Poetry plaque linked to freedom fighter repatriated from Japan

The Korea Heritage Service on Wednesday repatriated a poem plaque created by the father of Korean independence fighter Song Jin-woo from Japan, which ruled Korea between 1910 and 1945. The Johyeon Myogagun plaque is believed to have been made between the mid-19th century and early 20th century. On it is a poem by Song Hun, who wanted to mark the establishment of “myogak,” a hall set up next to a tomb for rituals, in Johyeon -- the old name for areas now known as Gwangdeok-ri in Jeoll

June 19, 2024

Billie Eilish to make Korean TV debut with 'The Seasons - Zico's Artist'

Global pop sensation Billie Eilish is set to make her debut appearance on Korean television this Friday by appearing as a guest on KBS music talk show "The Seasons - Zico's Artist." According to KBS, Eilish's segment was recorded at KBS headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on Tuesday. "The Seasons," a successor to the popular music talk show "Yoo Hee-yeol's Sketchbook," invites popular musicians and celebrities for talks and performances. The show is now i

June 19, 2024

Olive trees, poems at Park No-hae photo exhibition

A photo exhibition titled "Beneath the Olive Tree," featuring 37 photographs by poet and photographer Park No-hae, is currently running at the Ra Cafe Gallery in Jongno, central Seoul. Best known for his 1984 collection of poems "Dawn of Labor," Park is a revolutionary-turned-poet and photographer who emerged as an icon of resistance during the repressive 1980s. The exhibition showcases photographs taken between 2005 and 2008, capturing olive trees in various locations such a

June 19, 2024

Musical weeks kick off with international market and festival

Musicals are at the center of attention this week as two major events bring together domestic and international musical production companies, performers, experts and investors in Seoul and Daegu. On Tuesday, the K-Musical Market, an annual event launched in 2021 to promote Korean original musicals internationally, kicked off with a forum on the latest trends in musical markets in Asia. The event serves as a platform for participants to share information on overseas expansion, local developme

June 19, 2024

Infamy as fashion trend catalyst

In the ever-shifting realm of fashion trends, a public dispute between K-pop tastemaker Min Hee-jin and her company, Hybe, has inadvertently launched an unconventional style statement. Min, CEO of Hybe subsidiary Ador, found herself embroiled in controversy in April when Hybe filed a breach-of-trust complaint against her with police. However, it wasn't just the legal battle that captured public attention. Min's attire during her April press conference, in which she swung between a te

June 19, 2024

Korea aims to boost content industry to world's top 4 by 2027

Recognizing the content industry as the country’s next growth engine, South Korea on Tuesday unveiled a series of strategies to support the content industry, including opening up policy funds to global capital. For the next five years, the government plans to inject funds totaling 3.4 trillion won ($2.5 billion), which includes 2.4 trillion won for the cultural account of the Fund of Funds, which pursues both profitability and public interest, and 1 trillion won for the K-Content and Media

June 18, 2024

[Better Together] Cherishing the human-canine bond

ILSAN, Gyeonggi Province -- Hamggehagae is a club of dog shelter volunteers who have come together to care for abandoned dogs. Some are dog owners, some have no experience with dogs. Moon Seung-bae, 40, who has been leading some 300 club members since 2020, shared that the group wishes to be of even the smallest help to the dogs, which deserve to be loved and happy. “Hamggehagae has been doing different kinds of work related to abandoned dogs, ranging from building and maintaining dog shel

June 18, 2024

Govt. announces multiministry plan to ramp up foreign tourists

South Korea aims to enhance the entire experience for foreign tourists, from streamlining entry procedures to providing diverse tourist programs, the government announced Monday. The measures aim to address the slow recovery of tourism revenue -- the amount that inbound visitors pay for goods and services in the country -- despite the fast rebound of the number of tourists. According to the Korea Tourism Organization Thursday, the number of foreign tourists visiting the country stood at 4.86 m

June 17, 2024

National library to open ‘Korea space’ in Taiwan

The state-run National Library of Korea will open a space dedicated to learning about Korea at the Chinese Culture University in Taiwan in December. So far 35 such spaces have opened globally. “Window on Korea,” a space that opened this week at the National University of Mongolia, contains some 1,500 books about Korea. The university was the first to launch a department on the Korean language in 1991, and currently offers degrees in Korean interpretation and translation as well as Ko

June 14, 2024

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Moxy Seoul Myeongdong presents new summer package ‘Summer Vibes’ Moxy Seoul Myeongdong, located in Jung-gu, central Seoul, offers “Summer Vibes” for its guests’ delightful stay filled with great benefits. This promotion includes a one-night stay in a queen (or double) bed, free welcome drinks, a breakfast buffet for two guests and South Korea’s popular “chimaek,” a combination of “chicken” and maekju (beer). Relaxing on picnic mats with

June 14, 2024

Yunmin of Touched makes history with 9 wins on ‘King of Masked Singers’

Yunmin, the lead vocalist of the prominent South Korean band Touched, has made a significant mark on “King of Masked Singers” by achieving nine consecutive wins, a milestone not seen in nine years. “King of Masked Singers,” which has been airing on MBC since 2015, is a singing competition where singers and celebrities wear masks, leaving behind their careers and fame to compete solely based on their voice and singing ability. Yunmin maintained her top position from mid-Ja

June 13, 2024

Ko Eun-kyung, the visionary behind the emergence of model-turned-actors

In today's Korean fashion scene, the trajectory of models diverges significantly from their overseas counterparts. Korean models undergo rigorous training from the outset, coached at specialized fashion model academies to not only excel on the runway but also to showcase talents in acting, dancing, or singing, reminiscent of K-pop trainees. At the forefront of this innovative approach stands Ko Eun-kyung, the CEO of Kplus. She founded the company as a model management agency in 2008 and s

June 12, 2024

Actor speaks out on ‘Burning Sun’ scandal rumor

Go Joon-hee once again expressed feelings of unfairness and denied involvement in the Burning Sun scandal that resurfaced after the BBC released a related documentary on May 19. The actor, known for her roles in 2015 film "Intimate Enemies" and 2019 thriller TV series "Possessed," on Tuesday appeared as a guest on the YouTube show “Don’t Forget Your Breakfast,” where she said, “I don’t even know where Burning Sun is at and I have never been the

June 12, 2024

BTS' Jin first in group to complete military service

Jin of K-pop phenomenon BTS was discharged from his one year and six months of military service, Hybe said, Wednesday. Other BTS members took time off to go meet and congratulate Jin at the Recruit Training Battalion of the Army 5th Infantry Division in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province. All BTS members except Suga were there to welcome Jin's return to civilian life in Yeoncheon, with RM, J-Hope, V, Jungkook and Jimin greeting him warmly. RM, serving in the military band, performed the group&rsq

June 12, 2024

Folk museum eyes turning Korean traditions relatable

Making Korean traditions more relatable and accessible to children is what the National Folk Museum of Korea plans to do this year, the new director of the state-run museum said Wednesday. Jang Sang-hoon, the NFMK director, said in the second half of the year, special exhibitions will take place on “kkokdu,” the traditional Korean wooden figurines used on biers, and on coffee, a drink that marks 140 years of use in Korea this year. “We intend to have those exhibitions explore s

June 12, 2024

21st Music in PyeongChang to offer spiritual link to Beethoven

Music in PyeongChang, an annual music festival held in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, will take place under the theme of "Ludwig!" from July 24 to Aug. 3, the festival's artistic director, Yang Sung-won, announced Tuesday. Expressing his goal to create a program that can have the last impact on young visitors as the fourth artistic director of the 21-year-old festival, Yang said that this year the music festival aims to offer a "spiritual link" to Beethoven, by showc

June 11, 2024

Latest discovery shows stone columns at Baekje temple

The signature Buddhist temple from the Baekje Kingdom (18 BC to 660 AD) used split stones for column bases, the Buyeo National Cultural Heritage Research Institute said Tuesday, citing its latest find. This contradicts previous findings on Baekje Kingdom temple construction, which had thought that only soil bases were used for columns. The state-run think tank said its monthslong excavations at Geumdang, the central hall at the Mireuksa temple complex in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, revealed th

June 11, 2024

3 EXO members accuse SM of 'unfair' revenue demands, renewing dispute

Three members of the popular K-pop group EXO -- Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin -- claimed Monday their agency SM Entertainment is making an "unfair" demand over revenue from their individual activities, reigniting their conflict with the K-pop powerhouse after a year. They alleged that the agency is unjustly demanding a 10 percent royalty from revenue of their individual activities without fulfilling its end of a behind-the-scenes deal made to resolve the conflict in June last year. During

June 10, 2024

Hybe to launch creator-fan platform ‘Theus’

Binary Korea, a subsidiary of K-pop powerhouse Hybe, will officially launch the country’s first creator fandom platform, “Theus,” on June 22, the company said Monday. Theus aims to be the "one and only playground where creators and fandom gather," providing an environment for creators to communicate with fans actively. Dedicated "spaces" are available for each creator, allowing them to upload their content, interact with fans and conduct various events to

June 10, 2024

'Squid Game' star Lee Jung-jae accused of unfairly trying to take over management rights

Actor Lee Jung-jae has been accused of attempting to unfairly seize management rights over RaemongRaein, the Korean drama production company responsible for producing series such as "Maestra" (2023) and "Reborn Rich" (2022). Kim Dong-rae, the head of RaemongRaein, said via a press release on Monday that Artist United, a company in which Lee stands as the largest stakeholder, has been unjustly pushing RaemongRaein to convene an extraordinary general meeting in a bid to replace

June 10, 2024