Korea to open culture data for AI SEOUL, September 03 (AJP) - South Korea will open five sets of culture-sector public data in AI-ready formats, covering traditional music, tourism, policy information and cultural assets, the culture ministry said Thursday. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the data will come from four public institutions: the National Gugak Center, the National Library of Korea, the Korea Tourism Organization and the Korea Culture Information Service Agency. Project is part of t September 3, 2026

Korea's squishy toy craze puts 14+ labels under scrutiny SEOUL, September 02 (AJP) -South Korea's squishy-toy craze is getting a sober safety check. In Seoul's Dongdaemun toy district, the old staples of childhood are still everywhere. Children weave between shops packed floor to ceiling with transforming robots, Lego sets, dolls and BB guns. Wedged among them is a newer kind of toy, designed less to build or shoot than to squeeze, stretch and crack. There are croissant-shaped squishies, tubs of brightly colored slime, September 2, 2026

Italy at Frieze spotlights Korean-Italian art ties SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - The Italian Embassy in Seoul opened a joint exhibition of Korean and Italian art Tuesday as part of its Frieze week program, highlighting growing cultural ties between the two countries. "Italy at Frieze: The Golden Trace" pairs Korean artist Yeesookyung with Italian artist Andrea Francolino at the Italian ambassador's residence in Hannam-dong, central Seoul. Now in its third Seoul edition, the show runs alongside the fifth Frieze Seoul th September 1, 2026

Korean jobseekers face an AI test with no rulebook SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - AI literacy is becoming the latest addition to the long list of so-called "specs" young South Koreans need to compete for already-scarce entry-level jobs. The problem is that employers themselves are still figuring out what they want. SK hynix is removing its traditional personal-statement questions from applications in the second half of this year. Instead, applicants will be asked to describe how they have used AI in projects, r September 1, 2026

Korea opens monthlong nationwide art festival SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - South Korea opened a monthlong art festival Tuesday, linking major biennales and airport exhibitions in a nationwide push to promote Korean art at home and abroad. The 2026 Korea Art Festival will run through Sept. 30 across the country, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said. This year's program brings together four biennales: the Gwangju Biennale, Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale, Busan Biennale and Jeju Biennale. Two major art fairs, Ki September 1, 2026

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