[ASEAN-Korea summit] S. Korea to seeks more cultural exchange with ASEAN

President Moon Jae-in on Monday vowed to push for the mutual prosperity of Korea and ASEAN member states through cultural exchange, stressing the importance of cultural content in an event held on the sidelines of the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in Busan.Speaking at the ASEAN-ROK Culture Innovation Summit at Bexco, Moon praised the power of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc’s cultural content, and its potential to extend further into the world. He also pointed out how Hall

CultureNov. 25, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] K-beauty connects Korea, ASEAN

BUSAN -- Reflecting the popularity of K-beauty trend and high demand for K-beauty products around the world, K-beauty Festival is being held at BEXCO during the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit.K-beauty has been an influential trend across the world, propelled by the high popularity of K-pop and Korean dramas. Korean cosmetics companies have been exporting a wide range of skincare and makeup products. Total exports reached $6.89 billion last year, according to the Korea Cosmetic Association. The f

Arts & DesignNov. 25, 2019

BTS picks up American Music Award for 2nd consecutive year

K-pop sensation BTS picked up three American Music Awards on Monday to mark the second consecutive year that the band has won honors at the mainstream US award show.Early in the show, the septet was announced as the winner of Favorite Duo or Group - Pop/Rock in the 2019 AMAs ceremony held at Microsoft Theater in California on Sunday night (US time).BTS then lifted two other awards for Tour of the Year and Favorite Social Artist, winning all three categories in which the band was nominated for th

PerformanceNov. 25, 2019

K-pop diva Goo Ha-ra found dead at her home

Goo Ha-ra, a K-pop diva and member of girl band KARA, was found dead Sunday at her home, police said.An acquaintance of the 28-year-old found her dead at around 6 p.m. at her home in Seoul's Gangnam Ward and notified the police and firefighters, the police said.The police said they are currently looking into the exact cause of and reason for the death, keeping the possibility of suicide in consideration. Goo debuted in 2008 as a member of the female K-pop band, which enjoyed sensational populari

PeopleNov. 24, 2019

Kim Whan-ki’s blue dot painting sets record for Korean painters

South Korean abstract master Kim Whan-ki’s major dot painting set a record for Korean painters at an auction in Hong Kong.“Universe 5-IV-71 #200” by the late Kim sold for HK$88 million ($11.2 million) at a Christie’s auction at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday. It is the first Korean painting to fetch more than 10 billion won ($8.48 million) at an auction, topping Kim’s previous record-setter, “3-II-72 #220,” a painting of

Arts & DesignNov. 24, 2019

[Feature] Independent bookstores in Korea thrive, defying the dying paper industry

People who get together for the monthly meetings at SeochonBooks, a small bookstore housed in a hanok near the palace Gyeongbokgung, may feel awkward at first. But soon they form friendships as they share their thoughts about a book that Ha Young-nam, the owner of the bookstore, recommends. “I visit this bookstore every month. ... I have craved for communities where I could meet people, which have now mostly disappeared compared to the past,” said Jeon Ji-yeon, who is in her 50s. &ld

CultureNov. 24, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Korea and ASEAN jointly create harmony

Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, was yet again engulfed in a wave of enthusiasm for South Korean soccer coach Park Hang-seo. On Nov. 14, the country’s national soccer team, led by Park, beat the United Arab Emirates 1-0 in the 2022 Qatar World Cup’s second qualifying round, securing first place in its group. Waving Korea’s national flag, the Taegeukgi, Vietnamese soccer fans sang their national team’s fight songs. This scene is not unfamiliar to us anymore.In September, Ba

CultureNov. 24, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Mouthwatering ‘ASEAN-ROK Food Street’ illuminates Busan

BUSAN -- Perhaps it is fitting that a city known for a wide range of unique delicacies should host an inaugural event showcasing dishes from across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states. The 2019 ASEAN-ROK Food Street event kicked off Nov. 15 and is slated to continue until Wednesday at the Busan Cultural Complex Center for Youth, or Norimaru, near Seomyeon Station -- an area known as the “streets of youth” for its vast collection of bars, coffeehouses and restaura

CultureNov. 24, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Busan bustling on eve of ASEAN-Korea summit

Busan -- Busan is no stranger to a large influx of guests, but South Korea’s second-largest city was even more robust than usual this weekend with multiple events taking place on the eve of the 2019 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit.Subway cars were plastered with ads for the ongoing ASEAN-themed events, including the “ASEAN Crafts: From Heritage to the Contemporary” exhibition running at ASEAN Culture House until Jan. 15. The subway is a wise choice if you wish to bypass the

CultureNov. 24, 2019

'Frozen 2' tops 4m ticket sales within 4 days of release

The sensational Walt Disney animation "Frozen 2" has topped the milestone of 4 million ticket sales less than four days after its release in South Korea, data showed Sunday. "Frozen 2" sold 1,661,967 tickets on Saturday alone after it was released in South Korea last Thursday to top the Korean box office on the very release day, according to the data from the Korean Film Council. The Saturday daily sales were only 502 tickets less than the highest local one-day sales record o

FilmNov. 24, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Busan aims to be hub of exchange, cooperation between Korea and ASEAN

The mayor of Busan expressed hope that the 2019 ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit will elevate the city into a hub of exchanges and cooperation between South Korea and member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don said the regional summit, which will draw heads of state from the 10 ASEAN member countries, can be expected to establish Busan’s place firmly as a global city that links Korea with foreign nations. “This summit symbolizes our governme

PeopleNov. 24, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Handicrafts of Mekong on display in Busan

ASEAN Culture House under the Korea Foundation is to host mini fair “Bazaar Mekong: Handicraft and Design Goods,” introducing the art and design culture of the five Mekong countries.The exhibition opens Friday at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Culture House’s Community Hall in eastern Busan. It is to showcase handicraft wares from five countries along the Mekong River, Southeast Asia’s longest: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.According to the org

Arts & DesignNov. 24, 2019

Painting by S. Korean abstract master Kim Whan-ki fetches 13.2b won in Hong Kong

HONG KONG -- A major dot painting by late South Korean abstract master Kim Whan-ki sold for HK$88 million, or 13.2 billion won ($11.2 million), in a Christie's auction in Hong Kong on Saturday.  It was the first time that a South Korean painting had fetched more than 10 billion won in an auction. The major work, "05-IV-71 #200," titled "Universe," was part of a collection that began being auctioned Saturday. Measuring more than 2.5 meters in height and width, "Unive

Arts & DesignNov. 24, 2019

Grammys under fire after BTS wasn't nominated for 2020 event

The Grammy Awards, one of the major American pop music award events, have become fodder for criticism after K-pop band BTS was shut out of the nominations for the 2020 Grammys.Many eyes had been on BTS' possible nomination when the American Recording Academy announced the 2020 list of nominees Wednesday following the septet's unprecedented feats in the American music scene this year.With its latest album, "Map of the Soul: Persona," BTS topped the Billboard 200 album chart, becoming th

PerformanceNov. 22, 2019

[Weekender] Malaysian chef cooks ‘agak agak’ in Yeonnam-dong

Whenever a young Basira Yeusuff wondered how much chili there was in her soup, her grandmother would always say, “Agak agak.” Meaning “roughly” or “rough estimate” in Bahasa Malaysian, the phrase is used widely in Malaysian kitchens to explain seasoning amounts in home-cooking recipes, said Yeusuff, now a chef, using the tips of her fingers to explain how much “agak agak” could be. It sums up the Malaysian food culture, and that’s why she cho

FoodNov. 22, 2019

Topping box office upon release, 'Frozen 2' to continue winning streak

Sensational Walt Disney animation "Frozen 2" immediately topped the box office on the first day of its release in South Korea, box-office data showed Friday."Frozen 2" sold 606,816 tickets on the first day of its release Thursday here, debuting atop the box office, according to data by the Korean Film Council.On Thursday, the film was shown on 2,343 movie screens across the country and ran 12,998 times, according to the data. This marked 63 percent of all the shows screened t

FilmNov. 22, 2019

[Weekender] A culinary journey to Asian neighbors

Long overshadowed by Asia’s two gastronomical giants China and Japan, cuisines from Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and other Southeast Asian nations are tantalizing taste buds and adding new flavors to South Korea’s diverse food scene. A visit last week to the Shinsegae Department Store’s basement-level food mall, where only the hottest eateries in Korea are invited to set up, reconfirmed the geographical diversification. A section was created to resemble a food street in an imag

FoodNov. 22, 2019

[Eye Plus] Tracing footsteps of beloved author Kim Yu-jeong

After an hour and 20 minutes’ ride on a train from Cheongnyangni bound for Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, you reach a small station named after a 20th-century novelist beloved by many Koreans: Kim Yu-jeong. Originally called Sinnam Station, it was renamed in 2004, as part of a local project to commemorate the author, who hailed from a rural village called Sile, just a few minutes’ walk from the station. Surrounded by Geumbyeongsan, the town has preserved his birth house and a memo

TravelNov. 22, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Black Money(Korea)Opened Nov. 13Crime, DramaDirected by Chung Ji-youngAn employee of the Financial Supervisory Service is killed in an accident. An employee of a bank takes her own life, putting the blame on alleged sexual harassment by public prosecutor Yang Min-hyeok (Cho Jin-woong). Seeking to clear his name, Yang finds that the two seemingly unrelated deaths are linked to a questionable acquisition by a foreign investment bank.The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful(Korea)Opened Nov. 7Crime, ActionD

FilmNov. 22, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals and sights across Korea

Chrysanthemum Exhibition of the Garden of Morning Calm (1)Visitors to the Chrysanthemum Exhibition can enjoy the blazing fall foliage of nearby Chungnyeongsan and the golden waves created by the pine trees, as well as the myriad fully bloomed chrysanthemums covering just about every corner of the 330,000-square-meter outdoor garden. The festival runs through Sunday and is open to visitors of all ages.For more information in Korean, English, Japanese or Chinese, visit www.morningcalm.co.kr.Seoche

TravelNov. 22, 2019