Korean Folk Village wins Red Dot award for improving visitor access to heritage SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - Korean Folk Village, an open-air museum and cultural theme park on the outskirts of Seoul, has won this year's Red Dot Design Award for its mobile platform, it said on Thursday. Its platform was recognized for its digital services, which make exploring the heritage site more convenient and engaging for visitors. It received a Winner award in the Brands & Communication Design category for integrating various services into a single app including QR-co July 16, 2026

Foreign shoppers fuel record first-half sales at South Korea's department stores SEOUL, July 15 (AJP) - Foreign tourists spent a record 1.72 trillion won ($1.24 billion) at South Korea's three largest department store chains in the first half of 2026, as inbound travelers broadened their spending from luxury goods to Korean fashion, beauty and dining. Lotte Department Store, Shinsegae Department Store and Hyundai Department Store each posted record first-half foreign sales, according to industry data released on Tuesday. Lotte led with 640 billion July 15, 2026

The world is scorching and Korea's climate envoy sees opportunity in crisis SEOUL, July 13 (AJP) - South Korea issued its first top-tier heat warning Sunday as temperatures neared 39 degrees Celsius in the southeastern cities of Pohang and Gyeongsan, joining countries across Europe and North America confronting summers that are becoming longer, hotter and increasingly dangerous. The Korea Meteorological Administration activated the newly created Heat Wave Emergency Warning after apparent temperatures were forecast to exceed 38 degrees following days above July 14, 2026

K-delivery joins the must-do list for foreign visitors SEOUL, July 12 (AJP) - Foreign visitors are no longer coming to South Korea simply to shop, sightsee and dine out. Increasingly, they are trying to live like locals, embracing everyday Korean culture by ordering fried chicken, coffee and late-night snacks through delivery apps in what has become the latest K-culture experience. The shift reflects a broader evolution of Korean tourism, where travelers seek not only famous attractions but also the rhythms of daily life. Just as conv July 12, 2026

Koreans don't fight summer. They accessorize it SEOUL, July 9 (AJP) — When Europe melts, people flock to rivers, lakes and public fountains. When South Korea swelters, shoppers head to Olive Young and Daiso. To withstand increasingly early, longer and more punishing summers, Europeans seek out whatever water they can find. Koreans, long accustomed to humid East Asian heat, have developed another survival strategy: buying a growing arsenal of cooling products that seems to evolve every summer. July 9, 2026

Vietnamese arrivals in Korea surpass Chinese for first time SEOUL, July 09 (AJP) - Viet Nam overtook China as the largest source of foreign arrivals in South Korea last year as Vietnamese workers continued to enter the country while more Chinese nationals left, government data showed Thursday. Figures released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics showed 98,000 Vietnamese nationals arrived in South Korea in 2025, edging past 94,000 arrivals from China. A year earlier, China still led by a wide margin, with 112,000 arrivals compared with V July 9, 2026

Starbucks Korea resumes promotions after 'Tank Day' backlash SEOUL, July 09 (AJP) - Starbucks Korea is relaunching customer promotions after a marketing controversy over the anniversary of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising forced the company to close every store in the country simultaneously for staff training, something it had never done in its 27 years in Korea. The coffee chain said Tuesday it will give free drink coupons and food discount coupons to all Starbucks Rewards members through Aug. 14. Existing members received the coupo July 9, 2026

Musinsa establishes Taiwan unit to expand direct presence overseas SEOUL, July 08 (AJP) - Musinsa has established a Taiwan subsidiary to spearhead its expansion in the local market, marking the company's latest overseas growth initiative, the company said Tuesday. The Taiwan unit was established on July 7 and will oversee the company's local operations and market expansion efforts. Musinsa said it plans to build a dedicated local team and expand its offline presence with a focus on its private-label casual apparel brand, Musinsa Standard. July 8, 2026

Samsung rebate festival nets $1.3 billion in sales SEOUL, July 05 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics' monthlong "Gratitude Festival" promotion generated an estimated 2 trillion won, about $1.3 billion, in device sales before the event ended July 5, according to industry estimates, a haul that is expected to lift the company's consumer electronics division in its upcoming second-quarter earnings. The estimate is based on the value of digital Onnuri gift certificates Samsung issued during the campaign, which industry sour July 5, 2026

Korea Tourism Organization taps influencers to promote regional food tourism SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) - The Korea Tourism Organization has launched a regional food tourism campaign with 33 overseas influencers as South Korea seeks to turn growing interest in Korean food into travel beyond Seoul. The state tourism agency, led by President Park Sung-hyuk, held a launch event for "K-Local Food Hunters 33" at Samcheonggak in Seoul on Monday. Through Thursday, the program will send participants to different regions to taste, film and share local dishes wi June 30, 2026