[Eye Plus] Chinatown in Incheon, still at the heart of Korea-China ties, history

A gold-embellished, red-lacquered pailou, or Chinese arch, looms over a street on the shore of South Korea’s port city of Incheon.The blue-colored board attached to the 11-meter high structure reads Zhonghuajia, Chinese for ‘Chinese avenue,’ marking the entrance to Incheon Chinatown, the largest Chinatown in the nation. For over 130 years, Incheon Chinatown has been standing as the only officially recognized one of its kind in Korea since 1884, when Joseon Dynasty leased parts of Incheon to Qing

Sept. 1, 2017

New cultural heritage chief vows ‘attitude overhaul’

Kim Jong-jin, the recently-named head of Cultural Heritage Administration, emphasized the importance of preserving cultural heritage and vowed changes in the CHA employees‘ attitude in achieving the goals of the organization.Kim who has been with CHA since 2001, however, stopped short of suggesting specific plans for revamping the system that has been criticized for lacking expertise, resulting in such fiascos as the recent “fake royal seal” controversy. Kim Jong-jin, head of Cultural Heritage A

Aug. 31, 2017

[Herald Interview] BBC journalist Francine Stock talks about Korean films’ richness, complexity and honesty

Francine Stock, a broadcaster for BBC Television and Radio and formerly a movie critic, has been enthralled by the richness and delicacy of Korean films, ever since they began to make waves in her country about a decade ago. Having previously interviewed Korean director Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho as a host of BBC Radio 4, Stock said globally acclaimed Korean films such as "Thirst" and “The Handmaiden,” both directed by Park, have paved the way for Korean cinema in England. Francine Stock (P

Aug. 30, 2017

2017 CCF forum discusses image of Korea through eyes of the world

A cultural exchange event discussing Korea’s image, seen through the eyes of the global community, took place in Seoul on Monday and Tuesday.The eighth annual Culture Communication Forum 2017 brought together several leading figures in arts and culture from across the world to discuss “Korea’s image felt through sight,” at the Grand Hyatt Seoul on Tuesday. “I was born in Korea, and got adopted by a French family when I was 7 years old. I’ve been visiting Korea for the last seven years, and each

Aug. 29, 2017

[Seoul saunter] Overrated, but charming ‘town of selfies’

Seoul is a vibrant megalopolis with modern high-rises crowding the city’s major arteries. Nestled among the gleaming buildings are labyrinthine alleys that appear to have escaped the passage of time. We explore Seoul‘s many nooks and crannies. - Ed.  Cafes and stores alongside “Mangridan-gil,” the main street of Mangwon-dong, Seoul, are seen in these photos. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)At first glance, it is not immediate what is so special about “Mangridan-gil,” a nickname for the main stre

Aug. 28, 2017

[Herald interview] Adidas Women’s Wannabe Linda styles her life beyond body

Before earning the name Wannabe Linda, the body stylist, and being tapped by Adidas Women as its ambassador last year, Linda Shin was a typical office worker whose life was swamped with work and daily stress. And just like any other women in her mid-20s, Linda started working out in a small gym with the goal of losing weight and most importantly, looking pretty and slim like K-pop idol stars. Nine years later, more than 271,000 Instagram users are now following the fitness icon’s Instagram page

Aug. 27, 2017

‘Fake royal seal’ controversy mars special exhibition

What was supposed to have been a ceremonious occasion marking the return of long-lost Joseon-era royal seals has turned into a dogfight between the state-run Cultural Heritage Administration and civic groups over the legitimacy of one of the artifacts.Last week, the CHA held a press conference heralding an exhibition of royal artifacts from the Korea’s Joseon era (1392 to 1910). The Golden Royal Seal for the Bestowal of Honorific Title upon Queen Munjeong and Royal Seal of King Hyeonjong are amo

Aug. 24, 2017

Racism in Korea, from TV to real life

A decade ago, history textbooks in Korea started to refrain from saying that Korea is a mono-ethnic country, as state-wide controversy about the cited phrase can prompt racism against ethnic minorities in the country.While the widespread belief that Korean people are of single ethnicity has been challenged and debunked -- for the most part -- over years, insensitivity toward actions or words that may be offensive to other ethnicities continue to ail Korean society. Earlier in the year, comedian

Aug. 20, 2017

[Herald Interview] Jung Saem-mool explains what goes into flawless K-beauty

The flagship store of makeup artist Jung Saem-mool’s cosmetics brand is like a sun-soaked garden of colors. Nestled in a corner of the trendy Garosu-gil in southeastern Seoul, the three-story building, opened in June, boasts white walls with multi-colored decorations. It’s like a palette, a playground where customers can fiddle with makeup to their hearts’ content, an employee there explains.　On the store’s second floor, a library space stacked with beauty books and surrounded by plants, sits ar

Aug. 18, 2017

[Weekender] Korean DJs should be wary of popularity, never get lazy as trend setters: DJ Juncoco

As the clock ticks past midnight in the crowd-packed clubs of Gangnam-gu DJ Juncoco, who draws enormous cheers from avid clubbers, is getting ready to step into the DJ booth.  As one of the most in-demand DJs today, he is treated like a rock star at weekend club parties. The pulsating and sassy electro dance music he spins under the colorful LED lights doesn’t let clubbers slow down. His tunes, which show a touch of moody French style EDM and old-school pop melodies, compel the clubbers to jump

Aug. 18, 2017

[Weekender] Unique ecosystem of Korean ‘night’

Booming music blasting from the speakers, flocks of people drenched in alcohol and excitement flailing about into the night; nightclubs are normally thought of as places for music-lovers and partygoers to cool off and let their troubles roll by.But the nightclub culture in Korea is divided into two main factions -- what locals call “night” and “clubs.”  (123rf)“Clubs” are basically the same as most nightclubs found around the world. They have a dance floor, a few tables and people socialize as t

Aug. 18, 2017

[Eye Plus] Lotus flower, miracle of unwavering purity

Nothing is more divine than this immaculate and pure flower. Gazing into its large colorful blossoms that rise high above broad green leaves, you’ll be drawn to their blithely beautiful figures, and even find yourself unburdened from worldly cares. The lotus, which comes to its beautiful full bloom in the summer, is a flower that defies logic. With its roots deep in the murky pool, the flower slowly emerges toward the surface and bursts out of the water to reveal its fragrant petals, bearing no

Aug. 18, 2017

[Weekender] Seoul and adventurous after-hours

It started out with cabarets and discotheques in the 1980s, when Korea saw an unprecedented economic boom. Seoul’s nightlife has been growing and thriving ever since, giving birth to a myriad of clubs with different themes.(D.Bridge)Back then, nightclubs were places for people to dance and performers to put on shows. Cabarets were home to the middle-aged, usually featuring a live band and bluesy tunes. Dubbed “colatheques,” some venues would offer upbeat music and a lively social atmosphere with

Aug. 18, 2017

CCF 2017 contemplates Korea in eyes of world

A cultural exchange event on the topic of Korea‘s image will take place later this month, with opinion leaders across the world expected to participate.On Aug. 28 and 29, Corea Image Communication Institute will host its Culture Communication Forum 2017, organizers said Wednesday. The annual event will provide an opportunity for avid discussion about “Korea’s image felt though the five senses.”This year‘s topic will be Korea through sight, more specifically the country‘s image through pictures a

Aug. 16, 2017

What not to do in North Korea

While the US has only recently issued a ban on travel to North Korea, travel to the hermit kingdom has always been extremely risky.The oppressive and authoritarian regime does not tolerate any challenges by visitors, and tales of foreigners being detained for minor mistakes have frequently come up in the media.Chinese travel agencies have distributed a list of things to be aware of when travelling in North Korea, and here are some that have been reported via Korean and Chinese media. A scene fro

Aug. 15, 2017

Alleged portrait of Empress Myseongseong on show for first time

A Joseon-era portrait of a woman dressed in a traditional garment is on display in Seoul, with the gallery claiming it to be a painting of the last queen of Joseon.The alleged drawing of Empress Myeongseong (1851-95) -- also known as Queen Min -- is on display at Daboseong Gallery in Jongro-gu, central Seoul until Aug. 31. It is part of a special exhibition of 300 artifacts from the late Joseon Dynasty, which include writings by independence fighters and items used by the last royal family of Ko

Aug. 15, 2017

Changdeokgung to open for night-time tour

The Joseon-era palace of Changdeokgung will be offering evening tours from Aug.31 to Nov. 5, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Monday.According to the state-run agency, the “Moonlight Tour at Changdeokgung Palace” commences at 8 p.m. and lasts about two hours. The tours will be held from Thursday to Sunday each week, and will be held twice a day on Oct.7, Oct.14 and Oct.21. On those days, the first tour will start at 7 p.m., and the second tour at 8:00 p.m. Visitors visit Changdeokgung d

Aug. 14, 2017

Hallyu’s future; limitations and sustainability

In the 1990s, Korea’s popular culture begin to expand overseas, mostly to other Asian countries. It was during this time that the government begin emphasizing the potential of culture industry.The term Hallyu (Korean wave), which was coined by the Chinese media in 2000 to describe the onslaught of Korean dramas and pop songs there, was quickly adopted by Korea too to refer to Korean entertainment content. Today, it is used to describe a gamut of content and products of Korean origin.K-pop artist

Aug. 14, 2017

Legislative gap adds to uncertainty for animal cafes

A lone capybara sits behind a glass pane in its enclosure. Surrounded by coffee-sipping patrons in a cafe, it is a long way from its native home of South America. Animal cafes in Korea are becoming increasingly numerous, and the wildlife on display increasingly diverse. For example, in some of Seoul’s most popular establishments, you can now meet meerkats, raccoons, fennec foxes and even wallabies. But is it a good idea to keep animals in cafe environments?  A capybara at an animal cafe (Chantel

Aug. 11, 2017

Wellspring of creativity and drive

Be careful what you say, his mother had warned him as a young boy. “What I said had a funny way of coming true,” said Jung Ku-ho recently in an interview with The Korea Herald at a cafe in Itaewon, Seoul. Divine intervention probably has little to do with Jung’s trailblazing success as a fashion designer and, now, creative director. Rather, creativity, drive and being at the right place and at the right time probably explain Jung’s ability to realize his dreams, as far-fetched as those dreams ma

Aug. 11, 2017