Korea Now: Seoul Events, K-pop & Local Guide | NowHitz · 12

The collaboration

Heyep is an accessory brand created by Korean and Japanese designers. The collaboration carries its decorative style over to cosmetics packaging.

The silver heart case comes with a key-shaped charm, so the makeup container can be carried like an accessory.

The products

Padlock Multi Color Balm is for the eyes, cheeks and lips. The kit includes a ball chain and charms for attaching the case to a bag or pouch. The official product image shows the heart case, the key-shaped charm and a black box.

Also in the collection, Expressive Eyes EX08 is an eye palette of nine brown-toned shades in matte, glitter and shiny finishes.

Where to buy

According to the announcement, the collection is sold at Celvoke stores and selected Cosme Kitchen stores in Japan. Celvoke’s Japanese online store began sales at 10 a.m. Japan time on October 15. The announcement did not include a Korean release.

The design turns a container normally kept inside a pouch into an ornament hung outside it.

The service

CJ ONE is a points membership with partners such as Tous les Jours and CGV. CJ OliveNetworks said it lowered the barrier to entry for the growing number of foreign visitors, allowing any visitor to register with email verification alone.

The company announced the service in an October 15 press release posted on CJ Newsroom at 10 a.m. KST, and Seoul Economy TV and other outlets reported the same details.

Signing up

Users update the CJ ONE app to version 5.0 or later and switch to “global mode.” The app supports English and Japanese.

Once registered, a mobile barcode appears in the app immediately and is scanned at stores to earn or redeem points. The company said there are also sign-up and birthday perks.

Partners

Partners named in the release are N Seoul Tower, Shinsegae Duty Free, Tous les Jours, Mega MGC Coffee, the convenience stores CU and emart24, and Gourmet Bridge at Incheon Airport. The list ends with “etc.,” so it is not complete. Some partners offer coupons on a members-only “hidden page.”

Korea Tourism Organization figures show about 12.8 million foreign arrivals in January–July 2026, up 21.3% from a year earlier. That is total arrivals, not users of the service.

Not yet announced

The company has not disclosed any fees, the exact launch time, the full partner list, point earning rates, the size of sign-up and birthday perks, or which partners run hidden pages. No date has been set for additional languages. Terms are shown in the app and at stores.

How it is made

Dalgona starts with sugar and baking soda. Melted sugar is mixed with baking soda, spread and pressed flat on a work surface, then stamped with a patterned mold.

The stamp leaves a star, triangle or other outline inside the candy, which becomes the game board.

The game

Players try to separate the inner shape along the stamped line without breaking it, chipping away the edge while keeping the center whole.

Too much force snaps the candy. A star and a triangle give players different outlines to follow.

A school-gate snack

The photographs show the tools side by side: a small pan for heating sugar, a metal worktop and a round press. Melting and pressing happen in one spot. Both the wide shot and the close-up of sugar being stirred were taken on June 29, 2008.

A 2020 KOREA magazine feature recalled students buying freshly made dalgona at stationery shops outside their schools through the early 2000s. Watching it being made and playing the game were part of the snack.

The flavor

The ring-shaped onion snack is coated with Neoguri’s spicy seafood-soup seasoning. Nongshim said it layers a spicy kick over Yangpa Ring’s salty, savory flavor.

Where the idea came from

Nongshim said the idea came from consumers shaking ramyun seasoning into bags of snacks. Its September 30 announcement set the launch date as October 12.

Official-store price

As of 9:09 a.m. KST on October 15, Nongshim’s online store listed the 60g bag at 1,760 won, discounted to 1,540 won, with shipping extra. The item was marked sold out. Stock at other retailers was not checked.

The stories

The book collects 11 stories, from Park’s early work to her final story, with a translator’s commentary. Because it is a newly assembled Japanese selection, its contents may differ from a Korean collection with the same title.

Series and edition

The series, with Saito selecting and translating, is planned at five volumes. The ISBN is 9784309619118, and the publisher’s page lists the edition and retailers. International shipping and individual-store stock have not been confirmed.

The range

Hangang is paired with the Madecassoside line, Namsan with PDRN, and Bukchon with the Collagen and Tea Tree lines. The edition includes three pads, three Derma Serums and Collagen Capsule Patch Retinol, for seven products.

Manufacturer L&P Cosmetic announced the same edition in Japan on October 14. It went on sale in Korea on October 1.

Gifts with special sets

According to the Seoul city government, special Derma Pad sets come with a pouch and special Derma Serum and eye-patch sets with a luggage tag, each in one of three randomly assigned designs. The back of the pouch carries a list of things to do in Seoul.

The product photo shows the full range, not the contents of a single set.

Where to buy

The city lists Olive Young stores nationwide, Seoul My Soul Shop, DDP Design Store and the DDP online store. Current prices, store stock, overseas card acceptance and shipping terms have not been confirmed.

Gwangju games: sales Oct 15

At 2 p.m. on October 15, tickets go on sale for Game 1 on October 17 at 2 p.m.; at 3 p.m., for Game 2 on October 18 at 2 p.m.; and at 4 p.m., for Game 5, scheduled for October 23 at 6:30 p.m.

All three games are at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field. All times are Korea Standard Time.

Jamsil games: sales Oct 16

At 2 p.m. on October 16, tickets go on sale for Game 3 on October 20 at 6:30 p.m., and at 3 p.m. for Game 4 on October 21 at 6:30 p.m. Both games are at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul.

Where to book

KBO’s designated sellers are NOL Ticket’s website and app and its customer center at 1544-1555. Advance bookings are limited to four tickets per person.

At 7:10–7:11 a.m. on October 15, NOL’s postseason page still showed wildcard information and the message that no products were available to book. The page had not yet been updated for the semi-playoff, and the message does not indicate a sellout. Seat prices and fees are posted with each game’s sale listing.

Game-day sales for foreigners

KBO’s notice says foreign visitors who have difficulty booking online can buy one ticket per person at the stadium box office on game day by showing a passport. Visitors 65 and older and holders of Korean disability registration or welfare cards are also eligible.

Availability is not guaranteed, and the notice does not give the dedicated window’s hours. Any remaining cancelled tickets are scheduled to go on sale at the stadium two hours before the first pitch.

When Games 4 and 5 are played

The first team to win three games advances. A tie can require an additional game. Games 4 and 5 are played only if needed.

Rain postponements change the schedule; KBO and the ticket seller post any changes.

Getting to the stadiums

Gwangju-Kia Champions Field is at 10 Seorim-ro, Buk-gu, in the Jeonnam–Gwangju integrated special city. KIA’s directions: take bus Songjeong 98 from Gwangju Songjeong Station to the Mudeung Baseball Stadium stop, then walk about five minutes to the main gate.

Jamsil Sports Complex is at 25 Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul, and is connected to Sports Complex Station on subway lines 2 and 9. Walking times to the ballpark gates and game-day parking fees were not confirmed. The photos are file images of the stadiums’ exteriors.

The design

On announced on October 12 that the collaboration collection would launch on October 15. The Cloudsolo Hiker has a lugged outsole, lace hooks and a metal buckle bearing both brands’ logos.

Korean listing

On’s Korean store lists the men’s black model (3MG30910553) at 1,200,000 won as a members-only limited edition. The Korean sales start time and stock by size have not been confirmed.

The store offers free returns within 30 days. Limited editions can be refunded but not exchanged.

The pilot

The pilot service, announced by the Seoul city government on October 14, is aimed at groups such as companies, schools and institutions. Passengers now collect numbered tickets at the pier on a first-come basis; the pilot lets groups choose a date and sailing in advance.

It runs on weekdays only at Magok and Jamsil piers. Each booking covers at least 10 and no more than 30 people per sailing.

Booking and fares

Groups select a pier on Naver Map or Naver Place, enter the date, route and sailing, number of passengers and booker details, and pay through Naver Pay.

Basic fares are 3,000 won for adults, 1,800 won for youths and 1,100 won for children. Opening dates for each day’s bookings will be posted on the booking page.

Boarding and refunds

Booked groups must arrive at the pier at least 30 minutes before departure. After their reservation is checked and the boarding declaration is filed, they board as directed by safety staff.

Bookings and refunds close at 11:59 p.m. the day before the sailing. All times are KST.

Scope

The service is limited to weekday group bookings at the two piers and does not include weekend sailings or other piers. The city will decide on continuation and expansion after the pilot.

The announcement did not address identity verification for foreign accounts, overseas card payments or foreign-language booking support.

Opening film: Seong Chun-hyang in 4K

The 1961 film, directed by Shin and starring Choi, opens the program in 4K at 6 p.m. on October 15 in Theater 1. The 144-minute restoration is based on the original negative, with gaps filled from scenes preserved on other prints.

A lecture on Shin’s career and his studio, Shin Films, follows the screening.

Choi as director

Choi directed One-sided Love of Princess (1967), the story of a princess who leaves the palace to find the man she loves. It screens in 4K at noon on October 23 in Theater 2.

Her directing debut, The Girl Raised as a Future Daughter-in-law (1965), in which she also stars, screens in the same theater at 2:30 p.m. on 35mm, followed by a lecture.

The Flower in Hell and a talk

The Flower in Hell (1958) screens in 4K at 6:30 p.m. on October 23 in Theater 2. Set in post-war Seoul, it follows two brothers and their relationships with Sonya, played by Choi.

The film is rated 15 and over. Directors Kim Dong-ryung and Park Kyoung-tae are scheduled to speak after the screening.

Subtitles

An E on the schedule marks screenings with English subtitles. The October 15 Seong Chun-hyang and October 23 The Flower in Hell screenings carry it. Not every film has English subtitles, and Japanese subtitles and interpretation for talks have not been confirmed.

KOFA warns that the 35mm print of The Girl Raised as a Future Daughter-in-law may break during the screening, causing a pause of about five minutes.

Booking

Admission is free, but seats must be booked. Online booking opens daily at 11 a.m. for screenings from that day through five days ahead, with a limit of two tickets per person. Online reservations and cancellations close 15 minutes before each film.

KOFA’s English guide says the booking service is in Korean only. Remaining seat numbers were not checked.

Visitor information

Latecomers are not admitted once a film starts. Cinematheque KOFA is in the Korean Film Archive at 400 World Cup buk-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, and is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

The schedule is subject to change; the official program has the latest times. All times are KST.

A reopened space

Seoul Book Bogo reopened as a book-culture space in May 2025. Its former secondhand bookstore operation ended in 2024.

It now houses publisher-curated shelves, a hand-copying space and a café.

The autumn exhibition

The autumn exhibition “세계 엮기 - 문학의 시리즈” (“Weaving Worlds: Literary Series”) runs from September 8 to November 29, with eight publishers taking part.

On display are Munhakdongne’s poetry series, Minumsa’s World Literature collection and Wisdom House’s Wepick books, each containing a single short story.

Hand-copying space and café

The dedicated Pilsajeok space offers ten themes for copying passages by hand and reflecting on them.

Visitors can browse the publishers’ curated shelves, use the copying space or rest at Café Neugeut.

October 30 reading gathering

October’s Moyeobogo is a free gathering for self-directed reading on Friday, October 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. KST. The 30 places are first come, first served, and advance registration closes at 11:55 p.m. KST on October 28.

Walk-ins are not accepted, and check-in starts at 6 p.m. The application button was open as of 10:03 p.m. KST on October 14. Instructions are in Korean only; for booking help, call +82-70-4681-7360.

Author talks full

As of the same time, registration had closed for Gu Byeong-mo’s October 20 book talk, the October 21 talk with poets Shin Yi-in, Lee Gi-ri and Lim Yu-young, and Seong Hae-na’s October 28 book talk. Author events require separate registration from the exhibition.

Hours and location

Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays and public holidays. It is closed Mondays, January 1 and the Seollal and Chuseok holidays.

The address is 1 Ogeum-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul, a one-minute walk from Exit 1 of Jamsillaru Station on Line 2. The walking paths around Seokchon Lake’s east and west lakes are nearby.