https://www.scmp.com/rss/513487/feed Park Ji-won is a reporter with The Korea Times. She is currently based in Hong Kong, writing for both the South China Morning Post and The Korea Times, under an exchange programme. She has been in journalism for the past decade and covers culture and related issues. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Competition for Cathay Pacific Airways’ free tickets for residents in South Korea was fierce, with more than 130,000 people jockeying for 10,602 giveaways in the first two minutes of the campaign on Tuesday, which left many participants frustrated. The city’s flagship carrier started offering free return tickets from Seoul to Hong Kong on a first-come, first-served basis from noon on Tuesday until May 22. The giveaway ended in less than half an hour. To qualify, participants had to be at least... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3220705/hong-kong-cathay-pacifics-free-tickets-seoul-city-snapped-quickly-130000-people-queue-10602?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3220705/hong-kong-cathay-pacifics-free-tickets-seoul-city-snapped-quickly-130000-people-queue-10602?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 May 2023 06:32:02 +0000 https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3281540/bearing-burden-childbirth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3281540/bearing-burden-childbirth?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2023 09:00:00 +0000 For their Covid-delayed debut in Hong Kong, the award-winning Esmé Quartet will begin with a joke – or rather, “The Joke”, as Haydn’s String Quartet in E-flat Major is known. The four Korean-born female musicians who make up the quartet are eager to bring lightness and joy to the city during this year’s Hong Kong Arts Festival, the first since the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions. Their recital on February 28 will be followed by a performance on March 4 with the Hong Kong Philharmonic... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3210138/all-female-korean-string-quartet-defying-doubters-and-becoming-blackpink-classical-music?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3210138/all-female-korean-string-quartet-defying-doubters-and-becoming-blackpink-classical-music?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Feb 2023 10:15:14 +0000 January 22 will mark the beginning of a new cycle in the lunar calendar – and the Year of the Water Rabbit. Traditional wisdom has it that the rabbit symbolises longevity, peace and prosperity, so those born under the sign of this zodiac animal tend to be energetic yet also cautious, gentle and patient. So which K-pop stars were born in the Year of the Rabbit? Many stars born in 1987 – the Year of the Fire Rabbit – are no longer active on the K-pop scene, but some, including Jay Park, and Super... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/artists-celebrities/article/3207129/which-k-pop-idols-were-born-year-rabbit-jay-park-super-juniors-kyuhyun-and-ryeowook-twices-chaeyoung?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/artists-celebrities/article/3207129/which-k-pop-idols-were-born-year-rabbit-jay-park-super-juniors-kyuhyun-and-ryeowook-twices-chaeyoung?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jan 2023 09:15:08 +0000 Not going away this holiday season? Luckily, Hong Kong still has plenty to offer. Here are some top tips from the Post’s Lifestyle and Culture editors for how to usher in 2023 with friends or some well-deserved me time. Food and drinks ’Tis the season for indulging, of course, and fortunately for the gluttonous there is plenty to eat and drink in Hong Kong throughout the holidays. Even if you haven’t managed to book a splashy dinner or debauched drinks countdown for December 31, there are many... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3204766/things-do-hong-kong-over-new-year-go-hike-watch-local-film-cinema-take-some-me-time-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3204766/things-do-hong-kong-over-new-year-go-hike-watch-local-film-cinema-take-some-me-time-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Dec 2022 10:15:08 +0000 At 30, Jin of K-pop sensation BTS will be the first and oldest member of the seven-strong group to begin his mandatory service in the South Korean armed forces on December 13. Fans have been asked by the band’s label, Big Hit Music, to “refrain from visiting” the ceremony marking Jin’s entry to the armed forces – normally attended by the enlisting person’s family – to avoid crowding. All able-bodied South Korean men between 18 and 35 must undertake 18 months of military service. There has been a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/artists-celebrities/article/3202935/jin-bts-begin-military-service-south-korea-where-will-k-pop-star-go-and-what-will-he-do?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/artists-celebrities/article/3202935/jin-bts-begin-military-service-south-korea-where-will-k-pop-star-go-and-what-will-he-do?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Dec 2022 08:15:09 +0000 His team may have lost 3-2 to Ghana in Monday’s group stage match at this year’s World Cup, but South Korea’s handsome forward Cho Gue-sung is enjoying a meteoric rise in popularity, highlighted by his skyrocketing number of Instagram followers. As of December 1, the 24-year-old’s Instagram account with only five posts had more than 1.6 million followers. Before the World Cup, he had only 20,000. After South Korea’s first World Cup game against Uruguay on November 24, in which Cho played only 23... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3201692/sorry-son-heung-min-south-koreas-got-new-soccer-star-and-hes-grabbing-headlines-more-just-his-goals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3201692/sorry-son-heung-min-south-koreas-got-new-soccer-star-and-hes-grabbing-headlines-more-just-his-goals?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Dec 2022 11:15:13 +0000 Thousands of fans flocked to the final concert of K-pop group Super Junior’s visit in Hong Kong, despite a series of Covid-19 restrictions on shows, with the two-day event marking the return of Korean singers in the city. The sold-out performance at AsiaWorld-Expo on Sunday by the nine-member boy group attracted eager fans from the city and overseas. Hong Kong resident Katie Tsang said she was “emotional and touched” that her idols were hosting a show in the city, but it was a shame there were... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3200324/thousands-flock-k-pop-group-super-juniors-sold-out-concert-hong-kong-despite-covid-19-curbs-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3200324/thousands-flock-k-pop-group-super-juniors-sold-out-concert-hong-kong-despite-covid-19-curbs-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Nov 2022 14:33:09 +0000 South Korean boy band Super Junior spearheads the return of K-pop stars to Hong Kong with their concerts this weekend, but some overseas fans lamented that the city’s easing of pandemic restrictions came too late for them. The band’s sold-out shows on November 19 and 20 at AsiaWorld-Expo are among several by K-pop artists, including Kang Daniel, and girl groups Blackpink on January 13-15 and Mamamoo on January 7. Up to 28,000 fans are expected at the Super Junior concerts, which are part of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3200203/k-pop-stars-are-back-hong-kong-28000-fans-expected-super-junior-boy-bands-sold-out-concerts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3200203/k-pop-stars-are-back-hong-kong-28000-fans-expected-super-junior-boy-bands-sold-out-concerts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Nov 2022 00:45:43 +0000 Hong Kong should file a complaint to the world governing body for rugby and push to ban South Korea from hosting such events, a sports sector leader in the city has said over a blunder at a match in Incheon where a 2019 protest song was played instead of the Chinese national anthem. Ronnie Wong Man-chiu, honorary secretary general of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, on Wednesday said he would not accept the explanation from Asia Rugby, the tournament organisers, that it... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3199803/hong-kong-should-file-complaint-rugby-world-body-ban-south-korea-hosting-events-sports-sector-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3199803/hong-kong-should-file-complaint-rugby-world-body-ban-south-korea-hosting-events-sports-sector-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Nov 2022 06:16:03 +0000 The Shine Muscat grape – developed in Japan – is popular in Hong Kong. Despite its high price, the fruit is eaten for special occasions or given as a sign of respect. Hongkongers’ fascination with Japan and its produce helped it dominate the market for this fruit. But with an increasing number of producers from South Korea and China offering high-quality grapes at a better price, the Shine Muscat market is changing. For Fiona Mok, 29, an office worker in Hong Kong, eating Shine Muscat grapes was... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3198850/which-country-produces-best-shine-muscat-grapes-china-japan-or-south-korea-and-why-are-they-so?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3198850/which-country-produces-best-shine-muscat-grapes-china-japan-or-south-korea-and-why-are-they-so?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Nov 2022 04:45:07 +0000 How many hours do you spend on the internet every day? In Hong Kong, the average person spends nearly seven hours online daily, according to data company Statista – that’s more than a lot of people sleep. For young people in their teens and twenties, social media is how they interact with the world, from communicating with friends to catching up with the news. It is now well established that social media can cause body image issues because of the constant comparisons, both conscious and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3198677/you-have-be-skinny-body-image-issues-hong-kong-and-social-medias-effect-young-people-tackled-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3198677/you-have-be-skinny-body-image-issues-hong-kong-and-social-medias-effect-young-people-tackled-new?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Nov 2022 09:15:09 +0000 You may have seen them if you are in Hong Kong – six young women performing in some of the busiest and most scenic spots in the city, their dance moves slick and stylish. The women make up Chocomint HK, a K-pop cover dance crew who are taking part in “K-pop in public”, a popular trend on social media platforms such as YouTube. Two of the group’s most recent videos have gone viral – their covers of Blackpink’s “Pink Venom” and “Shut Down” have, as of October 31, had 191,000 and 738,000 views... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3197953/so-good-they-could-be-blackpink-meet-women-cover-dance-crew-chocomint-hk-whose-k-pop-public-videos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3197953/so-good-they-could-be-blackpink-meet-women-cover-dance-crew-chocomint-hk-whose-k-pop-public-videos?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Nov 2022 04:45:11 +0000 Jiwon Park Jiwon Park Legendary Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai has been the centre of attention at this year’s Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), held in South Korea’s second-largest city. Not only was the star of much-loved films like In the Mood for Love (2000), Infernal Affairs (2002) and Lust, Caution (2007) crowned the 2022 Asian Filmmaker of the Year, but fans hung on his every word in a special Q&A at the festival, and his merchandise packs have been selling like hot cakes. A festival official said... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3195629/hong-kong-actor-tony-leung-feels-love-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3195629/hong-kong-actor-tony-leung-feels-love-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Oct 2022 09:15:11 +0000 The Hong Kong Dance Company (HKDC) has discovered to its cost that the “kimchi wars” can extend to dance, as it defends its latest programme against South Korean claims of Chinese cultural imperialism. On Wednesday, one of the choreographers behind the company’s “Myth of the Dancing Durumi” programme, which runs until September 18, demanded that the troupe remove the Chinese term chaoxian from the description of her work The Moon, a new commission rooted in Korean traditional dance, Korean... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3192699/korean-choreographers-work-called-chinesedance-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3192699/korean-choreographers-work-called-chinesedance-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Sep 2022 05:45:14 +0000 Squid Game didn’t just have a big night at the Emmys. It had a historic one. After earning 14 nominations in July, as well as prizes from the Screen Actors Guild and Critics’ Choice Awards earlier this year, Netflix’s brutal blockbuster capped off its run on Monday by becoming the first Korean series, and the first TV series not in English, to win a major Primetime Emmy Award. While it lost to Succession for best drama series, the Korean show, about a deadly game of survival in which contestants... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3192307/squid-game-captured-zeitgeist-emmys-history-maker-benefited?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3192307/squid-game-captured-zeitgeist-emmys-history-maker-benefited?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Sep 2022 07:02:11 +0000 Jaap van Zweden will be heading to Seoul after his contract with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra finishes in 2024. The Dutch conductor has accepted the post of music director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO), soon to be vacated by the Finnish maestro Osmo Vänskä. Announcing the appointment on Sunday, the chief executive officer of the Seoul Philharmonic, Sohn Eun-kyung, said van Zweden’s joining would “upgrade” the orchestra’s performances and help it establish itself as a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3191382/jaap-van-zweden-should-give-seoul-orchestra-unique-sound-its?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3191382/jaap-van-zweden-should-give-seoul-orchestra-unique-sound-its?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Sep 2022 10:45:24 +0000 First, K-pop artists released songs entirely in English to extend their global reach, like BTS did with their 2020 single Dynamite. Now, VTubers, or virtual YouTubers, are jumping on the trend too. After a string of Korean and Japanese singles, Apoki – a virtual K-pop idol and influencer who first appeared on YouTube in 2019 and now boasts 290,000 subscribers – has released her first English single. The song, West Swing, features American rapper E-40, with the music video dropping on her YouTube... https://www.scmp.com/k-pop/news/article/3190780/shes-not-other-vtubers-meet-apoki-virtual-k-pop-idol-and-influencer-who?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/k-pop/news/article/3190780/shes-not-other-vtubers-meet-apoki-virtual-k-pop-idol-and-influencer-who?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Aug 2022 03:59:55 +0000