being hosted in a unique venue — a former factory building — where the entire three-story structure has been completely transformed into an immersive experience dedicated to the film’s universe. The Seoul engagement, which runs for 25 days through Dec. 28, is the initial stop of an extensive Asian tour. Following its debut in South Korea, the pop-up is scheduled to travel to major cities across the region, including Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo, and Taipei. The exhibit’s second floor serves as a central hub for immersion, featuring diverse exhibition and interactive zones designed to allow attendees to explore the film's narrative arc. Highlights include dedicated themed spaces for popular original soundtrack tracks such as “How It’s Done” and “Soda Pop.” 2025-12-10 16:08:00

PHOTOS: Seoul's royal shrine caught in clash between history and modernization SEOUL, December 04 (AJP) - On a frigid day in early December, a profound silence settles over the Jongmyo Shrine in the heart of Seoul, broken only by the crunch of footsteps on the stone paths. Though a steady stream of tourists, drawn by its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site, still visits, the ancient royal sanctuary has been swept into a very modern controversy: a pitched battle over redevelopment and the city's skyline. The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s proposal to ease height restrictions in the adjacent Sewoon Commercial District has pitted preservationists against developers, making this solemn space for the spirit tablets of Joseon Dynasty royalty the frontline in a debate about South Korea's future. The stakes are immense: is Seoul willing to sacrifice a 600-year-old traditional scenic axis — the view lines stretching to Bugaksan and Namsan — for the sake of urban revitalization? For international visitors, Jongmyo is best known for the Jongmyo Jerye (Royal Ancestral Rite) and Jeryeak (Ritual Music), a performance tradition recognized globally. Yet, the shrine's true weight — its symbolic status in a Confucian-rooted nation — is often underappreciated. Founded in 1395, Jongmyo was not merely a memorial; it was the spiritual anchor of the Joseon royal legitimacy. Protecting this house of spirits was synonymous with guarding the nation's destiny. Its main hall, the Jeongjeon, stands as one of the world's longest single wooden structures, an architectural marvel whose restrained, simple lines perfectly capture the aesthetic principles of Joseon architecture. The entire precinct, with its forests and sacred stone walkways, remains a profound sanctuary. The current flashpoint lies where history and the metropolis converge. Advocates for development argue that relaxing height limits is essential to inject life into the aging Sewoon district. Preservationists counter that new high-rises will irrevocably harm the sanctuary's sightlines, desecrating a vital piece of the nation's heritage. The collision of a rapidly modernizing city and its deep historical roots is a problem unique to Seoul, and it’s now centered on the distance between Jongmyo and the Sewoon district. Despite enduring wars and fires across six centuries, the Jeongjeon architecture and the ancestral rites persist. Even though the dynasty vanished, the Jerye ceremonies continue today, held every May and November. As the colorful spectacle of K-Pop and K-dramas spreads globally, the world's fascination with South Korean culture only deepens. That global interest provides a timely opportunity to turn attention to Jongmyo from which modern Korean identity sprang. Jongmyo is a place of powerful, resonant silence, where the deep current of Joseon’s time still flows, challenging the city to remember its past. 2025-12-05 15:26:38

PHOTOS: South Korea enters winter season SEOUL, December 1 (AJP) – South Korea is entering the full winter season, with cold northern air sweeping across the country. Seoul’s morning low stood at 3.7 degrees Celsius on Sunday, a drop of 6 degrees from the previous day. Signs of winter have begun to appear across the capital as well. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said a stronger surge of cold air from the north will bring a pronounced cold wave from the middle of the week, with brisk winds further lowering the wind chill. On Wednesday (Dec. 3), rain or snow is forecast for the Chungcheong and Jeolla regions, while Jeju Island is expected to see rain from Wednesday through Thursday morning. Temperatures will bottom out around midweek before gradually returning to near-seasonal levels. 2025-12-01 18:23:48

PHOTOS: Korean rice & Liquor festival SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - The “2025 K-Rice Festa,” an event promoting Korean rice-based liquor and processed foods, opened on Friday at Exhibition Hall 1 of KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. The festival runs for three days through to Nov. 30. Hosted by the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NongHyup), the K-Rice Festa features more than 200 varieties of distilled spirits, makgeolli, yakcheongju and other alcoholic beverages made from domestic rice, as well as a wide range of rice-based processed foods and wines made from Korean agricultural products. Award-winning products from the K-Rice Festa Quality Evaluation Program are also on display. NongHyup reviewed about 780 entries submitted by more than 470 companies and selected 28 outstanding products across seven categories. This year’s festival also emphasizes hands-on activities designed to appeal to visitors of all ages. Programs include the “K-Rice Demon Hunters” talk concert introducing stories of Korean rice and traditional liquor, along with tasting sessions, ingredient-guessing games, and various prize events. 2025-11-28 17:06:15

PHOTOS: Seoul Station marks 100 years of history SEOUL, November 27 (AJP) - Seoul Station is marking its 100th anniversary this year with a commemorative exhibition that revisits the landmark’s century-long transformation and its role in Korea’s modern history. First opened in 1925 as Gyeongseong Station, the building has borne witness to some of the most significant chapters of the nation’s past — from Japanese colonial rule and the push for modernization to liberation, national division, industrialization and democratization. The old station building was closed in 2004 and later reopened in 2011 as a cultural complex now known as Culture Station Seoul 284. The anniversary exhibition, held inside the historic structure where personal memories and national history converge, runs through Nov. 30. It traces the evolution of the original station over the past century and is organized around three themes: past, present and future. One highlight is the display of an original manuscript of the Great Dictionary of the Korean Language, discovered in a station warehouse shortly after Korea’s liberation from Japanese rule in 1945. Curators say the artifact adds historical resonance to the exhibition’s broader look at the station’s enduring legacy. 2025-11-28 10:07:10

PHOTOS: Korea Grand Sourcing Fair opens in Seoul, draws global buyers SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) — South Korea’s trade agency is hosting a large-scale sourcing fair in Seoul this week to boost global opportunities for K-beauty and K-food exporters. The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) opened the 2025 Korea Grand Sourcing Fair (KGSF 2025) on Tuesday at COEX, bringing together promising Korean exporters and major global buyers. First launched in 2009, the annual event has become a key platform for connecting domestic suppliers with international retailers. This year’s edition has drawn more than 150 overseas buyers from over 30 countries alongside over 850 Korean companies, aiming to secure new business partnerships. Riding the global wave of Korean culture, K-beauty and K-food companies account for about 70 percent of all participants, many of whom are seeking collaboration with major international retailers such as Walmart in the United States, Marui in Japan, Miniso in China, Malaysia’s Prema group, and Thailand’s Central Department Store. KITA expects more than 2,200 export consultations to take place over the two-day event. Visitors takes part in a business consultation at COEX in Seoul’s Gangnam District on Nov. 26, 2025. AJP 2025-11-26 18:01:22

PHOTOS: Successful Italian "FORMAGGIAMO!" Event with Masterclass by Chef 'Fabri' SEOUL, November 25 (AJP) – The Italian cheese promotion campaign “FORMAGGIAMO!” wrapped up successfully after running from November 19 to 24 at High Street Italia in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam District, Seoul. On the opening day, Chef Fabrizio Ferrari, known as “Fabri,” hosted a masterclass featuring pasta dishes made with four different cheeses and a fusion dish of cheese kimchi fried rice combining Korean and Western flavors. “FORMAGGIAMO!” is part of the domestic program for this year’s 10th anniversary of the “Week of Italian Cuisine in the World,” an event held simultaneously across the globe. In South Korea, the campaign showcased the value and appeal of Italian cuisine through exhibitions, seminars, cooking shows, and tasting events. 2025-11-25 17:43:24