Seoul celebrates opening of Korea Grand Sale 2018

The annual shopping and tourism festival for this year has kicked off, functioning as means to attract foreign visitors while boosting interest in the upcoming 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The Visit Korea Committee on Thursday held the opening ceremony for Korea Grand Sale 2018 in front of Doota Mall in Dongdaemun, Seoul. It was attended by some 100 officials from the tourism industry along with government representatives.  An opening ceremony for Korea Grand Sale 2018 is being held in fron

Jan. 21, 2018

[Photo News] Instilling spirit of science in children

With the goal of fostering scientists of tomorrow, the National Children’s Science Center was reopened on Dec. 22, providing unique opportunities for young children to easily approach the magic of science through interaction and exploration.Since its opening in 1927 as the nation’s first science museum in Namsan, Seoul, the institute has evolved over time but has remained as a core institute offering a peak into the complex world of science. Today, the National Children’s Science Center is locat

Jan. 21, 2018

[Herald Interview] A young pianist with an old, romantic soul

Korea is probably one of the few countries in the world where classical musicians can become household names. Here, the name Sunwoo Yekwon elicits the response, “Ah, that young pianist,” even from those unfamiliar with classical music. The 28-year-old pianist, who will turn 29 next month, is a star not only onstage but on television as well, starring in a popular series featuring the lives of several Korean celebrities who stay abroad. Sunwoo, however, is no overnight sensation. Before clinching

Jan. 19, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Cultural events galore to set off pre-Olympic festivities

A wealth of cultural events, encompassing different arts, are set to take place throughout Gangwon Province in celebration of the upcoming 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.　Dubbed the PyeongChang 2018 Cultural Olympiad, the series of cultural displays will begin on Feb. 3, a week ahead of the Olympics.“The Cultural Olympiad has been planned to let global citizens communicate through culture and includes programs for entertainment, celebration, education and culture,” according to a statement rel

Jan. 18, 2018

Speculations abound on proposed South-North concert

Following inter-Korean talks, an announcement was made Wednesday night regarding a joint cultural event at Kumgangsan in North Korea, raising speculations about the performance, its venue and also the possibility that it may mark the resumption of cultural exchanges between the two countries. According to the Unification Ministry on Wednesday, South and North Korea agreed to hold a cultural event at Kumgangsan around late January or early February. Details of the program will be decided through

Jan. 18, 2018

Lotte World Mall to open KPOP Museum in February

The second KPOP Museum is set to open at Lotte World Mall in Jamsil, Seoul, next month.Lotte World Mall said Thursday that prior to the opening, a pop-up event is being held from Wednesday through Jan. 28 at the Atrium on the first floor of the mall. The event titled “Go Back” will feature exhibitions and experiential halls under the theme of music and art popular from the 1950s to 1990s. The first branch of the KPOP Museum opened in April 2015 at Bomun Tourist Complex in Gyeongju, North Gyeongs

Jan. 18, 2018

[Photo News] Fishing at sunset

The silver prize-winning work titled "A Big Fish" at a photo contest, which was organized by Uljin County in North Gyeongsang Province, shows a spectacular view of fishing at sunset.  (Uljin County-Yonhap)

Jan. 18, 2018

K-pop's pundit awards hope to 'comfort' independent creativity

As K-pop exploded into a multibillion-dollar global business over the years, music awards celebrating the industry have also grown increasingly lavish and extravagant. Last year's Mnet Asian Music Awards was staged in three countries -- Vietnam, Japan and China -- in a course of a week, highlighted by over-the-top production and performances of mega stars, such as BTS, EXO and TWICE. But among today's handful of established awards in South Korea, the Korean Music Awards stands out for being the

Jan. 18, 2018

Data reveals popular overseas destinations of Koreans in 30s, 40s

Analysis of the most searched shopping items around the turn of the year showed varying results among different age groups.According to social commerce operator WeMakePrice, the most searched key words from Dec. 25 to Jan. 10 differed by age group. The most frequently searched items for teens included six-ring binder journals and study planners. Six-ring binder journals used to be popular in the 2000s, but recently turned trendy again.Those in their 20s seemed to be more into travel. The most po

Jan. 17, 2018

Businessman, politician, model honored for promoting Korea worldwide

Joachim Son-Forget, a member of the French National Assembly representing French residents abroad, is an enterprising middleman linking France to the world through innovative initiatives. The 34-year-old radiologist and cognitive scientist, adopted at 3 months old from Korea by a French family, represents the sixth constituency for French citizens overseas in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. He is also the president of the France-Korea Friendship Group, a parliamentary organization entrusted with

Jan. 17, 2018

[Photo News] Korea Image Award

 Korea Image Award -- Participants pose at the 14th Korea Image Award ceremony and reception organized by the Corea Image Communications Institute at the InterContinental Seoul Coex on Tuesday.In the picture are award winners Joachim Son-Forget, Korea-born member of the French National Assembly (front row, fifth from left), CJ Group Chairman Sohn Kyung-shik (front row, fourth from right), Russian model Angelina Danilova (front row, third from right) and corporate executives, diplomats and actors

Jan. 16, 2018

[Newsmaker] NK’s ‘biggest’ visiting art troupe still shrouded in mystery

The two Koreas on Monday reached an agreement to send a 140-member team of performers to the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics. While it will be the biggest group of North Korean musicians ever to set foot south of the DMZ, there is scant information about the Samjiyon Orchestra and what it will perform in the South. It is to perform in Seoul and Gangneung, Gangwon Province, which is hosting Olympic events.  Samjiyon Band performs in this Jan. 3, 2017 file photo. (Yonhap)At a briefing held fo

Jan. 16, 2018

Shopping fest for foreigners starts Thursday

Korea Grand Sale is to begin Thursday, providing discounts, gifts and services to foreign visitors in Korea. The shopping event also aims to promote the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. More than 52,000 stores representing 700 companies will participate in the event that runs until Feb. 28, offering discounts on beauty products, entertainment, accommodations, tourist sites and flights, the Visit Korea committee, in charge of hosting the annual nationwide shopping event, announced Monday. Openin

Jan. 16, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] Cartoon exhibition for PyeongChang kicks off Wednesday in LA

The Korea Manhwa Contents Agency hosts a cartoon exhibition combining Korean cartoons with the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.The exhibition opens in Los Angeles on Wednesday, both at the LA Convention Center and LA Korean Cultural Center.  "Fantasy of Snowland" (Photo courtesy of the LA Korean Cultural Center-Yonhap)The LA Convention Center is opening an exhibition titled “Cartoon meets PyeongChang” through Sunday. The exhibition will show 25 cartoon pieces including eight web-based comics th

Jan. 10, 2018

[Weekender] Dear diary: Koreans’ undying love of putting pen to paper

What comes to your mind when you think of the term “diary?” For some, the word means a journal to write down reflections on the day. For others, the term covers a broader range of books: planners, schedulers, calendars -- even blank notes could be called a diary if people can log their days on them.Despite the surge of interest in digital scheduling applications and journals, the popularity of paper diaries seems undiminished in Korea. 　 Graphic by Nam Kyung-donThe craze for the diaries is stron

Jan. 5, 2018

[Weekender] Pouring heart into diary for 15 years

Many welcome a new year with a new diary. Sadly, buying a diary is the easy part. Filling it can be much more difficult and many fall into disuse over the course of the year. While people buy planners, journals and schedulers fully determined to use them until the year-end, they are often forgotten about when the temperature starts to climb, and are pushed into the corner of a dusty bookshelf. Some people even give up before the spring comes. (Im Eun-byel, The Korea Herald)Some “quitters” succes

Jan. 5, 2018

[Herald Interview] ‘Father of native Sapsaree breed’ seeks to redefine Korea’s dog culture

Fluttering their shaggy hair against the wind, Sapsaree dogs run towards Dr. Ha Ji-hong as he steps into the pen. The once-endangered canine breed of Korean origin has made a dramatic comeback, thanks largely to decadeslong preservation efforts by Dr. Ha, also known as ”Father of Sapsaree.“The long-haired dogs were killed en masse for their fur to make winter coats for Japanese soldiers, as documented in state archives during the period of Japanese colonial rule in Korea. In the turmoil of war a

Jan. 1, 2018

Hwacheon Sancheoneo festival to open this weekend

A world-famous ice fishing festival will open in Hwacheon this weekend to animate the economy of this remote mountainous town near the border with North Korea, organizers said Monday.The annual Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival will kick off Saturday on a frozen river in the town, about 120 kilometers northeast of Seoul, for a run ending Jan. 28. The event will feature a wide variety of winter activities.More than one million people are expected to flock to the town to drop a fishing line through

Jan. 1, 2018

[Eye Plus] Sapsaree, beloved Korean native breed of dogs

The long, shaggy hair of Sapsarees flutter against the wind as they run across a hillside pen in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province.The Korea Sapsaree Foundation compound houses more than 300 Sapsarees, a once-endangered Korean native breed of dogs brought back through decades of preservation efforts.These bear-like Sapsarees, whose name means “one that dispels evil spirits,” have traditionally been kept as guard dogs as well as beloved pets.Characterized by abundant hair that falls over their

Dec. 29, 2017

[Video] Top 10 Korean beauty YouTubers of 2017

Korea’s beauty YouTubers are the ambassadors to the complex world of ever-expanding K-beauty products. If you are looking to vamp up your beauty bag, check the vloggers below for reviews and tips on how to get the K-beauty look. PONY (Screencaptured from YouTube)1. PONYWith over 3 million subscribers on YouTube, Pony has gained “beauty guru” status with a huge following around the world, particularly in her native Asia. Formerly in charge of CL’s makeup, PONY is known for her glam looks powered

Dec. 29, 2017