As Banpo Bridge’s Moonlight Rainbow Fountain spouted streams of water, heads turned at the splashing sound that seemed to signal the start of a long-awaited space-out competition taking place on Jamsu Bridge, right under Banpo Bridge. The Hangang Space-out Competition returned Sunday after a two-year hiatus. About 4,000 people signed up for the 50 spots available -- up to three people were allowed for each spot -- and not a single selected team failed to show up at Jamsu Bridge, which is c

Culture Sept. 19, 2022

Former President Moon Jae-in’s latest book recommendation “Utmost and Personal Nepal” has shot up on the bestseller’s list, showing once again the former leader’s formidable influence on many people’s reading choices. “Utmost and Personal Nepal,” co-written by Sujan Shakya and Hong Sung-kwang, is the eighth book he has recommended since leaving the Blue House in May. “The greeting ‘Namaste’ means ‘The god in me respects the

Books Sept. 19, 2022

Leading writers from around the world are convening at the Seoul International Writers’ Festival, scheduled to kick off Friday. A total of 35 writers -- including 12 from eight foreign countries -- will take part in this year’s festival, held under the theme of "Beyond Narrative." The eight-day festival will offer reading sessions as well as conversations between writers and literary critics, exploring the boundaries of genre and language with the readers. The festival will

Books Sept. 18, 2022

A Hallyu festival featuring all things Korean Wave will take place across Seoul next month, the Culture Ministry announced on Thursday. The “2022 Korean Culture Festival” is scheduled to kick off on Oct. 1 in areas around Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul and Jamsil Sports Complex in southern Seoul. With a theme of exploring a cultural journey of Hallyu on planet “THE-K,” the festival aims to offer a chance to experience various aspects of Korean culture, ranging from t

Culture Sept. 15, 2022

A man throws a woman in the open air and catches her with one hand. Then she carefully balances herself upside down with one hand holding his other hand. Getting a sneak peek into the performance “Enva” by Spanish artist group Amer i Africa Circ Cia, the hand-to-hand circus is sure to provoke “oohs” and “ahhs” from the audience with their compelling acrobatics. With music adding a mischievous mood to the act, the pair perform awe-inspiring acrobatics between 2

Performance Sept. 15, 2022

A new space has opened on Jeju Island for discovering the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries and promoting exchanges between ASEAN and Jeju. Jeju ASEAN Hall, the first joint project undertaken by the ASEAN-Korea Centre and Jeju Island with the aim of strengthening mutual understanding and people-to-people connections, opened at the International Peace Center Jeju, Thursday. Attending the ceremony were Foreign Minister Park Jin, Jeju Gov. Oh Young-hun, ASEAN-Korea Centre Sec

Culture Sept. 15, 2022

Korean book events are scheduled to take place in eight countries, hosted by the Culture Ministry in collaboration with the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea and the Korean Cultural Centers overseas. Korean Cultural Centers in Indonesia, Vietnam, Mexico, Argentina, Egypt, the United Kingdom, Poland and France plan to hold book exhibitions, seminars and talks with Korean authors and translators throughout the remainder of the year. Poland and Egypt are scheduled to host their K-book

Books Sept. 13, 2022

  Visit royal palaces for Chuseok Over the Chuseok holiday, the four major royal palaces -- Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung -- the royal tombs and the Jongmyo shrine in Seoul will be open and free to the public, from Friday to Monday. The four palaces, which usually close on Mondays, will be closed on Tuesday instead. Jongmyo will also be closed on Tuesday. At Changgyeonggung, a special Chuseok event titled "Full Moon Lands on the Royal Palace" will take

Culture Sept. 9, 2022

  The recent record-breaking downpour in Gangnam, which is generally recognized as a wealthy neighborhood, led to flooded roads and paralyzed urban infrastructure and brought attention to Seoul’s “banjiha” basement apartments. Alfredo Brillembourg, a New York-based architect who founded Urban-Think Tank (U-TT), an architecture design firm, in 1998, shared his views on Seoul’s urban design and sustainability. “The banjiha units … would be defined as &lsqu

Arts & Design Sept. 7, 2022

Governments should provide more support for deaf people as they play an important role in supporting disabled people’s independence and performances, according to Oscar-winning actor Troy Kotsur. “Deaf people are no different from non-disabled people. We can do anything when opportunities are sufficiently provided,” Kotsur, who won an Oscar in March for his supporting role in "CODA," said using American Sign Language at a press conference held at the Ambassador Seoul

Culture Sept. 6, 2022

An exhibition at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris will shed light on traditional Korean mother-of-pearl arts and lacquerware. “Najeon, the Korean Mother of Pearl Artworks -- Meeting with the Timeless Shine,” which opened Monday, focuses on artistry and the history of Korean lacquer craftsmanship. Commonly called “najeonchilgi,” the handicrafts are a type of traditional Korean lacquerware or woodwork inlaid with mother-of-pearl. A total of 63 pieces are on display, includi

Arts & Design Sept. 5, 2022

A 30-volume “Science and Civilization in Korea” series encompassing the country's history and achievements in the fields of science and technology has been published in August. The series spans the pre-modern period to modern times -- 16 volumes on pre-modern and 14 on modern and contemporary times. The subjects range from specific topics, such as Hangeul, rice, religion and women, as well as major fields of science such as astronomy, engineering and mathematics. More than 60 scholar

Books Sept. 5, 2022

Commemorating the inaugural Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul that kicks off on Friday, the capital is in a festive mood with a flood of art events such as exhibitions, artist talks and parties well into the night. Sept. 1 to 11 has been designated as the week of art, naming it “Dive into Korean Art,” coinciding with Frieze and Kiaf Seoul. Two art clusters in Seoul, Samcheong and Hannam neighborhoods in northern Seoul, are must-visits this weekend if you are a fan of art. Of course, there

Arts & Design Sept. 2, 2022

A museum on Jeju Island is gaining attention with its thought-provoking exhibition. Since opening on July 5, more than 16,000 people have attended PODO Museum’s “Yet, With Love” exhibition, as of Monday. Under the theme “Diaspora and All Minorities of the World,” the exhibition focuses on people who are pursuing new lives away from their geographical and emotional hometowns for various reasons, proposing ways to embrace inclusion and coexistence. Paintings, sculptur

Arts & Design Aug. 30, 2022

Seven works were announced as winners in the EBS International Documentary Festival’s competition sections at the awards ceremony held at EBS Space Hall in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. “Nelly & Nadine,” directed by Magnus Gertten, won the grand prix while “Jason,” by Maasja Ooms, won the special jury award and the audience award in the Festival Choice: Global section. “Nelly & Nadine” revolves around a love story of two women who arrive i

Film Aug. 29, 2022