K-wave AI News

Hello and welcome to your AI guide to the latest cultural updates from Korea.

Here's our top story.

Renowned soprano Sumi Jo, recipient of France's highest cultural honor, the Commandeur of the Order of Arts and Letters, will launch a new opera concert series in Korea on Thursday. Titled "The Magic, Sumi Jo & Winners," the performance will bring together Jo and promising young vocalists who earned top honors at the inaugural Sumi Jo International Singing Competition held in Paris last year. The tour will begin this Thursday at the Sori Arts Center of Jeonbuk State and conclude at the Chuncheon Culture & Arts Center next Tuesday.

Meanwhile, conductor Chung Myung-Whun, who recently became the first Asian appointed as Artistic Director of Italy's famed La Scala Opera House, will also return to the Korean stage. He will lead performances on July 27 and 28, celebrating the grand opening of the new Busan Concert Hall, conducting Beethoven's "Fidelio."

The number of foreign tourists visiting Korea's southern port city of Busan surpassed one million in the first four months of this year, marking the fastest growth since official records began in 2014. This figure represents a nearly 24% increase compared to April last year, when visitor numbers had fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Taiwan topped the list of foreign visitors with over 192,200 tourists, followed by China and Japan. Busan City officials credited the surge in foreign arrivals to the rising popularity of gourmet tourism and cruise travel.

More than 3,000 people visited Jeju Island's iconic Hallasan Mountain without reservations over the past month, following a significant reduction in reservation-only sections. According to a recent survey, nearly 3,500 visitors accessed the mountain without prior booking after the system was eased. While reservations are still required to reach the famous Baekrokdam summit, parts of other popular trails have been open to unrestricted access since last month. Based on monitoring results, Jeju Island plans to continue refining the system to enhance visitor convenience while protecting the mountain's natural environment.

That's all from me. Stay tuned to the Kulture Wave.