Shincheonji founder Lee Man-hee, the figure at the center of the spread of COVID-19 in Korea, refused to answer a question about eternal life, concerning a claim he is said to have made to his believers, during a press briefing held in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. As of 4 p.m. on Monday, the number of novel coronavirus patients had jumped to 4,335 in Korea with more than half of the patients either Shincheonji Church of Jesus followers or those who had contact with them. Before the

Culture March 2, 2020

When National Library of Korea Chief Executive Suh Hye-ran, 65, took office in August, one of the first things she did was expand the media center for digital content creators. “We used to have three booths for creating media content. Now we have more than 10,” Suh said during a recent interview with The Korea Herald at the National Library of Korea in Seoul. “We also created a Maker Space at the National Library for Children and Young Adults,” Suh added. Maker Space

Culture March 2, 2020

Korean films continue making history at the three big prestigious film festivals-- Berlin, Cannes and Venice. South Korean director Hong Sang-soo on Saturday in Berlin won best director at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival for “The Woman Who Ran.” Last year, director Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” won the country’s first Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. It might seem like the country’s films have become the toast of the town in the

Film March 1, 2020

Protestant churches in South Korea are considering canceling Sunday worship services this week due to the spread of COVID-19. The disease became an even more serious concern for churches after a pastor at Myungsung Church in eastern Seoul, which has more than 100,000 members, was diagnosed with the virus on Tuesday. He is reported to have attended several services on Feb. 16. Myungsung Church announced Tuesday that it is shutting down its facility and its Sunday services will be canceled unti

Culture Feb. 26, 2020

A goose-shaped chair with a gigantic art book in front of it dominates the room. If you came expecting a typical library, you might think you came to the wrong place. Sojeonseolim, which means “forest of books covered with white bricks,” is a new library in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, which opened Saturday. “Swiss architect Davide Macullo designed this building in 2016 as an art museum. We changed it into a library and Korean architect Choi Wook, director of One O One Ar

Culture Feb. 25, 2020

  The Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism announced Monday that it would suspend the operation of its Templestay program until March 20 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism, an affiliate of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, currently operates a Templestay program at 137 temples around the country. “As people’s concerns about the coronavirus rise due to the number of confirmed cases increasing day by day, we have inevitably decided to suspend o

Culture Feb. 25, 2020

YouTubers Josh Carrott and Ollie Kendal on Wednesday posted a clip saying the social media platform discriminates against Koreans by featuring English comments more prominently. Their channel, Korean Englishman, has over 3.7 million subscribers. “We realized that there’d be a Korean comment at the top with like 700 likes. Above it, there’d be like 10 English comments with maybe 100 likes each,” Carrott said in the video. Kendal added that when he sorted comments base

Culture Feb. 23, 2020

Foreign artists have postponed their concerts in Korea due to the spread of the COVID-19. As of 10 a.m. Friday, South Korea reported 52 new cases of the coronavirus. The total number of infections in the nation is now at 156. Australian artist Ruel, 18, who was to perform Thursday at MUV Hall in Mapo-gu, western Seoul, will now perform Sept. 18 at Yes24 Live Hall. According to Ruel’s concert organizer, all tickets for the February concert can be returned without any extra charges and

Performance Feb. 21, 2020

도널드 트럼프 미국 대통령이 20일(현지시간) 콜로라도주 집회에서 유세 도중 한국 봉준호 감독의 기생충이 아카데미 작품상을 받은 것을 비난했다. “올해 아카데미상 시상식이 얼마나 형편없었나. 다들 봤는지”라고 이야기를 시작한 그는 아카데미 시상식 사회자를 흉내를 내며 “올해의 수상자는 한국에서 온 영화…도대체 이게 다 무슨 일”이라며 조롱에 가까운 연설을 이어갔다. 트럼프 대통령은 이어 “우리는 한국과 이미 무역 문제가 충분히 많은데 오스카는 그들에게 작품상을 줬다. 그렇게 좋은 영화냐. 나는 모르겠다”고 비꼬았다. 그는 또 “‘바람과 함께 사라지다(1939)’ 같은 영화를 기대했다“며 ”그런데 수상작은 한국에서 온 영화였다“며 한국 영화에 대한 반감을 숨기지 않았다. 트럼프의 발언 직후, 트위터 상에는 그의 비영어권 영화에 대한 반감

한국어판 Feb. 21, 2020

Religious organizations are on alert after a drastic increase in the number of COVID-19 cases was linked to a church in Daegu. As of 5 p.m. Thursday, the South Korean government had reported 22 new cases of the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus. The total number of infections in Korea had jumped to 104. It is suspected that the nation’s 31st patient hastened its spread by visiting a church in Daegu, which is associated with a minor religious sect. Amid the quick sprea

Culture Feb. 20, 2020

The Cultural Heritage Administration on Wednesday unveiled two pieces of Korean cultural heritage previously held in the US -- Daegunjubo and the Royal Seal of King Hyojong -- at the National Palace Museum of Korea. “Three years ago, the official seal of Queen Munjeong, as well as a seal of King Hyeonjong, which were illegally taken to the US, were repatriated to Korea. We had to forcefully bring them back at the time. But this time it is different because these seals were donated,&rdqu

Culture Feb. 19, 2020

Actor Ha Jung-woo on Tuesday denied all accusations that he had illegally taken the anesthetic propofol at a plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam, Seoul. Propofol is a short-acting anesthetic that is highly addictive. Plastic surgery clinics normally administer it to patients undergoing surgery. The news first broke last Thursday when a local news outlet reported that prosecutors were looking into about 10 people suspected of abusing drugs, including a famous actor. Although Ha’s name was

Film Feb. 19, 2020

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Monday announced that it will inject 50 billion won ($42.3 million) to provide loans without collateral to small and medium-sized companies involved in tourism, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. “We hope that providing prompt and practical emergency financial assistance will help those suffering in the tourism industry due to the spread of COVID-19 recover and revitalize management fast,” ministry official Choi Jae-won sai

Travel Feb. 17, 2020

News presenter Lim Hyun-ju has reignited debate on going braless after appearing on an MBC documentary on Thursday. In the program “Series M -- Do We Need to Wear Bras” (unofficial translation), Lim went bra-free for a day. She prepared for and did a live television show without wearing a bra, and shared how she felt about it afterward. On Sunday, Lim said people had left hateful comments on her Instagram account after she shared more information and her feelings about the exper

Television Feb. 16, 2020

“Sungkyunkwan National Academy and Its Surrounding Village, Banchon,” an exhibition running at the Seoul Museum of History, shows Koreans’ obsession with education, which dates back to the Joseon period (1392 to 1910). The first part of the exhibition showcases the lives of elite students of Sungkyunkwan National Academy, which served as both as a center of higher education and a symbol of Neo-Confucian culture. The academy trained around 200 top students from around the cou

Culture Feb. 16, 2020