Josun Palace Hotel in Seoul Gangnam offers Bentley rides Josun Palace Hotel in Seoul Gangnam has launched a “Summer in the Royal Palace” package for families and couples with a chance to ride a Bentely and enjoy a private vacation at one of the hotel’s luxury suites. The Bentley cars are randomly chosen from three different models -- Bentayaga, Flying Spur, and Continental GT -- and can be used for up to five hours during the two-night stay. Prices range from 1.6 million to 1

Travel Aug. 6, 2021

The Daesan Foundation will spend 180 million won ($156,385) to support translations of Korean literature, the foundation announced Monday. A total of 13 literary works, 11 novels and two poems, were chosen from 72 applications for this year’s “Korean Literature Translation, Research, and Publishing Support” program. The selected works will be translated into seven different languages: English, French, Japanese, Chinese, German, Spanish and Vietnamese. Works by well-known

Books Aug. 3, 2021

Seoul Cinema, which earlier announced its closure by the end of August, will hold a series of special farwell screenings. Free tickets will be provided for all films that are being screened from Aug. 11 to Aug. 31, the last day of its operation, on a first-come, first-served basis, the theater said Monday. On weekdays, 100 free tickets will be given out daily, while 200 free tickets will be given out on weekend days. In addition to the recently released action film “Escape From Mogadis

Film Aug. 2, 2021

Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Hwang Hee attended the first official G20 Culture Ministers‘ Meeting in Rome, Italy, the Ministry announced Sunday. During a two-day event held under the Italian G20 presidency, a total of 40 cultural delegations, including ministers from G20 countries and representatives of international organizations gathered at the Colosseum. The G20 Culture Ministers’ Meetings had been held in the form of a special meeting in the past, but was promoted to a

Culture Aug. 1, 2021

The Korea Tourism Organization is bringing five of the most popular performances from a performing arts tourism festival to the global audience online from July 30 to Nov. 26. The event, “Welcome K-Stage,” will kick off July 30 with an online streaming of the musical ”The Adventure of the Final Problem” starring actors Kim Jong-goo and Jung Min. The musical is an adaptation of the last installment in “The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes,” a collection of short sto

Performance July 26, 2021

 Two years have passed since the 2019 film, “Parasite” won the Palme d’Or, the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. Although Korean films were not among the 24 competing feature films at the festival’s 74th edition, the firm presence of the Korean cinematic scene was acknowledged by the appearance of its star directors and actors. Director Bong Joon-ho proudly announced the opening of the festival on July 6, while actor Lee Byung-hun took the stage to

Film July 18, 2021

BUSAN – Even as the hospitality industry has suffered from a bruising COVID-19 pandemic, Ananti Hilton Busan at Gijang-gun, Busan, stands ready to offer staycation guests a comfortable, fun and relaxing stay. A scenic view of the ocean by the balcony greets guests. The infinity pool -- one of four different swimming areas at the hotel -- is the largest among five-star hotels in Korea. An open kitchen buffet called Da Moim, meaning “everyone has gathered,” serves fresh seafood

Travel July 17, 2021

Contrary to the typically mysterious, keen and dark image of crime fiction writers, not a hint of grimness could be found in the appearance of Yun Ko-eun, 42, the winner of this year’s CWA Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger, who appears bright, positive and full of energy. The CWA Daggers, established in 1955 by the Crime Writers’ Association, are presented as awards for the best in crime writing in 11 categories, including fiction and nonfiction. Yun is the first Asian to be recog

Books July 12, 2021

The monsoon season is just around the corner, but the cool summer breeze awaits at the waterfront of Namyangju Water Garden.  Located near Ungilsan Station in front of Bukhan River, the nature-friendly garden can be seen at the southern part of Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. Daisy fleabanes that bloom from June, also known as “fried egg flowers” due to their shape and color, wave at passersby, announcing the arrival of summer.  Namyangju Water Garden was created as an ec

Travel July 10, 2021

“Seowon,” or Korean Neo-Confucian academies, were established in the mid- to late Joseon period as private institutions for the aristocratic upper class. Each seowon had a unique educational system and philosophy. Eventually the seowon established traditions that wielded much influence in the regions where they were located. Of the 600 or so seowon that exist today, either restored or in their original state, nine were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2019. All nine

Travel July 10, 2021

Gimje Horizon Festival The Gimje Horizon Festival takes place in front of the Byeokgoljae Reservoir in Gimje, North Jeolla Province. Themed “sky and land meeting at the horizon,” the festival aims to showcase the uniqueness of South Korea’s farming culture. A variety of programs are available for festivalgoers, including dragon games, rice harvesting, a Black Eagle air show and a parade. This year’s festival will be held online from Sept. 29 to Oct. 3. More information

Travel July 9, 2021

The new head of the country’s literary translation institute is not one for big catchphrases. “I do not want to use the slogan, ‘the globalization of Korean literature,’” said Kwak Hyo-hwan, the Literature Translation Institute of Korea’s new president, in an interview with The Korea Herald on Tuesday. Rather, he would like to introduce Korean literature as part of global literature. “For this to happen, I feel the need to break existing stereotype o

Culture July 7, 2021

The ASSITEJ Korea International Summer Festival, a performing arts festival for children and teenagers, will be held around the country for the first time this year. The 23-day event will run July 17-Aug. 8 in major cities, including Seoul, Daegu, Gwangju and Incheon both in-person and virtually. “Quality performances for children are concentrated in the metropolitan area,” Bang Ji-young, chairperson of ASSITEJ Korea, said during a press conference held at Dream Art Center in Seoul

Performance July 6, 2021

“Guess what came to mind last night when I heard a song at the cafe,” poppin’ dancer Nam Hyun-joon chattered away with gugak singer Park Ae-ri as they prepared for an interview at The Korea Herald’s studio on June 29. The two had arrived together. In fact, they’ve been married already 11 years. Endless conversation, laughing and giggling filled the studio. Nam, 42, appeared in a white T-shirt and a trendy pair of sneakers while Park, two years older, wore an ivory

People July 5, 2021

Geumsan Insam Festival Geumsan Insam Festival is held annually since 1981 in Geumsan-gun, South Chungcheong Province, and is the largest ginseng-producing region in South Korea. Growing both in content and in size, the festival was selected as a cultural tourism festival by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Sports in 1996, and became established as a national festival. This year’s festival will run from Oct. 1-10. Visitors can try their hand at digging up ginseng, and tour around int

Travel July 2, 2021