Dine like a Joseon king at Gyeongbokgung

Gyeongbokgung, the Joseon era’s main royal palace, will invite visitors to dine at its royal kitchen to experience Joseon kings’ daily meal and walk around the palace at night in September. The new Starlight Tour will run twice a day at 6:30 p.m. and 7:50 p.m. from Sept. 1-17, inviting up to 60 people per tour.The tour will start at the royal kitchen of Sojubang where participants will be served a royal box meal, which is based on the Joseon kings’ typical meal with 12 dishes, but presented in a

Aug. 17, 2016

[Hallyu Power] Korean webtoons make big strides in global comics market

A young college student stranded in a rocky mountain on the outskirts of Seoul grabs a rope to go down a rugged cliff. His friend tries to stop him as the rope is not long enough, but he is too late and ends up looking at a length of rope swinging helplessly in a fierce wind. This introductory scene of the Korean comic series “Peak” might be made into a film as its provider Rolling Story signed a film production deal with a US entertainment agency in October last year. “Peak” revolves around fiv

Aug. 16, 2016

CCF to invite global leading culture figures to Korea

　An international cultural forum will bring together the world’s creative opinion leaders to experience Korean culture and discuss cultural strengths in September. 　The Culture Communication Forum, organized by the Corea Image Communications Institute, will be held from Sept. 4-6 in Seoul. It will invite 18 cultural figures from around the world, including Russian publisher Irina Prokhorova of “New Literary Observer,” New Zealand musician Tama Waipara, Spanish writer and anthropologist Javier Mo

Aug. 15, 2016

Abandoned Sinchon underpass reborn as local haven

Built in 1978, the underground passageway that countless Yonsei University students used daily to cross the broad Seongsanro, the road that stands between the campus and Sinchon, became more or less abandoned when a pedestrian crossing was created above ground in 2014.Last year, Seoul Metropolitan Government and Yonsei University decided to breathe new life into the obsolete space, taking ideas suggested by Yonsei students. On July 24, the 54-by-7-meter underground space reopened after some four

Aug. 8, 2016

Malaysia’s dying art: Traditional kite-making in peril

PANTAI CAHAYA BULAN, Malaysia (AFP) - Shafie Jusoh loves traditional Malaysian kites so much that he cannot get a good night’s rest unless he works on them daily. “I need to make kites every day, if not I can’t sleep,” the 69-year-old said. He began making them when he was a young boy, skipping classes to entertain his flights of fancy.“If you don’t do it every day, you will lose the technique,” he added.Shafie is among a diminishing group of Malaysian master kite-makers who have dedicated their

Aug. 8, 2016

[FEBC - Korea] ‘Never stop growing in faith’

Although I cannot imagine baptism for 5,000 people, I am sure that I will have a deep sense of involvement from the Holy Spirit. In order for me to share this experience with others, my mind will be open to what is happening around me.Message for Korean youthKeep it up and never stop growing in faith in the Lord. Never short-circuit your vision for how much difference Koreans can make in the world. I believe the U.S. was once a key leader in the role of being a Christian nation. However, as I se

Aug. 7, 2016

[FEBC - Korea] 'Baptizing thousands is special'

It is powerful even when one person is baptized, but baptizing thousands is special. It shows that the gospel is worldwide. As an American witnessing this take place in Korea, I feel this is a powerful demonstration that Jesus really is for all nations.Message for Korean youthProbably half of the first 12 disciples were only teenagers at the time. Some students in America want to have fun in their younger years and wait until they are older to become Christians. However, in order to have a more

Aug. 7, 2016

[FEBC - Korea] FEBC - Korea celebrates 60 years with large-scale military baptism

Roughly 5,000 Korean and U.S. soldiers and American Christian broadcasting personnel gathered together at the Yeonmudae Military Church in South Chungcheong Province on Saturday to take part in the country’s largest-ever baptism ceremony. The ceremony was held as part of the 60th anniversary of the Far East Broadcasting Company’s establishment in Korea and was officiated by FEBC - Korea’s chairman, the Rev. Kim Jang-hwan, also known as Billy Kim -- one of the country’s most prominent Christian e

Aug. 7, 2016

[FEBC - Korea] Rev. Billy Kim committed to military mission work

Far East Broadcasting Company - Korea is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its founding this year with several events at home and abroad, including Saturday’s mass baptism of some 5,000 military personnel. Following is a Q&A with the Rev. Billy Jang-hwan Kim, FEBC - Korea chairman.What was the reason for the mass baptism ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of FEBC - Korea? For the past 60 years Far East Broadcasting Company - Korea has been leading efforts to spread the gospel among Koreans

Aug. 7, 2016

Last journalists bid farewell to London's Fleet Street

LONDON (AFP) - The last two reporters working on Fleet Street filed their final stories on Friday, ending more than 300 years of journalism on the London thoroughfare synonymous with Britain's newspaper industry.London chief reporter Gavin Sherriff and entertainment features writer Darryl Smith, journalists with Scottish weekly The Sunday Post, are all that remains of the famed institution.“We knew as journalists that this was an important part of history for our profession, which we love,” Smit

Aug. 7, 2016

Foundation: Obama's library sites reflect 'one community'

CHICAGO (AP) -- The two parks Barack Obama considered for his presidential library are only a mile (1.6 kilometers) apart in Chicago.But the decision to build the museum in a lakeside park rather than in a nearby impoverished neighborhood has left some residents worried the choice was a missed opportunity in the city’s South Side.The Obama Foundation held a ceremony Wednesday to unveil details of the president’s choice of Jackson Park instead of Washington Park. Foundation chairman Marty Nesbitt

Aug. 4, 2016

Pooh returns to NY library after yearlong conservation

NEW YORK (AP) -- Winnie-the-Pooh and friends Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga and Tigger are celebrating a new lease on their New York City life after enjoying many adventures together.The original toys are looking refreshed after more than a year of much needed repairs by a textile conservator. They went back on display Wednesday at the New York Public Library, where they have resided since 1987.An English boy, Christopher Robin Milne, was their original owner. He received them in the 1920s from his fathe

Aug. 4, 2016

The last bastion of ‘sworn virgins’: Albania

SHKODRA, Albania (AFP) - At the age of 16, living in a remote village in northern Albania, Shkurta Hasanpapaj faced being forced into marriage. There was just one way out, and the young woman grasped it: she took the ancient, gender-bending oath to become a “sworn virgin.”At a stroke, her life changed. She renounced sex, married life and parenthood. But in return, she won the right to live as a man and lead her family in a fiercely patriarchal society.Nearly seven decades later, Hasanpapaj prefe

Aug. 4, 2016