The CEO of a Korean luxury handcraft brand, Cheyul, believes that modernizing traditions while keeping the spirit behind them alive is key to delivering true “Korean luxury.” “We have shipped our armchair set adorned with mother-of-pearl as far away as Africa,” CEO Lee Jeong-eun told a gallery of foreign envoys during a tour of Cheyul’s flagship in Seoul’s Sinsa-dong on Tuesday. That armchair set is one example of how the company has put mother-of-pearl to mod

Arts & Design May 22, 2024

An exhibition shedding light on a culture of commitment to “exceptional craftsmanship” that powers Hermes is taking place in Seoul, as artisans demonstrate in person how the French luxury house has come to embody “know-how” and “creativity." At “Hermes in the Making,” 11 artisans -- all from France with one exception from Switzerland who works on watches -- offer a glimpse of their craft processes involving leather, silk, porcelain and gemstones, wi

Arts & Design May 20, 2024

The seventh annual Korea Craft Week kicked off Friday with four cities and counties hosting major events showcasing crafts and local craft traditions. Goseong County in Gangwon Province, Jinju in South Gyeongsang Province and North Jeolla Province’s Jeonju and Buan County will run programs to raise awareness of local crafts through May 26. In Goseong, visitors can take part in a challenge to craft something out of recycled litter retrieved from Song Ji-ho Beach and Ayajin Beach, and partic

Arts & Design May 17, 2024

The Korea Heritage Service officially marked its new start Friday with the agency managing national heritage reaffirming its commitment to be more “relatable.” Renaming the agency previously called the Cultural Heritage Administration, approved by the National Assembly last year, represents the largest overhaul in the agency’s history -- a change that warranted hosting an international meeting to mark the moment, according to KHS officials. “The meeting today is to announ

Culture May 17, 2024

Explore legendary Korean comics Visit the National Library of Korea this weekend to explore a special exhibition that delves into the history of Korean comics, or manhwa, by following the career of Lee Hyun-se -- the cartoonist behind one of Korea's most successful series ever published, "A Daunting Team." The exhibition, titled "The Road of Lee Hyun-se: Start of K-webtoon Legend," is free of charge and divided into three parts. The first part introduces various wor

Arts & Design May 17, 2024

Wonju Sogeumsan Grand Valley Prepare yourself before looking down. The Sogeumsan Suspension Bridge in Wonju, Gangwon Province is the longest pedestrian bridge in Korea, running 200 meters suspended across a canyon. The Night of Light Show will take place at Sogeumsan, with a fountain show and installations dotting the mountain with a kaleidoscope of colors. The show runs through Oct. 27 on Saturdays, Sundays and the Chuseok holiday. The Wonju Sogeumsan Grand Valley is open from 9:00 a.m. to

Travel May 17, 2024

A hundred foreign nationals participated in a Hangeul contest to mark the 627th anniversary of the birth of King Sejong, the architect of the Korean writing system. At the National Folk Museum of Korea on Wednesday, contestants from over 46 countries who were selected from some 500 applicants wrestled with Hangeul sentences as they were tested in dictation. “We have long wanted to build on the expanding awareness of Hangeul with grassroots participation,” a Culture Ministry official

Arts & Design May 15, 2024

K-pop girl group NewJeans will perform Tuesday for the first time since a dispute started between the group’s label Ador and Hybe, the label’s parent company, on April 22. The two-hour show, which starts at 7 p.m. on May 21, will mark the occasion of the official renaming of the Cultural Heritage Administration as the Korea Heritage Service. The five-member girl group is one of 12 K-pop singers and groups that will perform in front of Heungnyemun, one of the gates of Gyeongbokgung, a

K-pop May 15, 2024

Entrance fees to 76 historic sites in South Korea, including the popular royal palaces and shrine in Seoul and tombs across the country connected to the Joseon era (1392-1910), will be waived from Wednesday to Sunday to mark the renaming of the Cultural Heritage Administration as the Korea Heritage Service, the agency managing heritage work. The name change, which will take effect Friday and is part of larger efforts to overhaul the agency, was passed by the National Assembly in April 2023. &ldq

Culture May 14, 2024

In an era of instant messaging, appreciating longer forms of the arts, such as orchestral performances, has become challenging. That’s why quality matters more now than ever, because the way culture is presented determines how people explore their inner thoughts, according to Michal Emanovsky, the director of the Czech Center Seoul. “To be honest, money is a very important part of making decisions about projects,” Emanovsky said in a recent interview with The Korea Herald. The

People May 13, 2024

A South Korean DJ-comedian in a Buddhist monk’s robe is making strides in Korea and abroad with the backing of Korea’s largest Buddhist sect that has employed him as part of its outreach to wider audiences. Youn Sung-ho, the DJ known as the Ven. New Jean, will close the three-day Lotus Lantern Festival on Sunday, with an electronic dance music performance echoing Buddhist verses. The show is set in front of Jogyesa, the main temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. Sunday’

Culture May 12, 2024

Spring blooms at Morning Calm Spring blooms are at their peak at the Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province. From plum blossoms and royal azaleas to tulips, daffodils and forsythias, enjoy the sprawling flower beds and shows, which are part of the festivities the garden is hosting through May 26. Flea markets will be held alongside magic shows to liven up the mood three days a week throughout the festival. Admission is priced at 11,000 won for adults with discounts available f

Travel May 10, 2024

Finding an emotional outlet in a country like South Korea, an ultra-competitive society that teaches little about coping with emotions, is tough. Left unaddressed, stress without a proper release could be feeding collective trauma, as evidenced by recent violent crimes that have alarmed the country, according to the Ven. Jinwoo, president of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. Responsible for running Korea’s largest Buddhist sect with the Supreme Patriarch as the spiritual leader, Jinwoo s

Culture May 9, 2024

The US-based United Methodist Church said it does not see homosexuality as a sin or heresy, countering the accusations leveled at the global denomination by a coalition of Korean Protestant churches. “The Bible says homosexuality is a sin and consecrating gay clergy amounts to heresy,” President Jung Seo-young of the Christian Council of Korea said in a statement Saturday, made in response to the UMC decision to lift its 40-year-old ban on ordaining gay clergy Wednesday. “The U

Social Affairs May 8, 2024

Shamanism. It resonates with Koreans -- in private. Rarely is it endorsed openly, however. Accusing someone of having acknowledged its power in any official capacity forces the person to counter the assertion, at all costs. How this plays out in real life was on vivid display last week. K-pop giant Hybe, the company behind BTS, cornered its sublabel Ador Chief Executive Min Hee-jin over plotting to take independent the lucrative subsidiary that manages popular girl group NewJeans. A shaman was i

Culture May 4, 2024