Exhibition reflects on lives of Confucian scholars

To commemorate the opening of the Institute of Korean Confucian Culture, located in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, a special exhibition looking back on the daily lives of seonbi, or Confucian scholars, is being held at the institute's Special Exhibition Hall. The exhibition, "Revisiting Confucianism: The Root of Korean Spirit," concentrates on Confucianism of the 17th and 18th century and presents some 80 relevant relics from the 17th century to the 20th century. During the p

CultureNov. 14, 2022

[Herald Interview] Smithsonian hopes to show Lee Kun-hee collection

With its centennial coming up, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art is looking to enhance relationship with Korean art scene amidst the rising popularity of Korean culture in the US and around the world. The museum is home to 46,000 artworks, five times the initial collection donated by its founder Charles Lang Freer in 1923, but a relatively small proportion of these are from Korea. As part of efforts to address this, the art museum -- the first fine art museum to become a Smith

Arts & DesignNov. 13, 2022

'Yutnori' makes Intangible Cultural Heritage list

A popular traditional board game has been made a state-designated Intangible Cultural Heritage. Yutnori is a board game in which players compete to move their tokens around the board by throwing four wooden sticks into the air and advancing a number of spaces depending on which way up the sticks land. The game is the 16th item on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage list that does not recognize a specific person or group, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Friday. Yutnori is tradition

CultureNov. 13, 2022

BLACKPINK's 'Boombayah' video tops 1.5 bln YouTube views

The music video for K-pop girl group BLACKPINK's debut song "Boombayah" has surpassed 1.5 billion views on YouTube, the group's agency said Saturday. YG Entertainment said the video passed the milestone at about 3:50 a.m. the same day, six years after the K-pop quartet launched its debut EP album, "SQUARE ONE," in August 2016. Boombayah is one of the two songs on "SQUARE ONE," along with "Whistle." As of Saturday, three BLACKPINK videos have garn

PerformanceNov. 12, 2022

[Herald Interview]Gigas owner- chef Jung values time spent on farms

At 10:30 a.m., the chefs at Gigas, a Mediterranean restaurant located in an alley within Apgujeong, Seoul, are already busy slicing and chopping ingredients, getting ready to receive dinner guests. Enter the rustic-looking, two-story building with a blue canopy with the words "Modern Mediterranean" on it, and you are immediately hit with a complex mix of vegetable scenes punctuated by a sharp citrus note. Gigas, which opened in early 2021, received a Michelin Green Star in October, b

FoodNov. 12, 2022

[Scholars and Their Spaces] 'New wave' seen through Korean eyes

Korea's first public funeral was held for Yi Sang-jae (1850-1927), one of the leaders of Korea's enlightenment period. The event was attended by some 100,000 people, a testimony to his huge following. His voice was heard through a phonograph and a recording of his speech, "To Young People of Joseon," was released in July 1927, four months after his death. "Now, the world is getting worse and worse, there is no morality. People focus only on material things and kill other

CultureNov. 12, 2022

[Weekender] In hyper-connected Korea, a growing urge to unplug

Smartphones brought the world to our fingertips. But they have also brought endless notifications, social feeds and a deluge of information and distractions. Fatigue from this ever-persistent and ultra-fast connectivity has led to a growing interest in ‘digital detox’, or unplugging from the digital and online world, among South Koreans. Kim Young-jae, a 40-year-old office worker, felt a strong urge to disconnect recently. It was after the Oct. 29 Itaewon crowd crush which left 156 p

CultureNov. 12, 2022

[Temple to Table] Recovering health through food: Water kimchi and jeon

Having entered the monastic community in 1980 at Sinheungsa Temple in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, under the tutelage of Venerable Seongil, Ven. Seonjae showed remarkable talent in preparing temple food early on, thanks to her “magic hands” inherited from her grandmother. Ven. Seonjae’s health declined for a while due to hepatic cirrhosis, but she was healed through food. After this personal experience which confirmed for her the medicinal quality of temple food, she took actio

FoodNov. 12, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul unveils penthouse package JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents Romantic Holiday at JW, created in collaboration with Manolo Blahnik, the celebrated designer whose shoes won global fame when they were featured in the hit TV show "Sex and the City." Available for stays until Dec. 31, the package includes five hours’ use of the Presidential or Ambassador penthouse, JW Marriott Hotel Seoul’s luxurious accommodations featuring a unique two-floor design, plus

FoodNov. 12, 2022

'The Owl’ adds imagination to Crown Prince Sohyeon’s suspicious death

The upcoming mystery thriller “The Owl” added imagination to a record in the Annals of Joseon Dynasty about Crown Prince Sohyeon’s suspicious death. “Our film started from day blindness. I started with the idea of a protagonist with day blindness getting to witness something,” director An Tae-jin said during a press conference held at CGV Yongsan on Thursday. Day blindness is an inability to see as distinctly in bright light as in dim light. As the director develo

CultureNov. 11, 2022

11 maestros to fill Seoul Philharmonic's 2023 season before new artistic director joins in 2024

In 2023, a year without an artistic director, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will offer a season with a series of programs with 11 guest conductors including outgoing and incoming artistic directors. Osmo Vanska, whose term is ending this year, will continue the ‘Sibelius Cycle,’ a project to perform all of the Finish composer’s symphonies,’ until March next year, as a guest conductor. He began the project in April this year and will open SPO's next season with Sibeliu

CultureNov. 11, 2022

NCSOFT Q3 net profit up 83 pct on stellar sales of 'Lineage' franchise

NCSOFT Corp., a major South Korean online and mobile game developer, said Friday its third-quarter net income soared more than 80 percent from a year earlier, led by strong sales from the latest entry of its popular "Lineage" franchise. It logged a net profit of 182.1 billion won ($132.2 million) on a consolidated basis in the three months ending in September, compared with 99.5 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing. For the quarter, NCSOFT posted an opera

IndustryNov. 11, 2022

[Well-curated] Search for alien life, imagine your ideal home and get ready to be surprised by vegan fare

Alien Festival at Miryang Arirang Observatory Have you ever wondered about alien species and extraterrestrial beings? A space-themed “Alien Festival” delving into scientific experiments and extraterrestrial mysteries will kick off this weekend at Miryang Arirang Observatory located in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province. The two-day festival is packed with family-friendly games and programs which will stimulate imagination and curiosity. Inside the observatory, the entire second floor

CultureNov. 11, 2022

NMK explores AR museum-viewing with Naver Labs

To round out the year, the National Museum of Korea is set to host a digital museum experience event that uses augmented reality, in conjunction with Naver Lab. Titled "Exploration," the event will be held Nov. 14 to Nov. 25 and Dec. 5 to Dec. 16. Using a mobile device distributed to visitors at the entrance, guests can experience different historical-themed routes within the museum for 50 minutes. Each visitor can choose a historical period or focus on a specific type of relic. The NM

CultureNov. 11, 2022

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Goheung Yuza and Pomegranate Festival The Goheung Yuza and Pomegranate Festival started on Nov. 10 and runs through Nov. 13 at areas around Goheung Yuzu Park in Goheung, South Jeolla Province. Visitors can taste the city’s specialty Goheung yuja, a citrus fruit also known as yuzu, at the festival. Hands-on activities, including yuja syrup making, pomegranate juice drinking contest and more, are set to entertain visitors. Stamp tours, trot music concert and yuja quiz shows will be offered t

TravelNov. 11, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Confession (Korea) Opened Oct. 26 Thriller Directed by Yoon Jong-seok Tech company CEO Yoo Min-ho (So Ji-sub) is a suspect in the murder of Kim Se-hee (Nana). To prove his innocence, he meets up with Yang Sin-ae (Kim Yun-jin), a talented lawyer, at a remote hut. There, the lawyer insists that she will only represent him if he trusts her and tells her everything that happened in the hotel room where Se-hee died. Yang says that only then can she construct a credible alibi for him to win the case i

FilmNov. 11, 2022

British auction house Phillips appoints Suh Min-hee as Seoul regional director

British art auction house Phillips recently appointed Suh Min-hee as the new regional director for the Seoul office, which opened in 2018. Founded in 1796 in London, the auction house focuses on contemporary art and design from the 20th and 21st century, and runs offices in New York, London, Geneva, Hong Kong and Seoul. The Seoul office is located in Hannam-dong. The Seoul operation has seen an increase in transactions in recent years with a growing body of new collectors. The Korean market

Arts & DesignNov. 11, 2022

[Eye Interview] Korean American director on why he followed five US politicians of Korean descent

On Thursday morning, Korean news outlets reported that New Jersey Rep. Andy Kim had just become the second Korean American to win a third term in the US House of Representatives. Along with Kim, US Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland, who is of Korean descent, won her reelection bid as the representative of Washington state's 10th District in the US midterm elections. Korean American politicians Young Kim and Michelle Steel, both of California, were in the lead and likely to secure their sea

CultureNov. 10, 2022

Seoul Independent Film Festival to kick off in December

The Seoul Independent Film Festival will be held from Dec. 1 to Dec. 9 at CGV Art House Apgujeong in Seoul, its organizer announced on Wednesday. “This year is our 48th festival. The Seoul Independent Film Festival has a history of providing an opportunity for audiences to meet with young directors, actors and different creators. I hope that (the audiences) are excited about it,” the festival’s director Kim Dong-hyun said at the beginning of a press conference held at the Chu

CultureNov. 10, 2022

[Herald Interview] Director shares hopes, dreams with 'Food Chronicle'

As a documentary director in South Korea, a country where many people believe documentary series are not popular content, Lee Wook-jung had many questions to ask himself. Recognizing the changes in the way the public enjoys and accepts creative content, Lee tried to blend his experience as a veteran director and fresh attempt in presenting his latest project "Food Chronicle," which targets young viewers. "Ninety percent of local content are either drama series or unscripted show

TelevisionNov. 10, 2022