The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the largest Buddhist sect in Korea, will donate $1 million to Yale University to promote Korea’s Seon Buddhism -- the first-ever such gift to a foreign university and the largest one-off contribution to any organization overseas in the history of the Jogye Order. A ceremony making the donation official will take place Oct. 10 at the Ivy League school in New Haven, Connecticut, with Jogye Order President the Ven. Jinwoo, Yale University President Maurie M

Culture Oct. 2, 2024

Herald Corp. Chairman Jung Won-ju was inaugurated as the president of the Lay Buddhist Association at a ceremony held Wednesday at Jogyesa in Seoul. Some 200 people attended the ceremony held at the main hall, Daeungjeon, of Jogyesa, Jogye’s headquarters. Jung’s inauguration comes as the sect is stepping up efforts to promote its style of meditation, called “seon,” to win over both the domestic public and international followers. Jung echoed the sentiment. “Seon has

Culture Oct. 2, 2024

Tickets will go on sale for five days next week for Seoul’s annual palace festival, which will include interactive programs and performances across the city’s five palaces as well as the shrine Jongmyo. The tickets to the K-Royal Culture Festival are 10,000 won and will be sold from Oct. 9-13, through Ticketlink, according to the Korea Heritage Service. Tickets for the five-day event that starts Oct. 9 will allow unlimited access to Jongmyo shrine and palaces from the Joseon era (139

Culture Oct. 1, 2024

A competition, a music festival, lectures and a forum will take place for a week from Friday, celebrating the annual Hangeul Week to raise awareness of the Korean writing system. Hours ahead of officially starting the weeklong event, a Hangeul contest will be held at Gyeongbokgung -- one of the five Josen-era (1392-1910) palaces in Seoul -- drawing 120 Koreans who survived regional finals and 130 foreign nationals selected for the competition. Open lectures by book writers will follow on Friday

Arts & Design Oct. 1, 2024

Tens of thousands descended on Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul for a Buddhist meditation retreat Saturday, as the nation’s largest Buddhist sect seeks to address real-life challenges. The second day of the five-day Seon Meditation Summit, attended by 35,000 people, is the latest highlight of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism’s push to promote its own style of meditation. “It’s time for a spiritual revolution. No matter how advanced technologies or the economy becomes, the mi

Culture Sept. 29, 2024

It was in 1979 when womenswear designer Gee Chun-hee opened her first Miss Gee Collection in Myeong-dong, a thriving shopping district in northern Seoul frequented by trendsetters back in the day. The 70-year-old designer has since become a Korean icon. Her storied legacy is a testament to a brand that has survived with a dedicated following -- clients whose affection for Miss Gee Collection runs in the family from mothers to their daughters. That tradition now faces an existential crisis: a loc

People Sept. 28, 2024

Festival of fall flowers in Wonju At Yonsugol Village in Wonju, Gangwon Province, a festival kicked off last week for flower lovers, especially of those coming to full bloom in the fall. The Gangwon Fall Flower Festival shows everything from zinnias to cockscombs, fireweeds and petunias -- in addition to cosmos. The village is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Oct. 6. Admission costs 3,000 won, and grade school students and younger enter for free. For more information, visit poppystore.modo

Travel Sept. 27, 2024

Buddhist seon meditation practitioners said internalizing Buddhist teachings could help the world counter a polycrisis -- a web of multiple global threats to the safety and security of peoples and nations -- at a press conference Thursday in Seoul. The conference took place a day before the five-day Seon Meditation Summit kicks off in Seoul, as the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism looks to promote the kind of meditation backed by the largest Buddhist sect in the country. “Both the Buddhist v

Culture Sept. 26, 2024

Lantern festival in Namyangju Sandulsori Botanical Garden in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, is holding a lantern festival through the end of April next year. The botanical garden, open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., will give visitors lanterns to hold as they stroll around the compound that has a restaurant, bakery and cafe. Admission is 8,000 won for all ages except children two years old and younger. Outside food and pets are not allowed. Parking is free. For more information, visit sandulsori.co.k

Travel Sept. 20, 2024

Delve into charming vintage lights For vintage enthusiasts, especially those who have a keen understanding of the effects of lighting, Big Sleep Shop is a space worth checking out. Located up a brick staircase in a narrow alley, the shop specializes in vintage lighting and lamps. As you step inside, you’ll find a harmonious display of vintage lamps from various countries including France and Germany. The shop offers housewares made of glass, porcelain and plastic, and showcases lamps of al

Culture Sept. 20, 2024

A foundation run by the Korea Heritage Service opened a branch office in Paris to facilitate efforts to repatriate Korean cultural heritage from Europe, the third such opening overseas after Japan and the US. The Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation’s Paris office, inaugurated Tuesday, will start working with the National Library of France in October to locate old Korean maps within the library, according to the foundation. “We expect about 40 maps, all dating to the Joseon-e

Culture Sept. 18, 2024

The conversation was one of the most jarring moments since her wedding in 2020, recalled Seong, a 35-year-old office worker, who said her exchange last week with her husband, five years older, left her perplexed at first, then indignant as she slowly digested what her husband had alluded to. “He said we should call his parents and ask for their understanding because we would not be staying at their home on Chuseok day, Tuesday, even though we’d be there from Saturday to Monday,&rdquo

Social Affairs Sept. 15, 2024

Flea market, busking in Jayang Through Sept. 29, a flea market will be open with booths set up by companies promoting upcycling at Jayang Station Exit Nos. 2 and 3 in Jayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu. At “Zero+Festa,” a free-admission event, interactive programs teaching how to reuse products as well as street music performances are prepared. The event will be open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, check out the website at zeroplus.or.kr. Daegu con

Travel Sept. 13, 2024

The US listed the Old Korean Legation in Washington as a historic place eligible for federal tax breaks for preservation Monday, the first time a Korean government-owned building has received such recognition for historical significance. In a statement Wednesday, the Korea Heritage Service, the agency that filed a request for the designation in March, said the National Park Service added the building to the National Register of Historic Places -- the US government’s list of buildings, site

Culture Sept. 11, 2024

For the last 24 years, Seoul Fashion Week has been the face of the fashion landscape Korea wants to project onto the fashion world -- one that is as fresh in creative aesthetics as it is powerful in demonstrating timeless beauty. Still, local designers need to be empowered with more financial as well as administrative support to help achieve the decades-old mission, fashion experts said Monday, calling for more active support from the Seoul Metropolitan Government -- the host of Seoul Fashion We

Arts & Design Sept. 9, 2024