South Korea Culture Minister Choi Hwi Young Visits Milan for 2026 Winter Olympics Choi Hwi Young, South Korea’s minister of culture, sports and tourism, will attend the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics as the government’s representative. The ministry said Choi will stay in Milan from Feb. 4-8 to cheer on the national team and review on-site support. On Feb. 5, Choi will visit the athletes’ village to encourage South Korean athletes in final training ahead of the opening and hear their concerns. He will also tour a meal-support center to check preparations for Korean boxed meals provided twice daily to help manage athletes’ nutrition, and thank support staff. On Feb. 6 and 7, he will attend major events, including the figure skating team competition, to support South Korean athletes. On Feb. 7, Choi will visit the Main Media Center to encourage the South Korean press corps covering the Games. The trip will also include sports diplomacy. On Feb. 5, Choi will attend the opening of Korea House and meet officials from the International Olympic Committee and national Olympic committees. The opening will feature K-culture programs including a winter hanbok fashion show, a cover dance to the theme song of “K-pop Demon Hunters,” and a vocal performance. On Feb. 6, he will attend a reception hosted by Italy’s minister for sport and youth to discuss expanding sports exchanges between the two countries. He will also attend the opening ceremony at San Siro Stadium as part of the government delegation and greet the South Korean team as it enters. “I will personally check every factor that affects performance — including the training environment and support — so that our athletes’ hard work is not in vain on the Olympic stage,” Choi said. “We will support them through the end so they can compete without regrets and finish the competition safely without injury.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-04 08:12:00

BTS May Open March 21 Comeback Show With Walk on Restored Gwanghwamun Royal Route BTS are expected to step onto the restored Gwanghwamun Woldae — a ceremonial platform returned to its original form after 100 years — as part of their first full-group return in three years and nine months. The group are set to stage “BTS Comeback Live: Arirang,” a performance marking the release of their fifth full-length album, at 8:00 p.m. on March 21 at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. Organizers are reviewing a plan for the members to march from Geunjeongmun Gate at Gyeongbokgung Palace, passing Heungnyemun and Gwanghwamun, and ending at the Woldae. The Woldae is a wide raised platform in front of a palace’s main hall and is seen as a symbolic space where the king and the public once interacted. It was damaged by Japan in 1923 and was restored last year, 100 years later. An industry official said the idea appears intended to portray BTS’ return to fans after lengthy military service as a grand march along the restored “royal route.” The official said that if it goes ahead, it would be remembered as a symbolic moment linking Korean history with today’s K-pop. The concert is to be livestreamed worldwide to 190 countries on Netflix. The company said it is the first time in its history it will broadcast a solo concert live by a specific artist. Producers who worked on the Super Bowl halftime show have joined the project, and HYBE plans to use elements such as a media facade on the Gwanghwamun wall to heighten the impact of the march. Safety remains the key issue. The Korea Heritage Service and the Seoul Metropolitan Government have issued conditional approval. BTS’ side must finalize safety measures for the full event, including the march on the Woldae, and pass final review by three weeks before the show. With the performance requiring movement through narrow passages, more advanced crowd-management measures are expected to be needed than usual.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-04 08:03:17

BTS Comeback D-48: BTS' Jung Kook tops 10.3 billion stream on Spotify streams SEOUL, February 02 (AJP) - BTS member Jungkook has surpassed 10.3 billion cumulative streams on Spotify, marking yet another historic milestone for K-pop and the group's anticipated comeback in March. Jungkook surpassed 10.3 billion total streams on his personal Spotify profile (all credits combined). The achievement is a new record for the fastest time an Asian artist has reached the milestone, and also makes him the first K-pop solo artist to surpass the record. The latest marks are particularly notable as it was achieved during Jungkook’s mandatory military service, commonly referred to in Korea as a “military hiatus.” Despite the break in official activities, his Spotify profile continues to log an average of 5.9 million streams per day. His monthly listeners have also remained steady at around 16 million to 17 million, underscoring his reach as a global pop star beyond fandom-driven support. Driving force of the surge is Jungkook’s first solo debut single, ''Seven'' featuring Latto. The track has surpassed 2.77 billion streams, simultaneously setting both a first-ever and fastest-time record among songs by Asian artists. Beyond “Seven,” multiple tracks have crossed the billion-stream threshold, highlighting Jungkook’s strong performance on streaming platforms. The title track from his solo album ''GOLDEN,'' ''Standing Next to You,'' has surpassed 1.39 billion streams. His collaboration with Charlie Puth, ''Left and Right,'' has exceeded 1.15 billion streams, while his solo single ''3D'' has recorded more than 1.1 billion streams. With Seven, Left and Right, Standing Next to You, and 3D, Jungkook now has four tracks that have surpassed the 1.1 billion-stream mark. Jungkook upholds the record for both the first and the largest number held by an Asian solo artist. Additional tracks continue to draw steady attention, including the official soundtrack for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, ''Dreamers,'' which has reached 510 million streams, and his self-composed track ''Still With You,'' which has recorded 410 million streams. Long-running chart performance is also drawing attention beyond cumulative plays. Seven has remained on Spotify’s Weekly Top Songs Global chart for 133 consecutive weeks, continuing to extend its own record for the longest chart run by an Asian solo artist. Meanwhile, GOLDEN has charted on Spotify’s Weekly Top Albums Global chart for 117 weeks, sustaining a record-setting run as the longest-charting album by an Asian solo artist. Jungkook’s 10.3 billion milestone has further highlighted his undiminished global popularity during military service, raising expectations for his post-discharge activities. 2026-02-02 10:49:47

BTS comeback D-49: Fans map out Gwanghwamun sites linked to the group SEOUL, January 31 (AJP) - With BTS set to return as a full group on March 21, attention is building not only around the stage at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square, but also across nearby districts closely associated with the group’s past global performances. As the countdown enters its final stretch, fans are increasingly extending their itineraries beyond the concert itself, mapping out locations around central Seoul that have become informal pilgrimage sites within the global BTS fandom. Here are several routes frequently mentioned by fans ahead of the performance. Gyeongbokgung’s Geunjeongjeon and Gyeonghoeru, featured on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Located directly behind Gwanghwamun Square, Gyeongbokgung Palace holds one of BTS’ most widely recognized performance moments. In 2020, the group filmed its “IDOL” stage for NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in the courtyard in front of Geunjeongjeon Hall, the palace’s main ceremonial structure once used for royal inaugurations and state events. Wearing modernized hanbok, the members performed on the palace’s traditional stone pavement, creating a striking visual contrast between historical architecture and contemporary K-pop choreography that drew global attention. Nearby Gyeonghoeru Pavilion also appeared in the same broadcast as the backdrop for BTS’ “Mikrokosmos” performance. The pavilion, historically used for royal banquets, was illuminated by drone lighting during the nighttime stage. Visitors arriving during the first-half-of-the-year evening opening period can view Gyeonghoeru reflected across the surrounding pond under soft lighting. Entry is free for visitors wearing hanbok, a detail often noted by overseas fans planning palace visits. RM’s art walk: MMCA Seoul and Samcheong-dong Following the eastern palace wall leads to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) Seoul, an area frequently linked to BTS leader RM, who is widely known for his interest in visual art. RM has publicly shared multiple museum visits over the years, leading fans to refer to the route as part of “Namjooning,” a term used to describe slow-paced cultural walks centered on art and reflection. The museum is scheduled to open a large-scale solo exhibition by contemporary artist Damien Hirst in March, coinciding with the period surrounding BTS’ comeback. Hirst is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the global contemporary art market, and the exhibition is expected to showcase major works rarely seen together in South Korea. From the museum, the route naturally extends into Samcheong-dong’s gallery district. PKM Gallery and nearby Kukje Gallery are among the best-known spaces in the area, long associated with Korean Dansaekhwa and contemporary art exhibitions. Past shows featuring painter Yun Hyong-keun — an artist RM has previously cited with admiration — have also contributed to the area’s prominence among fans seeking cultural stops beyond the concert venue. Dining before or after the show: Seochon’s Sejong Village food street West of Gwanghwamun lies Seochon, an older residential district where narrow alleys house both long-running eateries and newer restaurants. The Sejong Village food street is a common stop for concertgoers looking for meals before or after the show, offering options ranging from charcoal-grilled pork ribs to traditional buckwheat noodles. Farther inside the neighborhood is Tongin Market, known for its “yeopjeon lunchbox” experience. Visitors exchange cash for brass tokens at the entrance before selecting side dishes from market stalls to assemble their own meal. The market’s signature gireum tteokbokki — rice cakes stir-fried in oil with a savory, spicy seasoning — is frequently mentioned by fans as part of a Gwanghwamun-to-Seochon walking route. With BTS’ return expected to draw global attention in March, the surrounding streets, galleries and markets are once again becoming part of the broader concert experience — extending well beyond the two hours spent in front of the stage. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-31 10:05:58

Foreign visitors to South Korea recover to pre-pandemic levels SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - The number of foreign visitors to South Korea last year surpassed pre-pandemic levels, according to data released by the Korea Tourism Organization on Friday. The country welcomed about 18.94 million visitors last year, up 8.2 percent from the previous record of 17.50 million in 2019, just before the coronavirus pandemic closed borders around the world. Chinese visitors accounted for the most with 5.48 million, followed by Japan with 3.65 million, Taiwan with 1.89 million, the U.S. with 1.48 million, and Hong Kong with 620,000. In December alone, South Korea saw 1.52 million visitors, up 19.5 percent from the same month a year earlier. With visitor numbers from China gradually recovering to 77.4 percent from levels seen in 2019, Taiwan led the rebound with a 181.4 percent increase, followed by the U.S. at 136.5 percent, driven in part by the popularity of K-pop and other cultural attractions. Outbound travel by South Koreans also recovered to 29.55 million last year. During the Christmas holiday season in December, some 2.75 million people traveled overseas, seeing a recovery to 117.3 percent compared to the same month in 2019. 2026-01-30 15:50:46

Asia's largest cruise ship to sail from Incheon under Lotte Tour partnership SEOUL, January 28 (AJP) - South Korea's Lotte Tour Development has partnered with global cruise operator MSC Cruises to operate a large cruise ship with South Korea as its home port. The company said on Wednesday it signed a strategic partnership agreement with MSC Cruises on Jan. 27 covering charter operations. Under the agreement, the 170,000-ton MSC Bellissima will begin sailings from Incheon Port in June 2027. Lotte Tour Development described the vessel as the largest cruise ship to operate from a South Korean home port. The MSC Bellissima is about 315 meters long, and can accommodate up to 5,600 passengers. Existing cruise ships used for charter operations in South Korea typically measure about 110,000 tons, the company said. The inaugural itinerary will be a six-night, seven-day voyage departing from Incheon, calling at Keelung in Taiwan and Sasebo in Japan, before returning to Incheon. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-28 10:14:37

Korean travel firm ties up with Son Heung-min's LAFC on fan tours SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - South Korean tourism platform MyRealTrip has signed an official partnership with Los Angeles FC (LAFC) of Major League Soccer to offer South Korean fans safer and more differentiated sports travel products. The deal came as interest in MLS has surged following the transfer of South Korea national team captain Son Heung-min to LAFC. Under the agreement, MyRealTrip was named LAFC’s official Korea partner and will offer exclusive ticket sales and match-attendance travel packages developed in collaboration with the club. The first product will be an “LAFC Fan Tour,” a match package built around LAFC’s season opener on Feb. 21. The match is expected to feature LAFC against Inter Miami, which counts Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul among its players. MyRealTrip described the fixture as one of the marquee matchups of the 2026 MLS season. The package combines tickets to the LAFC–Inter Miami match with a Los Angeles itinerary, offered as a three-night, four-day trip and limited to the first 200 buyers. “LAFC is honored to collaborate with MyRealTrip as we expand the club’s global reach and connect with fans around the world,” LAFC co-chair Larry Freedman said in a press release. He added that the partnership is expected to make it easier for South Korean fans to visit BMO Stadium, experience Los Angeles and engage more deeply with the club both inside and outside the venue. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-26 15:47:04

[[BTS Comeback]] Ticketing is only half the battle SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) -"Booking a room is as important as scoring tickets." With BTS’s comeback in the Gwanghwamun area and the kick off of its April world tour in Goyang now confirmed, fans are increasingly turning their attention to accommodation near the venues. The idea is straightforward: avoid the most congested post-show routes and reduce travel time, ideally by staying within walking distance. The trend has even produced its own term among fans: “sukso-ting,” a portmanteau of the Korean word for accommodation (“sukso”) and “ticketing,” reflecting how booking hotels has become part of the concert preparation process. Hotels within walking distance expected to draw the most demand in Gwanghwamun A show in the city center offers strong accessibility, but heavy crowding and congestion are also expected, particularly during exit. For that reason, hotels that allow fans to move on foot are likely to be among the most sought-after options. "The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul" is located next to Gwanghwamun Square, offering views that can include Gyeongbokgung Palace and the surrounding area through large windows. The hotel also has an indoor pool and spa. "Hotel Koreana," directly adjacent to the square, is positioned just across a crosswalk from the venue. Its rooms have undergone renovations, making it a practical choice for those who prioritize proximity. "The Plaza Seoul" is roughly a 10 to 15 minute walk from Gwanghwamun. With its distinctive interior design and boutique style atmosphere, it is presented as an option for those who prefer staying bit away from the densest crowds while still remaining within a manageable distance. "Prepare for an endurance test": For Goyang, target the KINTEX area The April's world tour opener at Goyang Sports Complex will take place near Daehwa Station on Subway Line 3. Because the venue sits farther from central Seoul, securing a room in the northern Gyeonggi area is important in order for fans to not only shorten their travel time but also maintain their condition ahead of the concert. The "Sono Calm Goyang," described as a local landmark in Goyang, is located about five minutes by car from the stadium (approximately 2.5 kilometers). It is introduced as the only five-star hotel in northern Gyeonggi Province and is near KINTEX, making it a leading option for both business visitors and BTS fans. With comfortable room conditions and a range of dining options, the hotel is positioned to meet the needs of fans seeking both meals and rest before and after the event. Inquiries for April reservations are already said to be increasing. The "Gloucester Hotel Kintex" is presented as a more budget-friendly alternative for those seeking comfortable room conditions. Nearby facilities include "Hyundai Department Store" and "One Mount," and the stadium is described as close enough to reach with basic taxi rate. From budget picks to style-forward stays, more options are available Accommodation choices are not limited to five-star hotels. In the Gwanghwamun area, business hotels such as "Shilla Stay Gwanghwamun" and "L7 Myeongdong by Lotte" are cited as alternatives with clean facilities at reasonable prices. For travelers visiting with friends from abroad, finding hotels near Seochon or Bukchon Hanok Village can be a memorable option. In Goyang, one should not be disapointed if they failed to book "Sono Calm." Residence-style hotels near KINTEX, including "Kintex by K-Tree" and "Urban-est," are equipped with cooking facilities, allowing small groups of friends to gather and spend time together after the event. Moreover, remodeled small-to-mid-sized boutique hotels near the food district next to Daehwa Station provides cost friendly options. Important factor is timing. Regardless of the price, securing a base camp that accounts for routes to and from the venue will shape fan's ultimate BTS experience in March and April. 2026-01-26 10:47:37

INTERVIEW: Tourism chief aims to boost Seoul's global appeal SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - Ghil Gi-yeon, who recently secured a third term as CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization, has been instrumental in revitalizing the tourism industry since assuming his post in July 2021, helping restore the city's vibrancy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. "With support from Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, we carried out several major projects swiftly and efficiently, including opening a marketplace at Gwanghwamun Plaza, organizing a series of seasonal events like a lantern festival along the Cheonggye Stream, and offering mountain-climbing programs," said Ghil, who now envisions making Seoul one of the top five global tourist destinations with a focus on "art tourism." "What was most rewarding about those projects was the tangible outcomes and favorable responses from both citizens and tourists," he added. Among them, the most notable project was the launch of tourism booths to assist hikers in climbing mountains across Seoul. "I thought outdoor activities would be key in the post-COVID era," he said. "Starting with programs to climb Mt. Bugaksan in 2022, which were later expanded to other nearby mountains including Gwanaksan, the number of participants soared to over 100,000 as of June this year. The project has since been adopted by other local governments with similar programs," he added. Various summer-themed leisure activities and other seasonal festivals in central Seoul have gained popularity, encouraging more Seoulites to take part. In particular, the annual lantern festival along the Cheonggye Stream, featuring dazzling lights and media art installations, has become one of the city's major nighttime attractions for tourists. To cater to the growing number of individual travelers, the organization also opened a cultural lounge last year, attracting more than 22,000 visitors in its first year alone. Interactive programs such as traditional craft-making, calligraphy, makeup classes, and other K-pop-themed events there have drawn strong interest from foreign tourists and youngsters. Ghil, who was awarded a government merit last year in recognition of his achievements and efforts to promote Korean culture, said, "Through these immersive programs and hands-on activities, we can give visitors a true sense of what makes Seoul special." The organization also formed the so-called "Seoul Art Tourism Alliance" (SATA) this year, a partnership of some 83 public and private agencies from the performance, exhibition, and tourism sectors, in a bid to attract more global conferences and conventions, as well as develop new tourism courses to enhance the city's competitiveness. "Seoul has already emerged as one of the world's leading tourist destinations, but its true competitiveness lies in the happiness of its citizens," he emphasized. "Through innovative approaches and strategies that integrate art into daily life, we want to make Seoul a must-visit destination that international tourists are eager to explore." * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-22 14:24:57

Signiel Busan named Asia's 'leading beach hotel' for second consecutive year SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - Signiel Busan in South Korea's southern port city of Busan has been named Asia's "Leading Beach Hotel" for the second consecutive year, the luxury hotel said on Wednesday. The recognition came from the World Travel Awards, which has selected winners through votes cast by travel experts and industry professionals across more than 160 countries since 1993. Located near Haeundae Beach, the hotel is praised for its panoramic ocean views from all rooms, luxurious interiors, and top-tier facilities and amenities. Its year-round infinity pool, offering ever-changing views of Haeundae, proves popular with guests. The hotel also features ChaoLan, a Michelin-listed modern Cantonese restaurant, along with diverse dining options, a luxury spa, and a lounge, all contributing to its acclaim. General Manager Shim Young-min said the hotel is proud of the latest recognition. "Being selected for the second consecutive year by the prestigious World Travel Awards is an honor. We will continue to endeavor to enhance our facilities and services," he said. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-15 09:49:16