Korea News Today: Trends, Tech, Money & Daily Life | NowHitz · 5

Separate booking routes

According to Seoul’s October 14 notice, awards applicants use the Naver form posted on the @tasteofseoul_official Instagram account, while classes, tours and workshops are booked on the official website. Both open October 15 at 10 a.m. KST.

The awards ceremony runs October 25, 3–5 p.m., in DDP Art Hall 2, with 100 free places for citizens on a first-come basis.

Market at DDP

The market runs October 24–25, noon–5 p.m., at DDP Oullim Square and Art Hall 1. Chefs reinterpret everyday home meals, and producers bring seasonal ingredients.

Free awards admission does not cover food purchases or paid experiences. The festival’s programs are spread across different dates and venues.

Korean rice in English

Writer Baek Woong-jae’s native-rice workshop takes place October 25, 3–4:30 p.m., in English. It has 25 places and costs KRW 20,000; Seoul’s table lists the venue as the DDP Art Hall customer service centre. Participants learn about Korea’s native rice varieties and cook rice themselves.

Whether overseas cards or foreign phone numbers can be used to book is unconfirmed.

Venues and meeting points

DDP is at 281 Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul. Exit 1 of Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station, on Lines 2, 4 and 5, is closest to Oullim Square.

The Seochon tour runs October 26, 2–6 p.m., from Gyeongbokgung Station; the Namyeong-dong tour runs October 27, 6–10 p.m., from Samgakji Station. Fees, eligibility and meeting points are listed on each program’s official booking page.

Heunginjimun Gate, at 288 Jong-ro near DDP, can be viewed from outside on the same trip.

Consent in the app

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced the promotion on October 14. Privacy consent opens in the Digital Onnuri app at 9 a.m. KST on October 15. Consent given by November 15 covers qualifying payments across the whole event period, regardless of the date of agreement.

Ordinary card payments and paper Onnuri vouchers are not automatically included.

Payment location counts

Entries accrue for every KRW 30,000: one in the capital region and two outside it, up to 30 per person. A Seoul resident who pays with Digital Onnuri at a participating merchant outside the capital region earns entries at that region’s rate.

Participation is set shop by shop, not by market.

Prizes

The draw awards KRW 1.7 billion in Digital Onnuri vouchers to 5,600 winners. Ten first-prize winners receive KRW 30 million each, drawn only from participants holding entries earned outside the capital region.

Second through fourth prizes are open to participants nationwide, with no multiple wins. It is a draw, not a guaranteed refund.

Results in December

Winners will be notified individually through the app in early December, with vouchers paid during December. The announcement describes a nationwide event but does not set out account, identity-verification or participation conditions for foreign nationals.

Game-day checks at ballparks

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on October 13 that on-site enforcement would begin on October 14 at postseason ballparks and surrounding areas. Police, KBO, clubs and KSPO will check ticket offices, main entrances and places where crowds gather.

Times and areas will be set according to the games and conditions on the ground.

Where to report

On the Culture Portal’s combined performance-and-sports ticket reporting page, the sports option links to KSPO’s reporting centre, which handles online reports.

The ministry said booths on major game days will also explain how to report and pass reports received on site to the relevant agencies.

Steps and evidence

The centre’s steps are: select the sport, complete Kakao identity verification, choose the team and seating area, then enter the details. Required information includes the sales-post URL, evidence images such as screenshots, the seating area, asking price and seller account. The account field can be left blank for Ticketbay posts.

Overseas visitors need to check first whether they can complete Kakao identity verification.

Rewards are not automatic

Reporting rewards are paid only after legal eligibility requirements and procedures are met; a report alone does not trigger payment. Seller details that do not appear in the listing should not be guessed. Sports-reporting enquiries: 02-410-1913.

Ceremony Oct 16, opening Oct 17

The Korea Heritage Service announced the additional opening on October 14. The public can walk the new section from 09:00 on Saturday, October 17. A ceremony takes place around Changuimun at 15:30 the day before.

The 1.32 km section

The route starts at Dolgorae Rest Area, the first rest stop on the climb from Changuimun toward the summit, and follows the southwestern slope via Manse Dongbang spring to the January 21 Incident Pine. The 1.32 km figure excludes the approach from Changuimun and existing trails.

Four new viewpoint rest areas look toward Inwangsan, Namsan, Cheong Wa Dae and Gyeongbokgung. The official map shows the new path in red and earlier routes in yellow and orange.

A phased opening

Access to Baegaksan was restricted after the January 21, 1968 incident. A 2.2 km northern Seoul City Wall trail opened in 2020, followed by 3.0 km of southeastern woodland in 2022. The southwestern section now links the main trails.

Free entry and trail rules

Baegaksan’s Seoul City Wall trails are free to enter. The Korea Heritage Agency says gate opening and closing controls ended on January 1, 2023.

The trails are unlit, and the operator asks visitors to avoid night use, keep to its seasonal recommended hours and stay away in heavy rain, heavy snow or typhoons. Visitors must stay on designated paths and rest at the rest areas. Smoking, carrying flammable materials and drinking alcohol are prohibited, and photography is allowed only in designated areas.

Getting there

For the Changuimun approach, take Exit 3 of Gyeongbokgung Station on Line 3, then bus 1020 or 7022 to the Jahamun Pass (자하문고개) stop. The gate’s address is 118 Changuimun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

There is no dedicated parking, and the operator recommends public transport. The climb to the entrance and any walking on existing trails add time beyond the new section.

Cheongun Literature Library

Cheongun Literature Library is near Changuimun. Its hanok reading room and pavilion open Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00–18:00, and close on Mondays, January 1 and the Seollal and Chuseok holidays. The hanok spaces close at 18:00, earlier than the main library.

Korea’s electronics industry

KES 2026 runs October 13–16 in COEX Halls A and B. Established in 1969, the show brings together Samsung, LG, smaller companies and startups. Alongside appliances and phones are robotics, digital health, mobility, XR and electronic components.

Highlights

Samsung is showing ingredient recognition in refrigerators, automatic settings on washer-dryers and hands-on Galaxy foldables. LG says it is presenting a connected modular home and vehicle-style living space, data-center cooling and robot actuators. Exhibit details are based on the companies’ announcements.

Demos and buying conditions

Exhibitors can say whether a feature works offline, requires a subscription or is supported in a given country and language. Seeing a demonstration is separate from the conditions of an actual purchase.

Opening hours

As of the evening of October 13, three visiting days remain. Hours are 10:00–17:00 on October 14–15 and 10:00–16:00 on October 16. Admission closes 30 minutes earlier, at 16:30 and 15:30 respectively. All times are Korea Standard Time (KST).

Admission and registration

The organizer advertised October 12 at 23:59 as the deadline for free pre-registration. On-site registration costs ₩20,000. Preregistrants and invitation holders follow the free-entry procedure, exchanging their QR code for a badge at the desk.

An English visitor guide and FAQ are available, but overseas-phone, foreign-card and on-site interpretation support are unverified. Contact Team KES at +82-2-6388-6065 or kes@gokea.org.

Getting to COEX

Halls A and B are at 513 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Connected passages lead from exits 5–6 of Samseong Station on Line 2 and exit 7 of Bongeunsa Station on Line 9 into COEX Mall, where signs point to the halls.

Standard car parking at COEX is ₩1,500 per 15 minutes, with a ₩60,000 daily rate. No KES-specific parking discount has been confirmed.

The four apps

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on October 13 that issuance and use in the four banks’ apps would begin the next day. The participating apps are i-ONE Bank, Shinhan SOL Bank, Woori WON Banking and Hana 1Q.

How to get one

According to the ministry, holders of an IC identity card tap it against a compatible phone; those without one must visit a designated issuing authority. Identity checks in the app are also required. Samsung-device users who have previously been issued a mobile ID can import it through the verification process called 안심인증.

Supported IDs and devices

The announcement covers the launch only and does not list which credentials each app supports. It has not been confirmed that all four apps issue resident registration cards, driving licences and foreign residence cards. Hana’s terms note that some functions may be unavailable depending on the device and operating-system version.

Foreign residents

The national mobile residence card (외국인등록증) is available to registered foreign residents aged 14 or over with a smartphone in their own name, including holders of permanent-resident and domestic-residence-reporting cards. It does not replace a passport for short-term tourists. Support for the card in the four newly participating bank apps has not been separately confirmed.

Use and loss reports

The government user guide describes short-lived QR codes and screenshot protection; the ID must be presented through the app’s verification process, not a saved image.

The official Mobile ID website accepts loss reports around the clock and locks the credential once reported. Each bank app sets out its own reporting route and handling.

Visitors kept coming to Busan North Port Waterfront Park to see Bukangi over the Hangul Day holiday. On October 11, Yonhap cited Busan Infrastructure Corporation’s count of 205,000 park visits from October 9 through 6 p.m. on October 11, bringing the total since the shark was first spotted on September 18 to 1,348,800. The figures count park visits.

Curiosity about a wild animal has changed how people spend weekends in the city. The crowds have also raised the question of how to watch without disturbing the shark.

Identified as a dusky shark

On October 6, the National Institute of Fisheries Science identified Bukangi as a dusky shark, Carcharhinus obscurus, ruling out an earlier tentative identification as a similar species. Close-up footage showed the ridge between its two dorsal fins. Comparing it with nearby structures, the institute estimated its length at about three metres and identified it as female. The red arrows in the official image point to that ridge.

The institute describes dusky sharks as slow to grow and reproduce and said it would keep monitoring Bukangi’s movements and health.

Viewing rules

Busan’s October 6 safety notice asks visitors not to shine strong lights at the shark continuously or follow it with a beam. It also asks people not to feed it or throw objects, to keep a safe distance from the railings and to show consideration in crowds.

Our suggestion is simple: don’t try to change an animal’s behaviour for a photograph, and don’t use light or food to lure it back into view. Follow on-site restrictions first; a visit without a sighting is still a waterfront walk.

Checked details: attendance figures are reported as of 6 p.m. on October 11. The photograph was released by the fisheries institute on October 6 and is not a live image. Check on-site notices and restrictions when visiting.

Semifinal recap

Yoon Su-jeong scored twice as Suwon put five goals past Seoul City Hall. Kim Mi-yeon restored Sejong’s lead with the winner in the 28th minute, and Sejong held on. Both semifinals were played at Icheon Sports Complex.

About the tournament

The new competition, a pilot event, began in June with eight WK League clubs and seven university teams. The final will be played at Icheon Sports Complex on November 21. The winner receives KRW 30 million.

Final: what is not yet known

As of October 12, the KFA match report did not give the final’s kickoff time, ticketing or broadcast details. The image is a 2010 archive photograph of the stadium, not from this tournament.

Who is eligible

The ministry has given the NTS its list of AI companies supported through 20 programs this year, covering research and development, commercialization of AI products, AI and AI-transformation credit guarantees, smart factories, deep-tech startups and overseas expansion. The NTS uses the list to confirm recipients.

Using AI alone does not qualify a company; eligibility depends on selection for a ministry program.

Audit relief

Eligible AI startups within five years of founding are excluded from selection for regular tax audits. Other eligible AI SMEs can apply to defer a regular audit for two years from its scheduled start date, or three years for companies in regional locations.

Firms with no clear suspicion of tax evasion are also excluded from post-filing verification. Exclusion from audit selection and application-based deferral are separate measures, and neither removes tax obligations or all tax scrutiny.

R&D and cash-flow support

Advance reviews of R&D and personnel-development tax credits and consultations on corporate-tax credits and exemptions will be prioritized. The package also includes payment-deadline extensions, tax-collateral exemptions, deferral of seizure or sale, priority handling of amendment claims and expedited corporate-tax and VAT refunds.

The announcement does not set credit or refund amounts for individual companies. Consultation desks explain the conditions for each measure.

Program period and consultation

The tax-support period runs from October 1, 2026 through February 28, 2028. That is the program period, not a common application deadline. Audit deferrals are counted separately from the scheduled audit start date.

The NTS will offer dedicated consultation for AI SMEs through Hometax and at corporate-tax desks in tax offices nationwide. The NTS release below lists all 20 programs and the detailed measures.

Key features

Available on iOS and Android, the Korean edition displays the original Japanese dialogue alongside an AI Korean translation when a line is tapped, with contextual vocabulary and grammar explanations and Japanese audio. Saved expressions in My List can be filtered by difficulty or manga title.

34 titles

The launch announcement lists 34 titles, including ONE PIECE and NARUTO, a different catalog from the English-learning service offered in Japan. The selection depends on Korean distribution rights, and titles and release schedules may change.

Pricing and AI explanations

Some content is free, and Langaku+ offers monthly and annual paid subscriptions; free-access limits and subscription terms are listed in the app. Mantra warns that AI explanations can contain inaccurate information.

The usage ranking

The figures cover visits made through the KB free-admission project from July 1 to October 6, 2026. Korea Minhwa Museum, the Korean Lamp Museum and Daegu’s Museum Hyur placed first, second and third for exhibition visits. It is not a ranking of total attendance at Korean museums.

KB and the Korean Museum Association launched the project in September 2025 and extended it to private museums and art museums from July this year. The October 11 release lists 72 participating institutions.

The Korean Lamp Museum

The Korean Lamp Museum in Yongin uses lighting implements to show everyday life before electricity became widespread. According to its official gallery guide, the first floor recreates a kitchen, food-storage room, sarangbang reception room and inner room, with lamps displayed alongside period household objects. Upstairs, lamps are compared by period, shape, material and use.

Getting a coupon

Coupons are issued in KB Star Banking under National Wallet (국민지갑), in the museum/art-museum free-admission menu (박물관·미술관 무료 관람). According to official participant instructions, users log into the app, issue a coupon and show the screen to staff at the institution. An admission coupon does not cover every activity, and coupons can run out. The issuing screen shows the institution, what the admission or activity coupon covers and its validity period.

Conditions by institution

The Korean Lamp Museum lists its season-II participation period as July 1, 2026–February 28, 2027. In Paju, Han Hyang Lim Onggi Museum offers combined admission with Han Hyang Lim Ceramic Museum. It warns that the offer may end early when the budget runs out, and groups of 15 or more must arrange dates in advance by calling 070-8872-0465. Conditions vary by institution.

Visiting the Korean Lamp Museum

From October to March, the museum opens Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., with last entry at 4:30 p.m. It closes on Mondays except public holidays, as well as January 1 and the days of Seollal and Chuseok. The address is 8 Neunggok-ro 56beon-gil, Mohyeon-eup, Cheoin-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do; enquiries: 031-334-0797. Its official visitor information and free-admission notice are under Sources & context below.

KT 12, Samsung 3

KT took the lead with two runs in the second, then added three in the third, one in the fourth and six in the fifth for 12 runs through five innings. KT outhit Samsung 14 to nine. Samsung scored once in the first and twice in the eighth. KBO credits Ko Young-pyo with the win and Jurado with the loss.

Lotte 4, KIA 1

The game in Gwangju was scoreless through five innings before Lotte scored four runs in the top of the sixth. KIA got one back in the bottom of the ninth but lost 4–1. Each side had six hits. Kim Jin-wook was the winning pitcher and Oller took the loss.

Source of the results

The results are based on the official KBO scoreboard, which dates both games October 11, 2026 and marks them as finished. Both started at 2 p.m. KST, in Daegu and Gwangju. The photograph is a 2017 archive view of the Daegu ballpark, not an image from either game.