Tours of royal hall at Changdeokgung to open

Free guided tours of the royal hall Injeongjeon at Changdeokgung -- one of the five palaces in Seoul of the Joseon era (1392-1910) -- will run for the entire month of March, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Friday. Existing tours of the palace covering major palace buildings are to add a 15-minute stop for a rare look inside Injeongjeon -- the main hall of the palace, where key royal ceremonies from proclamations to weddings took place. Kings used the hall to discuss day-to-day matters

Feb. 23, 2024

Temple that housed book on Hangeul launches Hangeul awareness group

A South Korean Buddhist temple believed to have housed an old book annotating Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, has launched an awareness group to promote the “power of altruism” behind the writing system King Sejong the Great created in 1443. “Going forward, we will undertake projects to promote the true spirit of Hunminjeongeum,” said the Ven. Beomjong, president of the Hunmin Spirit Globalization Association, referring to the original name for Hangeul at a launch ceremony

Feb. 23, 2024

Lim Yunchan to offer interpretation of Chopin's Etudes in Decca debut album coming in April

Lim Yunchan, the youngest winner ever to win the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, unveiled a single of Chopin’s Op.10 No.3 "Tristesse" earlier this week, offering a sneak peek at his first album on the Decca Classical label. His upcoming album, titled “Chopin: Etudes,” will be released April 19, according to Universal Music Group, Decca’s parent company. The pianist signed an exclusive recording deal with Decca in October last year. “Pianists l

Feb. 23, 2024

[Well-curated] Matcha espresso, salad that eats like meal, Ilya Milstein’s llustration

Try Matcha espresso with tonic water, Financier Koreans love their Americanos, but espresso bars have become more trendy over the last few years, with more than a hundred espresso bars thriving in Seoul's cafe scene. Mulino Espresso Bar, located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, is the rare combination of a strong espresso shot, cool-temperature whipped matcha cream, eye-pleasing pastel green matcha syrup and tonic water to refresh your mouth after your cup is finished. Try pairing it with a sweet and

Feb. 23, 2024

CHA eyes easing rules, bigger outreach

A sweeping overhaul of regulations and broader outreach are the focus of what the Cultural Heritage Administration intends to achieve this year, the state-run agency said Thursday. At an annual briefing to update the public about its latest priorities, CHA chief Choi Eung-chon underscored the new goal of allowing Koreans to enjoy the benefits of the work the agency does. “That’s our new role and value,” Choi said, describing the plan to rename the agency with the phrase “

Feb. 22, 2024

Kakao Entertainment conducts record crackdown on illegal webtoon, web novel distributors

Kakao Entertainment has deleted a record number of illegally distributed webtoons and web novels over a period of seven months, amid continued illegal dissemination of copyrighted works, online, the company said Monday. According to the company's "4th Illegal Distribution Response White Paper" published on Monday, Kakao Entertainment deleted 208 million web novels and webtoons from June to December 2023. Of the deleted materials, Kakao Entertainment's global anti-piracy team,

Feb. 20, 2024

CHA to help with Angkor Wat preservation efforts

The Cultural Heritage Administration will aid Cambodia’s efforts to preserve its signature temple complex Angkor Wat for the next three years starting this year. The latest joint project marks the fifth time Cambodia has sought out such outside help -- following the US, Germany, Italy and Japan -- according to the South Korean agency, which inked a memorandum of understanding with the Apsara National Authority on Monday. “The temple complex is a symbolic cultural heritage site in Cam

Feb. 20, 2024

Son-in-law of CJ Group chair appointed as head of CJ ENM's global biz division

South Korean conglomerate CJ Group's entertainment arm CJ ENM designated Jung Jong-hwan, the son-in-law of the chair of CJ Group Lee Jay-hyun, as the head of the entertainment company's newly created contents and global business division, according to industry sources Monday. Jung previously led the global integration team at CJ Group, before assuming the new role. His main achievements included leading CJ CheilJedang's acquisition of the US food company Schwan's Company, as

Feb. 19, 2024

Visits to historic sites double during Lunar New Year holiday

Historic sites in Seoul connected with the Joseon era (1392-1910) during last week’s four-day Lunar New Year holiday saw more than twice the number of visitors the previous year, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration on Monday. Seoul’s four main royal palaces -- Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung -- and the royal tombs as well as the Jongmyo Shrine drew a total of 534,347 guests, up from 246,022 recorded in the four days from Jan. 21-24 in 2023. C

Feb. 19, 2024

Minister Yu mulls strategies to boost Korea’s image with overseas culture chiefs

Culture Minister Yu In-chon kick-started a four-day meeting Monday with chiefs from the ministry’s overseas cultural centers to discuss interagency coordination on promoting South Korea. Thirty-five cultural center heads and officials from seven promotional centers across 34 countries took part in the in-person gathering in Seoul. The event follows an announcement by the Culture Ministry two weeks ago on the launch of an office to replace the previous cultural agency, which was criticized

Feb. 19, 2024

[Photo News] Busan baseball stadium to get a new look

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Yu in-chon, on Saturday visited the Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan, which is undergoing reconstruction. The reconstruction of Sajik Baseball Stadium is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2026, to be completed in the second half of 2028. In 2021, the city of Busan adopted a joint declaration with the Lotte Giants on the reconstruction and conducted a study to carry out the reconstruction. “This year, we plan to hold discussions with Lotte Grou

Feb. 17, 2024

Tapas, aiming to tap potential in N. America, unveils winners of first romance web novel contest

Tapas Entertainment, a North America-based web novel and webtoon platform, announced 15 winners of its romance web novel contest, its parent company Kakao Entertainment said Friday. The “True Love on Tapas” competition ran for approximately two months starting from October last year, with 15 entries selected out of a total of 264 submissions. It took place as part of Kakao Entertainment's strategy to strengthen its web novel expansion in North America this year. Despite being in

Feb. 16, 2024

Star pianists Cho Seong-jin, Lim Yun-chan to return to Carnegie Hall next year

Two of South Korea’s best-known pianists, Cho Jeong-jin and Lim Yun-chan are to return to Carnegie Hall next year. As part of Carnegie Hall’s Great Artists series, Cho, the first prize winner of the 2015 International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland, will celebrate the 150th birthday of Ravel by performing the composer’s complete solo piano works on Feb. 5, 2025. It will mark the pianist’s fourth performance at the hall since his debut there in 2022, stepping

Feb. 16, 2024

[Well-curated] LP cafe, Pinkfong Baby Shark pop-up store and action painting studio

A cup of coffee and music If you find yourself walking the Namsan trail to enjoy the last few weeks of winter, you may come across a small, serene cafe full of music and the aroma of coffee. With the motto "All you need is music and more coffee," Illuso Coffee has a selection of LP albums, turntables and music-related props. The cafe is located in a narrow building, so the space is not large, but if you climb the narrow stairs, there is seating space available up to the third floor. T

Feb. 16, 2024

Heritage agency-run school to help Egypt’s cultural preservation efforts

The Korea National University of Cultural Heritage, run by the Cultural Heritage Administration, plans to help Egypt preserve its cultural heritage, starting by digitizing records as part of a five-year project the school started last year. Through December, KNUCH will finish setting up a center within the Manial Palace Museum in Cairo that will keep digital replicas of key pieces of cultural heritage currently housed in six state-run institutions in the Egyptian capital. The antiquities to be d

Feb. 13, 2024

[Herald Interview] Kim Ho-young performs as Angel in 'Rent' for final time

When musical actor Kim Ho-young was named the best supporting actor at the 8th Korean Musical Awards last month for his role as Angel in the musical “Rent,” he came to the stage for his acceptance speech with a mysterious bag. Instead of simply calling out the names of people to whom he was thankful, Kim selected two names from the bag to receive his gratitude on behalf of everyone he wished to acknowledge, transforming the moment into a vibrant celebration with his trademark wit a

Feb. 13, 2024

Paju attractions open during Lunar New Year holiday

Paju, a city some 40 kilometers northwest of Seoul, looks to attract visitors during the Lunar New Year holiday when many stores, restaurants and travel spots are closed. Tourist sites located near the banks of the Imjin River in Paju, including the Imjingak Peace Gondola, DMZ LIVE Experience Hall and Dokgae Bridge, will be open without any schedule changes. The gondolas will be free for those aged 80 or older. From Feb. 10 to 11, visitors can experience Korean traditional games for free. The Na

Feb. 10, 2024

Govt. mandates 'holdback period' for govt.-funded films

The culture ministry has recently mandated films receiving government funding must wait a certain period after their silver screen debut before becoming available on IPTVs and streaming platforms. The so-called holdback period was specified as a condition for new Korean films receiving government funding in a public notice posted on Jan. 31 for the funding program, ministry officials said Friday. Details of the holdback period have yet to be disclosed. However, officials said the ministry intend

Feb. 9, 2024

[Well-curated] Traditional New Year festivities, clean cup of espresso and writing in solitude

New Year's festival at Namsangol Hanok Village Step into the heart of Korean culture at the Namsangol Hanok Village’s New Year’s festival, a vibrant celebration that takes place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday to Sunday. Throughout the weekend, visitors can engage in a variety of traditional Korean games. Start with a fortune-telling session using yut, a traditional board game played, offering a glimpse into the fortunes for the year. Visitor can write their wishes on the wish tree. A

Feb. 9, 2024

[Herald Interview] Jeong Sun-ah reflects on return to stage after becoming a mom

Musical actor Jeong Sun-ah burst into tears as she was declared the best lead actor at the Korean Musical Awards on Jan. 15 for her performance in “If/then.” The award came after a turbulent two years for the actor, who recently became a mom, and harbored doubts over whether she could return to the stage. "Even as I get older, (and as I became a mom), I wanted to prove that with effort, it's possible to (improve),” Jeong, 39, told reporters during an interview on Jan.

Feb. 8, 2024