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

Chinese snacks spread across Korean shelves, drawing curiosity and scrutiny SEOUL, August 12 (AJP) - Step into an unmanned snack shop in Seoul and the shelves resemble a miniature world market — with China taking an outsized share, from mala konjac and latiao to spicy seafood and candy. The novelty is drawing shoppers, but also closer scrutiny as Korean regulators flag bacterial contamination, high sodium and labeling problems in some imported products. The Chinese packaged fish snack, bought from an unmanned store in downtown Seoul, looked as forc August 12, 2026

Nearly 1 in 8 Koreans live outside conventional homes SEOUL, August 10 (AJP) - Nearly one in eight South Koreans living alone resides in motels or other quarters not classified as housing, with the share approaching one in five among those in their 20s and 30s, although the country's housing supply continues to grow far faster than its population. Nearly 975,000 one-person households lived in "non-housing living quarters" in 2025, accounting for 11.8 percent of all one-person households and nearly twice the 6.1 percent August 10, 2026

South Korea scales back driving tests as heat wave intensifies SEOUL, August 08 (AJP) - South Korea has begun scaling back and suspending portions of its driver's license examinations as an intense heat wave continues to grip the country, prompting authorities to introduce emergency measures to protect test-takers and staff. The Korea Road Traffic Authority said on Saturday that driving skills tests would be concentrated in the cooler morning hours as heat wave warnings remain in effect across much of the country. In the afternoon, the August 8, 2026

Kangaroo families become the new normal from Seoul to San Francisco SEOUL, August 06 (AJP) - Suddenly, kangaroos seem to be multiplying around the world. Not in the Australian outback, but in family homes from South Korea to the United States, where growing numbers of young adults are delaying independence and staying in — or moving back to — their parents' houses as soaring housing costs outpace wages. The once-stigmatized "kangaroo family," in which adult children remain in the parental home, is increasingly becoming August 6, 2026

AI Summit Seoul & Expo 2026 returns this month SEOUL, August 05 (AJP) - South Korea's largest AI-focused exhibition and conference will return to Seoul later this month with a larger show floor and a sharper focus on how companies are putting artificial intelligence to work across industries, COEX said Wednesday. AI Summit Seoul & Expo 2026, or AISE 2026, will run from Aug. 19 to 21 at COEX in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, jointly organized by COEX, DMK Global and the Korea International Trade Association (KITA). T August 5, 2026