Art-on-the-go to bring culture to remote regions

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is launching its latest initiative to bring the arts to the country’s most remote areas. The project is geared toward educating children and the elderly living in non-metropolitan areas where access to museums, theaters and concert halls are not readily available. The Ministry has organized several programs to provide the public with more opportunities to get involved in the world of art and culture, including the “Moving Arts Bus,” “Visiting Arts Educ

July 17, 2013

China discovers primitive, 5,000-year-old writing

BEIJING (AP) ― Archaeologists say they have discovered a new form of primitive writing in markings on stoneware excavated from a relic site in eastern China dating about 5,000 years back. The inscriptions are about 1,400 years older than the oldest known written Chinese language and around the same age as the oldest writing in the world.Chinese scholars are divided on whether the etchings amount to actual writing or a precursor to words that should be described as symbols, but they say the findi

July 11, 2013

China discovers primitive, 5,000-year-old writing

 Archaeologists say they have discovered a new form of primitive writing in markings on stoneware excavated from a relic site in eastern China dating about 5,000 years back. The inscriptions are about 1,400 years older than the oldest known written Chinese language and around the same age as the oldest writing in the world. Chinese scholars are divided on whether the etchings amount to actual writing or a precursor to words that should be described as symbols, but they say the finding will help

July 11, 2013

[Newsmaker] Jangju alleges monks made gambling trips

Secret video footage showing a group of monks playing poker while drinking and smoking in a hotel room shocked the nation last year as the news of a handful of local Buddhist monk leaders from the Jogye Order, the country’s largest Buddhist order, caught gambling made headlines.At a press conference held in the Pohang City Hall Briefing Room on Monday, Ven. Jangju further revealed the severity of the gambling addiction among some monks, who even went abroad to gamble with the order’s donation mo

July 9, 2013

Actor Namgung Won: A living witness of Korean film industry

Veteran actor Namgung Won joined a highly select group of acclaimed figures in the Korean film industry last week as he became a member of the National Academy of Arts, a state-run organization of Korean artists dedicated to promoting the development of arts in Korea. Namgung is only the second actor to become a member of the organization, after veteran actress Hwang Jeong-soon in 2006. The prestigious group of prominent cultural figures in Korea includes directors Kim Ki-duk, Im Kwon-taek and B

July 7, 2013

Urban camping for the metropolitans at heart

One doesn’t have to be an adventurous wilderness savant to enjoy the splendors of camping in the woods. In fact, one doesn’t even have to leave the city. The original purpose of leisure camping was for people to leave the urban sprawls and retreat to the outdoors, away from the spoils of modern technology and into an environment of simplicity and tranquility. However, for those who are not quite up to the task of roughing it out in the boonies with nothing but a tent and some s’mores, there are

July 5, 2013

At the old ball game

On June 21, Friday afternoon, the roads near Jamsil baseball stadium in southern Seoul were packed. Men and women sporting replica uniforms of their favorite players stood in line to get in. It was the day when Seoul-based Doosan Bears took on the Daejeon-based Hanwha Eagles. The game started right on time at 6:30 p.m. While players on the mound fought their hearts out for another win, die-hard fans screamed out the names of the players, made waves with their hands and sang cheering songs, mostl

July 5, 2013

Calendar

 Pop music“2013 Ansan Valley Rock Festival”: As Korea’s biggest rock festival, the Valley Rock Festival presents one of the best line-ups of big musicians from Korea and abroad such as this year’s headliners The Cure, NiN, Skrillex, the Foals, the XX, My Bloody Valentine, Idiotape, Peppertones and many others. This year’s festival has moved from Jisan Resort to the Daebu Sea Breeze Theme Park. The three-day festival will be held July 26-28. Ticket prices are 120,000 won for a one-day pass, 230,0

July 5, 2013

[Photo News] Do the twist

July 5, 2013

Rare Chinese stamp sells for $890,000

HONG KONG (AFP) ― One of China’s rarest stamps sold for HK$6.9 million ($890,000) at auction in Hong Kong, the auctioneers said Wednesday.With just 32 recorded copies, the Qing Dynasty “1897 Red Revenue Small One Dollar” stamp is “China’s rarest regularly-issued stamp,” Interasia Auctions said in a press release.The bright red stamp, symbolising luck and good fortune in Chinese culture, is rare because the characters “Qing Dynasty postal service, one dollar” were considered too small, prompting

July 4, 2013

Paintings by 3-year-old British girl with autism stun the world

Iris Grace Halmshaw, an autistic 3-year-old girl living in Britain, has attracted keen public attention with her fascinating paintings. Iris, diagnosed with autism in 2011, cannot talk; she even gets distressed when her friends get close to her. She started painting as a part of therapy. In the process, her parents noticed she is a talented painter. Since then, her paintings have been on display on Facebook and two pieces were sold for up to 1,500 pounds ($2,200) each.  Her parents are now plann

July 4, 2013

Recent discovery on Silla tomb relic may overturn existing theories

The National Museum on Wednesday unveiled the discovery of a king’s name inscribed on the sheath of a large sword found at the ancient Geumgwan (Golden Crown) tomb in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The inscription, “Yisajiwang” or King Yisaji, is the oldest name of a king found at a Silla (B.C. 57-A.D. 935) tomb and makes Geumgwan the only sepulcher with an identified owner, researchers at the museum said. The Geumgwan tomb, believed to have been built in the sixth century, has been thorou

July 3, 2013