19th Seoul Queer Culture Festival kicks off with preliminary roundtable

The 19th Seoul Queer Culture Festival kicked off Friday with the event “PRISM OF ART: Human rights bloom in culture and art.” Sponsored by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Seoul, the event took place on the 11th floor annex of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The occasion served as a preliminary roundtable discussion for the exhibition of the “Amsterdam Rainbow Dress,” featuring Arnout van Krimpen and Diederik Lujit from the Amsterdam Rainbow Dress Foundation,

July 13, 2018

Culture Minister meets Vatican diplomat to S. Korea

Do Jong-hwan, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism met Friday with Archbishop Alfred Xuereb to discuss exchange and cooperation between South Korea and the Vatican, the ministry said.According to the ministry officials, the meeting between Do and the Vatican envoy to South Korea was held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul. Do Jong-hwan, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, shakes hands with Archbishop Alfred Xuereb in Seoul on Friday. (Yonhap)“Minister

July 13, 2018

[Eye Plus] Indulging in books near the border

When you think of Paju, a city in Gyeonggi Province northwest of Seoul, the first thing that comes to mind is its vicinity to the de facto border with North Korea. Driving along Jayuro toward Paju on a good day, you can even get a glimpse of the northern side. Paju, through which the Imjin River flows into the Han River, was loved by ancient sages. As if to live up to its heritage, the city has developed into a cultural site for visitors in recent decades. At the heart of the city’s culture are

July 12, 2018

Have a ‘mud-tastic’ time at Boryeong Mud Festival

Boryeong Mud Festival, a “feast of mud,” is set to open Friday at Daecheon beach in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province.The festival is an extravaganza of mud, first held in 1988 to promote mud-based organic cosmetics. Similar to Spain’s iconic tomato-throwing Tomatina festival, the mud festival has settled in Korea as one of its most representative summer events. Since 2009, the mud festival has been exported to China, England, Spain and New Zealand.This year’s festival runs to July 22, offeri

July 12, 2018

Amateur cartoonists rush to Instagram in search of new path

Choi Seol-a, better known by her nickname “Tyeodya,” had never thought she would make her name as a cartoonist until she uploaded her first comic in October 2017. She was not formally taught how to draw cartoons, nor had she decided to become a professional cartoonist before. In her spare time, Choi just doodled some episodes that came straight from her daily life and posted it on her Instagram page. The comics grew into the popular Instagram account @Tyeodya, which has amassed more than 51,

July 11, 2018

Bringing flowers into everyday life

Flowers do not have to be only for special days. Over the past few years, they have acquired an increasing presence in daily life. It is easy to spot flower cafes all over Seoul -- a kind of cafe-flower shop combination. Decorated heavily with greenery, visitors can enjoy cafe spaces themed like a botanical garden.“A lot of people walk in for coffee and buy flowers after seeing the decorations,” said Jang Jung-in, who runs flower cafe Heima in Yeonhui-dong, Seoul. At her cafe, flower vases are p

July 10, 2018

Government clamps down on copyrights infringement from abroad

The Korean government on Tuesday said it has shut down 12 illegal websites related to cartoons and other media content, and announced plans to continue its watch over such activities for the next two to three years.The pangovernmental task force announced the results of a crackdown that commenced in May, and which monitored foreign-based illegal websites that allowed users to share content without regard of the copyrights. Officials from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korea Com

July 10, 2018

‘Star on Stage’ gathers top classical musicians on one stage

A concert next month will offer local classical music enthusiasts a rare opportunity to listen to ensembles performed by several internationally acclaimed musicians in one place on a single day.A total of 10 teams of 15 artists will perform as ensembles on Aug. 15 at the Lotte Concert Hall. The 15 featured soloists include pianists Kim Sun-wook, Sunwoo Ye-kwon, Lim Dong-hyek, cellists Mun Tae-guk and Isang Enders, violinists Kim Suyoen, Kim Bom-sori and Soprano Hwang Su-mi. Seven artists from No

July 8, 2018

[Photo News] Water Gun Festival in Sinchon quenches summer heat

The sixth Water Gun Festival in Sinchon, Seoul, brought some much needed relief to the scorching summer heat on Saturday.On the first day of the two-day fiesta, the main street that rolls down from Sinchon subway station to the front gate of Yonsei University was crammed with people of all nationalities and ages, armed with water guns and raincoats.Several were dressed up as DC and Marvel’s super heroes, including the intergalactic villain Thanos of the latest Avengers movie. The festival runs u

July 8, 2018

[Weekender] Ever-changing Euljiro

Euljiro, a major road that runs through central Seoul, is enjoying its second boom in an unexpected way as young social media users have begun frequenting the area. The street and its nearby area have long been the center of Korea’s industrialization and economic growth, housing small metal workshops, print shops, lighting stores and much more. Getting out of Euljiro 3-ga Station, a funky smell pierces through your nose, proving that the workshops in the area are still up-and-coming. A passerby

July 6, 2018

[Photo News] Meet newly crowned 2018 Miss Korea Kim Soo-min

Kim Soo-min, 23, was crowned winner of Miss Korea 2018 in the final round of the annual beauty pageant in Seoul on Wednesday.Representing Gyeonggi Province, Kim studied international business at Dickinson College. With her eyes set on becoming an international journalist, Kim said her hobbies include dancing, singing and impersonating voices.This year’s 62nd Miss Korea pageant was held Wednesday night at the Olympic Hall in Sonpa-gu, southeastern Seoul, with 32 contestants competing in the final

July 5, 2018

More foreign cartoonists debut in Korea’s webtoon market

A growing number of foreign cartoonists are debuting in South Korea’s webtoon industry, as the local market is expanding at a rapid pace. Japanese cartoonist Akiko Higashimura is one of the foreign cartoonist to join Naver Webtoon, one of the biggest online comic portals in Korea, with “Fake Affair” (literal translation). A screenshot of Akiko Higashimura‘s online comic series “Fake Affair“ (Naver Webtoon)Known for her romance comic series “Princess Jellyfish,” Higashimura’s new work entitled “F

July 3, 2018

Culture Ministry urged to impose stronger penalties for sex crimes

A government committee on Monday rolled out a series of recommendations for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for sexual offenses, including banning the perpetrators from receiving any subsidy. The ministerial committee on measures against sex offenses announced the four major tasks to eradicate sexual violence in the culture sector: implementing a system to prevent and deal with the aftermath of a sex crime, including related legislations and help centers for the victims; banning atta

July 2, 2018

Seven S. Korean Buddhist temples inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List

South Korea added seven Buddhist mountain temples to the UNESCO World Heritage list on Saturday, earning international recognition for another set of historical sites.  The unanimous decision was announced on Saturday during the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee held in Manama, Bahrain, which runs from June 24 to July 4. South Korea submitted an application in February last year for the seven mountain temples.The temples, all located on mountains, include Seonamsa on Mount Jogye and D

July 1, 2018

Experience tradition at Imperial Palace Seoul

People try traditional Korean games at the newly opened Traditional Culture Experience Center of the Imperial Palace Seoul. The center also allows Korean and foreign visitors to take pictures with a Korean traditional house in the background, wearing hanbok, or traditional Korean clothing. The Club Lounge on the 20th floor features the interior of a traditional Korean house, too. (Imperial Palace Seoul)

June 29, 2018

[Eye Plus] Hongdae: Seoul’s bustling hub for live busking

Hongdae is a neighborhood in northeastern Seoul known for its youthful ambience, boutique cafes, live performances, nightclubs and restaurants. But if Hongdae were to be described in one word, it would have to be “busking.”Day and night, the streets of Hongdae, the area surrounding Korea’s Hongik University, bustle with young musicians and artists staging outdoor performances. If you see a crowd huddled somewhere, you know there’s a musician, indie band, or dancers showing off their talent.A bus

June 29, 2018

MMCA rolls out mid-term plan, incorporation plan scrapped

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Korea on Tuesday laid out the museum’s mid-term plan, including its future exhibition schedule and management plan. The mid-term plan was announced alongside the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s recent decision not to incorporate the museum, ending a decade of debate on the issue.While there have been talks of incorporation to free the museum from regulations and restraints of being a part of a governmental branch, there were also co

June 27, 2018

‘Believer’ becomes first Korean film to surpass 5 mln admissions this year

“Believer” surpassed 5 million in cumulative admissions on Tuesday, the first for a Korean film this year, data showed.　The crime thriller starring Cho Jin-woong and Ryu Jun-yeol passed the threshold at 2 p.m., according to the computerized box office tally from the Korean Film Council.　The film has sold 5,000,061 tickets since it opened on May 22, slightly more than that for two of the most popular domestic crime thrillers, 4.68 million for “New World” (2013) and 4.72 million for “Nameless Gang

June 26, 2018

Korean novelist Hwang Sok-yong wins 2018 Emile Guimet Prize

Hwang Sok-yong, one of South Korea‘s most famous writers, has received the 2018 Emile Guimet Prize for Asian Literature for his novel “At Dusk.”　Hwang was announced as the winner of the prize by the national Guimet Museum of Asian Art in Paris at 6:30 p.m. Monday (Paris time).　Founded last year to better introduce Asian literature in France, the prize selects the winner among contemporary Asian literary works published in French in the past year. Novelist Hwang Sok-yong (Yonhap)　The first winner

June 26, 2018

[Best Brand] Hotel Tops 10 offers exquisite summer stay

On the east coast of Korea, Hotel Tops 10 is vying to become the No. 1 holiday spot this summer. Since its opening in last December, the hotel has made its presence in the high-end hospitality scene, preferred for its location and service. With more facilities opening in July, the hotel hopes to further fully satisfy its guests. Geumjin Hot Springs, using local thermal water will open, along with Aqua Park, VR Zone, Kids Zone, Golf Zone and a karaoke.  (Hotel Tops 10)On Saturday, a DJ party will

June 26, 2018