As a growing design city, Seoul is shining once again in the global art and design world. From September 1–14, 2025, the city hosted its first-ever Design Miami / Seoul exhibition at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP).
The fair, titled “Illuminated: A Spotlight on Korean Design”, shows off 170 works by 71 Korean artists—traditional craftsmanship (수공예) meets cutting-edge materials like wood, metal, horsehair, and ceramics.
Seoul’s design culture is going global—and going green. The Seoul Design Foundation showcased seven Seoul brands at Maison & Objet Paris 2025 (September 4-8) combining craftsmanship, eco-friendly materials, and urban style for international audiences.
Discover the “Miracle of Moses” (모세의 기적)
This spring, from March 29 to April 1, 2025, South Korea’s Jindo Sea-Parting Festival (진도 바닷길 축제) unveiled the Miracle Sea Road (신비의 바닷길)—a rare natural land bridge 2.8 km long that emerges at low tide between Jindo Island (진도 섬) and Modo Island (모도 섬).
Seoul Fashion Week (서울 패션 위크 – Seoul Paesyeon Wikeu) is celebrating its 25th anniversary, running September 1 to 7, 2025. This season, designers are blending 전통 (jeontong – tradition) with 현대 (hyeondae – modernity), staging shows at landmarks like the 덕수궁 돌담길 (Deoksugung stone wall path) and Oil Tank Culture Park.
Legendary (and our favorite) director Park Chan-wook (박찬욱) premiered his long-awaited film “No Other Choice (어쩔수가없다)” at the 베네치아 영화제 (Venice Film Festival). The movie, based on a novel, highlights 고용 불안 (job insecurity) in an 인공지능 시대 (AI era). With star actor Lee Byung-hun (이병헌), the story mixes 블랙 코미디 (black comedy) and 사회 비판 (social critique).
With a 9-minute standing ovation, viewers praised its 긴장감 (tension) and 도덕적 갈등 (moral conflict). This shows how 한국 영화 (Korean cinema) continues to explore 보편적 주제 (universal themes) with creativity and depth. Truly a 걸작 (masterpiece) worth watching.
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South Korea is rolling out a nationwide ban on mobile phones in school classrooms starting March 2026, aiming to curb social media addiction among students.
Seoul’s art scene is abuzz as Frieze Seoul 2025 is unfolds this September, bringing over 120 galleries from more than 30 countries to COEX in Gangnam. Visitors can explore innovative 작품 (jakpum, artworks) ranging from cutting-edge installation art to retrospectives of masters like Lee Bul and Kim Tschang-Yeul.
