The National Gugak Center is scheduled to tour four German cities with Jongmyo Jeryeak -- royal ceremonial music with singing and choreography, performed for ancestors of Joseon kings enshrined at the Jongmyo Shrine. The tour will start Monday and run through Sept. 26. As a joint initiative taken by the Korean Embassy in Germany and the Korean Cultural Center Germany along with the NGC, the fall music tour celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Korean-German Cultural Agreement. The four stops

Culture Sept. 7, 2022

A unique store showcasing Korean traditional crafts will open from Sept. 14 to 18 at the Rakkojae Culture Lounge in Bukchon Hanok Village, northern Seoul. Organized by the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, the popup store Hanokyeoncha will have some 100 items on sale. They include moon jars, mini dining tables, and dinnerware sets priced between 20,000 won ($14.54) to 600,000 won. Works of both traditional craft masters and emerging artists will be on display, such as collections from potte

Culture Sept. 6, 2022

Veteran gugak musician Ahn Sook-sun, 73, has been recognized as the National Intangible Cultural Heritage holder of "Chunhyangga" pansori, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced Tuesday. "Chunhyangga" is the best-known among the pansori genre, depicting a love tale between a daughter of an entertainer and the son of a magistrate. Ahn surrenders the "Gayageum Sanjo and Byeongchang" holder's qualification, since the CHA states that a single person should not

People Sept. 6, 2022

Three of the country’s official YouTube channels were hacked between Thursday and Saturday, including the South Korean government's YouTube channel with some 260,000 subscribers. The channels have since been restored, according to the relevant agencies. At 6 a.m. on Saturday, a Culture Ministry staff member read a blog post that said the government channels on the video-sharing platform may have been hacked. The post included a screen-captured shot of SpaceX founder Elon Musk's interview

Culture Sept. 4, 2022

　 Manggyeongsansa in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, has gathered together in one place all the vegetables, both farm-grown and wild, needed to make temple food. 　The mountain herbs they grow with meticulous attention and care are not for sale but for giving away. 　They regard harmonious living with the local residents as the will of the Buddha. Temple food brings attention to the freshness of the ingredients and the simplicity of the seasoning. It seems simple to make, but it’s not. 　Manggy

weekender Sept. 3, 2022

JEJU ISLAND -- Just when the temperature starts to dramatically drop and chill breeze blows from behind one’s back, in gradual darkness, a journey inside Jeju Island’s untouched Manjanggul cave begins. Two restricted zones of the 7.4-kilometer-long cave, formed by the island’s basalt lava flows, is to open for a special period during the annual World Heritage Festival. In its third edition, this year’s festival seeks to enrich and spread the experience of UNESCO World Nat

weekender Sept. 3, 2022

  Although hansik has diversified in its taste and form over time, bulgogi still remains the top dish that comes to mind when Korean cuisine is mentioned. The mouthwatering grilled meat dish, made of beef or pork, derives from a simple compound word of “bul,” meaning fire, and “gogi,” meaning meat. Traditionally, because of the time and effort involved in making bulgogi, it was a special dish cooked at family gatherings or when inviting guests for a feast. The meat i

weekender Sept. 3, 2022

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents ‘Feeling Lucky at JW’ package for Chuseok holiday JW Marriott Hotel Seoul celebrates the Chuseok holiday with a promotion created for guests seeking a luxury hotel staycation without leaving the city. The package is available for four days only, for stays from Sept. 9 to 12. The package features a luxury stay in a choice of a deluxe room or Griffin Suite, as well as entry in a raffle with prizes including a Migak teaware set by Korean ceramic brand

Food Sept. 2, 2022

Two of the oldest wooden Buddha statues in the country, which date back to the late-ninth century Unified Silla period are to be designated as national treasures, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced Thursday.  Both are wooden seated Vairocana Buddhas at Haeinsa in Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province -- one (pictured) from the temple's Beopbojeon hall, and another from its Daejeokgwangjeon hall.  Both relics were designated treasures in 2012, and are currently placed at th

Culture Sept. 1, 2022

Regardless of which Hyatt hotel around the world he is at, Andaz Seoul Gangnam General Manager Robert Hamer does not change his weekly routine of conducting a hygiene inspection of all the kitchens -- which was completed just before his interview with The Korea Herald. The new general manager, who took the post last month, is passionate about providing a homelike comfort and luxurious atmosphere at Andaz Seoul Gangnam, without missing the “inspirational” aspect. "Working at th

Travel Sept. 1, 2022

After a recent fashion photo shoot by Vogue Korea on Cheong Wa Dae grounds sparked widespread public criticism, the Cultural Heritage Administration called off luxury brand Gucci’s fashion show in Gyeongbokgung, scheduled for Nov. 1, the CHA confirmed Monday. According to CHA meeting minutes from Aug. 16, Gucci Korea had applied for the use of the Geunjeongjeon, the main hall of the Joseon royal palace, noting publicizing the “historical value of Gyeongbokgung, a place where world-c

Culture Aug. 29, 2022

A special media exhibition on “seowon” -- Korean Neo-Confucian private academies established in the mid to late Joseon era for the aristocratic upper class -- will be held at Byeongsan Seowon in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, from Saturday to Tuesday, Andong City announced Friday. A newly released documentary on seowon will be released at the exhibition titled “Heading to Seowon,” jointly organized by the Cultural Heritage Administration and Andong City, and hosted

Travel Aug. 26, 2022

The International Council of Museums named Chang In-kyung, former head of the ICOM Korea Committee and founding director of the Iron Museum in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, as co-vice president of ICOM headquarters, on Thursday. The announcement was made after the 37th ICOM General Assembly held in Prague, on Thursday. Emma Nardi, professor in University Rome Tre’s Experimental Pedagogy studies department, was elected president, and Terry Simioti, assistant curator of Ichthyology

People Aug. 26, 2022

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul unveils Chuseok gift sets JW Marriott Hotel Seoul celebrates the Chuseok holiday season with a selection of gifts chosen by expert connoisseurs, available for purchase until Sept. 6. 2022 Chuseok gift sets come in six categories: Beef, Seafood, Gourmet, Beverage, JW Exclusive and JW Experience. The Beef Selection includes aged lamb chops, marinated bulgogi and six other premium meat sets. The Seafood Selection presents Wando abalone on seaweed. The Gourmet Selection

Food Aug. 26, 2022

A 500-year-old protected tree in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, which recently gained fame following its appearance in the global hit drama series “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” is to be designated a natural monument by the end of September, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced on Wednesday. The East Asian hackberry of Bukbu-ri, Changwon, also known as “Sodeok-dong paengnamu” in the TV series, stands 16 meters tall with a circumference of 6.8 meters. It h

Culture Aug. 25, 2022