Korea Now: Seoul Events, K-pop & Local Guide | NowHitz · 8

Colour moves downhill and south

According to the service, autumn colour usually begins on mountain summits in mid-October, peaks from late October to early November, then moves to the south. Even within one national park, timing differs with altitude and terrain.

It advises checking foliage status and trail information before setting out.

Pick the trail to fit your legs

National park trails are graded in five levels of difficulty. Check distance, slope, travel time and surface condition, then choose a course to match your fitness.

Hiking boots, spare clothes, water and snacks are basics. Temperatures swing widely between day and night, so dress in layers and loosen your legs, waist and shoulders first.

Up, down and steep: three different strides

On the flat, use 'rhythm walking,' placing heel, middle of the sole, then forefoot. Uphill, use 'rest-step walking,' briefly straightening the rear leg so your weight rests on your skeleton and eases the load on your legs.

Downhill calls for 'knee-cushion walking,' bending the knees softly to absorb the impact. On steep slopes, descend in a diagonal zigzag.

Leaves hide slippery ground

On fallen leaves, wet rock and wooden stairs, shorten your stride. When taking photos, stay on the trail and inside safety facilities. In crowds, keep a gap from the person ahead.

People with high blood pressure or heart disease should use rest areas and avoid overexertion.

Before you go

Leave enough time to be down before sunset. A few more photos is the most common reason the light runs out.

The guidance comes from the National Park Service and its Mountain Safety Training Center, which takes inquiries at 02-956-3336.

Oct. 19, 11 a.m., by Gyeonghoeru

The launch is timed to Hanbok Culture Week (Oct. 19-25, 2026) and run with the Korea Heritage Service and the Korea Craft & Design Foundation (KCDF).

Vice Minister Kim Young-soo attends with 24 rental shops near Gyeongbokgung and 17 hanbok influencers.

A 'Hanbok Story' booklet at every shop

Participating rental shops hand out a multilingual booklet, 'Hanbok Story', plus QR guides covering hanbok history, structure and how to wear it.

KCDF trains the rental staff so they know the answers before customers ask. Influencers spread the how-to on social media.

A hanbok quiz by the pavilion

A quiz booth near Gyeonghoeru tests you on garment names, structure and how to wear them. Next to it, an exhibit gathers court hanbok and the hanbok seen in K-dramas.

The booth keeps running after opening day.

The 'Hanbok Pass' reward

Tourists who wear hanbok correctly at participating shops receive 'Hanbok Pass' goods: a norigae ornament. Show it at 27 partner sites for 10-20% off.

The National Museum of Korea's MMUZ shop honours it through Oct. 25; partner stores in Insa-dong and Anguk through Dec. 31.

Before you go

The goods come from participating rental shops only, so ask before you rent.

The ministry's Traditional Culture Division (+82-44-203-2549) and the Hanbok Promotion Center (+82-2-398-1630) take questions. Kim said premium hanbok is gaining share at rental shops and he hopes proper wearing will spread at Gyeongbokgung.

What got them caught

The businesses are wedding halls and wedding-planning agencies across the country. Some left optional-item prices off their websites or contract covers.

Some lumped together information that must be shown separately for each partner business.

Sign up to see prices? That counts too

The FTC says requiring membership sign-up or personal information before showing prices can itself be a violation.

Prices of basic and optional services, cancellation penalties and refund criteria must be posted on the company's own site or the Korea Consumer Agency's 'Chamgagyeok' (price.go.kr), and printed on the contract cover.

The grace period is over

The grace period for the disclosure rule ended in May. Violations continued, so from August the FTC ran focused inspections of major halls and planners.

The firms have received advance notice and have at least 10 days to respond. Final fines are due by the end of October.

A checklist for couples

Before the consultation, check that the company site or Chamgagyeok lists every optional item with a price.

Look for penalties and refund terms on the contract cover, and for separate prices for each partner studio, dress and makeup shop. A site that shows prices only after you sign up deserves a raised eyebrow.

Every AI-assisted crime is a target

Deepfake sexual crime, defamation, investment fraud and voice phishing are all covered. The goal is to spot fakes quickly and analyse the whole chain from creation to distribution.

The plan has eight detailed tasks spanning technology, systems, personnel and organisation.

Checking lips against sound

Police have used a deepfake detection system since 2024 and are training it on Korean-specific data. They are also researching "multimodal" detection that checks whether lip movements match speech and whether audio matches subtitles.

Once the 9.1 billion won, 2025–2027 authenticity-checking system is built, every investigative agency will share it.

Tracing back to how it was made

Police are developing techniques that analyse program execution records, command logs and altered files to identify the program that made a fake. Manuals for major generative AI services are being distributed.

A 10 billion won, 2026–2029 project will build forensics for locally run AI models, meaning evidence extraction even when the fake came from an AI running on someone's own computer.

The numbers so far

Police said 419 suspects were arrested for deepfake crimes in January–July this year, 17 of them detained. The detection software has been used in 1,636 investigations since it was developed (M Economy News, 13 August).

The new plan adds AI expert analysts and a public-private-academic expert group, and sharply expands training for field investigators and analysts.

What the police said

Acting Police Commissioner Kim Jong-chul said, "As criminal methods using AI change fast, the police response must change too."

The plan also covers standard procedures and an expert group to share the latest cases and analysis results.

Five shows a day in October

The October timetable has five shows: noon, 7:30, 8:00, 8:30 and 9:00 p.m. Each lasts 20 minutes, and the evening shows start every 30 minutes.

Peak season (June–September) adds a 9:30 p.m. show. Show up for it in October and you will find the water off.

As long as the bridge itself

In November 2008 it was registered with Guinness as the world's longest bridge fountain. Seoul's own page lists 38 main pumps, 380 swing-nozzle sets and 164 songs.

Jets leave the bridge and arc toward the river, and at night coloured lights paint them. The rainbow hues in the photo above are exactly that.

Rain, wind or muddy water: no show

It stays off when wind hits 7 m/s, when rain is forecast during show times, or when Han River turbidity reaches 15 NTU. After a rain, it only restarts once a facility check comes back clean.

Events and test runs can shift the times. To be sure, call the operations room on 02-3780-0578~9.

15 minutes on foot from the station

From Express Bus Terminal Station (Lines 3, 7, 9), Exits 8-1 or 8-2, it is about 15 minutes toward Banpo Bridge. From Sinbanpo Station (Line 9) Exit 1, the Banpo ramp is about 15 minutes too.

From Dongjak Station (Lines 4, 9) Exits 1–2, walk the riverside toward Seorae Island. Buses 740 and 405 stop at Banpo Hangang Park/Sevit.

Before you go

No ticket and no reservation. Just stand by the river at show time.

By car, use the Banpo Hangang Park car parks: open 06:00–24:00, 1,000 won for the first 30 minutes, 200 won per 10 minutes after that, 10,000 won maximum a day. Seoul warns that weekends and holidays draw crowds and traffic jams around the park.

After Seoul Forest, Yangjae

The show that began at Seoul Forest in May has stretched to Maehyeon Citizens' Forest for autumn. The Seoul Forest show carries on too.

The theme is 'Citizens' Garden', built and tended by 367 citizen gardeners rather than just displayed to visitors.

51 gardens: where to start

There are 4 artist, 5 citizen, 5 student, 31 citizen-gardener and 6 corporate or institutional gardens. Seven linear gardens (3,580 sq m) run along the Yeocheon and Yangjaecheon entrances and the Gangnam-daero and Maehyeon-ro sides.

Benches, bean bags and mat zones make it easy to walk and rest. Garden docent tours run daily at 1, 3 and 5 pm.

Flower Festa this weekend

It opens on the 16th with a pre-show and welcome busking. On Saturday the 17th come a flower golden-bell quiz, a magic show and a talk-and-music concert.

Sunday the 18th brings a children's flower drawing contest, a welcome-drink show and another concert, a schedule that suits a family Sunday.

Night-time forest cinema

The Autumn Night Forest Theatre screens from 6 to 8 pm on October 16–17 and 23–24. 'Every-corner Live' performances run at 3 and 5 pm every weekend.

The garden market has 20 companies showing and selling garden and lifestyle goods, and food trucks are on site.

Before you go

Seoul asks visitors to use public transport. The coverage does not state an entry fee or overall opening hours, so check the official site or the 120 Dasan Call Center.

Programmes may change; docent tours can be booked ahead or joined on the spot.

When a daisy meets flower footprints

The theme is 'BLOOMING STEP': the flower footprints of the character Zoa and PEACEMINUSONE's signature daisy laid down on one path.

It marks ZO&FRIENDS' first anniversary and PEACEMINUSONE's 10th, and the space is staged so flowers seem to bloom with every step you take.

Zoa in a black hoodie

The star product is a Zoa keyring in a black hoodie, with a daisy on one sole and a flower footprint on the other.

The pouch keyring and the rug carry the PEACEMINUSONE logo rebuilt from white daisies and mint-coloured Zoa footprints.

The only one in the world

The photo spot is a one-of-a-kind Zoa figure made for this show. ZDNet Korea reports it is set with about 70,000 gems, and it can be seen only at the pop-up.

An IPX spokesperson said the aim was to reinterpret each icon 'in the other's language' and link them as one story.

Before you go

The pop-up is at K-Pop Square Hongdae, 141 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, open until October 25. Jamsil and Busan run the same pop-up in parallel.

Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo are planned next, so overseas fans who miss Seoul have a second shot. Opening hours and entry rules were not given in the coverage, so check the official accounts before you visit.

The premise cheats, and we love it

Yoon Yi-jun (Im Si-wan) is a third-generation Taekang Group heir, a brat with a bank account and the prime suspect in a murder. Detective Kang Jae-hee (Seol In-ah), with a special-forces background, applies for his male personal assistant opening to get close.

They meet as suspect and detective, then reunite as assistant and boss, each guarding a secret while working the same case. Thriller romance, with handcuffs.

What the two teasers show

In the suspect teaser, Kang cuffs Yoon, and he turns the cuffs so they bind both their wrists. A line follows: "the crime of making my heart race."

In the confession teaser, Yoon checks himself in a mirror and tries to confess. Kang cuts him off: "Don't confess. I'm a man right now." The posters come in two versions with the princess-carry reversed.

What the cast say

Im Si-wan summed up the pair with one word, 'pure,' and noted the tension of a murder suspect and the detective on his trail. Seol In-ah framed it as 'from suspicion to trust' and pointed to the role-reversal chemistry.

Kim Jung-hyun (lawyer Kim Si-hyun) and Yeon-woo (chairman's secretary Lee Hye-jeong) pitch their couple as the grown-up romance.

Where to watch

It airs on tvN Mondays and Tuesdays at 8:50 p.m. and streams on TVING in Korea. Global viewers can watch on Amazon Prime Video. Twelve episodes.

Moon Su-jung wrote it, Park Dan-hee directs, and Pitapat Studio produces. WikiTree reports it is based on the Kakao Page web novel and webtoon 'Why Don't You Know I'm a Woman'.

It blew up at the essay exams first

On Oct. 3 an examinee wearing smart glasses was caught at the University of Seoul's natural-sciences essay test, after a proctor grew suspicious of the unusually thick frames and asked headquarters to check.

On Oct. 10 at Yonsei's math essay exam, an examinee passed the pre-exam check in ordinary glasses and then swapped to smart glasses mid-test. Yonsei is weighing follow-up steps, including a criminal complaint.

What happens at the CSAT

On Oct. 15 the Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE) published the 2027 CSAT guidelines. Wearing smart glasses or a smartwatch during the exam without handing it in before Period 1 voids that year's exam and suspends eligibility for one year. Even carrying them in a bag counts as possessing a banned item, which also voids the exam.

KICE's banned list names phones, smartwatches, smart glasses, tablets and earphones side by side. "I wasn't going to use them" won't help.

If a proctor asks you to take them off

If a proctor requests a check, examinees must remove their glasses, put them on the desk and cooperate. Refusing can be treated like serious misconduct.

Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin told the National Assembly audit on Oct. 7 that offenders would lose eligibility for the year and face restrictions the next. Radio-frequency detectors, he said, are hard to deploy this year because every exam site differs.

Checklist for test-takers and parents

The CSAT is on Nov. 19. If you own smart glasses, safest is to leave them at home. If you must bring them, hand them in before Period 1 as instructed.

Prescription glasses are fine, but comply right away with any check. KICE has also posted a video of the guidelines on its CSAT site.

Zero admission, no booking

The Sky Observatory on the 8th and 9th floors of the west side of the City Hall main building needs neither a ticket nor a reservation. It used to open only on weekday daytimes; from 4 September it runs until 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

The city calls the night opening a trial, aimed at after-work and weekend-evening visitors.

The entrance is next to the robot café

Walk in through the main gate and take the dedicated elevator beside the robot café on the ground floor straight up to the 9th. Turn left toward the Haengbok Plus Café and you are there.

The two floors connect, and floor guides are in Korean and English. There are benches, tables, stepped seating, artworks, plants and a model of Haechi, Seoul's mascot.

Deoksugung below, Gwanghwamun beyond

The floor-to-ceiling glass looks toward Deoksugung, Gwanghwamun and Namdaemun. After dark, the lights of Sejong-daero run from Gwanghwamun to Sungnyemun in one sweep.

The Fact reports about 66,000 visitors in the eight weeks after the July opening. Visitor Lee Jin-woo, 38, told the Seoul Media Hub: "No admission fee, and the whole night view of central Seoul is right there."

Stops to tack on

On Fridays and Saturdays from 7:30 to 8:30 pm there is a night walking tour covering the Sky Observatory and the Sky Garden. Book online in advance through the Seoul walking-tour site (dobo.visitseoul.net).

The Jeongdong Observatory on the 13th floor of Seoul Seosomun Building 1 opens 1:30–10 pm on Fridays and 9 am–10 pm on Saturdays. The Sky Garden on the Seoul Library's 5th-floor roof closes at 9 pm Tuesday to Friday and 6 pm at weekends, so it does not fit a 10 pm plan.

Before you go

Hours are 7:30 am–6 pm Monday to Thursday and 7:30 am–10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays; Sunday does not appear in the schedule. In November and December Friday and Saturday closing moves to 9 pm.

For the night view, go on a Friday or Saturday evening. The nearest subway stop is City Hall Station (Lines 1 and 2).

The numbers first

On Nielsen Korea's pay-platform household measure, the finale hit 6.2% nationwide and 6.5% in the Seoul area, peaking at 7.2% and 7.7%. It was No. 1 in its time slot, cable and general-programming channels included.

On TVING it held No. 1 in weekend subscription contribution for four weeks running, and in weekly subscription contribution too, still going strong in week five.

Why go to work with 1.3 billion won?

Team leader Gong Eun-tae (Lee Jun-hyuk) wins 1.3 billion won in the lottery and keeps turning up at the office anyway. Jostling with his Sales Team 5 colleagues, he learns that it is not the windfall but you yourself who changes your life.

Seo Hyun-woo's Yang Jun-ho and Oh Dae-hwan's Jeong Seon-hyeok grow into pillars of the team. It is based on a web novel by Seo In-ha.

The cast's goodbyes

Lee Jun-hyuk thanked viewers who stayed with Eun-tae to the end. Seo Hyun-woo said that in a fast-changing world, the conflict and warmth of human relationships seem to have no trends.

Oh Dae-hwan said he laughed a lot and was very happy on set, and is sorry it's over.

The director's casting call

Director Yoon Young-bin recalled seeing about 300 people in casting. He wanted Lee Jun-hyuk to hold the centre while the cast around him flew, and says that is exactly what happened.

The mood on set, with Yoon both writing and directing, is in TVING's official behind-the-scenes video for episodes 9-10 above.

Where to watch

The whole series is on TVING. Start at episode 1 for a binge, or peek at the behind-the-scenes video above to feel the finale's temperature first.

Three teams, one starting line

"Modu-ui AI" (AI for Everyone) is a Ministry of Science and ICT project to build a service on domestic AI models that any citizen can use. In August the ministry evaluated six bidders and picked consortia led by SK Telecom, Kakao and KT.

This year the government is lending the three teams 512 NVIDIA B200 GPUs. On Oct. 16 each team demos its main features to the ministry, and the closed beta begins.

How the three differ

Kakao uses KakaoTalk as the front door. Its chatbot and AI agent reach into bookings, applications and payments, with LG U+ and LG AI Research on board.

SK Telecom pitches an AI that acts when told: booking restaurants or hospitals, even making calls. It can be reached by app, phone or text, with older and less digital users in mind.

KT ties public services, education, finance and shopping into a single chat window, with links planned to Daum, Musinsa, Zigbang and Genie TV.

"Easy and safe for anyone"

SK Telecom said it is important to build an environment where anyone can use AI easily and safely so that the AI usage gap does not become a new social gap.

The government is on the same page: from next year it plans to cover the cost of serving all citizens from the state budget.

Can you try it yet?

Not yet. Kakao's beta starts with consortium companies and public-agency staff, and it is considering opening to general users later.

The public launch is in December, after the teams fix what the demo turns up and firm up stability.