Busan to open K-pop high school in 2028

A high school specializing in educating students on K-pop and related performances will open in the southeastern port city of Busan, the city's education authorities said Sunday. The Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education said it will push for turning a middle school, which is soon to be closed, into a specialized public high school with a goal of opening it in March 2028. It will be the first public school dedicated to K-pop courses to be established in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast

Jan. 7, 2024

[Eye Plus] Hanji adds ethereal touch to furniture

When hanji is put into epoxy resin, the paper soaks up the fluid and solidifies in the form of a panel. The panels are carved and connected into furniture, while hanji’s unique patterns can be seen through its transparent surface. This is how Son Sang-woo, a furniture designer, makes his works. Hanji is traditional Korean paper made from mulberry bark. As the bark’s texture is visible on the paper, Son’s works display unique patterns and gloss. “Many people are curious wh

Jan. 6, 2024

Oh Eun-young hopes to promote harmony, awareness of disabilities

Oh Eun-young, a prominent South Korean child psychiatrist, is set to host an upcoming talk concert through which she hopes to raise awareness for people with disabilities and promote respect and understanding for them. "What is most needed in families who have someone who is disabled is attention and hope. I promised to create content involving people with disabilities early last year, and this talk concert marks the beginning of that commitment," she said during a press conference, Th

Jan. 5, 2024

S. Korea's content industry sees record exports in 2022: data

South Korea's content-related exports and sales reached a new record in 2022, an industry survey report showed Friday, reflecting the global popularity of Korean pop culture. The content industry's exports reached $13.24 billion in 2022, a 6.3 percent rise from the previous year's $12.45 billion, according to a 2022 research study on the cultural content industry conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The content industry encompasses 11 different sectors, incl

Jan. 5, 2024

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Moxy Seoul Myeongdong presents special staycation package Located in one of Seoul’s main tourist districts, Moxy Seoul Myeongdong offers the “Beauty Hunter” package to quench beauty enthusiasts’ thirst. The promotion presents an opportunity to experience Korean beauty, food and culture with a one-day stay at the hotel. Guests receive a free welcoming drink after check-in. The hotel also offers five sheet masks from vegan beauty brand Lapcos. The package includes the oppor

Jan. 5, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

All-in-one park in Paju At First Garden Park in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, visitors can try everything from riding a train that runs across the park to fishing for smelt. Street food is available too. The festivities run through the end of February. All-inclusive tickets, covering up to six attractions and sledding without snow, are priced at 27,000 won for admissions starting at 11 a.m., and 23,000 won for those entering the park after 1 p.m. The fees are the same for adults and children. For

Jan. 5, 2024

World-famous ice fishing festival to kick off in Hwacheon on Saturday

A world-renowned annual ice fishing festival is to kick off in Hwacheon, a remote mountain town in the northeastern province of Gangwon, on Saturday, organizers said. The 2024 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival will continue for 23 days through Jan. 28 in Hwacheon, located just 25 kilometers south of the inter-Korean border and about 90 km northeast of Seoul, the organizers said Thursday. Sancheoneo is a species of trout known to live only in very clean fresh water. This year's festival is ex

Jan. 4, 2024

National museums surpass 10 million visitors

The National Museum of Korea and its 13 regional museums across the country attracted 10,471,154 visitors combined last year, breaking through the barrier of 10 million for the first time. According to the state-run institution on Thursday, the number of visitors rose 17.1 percent on-year, exceeding the previous record of 9,980,837 in 2019. NMK officials attribute the surge to special exhibitions regularly held at museums, citing in particular collections donated by the late Samsung Group Chairm

Jan. 4, 2024

CHA vows tougher oversight following palace vandalism

South Korea will step up security efforts to prevent vandalism of its historic sites, following nighttime graffiti incidents on the walls of Gyeongbokgung two weeks ago, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration on Thursday. The measures unveiled by the CHA will center on increasing police patrols and the number of surveillance cameras, reaching up to 110 overall. According to the agency, the country’s popular royal palaces as well as tombs and a shrine in Seoul -- all connected to

Jan. 4, 2024

[Herald Interview] G Gallery looks ahead with emerging Korean artists

Galleries come and go with the changing tides of the art market. When the market booms, new galleries mushroom, but in lean times, many disappear. Chung Seung-jin, director of G Gallery in Seoul, has held on to her commitment to art, and her gallery, for the past 10 years. The gallery was first founded in 2013 in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, and moved to Cheongdam-dong, an affluent neighborhood in southern Seoul, four years later to meet more collectors. “The last 10 years were never easy.

Jan. 3, 2024

Support for youth, vulnerable groups expanded: Culture Ministry

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it will implement various cultural, sports and tourism policies focusing on youth, vulnerable groups, culture-related companies and regional development in 2024. Support for youth and vulnerable groups has been expanded, including an increase in the subsidy for integrated cultural use cards, the ministry said. For instance, to provide cultural experiences to those who have become legal adults this year, a pilot program called the Culture and Arts

Jan. 3, 2024

Classical music concerts to uplift you in new year

Several concerts are set to take place throughout the month of January, ringing in the new year. The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will hold New Year's concerts Friday and Saturday at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and the Seoul Arts Center, respectively. Friday's performance will feature conductor Sung Si-yeon and violinist Yang In-mo as the guest performer. The concert on Saturday, organized by the Daewon Cultural Foundation, will have pianist Son Yeol-eum as the guest pe

Jan. 2, 2024

Wishes of hope, better times in the Year of the Blue Dragon

As 2024 begins, those born in the Year of the Dragon are celebrating the return of their zodiac sign after 12 years. The year 2024 is the Year of the Blue Dragon, known as the “gapjin” year in the 60-year sexagenary cycle, which is based on 10 heavenly stems and 12 earthly branches. The Korea Herald interviewed five individuals born in the Year of the Dragon to hear their wishes before Lunar New Year on Feb. 10. Kim Hye-young, born in 1988, lives on Jeju Island. The new year is par

Jan. 1, 2024

[Weekender] Ringing in 2024: Six places to see the sunrise

For many Koreans, watching the sunrise on New Year’s Day is an important ritual, where wishes are often made for the days and months to come. The routine is typically enriched with celebrations across the nation, featuring vibrant musical performances and events to add to the New Year atmosphere. Sky Park in Seoul Located in Mapo-gu, the park is an ideal place for those who want to see the sunrise without having to travel far from the capital. The area’s district office said this w

Dec. 31, 2023

Over 8,000 enjoyed Korea’s cultural heritage: data

A total of 8,171 Koreans and foreign nationals enjoyed Korea’s intangible cultural heritage performances this year, according to the National Intangible Heritage Center on Thursday. The center, run by the Cultural Heritage Administration, said shows took place 36 times between May and December, mostly in the two halls the center operates in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, where the center has its headquarters. The highlight of the performances was the K-Festival, which was held in Berlin on

Dec. 30, 2023

Who'll be 'lucky' in the new year? Who has to watch out?

Chinese zodiac is a system of belief that assigns an animal to each year and assumes one's fate is closely linked to this classification. As such, there are "lucky" and "unlucky" years for each person. In the year 2024, which is the year of the blue dragon, those born in the year of the monkey are expected to be lucky. The dragon and the monkey are part of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac system, in the order of: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, mo

Dec. 30, 2023

Record-high 14 million visit Joseon palaces, tombs, shrine this year

South Korea’s popular royal palaces, tombs and shrine connected to the Joseon era (1392-1910) attracted 14.2 million visitors this year, the highest number since the Cultural Heritage Administration began compiling data in 2011. The number of visitors jumped 28.5 percent on-year, exceeding the previous record of 13.3 million in 2019, particularly on the strength of domestic visitors. Foreign visitors to the cultural sites marked 1.9 million this year, well below the figure of 2.5 million i

Dec. 29, 2023

Salvation Army raises record in donations

The Salvation Army in South Korea said it has raised 1.4 billion won ($1.08 million) through its joint campaign with the local finance industry, the highest annual figure ever since the campaign was launched in 2011. “The donations will be used to rebuild old public welfare facilities and provide necessities and emergency cash to households in dire need,” the charity said Thursday. The group and 23 financial services companies – banks, brokerage firms, insurance and credit card

Dec. 29, 2023

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Park Hyatt Seoul offers lucky bag event The Park Hyatt Seoul, located in Gangnam, southern Seoul, plans to celebrate the New Year with a total of 200 lucky bags. Each lucky bag, valued at 600,000 won, consists of a hotel room voucher and two special dining vouchers. The hotel room voucher includes an opportunity to have a one-night stay in the Park Hyatt Seoul’s premium suite room, the “Diplomatic Suite,” or a two-night stay at the Park Hyatt Bangkok for two winners. The dining

Dec. 29, 2023

[Best Brand] Hyundae Rose Garden leads Korea's rose industry

Since beginning to cultivate roses in 1995, Hyundae Rose Garden has led the rose industry in South Korea, introducing numerous species of roses and developing unique roses to boost the country's flower industry. Hyundae Rose Garden CEO Kim Song-rae has led the domestic flower market by signing technology contracts with international companies that produce quality rose varieties. The company currently has about 600 species of roses and produces 400,000 to 500,000 seedlings annually to distri

Dec. 27, 2023