A forest of sun trees and cedars on Chungnyeongsan Mountain in Jangseong, Jeollanam-do Province Korea has four distinct seasons, and winter, which just started, is quite colder and longer than many people outside of the country think.   The average temperature in winter – from December to February the following year – has ranged between minus 1.4 degrees Celsius and 2.8 degrees above zero since 2012. But freezing cold days when the mercury can plummet to around minus

Foreign influencers look at cosmetics from a Korean company at the event “Winter Paradise – A Touch of Gold” at Hotel Naru Seoul – MGallery, December 3. (Courtesy of Julia Kim) On December 3, a remarkably diverse crowd of women packed into the Hotel Naru Seoul – MGallery. The boutique hotel overlooking the Hangang River was the site for a celebration of newly released Korean beauty products.   Titled “Winter Paradise – A Touch of Gold,” the event was organized by the

Migrant employees work at a casting factory in Paju, Gyeonggi-do Province. Korea is experiencing a labor shortage, especially in industries where migrant workers have ended up replacing Koreans, as many sectors of society return to pre-pandemic conditions following a drop in COVID-19 infections.   To address this problem, the government plans to invite a record high number of migrant workers in 2023 to revitalize the country’s economy.   Minister of Employ

Filmmaker Thierry Loreau (Courtesy of Thierry Loreau) Belgian filmmaker Thierry Loreau has been a keen observer of the classical music scene in Korea. The director has visited Korea 17 times since his first trip in 2010 and made two documentaries about Korean musicians making a splash on the international stage – “Korean Music Mystery” (2012) and “K-Classics Generation” (2020).     He said Korea’s award-winning classical musicians send a message that this genre

Kimchi, the traditional Korean side dish generally made of fermented cabbage, salt and hot pepper powder, is the country’s most famous staple dish.   Eaten at almost every meal, kimchi means so much to Koreans that the country has a day dedicated to it – Korea designated November 22 as Kimchi Day in 2020, in line with efforts to promote kimchi’s excellence in terms of nutrition and highlight its cultural value.   Not only Korea, but several U.S. states – Cal