[Weekender] How open is Korea to men’s makeup?

Male makeup could be the beauty world’s next big thing. And Korean men are leading that revolution as the world’s top consumers of grooming products, according to data and surveys. Men with flawless skin and colors on their eyes and lips often appear on TV here. It has even become the norm for male K-pop celebrities to apply makeup on their full face.  But off-screen, how open is Korea to male makeup? “For me, a little something to fix the complexion is OK, but eye an

Nov. 8, 2019

[Weekender] Male shoppers gripped by lure of luxury

Lotte Department Store threw a party for some 200 of its VIP customers last month. About 10 luxury brands, including watchmaker IWC and designer clothing brand Thom Browne, set up booths, and models presented top styles for the upcoming season at a mini fashion show. Only men with annual purchases of over 100 million won ($86,485) were invited. Gone are the days when men were just an afterthought for retailers. They are emerging as power shoppers who exercise their spending power with a new sens

Nov. 8, 2019

Foreign envoys get a glimpse of Korea’s architectural tradition

Kim Bong-ryol, president of Korean National University of Arts, gave a lecture on the history of wooden architecture in Korea, at the Hungarian ambassador’s residence in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday. Organized by the Corea Image Communication Institute, a private institution that promotes Korean culture around the world, the event was attended by 26 participants, including Hungarian Ambassador Mozes Csoma, Kuwaiti Ambassador Bader Mohammad Al-Awadi and New Zealand Ambassador Philip Tuner.

Nov. 6, 2019

19th century Korean Buddhist painting returns home

A 19th century Korean Buddhist painting has returned home after being lost more than half a century ago. On Tuesday, the Jogye Order, South Korea’s largest Buddhist sect, displayed the painting at the Memorial Hall of Korean Buddhist History and Culture. The large-sized 1891 painting by Joseon-era Buddhist monk-painter the Ven. Minkyu, titled “Guardian Deities of Beomeosa Temple,” depicts multiple guardian deities. The piece, originally owned by Beomeosa, a Buddhist temple

Nov. 5, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] From BTS to Netflix and beyond, culture offers key to future in Asia

Technology may spearhead the progress of mankind, but with so many around the world mesmerized by Walt Disney, who can underestimate the power of the mouse? The ASEAN-ROK Culture Innovation Summit, a forum to discuss and celebrate cultural contents as a driving force for growth, are set to be held later this month on the sidelines of the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in Busan.The host nation of South Korea and the participating Association of Southeast Asian Nations members will talk about how

Nov. 4, 2019

Seoul Lantern Festival to light up city center this week

An annual lantern festival will light up the Seoul city center this week with mulberry paper lanterns in the shape of widely loved fairy-tale characters, the city government said Thursday. The 2019 Seoul Lantern Festival will kick off on Friday for a 17-day run over the Cheonggye Stream that runs through the city center, according to the city.Twenty-three mulberry paper lanterns representing well-known Korean and world fairy-tale characters, including the Little Prince, Aladdin and Alice from &q

Nov. 1, 2019

[Herald Interview] Aging with grace, musical ‘Aida’ begins final run Nov. 13

When “Aida” landed in Korea in 2005, musicals were not as popular as they are now, talent not as abundant and licensed local productions of hit Broadway shows not as big a business. Fourteen years, 732 performances and 730,000 audience members later, anticipation for the musical’s final run -- to kick off Nov. 13 at Blue Square Interpark Hall in central Seoul -- is running high. It runs through Feb. 23, 2020.“It’s pretty amazing to think that it was almost 15 years

Oct. 31, 2019

Hungarian surgeon's photos capture dying days of Joseon era

Among Korean men dressed in white traditional garments and women covered with pale green cloak-shaped headgear, Japanese walk in geta, traditional Japanese wooden sandals. Brand new Japanese and German-style houses stand out amid aged Korean homes. These were what Hungarian doctor Dezso Bozoky photographed in 1908 when Korea was undergoing modernization under pressure from Japan, just two years before the country was formally annexed by Japan. As a medical officer, Dezso Bozoky traveled around E

Oct. 28, 2019

[Weekender] Tea ceremony that draws young sippers

Though the word “dado,” meaning a traditional tea ceremony, may not sound like much fun, it has become a trending practice among young people here, as they seek inner peace and Instagram-worthy shots at the same time. More tea shops are opening across Seoul, branding themselves as cultural complexes that offer more than just a cup of tea. Teaching the art of dado, they offer extra activities such as public lectures, yoga classes and more.One of the highly sought-after tea places is M

Oct. 25, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea Summit] S. Korea, ASEAN culture ministers vow to expand cooperation in culture

Culture ministers of South Korea and 10 Southeast Asian nations on Thursday vowed to promote cultural diversity and discover creative content for future generations in the regions.The joint statement was issued on the final day of the two-day culture ministers meeting of South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations held in the southwestern city of Gwangju.“The South Korean and ASEAN culture ministers will cooperate in promoting diversity of cultural expression and discovering

Oct. 24, 2019

Some 400 Korean artifacts on show in Poland, first in Eastern Europe

The exhibition “Splendor and Finesse: Spirit and Substance in Korean Art” is a special one for Yang Seung-mee, the National Museum of Korea curator who put it together. This is the first large-scale exhibition of Korean art in Eastern Europe.The exhibition, which opened at the National Museum in Warsaw on Oct. 11 and runs until Jan. 12, features 391 artifacts from five stages of Korean history: prehistory, the Three Kingdoms (57 BC-AD 668), Unified Silla (668-918), Goryeo (918-1392)

Oct. 24, 2019

18th-century Joseon court makeup offers clues about ‘K-beauty’

An exhibition at the National Palace Museum of Korea shows the style of makeup favored by the Joseon royal family during the 18th century and offers hints at how it may have influenced today’s globally popular “K-beauty.” The exhibition, titled “Princess Hwahyeop and Her Makeup,” displays relics discovered in a recent excavation of the princess’s tomb, where 12 containers were found with cosmetic substances inside -- along with combs, a bronze mirror and an ep

Oct. 22, 2019

[Feature] Where is South Korea’s ‘Star Wars’?

With stories of intergalactic warfare, robots gone rogue and distant alien civilizations, science fiction remains one of the world’s most popular literary genres, gripping readers with its ability to integrate technological change and innovation into fantastical stories. It is curious then that South Korea, heralded as one of the most technologically innovative countries in the 21st century, has yet to find its foundation in the genre. While neighboring countries China and Japan have seen

Oct. 21, 2019

[Weekender] Pets onboard

South Korea’s first pet taxi startup began with co-founder Park Nara’s personal experience of an emergency vet visit back in 2015. Her dog needed to be taken to a vet immediately, but no taxi would take her and the dog. She had to run in the end. The next year Pet Me Up was launched, aiming to respond to the travel needs of dogs, cats and other companion animals and their owners. “It is estimated that nearly 1 in 5 Korean households own pets, but many still face difficulties li

Oct. 18, 2019

[Weekender] A kindergarten for puppies

It is just like any kindergarten for kids. A place for playing and learning, a chance to build social skills and a guarantee of safety and well-being while their main caretakers are away. Except for the sound of dogs barking in unison.  Happy Puppy in Seoul’s Nonhyeon-dong is one of the many “dog kindergartens” that have popped up in Seoul in recent years. When this reporter visited, about 25 furry friends were there. “If they hadn’t come, they would have staye

Oct. 18, 2019

[Weekender] Smart gadgets make pet parenting easier

Technology is making our lives easier. So why not make our pets’ lives easier too? Evolving technology and creative new ideas are bringing changes in pet parenting, with a dazzling array of smart products that make feeding your pets, playing with them and watching them from afar easier. Pet gadgets, some too gimmicky for a mainstream push, come mostly from small tech startups -- but big home appliance brands are going pet-friendly too, introducing new functions to existing products. I

Oct. 18, 2019

[Weekender] Pet care industry thrives with creative services

An aging dog gets acupuncture treatment for its aching joints. A young puppy attends a “dog kindergarten” two to three days a week to nurture social skills. With nearly 1 in 5 Korean households owning pets and many treating them as full-fledged members of the family, a pampered pooch is no longer restricted to Hollywood celebrities. Korea’s fast evolving pet scene is churning out creative new products and services from smart pet trackers to nonalcoholic pet beers. Pet care

Oct. 18, 2019

[Eye Plus] Seonyudo, a place of peace and tranquility inside Seoul

Seonyudo is one of several natural islands on the Han River in Seoul. Located west of Yeouido -- the biggest of those islands -- it is a popular destination for those seeking peace and tranquility inside the concrete jungle of Seoul. The 110,400-square-meter island was the site of a water treatment plant for more than two decades, until the facility closed in 2000. City officials decided to turn it into an urban park, and Seonyudo Park opened to the public in 2002. Its current look is the w

Oct. 17, 2019

[Photo News] Fortress festival kicks off

Children pose for pictures with a contraption used for punishment in the Joseon era during the Haemieupseong Fortress Festival in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, on Friday.  The “juri” punishment, often featured in period dramas set in the era, involves breaking a person’s legs by tightening two pieces of wood.  Running through Sunday, the festival introduces folk culture and the history of the fortress through performances and hands-on activities.The old Army pos

Oct. 11, 2019

[Eye Plus] Racecourse Park in Gwacheon

Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, is South Korea’s horse-racing capital. At the Racecourse Park Subway Station, the compound of the Korea Racing Authority, the country’s sole race administrator, boasts the nation’s largest thoroughbred flat tracks with a 450-meter home stretch and two grandstands accommodating over 70,000 people. Originally built for the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, it covers more than 1.1 million square meters, with two artificial sandy tracks, sable areas for

Oct. 11, 2019