Ryu Sung-sil's 'The Burning Love Song' lays bare primal desire for wealth prevalent in Korea's neoliberal market economy. The artist saw that such an obsession with an elite upbringing and wealth could speak to one aspect of Korea's particular economic sensibilities, as the country's rapid growth brought equally swift changes to people's financial statuses. Read more to discover how art informs the Korean social discourse.
Incense burning has been practiced in Korea for centuries. In the 8th to 14th centuries, incense burning was an essential part of Buddhist rituals. As early as the start of this century, incense was primarily used only for special or ceremonial occasions. Today, it is used for meditation, yoga or “mung” (the Korean word for a trance-like state) sessions. Discover more here.
Seo In-ji talks working for musicians around the world, creating her own style. Seoul-based illustrator and animator Seo In-ji has worked for the likes of Girls’ Generation, Red Velvet and NCT Dream. The Korean artist based in the UK brings a global perspective to her work with non-traditional elements like voluptuous women, cute in bright colors, and having fun. What does her more boy accepting art mean for the SK art scene future as a whole? Read along here.
Insider spoke to seven South Korean tattoo artists about the paradox at the core of their profession, as they build up social-media presences to attract customers but hide their workshops in basements to avoid drawing the scrutiny of the law. South Korean tattoo artist Ilwol Hongdam has inked close to 4,000 people in the last 10 years, many of whom flew into Seoul just to see him. Read more about the controversial body art here.
Clothing is an extension of our self-image. It helps define who we are and where we have been. South Korea Hanbok, have evolved into various styles throughout history. Although once only used traditionally Hanbok continues to influence modern style and art. Learn more about the traditional garb, and it's intrinsic link to Korean culture and couture here.
Virtual humans are taking an active part in the real world, expanding their influence in various sectors such as advertising, music, commerce, and education. Digital humans are expected to increase their presence as the cost to development continues to reduce. What other applications can AI personas have in our digitally transformed work and living spaces?
In terms of Korean cuisine, one of the most popular dishes to come to mind is the staple side dish kimchi. The fermented cabbage dish has sparked several debates, both in its taste and in its historical origins, but the tradition of making kimchi is known to be of great importance to Korean people. Learn more about all things related to kimchi in the latest Inbebo news!
As social distancing limitations are being lifted, many young people are starting to flow into Gwangjang Market Food Alley, a traditional market where every stall in the middle of the street featured delectable snacks such as tteokbokki, sundae, and gimbap. Learn more about how these old locations are being revitalized thanks to the MZ Generation.
Triangle kimbap (samgak kimbap, 삼각김밥) is a Korean dish that is made with rice, vegetables, and meat fillings in thin sheets of dried seaweed. Learn the history of Samgak kimbap and how to make your own!
Over the last few years, Korean products have taken the world by storm. Consuming K-Pop, K-Dramas, and K-Beauty, little is yet known about Korean craft arts outside of Korea. Kim Eun-bi is determined to solve that problem with the opening of Kohip, an e-commerce platform service for promoting and selling traditional craft products with modern designs.
Disney Plus announced a collaboration with BTS’s label Hybe to bring “five major content titles” to the platform. Two exclusive projects include BTS: Permission to Dance On Stage — LA and BTS Monuments: Beyond the Star. Learn what we can look forward to from this partnership between two powerhouse companies.
Streaming platforms from all over the globe are seeking to expand their market share in an increasingly crowded Korean market. Learn how companies like Netflix, Tving, and Coupang Play are fighting for that competitive edge.
Female K-pop idol group, BlackPink, will be holding an in-game concert within PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) Mobile. Learn more about how YG Entertainment and Krafton have partnered before and what fans can expect from BlackPink’s upcoming concert.
Naver Webtoon, an online plaftorm for digital comics, has entered the French market through Kakao Piccoma. Learn more about why Korea is interested in penetrating the French market and what we can expect over the later this year from Kakao and Naver.
Korean culture has spread globally over the last few years thanks to the success of K-Pop, Korean films, and the K-Beauty scene attracting insatiable interest. Learn more about how Korea now has its eyes on becoming a significant fashion week in the world.
A fast-appearing trend-- grandmaniel, refers to the millennial generation who prefer the food and tastes of the grandmother generation. The popularity of grandmaniel started in media such as TV, movies, and advertisements, but has now entered the world of food. Learn more about this retro craze and its growth in Korea here
“Omakase” is a traditional Japanese dining style where guests leave their menu choices up to a chef. In Korea, omakase has become a high-end dining experience at a Japanese restaurant’s sushi counter where a chef prepares one piece of fish at a time while introducing its name and origins. Learn more about some top locations in Seoul here!
Art by 22 fans of K-pop sensation BTS will be presented at the Total Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul, this summer. The museum will hold a special exhibition titled “Beyond the Scene” to coincide with the third BTS Global Interdisciplinary Conference, bringing BTS songs and messages to life. Learn more about what to expect at the exhibit here.
South Korea’s art market is estimated to hit about 532 billion won ($410.2 million) for the first half of 2022. Learn more about how much of this is thanks to the growing interest in NFTs as tech-savvy young people enter the art market.
Mythical animals, like the nine-tailed fox, dragons and “haetae” are some of the famous creatures featured in many Korean dramas, films and webtoons. If you want to learn about Korean gods, imaginary monsters and ghosts, the “Curious 12 Tales” exhibition in Insa-dong is a breathing display of all the gods, imaginary monsters, and ghosts of South Korean folk tales and myths.
So why is Generation MZ obsessed with audio dramas? Learn more about what audio dramas are and how this new form of entertainment allows young people to multitask while also benefiting producers in their low cost and time commitment.
Hundreds of volcanoes, over tens of thousands of years, are responsible for the formation of Korea’s largest island, Jejudo. Over the past 10 years, scientists have learned more about Jeju island’s volcanic history through modern scientific dating methods. Learn more about Songaksan Oreum, Manjanggul cave, and the home of sacrificial altar of Gimnyeongsagul cave.
South Korea is one of the many that have been hit by forgery NFT claims. However, the country is taking proactive measures by hosting an NFT Art 101 Conference which was attended by 500 people looking to learn about the latest developments in the world of NFTs. Learn more about this conference here.
78% percent of young people have not met a new person after the pandemic. The popularity of dating programs is inversely proportional to the ratio of dating among young people. Learn more about the rising concerns South Korea has for their youths lack of social interaction.
As the hot, humid days of Korea‘s rainy season are well underway, how about enjoying a weekend at...
A popular summertime dessert in Korea, Bingsu, shaved ice traditionally topped with red beans and drizzled with milk, gets fancy with endless varieties of toppings and presentations. Bingsu’s eye-catching makeovers can be found at five-star hotels that spare no expense in developing the most decadent shaved-ice variations each summer for instagram-able moments.
When Lee Sang-il, 66, a hairdresser to celebrities retired he hinted that he was about to embark on a very big project. 5-years ago today he unveiled his epic resort preserving nature and incorporating the buildings naturally into the environment. The artist grows more creative with age and has pledged to share the joy of his works with the entire art community. See his creations here.
Today, we’re excited to share a recipe for the delicious, Korean comfort food classic: tuna gimbap (chamchi-gimbap: 참치김밥). For home chefs to seasonsed chefs inspired across borders--learn how to make this delicious dish here!
As Korean culture is gaining popularity, led by Generation Z in Japan (10-20s), Japanese consumer goods companies are putting ‘Korea’ at the forefront of their marketing. However, the era of the fourth Hallyu Korean Wave, spread mainly through streaming platforms such as Netflix. Read more here.
ICYMI: the Korean wave is real. Over the past few decades, the world has seen the global arts, culture, and technology spheres won over — nay, dominated — by Korean creativity and innovation. Korea: Cubically Imagined, an exhibition spotlighting the nation’s leading creatives in 17 tech-powered installations, is further boosting Korea’s presence on the cultural landscape. Read more here!
Introducing the T-Money Card: the essential Korean transportation card! Whether you are a short-term tourist or long-term resident in Korea, this transportation card is a must-have purchase that will make traveling in Korea much more convenient, easier, and cheaper. Read more here.
Korean filmmakers and stars gathered in Seoul where the U.S. streaming giant Netflix, announced its 100 million dollar investment plan in the region while previewing its upcoming slate of local-language series. Netflix disclosed that as of the end of last year, the streaming service had 3.8 million paid subscribers in South Korea and continues to see local content as critical in future audience growth for the company.
In fact, he says “Matisse’s popularity has been growing here for some time”. Recently, a surge of websites are selling posters, postcards and canvases of works by Matisse. A quick search shows there are over 22,000 items currently being sold alongside keywords such as “cafe,” “interior design” and “living room.” This craze only heightened during COVID-19 and is now a global phenom.
South Korean convenience stores are offering unique products and services in collaboration with sports, education and finance companies to attract more customers, according to industry officials.
One of the daily activities that COVID-19 has changed is the so-called home-cooked meal at home. As the demand for home-cooked food increases, a field that is attracting attention is the easy-to-eat meal kit market. The South Korean market of instant meals jumped more than 145% in 2020 from four years earlier on the increased number of convenience stores and the coronavirus pandemic.
The popularity of golf and tennis has reached new all-time highs due to Generation MZ excitement. Once seen as an exclusive sport only for the uber-wealthy—more young people enjoy outdoor leisure activities following COVID 19—leading to a full-on golf and tennis products and fashion craze. The Korea Leisure Industry Research Institute stated the number of golfers in Korea exceeded 5 million last year and that the size of the golf market will exceed 6 trillion won this year.
