Love affair with Chanel goes both ways for South Korea SEOUL, May 27 (AJP) - South Koreans love Chanel, and the fashion house loses Korean right back. For a few hours on Tuesday, the streets of Yeouido in western Seoul felt less like a business district and more like the center of the global fashion world. Long before the show began, the venue for Chanel’s 2026 Métiers d’Art Collection in Seoul was already overflowing with cameras, flashing lights and tightly packed photographers lining the photo wall. Every new ar May 27, 2026

How wishes rise from cliff-side temple on Buddha's birthday SEOUL, May 24 (AJP) - Lotus lanterns glowed across South Korea on Sunday as temples filled with worshippers marking Buddha's Birthday, one of the country’s most widely observed religious celebrations and a day centered on compassion, reflection and prayer. At Hyangiram Hermitage in the southern coastal city of Yeosu, visitors climbed steep stone stairways beneath rows of colorful lanterns hung in honor of the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. The May 25, 2026

Glowing lanterns greet Buddha's Birthday SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - On an early summer night, thousands of colorful lanterns lit up the streets of Seoul as small lights gathered into a massive procession. The glowing lanterns reflected not only a long-standing tradition, but also a sense of community and shared hope. Ahead of Buddha's Birthday, the annual Yeondeunghoe took place on May 16 across central Seoul. Citizens and foreign visitors gathered along the route stretching from Heunginjimun May 19, 2026

Following the tracks, following the taste: Jeonju in cinematic experience *Editors’ Note: This is part of AJP’s photo essay series exploring railway journeys across South Korea in search of local food and regional culture. This installment travels to Jeonju during the Jeonju International Film Festival, where cinema, traditional streets and local cuisine came together beneath the spring sky. SEOUL, May 12 (AJP) - The 27th edition of the Jeonju International Film Festival transformed Jeonju into more than a destination for cinema. Under the May 12, 2026

Jo Sumi marks 40th anniversary debut with vision for young artists SEOUL, May 06 (AJP) - World-renowned soprano Jo Sumi marked the 40th anniversary of her international debut Wednesday, outlining a forward-looking vision focused on nurturing young artists while expanding her musical scope through new collaborations. The milestone signals a strategic shift for South Korea's most iconic classical figure as she integrates her legacy with modern entertainment structures. "What I can do now is share what I have with as many people as possibl May 6, 2026

Even sound sleep becomes a competition — and fashion show — in Korea SEOUL, May 03 (AJP) -The ability to fall sound asleep — and stay that way no matter what — has quietly become a modern superpower in a world vibrating nonstop with alarms, scrolling feeds, office chats and late-night anxiety. So when a giant banner reading “Don’t wake me unless you’re a prince” fluttered above rows of sleeping bags along the Han River on Saturday afternoon, few in Seoul found it strange. At exactly 3 p.m., 170 contestants gat May 3, 2026

Scent of soil and legacy at the 40th Icheon ceramic festival SEOUL, April 30 (AJP) - The air at the festival entrance is thick with the scent of wet soil and fresh grass. Families, elderly couples, and travelers with cameras walk together along a 900-meter stretch of workshops. The most significant change to the Icheon ceramic festival this year is the expansion of space. The three villages of Ye’s Park are now connected into a single route. Visitors wander through the entire village as part of a stay-and-experience cultural model. April 30, 2026

Text-hispters indulge in reading trend in Seoul SEOUL, April 23 (AJP) - In an era dominated by short videos and rapidly consumed content, young people in South Korea are turning back to books and written text. Reading books, copying favorite passages by hand, and visiting bookstores and libraries have become part of a growing lifestyle trend known as “text-hip,” where reading is seen not as an act of studying or self-improvement, but as a way to express personal taste and emotion. April 23, 2026

Following the tracks, following the taste (Gangneung) -2 In quiet courtyards once lived Heo Gyun and Heo Nanseolheon, siblings whose words outlived their time. His Hong Gildong — often called Korea's first novel written in Hangul— still echoes in the air. Here, Gangneung reveals another layer: not just a place to visit, but a place that remembers. The past does not interrupt the present; it settles into it, like a quiet undertone. By the time you reach April 15, 2026

Following the tracks, following the taste (Gangneung) -1 SEOUL, April 13 (AJP) - The journey begins before the sea comes into view.Steel rails draw a quiet line from Seoul to the East Coast, and along that line, time seems to fold. Since the opening of the KTX Gangneung Line in 2017 ahead of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the city has moved closer (two hours) —not just in distance, but in rhythm. What once required a night’s stay now fits within a single day. The train does not merely carry passengers April 13, 2026