Korea JoongAng Daily - Daily News from Korea

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

Food generally helps sustain life and keeps hunger away — and, if possible, it's healthy too. Temple food, rooted in centuries of Buddhist practice, reaches beyond nourishment, "sharing food with the body, heart and soul, purifying the spirit and making the person a little wiser," as Buddhist nun Venerable Seonjae put it.

Temple food begins with seasonal ingredients grown in harmony with nature and treated with care and reverence. Only such ingredients, Seonjae says, can truly sustain our health and happiness — a conviction strengthened after she recovered from liver cirrhosis in her 40s through temple food.

One dish that embodies this philosophy clearly is pine nut noodles — made with seasonal ingredients from "a recipe carrying the wisdom of Buddhist monks," said Seonjae.

Seonjae, Korea's first designated "Master of Temple Food" and a revered practitioner who considers food as a part of "practice," showcased this dish during her recent appearance on season two of "Culinary Class Wars" (2024-25).

The noodles instantly won over even the hard-to-impress chef and judge Ahn Sung-jae. Tasting her dish during the competition, he praised it, saying, "I didn't know pine nuts could smell this beautiful."

On Thursday at the Temple Cuisine Culture Experience Center in Jongno District, central Seoul, about 20 reporters had the chance not only to sample the monk's famed dish but also to roll up their sleeves and make a bowl themselves. The nun, during her demonstrations, noted that cooking and eating are acts of respect — for the earth that produced the ingredients, for the farmers who cultivated them and for the body that receives them.

Seonjae first demonstrated each step, recreating the Netflix moment from the beginning — from preparing the pine nuts to making the flour noodles from scratch.

"If you lightly toast the pine nuts, their sweetness comes out," she said. "But you lose some of the aroma, so you leave some untoasted and grind them together. Pine nuts and noodles can be hard to digest, so squash helps balance them. This isn't a noodle you slurp down. You savor the pine nut broth, let it mix with your saliva and absorb its nutrients well."

Working in groups of four, the reporters started with the pine nut broth, the heart of the dish. Three hundred grams of pine nuts were toasted in a dry pan until golden, then finely chopped with a knife. The chopped pine nuts were blended with water until smooth and seasoned with a pinch of salt.

"Pine nuts are precious, so even monks can't eat them often. But in winter, they would carry them in their pockets like snacks," Seonjae said.

Next was the ongshimi (dough balls). Glutinous rice flour was mixed with one teaspoon of starch, then combined with finely grated cucumber to form a dough. The dough was shaped into small balls — as round as possible so they could roll easily on a plate — and then boiled in salted water.

The vegetable noodles were prepared by Seonjae. She blanched zucchini and spinach, then blended and strained them. The vegetable puree was mixed with flour and salt to form the dough.

"This spinach isn't just any spinach. It carries the energy of the earth, water, sunlight and wind. All the life of the universe is inside it. The spirit of temple food is that the life of nature is not separate from me."

To achieve the right texture, the dough was run through a pasta machine about 10 times before being cut into strands.

For the toppings, cucumbers and Korean melon were sliced paper-thin, lightly salted in brine and then firmly drained.

Finally was the assembly. Boiled noodles were first placed in a bowl, followed by the pine nut broth being poured over. The prepared toppings were then arranged evenly with black sesame seeds sprinkled on top. Every ingredient had to remain visible. Otherwise, the ingredients would "feel upset," Seonjae said. In 30 minutes, from start to finish, the bowls were complete.

The flavo...

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

Many had come not so much to look at celadon pottery or learn about Buddhist sculptures, but to wait their turn to enter a listening booth for Blackpink's latest release "Deadline," which marks the group's return as a full ensemble for the first time in nearly four years.

Fans queued near the towering 13-meter (42-foot-8-inch) Ten-Story Stone Pagoda from the Gyeongcheonsa Temple, waiting to hear tracks from the new EP inside a neon-pink space and pick up exclusive photo cards.

Others moved through the galleries with earphones on, listening to audio guides for selected artifacts recorded by the group's members in three different languages.

"I learned Korean because of K-pop and I've been always interested in Korea's culture and history but just couldn't find time to come here. Today will be a nice opportunity to look around."

Korean heritage has become an increasingly central element of K-pop projects lately, with recent efforts engaging more deeply with cultural and historic meaning rather than just using traditional imagery primarily for aesthetic effect.

K-pop mega band BTS is slated to come down what's known as King's Path, a walkway at Gyeongbok Palace formerly reserved for kings during the Joseon era (1392-1910), during its upcoming comeback show on March 21. The performance is expected to highlight major palace sites, including the royal throne hall, Geunjeongjeon, and the restored stone platform known as the woldae. BTS's new album is also befittingly named "Arirang," after a centuries-old Korean folk song.

"Blackpink has worn modernized hanbok [traditional Korean attire] for its 2020 single 'How you like that' and featured giwa [a traditional Korean roof] as background for its Coachella stage, but this time we looked for a way for fans to better engage with history and create synergy for both K-pop and Korea's heritage," said a spokesperson from YG Entertainment, the girl group's agency.

The latest collaboration came at the request of the agency.

Wearing hanbok on stage, performing traditional choreography and weaving traditional Korean elements into stage sets have become almost a prerequisite for K-pop acts with global fandoms.

But not all of these efforts have turned out to be as meaningful or effective as hoped. Despite their stated intentions, some cultural incorporations were criticized as surface-level symbolism, and seen as reducing Korean heritage to a mere concept or fashion device.

"Some collaboration projects from the past were limited to just consuming Korean heritage as a concept, which was not effective in carrying out the intention of introducing Korea's cultural and historic context," said Sim Hi-chul, professor at department of entertainment in broadcasting at Dong-Ah Institute of Media and Arts.

"But some recent cases have gone beyond that. In the case of the audio guide, it actively pulls in visitors inside the museum and lets them listen to the explanations of some of Korea's most significant treasures because they are done by their favorite idol members."

Such close collaborations have become possible as Korea's cultural history has come into the global spotlight like never before.

Global interest in Korean heritage has also been fueled by the breakout success of Netflix's animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" (2025), which used historic motifs including tigers and magpies — common subjects in Korean folk painting — as well as cultural items such as norigae, traditional tassel ornaments, and the gat, a traditional men's hat, as key elements of its story.

In part because of the animated film's popularity, the National Museum of Korea hosted a record 6.5 million visitors last year, ranking it as the fourth-most visited museum in the world.

Cultural collaborations have also become more effective alongside the evolution of fan culture — which has transformed from fans passively consuming music and merchandise to actively engaging wit...

This article is by Seo Ji-eun, Cho Jung-woo, Alicia Carr and read by an artificial voice.

[EXPLAINER]

If you've ever stood in front of Gwanghwamun, the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, you've likely looked up at the massive wooden nameboard perched high above the crowds.

To the untrained eye, it appears as a dignified relic — a slab of calligraphy that crowns one of the most iconic landmarks in Seoul.

But to some Koreans, those three characters — "光化門," written in traditional Chinese hanja characters — are currently the center of a high-stakes tug-of-war over national identity.

The debate, which has simmered for decades, was recently reignited when Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young, during a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Lee Jae Myung on Jan. 20, proposed a double-decker compromise: keeping the current hanja sign on the top tier while adding a new sign in hangul, the Korean alphabet, beneath it.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has said it will proceed through expert consultations and public hearings before moving on to formal steps. Choi said in a briefing on Feb. 12 that public debate should come first, while also acknowledging that anything touching cultural heritage must follow expert review.

As Korea approaches the 100th year since Hangul Day was first marked in October, the government faces a debate on authenticity and how the nation wants to be "read" by the world when it looks at Korea's most televised gate.

What is the debate about?

Hangul, Korea's phonetic alphabet, was created in 1443 under King Sejong (r. 1418-1450) during the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) to make reading and writing accessible beyond the elite.

But for centuries, Hanja remained dominant in official documents and public inscriptions in Korea.

For Lee Dae-ro, 80, director of the Hanmalgeul Association, or Korean Language Association, and a lifelong linguistic activist who has argued for years that Gwanghwamun should carry hangul, the current hanja sign is more than a historical artifact but is a source of "tears" and national "humiliation."

"This isn't something that came up again just for fun," Lee told the Korea JoongAng Daily.

He argued that because a hangul sign hung from the gate in the late 20th century, replacing it with hanja was "wrong," and the debate keeps returning because some Koreans are trying to "make it right."

Lee repeatedly calls the current hanja nameboard "fake," even alleging that the government misled the public by describing it as "original-form restoration."

Heritage authorities, however, describe the nameboard as a historically informed replica based on archival sources rather than an original artifact.

A civic coalition is set to formally launch on March 1, Korea's Independence Movement Day.

The group plans to read a "Declaration of Independence for Hangul Culture," arguing that moving away from hanja signage signals a shift toward a self-reliant national identity.

Was there controversy before?

Yes, for more than half a century.

Gwanghwamun was first constructed in 1395 and is believed to have been given its name in 1425.

The Chinese-character nameboard now hanging above Gwanghwamun on Sejong-daero in central Seoul is widely understood to be a modern restoration of an inscription written in 1865 by Im Tae-young, the commander of the royal military training corps, during a major reconstruction of the gate.

The gate suffered extensive damage during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule and the 1950-53 Korean War, and the nameboard was lost in the process.

When Gwanghwamun was rebuilt in 1968, a hangul nameboard handwritten by then-President Park Chung Hee was installed instead.

The current nameboard dates to October 2023, when authorities restored a Chinese-character version in gold lettering on a black background, based on historical records. The move corrected an earlier restoration in 2010 that used black characters on a white background, which the authorities acknowledged was incorrect.

An official at the ...

This article is by Sarah Chea, Park Eun-jee and read by an artificial voice.

[MONEY MOVER]

Capital moves in and out of Korea, driven by a range of economic and geopolitical forces. In our "Money Mover" series, we explore key market developments that could shape investment decisions and influence the flow of global funds. — ED.

For more than a decade, Hyundai Motor's shares moved sideways in a 100,000 to 200,000 won ($70 to $140) band, even as the Korean automaker posted record profits and expanded its presence in the United States. The debut of its closely guarded Atlas humanoid robot, however, dramatically changed the narrative to send the stock soaring above the 600,000 won level. Now, some analysts even project that Hyundai could one day beat the market capitalization of Japan's Toyota Motor — a scenario that long seemed far-fetched.

Though a divergent view endures due to Hyundai's commanding presence in EVs or autonomous driving and an unproven practical deployment of its robots, the consensus suggests that a substantial boost in Hyundai's market valuation could take hold by 2028, particularly contingent on the potential public listing of Massachusetts-based Boston Dynamics, 88 percent owned by Hyundai Motor.

Atlas, the brainchild of the robotics firm, was first introduced at CES 2026 in Las Vegas on Jan. 5, with a concrete production target of 30,000 units by 2028 and integration into actual manufacturing lines.

"In a humanoid robotics market effectively dominated by Tesla's Optimus, through Atlas, Hyundai Motor has demonstrated that it has the potential to mount a credible challenge to the incumbent," said Koh Tae-bong, executive director at iM Securities' research headquarters, during a recent interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily.

Toyota Group, by contrast, has yet to make any significant strides in humanoid robots and continues to emphasize hybrid technology over full EVs, prompting concerns that it may lag in future growth engines.

Investor enthusiasm was further amplified by the visible collaboration with Nvidia in the area of autonomous driving, a sector where Hyundai failed for a decade.

Hyundai Motor's market capitalization stands at roughly 138 trillion won as of Friday, and when combined with Kia's 80 trillion won, the conglomerate's total valuation exceeds 200 trillion won, while Toyota's stands at 470 trillion won. Hyundai's shares, which traded at some 300,000 won before the CES, more than doubled to close at 674,000 won on Friday.

The Korea JoongAng Daily spoke with Koh, Esther Yim, senior analyst at Samsung Securities, and Jason Lui, head of APAC equity and derivatives strategy at BNP Paribas, to discuss the future corporate value and stock outlook of Hyundai Motor.

Q. Do you agree that Hyundai could surpass Toyota in market cap within the next few years?

Yim: Hyundai is evolving into a robotics-driven company, transforming its Software-Defined Vehicle capabilities from a relative weakness into a strategic strength, while also possessing solid-state battery technology. If the market begins to fully recognize these assets, I believe Hyundai could surpass Toyota in market capitalization.

In the EV segment, Hyundai already holds an edge over both Toyota and Volkswagen. Its traditional weakness in autonomous driving is being addressed through strategic talent acquisition and collaboration with Nvidia. Should Hyundai's robotics and solid-state battery technologies be validated in the field, the company's valuation benchmark would shift, with Tesla, rather than Toyota, becoming the more relevant comparator.

Koh: It is entirely feasible. Hyundai's current price-to-earnings ratio stands at roughly 12 times, while Tesla is trading at around 320 times. If you factor in the valuation of Boston Dynamics as well, Hyundai's implied multiple would likely fall somewhere between 12 and 320 times.

Liu: Our target price-to-earnings multiple of 12 times implies an effective 10.3 times price-to-earnings valuation for ...

This article is by Shin Ha-nee and read by an artificial voice.

"Jump" (2025) was, apparently, a telling preamble for Blackpink's music direction.

With "Jump," Blackpink signaled a pivot toward a harder EDM sound, which the quartet fully embraced with what may be its most experimental lead single yet: "GO."

Released on Friday, "Deadline" is Blackpink's third EP and its first new album in more than three years since its second full-length album, "Born Pink" (2022).

The fact that this is only the group's third EP remains startling. While longtime chief producer of the group, Teddy Park, has previously mentioned that Blackpink is meticulous about what it releases, the group's discography has often felt sparse, especially by K-pop standards. That is one of the reasons that "Deadline" feels particularly refreshing, a sign of an expansion of the group's musical and visual scope at the start of a new era.

The EP reflects not only Blackpink's evolution over nearly a decade but also the individual growth of its members, who have since developed distinct personal styles and parted ways with YG for their solo careers.

The lead track, "GO," lists Chris Martin of Coldplay, Henry Walter, Danny Chung of The Black Label and all four members of Blackpink as its songwriters, with production led by Cirkut and Teddy.

Featuring elements of midtempo bass music — defined by its heavy bass line and futuristic vibe — and dubstep, the song is a full-fledged club banger anchored by a punchy chorus of the members shouting, "Blackpink'll make ya / Go!"

For casual listeners accustomed to the hip-hop-leaning dance-pop of earlier hits, such as "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" (2018), "Kill This Love" (2019) and "Shut Down" (2022), the song marks a clear departure from the group's previous releases. As with "Jump," which caught many off guard last year with its techno inflections, "GO" doubles down on Blackpink's EDM experiment with a thunderous drop.

But the second verse, which starts with Lisa's rap, followed by Jennie's, grounds the song in the group's unmistakable signature style, thereby making the track more of an evolution rather than a reinvention.

That sonic intensity is also reflected in the music video. The echoing synths evoke a kind of sci-fi flair, with the visual elements of the video recalling the sandy and psychedelic settings of Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" (2021–) series — while still incorporating a distinctly Korean touch through traditional patterns and motifs woven throughout the scenes.

Unlike Blackpink's previous music videos, known for their lavish physical sets, "GO" relies heavily on CGI and AI-enhanced visual effects. These, combined with the visual elements, create a sleek, otherworldly backdrop that mirrors the song's futuristic edge.

Other than "Jump" and "GO," the album balances experimentation with the familiar. "Me and my," the third on the tracklist, returns to a classic Blackpink hip-hop sound. Meanwhile, "Champion" — produced by Dr. Luke and written by Lukasz Gottwald, Theron Thomas and none other than EJAE, the vocal powerhouse behind Rumi, the protagonist of "KPop Demon Hunters" (2025) — is a rock-infused, chant-heavy empowering song that plays like an intriguing hybrid of two different tracks.

The closing track "Fxxxboy" softens the mood, reminiscent of the emotional tone of Rosé's solo discography. For this song, longtime collaborators of The Black Label such as Kush, Vince, Teddy and IDO, as well as Zikai and Courtin Jarae Edwards, were credited as songwriters and producers.

Ten years into its career, Blackpink continues to reach new commercial peaks, with "Deadline" selling 1.46 million copies on its first day, a new record for a K-pop girl group, despite pushing into unfamiliar sonic terrain. The expansion feels invigorating and perhaps fitting for a group whose very name has always promised a collision of contrasts.

This article is by Shin Ha-nee and read by an artificial voice.

"Jump" (2025) was, apparently, a telling preamble for Blackpink's music direction.

With "Jump," Blackpink signaled a pivot toward a harder EDM sound, which the quartet fully embraced with what may be its most experimental lead single yet: "GO."

Released on Friday, "Deadline" is Blackpink's third EP and its first new album in more than three years since its second full-length album, "Born Pink" (2022).

The fact that this is only the group's third EP remains startling. While longtime chief producer of the group, Teddy Park, has previously mentioned that Blackpink is meticulous about what it releases, the group's discography has often felt sparse, especially by K-pop standards. That is one of the reasons that "Deadline" feels particularly refreshing, a sign of an expansion of the group's musical and visual scope at the start of a new era.

The EP reflects not only Blackpink's evolution over nearly a decade but also the individual growth of its members, who have since developed distinct personal styles and parted ways with YG for their solo careers.

The lead track, "GO," lists Chris Martin of Coldplay, Henry Walter, Danny Chung of The Black Label and all four members of Blackpink as its songwriters, with production led by Cirkut and Teddy.

Featuring elements of midtempo bass music — defined by its heavy bass line and futuristic vibe — and dubstep, the song is a full-fledged club banger anchored by a punchy chorus of the members shouting, "Blackpink'll make ya / Go!"

For casual listeners accustomed to the hip-hop-leaning dance-pop of earlier hits, such as "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" (2018), "Kill This Love" (2019) and "Shut Down" (2022), the song marks a clear departure from the group's previous releases. As with "Jump," which caught many off guard last year with its techno inflections, "GO" doubles down on Blackpink's EDM experiment with a thunderous drop.

But the second verse, which starts with Lisa's rap, followed by Jennie's, grounds the song in the group's unmistakable signature style, thereby making the track more of an evolution rather than a reinvention.

That sonic intensity is also reflected in the music video. The echoing synths evoke a kind of sci-fi flair, with the visual elements of the video recalling the sandy and psychedelic settings of Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" (2021–) series — while still incorporating a distinctly Korean touch through traditional patterns and motifs woven throughout the scenes.

Unlike Blackpink's previous music videos, known for their lavish physical sets, "GO" relies heavily on CGI and AI-enhanced visual effects. These, combined with the visual elements, create a sleek, otherworldly backdrop that mirrors the song's futuristic edge.

Other than "Jump" and "GO," the album balances experimentation with the familiar. "Me and my," the third on the tracklist, returns to a classic Blackpink hip-hop sound. Meanwhile, "Champion" — produced by Dr. Luke and written by Lukasz Gottwald, Theron Thomas and none other than EJAE, the vocal powerhouse behind Rumi, the protagonist of "KPop Demon Hunters" (2025) — is a rock-infused, chant-heavy empowering song that plays like an intriguing hybrid of two different tracks.

The closing track "Fxxxboy" softens the mood, reminiscent of the emotional tone of Rosé's solo discography. For this song, longtime collaborators of The Black Label such as Kush, Vince, Teddy and IDO, as well as Zikai and Courtin Jarae Edwards, were credited as songwriters and producers.

Ten years into its career, Blackpink continues to reach new commercial peaks, with "Deadline" selling 1.46 million copies on its first day, a new record for a K-pop girl group, despite pushing into unfamiliar sonic terrain. The expansion feels invigorating and perhaps fitting for a group whose very name has always promised a collision of contrasts.

This article is by Jang Gu-seul and read by an artificial voice.

A Starbucks store in California is facing backlash after a Korean customer was served a drink on which what has been described as a racially offensive term was written on the cup.

On the social media platform X, one user claimed on Friday that a Korean colleague had experienced racism after ordering a black coffee at Starbucks.

"My Korean coworker ordered a black coffee at Starbucks today. He wasn't wearing anything yellow [...] but his cup said 'yellow'! He didn't even notice until he took a sip," read the post that generated over 1,000 comments, most of them criticizing the incident as racist.

The video in the post shows the word "yellow" written in English across the upper front of a disposable Starbucks cup. A receipt attached to the back of the cup displays what appears to be a Korean name as the customer's name.

In Western countries, "yellow" has long been recognized as a discriminatory and inappropriate reference to Asians.

A commenter identifying as a former Starbucks barista wrote, "That's not a secret code. It is racism."

Starbucks has not issued an official statement as of press time.

This is not the first time that the company has faced allegations of racial discrimination. In 2018, two Black men waiting for an acquaintance at a Starbucks store in Philadelphia were reported by staff for not placing an order and were later escorted out in handcuffs by police.

Amid widespread outrage at the time, then-Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson issued a statement apologizing to the individuals involved and emphasized that "Starbucks stands firmly against racial discrimination."

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 Seo Ji-woo and read by an artificial voice.

A worker, identified only by the surname Ma, switches back and forth between Google's generative AI Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT. But she found herself spending more time on Gemini at work, as its services, from generating images with Nano Banana to organizing her notes with NotebookLM, can be linked and applied directly to her tasks.

"I ask ChatGPT any light questions that I have, but for work-related tasks that require more deliberation, I usually turn to Gemini. It's more convenient because various Google AI services are interconnected."

Ma's case reflects the increasing adoption of Gemini in Korea, with ChatGPT's dominance in the generative AI market showing signs of strain.

While the number of users turning to ChatGPT has not been rising as quickly as it used to be, Gemini's monthly active users in Korea reached 123,647 last month, surpassing 100,000 for the first time since its launch, according to the data tech firm IGAWorks. During the same period, ChatGPT's monthly active users stood at approximately 15.29 million — an overwhelmingly higher amount of total users, but a flatter growth rate, with total monthly active users only increasing 3.3 percent from 13.84 million compared to the previous month.

While ChatGPT still has an overwhelmingly higher number of total users, its monthly active users only increased 3.3 percent from 13.84 million compared to the previous month. Gemini's monthly active user base, on the other hand, grew to 94,760, marking a 30.5 percent increase.

According to a survey released by the research firm Consumer Insights on Wednesday, 75 percent of 1,600 adults aged 18 to 65 in Korea said they had experience using AI services.

By model, 60 percent of respondents primarily used ChatGPT, while 25 percent mainly used Gemini. However, Gemini showed strong momentum in terms of app installations. Last month, the Gemini app was downloaded by 458,901 accounts, an increase of about 77,000 compared to the previous month. During the same period, ChatGPT logged 776,297 new downloads, down roughly 120,000 from a month earlier.

Industry insiders see Google's vast ecosystem as the key driver behind Gemini's growth. The company has been advancing a multimodal strategy by integrating AI across its search engine's video, text and image services, as well as other everyday services, from managing schedules through integration with Gmail and Google Calendar to generating automatic subtitles on YouTube.

The company is also broadening its role as a comprehensive AI infrastructure provider by integrating AI into its cloud services, semiconductors and software.

A representative example is Ironwood, its seventh-generation AI chip unveiled last year. Ironwood serves as the core hardware for Google Cloud's AI Hypercomputer system, which combines AI with computing, networking, storage and software to maximize overall performance and efficiency.

Google has even opened its tensor processing unit (TPU) ecosystem to external partners to strengthen its leadership in the AI ecosystem.

The Information, a U.S. information technology outlet, reported on Thursday that Google had signed a multibillion-dollar contract to provide its TPU AI chips to Meta. In addition to the computing lease agreement, Meta is reportedly discussing a plan to install Google's TPUs in its data centers.

Cooperation between Google and Apple has also been drawing attention. Last year, Google signed a multiyear agreement to embed Google's technology into Apple's Foundation Model, a large language model under development for integration into Apple's ecosystem, such as with the voice assistant Siri. Though Apple planned to introduce AI features to Siri starting in 2024, it has faced development challenges. Industry observers say that integrating next-generation Siri with Gemini could enhance the voice assistant's personalized services by understanding on-screen context in real time and conducting more...

This article is by Choi Min-ji and read by an artificial voice.

Violinist Danny Koo continues to appear on some of the most popular entertainment programs in the country. One may suspect a career change, but despite his many television appearances, the classical musician remains busy with his performance schedule.

Since coming to Korea in 2016, Koo, the violinist well-known for his classical music albums and for composing songs for dramas such as "The Tale of Lady Ok" (2024-25), has appeared on numerous programs, including the talk show "Radio Star" (2007–), the documentary-style reality show "I Live Alone" (2013–), the singing competition "King of Mask Singer" (2015–), the audition program "The Ballad of Us" (2025) and the recent cooking variety show "Cha's Family."

Last year was particularly hectic for Koo, as he joined "The Ballad of Us" and "Cha's Family" as a regular cast member. At the same time, he completed 36 performances, from Pinkfong's classical music concert and the Seoul Jazz Festival to his own solo concert.

Born and raised in the United States, Koo began learning how to play the violin at the age of six. However, he chose to pursue music professionally only about two months before submitting his college applications.

"I originally dreamed of becoming a doctor after watching the drama 'Behind the White Tower' [2007], but I changed my mind [ …] at an arts and sports camp that I attended to build my resume during my senior year of high school," Koo said during a recent interview.

That was also when he stopped going through his rebellious teenage phase, Koo jokingly recalled.

He was ultimately admitted to the prestigious New England Conservatory in Boston.

Besides his music career, Koo has a longstanding goal. He wants to build a school for children and teenagers who want to pursue music but face financial difficulties. He described it as a kind of "responsibility."

His calling always keeps him busy. Last month alone, Koo performed in two concertos and will hold a matinee concert, titled "My Favorite Songs," at Lotte Concert Hall on March 5. A matinee concert refers to a performance that takes place in the morning or daytime on a weekday.

Koo will then fly to the United States to perform at New York's Carnegie Hall on March 9, alongside pianist Moon Jae-won and Ensemble Edge.

Despite his hectic schedule — including preparing for a concert in June to mark the 10th anniversary of his debut — Koo took the time to sit for an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo on Feb. 23. He said that he had practiced for eight hours the day before, showing the thick calluses on his fingertips.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: Your performance schedule already spans through the end of this year. How do you manage such a busy schedule?

A: I have so many pieces that I need to practice. Most of the ones that I will perform this year are part of a new repertoire, and the March 5 matinee concert will feature vibraphonist Yoon Hyun-sang, with arrangements for up to three instruments: the violin, piano and vibraphone. So even if the songs are familiar, the melodies that I have to play are entirely new to me.

The matinee concert in particular will showcase various collaborations. Can you tell us more about any upcoming collaborations?

Last year, artists that I look up to, including singers Kim Tae-woo — of the veteran R&B band g.o.d — and Son Tae-jin, joined me on stage. This May, I will perform with bandoneonist Koh Sang-ji and the band Latin Kitchen Luna, led by jazz pianist Choi Moon-seok. In September, I will work with producer Cloud, whom I met on KBS2's "Bangpan Music: Anywhere You Go Special" (2025), to perform pop songs such as "Moon of Seoul" (2005). I filled these programs with music that I personally want to do, so it really feels like I'm doing everything that I want.

You continue to appear on variety shows. Why do you do so despite your busy schedule?

Because I can reach a wider audience. I b...

This article is by Shin Ha-nee and read by an artificial voice.

[REPORTER'S DIARY]

Min Hee-jin, the architect behind NewJeans, has once again upended the script with a proposal to give up a 25.6 billion won ($17.7 million) payday if HYBE drops all ongoing lawsuits involving her and the girl group.

It is a dramatic turn — the rebellious creative director extending an olive branch, forgoing a fortune for the sake of a clean break and a cause: restoring her girls, NewJeans, as a complete five-member group above all else.

Admittedly, the idea of closure sounds nice indeed. The Min-HYBE saga has dragged on for far too long across press conferences, court injunctions and damages suits, turning a corporate dispute into a culture war with one too many K-pop stars — from Le Sserafim and ILLIT to even BTS — pulled into the crossfire.

Peace, at this point, sounds almost radical.

And yet, from a strictly practical point of view — weighing only what there is to gain or lose at this point — it is difficult to see why HYBE would accept the current terms without further negotiations, which made Min's six-minute press conference feel less like a plausible option to the company than an appeal to fans and those who still tuned in.

To Min, a founder who has just launched a new agency with an ambition to debut a boy band, 25.6 billion won is, of course, a transformative amount of money. Even if the courts ultimately rule in favor of HYBE and its sub-labels in ongoing damage suits, which are worth around 12.5 billion won, Min could remain in surplus in theory.

But legal battles are not only about the number of zeros on a potential check, especially one that could change on appeal. They are about time and uncertainty. They are about the slow bleed of energy, reputation and opportunity.

Court proceedings could stretch on for years. During that time, every new venture Min launches would carry a permanent footnote, with the founder in dispute with her former employer. Investors read footnotes — and so do trainees and their parents.

In the meantime, both Min and HYBE must shoulder financial and reputational burdens as the cases drag on. The burden, however, is asymmetrical, with one being a conglomerate and the other a startup.

Meanwhile, HYBE's incentives are not purely about financial gains or losses. Dropping all lawsuits would mean relinquishing not only potential damages but also a measure of vindication. As the company has framed the dispute as a matter of principle, withdrawing it now could look like a concession. As an entertainment powerhouse, narrative is important to HYBE, and a legal truce leaves the story suspended in ambiguity.

Imagine two timelines.

In the first, HYBE accepts. The lawsuits evaporate. Two years from now, the scandal is a case study in K-pop. A new boy band under Min debuts. Even though lingering animosity would inevitably haunt both her and the rookies, it comes after a closure, after the adults have settled the fight.

In another timeline, the lawsuits move forward. Each ruling reignites old arguments to a varying degree and extent. Every comeback by Min's new boy band risks being collateral damage, and fandoms rearm.

Then what would HYBE gain by taking on the deal? Time and legal expenses saved, certainly, but likely not face, ceding symbolic ground to Min.

The reaction to the proposal has been mixed, to say the least. But many in Korea have now tuned out of the long-running feud, paradoxically leaving those who remain more polarized than ever.

It appears that the lines now run in near-perfect parallel. Min's latest move, which she described as a step toward a meeting point, may instead feel to HYBE like an offer too bitter to swallow.