Korea JoongAng Daily - Daily News from Korea

Anxiety is growing in Seoul's apartment market after the government reinstated heavier capital gains taxes on owners of multiple homes. Prices for apartment sales, jeonse (lump-sum) deposits and monthly rent are rising simultaneously, creating what many describe as a "triple surge" in the housing market.

The sales market has tightened first, as listings declined sharply. According to the Korea Real Estate Board, Seoul apartment prices rose 0.28 percent in the second week of May, accelerating from 0.15 percent the previous week. Apartment prices in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, turned upward for the first time in 12 weeks, and gains also widened in parts of northern Seoul.

The rental market appears even more unstable. In April, apartment sale prices in Seoul rose 0.55 percent, jeonse prices climbed 0.82 percent and monthly rents increased 0.74 percent. A shortage of newly completed apartment complexes, which traditionally provide most of the jeonse supply, has intensified pressure on tenants. The continued shift from jeonse contracts toward monthly rentals is also contributing to market instability.

Last week, the government convened a ministerial meeting on real estate policy, during which it emphasized "a rapid supply expansion," including plans to accelerate public housing construction at the Taereung Country Club site. But such measures have done little to calm market anxiety.

Most importantly, the Jan. 29 housing supply plan, which promised 60,000 housing units in major Seoul metropolitan areas, remains stalled because of delays in negotiations with local governments. Projects — including the Yongsan International Business District and the relocation of the Gwacheon horse racing track — have made little progress. There appears to be a growing sense among officials that major decisions can wait until after the June 3 local elections. If that continues, supply expansion will come far too late.

The government also announced measures aimed at increasing apartment listings. Authorities said buyers of single-home properties in designated land transaction permit zones will be exempt from immediate occupancy requirements until current tenants' leases expire. Whether the measure will meaningfully increase supply remains uncertain.

Demand-side risks also persist. Korea's M2 money supply has risen for five consecutive months, reinforcing perceptions that liquidity remains abundant. There is also concern that profits realized in the booming stock market could flow back into the apartment market in large volumes.

Warning signs are emerging from both the supply and demand sides of the housing market. Policymakers must avoid sacrificing necessary policy responses in pursuit of votes ahead of the local elections. Campaign pledges that could further destabilize the housing market should be restrained as well.

One example is the Democratic Party Seoul mayoral candidate's proposal to issue 2.5 trillion won ($1.7 billion) worth of local gift certificates. While one side of the government struggles to stabilize the housing market, another risks adding fuel to the fire.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

This article is by Ha Nam-hyun and read by an artificial voice.

Some of the world's most acclaimed dance companies and choreographers are arriving in Korea this summer with a lineup of productions that includes radical reinterpretations of ballet classics and award-winning contemporary works.

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, also known as the Monte-Carlo Ballet, staged its signature production "LAC," performing at Hwaseong Arts Center in Gyeonggi on May 13. It was also set to perform the show at the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on May 16 and 17, and at the Daejeon Arts Center on May 20.

The work is the Korean premiere of a production first staged in 2011 by the company's artistic director Jean-Christophe Maillot, widely regarded as one of the world's foremost ballet choreographers.

Maillot stripped away the fairy-tale fantasy of Tchaikovsky's 1877 classic "Swan Lake," renaming it simply "LAC" — French for "lake."

Korean principal dancer An Jae-yong, the first Korean to join the company when he was admitted in 2016, described the work as "a ballet drama, or a ballet film, that uses the relationships and emotions between characters as metaphor, rather than the fixed ideas that 'Swan Lake' tends to conjure."

Princess Caroline of Monaco, who founded the company in 1985 in honor of her mother, actress and princess Grace Kelly, has reportedly traveled to Korea to oversee the run.

Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite's "Assembly Hall" is slated to run from June 5 to 7 at LG Arts Center in Gangseo District, western Seoul. Dubbed a "dance genius of the 21st century" by the British outlet Guardian, Pite is known for work that probes the tension between the collective and the individual.

"Assembly Hall," which won an Olivier Award in 2025 for Outstanding Achievement in Dance — the highest honor in British performing arts — is set in a community hall and explores conflict, fracture and the threat of dissolution within a group. Pite developed the piece in collaboration with Canadian playwright and actor Jonathan Young, weaving theater and dance together.

Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" follows at LG Arts Center Seoul from June 11 to 14. Ekman, who staged "Hammer" in Korea last year, is known for a distinctive stage aesthetic that blends wit and imagination. His take on the Shakespeare classic draws on a distinctly Nordic atmosphere of mystery and surrealism to explore human desire and fantasy. The production is performed by Ballet Dortmund, founded in 1904, and marks the company's Korean debut. Korean guest dancer Jung Ji-han will also appear on stage.

The wave is already well underway. Wayne McGregor's "Infra" and Glen Tetley's "The Rite of Spring" — performed as a double bill — had their Korean premieres from May 8 to 10.

Though dance remains a niche genre in Korea's performing arts market compared to musicals, tickets for top productions are going fast. More than 95 percent of seats for "LAC" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" have already been sold.

Critics say the surge in high-profile visits reflects Korea's growing stature as a performing arts destination.

"The global spread of K-culture through K-pop, film, and drama has translated into broader interest in Korean performing arts, including dance," said dance critic Shim Jeong-min. "On top of that, the growing fandom around Korean dancers performing on the world stage has made Korea an increasingly frequent stop for leading arts organizations."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

This article is by Jin Eun-soo and read by an artificial voice.

However, the once-quiet countryside town has recently bustled for a different reason: travelers.

Miryang was among the early participants in the state-backed "half-price travel" program, under which the government reimburses part of travelers' expenses in local currency to selected regions struggling with population decline.

Miryang's population fell under 100,000 last year.

The first two rounds of the program for April and May sold out on the day applications opened, according to the city government. A total of 2,000 spots were offered for April and 2,500 for May.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young visited the city on Thursday and Friday to inspect the program on-site and gather feedback. Chae toured Miryang's key tourist landmarks, such as Youngnamnu, a National Treasure-designated pavilion overlooking the Namcheon River, and the nearby Miryang Eupseong Fortress.

"The half-price travel program appears to be generating better-than-expected results," Chae said. "We will consider ways to expand the program further."

On the back of the program, the number of people who received Miryang's so-called digital citizenship, a certificate granted by the city government to tourists who visited designated attractions, surpassed 100,000 in less than a year after the initiative was launched in June last year.

"A key factor why our 'half-price travel' program sold out early is that we conduct reimbursement promptly on a weekly basis and that we sent out travel guidance materials in advance so that visitors can learn about the region before arriving. We also roll out various seasonal events as well," said Lee Kyung-sook, who heads the city's tourism promotion efforts.

Culture Minister Chae's itinerary included the city's traditional market, one of Miryang's key tourist spots that welcomes an average of 4,800 visitors daily. Its mazelike alleyways are lined with sections dedicated to barley rice, pork gukbap — a Korean soup served with rice — and more. Miryang is known as the birthplace of pork gukbap with clear bone broth.

Much of Miryang's tourism appeal stems from its cultural heritage. The city was designated a Culture City by the ministry in 2021 and is entering its fifth and final year of the designation. The program recognizes and supports cities with rich local cultural assets, enabling them to develop sustainable models to boost their local economies.

Miryang is the birthplace of "Miryang Arirang," known for its faster rhythm compared to versions from Jindo and Jeongseon, and for lyrics that reflect the resistance and struggles of the Korean people.

A student troupe from a local arts group specializing in "Miryang Arirang" staged an original musical performance titled "Look at Me," a well-known lyric from the folk song, at the symbolic venue of Miryang Hyanggyo, a National Treasure-designated Confucian school from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

"Ever since 'Arirang' was inscribed as Unesco's intangible cultural heritage in 2012, we have thought about how to properly pass it down to the children of the region so it remains relevant," Kim Keum-hee, artistic director of the troupe, said after the show on Thursday. "These children may not be technically as skilled as professionals, but the fact that local children perform 'Arirang' itself is meaningful."

Miryang is home to several clan villages of noble families dating back to the late Joseon era, many of which remain largely intact because the region avoided major battles during the 1950-53 Korean War and large-scale postwar development projects.

Many hanok, or traditional Korean houses, have since been repurposed into hanok cafes and accommodations. Byeotnwi is one such venue serving as a cafe, gallery and performance hall. Some 64,000 visitors came to this venue last year, generating 100 million won ($67,000) in sales, the ministry says.

Feedback from locals

"For young entrepreneurs like us to s...

This article is by Jeong Jae-hong, Kim Ji-hye, Michael Lee and read by an artificial voice.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok urged Samsung Electronics and its labor unions to reach a last-minute agreement ahead of a planned general strike, warning that a walkout at the world's largest memory chipmaker could inflict "fatal damage" to Korea's economy in a rare public appeal Sunday.

His speech came a day after Samsung Electronics and its largest labor union said they will return to the negotiating table on Monday in a last-ditch effort to avert a planned 18-day strike.

Kim described Monday's negotiations as "effectively the last opportunity" to prevent a strike, warning that even a one-day disruption at Samsung's semiconductor facilities could result in up to 1 trillion won ($720 million) in direct losses, with broader damage potentially rising a hundredfold if ongoing wafer production is scrapped during a prolonged walkout.

Noting that Samsung Electronics accounts for 22.8 percent of Korea's exports and 26 percent of total market capitalization, the prime minister warned the government is considering "all available measures," including invoking its emergency arbitration powers, to prevent a strike that could undermine the country's edge in the global artificial intelligence chip race.

The renewal of talks mediated by the National Labor Relations Commission in Sejong comes after negotiations between management and labor collapsed on Wednesday amid persistent disagreements over bonuses tied to Samsung's booming semiconductor business.

Samsung's largest labor union has said it plans to launch the strike on Thursday if management fails to commit to "fairly" distributing gains from the company's AI-driven recovery to workers. The union says more than 46,000 members have expressed willingness to participate.

Samsung previously proposed performance bonuses equivalent to 607 percent of annual salaries for employees in its memory semiconductor business under the Device Solutions (DS) division, while proposing payouts between 50 and 100 percent for workers in loss-making non-memory semiconductor units, according to minutes from labor-management talks reported by Reuters on Saturday.

However, the union side has demanded that the company scrap the cap on annual bonuses altogether and commit to distributing 15 percent of its annual operating profit to workers as compensation.

The decision to resume talks follows a concession by Samsung management to the union's demand that it replace the company's lead negotiator.

Vice President Kim Hyung-ro, who had represented management in earlier negotiations, will be replaced by Yeo Myung-koo, head of the People Team under Samsung's Device Solutions division, the company said.

Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong also issued a rare public apology on Saturday, widely seen as contributing to the labor side's decision to reengage in talks.

Speaking after returning from a business trip to Japan, Lee said he would apologize to customers and the public for concerns caused by the company's "internal issues" and said he would "bear the full weight" of the crisis.

Describing labor union members and all Samsung workers as "one body and one family," Lee said that "now is the time to wisely join forces and move in one direction."

In response, Choi Seung-ho, head of the largest labor union, said workers had turned to organized labor because of eroding trust in management.

"Employees joined the union because their trust in the company was broken," Choi said, calling on both sides to use the upcoming negotiations to restore confidence.

Industry observers warn that losses could reach as high as 100 trillion won in a worst-case scenario involving a full production stoppage at Samsung Electronics. That figure includes damage to 1,754 suppliers of semiconductor materials, parts and equipment, as well as losses stemming from disruptions to global supply chains.

The planned walkout comes at a delicate moment...

This article is by Jeong Jae-hong, Kim Ji-hye, Michael Lee and read by an artificial voice.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok urged Samsung Electronics and its labor unions to reach a last-minute agreement ahead of a planned general strike, warning that a walkout at the world's largest memory chipmaker could inflict "fatal damage" to Korea's economy in a rare public appeal Sunday.

His speech came a day after Samsung Electronics and its largest labor union said they will return to the negotiating table on Monday in a last-ditch effort to avert a planned 18-day strike.

Kim described Monday's negotiations as "effectively the last opportunity" to prevent a strike, warning that even a one-day disruption at Samsung's semiconductor facilities could result in up to 1 trillion won ($720 million) in direct losses, with broader damage potentially rising a hundredfold if ongoing wafer production is scrapped during a prolonged walkout.

Noting that Samsung Electronics accounts for 22.8 percent of Korea's exports and 26 percent of total market capitalization, the prime minister warned the government is considering "all available measures," including invoking its emergency arbitration powers, to prevent a strike that could undermine the country's edge in the global artificial intelligence chip race.

His comments were echoed by presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung, who said Sunday the Blue House would be willing to lend "all the support necessary to resolve the conflict" roiling the chipmaker.

The renewal of talks mediated by the National Labor Relations Commission in Sejong comes after negotiations between management and labor collapsed on Wednesday amid persistent disagreements over bonuses tied to Samsung's booming semiconductor business.

Samsung's largest labor union has said it plans to launch the strike on Thursday if management fails to commit to "fairly" distributing gains from the company's AI-driven recovery to workers. The union says more than 46,000 members have expressed willingness to participate.

Samsung previously proposed performance bonuses equivalent to 607 percent of annual salaries for employees in its memory semiconductor business under the Device Solutions (DS) division, while proposing payouts between 50 and 100 percent for workers in loss-making non-memory semiconductor units, according to minutes from labor-management talks reported by Reuters on Saturday.

However, the union side has demanded that the company scrap the cap on annual bonuses altogether and commit to distributing 15 percent of its annual operating profit to workers as compensation.

The decision to resume talks follows a concession by Samsung management to the union's demand that it replace the company's lead negotiator.

Vice President Kim Hyung-ro, who had represented management in earlier negotiations, will be replaced by Yeo Myung-koo, head of the People Team under Samsung's Device Solutions division, the company said.

Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong also issued a rare public apology on Saturday, widely seen as contributing to the labor side's decision to reengage in talks.

Speaking after returning from a business trip to Japan, Lee said he would apologize to customers and the public for concerns caused by the company's "internal issues" and said he would "bear the full weight" of the crisis.

Describing labor union members and all Samsung workers as "one body and one family," Lee said that "now is the time to wisely join forces and move in one direction."

In response, Choi Seung-ho, head of the largest labor union, said workers had turned to organized labor because of eroding trust in management.

"Employees joined the union because their trust in the company was broken," Choi said, calling on both sides to use the upcoming negotiations to restore confidence.

Industry observers warn that losses could reach as high as 100 trillion won in a worst-case scenario involving a full production stoppage at Samsung Electronics. That figure ...

This article is by Kim Ji-ye and read by an artificial voice.

Happy faces, joyful tears, loud cheers and endless congratulations from friends — these are what most people imagine when they think of a wedding, and Korea is no exception. After all, no couple wants an empty wedding hall.

But in Korea, filling those seats often comes with a stressful prewedding ritual many soon-to-be brides and grooms dread: wedding invitation gatherings.

Colloquially known as "cheongmo" — a portmanteau of cheongcheopjang (wedding invitation letters) and moim (gathering), these gatherings, where engaged couples meet friends, colleagues and acquaintances over meals to personally hand out printed wedding invitations, have become an unofficial yet deeply rooted part of Korean wedding culture.

And they are far from cheap.

Many couples now set aside a separate budget just for these meetups, typically spending between 20,000 won ($13) and 50,000 won per guest. Considering that a single gathering with four or five friends can easily cost over 100,000 won, the expenses pile up quickly.

Multiply that by several rounds of meetings from both the bride's and groom's sides, and the total balloons into the millions of won.

For couples already overwhelmed by wedding costs, it becomes yet another financial burden.

Korean weddings are already notoriously expensive. Beyond the ceremony itself, couples are expected to prepare the infamous "seu-deu-me" package — a portmanteau of the beginning sounds of the words, studio photos, dresses and makeup — on top of paying for the venue, floral arrangements and meals for guests.

"Honestly, it's hard for couples not to feel pressured about wedding invitation gatherings," said Lee Eu-gene, a newlywed who held several gatherings before her wedding. "The only reason I was able to host gatherings for everyone was that I didn't end up spending that much on the wedding itself."

So, how did what was meant to be a joyful celebration of marriage turn into a marathon of nerve-wracking social rituals?

'Cheongmo' season

Once couples settle on a wedding date, they begin one of the trickiest parts of the entire process: deciding whom to invite — how many people they will serve through the monthslong cheongmo season.

"Just like the wedding itself, wedding invitation gatherings felt like something I had to approach carefully, since people were taking time out of their schedules to meet in person," said Kim, a soon-to-be bride currently planning several invitation gatherings. She asked to be identified only by her surname.

After finalizing the guest list, the couple starts contacting people individually to arrange the gatherings. At the same time, they also prepare printed wedding invitations to hand out during the meetings — another process that requires both time and money. Despite often being used only once before eventually being discarded, many couples still pour significant thought and effort into designing the invitations.

The gatherings are usually held two to three months before the wedding, though in some cases they take place just weeks before the ceremony.

During the meetups, hosts hand out invitations containing details about the wedding venue and schedule. As social media has become deeply embedded in daily life, posting photos from gatherings alongside paper invitations has also become something of a ritual for attendees.

For those whom the couple cannot meet in person, mobile invitations are typically sent through KakaoTalk. These digital invitations include the wedding date, time and venue, along with pre-wedding photos. In many cases, they also include bank account information so recipients can send a cash gift even if they are unable to attend the ceremony in person. In Korea, it is customary to give the groom or bride a congratulatory cash gift.

When did it all start?

Like many modern-day "rituals," cheongmo is also a relatively recent phenomenon.

"I remember married couples gathering friends for after-parties after...

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

That is, at least, the near future imagined by Choi Yong-ho, CEO of Galaxy Corporation, the AI-powered entertainment company managing G-Dragon, which recently opened Galaxy Robot Park in Gangdong District, eastern Seoul.

Inside the main arena, three robots take the stage, dancing to G-Dragon's "POWER" (2024) and "HOME SWEET HOME" (2024), along with Taemin's "Advice" (2021) and "IDEA" (2020). The world's first robot K-pop park plans to hold three shows every weekend starting in June.

"From September, we'll expand to more than six performances a day and stage at least 1,000 robot K-pop shows a year," Choi told Korean media on Friday. "By the end of this year, we're planning to take them on a world tour, which will also include far destinations like Africa, South America, and the Middle East."

The robots were built by Unitree Robotics, the Hangzhou-based robotics company known for its boxing robots.

For now, performances will focus on artists under Galaxy Corporation, but Choi is also preparing shows built around the intellectual property of legacy artists and retro hit songs whose copyrights have already been acquired.

When asked about monetization, Choi said the park plans to generate revenue not only through K-pop performances, but also through robot-painted portraits, hands-on robot control experiences, and even robot boxing sessions.

Galaxy Corporation joined Korea's unicorn club last year with a valuation of 1 trillion won ($670 million). Amid growing buzz around its initial public offering, executives from the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq visited the company's Seoul headquarters in March.

This article is by Choi Hye-ri and read by an artificial voice.

Korean dramas are getting more crowded — in a good way. Instead of sticking to one or two familiar genres in one show, a growing number of new series are packing in horror, romance, action, mystery and more all at once in a bid to keep viewers hooked.

The shift, visible across both streaming originals and traditional TV series, reflects a broader industry push to satisfy audiences who increasingly want several kinds of entertainment from a single title. But critics say the formula works only when the mix is carefully controlled — done well, it creates a hit; done badly, it becomes an experiment.

Recent examples now airing on streaming platforms and TV channels show how far the trend has gone. The Netflix original series "If Wishes Could Kill" revolves around a cursed app that grants wishes, while "The Scarecrow" follows a detective in 2019 tracking a serial murder case from the 1980s. The Disney+ series "Gold Land" features a customs officer attempting to make off with gold bars worth 150 billion won ($103 million).

In the past, series were traditionally built around a single genre, whether that be a romance drama, an action drama and a sageuk, or a Korean historical drama. But starting with shows like "Kingdom" (2019-21) and "Squid Game" (2021-25), an increasing number of series have begun mixing multiple genres into one production. "Kingdom" blended sageuk with zombie horror, while "Squid Game" was a psychological thriller survival story.

Released in full on April 24, the eight-episode series "If Wishes Could Kill" is perhaps the clearest example of this growing multigenre trend.

The series follows a group of high school students struggling after being warned of impending death because of a curse tied to an app that grants wishes. As the premise suggests, it combines school drama and horror. It then adds action through the help of a shaman, while episodes unraveling the background of the curse also take on the attributes of a human drama.

The performances of rising actors Jeon So-young, Kang Mi-na, Baek Sun-ho, Hyun Woo-seok and Lee Hyo-je drew praise as being fresh, while the shamanistic elements that appear as the students try to lift the curse prompted social media reactions comparing the series' polish to that of the hit film "Exhuma" (2024).

The show stayed on Netflix's Global Top 10 list for about two weeks after release and held the No. 1 spot in Korea's Top 10 series from its release through May 5, according to FlixPatrol.

"Gold Land," which released its first episode on April 29, tells the story of a protagonist who comes into possession of gold bars belonging to a smuggling ring and tries to survive amid greed and betrayal in an attempt to keep all the gold. The drama unfolds through a blend of drama, romance, noir and action. The finale of the 10-episode series will be released on May 27.

"Gold Land" drew attention by casting popular actor Park Bo-young in her first action noir and thriller series.

It also made the series easier to follow by beginning with the story of the lead couple before moving into the larger criminal mystery. Since its release, it has held the No. 1 spot among Disney+ Korea's Top 10 TV shows on May 6, according to FlixPatrol.

The rise of mixed-genre works is not limited to streaming services' originals. As production companies increasingly place the same dramas on both TV and streaming platforms, the multigenre pattern has become a broader trend across the industry.

A representative example is "The Scarecrow," produced by KT Studio Genie and released simultaneously on ENA and Tving platforms beginning April 20. The drama takes the Lee Choon-jae serial murder case that happened between 1986 and 1991 as its subject and borrows the narrative structure of a typical crime investigation drama, using a case already widely exposed in the media.

But it distinguishes itself through a concept that moves between the 1980s and the 20...

This article is by Woo Ji-won and read by an artificial voice.

BUSAN — Busan has long drawn foreign travelers with its scenic coastlines, vibrant food scene and layered history.

Now firmly established as Korea's second-most-visited destination after Seoul, the southern port city is drawing visitors well beyond tourist spots like Haeundae and Seomyeon.

They are increasingly spilling into quieter corners of the city — neighborhoods where distinct character and traces of its past offer a more intimate glimpse into Busan's everyday life.

These neighborhoods may lack the sweeping ocean views and flashy nightlife the city is famous for, but they offer something different — a journey into the city's roots, where traces of its past still live on in narrow alleys, aging markets and hillside streets.

Ami-dong Tombstone Culture Village

At first glance, Ami-dong in Seo District looks like any other Busan hillside neighborhood: pastel homes, narrow alleys and steep staircases. But beneath many of those homes lies a history far stranger.

With few alternatives, refugees began building houses on the cemetery grounds. Tombstones scattered throughout the area were stacked and repurposed as house foundations, traces of which can still be found throughout the neighborhood today.

The idea of living atop dead bodies may sound unsettling at first, but the village feels far from eerie.

Start the journey by stopping by the Tombstone Culture Village Information Center, where visitors can pick up maps outlining three walking courses through the area. With narrow alleys branching off in every direction, the maps help profoundly with navigating the neighborhood's historic sites.

The longest route takes only about 15 minutes, though it may take longer, as you pause to search for tombstones embedded unexpectedly throughout the village and admire them.

But the most fun part of the experience is noticing how tombstones became woven into ordinary life. Staircases leading to playgrounds and laundromats, doorsteps of still-inhabited homes, platforms supporting rows of traditional earthenware jars. It would be nearly impossible to spot them without the signs, which also explain how many tombstones were used in each structure.

Because the village sits high on the hillside, the views are also striking. From the observatory along the walking course, visitors can look out on downtown Busan below.

Beomil-dong Webtoon Ibagu-gil

Sometimes the oddest combinations make the most memorable pairings. In Beomil 1-dong, Dong District, that means cartoons and traditional markets.

Beomil-dong was once home to workers employed at nearby Busan Port and other urban industries that developed around the harbor. As the neighborhood grew, Seongbuk Market was established in the 1960s, serving as a gathering place where residents bought groceries and exchanged stories.

But as businesses gradually closed and residents moved away, the neighborhood grew quieter, and the aging market edged toward decline.

The street itself is not particularly long, but the signboards — the kind most people would normally walk past without a second glance — have become attractions in their own right, making the stroll feel much longer in the best way.

While residents casually shop and linger around fruit stands, egg vendors and clothing stores, visitors slow down to admire the webtoons and street art spilled across signboards and building walls. Their bright colors and playful illustrations breathe new life into the market.

The project involved cartoonists, including Yu Hyun-sook and Hwang Mi-na, and characters and scenes from webtoons such as "The Man Living in Our House" (2015), "Sseomnam" (2014) and "Padong" (2012) appear throughout the alleys.

A street dedicated to the famed Korean artist Lee Jung-seop (1916-56), best known for works such as "A Bull," believed to have been painted in the 1950s, is also tucked within the neighborhood. The artist once took refuge in Busan during the Korean War....

Na Sung-in

The author is a music critic and director of the classical music brand Poongwoldang.

In 1954, Astor Piazzolla met Nadia Boulanger in Paris. Known as the "musician's musician," she offered crucial advice to the Argentine musician, who had yet to find his own path. "Do not turn to classical music. Instead, express your individuality through tango. That is the real Piazzolla." She was telling him to make use of his gift — his ability to move between composition and performance, between tango and classical music.

Without that advice, the world of Piazzolla as we remember it might never have existed. In his youth, Piazzolla was in fact ashamed of tango, which was treated as cheap tavern music. Of course, that did not mean tango lacked virtue or charm. Tango was a dance created in Argentina's ports by people living far from home, longing for human warmth. It was a dance that transformed the courage and sorrow of pioneers into a moment of passion. But compared with Johann Sebastian Bach, whom he had encountered as a child? Compared with Frédéric Chopin, as performed by pianist Arthur Rubinstein at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires? Could tango really be called art?

His teacher, Boulanger, was firm. She recognized that what mattered more than tradition or hierarchy was the musical experience accumulated within Piazzolla himself. In an interview with Bruno Monsaingeon, she once said, "At every moment of our lives, we are the offspring of ourselves. We cannot return to the past, but we can build the future by relying on it." In Piazzolla's past, Bach and tango existed together. The role of the teacher was to rescue her student from the prejudice that separates the lofty from the lowly, and in doing so, to reconcile the Bach and the tango that lived together within him.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.