Amorepacific named Mecenat Award top winner

Korea’s top cosmetics maker Amorepacific has won the top prize at this year’s Mecenat Awards, in recognition of its contribution to the arts. The Korea Mecenat Association held an awards ceremony Wednesday at the Westin Josun in central Seoul to honor local businesses and individuals who have supported the art scene. This year’s Mecenat Award was given to Amorepacific, in recognition of the Sulwha Cultural Exhibition managed by its luxury skincare brand Sulwhasoo for the p

Nov. 17, 2021

Suneung wishes, prayers echo at Palgongsan

DAEGU - Come November, parents who have children taking the Suneung, or college scholastic aptitude test, flock to Palgongsan. While the mountain in Daegu attracts many hikers year-round for its splendid views -- carpeted with azaleas in the spring, vibrant green leaves in the summer, colorful fall foliage and the delicate winter snowscape -- Palgongsan draws pilgrims to its Gatbawi, a seated stone Buddha at one of the mountain peaks that is believed to have the power to make wishes and prayers

Nov. 16, 2021

Hanbok school uniforms to be shown at V&A Museum in London

Hanbok-inspired school uniforms, created as part of a project led jointly by the Culture Ministry and the Ministry of Education, will be shown in an exhibition at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. The Culture Ministry said Tuesday that it has delivered a number of hanbok uniforms and a certificate of donation to Rosalie Kim, curator of the Korean Gallery at the V&A Museum. The samples include hanbok uniforms for boys and girls. The V&A Museum plans to hold its “Hally

Nov. 16, 2021

[Herald Interview] First KFCC president believes joining hands across sectors will boost content creation industry

Connecting multichannel network companies, tech and media industries with creators and their fans can create powerful synergy in the content business sector, according to Song Jae-yong, CEO of Treasure Hunter, one of the pioneering multichannel network companies in Korea. On Nov. 8, Song was appointed as the first president of the newly created Korea Federation of Content Creators. The KFCC’s mission is to support and develop creative Hallyu content for the global market. Some 30 busine

Nov. 15, 2021

Korean art expands global footprint in foreign museums

Some 25 curators and directors from overseas museums discussed how Korean art has expanded globally and how their collections were built over time at the 2021 KF Assembly for Overseas Museums on Thursday. “Contemporary Korean art has been exhibited outside Korea for decades, since the late 1950s,” said Charlotte Horlyck, lecturer in Korean art history at SOAS University of London. “Modern contemporary art from Korea continues to be strong, with some focusing on what we coul

Nov. 15, 2021

Culture ministry to co-host in-person K-pop concert for 3,000 people

The South Korean government will host a big in-person K-pop concert to be attended by 3,000 people Sunday to help the people gradually return to their normal lives after almost two years of restrictions meant to slow the spread of COVID-19. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and its affiliated private foundation, the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, said the one-day "World K-pop Concert: B.I.T. 4U Concert" will take place at the Korea International Exhib

Nov. 14, 2021

[Eye Plus] Tracing the history of Korea’s Anglican Church in island town

St. Andrew’s Anglican Church sits in a small town of Onsu, Ganghwado, one of the around 150 islands and islets in the Incheon archipelago.  The church was built by British missionary Mark N. Trollope, who came to Ganghwado in 1896 and later went on to become the third Anglican bishop in Korea from 1911 until his death.  Designed and completed during the early years of the imperial reign of Gojong -- the last king of the Joseon era who assumed the title of emperor in 1897 -- the

Nov. 13, 2021

[Visual History of Korea] Wooden block printing perfection of Tripitaka Koreana

No civilization accomplished documenting all-known Buddhist thought as the Goryeo Kingdom did, some seven centuries ago during a time of war and a clash of empires. Written Hanja, along with Buddhism and Confucianism, have been steadily developing in Korean culture since before the common era. Along with indigenous beliefs and Confucianism thoughts, Buddhism became the most entrenched religion for Koreans from early on. One of mankind’s great innovations in history is the invention of

Nov. 13, 2021

Royal library at Changdeokgung to open to public

While Korea’s recently implemented “living with COVID-19” scheme has allowed royal palaces to welcome visitors with special programs, the royal library and its grounds at Changdeokgung are to be opened to the public for a week in November. The Cultural Heritage Administration announced Thursday that it will run a guided tour of the Gyujanggak area at the royal palace of Changdeokgung in central Seoul, twice a day from Saturday to Wednesday.  Founded in 1776 inside the

Nov. 13, 2021

[Photo News] Merchants make kimchi for people in need

Merchants at Yukgeori Market in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, gathered Thursday to make kimchi for people who are struggling financially. 　 Approximately 80 people, including Cheongju Mayor Han Beom-deok and North Chungcheong Province Gov. Lee Si-jong, participated in the kimchi-making event using 1,000 heads of cabbage. “As merchants of the landmark traditional market of this region, all of the members of our merchant association will contribute to our local community and spread

Nov. 13, 2021

[Newsmaker] Gov’t sets W649b in loans for tourism industry in 2022

Gradually pivoting to a return to normal from the pandemic, the Korean government has mapped out efforts to attract foreign travelers and boost domestic tourism. The 6th National Tourism Strategy Meeting to discuss ways to attract tourists and revitalize the travel economy, chaired by the prime minister, was held Friday. The government made plans to inject 649 billion won ($550 million) in tourism loan funds next year, which is a 55 billion-won increase from this year, to aid the industry for

Nov. 12, 2021

[Well-curated] Seoul streets come to life with live performances

Even for Seoulites, the city will look very different when seen as a backdrop for eye-opening performances and art exhibitions.   Seoul Street Arts Festival, which is organized by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, will be held in three districts -- Mullae, Yongsan, Seodaemun – and on Nodeul Island in the capital through Sunday. A total of 30 different art groups are showcasing 30 different performances and art exhibitions during the festival. Along with the offline event, t

Nov. 11, 2021

NMK aims to finish classifying, examining Lee Kun-hee donations by 2025

The National Museum of Korea announced Thursday that it will complete classifying and examining the artworks bequeathed by the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee by 2025. The announcement came after the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Tuesday that nearly all of the works of art bequeathed Lee would be housed together at the “Lee Kun-hee Donation Hall,” which is to open in Songhyeon-dong, Seoul, in 2027. The museum added that it will transfer all the donated

Nov. 11, 2021

Sitting side-by-side, two Pensive Bodhisattvas offer calm

For those looking for a moment of peace, the National Museum of Korea has prepared a therapeutic experience through a new permanent exhibition titled “A Room of Quiet Contemplation,” presenting two Pensive Bodhisattvas, which are designated as National Treasures No. 78 and No. 83. “I created this exhibition with the intention of making Pensive Bodhisattvas the iconic item of Korea,” National Museum of Korea Director General Min Byoung-chan said during a press confere

Nov. 11, 2021

DMZ Peace Trail to reopen to public

Seven of the themed routes of the DMZ Peace Trail, a trail created near the Demilitarized Zone that is accessible to the public, will reopen starting Nov. 20, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Thursday. The routes include those in Ganghwa, Gimpo, Goyang, Paju, Hwacheon, Yanggu, and Goseong area. The DMZ Peace Trail had initially been created as 10 separate routes. Since April 2019, three of the routes-- Paju, Cheorwon, Goseong -- have opened on a trial basis, attracting so

Nov. 11, 2021

New establishment to be built in Songhyeon-dong for Lee Kun-hee collection

A new establishment will be built in Songhyeon-dong, central Seoul, to house the late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee’s art collection. According to an announcement from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday, the two institutions will sign a memorandum of understanding on the project Wednesday. The entrepreneur died in October 2020, and in April this year his family donated some 24,000 artworks and artifacts to the National Museum of

Nov. 9, 2021

[Visual History of Korea] Cutting edge Bronze Age nanotechnology found in Bronze Mirror with Geometric Designs

For humans, the Bronze Age meant metal weapons, farming tools, and means to sustain large enough populations with an organized labor force which enabled construction of lasting monuments such as dolmens. East Asia, especially in ancient Korea, must have been a happening place in the Bronze Age as there are more dolmens in Korea than anywhere else in the world. Bronze mirrors are found in abundance in Korea and neighboring areas formerly occupied by ancient Koreans. Bronze mirrors with fine li

Nov. 6, 2021

[Well-Curated] Take in art, fall foliage at Kukje Gallery

Autumn is in full swing in Samcheong-dong, a leafy area of art galleries and small shops near the Blue House. If you want to enjoy the blazing red and gold of the fall foliage with your meal and take in some art at the same time, a visit to Kukje Gallery might just be what’s called for. The well-established gallery has two restaurants -- the Cafe on the ground floor and the Restaurant on the second floor of the K1 building. The Cafe presents graphic designer Na Kim’s wall painting

Nov. 4, 2021

[From the Scene] ‘Living with COVID-19’ rules only followed halfway at Hongdae clubs

The South Korean government aimed for a gradual return to normal with its “living with COVID-19” policy, but the remaining restrictions are not being followed strictly at clubs and movie theaters. The clubs on the streets of Hongdae, a party neighborhood in Mapo-gu, western Seoul, welcomed the long-awaited return of music lovers for the first time in nearly four months and made great efforts to comply with the government’s social distancing guidelines. A notice at the entran

Nov. 4, 2021

Palace Museum exhibition lifts lid on Insa-dong excavation site

An exhibition that aims to bring the Insa-dong excavation site to visitors opens at the National Palace Museum of Korea in Seoul on Wednesday. The exhibition, titled “Encounter with the Brilliant Scientific Technology of the Joseon Dynasty,” displays 1,775 artifacts excavated from a site in Insa-dong, central Seoul, in June. It is organized jointly by the National Palace Museum of Korea and the Sudo Institute of Cultural Heritage, also based in Seoul. “Since many people sho

Nov. 2, 2021