A newly established series of literary and translation prizes, which aims to discover emerging talent in Korean literature and Korean-English translation, has completed its selection of inaugural winners with an announcement of its translation winner earlier this week, according to the series organizer, Charm Agency, this week. On Tuesday, Jenny Jisun Kim, a US-based translator and visual artist, was named the winner of the New Translator Prize for her translation of Dolki Min’s “Set

Books March 18, 2023

A family day out at Children’s Grand Park Located in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Children’s Grand Park is the perfect destination for a fun family day out. The park houses an amusement park which offers a wide range of family-friendly attractions and activities that are suitable for children of all ages. The park features thrilling rides for older children, who should not miss the opportunity to try out the Wave Swinger and the Drop Tower. In particular, the Family Coaster is wildly popular

Culture March 17, 2023

South Korean novelist Cheon Myeong-kwan’s “Whale” has been longlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize, one of the three most prestigious literary awards in the world. "Whale," a story of an ambitious woman making something of herself in the world, was among the 13 preliminary nominations that were announced by the organizer on Tuesday. “Right now, I am just nonchalant because it has been so long, almost 20 years, since I wrote the book, that I have nearl

Books March 15, 2023

The Universal Ballet is set to capture the unique emotion of “jeong” through the language of ballet expressed with traditional Korean music in "Korea Emotion," which kicks off the company's 2023 season this week. “Korea Emotion,” choreographed by the company's artistic director Liu Bingxian, will be performed at the Haeoreum Grand Theater from Friday to Sunday. “Jeong” is an emotion for which it is hard to find an English equivalent. It is

Performance March 14, 2023

South Korean novelist Cheon Myeong-kwan's "Whale," has been longlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize, one of the three largest literary awards in the world, the award's organizer announced Tuesday. “Whale,” translated by Chi-Young Kim and published by Europa Editions on Jan. 19, was among the 13 preliminary nominees for the British prize, established in 2005 to honor an author and translator equally for a single work of fiction translated into English. T

Books March 14, 2023

The Paris Opera Ballet has appointed Guillaume Diop to its highest “etoile” title, marking the first time a black dancer has reached the top rank of honor reserved for just a handful of dancers in the company's 354-year history. "In the life of the dancers at the Paris Opera Ballet, there is a rare and collective moment which we share with the public at the end of the performance,” said director Jose Martinez in making the announcement on stage after Diop’s perf

Performance March 13, 2023

Bestselling author Gu Byeong-mo of “Wizard Bakery” and “The Old Woman with the Knife” has released a collection of 13 short stories that offers a unique glimpse into the writer’s style and imagination. “The Book of Lorem Ipsum,” published by Anonbooks, hit bookstore shelves on Jan. 31. The 50-page collection of short stories consists of pieces that were previously published in magazines or anthologies beginning 2017, as well as four previously unpublishe

Books March 11, 2023

The number of active Hallyu fans around the world reached 178 million in 2022, according to an annual report published by the Korea Foundation in cooperation with overseas missions, Friday. The figure is about an 18-fold increase from 9.26 million in 2012, when the Korea Foundation’s survey was launched. In comparison, the population of Hallyu fans at 178 million would place it as the eighth-largest country in the world, just bigger than Bangladesh while trailing Brazil. The general report

Culture March 10, 2023

The Jeju Fire Festival, this year's iteration of which kicked off Thursday, has decided to cancel the program's highlights involving actual fire due to safety concerns, according to the organizers on late Thursday. Several events scheduled for Friday and Saturday, including the festival's highlight, the Oreum Fire Lighting, were canceled as a series of wildfires have recently broken out in other areas in Korea amid the dry weather. Other performances, concerts and programs will go

Travel March 10, 2023

Changgyeonggung's Grand Greenhouse under the stars With spring just around the corner, the Grand Greenhouse inside Changgyeonggung invites visitors to taken an enchanting stroll through the palace garden. Located in Jongno-gu, Seoul, the Joseon-period palace offers a peaceful retreat in the heart of the bustling city, having recently reopened its nighttime viewings in March, As you walk through the gates and into the palace court, the night lights cast a dreamy glow on the surroundings, cas

Culture March 10, 2023

The production team of the Netflix show “Physical: 100” disclosed the original video recordings of the show's final match and emphasized that “there was no manipulation of the results.” The reality survival program, which aimed to find the fittest among 100 contestants, crowned CrossFit athlete and snowboarder Woo Jin-yong as the winner after the final “rope pulling” match against Olympic cyclist Jung Hae-min on Feb. 21. However, controversy arose when ru

Television March 9, 2023

The National Gugak Center is scheduled to go on a nationwide tour to perform Jongmyo Jeryeak, which is royal ancestral ritual music featured at Jongmyo Shrine. The tour will be followed by an overseas tour later in the year. The tour will start at Sejong Art Center in Yeongi-gun, Sejong City on Saturday. It will then be performed at Yeak-dang in the National Gugak Center in Seoul from June 14-16, followed by performances at the Daejeon Municipal Yeonjeong Korean Traditional Music Center on July

Culture March 8, 2023

The Paris Opera Ballet, one of the leading ballet companies in the world, is set to stage “Giselle,” an iconic French romantic ballet, from Wednesday to Saturday. The oldest national ballet company in the world premiered the piece in 1841, and will be performing in Korea for the first time in 30 years. The same piece was performed in Korea in 1993. “‘Giselle’ is a performance that best captures the characteristics of French ballet,” said Jose Martinez, directo

Performance March 7, 2023

Four Korean picture books received special mention at the BolognaRagazzi Award this week, as part of the Bologna Children's Book Fair held in Italy. “Moving Away,” written and illustrated by Lee Ji-yeon, was given special mention in the Fiction category. “This exquisitely designed leporello … invites the reader to follow a magnified ant trail through the garden where a child is playing,” said the jury. "The Blue: Bench" written and illustrated by mia

Books March 7, 2023

Standing tall at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul is a statue of Adm. Yi Sun-shin, one of the most celebrated figures in Korean history, a national hero who prevailed over the Japanese invaders during the Imjin War (1592-1598). Yi didn’t start his career in the Navy. He was serving in the Army when he was stripped of his rank by adversaries who were jealous of his talent. But 14 months before Japan invaded Korea in 1592, Yi was appointed commander of the Left Jeolla Naval District. It w

Books March 5, 2023