Late monsoon pushes online shopping to record high in July SEOUL, September 1 (AJP) - Online shopping in South Korea reached a record high in July, largely due to increased spending on food delivery, according to data released by Statistics Korea on Tuesday. A record 25.01 trillion won (US$18.24 billion) worth of online transactions were made in July, up 7.3 percent from a year earlier and the highest since relevant data were first compiled in 2017. The ministry attributed the increase to more spending on food delivery, groceries and aut September 1, 2026

Culture ministry to host youth culture week SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - South Korea's culture ministry will hold a two-day youth culture event in Seoul's Hongdae area, bringing together talks, performances, workshops and community booths. The 2026 Youth Culture Week, titled "Today's Youth, Today's Culture," will run Friday and Saturday at a venue on Eoulmadang-ro in Mapo District, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday. The event will be held under the theme "Deepe September 1, 2026

When the crowd becomes the court SEOUL, August 31 (AJP) - The Korean social media audience can be punishing and unforgiving toward celebrities and public figures. Its frenzied, vindictive pile-ons persist despite tragic casualties such as actor Lee Sun-kyun. The latest target is South Korean YouTuber Park Wi. The controversy began after Park, a wheelchair user who runs the popular YouTube channel Weracle, fell while getting off a KTX train on Aug. 14. A week later, he uploaded CCTV footage showing his wheel August 31, 2026

South Korea tops travel destination for Japanese SEOUL, August 31 (AJP) - More than one in four Japanese traveling abroad this year chose South Korea, drawn by its proximity and the relative affordability of won-priced travel as rising costs and a weak yen weigh on longer-haul trips. Korea welcomed 12.8 million foreign visitors from January to July, up 21.3 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Japanese visitors accounted for 2.28 million, up 18.8 percent from 1.92 million ove August 31, 2026

Foreign shopping at Olive Young tops $720 million SEOUL, August 31 (AJP) - CJ Olive Young's sales to foreign shoppers surpassed 1 trillion won ($720 million) by August, reaching the milestone three months earlier than last year as South Korea's K-beauty boom draws overseas visitors beyond Seoul into regional cities. Foreign customers made 11.01 million purchases at Olive Young's domestic stores between January and August, equivalent to roughly one transaction every 0.9 seconds during store operating hours, the health August 31, 2026

Korea expands half-price travel subsidy to 9 more rural areas SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) - South Korea will expand a half-price travel subsidy program to nine more rural areas this fall after a first-half rollout boosted local spending, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday. The program, aimed at rural areas facing population decline, refunds half of a visitor's travel expenses through mobile local gift certificates, up to 100,000 won ($72) per person and 140,000 won for young travelers. It launched in April across 16 August 27, 2026

Seoul tourist spending surges 70% as arrivals hit record SEOUL, Aug. 27 (AJP)-Foreign tourists are spending substantially more in Seoul even as visitor numbers hit records, with card spending surging nearly 70 percent in July — more than three times the pace of growth in arrivals, metropolitan government data showed Thursday. Seoul welcomed a record 1.61 million foreign visitors in July, up 20.8 percent from a year earlier, while their card spending jumped steeper 69.7 percent to 1.07 trillion won ($770 million). The figure August 27, 2026

How Seoul's hillside neighborhood becomes hidden gem for foreigners SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - On a steep hillside beneath Mt. Namsan, a neighborhood once known for cheap housing is giving foreigners a reason to look beyond Seoul's better-known hotspots. It is not as crowded as Seoul's hip Hongik University neighborhood, a popular nightlife district known for its youthful energy or as busy as nearby Itaewon, Seoul's best-known international and entertainment district. Yet Haebangchon has plenty of bars, restaurants and cafés with August 21, 2026

Annual festival in Wonju to showcase cultural diversity SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - The provincial city of Wonju will host its annual cultural festival next month, offering food, games and other activities from around the world, organizers said on Thursday. Now in its fourth year, the festival, known as the WOW Festival, will take place Sept. 5 at the Wonju Dancing Performance Hall in Gangwon Province, featuring booths showcasing traditional games, clothing, food and cultural programs from around the world. Food booths and trucks will of August 20, 2026

AI-themed expo brings business leaders together in southern Seoul SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - An artificial intelligence (AI)-themed business expo is underway in Seoul, according to the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) Organized by KITA, COEX and DMK Global, the AI Summit Seoul & Expo (AISE), which kicked off its three-day run at COEX in southern Seoul on Wednesday, runs through Friday, bringing together some 118 companies from seven countries. The expo, which combines an AI conference with a business exhibition, has expan August 19, 2026