Korean dance crew The Stories takes home Vibe Dance championship

The Korea-based dance crew The Stories took first place Sunday at the 2026 Vibe Dance Competition in California, organizers said. Led by choreographer Kalvin Kim, the team earned the highest score among 15 competing crews, finishing with 99.3 points out of 100 to claim the $5,000 grand prize. V Mo placed second with 95.89 points, followed by GRV with 95.29. The win marks another milestone for The Stories, which recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary. It won the competition in 2024, becoming

March 2, 2026

‘The King’s Warden‘ is nearing 10 million ticket sales. Here’s why that number matters.

When "The King's Warden" opened on Feb. 4, a full week ahead of the Lunar New Year window, many in the industry read the timing as a kind of concession. Ryoo Seung-wan's 23.5 billion won ($16 million) spy thriller "Humint," due a week later, was positioned as the season's main event; opening early looked like a move to grab whatever audience was available before the bigger film landed. Four weeks on, "The King's Warden" has drawn 8.48 million admissions, becoming one of Korean cinema's unlikelie

March 2, 2026

2026 LCK Cup wraps up, Gen.G reigns supreme

Gen.G cemented its status as the dominant force in Korean League of Legends with a statement victory at the 2026 LCK Cup, sweeping BNK FearX 3-0 in Sunday night's grand final and erasing its record of last year's title loss to Hanwha Life Esports. Widely regarded as one of the most prestigious regional competitions in global esports, the Korean league, officially known as League of Legends Champions Korea, opened its season with the LCK Cup, a short-form tournament designed as an opener for the

March 2, 2026

'The King's Warden' tops 8 mln views, on track for 10 mln

The historical film "The King's Warden" topped 8 million cumulative admissions at the domestic box office Sunday and is on track for the 10 million milestone, box-office data showed. The film had drawn slightly more than 8 million viewers as of 9 a.m. Sunday since its release Feb. 4, according to Showbox, the movie's distributor. Box-office data showed nearly 655,000 viewers watched the film on Saturday alone, the first day of the three-day extended holiday that includes March 1 Independence Mov

March 1, 2026

Moon jar, reimagined

Soft and milky in tone, its rounded and generous form quietly draws the eye. The moon jar, a representative Korean porcelain that first emerged during the Joseon era (1392–1910), continues to captivate artists and designers today as an enduring source of inspiration. Made by joining two hemispherical halves rather than shaping a single body at once, the traditional moon jar allows for subtle variations in form — a quality often associated with Korea’s aesthetic appreciation for natural imperfect

Feb. 28, 2026

[Book Review] Beyond real estate: 'Seoul Urban Architecture' decodes city's DNA

“Seoul Urban Architecture: Rising from the Crushing Bowl” By Kim Sung-hong Park Books Seoul and its architecture may feel familiar to those who have lived in the Korean capital, but conversations about the city often revolve around real estate — a dominant topic that has come to define Seoul in recent decades. Nonetheless the time has come to look back on how the city has taken shape, and how its architectural trajectory might be understood beyond the logic of property values. In “Seoul Urban Ar

Feb. 28, 2026

Australia showcases premium food, wine in Seoul

The Australian Food and Wine Collaboration Group hosted its “Taste the Wonders of Australia” media conference Thursday at Andaz Seoul Gangnam in Seoul, bringing together leaders from Australian food industries to outline export strategies and deepen partnerships in South Korea. The group — a joint initiative between Dairy Australia, Horticulture Innovation Australia, Meat & Livestock Australia, Wine Australia and Seafood Industry Australia — promotes Australian produce through coordinated progra

Feb. 28, 2026

Korea’s new travel playbook: closer trips, richer stories

For Korean travelers, distance is measured not only in miles, but in vacation days. “Usually, Korean travelers travel for about four to seven days,” said Jay Lee, regional director for North Asia at Agoda, in an interview with The Korea Herald on Wednesday. “They don’t want to go someplace that’s too far and spend one day going and one day coming. Proximity is an important piece.” That practical calculation continues to shape outbound travel patterns in 2026. Short-haul destinations dominate: To

Feb. 28, 2026

'The King's Warden' tops 7 million admissions

The historical film "The King's Warden" has topped a cumulative 7 million admissions in the domestic box office, data from the Korean Film Council showed Saturday. The film has drawn a total of 7.01 million moviegoers as of Friday since its release Feb. 4, more than double its break-even point of approximately 2.6 million. Directed by Jang Hang-jun, whose previous works include the action comedy "Break Out" (2002) and the sports drama "Rebound" (2023), "The King's Warden" reimagines historical e

Feb. 28, 2026

Girls' Generation's Tiffany, actor Byun Yo-han get married

Tiffany Young, a Korean American member of K-pop band Girls' Generation, married actor Byun Yo-han on Friday, Byun's agency said. The two legally registered their marriage "based on their deep trust and love for each other," and wedding plans are still in the making, TEAMHOPE said. "They are at the stage of carefully considering a simple wedding ceremony in the form of a church service where they share their gratitude with family members," the agency said. "As they start a new journey of life, t

Feb. 27, 2026

What drove South Korea’s record content exports in 2024?

South Korea’s cultural content industry posted record-high revenue and exports in 2024, with exports far exceeding imports to generate a sizable trade surplus, the government said Friday. Revenue in the domestic content industry surpassed 157 trillion won ($109 billion) in 2024, while exports topped $14 billion, both marking all-time highs, according to a report by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The survey covered businesses in 11 sectors of the content industry: publishing, comics

Feb. 27, 2026

Kakao Entertainment taps ex-Kakao Bank AI chief as co-CEO

Kakao Entertainment has nominated Ko Jung-hee, former head of the artificial intelligence group at Kakao Bank, as its new co-CEO, forming a leadership duo with current co-CEO Joseph Chang. Ko will be formally appointed following shareholder and board approval and is set to take office in late March. Current co-CEO Kweon Ki-su is to step down for personal reasons. The company said the leadership reshuffle is aimed at sharpening its global strategy centered on intellectual property across music, s

Feb. 27, 2026

What Yerin Ha read to become Bridgerton's new Cinderella

The much-anticipated second batch of episodes from Season 4 of Netflix’s Regency-era hit show “Bridgerton” was released on Thursday. Holding its place as one of Netflix’s most popular series, the period romance continues its tale of the lavish and lovestruck Bridgerton brood. The fourth installment centers on Yerin Ha, who plays Sophie Baek, a maid whose encounter with Benedict Bridgerton at a masquerade ball sets in motion a Cinderella-esque love story with the rakish second son. Ha has since b

Feb. 27, 2026

Sneakers brand On's shoes to be ‘Sprayed in Korea’

Swiss sportswear brand On announced Thursday that it was operating a LightSpray robotic manufacturing facility in Busan, the company’s second such site, after opening its first in Zurich in July last year. At the center of the expansion is LightSpray, a proprietary technology that compresses what has traditionally been a roughly 200-step shoe upper production process into a single, fully automated system. Specially engineered robots spray a 1.5-kilometer filament onto a mold, forming an ultralig

Feb. 27, 2026

Meet Bib Gourmand rookies in Michelin Guide Seoul & Busan 2026

The Michelin Guide has revealed eight new Bib Gourmand additions in its 2026 edition for Seoul and Busan, spotlighting restaurants that deliver quality cooking at accessible prices. The Bib Gourmand distinction recognizes establishments serving a complete meal for under 45,000 won ($31) per person. The list included Seoul's 3rd Samgyetang, a third-generation restaurant founded in 1973, which continues to draw loyalists with its deeply flavored broth made from more than 40 ingredients. Topped wit

Feb. 27, 2026