Overseas Joseon era paintings on display at National Palace Museum

Joseon era paintings that are currently in possession of institutions outside of South Korea will be revealed to the public via a special exhibition, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Tuesday. Titled “Restoring the Legacy of Korean Paintings,” the exhibition will run from Wednesday through Oct. 13 at the National Palace Museum of Korea, showcasing a total of nine paintings and three embroidery screens dating from the early Joseon era (1392–1897) to the early 20th centur

Sept. 10, 2019

Tune in for peace on the peninsula ... hopefully

PAJU, Gyeonggi Province -- “Tracks: To Pyeongyang” inscribed on signs at Dorasan Station was both a symbol of hope for peace on the Korean Peninsula and a reminder that it has yet to come.Just a stone’s throw away from the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, the station currently serves merely as an arrival spot for peace-themed tourism to the de facto border between the two Koreas. But its facilities and location means it could potentially serve as an international train sto

Sept. 9, 2019

Short films to be produced to promote S. Korea’s image

Three young directors will create short films that will depict unique aspects of South Korea, in a bid by the government to provide a fresh new image of the country to the outside world.According to the Korean Culture and Information Service, an affiliate of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, directors Oh Seung-yoon, Lee Dong-eun and Shin Su-won will participate in the joint project of creating a three-part omnibus.  Oh, whose most notable works include 2018 animation film “

Sept. 9, 2019

Royal palaces and tombs open doors to all during Chuseok

Joseon-era landmarks of royal tombs and palaces in Seoul and adjacent areas will be open free of charge during the upcoming Chuseok holidays, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Tuesday.This measure applies to the palaces Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung and Changgyeonggung along with Jongmyo Shrine, all located in the center of Seoul in Jung-gu and Jongno, from Sept. 12-15. Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty, registered as on the UNESCO World Heritage list and distributed across th

Sept. 3, 2019

Perfume brand launches cologne for pets

Local perfume brand Edenique has launched a label exclusively for pets. Comoella Puppy Label comprises three types of cologne approved as quasi-drugs for animals. The scents were inspired by lavender, lilac and apple mango. The products are being sold through online channels and offline shops for pet-related products. According to the brand, they are set to be exported to Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, the US, Brazil and more.  “Components harmful for humans are harmful to animals,

Aug. 30, 2019

Korea, Japan, China vow cultural cooperation despite diplomatic spat

Despite diplomatic and trade tension between Korea and Japan, the two countries, along with China, laid the groundwork Friday for cultural cooperation over the next 10 years.Culture Minister Park Yang-woo and his counterparts Masahiko Shibayama and Luo Shugang signed the Incheon Declaration containing the 10-year vision during the 11th annual meeting of cultural ministers of the three countries in Incheon. The declaration stated that the conference -- first held in China in 2007 -- has contribut

Aug. 30, 2019

[Herald Interview] Fine lines and finer art 　

To call Kim Kyeong-ho a master calligrapher seems like an understatement. His transcriptions of the sutras, the Buddha’s teachings, lead viewers to wonder about the limits of human ability. Ultrathin lines no thicker than a fraction of 1 millimeter form intricate designs and paintings that decorate the scripts. One such example depicts Buddha figures, almost invisible if not scrutinized with a magnifying glass, hidden inside minuscule pagodas. “I did this many years ago. I

Aug. 30, 2019

Indie-AniFest 2019 to celebrate past, present of animation

Organizers for the 15th Korea Independent Animation Film Festival on Thursday introduced this year’s opening film, the “relay animation” project and other programs for the annual festival.The Indie-AniFest, hosted by the Korean Independent Animation Filmmakers Association and organized by Indie-AniFest Executive Committee will take place at CGV Myeongdong Station Cine Library on Sept. 19-24. It features animation films produced in Asian countries -- or have at least one Asian c

Aug. 29, 2019

Multicultural Family Music Broadcasting celebrates 11th anniversary

Multicultural Family Music Broadcasting celebrated on Wednesday its 11th anniversary at its broadcasting station in Seodaemun, Seoul.The broadcaster was launched by Woongjin Foundation, a public service foundation chaired by former Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Shin Hyun-woong, with Korea’s growing migrant population as target audience. According to the foundation, there are currently about 2.37 million migrants in Korea. The Multicultural Family broadcasts are available in

Aug. 29, 2019

Art-filled staycation at JW Marriott Dongdaemun

Riding the staycation wave, JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul presents the Artractive Holiday package for the Chuseok holidays.The package offers three tickets to L’Atelier, an exhibition hall in Dongdaemun, featuring works by leading 19th century artists, including Vincent Van Gogh. Located in nearby Hyundai City Tower, L‘Atelier is less than a 10-minute walk from the hotel. L’Atelier, an experience-oriented art theme park, features famous paintings in light displays, allowi

Aug. 27, 2019

[Eye Plus] Money talks

Much like Korea’s tumultuous modern history, its currency, the won, has had its fair share of ups and downs. Part of the story can be found at the Bank of Korea Money Museum, located at the former BOK building with over 20,000 Korean and foreign banknotes, coins and tokens. On display are some historic forms of currency from the Korean Peninsula accompanied by their stories, such as the only legal coin of the Joseon era (1392-1910), Sangpyeong Tongbo. The economy of the Joseon er

Aug. 26, 2019

Buddhist activities to be offered at Insa-dong cultural festival

The Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism, an affiliate of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, is offering a variety of events connected with its Templestay program at this week’s 32nd Insadong International Culture Expo. The annual event takes place Aug. 29 to Sept. 2 on the main street of Insa-dong, central Seoul, where vendors in the area will showcase the traditional appeal of the historic district. During the expo, the Buddhist institution will operate a booth from 1 to 5 p.m. every

Aug. 25, 2019

Culture, tourism ministers of S. Korea, China, Japan to meet in Incheon next week

Culture and tourism ministers of South Korea, China and Japan will hold their annual meeting in Incheon, west of Seoul, next week, the South Korean culture ministry said Saturday.Culture Ministers Park Yang-woo of South Korea and Luo Shugang of China, as well as Japan's Masahiko Shibayama and Keiichi Ishii, in charge of the country's culture and tourism ministries, respectively, will gather in Incheon for the three-day event set to kick off Thursday, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports

Aug. 24, 2019

[Herald Interview] Behind Korea’s first shamanism museum, a folklorist’s lifelong devotion

At first, it seemed the museum was in the wrong place. Traditional wooden architecture standing smack in the middle of a new residential town, the Museum of Shamanism appears out of place among the towering apartment buildings around it. It has no space even for a parking lot. Ironically, though, this might be the location most befitting a building dedicated to shamanism -- which, despite being deeply ingrained in Korean society, is dismissed by many as a backward relic of the past and demonized

Aug. 23, 2019

[Weekender] Korea’s vegan scene, through eyes of an expat

The following is a Korea Herald copy editor’s personal account of her encounters with the local vegan community. The writer, a vegan since the early 1990s, has lived in Korea for more than 15 years. -- Ed. It was Aug. 7, three days before “A Piece of Vegan Festival” at Seoul Innovation Park in Eunpyeong, northwestern Seoul. One of the organizers, Kang So-yang, posted a picture of the venue on Facebook. Some rooms still had signs left behind by the previous occupants, reading &l

Aug. 23, 2019

‘Moon Palace’ highlights ‘Korea in Denmark’ exhibition in Copenhagen

Wolseong (Moon Palace), a now-destroyed royal dwelling of the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C.-A.D. 935), is now the subject of a Danish exhibition held to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.The Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage of the Cultural Heritage Administration, along with Gyeongju City, has been hosting the exhibition “Korea in Denmark - Welcome to the Moon Palace: Wolseong” at the Nikolaj Kunsthal in Copenhagen, Denmar

Aug. 19, 2019

Special festival recreates major intangible Korean cultural assets in Seoul

A special festival in central Seoul will showcase the essence of some internationally recognized traditional Korean performing arts, the culture ministry said Friday.    The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in collaboration with the Korean Traditional Performing Arts Foundation, will host the festival, whose title translates as "Great Inheritance Meets Today," from Aug. 31 to Sept. 21 on the premises of the National Museum of Korea.     The upc

Aug. 16, 2019

[Eye Plus] Japanese colonial history in Korea at a glance

On Thursday, a national holiday marking Korea’s independence from Japanese colonial rule on Aug. 15, 1945, the Museum of Japanese Colonial History in Korea was very crowded with visitors wanting to better understand the history of the two neighboring countries amid a deepening diplomatic and trade rift. The two-story museum, which sits in a small alley in Yongsan, central Seoul, opened in August last year through donations from the public, civic groups and academics. It exhibits the h

Aug. 15, 2019

[Anniversary Special] 21 years after ‘Japanese invasion,’ Korean pop culture stronger than ever

JYP Entertainment said Monday that Twice has received platinum certification in the Japanese market for its fourth and fifth singles, meaning the girl group has sold at least 250,000 copies of every single released in the country.Since South Korea opened its gates to Japanese pop culture in 1998, the two countries have exchanged cultural content. But over the past years, South Korea has been more successful in selling its content to Japan than vice versa.According to the Korea Creative Content A

Aug. 14, 2019

[Weekender] Come fly with me

Even preteens can enjoy thrill of skydiving within air-blasting tunnel It looked like I wasn’t in Kansas anymore. The ferocious funnel of wind swept me off my feet, out of Seoul, and into Maseong-ri, Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, where I sat inside Fly Station Korea, waiting to experience what is called indoor skydiving.Fly Station Korea, just a five-minute drive away from Everland theme park, is the only place in South Korea that offers indoor skydiving programs, operated every day from 10 a

Aug. 8, 2019