SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s new culture minister offered a stark warning on Thursday, saying that behind the glittering image of K-pop, K-drama and other cultural exports lies a fragile industry infrastructure at risk of collapse. At his first press conference since taking office, Choi Hwi-young, minister of culture, sports and tourism, said he [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — The new culture minister said Thursday that despite the global success of K-pop, films and other entertainment, the reality he has witnessed inside the industries is one of “despair.” “The reality I’ve seen, heard and felt while visiting various sites is so different from the glamorous image that it [...]
SEOUL, July 1 (Korea Bizwire) – Korea’s traditional mysticism—featuring grim reapers, shamans, goblins, and ancestral rites—is taking the global stage by storm. Once seen as deeply local and culturally niche, “K-Occult” is now emerging as a unique pillar of the broader K-culture phenomenon, drawing attention for its blend of eerie storytelling, traditional iconography, and modern reinterpretation. [...]
SEOUL, June 30 (Korea Bizwire) — In a continued push to globalize its language and culture, South Korea is adding 11 new King Sejong Institutes to its growing international network of Korean language centers, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Monday. These newly designated centers—named after the 15th-century monarch who created the Korean [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Four out of 10 foreigners visiting South Korea for medical treatment said the country’s culture influenced their decision to come here, a survey showed Sunday. More than 41 percent of those surveyed answered positively when asked if the cultural experience in South Korea influenced their decision to receive medical [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) unveiled its 2025 Retail Industry White Paper on January 7, identifying “S.N.A.K.E”—Survival, Next, AI, K-Culture, and Economical Consumption—as the year’s key consumer market trends. Survival in a Stagnant Market With global economic challenges and stagnating consumer markets, competition for limited spending [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Global K-pop sensation Rosé, known for her hit collaboration “APT.” with Bruno Mars, recently shared her love for Korean snacks on a YouTube channel, praising the spicy version of Nongshim’s Shrimp Crackers. “They get spicier as you eat them,” she remarked, while also reminiscing about celebrating birthdays during her trainee [...]
SEOUL, Jun. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea will begin issuing the K-culture training visa for foreigners on a trial basis this year and consider introducing a new workation visa, with the goal of attracting more tourists from overseas, the finance ministry said Monday. It is part of the comprehensive measures presented by the ministry, [...]
SEOUL, Mar. 12 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent analysis has revealed that more than one-third of the foreign tourists visiting South Korea last year were young individuals under the age of 30, a demographic surge attributed to the global popularity of K-pop, K-food, and K-beauty. The trend is not limited to Asian countries such as Japan, [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 9 (Korea Bizwire) – In the early 20th century, American traveler and photographer Burton Holmes (1870-1958) visited Korea, later describing it as an “interesting place.” His travelogue vividly depicted the daily life of Koreans at that time, from porters weaving through crowded streets to people riding trams. Today, the National Folk Museum of Korea [...]