CHA recruits college students to join Global Cultural Heritage Ambassador program

The Cultural Heritage Administration and the Voluntary Agency Network of Korea, an NGO that focuses on promoting international exchanges, are seeking foreign college students to join this year's Global Cultural Heritage Ambassadors program. The program aims to foster the promotion and exchange of Korean culture and history with the world. A total of 30 people who are currently enrolled in Korean colleges as international or exchange students will be appointed as ambassadors. Selected ambass

CultureJune 16, 2023

Netflix confirms 2nd season of ‘XO, Kitty’

Global streamer Netflix will renew its teen romance series “XO, Kitty,” with expanded stories for the second season. Netflix confirmed the launch of its second season through a press release on Thursday. “XO, Kitty,” a sequel series of the “To All The Boys” franchise, presents the heart-racing journey of Kitty Song Covey (played by Anna Cathcart), who sets off on an adventure of romance in South Korea to meet her long distance boyfriend Dae (played by Choi Min

TelevisionJune 16, 2023

Korean-American speed cuber sets a new world record in 3.13 seconds

Max Park only needed 3.13 seconds to solve a 3x3x3 Rubik’s Cube, setting his fifth Guinness World Records in speed cubing, at an event in California last weekend. According to Guinness World Records, the 21-year-old Korean-American advanced the previous record of 3.47 seconds, held by China's Yusheng Du since 2018, by 0.34 seconds. Smashing records at a breathtaking speed in other speed cubing categories, Park also holds Guinness World Records for solving 4x4x4, 5x5x5, 6x6x6 and 7x7x7

PeopleJune 16, 2023

[Well-curated] Stone cafe, art exhibition for your dog, tastes of world at Gwanghwamun

Giant, surreal stone cafe in Daelim-dong Lostone, a four-story cafe in Daelim-dong, Seoul, offers a unique spacial experience beyond just visiting a cafe for a cup of coffee. Lostone is an abbreviation of “lost stone.” Dozens of giant stone pieces make up part of the wall on each floor, creating a unique atmosphere. The cafe building took three years to come together. Inspired by oddly formed rocks and strangely shaped stones frequently seen in Korean and Chinese landscape paintings,

CultureJune 16, 2023

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Pocheon Herb Island’s Lavender Festival The Lavender Festival, which started on April 22, will run through July 1 at Herb Island in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. Botanical garden Herb Island seeks to mesmerize its visitors not only with the purple-colored fields, but also with the aromatic scent of lavender. Aside from flowery photo zones, the festival offers various programs, including natural soap and cosmetics making, herb foot bath experience and more. Admission fees vary by age and prog

TravelJune 16, 2023

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Grand Hyatt Seoul unveils 'Taste of Summer' Grand Hyatt Seoul, located in Yongsan, central Seoul, launches its summer BBQ promotion at the Terrace, featuring a live buffet station overlooking panoramic views of the city. The promotion includes a variety of international cuisines. At the buffet section, Italian, Chinese, Southeast Asian, American and Korean dishes are prepared. At the live cooking station, chefs will prepare Korean ginseng chogye salad, refreshing chilled chicken and

FoodJune 16, 2023

Academy of Korean Studies releases English journal on Joseon Confucianism

The latest issue of the English journal "The Review of Korean Studies," published by the Academy of Korea Studies, explores Confucianism in 19th century Joseon and the belief system's response to the challenges it faced at the time. Presenting three analyses by specialists in Joseon-period Confucianism -- Prof. Baek Min-jung of the Catholic University of Korea, Prof. Kim Seon-hee of Ewha Womans University and Prof. Lee Haeng-hoon of Hallym University -- the journal explores how th

CultureJune 16, 2023

Oh Jeong-hui removed as book fair ambassador after blacklist protests

The Korean Publishers Association, the organizer of the Seoul International Book Fair, said it has canceled novelist Oh Jeong-hui’s participation in the fair as a promotional ambassador. Oh had been selected as one of the six promotional ambassadors for the country’s biggest book event, which kicked off Wednesday at Coex in Gangnam-gu, southeastern Seoul. The novelist was scheduled to participate in a talk program with five other ambassadors on Sunday. On Wednesday, a group of cultur

BooksJune 15, 2023

[Herald Interview] Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s living history on opportunities created on fringes

In South Korea, the term "fringe" is increasingly being used at various festivals, such as the DIMF Fringe of the Daegu International Musical Festival, the Kocaca Fringe Festival alongside the Jeju Haevichi Arts Festival, the Dynamic Street Fringe of the Busan International Performing Arts Festival, the Seoul Fringe Festival and many more. The term "fringe" has typically referred to the border or outer edges, and now represents the inclusive and experimental nature of perfo

PerformanceJune 15, 2023

Song Joong-ki greets new baby boy

Actor Song Joong-ki has uploaded a photo of his newborn son's hand grasping his finger Thursday. In January, Song announced his marriage to British former model Katy Louise Saunders a month after confirming their relationship. On Thursday, Song wrote on an online fan site that he has “met with the baby boy in Rome” where his wife was also born. Song said both mother and baby are healthy and that he’s been taking care of his family with gratitude and happiness. “(The

FilmJune 15, 2023

Culture Communication Forum highlights communication through immersion and hidden talent

Culture Communication Forum 2023 offered a place of communication and exchange, where participants were able to reveal their "hidden talents." The forum hosted by the Corea Image Communication Institute took place Tuesday evening at the French ambassador's residence in Seodaemun-gu, western Seoul. Six people, including a number of ambassadors to Korea, gave special performances to rounds of enthusiastic applause from the audience. French Ambassador Philippe Lefort surprised the au

CultureJune 14, 2023

ASEAN influencers gather in Daegu to discuss K-content

The fourth annual World Cultural Industry Forum kicked off Wednesday in Daegu. This year’s WCIF focuses on the creator economy and sustainability. On the first day of the two-day event, the ASEAN-Korea Center co-organized the WCIF’s special talk session, “Creative Economy with ASEAN Young People,” on the sidelines of the event where it invited creators from Southeast Asia to hear their visions for creating culture that brings people around the world together. "As K-c

CultureJune 14, 2023

Seoul International Book Fair brings together writers, publishers and readers

The Seoul International Book Fair, the country’s largest book event, kicked off Wednesday at Coex in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul. A total of 530 companies, including 170 foreign companies from 36 countries, are participating in this year's book fair, the first since the complete lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. The number of participating companies nearly tripled compared to last year’s 195 companies from just 15 countries. “The power of culture is truly remarkable. And th

BooksJune 14, 2023

Netflix’s ‘Physical: 100’ to return with season 2

Netflix Korea on Wednesday confirmed the return of its flagship survival competition show, “Physical: 100,” for a second season. “Physical: 100,” which premiered in January, caught local and global viewers’ attention as 100 contestants battled it out in intense survival matches for the title of the most physically fit. It became the first Korean variety show to soar to the No. 1 slot in the platform's global top 10 chart of non-English TV shows. The nine-part s

TelevisionJune 14, 2023

Mediforest CEO to compete for Mrs. Globe crown

Jung Gyu-ri, CEO of medical company Mediforest and the winner of the 2022 Mrs. Korea pageant, is set to compete at this year’s Mrs. Globe 2023 in California from June 20 to 25. Mrs. Globe is regarded as one of the most prestigious and competitive international beauty pageants in the world, where women from over 100 countries aged 25 and up vie for recognition of their outstanding intellect, humanitarianism and beauty. Jung expressed her determination to represent South Korea on the global

PeopleJune 14, 2023

[Herald Interview] 'Life of Pi' author Yann Martel says fiction yields deeper understanding of society

Celebrated Canadian author Yann Martel, renowned for his acclaimed international bestseller, “Life of Pi,” which won the Man Booker Prize in 2002, among other prizes, emphasized the importance of reading novels and works of literature. Martel, who is visiting Korea for the first time, as one of the special guests at the Seoul International Book Fair, which runs Wednesday to Sunday, shared his insights, stories on his books, and hints about his upcoming novels. "It's not for

BooksJune 13, 2023

[Herald Interview] 'Without artists, culture and arts centers cannot survive': Kocaca president

Standing behind the annual Jeju Haevichi Arts Festival is Kocaca, the new branding for the Korea Culture and Arts Centers Association. The rebrand was introduced in 2020 by Lee Seung-joung, who was voted as the president of the organization in October 2019. The association was founded in 1996 to promote balanced development and networks among regional culture and arts centers. It became a legal entity related to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports in 2012. After taking on the positio

CultureJune 13, 2023

'Emosculpture' artist Huh Hwe-tae holds 27th solo exhibition in Insadong

Artist Huh Hwe-tae’s solo exhibition “Huh Hwe-Tae: The Path of Flowers I Found” kicks off Wednesday at Gallery Is in Insadong, Seoul. Huh claims to be the inventor of the art style known as “emography,” a portmanteau of the words "emotion" and "calligraphy." The term “emography” itself was coined by Ryu Young-hak, an art critic and independent curator based in Seoul, after viewing Huh’s calligraphic works in Germany in 2016, acc

Arts & DesignJune 13, 2023

Jeju Haevichi Arts Festival gathers domestic, international performing arts experts

JEJU ISLAND - The 16th Jeju Haevichi Festival, which aims to connect South Korean cultural and arts institutions with performing arts productions, kicked off Monday at the Haevichi Hotel & Resort on Jeju Island, with an opening forum themed “Pioneer.” The annual event is co-organized by the Korea Culture and Arts Centers Association and Jeju Island government. Four speakers -- Choung Byoung-gug, chairman of the state-run Arts Council Korea, William Burdett-Coutts, founder and d

CultureJune 13, 2023

Yoo Jae-suk hopes ‘The Zone: Survival Mission 2’ will be global hit

Making a Disney+ return with “The Zone: Survival Mission 2,” comedian Yoo Jae-suk hopes Korean variety shows would one day reach the same heights of popularity that Korean dramas and films have around the world. “I still believe we (entertainment shows) have a long way to go to impress both local and global viewers," Yoo said in a press conference held at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, on Tuesday. "I, of course, wish my upcoming show to b

TelevisionJune 13, 2023