Shamanistic rituals that revolve around the lives of fishermen are the subject of a special exhibition currently taking place at the National Folk Museum of Korea.For the exhibition, “The Sea and Rites,” the museum’s curators gathered objects from more than 12,000 reference items that were donated by folklorist Ha Hyo-gil in 2012. Ha, who has studied and collected data about Korean shamanism since the 1970s, served as the director of the museum from 1982 to 1986. The exhibition offers insight in

CultureJuly 17, 2013

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is launching its latest initiative to bring the arts to the country’s most remote areas. The project is geared toward educating children and the elderly living in non-metropolitan areas where access to museums, theaters and concert halls are not readily available. The Ministry has organized several programs to provide the public with more opportunities to get involved in the world of art and culture, including the “Moving Arts Bus,” “Visiting Arts Educ

CultureJuly 17, 2013

Popular actor Ha Jung-woo will direct and star in a film adaptation of famed Chinese author Yu Hua’s 1995 novel “Chronicle of a Blood Merchant,” Korean film house NEW said.The novel, which is set from the early years of the People’s Republic of China until after the Cultural Revolution in the early 1950s to the 1980s, deals with a man who sells his blood for many years to support his family. The upcoming movie will be the first film adaptation of the novel. Author Yu’s 1992 novel “To Live” was f

FilmJuly 17, 2013

Even before its world premiere in Seoul on Aug. 1, director Bong Jun-ho’s “Snowpiercer” has already been sold to 167 different countries, CJ Entertainment said Tuesday, setting a presale record for a film by a Korean director.Film distributor The Weinstein Company secured the distribution rights for countries in North America, the U.K., New Zealand, Australia and other English-speaking nations. French film distributor Wildside, which in the past distributed Korean films such as “Thirst” (2009),

FilmJuly 17, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) ― I’ll tell want you want, what you really, really want: Girl groups.Even if you don’t want them ― they’re back on the scene. A new batch of pop tarts are ready to dominate the charts and fill a void since best-selling groups like Destiny’s Child, TLC and the Spice Girls aren’t dropping songs as fast as music fans want them.The duo Icona Pop has one of the year’s biggest hits ― and possible song of the summer ― with the anthem “I Love It.’’ Little Mix won U.K.’s “The X Factor’’ in

PerformanceJuly 17, 2013

This is the fifth installment in an 11-part series that introduces some of the best walking trails in Korea. Based on each trail’s popularity and the recommendations of travel experts and the Culture Ministry, The Korea Herald has selected the 10 best places for walking and hiking. The series received funding from the Korea Press Foundation. ― Ed.Hiking trails have sprung up all over Korea in recent years, but the Mount Jirisan trail is a hard one to match in terms of length, diversity and histo

TravelJuly 17, 2013

Korean designer Lee Han-chul has won the finals of the International Talent Support fashion competition in Trieste, Italy. The 36-year-old graduate from Samsung Art and Design Institute was named the winner of the Fashion Collection of the Year award on July 13, the institute said Wednesday.Lee will receive 15,000 euros ($19,700) in prize money. He will also return to the 2014 edition of the ITS contest as part of the jury and has the chance to present a new collection.Lee won the Vogue Talents

PeopleJuly 17, 2013

The Ministry of National Defense and Lotte Group agreed Wednesday on overseas projects for Korean War veterans to mark 60 years since the cease-fire ended the conflict.Under the agreement, Lotte will pay for the Defense Ministry’s projects for overseas veterans for five years. To begin with, the projects will be held in Thailand, followed by the Philippines and Turkey.About 1,700 third-year cadets from the Korea Military Academy will visit Thailand during summer vacation as volunteer workers. Th

PeopleJuly 17, 2013

The local minting authorities will sell new medals from Friday to honor the five countries that gave the most combat support for South Korea during the 1950-1953 Korean War. Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corp. said Wednesday that it will launch five medals for the allies, one each month for five months.The five countries that dispatched the most soldiers were the United States, Britain, Canada, Turkey and Australia. The U.S. sent 1.789 million soldiers, followed by Britain

PeopleJuly 17, 2013

Led by a mutual passion for rock climbing, a new sponsorship agreement between Korea on the Rocks Initiatives (KOTRi) and Mammut will help keep the sport sustainable and safe in Korea. Climbing Korea’s granite peaks continues to be a popular sport, with clubs offering training to like-minded people. But it comes with safety and maintenance issues.The deal with Mammut, a Swiss sporting goods brand, will boost funding and resources for KOTRI’s new and existing projects that are geared toward keepi

Expat LivingJuly 16, 2013

An online video showing a Korean woman apparently being harassed by a group of Western men in a nightclub was staged, two men who say they acted in the video have claimed. The video, which has caused outrage online in recent days and appeared in Korean and foreign media including the Washington Post website, appears to show a number of men sexually and verbally harassing an intoxicated Korean woman. The men are shown cursing at the woman, filming her chest and forcing her own finger up her nose

PeopleJuly 16, 2013