Lotte opens 7th premium business hotel in Seoul

Near the shopping district of Myeong-dong, cultural street of Insa-dong and Gwanghwamun in downtown Seoul, Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong seeks to “kill two birds with one stone.”Launched as Lotte Hotels & Resorts’ biggest Lotte City Hotel brand hotel in Myeong-dong Jan. 6, the “premium business hotel” aims to attract both business travelers and foreign tourists to Seoul’s well-known travel sites.With 430 rooms, including 140 Superior Double-Bed rooms and 70 Standard Double-Bed rooms, the hotel is

Jan. 8, 2016

[Weekender] TV depicts life of and around ‘child prodigy‘

Screengrab from the SBS show “Finding Genius.”A toddler, a little over 2-years-old, waddles in front of the camera and onlookers to look for a Chinese character on the screen. Still in diapers, the boy identifies the word.The screen changes to flash “I touch my eye” in English, which 27-month-old I-jun also reads out.The scene is from the 37th episode of “Finding Genius” from local broadcaster SBS, a weekly show dedicated to shining a spotlight on children with unusual talents or skills. In Kore

Jan. 8, 2016

From Ethiopia to Colombia: On a quest for ethnic jewelry

Director of the World Jewelry Museum Lee Kang-won remembers vividly an Ethiopian woman she saw 37 years ago in the corner of a local market in Addis Ababa. The woman, dressed in a white cotton dress, was wearing a meticulously detailed, “ultramodern looking” silver necklace. Her necklace captivated Lee, who had just arrived in the country. “Her necklace was breathtaking,” said Lee, in an interview last month at the museum in Hwa-dong near Samcheong-dong.Lee Kang-won, director of the World Jewelr

Jan. 8, 2016

Goryeo Buddhist artifacts named national treasures

Buddhist paintings from the Goryeo Dynasty and scriptures with outstanding historical and artistic values have been named National Treasures, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Thursday. The state-run cultural heritage agency designated three rare Buddhist paintings and two Buddhist scriptures made during the heyday of Buddhism during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) as National Treasures. Buddhist painting from the Goryeo (918-1392) period (Cultural Heritage Administration)It also elevated

Jan. 7, 2016

Photos capture political upheaval in Korea

Photographers are perhaps the most observant participants of major historical moments. They are at some of the most tumultuous events, capturing in a split second what will become an important new chapter in history. Two dedicated witnesses of Korean history have recently published photo books offering glimpses into Korea’s turbulent moments in history. The Seoul Museum of History published a book, featuring 174 pictures taken by Willard Straight (1880-1918), who lived in Korea for a total of fi

Jan. 4, 2016

Forecast for Year of Monkey based on traditional beliefs

As the new day of the new year begins, many wonder what the year 2016 has in store for them. Many Koreans visit fortune tellers to learn how their fate will unfold in the new year. But traditional signs and beliefs also offer insight into what to expect for the new year. The year 2016 is the Year of the Red Monkey, the ninth animal of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs. Red monkeys are known to be the liveliest and bossiest among many other types of monkeys. People born in the Year of the Monkey (1944,

Dec. 31, 2015

A glimpse of upper-class lifestyle in the early days of modern Korea

The early 20th-century hanok mansion Baek In-je House overlooks Bukchon Hanok Village, high-rise office towers in Jongno and major landmarks of the capital city such as Namsan Tower. Some 75 years ago, the mansion’s first owner Han Sang-ryong (1880-1947), a banker and business magnate, described the view from his house in his memoir: “It’s like looking at the movement of black waves,” looking down long stretches of charcoal-black hanok roofs in the 1940s. Bukchon has traditionally been one of Ko

Dec. 30, 2015

Restoring East Asia’s oldest stone pagoda

IKSAN, North Jeolla Province -- Restoring the seventh-century Baekje-era stone pagoda at the UNESCO-registered Mireuksa Temple site in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, has been a daunting task for archaeologists. There were no proven historical records that could guide experts to recreate the original form of the ancient Buddhist pagoda.  “I went through every historical record from the 13th-century Samguk Yusa -- memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms. But no book had a record of how tall it was,” said

Dec. 29, 2015

‘Disconnect to connect’ in Wonju’s budding art scene

WONJU, Gangwon Province -- Very much overshadowed by the neighboring snow-filled scenes of bliss in PyeongChang, the site of the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics, Gangwon Province’s Wonju seeks to attract the attention of travelers. The small-time city of Wonju, less than a two-hour drive from central Seoul, has always flown under the radar in terms of its tourism pull. While it does not have a reputation as one of the peninsula’s “must-see” destinations, it beckons a second look as an unlikely hav

Dec. 28, 2015

Asia Culture Center to serve as ‘test bed’ for original content

GWANGJU ― If you exit the subway station connected to the Asia Culture Center in Gwangju thinking that the multicultural complex will be similar in scale to the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul, you should think again. Asia Culture Center in Gwangju (Culture Ministry)With its five interconnected buildings based on different yet synergistic and convergent themes, the Asia Culture Center strikes awe in visitors, who marvel at the architecture and the interior maze of exhibition and performance

Dec. 27, 2015

Independence Hall wins presidential accolade

The Independence Hall of Korea has received a presidential accolade for its contribution to promoting patriotism and national symbols. “This prize recognizes the museum’s diverse programs using national symbols and its contribution to attracting interest in national symbols and promoting the understanding of national symbols,” the museum said in a press release.  A Korean flag decoration marks the 70th anniversary of Korea’s independence from Japan. (IHK)The state-run museum, which pays tribute

Dec. 27, 2015

Lotte to open L7 lifestyle hotel in January

Lotte Hotel, part of Lotte Group, will open a new lifestyle concept hotel called “L7 Myeongdong” in Seoul on Jan. 12.The L7 will offer stylish facilities, where hotel staff will sport jeans, oxford shirts and slip-on shoes in bright and lively colors in order to appeal to guests as “friendly and caring,” the hotel affiliate said.The hotel, situated in Myeong-dong ― Seoul’s downtown shopping district frequented by hallyu tourists ― will primarily target female guests in their 20s-40s who enjoy st

Dec. 23, 2015

‘Design your life through sports’

This is the last installment in a three-part series featuring athletes who help people transform their lives. ― Ed.Jung A-reum (Jung Areum)Beauty must be gained through hard work and perseverance, said Jung A-reum, a celebrity lifestyle and fitness trainer and former Miss Korea beauty contest winner.Those in pursuit of it must first learn how sports or regular exercise can help improve their physical and mental beauty.“The problem in Korea today is that people take sports or exercise too lightly

Dec. 23, 2015

Tech meets workmanship at craft fair

The impact of evolving technology on the arts and crafts was a major undercurrent in the four-day Craft Trend Fair 2015 that began on Dec. 17.　The fair, in its 10th year, explored the possibilities of craft’s future in its main exhibition “Future in Hands,” featuring works that were created with 3-D printing, 3-D mapping and media art.　The fair, hosted by hosted by the state-run Korea Craft & Design Foundation, is the largest craft festival in Korea. 　“We wanted to capture the current craft envi

Dec. 23, 2015

Academy of Korean Studies publishes Korean independence textbook series

The Academy of Korean Studies on Tuesday unveiled its latest publication series on Korea‘s 70-year history since its liberation from Japanese colonial rule.The new anniversary series consists of six volumes dealing with the past seven decades of Korea from different perspectives: diplomacy, security and unification; environment; culture; education; politics; and economy.  The Academy of Korean Studies’ latest publication series on Korea’s 70-year history since its liberation from Japanese coloni

Dec. 22, 2015

Culture promotion office aims to raise global 'hallyu club' membership

A South Korean culture promotion office said Friday that it aims to increase the number of people joining global "clubs" as it pushes to keep up Korean culture popularity worldwide. KCON, a global ``hallyu'' festival, hosts a k-pop music concert in Los Angles in August. Yonhap   Currently, those joining clubs intended to enjoy Korean culture together are estimated at around 21 million. The office launched by the culture ministry said that it will push to raise the number to 40 million by the end

Dec. 18, 2015