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

Culture Dec. 29, 2023

Gwanghwamun Square Market Potentially the largest winter market in the capital is taking place at Gwanghwamun Square through Jan. 21, 2024. Open from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., the market not only sells seasonal goods, including crafts, but also offers street food from food trucks. The Seoul Lantern Festival is taking place concurrently, across Gwanghwamun Square and just to the south at Cheonggye Plaza and Seoul Plaza. The Gwanghwamun Square Market and lighting show are open during the same period

Travel Dec. 29, 2023

The number of visitors to temples across South Korea this year increased by 33 percent on average from the previous year, likely thanks to fee waivers instituted in May. According to the Cultural Heritage Administration, the agency handling the grant, the surge in visits to 31 temples across the country between May and September was led by Hwaeomsa, a temple in South Jeolla Province that saw a 42 percent jump in the number of visitors. Next up was Haeinsa in South Gyeongsang Province and Seonams

Culture Dec. 27, 2023

The number of South Korean artifacts that have been retrieved from abroad this year increased to 1,550 from 170 in the last year, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration. The artifacts were collected through purchases made on behalf of the CHA’s Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation as well as personal donations by collectors, the agency said. Such items include Daedongnyeojido, or the Territorial Map of the Great East by cartographer Kim Jeong-ho. This map is more detai

Culture Dec. 25, 2023

Seoul Lantern Festival The annual Seoul Lantern Festival, held until Jan. 21, 2024, is made all the more memorable this year with the event spanning areas from Gwanghwamun Square to Seoul Plaza. The areas light up from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The lighting show, which first began in 2009, features installations and media facades, as well as on-site programs. The festival is taking place concurrently with the Gwanghwamun Flea Market, a pilot program that took off last year. The market offers not only ha

Culture Dec. 22, 2023

Lighting at Cheonggye Plaza Cheonggye Plaza is lit up in festival lights until the end of this month from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Visitors can drop by and see the area illuminated with a giant Christmas tree set up along the Cheonggye Stream, which runs from west to east starting from the plaza. There is no admission fee. Parking and public bathrooms are not separately available. Visitors are encouraged to use the subway. The nearest stations to the area are Exit No. 5 from Gwanghwamun Station on

Travel Dec. 22, 2023

A number of renowned architects in South Korea gathered Wednesday to discuss ways to make public spaces more inclusive amid a wider push within the country as well as around the world to raise the quality of public architecture for communities. “Space for All: Exploring Impact of Public Architecture on Civic Life,” a forum organized by The Korea Herald to recap its seven-part series published in August, weighed in on insights and behind-the-scenes stories of public projects led by se

Arts & Design Dec. 21, 2023

TOKYO -- A nuclear bomb detonated as a 12-year-old schoolgirl was on her way to her family, on a train fleeing a war nearing its end. “I heard the B-29 bomber flying over, which got me thinking, ‘The air raid warning isn’t on. What is that?’ Then I heard a blast and saw flames roaring,” said Park Nam-joo, recalling the day Hiroshima went up in flames on Aug. 6, 1945, which hastened Japan’s surrender and the end of World War II. The 91-year-old Korean Japanese,

Foreign Affairs Dec. 20, 2023

The National Folk Museum of Korea is holding a special exhibition to celebrate the Year of the Dragon, one of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. The show, set to run through March 3, 2024, will explore symbols and mythology associated with the only imaginary creature of the 12 animals, the state-run museum said Wednesday. According to Korean mythology, the dragon lives underwater -- one of the reasons lakes and rivers, as well as mountains, reference it in their names. Government data released in 20

Arts & Design Dec. 20, 2023

The largest annual fair showcasing crafts in South Korea ended Sunday, with hopes for the country’s artisans to go global on surging demand for their work. The 2023 Craft Trend Fair, hosted by the Culture Ministry and organized by the Korea Craft & Design Foundation from Thursday to Sunday, attracted 276 participants -- mostly galleries and workshops -- with handmade goods ranging from tableware and furniture to knitting and embroidery. New to this year’s fair, which has run sinc

Arts & Design Dec. 19, 2023

TOKYO -- Tokyo Electric Power Co. wants South Korea to stop calling the wastewater released from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant “contaminated” because the water has been treated. “The two terms -- treated and contaminated -- should be used accordingly,” Tomohiko Mayuzumi, a spokesperson for the power company operating the plant, told reporters in Tokyo on Dec. 1. “It’s treated if the water has gone through the Advanced Liquid Processing System and i

Foreign Affairs Dec. 17, 2023

Nature Park A zoo for those curious about how animals survive winter has opened in Daegu. Visitors can feed the animals and enjoy the nearby flower garden and playground. Through early January, guests will receive presents if they buy a “Lucky Bag” sold on the spot. Admission is priced at 20,000 won for adults and 18,000 won for elementary school students and younger. The zoo is open Wednesday to Monday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with last admissions at 5 p.m. More details are avail

Travel Dec. 15, 2023

A record 4 million people have visited the National Museum of Korea this year, the highest annual number since the state-run institution relocated to central Seoul’s Yongsan-gu in 2005, the museum said Wednesday. The museum, which is the largest museum in the country housing more than 1.5 million artifacts and showcasing about 10,000 pieces in regular exhibitions, marked the occasion by presenting the 4 millionth visitor with gifts. “One of my friends told me to go visit the museum

Culture Dec. 13, 2023

South Korea will discuss coordinating joint projects to promote Seoul’s cultural heritage, during a two-day dialogue that started Tuesday with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Chiang Rai, Thailand. The working-level talks, attended for the third time by officials in charge of cultural ties, will discuss how Asian nations can advance cultural traditions, particularly those involving the cultivation of rice, a staple in South Korea. “The meeting this time will be

Culture Dec. 12, 2023

TOKYO -- Deterring aggression by reaffirming pledges to counter North Korean nuclear strikes with the same force needs to take place in tandem with reassuring the regime of its safety, a Japanese expert said of curbing North Korea’s provocations. The strategy of using the US nuclear umbrella is what Seoul and Washington have been doubling down on since April when the two allies agreed to bolster deterrence on the North’s weapons tests. President Yoon Suk Yeol, who came to power in Ma

Foreign Affairs Dec. 11, 2023