Korean poet Ko Un, 90, who had stayed away from the literary scene after sexual harassment allegations were made against him in 2017, has returned with a new collection of poems. Silcheon Munhak published Ko’s latest collection of poetry, “Song of Nothingness,” along with a collection of conversations, “Conversation With Ko Un,” on Dec. 20. The publisher said 2023 marks the 65th anniversary of the poet's debut in 1958. The two books are Ko's first publicat

Books Jan. 10, 2023

To the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, his younger sister Kim Yo-jong is a very special figure. Kim Yo-jong assists Kim Jong-un at close range for official events. She is intimately involved in important international affairs and wields great influence over the politburo. Is Kim Yo-jong a successor to Kim Jong-un? Or a top spare for the Kim dynasty? asked Yoshihiro Makino, a reporter and former Seoul bureau chief of the Asahi Shimbun, one of the four largest newspapers in Japan, in his recently

Books Jan. 9, 2023

Overseas groups who perform gugak, or traditional Korean music, can apply to receive free training in Korea. The Jindo National Gugak Center, located in South Jeolla Province, is accepting applications for the “2023 Invitation Program for Overseas Koreans and Gugak Groups” until Jan. 20. Around eight sessions will be held from March to October. Each session -- with 10 to 20 people per session -- will run for two weeks. Selected participants can choose one to three areas of interest,

Culture Jan. 8, 2023

The author of the fantasy saga that broke the record for a single export deal in Korean literature said he could never have predicted it. “I don’t know how to say this right … but I have seen people who hated my writing. Of course I do see readers who loved my work but it doesn’t feel real,” Lee Yeong-do told The Korea Herald. Lee’s four-part fantasy series “The Bird That Drinks Tears” recently sold to a European publisher for about 300 million wo

Books Jan. 7, 2023

Celebrate Year of the Rabbit with NewJeans' rabbit-shaped cake Hop into the Year of the Rabbit at pop-up store "OMG! NU+JEANS" near Dosan Park in Gangnam-gu for a sweet pick-me-up and all things NewJeans. The pop-up is a collaboration between dessert brand Nudake and the K-pop group and runs through Jan. 21. The signature item is the rabbit-shaped “OMG! NU+JEANS” cake that comes in five different colors -- white, yellow, pink, blue and green. You also won't be abl

Culture Jan. 6, 2023

In the fall of 2020, Chung Serang, author of the Korean novel “School Nurse Ahn Eun-young” which was the base for the Netflix series “The School Nurse Files,” received a proposal from Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The editor who was interested in Korean literature suggested that a Korean and Japanese writer each write a part for one novel. Chung, who wanted to expand the literary friendship to more countries in Asia, proposed inviting more authors for this project. Two y

Books Jan. 4, 2023

In 1426, a teenage detective named Hwani returns home to Jeju Island to find her missing detective father, who vanished while investigating a mysterious case of 13 girls disappearing in a forest. Hwani is left with her father’s investigation case notes and an estranged younger sister, Maewol, who had a traumatic experience in the same forest when she was younger. Determined to find her father and solve the case, the young detective digs into the secrets of the small village. First publishe

Books Jan. 3, 2023

Korea National Contemporary Dance Company will continue to explore the art of dance in 2023 with experimental programs for the next season. “20▲△” (Twenty Triangle Triangle) which premiered in 2021 will return to the stage in February as the first program of the season. Directed by choreographer Song Joo-won, the performance was part of the “Dance and Technology Project” which incorporated VR as well as the audience into a dance. In June, “Cascade Passage” wil

Performance Jan. 1, 2023

Singer-actor IU, also known as Lee Ji-eun, and actor Lee Jong-suk are dating, according to their agencies on Saturday. “Lee Jong-suk and IU have recently progressed from close colleagues into a relationship,” said Lee’s agency, High Zium Studio in an official statement. IU’s agency EDAM Entertainment also confirmed, “Two of them have been close colleagues for a long time and have recently begun dating.” Lee won the grand prize for his role in the crime thrille

Culture Dec. 31, 2022

As the new year approaches, various rabbit-themed events, attractions and exhibitions are scheduled to entertain the public, celebrating the Year of the Black Rabbit. Rabbit-themed carton exhibition Cartoon exhibition Eol-To-Dang-To, an abbreviation word for “Way to go rabbit! What a confident rabbit!” in Korean, feature eye-catching works drawn by the members of the Korea Cartoonist Association and Japanese artists. Korean traditional comic artist Lee Doo-ho and renowned Japanese ma

Culture Dec. 30, 2022

Bestselling author Cho Se-hui, who shed light on the shadows of the country’s industrialization and economic miracle with his 1978 novel “The Dwarf,” was laid to rest on Wednesday. Cho passed away on Sunday at the age of 80 due to a chronic illness, his family said. Major bookstores and literary figures expressed condolences to Cho throughout the week. Kyobo Book Center, the biggest bookstore chain in Korea, and Yes24, Korea’s largest online book retailer, opened a memori

Books Dec. 29, 2022

Korean literature has achieved significant recognition on the global stage in 2022. Translated literary works won or were nominated for prestigious literary awards outside of the country this year, with a total of four awards and nine nominations. They gained recognition in different genres including novels, poetry and graphic novels, according to the Literature Translation Institute of Korea on Wednesday. Bora Chung’s “Cursed Bunny” and Park Sang-young’s “Love in t

Books Dec. 28, 2022

Viewers voiced mixed responses over the ending of the latest hit series “Reborn Rich,” which was very different from the conclusion of the original web novel from which it was adapted. The last episode in the 16-part JTBC series aired Sunday, with a 26.9 percent viewership rating, according to ratings firm Nielsen Korea, Monday. The figure is the all-time second highest rating for a JTBC drama, following “The World of the Married” (2020), which was recorded at 28.4 percen

Television Dec. 27, 2022

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's incoming music director Jaap van Zweden, will lead the opening concert of 2023 with his signature repertoire, Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68, at the Lotte Concert Hall, on Jan. 12 and 13. Van Zweden will lead the SPO six months earlier than originally scheduled. The Dutch conductor was scheduled to conduct regular SPO concerts in July, November and December in 2023. The Brahms' masterpiece took the German composer 21 years to complete

Performance Dec. 25, 2022

It’s getting colder come evenings, but the crosswalks are bustling with people taking photos. Christmas decorations and lights illuminate the streets and alleys. People flock around the seasonal attractions, enjoying the holiday spirit with friends, lovers and family. Hotels and department stores are in a fierce competition to see who puts up the best, brightest and biggest decorations. Social media is bursting with suggestions on the perfect spot to take photos of popular decorations as w

Culture Dec. 24, 2022