The biannual Seoul Fashion Week will open Thursday with 21 local fashion designer brands and 68 local fashion brands showing their collections at two venues: Dongdaemun Design Plaza and SFactory. The five-day event, which kicks off a month earlier than last year, is aimed at linking as many foreign buyers as possible to local brands seeking a global presence, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. A total of 101 foreign buyers from 23 countries are expected to attend. “We’re

Arts & Design Jan. 30, 2024

The French Embassy in Seoul kicked off its signature book recital event Saturday, heralding a number of cultural activities scheduled for this year for the local audience. The second edition of the annual Rendez-vous a Seoul mainly involves having visitors recite anything written in French, from books to periodicals. It is an occasion for advancing the traditions that value reading and sharing, according to an embassy official. “The French government first started this program eight years

Culture Jan. 29, 2024

Starting next year, the Cultural Heritage Administration will cover the costs of preserving buried cultural property found during construction projects, according to a revised bill that passed the National Assembly on Thursday. Until now, the CHA has managed such buried cultural properties under certain conditions, such as when a construction project has had to be completely called off due to the discovery of important pieces of cultural heritage. In that case, the government and local authoriti

Culture Jan. 26, 2024

The red plum blossoms at Hwaeomsa, a temple on the slopes of Jirisan in South Jeolla Province, have been designated as a natural monument, Hwaeomsa said Thursday. Hwaeomsa is one of the 25 head temples run by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. The temple is recognized as a cultural heritage site, as it is already home to two other natural monuments -- a winter-flowering cherry tree (natural monument No. 38) and wild plum blossoms (natural monument No. 485) -- as well as five national treasures

Culture Jan. 26, 2024

Rides & farm at E-World At E-World in Daegu, a one-day pass at a cost of 49,000 won, the most expensive of the ticket options, gives visitors access to everything they might want in a theme park, from attractions and a cinema to a farm and a park. Attractions include classics like go-karts, roller coasters, monorail tours and merry-go-rounds. Arcade games and a cinema, as well as periodic parades to entertain younger guests, are also available. There is even a farm and a park for alpacas

Travel Jan. 26, 2024

Bringing some of the finest artworks to those less privileged or living in remote areas is a goal the National Museum of Korea intends to pursue this year, among other priorities, the state-run institution said Wednesday. “Last year, our museums, including us and all the 13 spread across the country, set a milestone, breaking through the 10-million mark in annual attendance,” said Yoon Sung-yong, director general of the NMK, during a press conference on Wednesday. The museum will bui

Culture Jan. 24, 2024

For South Korea, the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, the first-ever Winter Games the country hosted, spotlighted a decadeslong push to raise Korea’s global profile as a nation that is as much invested in giving back to the international community as it is in advancing its interests. The PyeongChang 2018 Legacy Foundation looks to build on that legacy as it searches for its role in empowering youth, after the two-week Winter Youth Olympics kicked off Friday in Gangwon Province. Korea is the firs

Culture Jan. 23, 2024

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the annual K-Royal Culture Festival will offer more convenient access to visitors. For the first time, foreign nationals will be able to buy tickets themselves online via a designated link for the annual event involving the five main palaces in Seoul connected with the Joseon era (1392-1910), according to the Cultural Heritage Administration on Monday. The CHA is also planning to sell 10,000 all-pass tickets, up from the previous 1,000. The all-pass ticket offer

Culture Jan. 22, 2024

A private university in Chile has opened a space dedicated to learning about Korea, bringing the tally of such spaces worldwide to 34, the Culture Ministry said Friday. The state-run National Library of Korea provided the materials for the space. “Window on Korea,” as the space is officially named, at la Universidad Central de Chile has some 1,607 books about Korea. The university is the only institution offering a master’s degree in Korean Studies in all of Central and South A

Culture Jan. 21, 2024

Butter in Gangnam At a glance, the shop looks like a toy store, making passersby wonder how it manages to pay rent in this prime retail area, less than a five-minute walk from bustling Gangnam Station. But it doesn’t take long to figure out that the shop, Butter, stays afloat selling household goods. Almost every item on the shelves or hanging on the walls features characters including those from children’s movies such as animated comedy “Minions.” From stationery and hom

Culture Jan. 19, 2024

Haeundae Lighting Festival Streets, markets and shops close to the popular Haeundae Beach in Busan will be lit up every day from 05:30 p.m. through midnight during the Haeundae Lighting Festival, which runs to the end of January. Visitors can get snaps at the photo zone and have them developed right away for a fee of 1,000 won or 2,000 won, depending on the size. Those who make a purchase at nearby markets and shops will receive raffle tickets. For more information, visit haeundae.go.kr/tour

Travel Jan. 19, 2024

The government has decided to close down the Korean Culture and Information Service, the agency tasked with promoting South Korea overseas, handing over the role to the Culture Ministry to bolster its power to oversee interagency efforts toward expanding Korea’s soft power overseas. The move announced Thursday was largely expected, with Culture Minister Yu In-chon hinting at the change in December, two months after taking office. At a meeting Wednesday with the heads of government bodies l

Culture Jan. 18, 2024

Nighttime tours will be available from as early as April this year at Changgyeonggung, one of the five royal palaces in Seoul connected with the Joseon era (1392-1910), the Cultural Heritage Administration said Monday. The program, already available in the three other agency-run palaces including the main palace Gyeongbokgung, is most likely to take place April 27 through May 5. Gyeonghuigung is under supervision by the Seoul city government. During that period, the CHA also holds its annual K-R

Culture Jan. 15, 2024

For the late Choi Young-do, a prolific antiquities collector, earthenware represented “radiating warmth and charm.” Choi is one of 114 donors recognized Thursday as the National Museum of Korea unveiled its renovated donor galleries, showcasing 1,671 pieces ranging from pottery and craft to paintings and relief, following a two-year overhaul. “Pottery in particular was of interest to my father and he made it his mission to ‘protect what’s rightfully Korea’s,&r

Culture Jan. 14, 2024

Expect to see more “mobile museums” around the country as containers equipped to allow visitors to not only see artifacts but to feel what it is like touring cultural heritage sites will be stationed at more schools and other institutions from March to November. The Cultural Heritage Administration will operate more mobile museums where underprivileged students, people with disabilities and seniors can have immersive cultural experiences, the state agency said Friday, in an effort to

Culture Jan. 12, 2024