[Exclusive] Jogye Order to donate $1m to Yale for study of Seon Buddhism

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the largest Buddhist sect in Korea, will donate $1 million to Yale University to promote Korea’s Seon Buddhism -- the first-ever such gift to a foreign university and the largest one-off contribution to any organization overseas in the history of the Jogye Order. A ceremony making the donation official will take place Oct. 10 at the Ivy League school in New Haven, Connecticut, with Jogye Order President the Ven. Jinwoo, Yale University President Maurie M

Oct. 2, 2024

[Herald Interview] Pappano connects LSO with Korean audiences

On Tuesday night, conductor and pianist Antonio Pappano stood before the Korean audience at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts’ Grand Theater with the London Symphony Orchestra, marking the orchestra's first Korean tour under the new music director. The 64-year-old conductor took the helm of the LSO from Simon Rattle this summer, after leading the Royal Opera House since 2002. Pappano's extensive experience in the opera realm has profoundly influenced his conducting style.

Oct. 2, 2024

Herald chairman becomes head of lay Jogye Buddhists group

Herald Corp. Chairman Jung Won-ju was inaugurated as the president of the Lay Buddhist Association at a ceremony held Wednesday at Jogyesa in Seoul. Some 200 people attended the ceremony held at the main hall, Daeungjeon, of Jogyesa, Jogye’s headquarters. Jung’s inauguration comes as the sect is stepping up efforts to promote its style of meditation, called “seon,” to win over both the domestic public and international followers. Jung echoed the sentiment. “Seon has

Oct. 2, 2024

[Herald Design Forum] VFX expert says creativity is essential, even with AI advancements

Hwang Jung-rock, senior facial modeler at Weta FX, the leading company in visual effects globally, said despite the significant advancements in visual effects technology, it is a person's creativity that ultimately elevates the quality of computer graphics. VFX technology blends live-action footage with computer-generated elements to create realistic visuals in films. Hwang's role as a senior facial modeler involves crafting a digital "puppet" of a character's face. It c

Oct. 1, 2024

[Herald Design Forum] Award-winning motion graphic designer on how 'inspiration' and 'limitlessness' have shaped him

Motion graphic designer Kim Gryun recently achieved all the goals he had set when first starting out in his career, culminating two Emmy Award wins and more. That which drove him to this success deeply resonates with the theme of this year’s Herald Design Forum: “Inspiration, limitless.” “When I first chose this career path, I had what seemed like impossible dreams, but believing in those dreams was the embodiment of 'limitlessness.' Additionally, I always belie

Oct. 1, 2024

10,000 won pass to palace festival to go on sale

Tickets will go on sale for five days next week for Seoul’s annual palace festival, which will include interactive programs and performances across the city’s five palaces as well as the shrine Jongmyo. The tickets to the K-Royal Culture Festival are 10,000 won and will be sold from Oct. 9-13, through Ticketlink, according to the Korea Heritage Service. Tickets for the five-day event that starts Oct. 9 will allow unlimited access to Jongmyo shrine and palaces from the Joseon era (139

Oct. 1, 2024

Ukraine's Odesa Philharmonic comes to Korea with message of hope, peace

The Odesa Philharmonic Orchestra, a renowned Ukrainian orchestra founded in 1937, will make its Korean debut at the Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Center Aram Concert Hall on Wednesday. Under the baton of conductor Hobart Earl, who has led the orchestra for 32 years and has been honored by the Ukrainian government as a People's Artist, the 75-member orchestra will perform music of hope beyond the pain of the ongoing war. Many of the orchestra members are women because of a ban on men leaving the cou

Sept. 30, 2024

Korean premiere of Zeffirelli version of 'Turandot' to be staged at KSPO Dome

A grandiose version of Giacomo Puccini’s opera "Turandot" is coming to Korea this October. Originally introduced by the late Italian director Franco Zeffirelli, this version was first staged at the historic Arena di Verona in 2010 and has since become a hallmark of grandeur in the opera world. “Korean audiences will be left speechless and moved by Zeffirelli’s original 'Turandot,’ which has set a benchmark in the history of opera,” said stage direct

Sept. 30, 2024

Meditation brings calm to Gwanghwamun

Tens of thousands descended on Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul for a Buddhist meditation retreat Saturday, as the nation’s largest Buddhist sect seeks to address real-life challenges. The second day of the five-day Seon Meditation Summit, attended by 35,000 people, is the latest highlight of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism’s push to promote its own style of meditation. “It’s time for a spiritual revolution. No matter how advanced technologies or the economy becomes, the mi

Sept. 29, 2024

Korea's first global webtoon festival lights up Seongsu-dong

Seongsu-dong, a vibrant cultural hub in Seoul, is currently buzzing with activity as it hosts South Korea's first global webtoon festival and awards ceremony, held as a part of Korea's ambitious initiative to position itself as a leader in the global webtoon industry. The 2024 World Webtoon Festival, organized by the culture ministry and Korea Creative Content Agency, kicked off its four-day run Thursday with the 2024 World Webtoon Awards, designed to recognize exceptional webtoons tha

Sept. 27, 2024

[Well-curated] Movies and art in hanok, superior sound at Listening Room

Listening Room by Ode at The Hyundai Seoul Visitors can easily spend hours exploring major international brands and local shops at The Hyundai Seoul, Seoul's largest department store and pop-up store mecca. Among all the shops, entertainment facilities and restaurants vying for attention, be sure not to miss Listening Room by Ode when visiting the mall. Located on the second basement floor near the main escalator, the shop welcomes music lovers with colorful LPs and record players. Visitors

Sept. 27, 2024

Seon meditation practitioners emphasize conflict resolution

Buddhist seon meditation practitioners said internalizing Buddhist teachings could help the world counter a polycrisis -- a web of multiple global threats to the safety and security of peoples and nations -- at a press conference Thursday in Seoul. The conference took place a day before the five-day Seon Meditation Summit kicks off in Seoul, as the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism looks to promote the kind of meditation backed by the largest Buddhist sect in the country. “Both the Buddhist v

Sept. 26, 2024

Georgia Wine Festival celebrates popularity of Georgian wine in Korea

The Georgia Wine Festival, featuring high-quality wines from the country with the earliest known traces of winemaking, was held in Seoul for the first time amid increasing demand for Georgian wines in Korea, the event organizer said Thursday. Held at the Ambassador Seoul Pullman Hotel in Jung-gu, central Seoul, on Tuesday, the Georgia Wine Festival featured engaging activities such as a concert by popera group Bellavoce, a buffet featuring dishes regularly paired with wines, as well as a quiz sh

Sept. 26, 2024

[Herald Interview] Dmytro Udovychenko, winner of Queen Elisabeth Competition, on uplifting Ukraine with violin

Dmytro Udovychenko, a Ukrainian violinist, is experiencing his busiest season after winning the 2024 Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition in June. With the latest triumph adding to a long list of prizes won at international competitions, including first prize at the Montreal International Violin Competition in 2023 and third prize at the International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition in 2022, Udovychenko is finally done with competitions and set to launch his journey as a musician in earnest. Reca

Sept. 25, 2024

Cho Yong-pil to drop 20th studio album

Legendary singer Cho Yong-pil is returning with his 20th studio album. Cho announced the Oct. 22 release of a new studio album his website Wednesday. The album marks his first full-length album in 11 years since "Hello" released in 2013. The new album features several new tracks in addition to previous releases, such as the 2022 single "Road to 20 - Prelude 1" and "Road to 20 - Prelude 2" issued last year. The release of the 20th album was originally planned for las

Sept. 25, 2024

[Herald Interview] Portraying a version of god for young people in 'Hadestown'

When Kim Min-seok sees veteran musical stage actor Choi Jung-won on stage during the musical performance of "Hadestwon," the singer-turned-musical-actor hopes the audience can see her up close from his perspective. "Her face is full of expression, giving a sense of warmth and courage," Kim, who portrays poor dreamy musician Orpheus, said during an interview with The Korea Herald on Sept. 12. And that is exactly how Choi, 55, intends to portray Hermes, a role originally create

Sept. 24, 2024

[Weekender] Young Koreans more open to Japanese cultural products

Japanese songs playing on South Korean TV and radio stations and giant posters of Japanese anime hung outside cinemas -- unimaginable just over two decades ago -- are no longer surprising. This year marks 20 years since Korea fully opened its doors to Japanese pop culture products. Following liberation from 35 years of Japanese colonial rule in 1945, Korea had banned Japanese cultural products from reaching its shores, only gradually opening the market to Japanese cultural products in 1998. The

Sept. 21, 2024

[Well-curated] Vintage lights, soul food and films at subway station

Delve into charming vintage lights For vintage enthusiasts, especially those who have a keen understanding of the effects of lighting, Big Sleep Shop is a space worth checking out. Located up a brick staircase in a narrow alley, the shop specializes in vintage lighting and lamps. As you step inside, you’ll find a harmonious display of vintage lamps from various countries including France and Germany. The shop offers housewares made of glass, porcelain and plastic, and showcases lamps of al

Sept. 20, 2024

[Herald Interview] Violinist Kavakos on masterful pairing of Bach and Shostakovich for 2025 Classic Revolution

Greek Violinist Leonidas Kavakos, who performed with the KBS Symphony Orchestra earlier this month as part of the annual Classic Revolution, is set to return to Korea next year. When he returns, it will be as the new artistic director of the classical music festival organized by the Lotte Foundation for Arts. For next year, the violinist, who is also pursuing a career as a conductor, said that he will focus the music of Bach and Shostakovich. He explained that the inspiration for the 2025 pr

Sept. 19, 2024

Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation opens Paris office

A foundation run by the Korea Heritage Service opened a branch office in Paris to facilitate efforts to repatriate Korean cultural heritage from Europe, the third such opening overseas after Japan and the US. The Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation’s Paris office, inaugurated Tuesday, will start working with the National Library of France in October to locate old Korean maps within the library, according to the foundation. “We expect about 40 maps, all dating to the Joseon-e

Sept. 18, 2024