Stories of temple food ingredients told by monastics embody the culture of temples. Their communal lifestyle necessitates handling food in bulk like restaurants, but, unlike restaurants, temples depend a lot on preserving food. In spring and fall they prepare ingredients in bulk and store them to use when needed. In spring, a temple may order 300 kilograms of shiitake mushrooms, dry and store them, and use them for up to a year. Spring is the best time to prepare dried shiitake mushrooms because

A South Korean ancient history book, traditional women's poetry and records of a massive oil spill have been added to the regional list of the UNESCO Memory of the World program. The Cultural Heritage Administration said "Samguk-yusa" (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms) and two other candidates from the country were granted the status during a general meeting of the UNESCO Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific. The meeting was held in Andong, about 270 kilometers

South Korea's three historic documents including Samguk Yusa, a collection of folktale and historical accounts related to the Three Kingdoms era penned by Buddhist monk Il Yeon in the year 1281, were inscribed on UNESCO’s ​Memory of the World Register for the Asia-Pacific on Saturday.

Perrotin Gallery will present paintings by Korean artist Shim Moon-seup in Hong Kong for the first time in December, as part of efforts to introduce more Korean artists in the global art scene, the contemporary art gallery said. “Perrotin Gallery was the first gallery that introduced Korean contemporary artist Park Seo-bo and Chung Chang-sup in Europe in 2014 and 2015. We will continue presenting Korean artists overseas as a global gallery,” Perrotin said recently. Shim’s sol

Anyone who is familiar with Korean surnames would assume that the German pianist Christopher Park has some Korean roots. And, indeed, he has. He was born to a German mother and a Korean American father in 1987, but it wasn’t until 2009 that he was able to make his first trip to South Korea. The opportunity came through a chance encounter of Park’s elementary school teacher and Pete Song, who runs a classical music production company, Pete Music, on a train in Germany in 2008. Upon he

Enjoy playing racing games like Mario Kart or KartRider? At Ganghwa Luge located at Ganghwa Seaside Resort in Incheon, you can enjoy the thrill of a high-speed ride in real life. Some 50 kilometers west of Seoul, Ganghwa Luge located on the foothills of a mountain offers a spectacular view of the horizon on the West Sea. After buying tickets, make sure to pick up a safety helmet before taking the five-minute gondola ride to the starting point. Brief safety instructions are offered for first-time

Andaz Seoul Gangnam launches Meat & Co. Steakhouse Andaz Seoul Gangnam’s restaurant Jogakbo has newly opened Meat & Co. Steakhouse, an American-style steakhouse serving high-quality Korean beef and American steak. The signature menu items include Korean beef fillet tenderloin, grilled and flavored with hardwood charcoal at a high temperature of over 400 degrees Celsius; 28-day dry-aged Korean beef bone-in rib eye; shrimp cocktail with avocado; and caramelized onion soup with cheese

Ansung Smelt Festival The Ansung Smelt Festival is scheduled to run from Dec. 24 to Feb. 5, 2023 in the areas near Dume Lake in Ansung, Gyeonggi Province. Hoping to provide a memorable winter experience, the festival features various programs, including smelt fishing, ice sledding and various photo zones featuring snow flowers. Smelt fishing is only available during the weekends and on public holidays. The festival opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. daily. Admission costs 10,000 won per person

Korean cultural icons, including Cannes-winning director Park Chan-wook, late Korean movie star Kang Soo-youn, Cannes-winning actor Song Kang-ho, rapper Zico, idol groups aespa and Tomorrow X Together among others, were named as the winners of the 13th edition of the Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards on Thursday. The annual awards, conferred by the Korea Creative Content Agency and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, recognized individuals who created new trends in the entertainment

The best of Korean crafts are on show through Sunday at Changwon Exhibition Convention Center, in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. A total of 229 winning handicraft works from this year’s Korea Crafts Competition are displayed at the exhibition, as well as 90 previous winning works. This year, more than 2,012 works were submitted across six categories: wood lacquer, ceramics, metal, textiles, paper and others. Winning the top honor of the presidential award was a tea set by artist Jung

This information is provided by CATCH TABLE. -- Ed.   1. Sushi Ren A high-end omakase restaurant with a private room to enjoy a peaceful meal with special people. It only serves the best quality of sushi that continuously attracts and satisfies its core customers. Experience the famous sushi omakase served along with the premium services by the best chefs in Seoul. Reservations can be made for Sushi Ren via CATCH TABLE     2. Sushi Kurumi A luxurious and high-end sushi omakase res

A fan of pianist Lim Yunchan took a day off from work on Nov. 16 and sat down in a PC room, hoping that the high-speed internet cafe could help her outrun the competition looking to buy tickets to a much-anticipated recital by the pianist. To prepare for the bid, she read several online posts and even signed up for a paid membership for the Seoul Art Center, where the 18-year-old pianist will take the stage on Dec. 10 for a one-time concert for about 2,400 people. As soon as the ticketing open