For Gen Z, adulthood comes in small treats SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - Once a week, a 28-year-old nurse working at a small hospital in central Seoul walks into a gift shop in Jongno-gu and buys herself something small. It has become a ritual since she changed jobs two years ago. She does not drink or have particularly expensive hobbies. After rent, student loan payments, food, transportation and her phone bill, she says there is little left to save. The life she once imagined for 28 looked very different. “When September 22, 2026

When AI becomes a confidant, how much should we tell it? SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - Plug in your personal details, desires, weaknesses and troubles. Artificial intelligence suddenly becomes a confession box, healer, consultant, judge, friend and even accomplice. For Jang, an office worker in his 30s from Bundang, south of Seoul, the familiarity is unsettling. "When I talk to AI about my problems, sometimes it scares me to think that it will eventually know me better than I know myself," he said. The sense of privacy and c September 22, 2026

Giant hand to truck-boat, local projects raise questions on cultural spending SEOUL, September 21 (AJP) - Lee Ji-hye, a 33-year-old resident of Songdo in Incheon, took her young son to see a new sculpture that had appeared along the waterfront in their neighborhood. His immediate reaction was "Rock and roll," she said, copying the hand gesture. Her son also thought it looked like Spider-Man's hand. "There was a lot of discussion because we simply couldn't make it out," Lee told AJP. She could only laugh when she read the expl September 21, 2026

Rare appearance of shark draws onlookers in Busan SEOUL, September 21 (AJP) - A shark measuring 3 to 4 meters was spotted for a third straight day at a waterfront park in Busan over the weekend, drawing crowds of onlookers as authorities stepped up safety measures. The shark was first reported at about 8:57 a.m. last Friday in a waterway connected to the sea at North Port Waterfront Park in the southern port city's Dong district. The Korea Coast Guard initially tried to guide the shark toward open water but halted the effort September 21, 2026

Icheon to bring Goryeo diplomat Seo Hui's legacy to life SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - The city of Icheon will turn the legacy of Goryeo-era diplomat Seo Hui into a two-day history and culture festival next month, the city said Friday. The Jangwigong Seo Hui Diplomacy Culture Festival will run Oct. 3-4 at Seo Hui Theme Park in Icheon, about 60 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Held under the theme "Seo Hui Speaks K-Diplomacy," the event will mark the 1,028th anniversary of Seo's death. Programs include a memorial ce September 18, 2026

National Museum of Korea visitors top 5.25 million SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - The National Museum of Korea drew more than 5.25 million visitors in the first eight months of 2026, crossing the 5-million mark about six weeks earlier than last year, when it set an annual attendance record. Attendance totaled 5,254,884 from January through August, up 21.4 percent from 4,328,979 in the same period a year earlier. Visitor traffic remained heavy through the summer. The museum surpassed 3 million visitors in May and 4 million in July, September 18, 2026

The world of K-beauty, pulled into one Seoul office SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) — K-beauty spent years carrying Seoul to bathroom shelves, beauty counters and social-media feeds around the world. Inside one skincare office in southern Seoul, that current is running the other way: the world has come to work. At Mary&May, a Korean skincare brand sold in more than 60 countries, employees from 15 nationalities sit inside the machinery of K-beauty's global expansion — choosing products, creators, words and images for mar September 17, 2026

Han River ferry marks 1st anniversary with more than 600,000 riders SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - Seoul's water ferry service along the Han River has carried more than 600,000 passengers in about a year after its launch last fall, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Thursday. According to the city government, the cumulative number of passengers stood at 603,293 as of early this week, with the service set to mark its first anniversary this Friday after beginning operations on Sept. 18 last year. The milestone comes after a rocky start, w September 17, 2026

Seoul's Jongno 3-ga named world's 'coolest neighborhood' by British magazine SEOUL, September 17 (AJP) - Seoul's Jongno 3-ga has been named the world's "coolest neighborhood" for 2026 in a list released Wednesday by British travel magazine Time Out. Jongno 3-ga, which ranked third on the magazine's 2021 list, rose to No. 1 this year. Time Out attributed the rise to the neighborhood's growing late-night dining scene, street food, characteristic shops and its blend of Seoul's historic character with newer cultural trends. The a September 17, 2026

Daejeon museum fair draws 151 institutions SEOUL, September 16 (AJP) - Over 150 museums, galleries and related organizations will gather in Daejeon this week for a three-day fair highlighting how artificial intelligence and digital technology are reshaping the museum sector, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Wednesday. The 2026 Museum and Art Museum Fair will run from Sept. 18 to 20 at the Daejeon Convention Center. A total of 151 public, private and university museums, local governments, cultural org September 16, 2026