K-Intangible Heritage Festival to kick off Thursday

The National Intangible Heritage Center in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, is holding the K-Intangible Heritage Festival from Thursday to Saturday. Under the theme of “Re:Heritage Connect,” the inaugural festival will offer one-day classes for foreigners living in Korea to learn and experience intangible heritages of Korea. Performances of “Daechwita,” a genre of traditional Korean music that was performed at parades of kings and other military ceremonies, and Korean t

Aug. 10, 2020

Gugak Museum celebrates 25th anniversary with NK folk music exhibition

The National Gugak Center is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Gugak Museum by revealing yet undisclosed archival materials on North Korean music. On Monday the center will open the doors to a library and exhibition venue on the third floor of the Gugak Museum in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul. Titled “Gong-gan E-um” -- meaning “connecting spaces” in Korean -- the cultural complex will display some 83,000 documents and materials concerning the Korean traditional perf

Aug. 9, 2020

Korean to be taught as foreign language at India’s schools

On July 30, the Indian government announced the selection of Korean language as one of the foreign languages taught at secondary school level. Following the announcement from India, the Korean Culture Ministry on Thursday claimed that the Korean Cultural Center in India and the Korean Embassy in New Dehli played a crucial role in appealing the need to have Korean on the list. “Since last year, we had asked that Korean language be listed on the foreign language list. We were expecting t

Aug. 9, 2020

[Eye Plus] Choseong-ri evokes decades of nostalgia

Time seems to have stopped at the 70-year-old Choseong-ri Station in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi Province.  Having started out as a logistics center for the United Nations military forces in October 1950, the station had its heyday when US soldiers and local merchants flocked there. But after a unit of United States military engineers left town, the volume of passengers dropped off significantly. Now, no trains stop here.  When the American soldiers and engineers were around, peopl

Aug. 8, 2020

Release of traffic camera footage of actor Lim Seul-ong’s accident raises controversy

As the police investigation of Lim Seul-ong’s car accident continues, a local newspaper released traffic camera footage of the Aug. 1 accident, turning public opinion against Lim. Actor and singer Lim Seul-ong hit and killed a pedestrian crossing the road around midnight Aug. 1 while driving his white SUV in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul. The pedestrian light was red when the man was crossing the street on the rainy day and Lim was reported to not have been under the influence of alcohol, causin

Aug. 7, 2020

Myung Won Cultural Foundation holds 25th world tea festival

Myung Won Cultural Foundation said Wednesday it is holding its world tea festival this week, during which it will also celebrate the 100th birthday of the late Kim Mi-hee, who pioneered the restoration of Korea’s tea culture. According to the foundation, the 25th tea festival, dubbed “K-Tea Festival,” will be held at Coex in southern Seoul for four days, starting Thursday. The event will comprise of a photo exhibition commemorating the birth of Kim, and booths where particip

Aug. 5, 2020

Paid advertisement controversy rattles Korean YouTube industry

“I am using YouTube Premium to skip advertisements. Little did I know back then that I was only avoiding the advertisements to watch another 10-minute-long advertisement video,” a subscriber to popular YouTube channel Eat With Boki commented. “I’m beyond disappointed. Here, I thought she’s a nice genuine person,” another subscriber wrote. These comments were posted after Moon Boki, the YouTuber behind the self-titled Eat With Boki meokbang channel, which

Aug. 5, 2020

[Video] Seoul’s repurposed space turned into a majestic sky garden

Seoullo 7017 is an overpass-turned-sky garden situated on a disused highway ramp at the heart of Seoul. The name translates to “Seoul Road,” with the number “7017” coming from two symbolic years. The overpass was first built in 1970, and was reborn in its current form in 2017. The city took a cue from New York’s glorious High Line as part of its urban redevelopment project. The effort was put into action in 2015 and the bustling cosmopolitan capital revamped into

Aug. 5, 2020

Worlds schedule in Shanghai causes concern for LCK fans

The 2020 League of Legends World Championship will be held in Shanghai, opening on Sept. 25, according to Riot Games on Saturday, alarming LCK fans because of the tight schedule. While previous LoL World Championships have been held at multiple cities in the hosting region, this year’s tournament this year will be held only in Shanghai in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the safety of players. “To ensure the health and safety of fans, pro players and everyone in

Aug. 5, 2020

Treasures of Sinan shipwreck unveiled online

An online exhibition of artifacts from the Sinan shipwreck opened Tuesday, showing the vessels and coins, among other items, that were dug up from the ocean floor during an eight-year underwater salvage operation. According to the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage, which organized the online exhibition, the ship, which is estimated to weigh more than 200 tons, sunk while carrying priceless cargo in 1323. The ship left from the port of Ningbo in China and was headed for

Aug. 4, 2020

UNESCO listed World Heritage Gongsanseong Fortress damaged by heavy rain

The Cultural Heritage Administration on Thursday said that approximately 10 meters of the Gongsanseong Fortress have collapsed due to heavy rain during the last two days. The 2.5-kilometer-long fortress was built during the Baekje Kingdom (18 BC-AD 660) and lies along the mountain ridge and valley near Geum River in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province. In 2015, eight ancient Baekje historic areas, including Gongsanseong Fortress, were collectively designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, be

July 30, 2020

Traditional Korean archery designated as nat'l cultural heritage

The art of traditional Korean archery has been designated as a national intangible cultural heritage, the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) announced Thursday. CHA said it recognized the value of "hwalssogi," or Korean traditional archery, for its significance in the history of Korean traditional martial arts. The administration cited the hwalssogi's frequent reference in historical literature and culture, detailed documentations and transmissions of the production processes

July 30, 2020

Japan's forced labor issue should be dealt with from human rights

Japan's failure to recognize its wrongdoings during World War II should fundamentally be addressed and dealt with from the perspective of rectifying a violation of human rights, experts said Wednesday. "The interpretation issue of forced mobilization and forced labor is not just an issue between the two countries (South Korea and Japan) but a multilateral issue involving Chinese and allied prisoners of war, and it also needs to be stressed as a human rights issue," said Kim Min-chul,

July 29, 2020

LCK franchise model attracts conglomerates and celebrities

Major companies and celebrities in Korea are showing interest in investing in pro League of Legends esports teams, as LoL Champions Korea continues the application process for teams interested in the franchise system next year. Riot Games announced that 21 teams had applied for the franchise system on June 25, of which around 10 will be accepted for the franchise system starting in the spring season of next year, though the number remains flexible. Although the cost to enter the franchise sys

July 29, 2020

[Video] Breaking the ice in the era of social distancing

The intricate art of socializing never comes easy, depending on personalities. Introverts usually despise the awkward silence during small gatherings and the need to mingle. Extroverts find it easier to approach newcomers in unfamiliar settings. Getting to know someone new is challenging, but can’t be avoided because relationships are a crucial part of life. Every day, humans seek emotional connections on a deeper level for better well-being and happiness. A short encounter with a str

July 28, 2020

2020 IYF Online World Camp starts with over 170,000 participants

The International Youth Foundation announced the start of the 2020 IYF Online World Camp on Sunday, bringing together over 170,000 people from some 90 countries around the world. The four-day online camp aims to bring joy to young people around the world who have been suffering from long-term social distancing. The annual festival, held online for the first time this year, allows college students around the globe to watch lectures delivered by global leaders, art performances from different c

July 28, 2020

2020 World Heritage Festival to kick off on Friday

The second part of 2020 World Heritage Festival, jointly hosted by the Culture Heritage Administration and North Gyeongsang Province government -- which will run until Aug. 30 -- will start Friday with an opening ceremony at Hahoe Village, Andong. This is part of the three 2020 World Heritage Festivals which are being held in three different locations. The first festival celebrating the nine seowon, or Confucian academies of the Joseon era (1392-1910), that are inscribed on the UNESCO World H

July 27, 2020

[Weekender] Audiobook market expands in Korea, buoyed by COVID-19

“I used to checkout sets of Harry Potter audiobook tapes from the public library and listen to it with my brother when I was in elementary school. Now I listen to audiobooks while commuting to work by bus and sometimes it reminds me of my childhood,” Kim Jung-yeon, a 34-year-old office worker, said. For Kim, who spent most of her childhood in Canada, audiobooks are a familiar form of content that she has enjoyed since she was young, but for many Koreans, this is not the case. &ld

July 25, 2020

[Video] A cup of coffee brewed with inspiration

Located in Seongsu-dong, known as the “Brooklyn of Seoul,” a cafe named Hisbeans opened its 19th store in March this year. At the counter you notice the sign which reads, “Our coffee is made by 67 professional baristas, and they are not people who have disabilities. They are the truly talented (baristas).” The baristas working at Hisbeans are people who have mental disabilities, experiencing anxiety disorders and depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophreni

July 22, 2020

Incheon's iconic summer festivals postponed or canceled due to COVID-19

INCHEON -- South Korean city Incheon's iconic summer events -- rock and beer festivals -- will likely be delayed for several months or canceled this year due to the coronavirus outbreak, municipal officials said Tuesday.= The Pentaport Rock Festival and the Songdo Beer Festival, which were held annually in August in Incheon's Songdo international business district, about 50 kilometers west of Seoul, have been tentatively postponed until after mid-October, because of COVID-19-related travel res

July 21, 2020