Korea Now: Seoul Events, K-pop & Local Guide | NowHitz · 15

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.

Korean cinema on display

The museum occupies the first floor of the Korean Film Archive. Its permanent exhibition on Korean cinema has 14 sections, using scripts and cameras to trace how filmmaking changed over time.

The exhibits include the camera and military uniform cinematographer Kim Hak-seong used while documenting the Korean War.

Invitation to Early Cinema

The second permanent exhibition, Invitation to Early Cinema, features recreated kinetoscope and cinematograph models. They demonstrate how the devices worked and how audiences watched, rather than being the original machines.

The kinetoscope model shows three early films and the cinematograph model ten. Placed side by side, a viewer for one person and projection for a group show how cinema-going began.

Opening hours

The museum opens Tuesday–Saturday, 10:30–19:00, with last entry at 18:30. It is closed Sundays, Mondays, January 1, the Seollal and Chuseok holidays, January 18 and May 1.

Admission is free, by advance reservation or on-site registration. Groups of ten or more must book ahead, and docent tours require a separate application. Temporary closures are posted as notices.

Audio guide and robot

According to the official guide notice, the audio guide, reached via a QR code at the information desk, is available in Korean and English. Visitors need their own phone and earphones.

A guide robot speaks Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese, with adult and children’s routes of about 20–30 minutes. In-person tours in those languages are a separate matter. Enquiries: +82-2-3153-2072.

Getting there and screenings

The address is 400 World Cup buk-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, a 15-minute walk from Exit 9 of Digital Media City Station on the Airport Railroad. Drivers who register their vehicle at the desk after their visit get two hours of free parking.

Cinematheque KOFA, a free cinema, is in the same building’s basement. Its schedule, tickets and subtitle languages are listed separately, and latecomers are not admitted once a film starts.

A modern hanok and its family

Built in 1913, the house passed to surgeon Baek In-je and his family in 1944. Seoul acquired it in 2009, and it now operates as a branch of the Seoul Museum of History. Its grounds show Bukchon’s residential architecture from inside rather than from the lane.

Quarters linked by a corridor

The sarangchae, where guests were received, and the family’s anchae are joined by a corridor, adding an indoor route to the traditional layout of separate quarters.

Brick and glass

Alongside timber and tiles are red brick, many glazed windows, Japanese-style corridors and tatami rooms, and part of the sarangchae has a second floor. These details reflect changes at the time of construction.

Window frames and wall materials are visible from outside. Some interiors are open only to tour participants and may be restricted.

Gardens and courtyards

The roughly 2,460-square-metre site holds the sarangchae and its garden, the anchae courtyard and a small detached building on higher ground. The overlapping rooflines change from one courtyard to the next.

The house sits in a residential neighbourhood, so visitors are asked to keep voices and photography discreet.

Hours and tours

Opening hours are 09:00–18:00 KST, with last entry at 17:30. It is closed Mondays and January 1 but opens on public-holiday Mondays. Admission is free.

October’s timetable lists tours in Japanese on Wednesdays, Chinese on Thursdays and English on Fridays, all at 16:00. The booking listing states the tours are for foreign visitors and does not guarantee places for Korean nationals. General exterior visits are not affected.

Tour booking

The editors suggest 30–45 minutes for an unhurried exterior visit. October tours last about 30 minutes for around 15 people per session. Reservations take priority, with on-site places only if any remain; bookings are taken through the October listing on Seoul’s public service reservation site.

The anchae opens depending on operations, and a booking does not guarantee access to every room. Online booking requires a Seoul integrated account and mobile-phone identity verification; visitors who cannot verify can ask by phone about joining.

Getting there and Jeongdok Library

The address is 16 Bukchon-ro 7-gil. From Exit 2 of Anguk Station on Line 3, walk about 500 metres towards the Constitutional Court. There is no on-site parking.

Jeongdok Library is nearby at 48 Bukchon-ro 5-gil. Hours vary by room; it closes on the first and third Wednesdays and on public holidays other than Sundays, with Sunday holidays also closed. House enquiries: +82-2-724-0200 or 0232.

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.

K-pop Ground on the second floor

K-pop Ground occupies the second floor of HiKR Ground, run by the Korea Tourism Organization. Its subway and coin-laundry sets echo K-pop music videos, and visitors can shoot photos and videos.

Besides the backdrop, visitors choose the music and lighting for their own performance clips.

Tours Oct 15, Dance Crew Oct 20

According to the latest operating notice, group visits and regular docent tours resume on Thursday, October 15, and HiKR K-POP DANCE CREW starts on Tuesday, October 20. On October 13–14, only individual walk-ins are possible, and construction may restrict some floors. The notice does not say whether every filming set will be fully available.

Dance Crew teaches current K-pop choreography and films a Reel, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 11:00, 14:00, 16:00 and 18:00. Participants book through Naver or sign up on site, first come, for each session, and gather at the second-floor sub-information desk 10 minutes before the start. Each booking ID covers one participant.

Opening hours

Floors 1–4 open Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00–20:00 KST, and close on Mondays. Last admission is 20 minutes before closing, at 19:40. Regular admission is free; paid programs are announced separately.

Tours and language support

The official visitor guide lists Korean-language docent tours at 10:30 and 15:30, Tuesday–Sunday, lasting about 40 minutes, resuming October 15. English, Chinese and Japanese tours have no fixed daily schedule and are announced separately.

The information center handles foreign-language tours and group visits: +82-2-729-9497, hikr@knto.or.kr.

Getting there and the terrace

HiKR Ground is at 40 Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, a two-minute walk from Exit 5 of Jonggak Station on Line 1. The HiKR Lounge terrace on the fifth floor of the same building overlooks Cheonggyecheon Stream.

The original Bull

“Unfinished Stories: Lee Jungseop” runs in Gallery 2 at Ulsan Art Museum from October 15, 2026, through January 17, 2027. Organized jointly with MMCA, it brings together about 140 paintings, foil drawings, postcards, illustrated letters and archive items.

Bull, a 1950s oil on paper from MMCA’s Lee Kun-hee Collection, is only 36.7 cm wide, though its red ground and enlarged head often feel monumental in reproduction. The original shows the lines around the eye and the brushwork up close.

Landscapes and letters

The exhibition follows the places and periods of Lee’s life. Alongside MMCA’s Three People are Tongyeong Landscape from Leeum, Landscape with Seopseom from the Lee Jung Seop Art Museum in Jeju, and illustrated letters held by his family.

Docent tours begin October 16, the day after opening, in Gallery 2 at 11:00, Tuesday through Friday, lasting about 40 minutes. The schedule can change, and English or Japanese interpretation has not been confirmed.

Admission and hours

Adult entry is KRW 1,000; college students, military personnel and artists pay KRW 700, and Ulsan residents KRW 500. Visitors under 19 or aged 65 and over enter free, with documentation where required. No reservation is needed, so visitors can buy tickets on site without Korean mobile authentication. Acceptance of overseas-issued cards has not been verified.

Regular hours are 10:00–18:00, with free admission and a 20:00 close every Wednesday; last entry is 30 minutes before closing. The museum is closed Mondays and January 1, moving to Tuesday when Monday is a public holiday. A temporary fee waiver that ended October 14 does not apply to the whole run. The first free Wednesday is October 21.

Transport and the old town

The address is 72 Misulgwan-gil, Jung-gu, Ulsan. Ulsan Art Museum bus stop 21008 is 172 metres away, served by routes 115, 118, 246, 462, 713, 718 and 1115. The B3 car park has 87 spaces, four of them accessible. Posted parking hours end at 19:00, before the Wednesday evening close.

The museum sits between Ulsan Dongheon and Naea, the former local government office and residence, and the old guesthouse, making an old-town stop easy to add. Enquiries: +82-52-211-3800. An English visitor guide is available, but on-site interpreting is not guaranteed.

Phased release from October 27

Nongshim said on October 14 that the packet and cup versions would roll out in limited quantities through online and offline retailers across Korea from October 27. The company expects the run to last about a month but has not given an end date. It said a permanent return has not yet been considered.

Launched 2017, discontinued 2024

Bokkeum Neoguri pairs Neoguri’s thick, chewy noodles with seafood flavour and spicy seasoning. It launched in 2017 and was discontinued in 2024. Nongshim said it drew the largest share of requests to revive discontinued products over the past two years.

Updated flavour, new cup method

Nongshim says the new version has stronger seafood notes, including mussel and squid, along with its spicy flavour. The cup version now has microwave preparation, so it is cooked differently from the packet.

Preorder sold out

Nongshim announced an October 14 preorder on Nongshim Mall for 3,000 customers, with sixteen packets per set. When checked at 15:28 KST that day, the preorder page showed the item as sold out.

The page listed KRW 20,900 for sixteen 130 g packets, with shipping extra and dispatch on October 26. General retail sales from October 27 follow a separate schedule.

From kitchen to room

In Joseon-period houses, the kitchen was separate from the room where people ate. A soban carried food and dishes between them, then served as the dining table.

It had to be light enough to carry yet strong enough to hold brass or ceramic tableware, so makers used light, sturdy wood. Its compact size reflects the custom of giving each person an individual table.

A 42-centimetre tabletop

The object shown is the National Museum of Korea’s Haeju tray-table, collection number Namsan 1758. A Joseon-period wooden piece, it measures 42 cm long, 33.7 cm wide and 30.4 cm high.

The second, overhead photograph shows the rounded corners and outline of the top. The angled view shows its low height and two panel-shaped legs.

Openwork legs

Haeju tables were made mainly in Haeju, Hwanghae Province. This example’s two leg panels splay slightly outward and carry symmetrical openwork of the characters 卍 and 囍 and floral designs.

The leaf-shaped apron directly beneath the top is called ungak. The museum says it connects the legs and keeps the tabletop from warping.

Variation by use and region

Jeonju National Museum’s interpretation for its 2013 exhibition Soban of Joseon says the tables’ forms varied with use, region, maker and owner. They served rituals and religious life as well as meals, and floor-seated living and the domestic layouts of the period shaped how they were built.

The craft of soban making

Soban making was designated Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 99 in 1992 and continues today as the National Intangible Heritage Sobanjang. A 2017 National Folk Museum education record documents craftsman Kim Chun-sik demonstrating a Naju table. Regional tables differ in how their tops and legs are joined.

Books in the wartime capital

Book trading began around the end of Japanese colonial rule and expanded during the Korean War. While Busan was the temporary capital, refugees sold books to make a living and students relied on used copies to continue their studies. A single book sale could support both a household and an education.

Each shop’s specialty

Shops specialize in different areas, from old editions and novels to comics, textbooks, children’s books and foreign-language titles. Visitors looking for something specific can show the title or author’s name written down.

Used copies of the same title can differ in edition and condition, so publication details, annotations and damage are worth checking before paying.

Stairs into the neighborhood

Steps between the shops climb to residential lanes, showing in a short stretch how Busan’s hillside homes meet its commercial streets.

Visitors should leave stairs and doorways clear, avoid looking into homes and not photograph residents at close range without asking. The lower book alley can be browsed without climbing.

Book Alley Cultural Center

The cultural center at 61-2 Daecheong-ro houses a book museum and a small library. It opens Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00–18:00, and closes Mondays, January 1 and the Seollal and Chuseok holidays. The tourist information desk on the first floor keeps separate hours.

Shop hours vary

The alley is free to visit; books cost extra. There is no shared opening time, and the current Korea Tourism Organization listing gives hours and closures by facility. Visitors heading for a particular shop should check whether it is open that day. Daytime suits a first visit.

Time needed

The editors suggest 45–60 minutes to walk and browse, or about 90 minutes including the cultural center. Spending time in one or two shops suits the alley better than rushing past many.

Getting there and language help

The alley is about an 11-minute walk from Exit 3 of Jagalchi Station on Busan Metro Line 1. Buses 40 and 81 stop at Bosu-dong Book Alley. The destination is around 67-1 Daecheong-ro.

The district lists English, Japanese and Chinese assistance at the tourist information center at 61-2 Daecheong-ro, open daily 10:00–19:00 except January 1 and the three-day Seollal and Chuseok holidays. Language support and foreign-card acceptance vary by shop.

A public hanok library

The library in Jongno-gu holds collections centred on poetry, fiction and essays and runs reading groups and cultural programs for local residents. A hanok is a traditional Korean building; here it is a working public space where visitors can sit and read.

Reused roof tiles

The operator says the roofs combine handmade tiles with roughly 3,000 tiles reused from hanok demolished in the Donuimun New Town area. Materials from another Seoul neighbourhood now cover this public building.

Floor layout

According to the official floor guide, basement level 1 holds the reading room, children’s zone and multipurpose room, while the hanok buildings and pavilion are on level 1. Conventional library interiors connect to timber and tiled-roof spaces above.

The pavilion

A nujeong is a pavilion built for pausing and taking in the scenery. Here, it sits with the hanok buildings beside the paths of Cheongun Park.

The library is used by people who come to read, so long photo sessions and loud conversation are discouraged.

Opening hours

The main library opens Tuesday–Friday, 09:00–21:00, and weekends and public holidays, 09:00–19:00. The hanok reading room and pavilion are open only Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00–18:00, so early afternoon suits a hanok visit.

The library closes Mondays, January 1 and the Seollal and Chuseok holidays. All times are KST.

Admission and borrowing

Admission is free. Reading and looking around the building takes 45–60 minutes, or about 90 minutes with the park and nearby Changuimun Gate. Borrowing requires a library card, and the operator lists Seoul residents as eligible for in-person registration.

Getting there

From Exit 3 of Gyeongbokgung Station on Line 3, take bus 1020, 7022 or 7212 to Jahamun Pass–Yun Dong-ju Literature Museum. The operator says the library is under five minutes’ walk along the path to the left of the tiger statue. The address is 40 Jahamun-ro 36-gil.

Parking is very limited, and public transport is recommended. The website is in Korean; on-site interpretation and the size of foreign-language holdings are unverified. Groups, classes and borrowing eligibility: +82-70-4680-4032.

Gyeranppang

Gyeranppang is pancake-like batter cooked with a whole egg. The bread is soft and lightly sweet, and the egg adds richness; the yolk can be moist or firm depending on how long it cooks. The Korea Tourism Organization describes it as a Korean winter street snack.

On CNN’s bread list

According to the Korea Tourism Organization, gyeranppang appeared in a past CNN list of 50 of the world’s best breads.

Bungeoppang

Bungeoppang is batter cooked in a fish-shaped mold around sweet red-bean paste or custard, a winter staple.

Hotteok

Hotteok is a chewy filled pancake cooked on a hot pan. A common filling combines brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts. As it cooks, the sugar melts into a syrup inside the dough.

Roasted sweet potatoes

Gun-goguma means roasted sweet potato. A Korea.net winter-food feature published on January 20, 2017 describes sweet potatoes roasted in wood-fired barrels, paper packets that warmed the hands and soft golden flesh split open to share.

A 170-year family craft

According to the official website, the first generation, Kim Wan-hyeong, began working in gold leaf in 1856, under King Cheoljong of Joseon, at Naesusa, a royal household office. The second, Kim Won-sun, is named in the official record of Empress Myeongseong’s state funeral. After the third generation, Kim Gyeong-yong, the fourth, Kim Deok-hwan, became a recognized holder of the Geumbakjang (gold-leaf imprinting) heritage in 2006 and helped make the national seal in 2008. He was named an honorary holder in 2018 and died in 2019.

The shop is now run by the fifth generation, Kim Gi-ho, recognized as a holder in 2018, with trainee Park Su-yeong. A sixth-generation scholarship trainee, Kim Jin-ho, is also learning the craft, so the website speaks of six generations. Kum Bak Yeon is listed as Seoul Future Heritage.

The craft

Gold-leaf imprinting decorates a surface such as fabric with patterns in gold. At the royal court, the artisans who stamped it were called bugeumjang. Kum Bak Yeon works on silk as well as leather, wooden furniture and hanji paper.

In an interview with the Korea Heritage Service webzine, Kim Gi-ho said designing a new pattern and applying it to a garment takes about a year, and an existing pattern still takes two to three months. The same 2020 article said he was then the only living holder of the craft.

Shopping and commissions

Kum Bak Yeon also sells its pieces through its official Naver Smart Store and on Idus. The official website does not list prices; staff in the shop can quote them.

The workshop takes commissions. Customers share the pattern, material and budget they have in mind, and the workshop proposes a piece after consultation by phone or through the website’s contact form.

Gold-leaf stamping

Visitors receive an explanation of how the work is done. According to the Seoul Hanok Portal, those who book in advance can watch a stamping demonstration and try it. The fee, length and language of the session are not published. Bookings: 02-730-2067 or the website’s contact form.

Getting there and hours

The address is 24-12 Bukchon-ro 12-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, about 700 m or a 12-minute walk from exit 2 of Anguk Station on Line 3.

According to the official website and the Seoul Tourism Organization, it opens Tuesday to Friday 10:00–17:00 and Saturday 09:00–15:00, closing Sunday and Monday. The Seoul Hanok Portal lists different closing days, so a call before visiting is advisable. All times are Korea Standard Time.

For international visitors

The Seoul Tourism Organization says the shop’s website is available in Korean and English. Enquiries can also go to kumbakyeon@daum.net.

Foreign card payment, tax refunds, overseas shipping and English guidance on site are not confirmed in any official listing. The shop is closed on Sundays and Mondays.