[Eye Plus] At Mugero, used books go for 300 won per 100 grams

Unlike tech-savvy readers who have jumped over to e-books in the mobile era, there are people who still feel nostalgia for paper books, and some still love going to secondhand bookstores. One of the biggest draws of visiting a secondhand bookstore is probably the joy of accidentally discovering a rare treasure in the piles of dusty, faded old books, especially one that is out of print.  At a secondhand bookstore in Gaebong-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul, books are priced by weight. That’

June 27, 2020

[Photo News] Song after the rain

A reed warbler is seen sitting on top of a lotus leaf in Seongho Lake, located in Icheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, shortly after rain on Thursday. (Photos: Yonhap) By Lee Sae-byul (nstelle@heraldcorp.com)

June 27, 2020

[Video] Why Seongsu-dong is called ‘Brooklyn of Seoul’?

Seongsu-dong in eastern Seoul was once filled with rugged warehouses and shops specializing in handmade shoes. The once-industrial district has turned into an Instagrammable spot. Trendy cafes and restaurants have replaced old storage spaces, infusing fresh energy into the district. Unique signboards, tables and chairs lying outside the cafes sit in contrast with the remnants of old buildings. Cafes and restaurants exhibit stylish sensibilities, inviting people to experience a newly emergin

June 26, 2020

Korea’s UNESCO envoy speaks out against Japan for breaking promise to honor forced labor victims

Kim Dong-gi, ambassador and permanent delegate of the Republic of Korea to UNESCO, criticized Japan on Thursday for not keeping its promise to honor the victims of wartime forced labor at its historic industrial sites, including Hashima Island. “Japan is not living up to the pledge that it made and also is disregarding the authority of the World Heritage Committee,” Kim said during a press conference in Paris. Kim added that Japan’s actions were harming its national image.

June 26, 2020

Riot Games starts fundraising for COVID-19 relief

Riot Games will donate proceeds from the sale of certain in-game items to help people suffering from the spread of COVID-19. Starting Friday at 5 a.m. until July 24, proceeds from three in-game champion skins, or character decorations, as well as other accessory items, such as limited icons and emoticons, will be donated to the Riot Games Social Impact Fund. The three champion skins for the event, which are Nurse Akali, Kennen M.D. and Surgeon Shen, are all medical-staff-related skins in orde

June 26, 2020

[Herald Interview] CHA head reveals ambition to promote Korean cultural heritage worldwide

Cultural Heritage Administration head Chung Jae-suk on Monday talked about her ambition to play a more active role in promoting Korean cultural heritage around the world. “The CHA’s role has been restricted to preserving cultural heritage. Even now this role accounts for a large part of our work, up to 70-80 percent of our budget. I understand the importance of preserving cultural heritage but from now on we have to also consider how we will promote these items,” Chung said

June 24, 2020

[Video] A home transformed into a shared office for NPOs

Dongrak-ga, a shared working space in central Seoul’s Jongno, opened its doors last month, offering space that nonprofit organizations in Korea can use without paying any rent.  Dongrak-ga translates into “a place where people come together for fun,” and was originally the house of Lee Joon-yong, the honorary chair of the corporation Daelim. After his retirement, Lee announced in 2015 that all his property, estimated to be worth around 200 billion won ($165 million), wou

June 22, 2020

[Newsmaker] Culture Ministry denies plans to ask UNESCO to delist Hashima Island

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Sunday denied reports that it had planned to officially ask UNESCO to delist Japan’s historical industrial sites, including Hashima Island. In 2015, Japan had promised the center would include information on the Koreans who were forced to work at the site during that country’s 1910-45 colonial rule over Korea. Although it denied plans to take any immediate official action, the Culture Ministry added that it was currently discussing th

June 22, 2020

[Video] A frosty summer companion to beat the heat

The summer season often triggers an irresistible whim to hop on a plane. Italy has affogato; the Philippines has halo-halo as its summer staple and Korea has patbingsu. The dessert is made of shaved ice and condensed milk with red bean paste taking center stage. A big spoon of the smooth ice texture hints that summer is imminent when it glides down your throat. This is when the scorching heat and bright sunlight have replaced the cherry blossoms of spring. Around this time of the year, Kore

June 19, 2020

Offline performance to mark 70th anniversary of war to be held in Jeonju

The Cultural Heritage Administration will hold an offline in-person performance to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War. While many events and concerts to mark the war here are set to take place online due to the ongoing spread of COVID-19, the CHA will hold the offline concert at its National Intangible Heritage Center’s concert hall in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, on June 24. This performance’s main theme will be about Koreans coming together and becoming united throu

June 16, 2020

Essay contest underway to improve image of Korea abroad

The Academy of Korean Studies, a state-run research and educational institute located in Gyeonggi Province, is awaiting submissions for the Understanding Korea 2020 Contest Call for Essays. The deadline for essays is set for July 31. “Promoting correct understanding of Korea is necessary nowadays, as Korea is increasingly gathering more global attention for its outstanding response to COVID-19. For that reason, we will listen to and utilize the stories of those who have more objecti

June 16, 2020

Concert, exhibitions among events to mark 70th anniversary of war

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Monday that its affiliated institutions will hold several events to mark the 70th anniversary of the war that began on June 25, 1950, when North Korea invaded the South. The National Theater of Korea on Wednesday will hold a concert at Lotte Concert Hall and perform music about war and peace to mark the special day from 8 p.m. Due to the COVID-19, the concert will be held without audiences and will air the performance through the online ch

June 15, 2020

Seoul Auction to offer rare modern artworks at upcoming auction

Seoul Auction will put eight artworks by internationally acclaimed South Korean artist Lee Ufan up for auction and unveil “On the Road,” by the late modern painter Park Soo-keun, at an upcoming auction. Their combined value is around 12 billion won ($99.7 million).　 The auction, which will be held Wednesday at Seoul Auction’s Gangnam Center in southern Seoul, will feature major works from Lee, including “From Point,” “From Line,” “With Winds&rdqu

June 14, 2020

[Eye Plus] More than just old, antique and unique

The now seldomly frequented Hwanghak-dong, near the tourist spot of Dongdaemun Design Plaza, was once an up-and-rising, sophisticated neighborhood in Seoul in the 1980s. After Seoul hosted its first Asian Games in 1986 and the Olympic Games in 1988, the country was suddenly flooded with Western culture. With the move came the surge in demand for eating out and diverse kitchenware and tableware. The Hwanghak-dong street, where sellers of kitchen appliances and furniture flocked for business,

June 13, 2020

Korea’s ‘sentimental tattoos’ trending among the young

Showing tattoos in public has long been taboo in South Korea, where there are still many negative stereotypes about inked skin. In the past, tattoos were seen as gangster symbols. Also, the deeply rooted Confucian culture discouraged people from altering the bodies they received from their parents. While tattoos are part of a subculture in this conservative country, the art form has gradually gained mainstream attention in recent years as softer and more delicate designs began appearing on th

June 13, 2020

[Photo News] Harvesting peaches in Wansan

Farmers in Wansan -- a district of Jeonju, North Jeolla Province -- are working hard to harvest their fully ripe peaches, the region’s specialty.  Wansan is believed to have started growing peaches in the 1910s, when the Korean Peninsula was under imperial Japanese colonial rule. Peaches grown in greenhouses with no rain or pesticides are twice as expensive as those grown outdoors, reflecting their better quality. “Peaches are in season one week earlier than last year, si

June 13, 2020

Players pay tribute to Uzi as retirement casts light on health in esports

Jian “Uzi” Zi-hao, the iconic star player of the League of Legends Pro League in China, announced his retirement June 3 due to chronic injury. He won accolades from players around the world and shed light on some of the common health problems that have plagued the industry. “As of today, LPL 0006 @UziRNG will officially retire. Uzi was not only the heart and soul of RNG, but also an icon in the esports world as a whole. From a teenager onwards he never gave up and worked as h

June 12, 2020

Seoul designates 34 more overseas Sejong Korean-language institutes

South Korea has added more than 30 new state-funded Korean language institutes abroad, the government announced Wednesday, in an effort to promote the Korean language as a catalyst in the global spread of Korean culture at large. The culture ministry announced the opening of 34 more King Sejong Institutes in 30 countries across the world, including in Asia, Europe, the Americas and Africa. The countries included Laos, Vietnam, Denmark, Russia, France, Costa Rica, Ethiopia and Uganda. Of the

June 10, 2020

Riot Games welcomes Pawn and Wadid to LCK 2020 Summer Split

League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) announced new members to its analyst desk and “shoutcaster” lineup Tuesday. Heo “PawN” Won-seok will be joining the analyst desk while Kim “Wadid” Bae-in will join the shoutcasters, providing commentary. PawN retired from professional LoL last year after suffering obsessive-compulsive disorder, which made him unable to play if the setup of his keyboard and mouse weren’t exactly in the position that he wanted. He

June 10, 2020

French economist Jacques Attali: Altruism is key to fighting COVID-19 pandemic

French economist and futurologist Jacques Attali said “to act altruistically” is the only way to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, in an interview conducted as part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ “Insight Series” on the post-coronavirus era. “By protecting others, you can protect yourself. However, many people thought the opposite,” Attali said in an interview with Choi Jung-wha, professor of the Graduate School of Interpretation and Translati

June 9, 2020