[Visual History of Korea] Ancient Koreans and their most vivid rock carvings of whaling

The Neolithic Age in Korean history and civilization refers to the period from about 8,000 to 1,500 BC, when ancient Koreans used comb-patterned pottery. Hence it is also called the comb-patterned pottery period, in reference to the combware, the main pottery type of the Korean Neolithic Period. People have been whaling since the Neolithic Age in Korea, according to the most vivid rock carvings of whaling left by ancient Koreans. Of the 90 species of whales in the world, some 40 species of whal

Feb. 5, 2022

[Well-curated] When you just can’t get enough of zombie flicks

If you finished watching Netflix’s “All of Us Are Dead” and still feel like you need more, drop by the series’ pop-up zone at Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam in Banpo-dong this weekend. The pop-up zone, which runs until Sunday, is inspired by the 12-part series that was released on Jan. 28. The zone is open from noon to 9 p.m.  Since most of the Netflix show is filmed in a high school, the zone has many photo spots that feature a school theme. One of the most po

Feb. 4, 2022

Meet Egyptian treasures in Korea

Lovers of ancient history have another full month to view a large collection of Egyptian artifacts in Seoul. The National Museum of Korea’s Egyptian exhibit, organized jointly with the Brooklyn Museum in the US, a museum known to hold significant Egyptian artifacts, has been extended until March 1, according to the NMK. The exhibition, titled “Story of Life, Death, and Resurrection,” is being held at the national museum’s World Art Gallery, which opened in December 20

Feb. 2, 2022

[Photo News] Lunar New Year in Indonesia

Asian communities all around the world welcome the Lunar New Year on Feb. 1. Lunar New Year is particularly celebrated in East Asia, influenced by the Chinese New Year and the Chinese calendar.  According to the Chinese Zodiac, there are 12 different animals that represent each year in rotation. 2022 is the Year of the Tiger.  A man cleans a statue of Buddha at a temple in Jakarta on Jan. 26. A Chinese god statue is cleaned at the Kwan In Thang Temple on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indon

Feb. 1, 2022

Can the Korean language survive the invasion of English loanwords?

When a North Korean defector fled back to the North after jumping over the heavily fortified inter-Korean border fence in January, many headlines described the incident as a “jump defection.” Though a similar incident has occurred in the past, the use of the term became widespread in the media only this month, according to Google Trends. “Gaslighting,” loosely defined as the act of making someone question their reality by manipulating facts, also skyrocketed in usage ear

Feb. 1, 2022

Spend Seollal with traditional activities

Ever wondered how Koreans in ancient times -- for some of us, our ancestors -- spent Seollal? For curious souls, three Seollal events that showcase traditional culture and crafts are happening around central Seoul, where one can partake in the spirit of Seollal by learning, experiencing and, for the most part, having fun.  Although events have partially moved online due to the worsening pandemic situation, there are still many opportunities to participate in festivals and events. Details

Jan. 31, 2022

On your own this Seollal?

Koreans might have left on an exodus for their hometowns for the Lunar New Year holiday, or Seollal, before the COVID-19 era. But the growing concerns about the rapid spread of the omicron variant and the upsurge in the number of infections may lead many Koreans, expats and travelers to scratch their heads as to how to spend their Seollal weekend, without leaving their homes. Though you may not be eating a bowl of tteokguk, or rice-cake soup, or enjoying the Lunar New Year surrdounded by family

Jan. 30, 2022

[Weekender] Making tteokguk gets trendy in pandemic times

Yu Kyoung-suk found joy by making special tteokguk, or rice cake soup, this year. As the year became 2022, he came up with a fancy tteokguk -- topped with flower-shaped dumplings and jidan (egg garnish) -- to share with his wife and their two sons. He squeezed juice from beets and carrots to add colors to the dumpling dough to make a special tteokguk this year. “When the New Year comes, Koreans eat tteokguk made using rice cake slices from garaetteok (a stick of long rice cake) which sy

Jan. 30, 2022

[Visual History of Korea] Jeju haenyeo, an extreme job putting fresh seafood on our tables

On Jeju, Korea’s largest island, it’s common for women to wear the pants in the family. For a long time, the Jeju women, many of whom are primary income earners for their households, are literally responsible for putting seafood on our tables. Jeju haenyeo, which roughly translates to “women of the sea,” are free-diving seafood gatherers who can hold their breaths for long periods as they harvest from the sea floor. “They used to call us ‘jomnyeo’ whic

Jan. 29, 2022

Lee Yong-kwan to continue as BIFF chair

The Busan International Film Festival decided to renew Lee Yong-kwan’s term as chairman in an extraordinary general meeting held Thursday at the Busan Cinema Center‘s BIFF Hill. Lee will lead the annual film festival for the next four years. As one of the founding members of the BIFF in 1996, Lee has held several posts at the organization, including programmer-in-chief, vice-director and director of the board before being appointed as chair of the board in 2018. “Not only has

Jan. 28, 2022

[Well-curated] Long holiday perfect for a bit of indulgence

If you are interested in learning about Joseon, the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, watching local broadcaster JTBC’s period drama “My Country: The New Age” (2019) via its official website or streaming platforms Netflix and Tving might be the perfect way to spend your weekend. The series, a fictional story based on historical facts, centers around characters who led the charge to establish a new kingdom at the end of the Goryeo period. Aside from the political rivalry between

Jan. 28, 2022

Lifestyles of the rich and the famous: why do we care

Just after midnight on Tuesday, YouTuber Song Ji-ah -- better known for her channel name FreeZia -- posted a public apology for the recent controversy surrounding her wearing fake designer label clothes and accessories in her videos and on TV. It was after nearly a fortnight of criticism, which on the surface seems like a disproportionate amount of fuss over something far from being important. She wore some fake items, so what? That’s not a state crime. What lies behind the anger, howeve

Jan. 27, 2022

Supporting artists on top of the agenda at Seoul arts foundation

The Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture unveiled plans to build a stronger support system for artists impacted by the lingering pandemic. Under this year’s slogan, “Together with art, standing beside citizens,” the SFAC announced its three top items on the agenda and 10 action plans of the year at a press conference at the SFAC Daehangno Center, Wednesday. The three items call for diversifying support policies for artists, vitalizing cultural programs for Seoul residents a

Jan. 26, 2022

ASEAN youths pick S. Korea as most trustworthy country: survey

Young adults of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states picked South Korea as the most trustworthy country among all of the countries around the globe, a survey showed Tuesday. The ASEAN-Korea Centre conducted the survey of 1,800 young people in nine ASEAN nations, excluding Myanmar, 500 young people from 10 ASEAN countries living in South Korea and 100 Korean young people between August and September of last year. The participants were between the ages of 19 and 34.

Jan. 25, 2022

[Herald Interview] Bringing Korean content to the world

In the six months since Kwak Hyo-hwan took the helm of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea , there have been swift changes at the 26-year-old institution, according to staff. Over the last half-year, Kwak has established a new vision for the organization‘s future, believing that the LTI Korea has a bigger role to play, not only for Korean literature but also in making other Korean content popular internationally. His goals for the organization include transforming it into a comp

Jan. 25, 2022

K-content industry sets another export record in 2020 at $11.92 billion

South Korean contents enjoyed robust demand overseas in 2020, defying the overall decline in exports and tepid growth in the domestic market, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism data showed on Monday. A 2021 research study on the cultural content industry which encompasses 11 sub-areas showed that the exports in 2020 jumped 16.3 percent to $11.92 billion from the previous year. “Exports of cultural contents have been setting a new record each year, but this time it is worth n

Jan. 24, 2022

Timeless writing system from 1446

Hunminjeongeum, th Korean writing system created in 1443 and promulgated in a book format in 1446 by King Sejong, was made with the intention of developing “the proper sound for instructing the people.” On Friday, the National Hangeul Museum launched “Hunminjeongeum, The Design of a Writing System Beyond Millennia,” its first permanent exhibition since it opened in 2014. Designated as a national treasure of Korea in 1962 and inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the Wo

Jan. 24, 2022

Joseon queens lived 51 years on average: study

Queens of the Joseon era (1392-1910) had an average life span of 51 years and were outlived by royal concubines by an average six years, a new study has found. According to Lee Mi-seon, a researcher at the Academy of Korean Studies, queens lived longer than kings, whose average life span has been estimated to be 47 by other scholars. Compared to women from the noble class of that era, who lived to 45 on average, the queens also had a considerably longer life. But they were outlived by the

Jan. 23, 2022

Ancient Egyptian temple to be restored by S. Korea

Beginning next year, South Korea will work on the restoration of the pylon and the access road of the Ramesseum, a mortuary temple of Pharaoh Ramses 2, located across from the modern city of Luxor in Upper Egypt, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration on Sunday. Kim Hyun-mo, head of the Cultural Heritage Administration and Mostafa Waziry, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, signed a memorandum of understanding for exchanges and cooperation on the two n

Jan. 23, 2022

Thousands of aggrieved monks stage protest against government’s perceived religious bias

  Thousands of Buddhist monks from across the nation gathered in Seoul on Friday to protest against the “religious bias” that they claim is prevalent within the Moon Jae-in’s government. An estimated 5000 monks demanded an apology from President Moon Jae-in for ”religious bias and discrimination” during the protest which took place at Jogyesa, the chief temple of South Korea‘s largest Buddhist sect, the Jogye Order. They also called for the introduction

Jan. 21, 2022