Park played a crucial role in establishing the foundations of Joseon, compiling history books and inventing Hangeul with King Sejong. For the reasons mentioned above, King Sejo (1417-1468) tried to let him off the hook if Park denied his treason plot. However, Park refused the king’s entreaties. “My heart smote me.” This was the reason for Park’s rejection of the King’s offer, cited in historica...

The nighttime walk package travelers will arrive at Chuncheon aboard the ITX-Cheongchun from Yongsan or Cheongnyangni. The Soyanggang Skywalk, which stretches some 174 meters, is located near the iconic Soyanggang Maiden Statue. It is the longest glass bridge in the country. A media facade and multimedia shows are also on display. Details and updates on the trip schedules can be found at the Ko...

Linnea from Sweden who has been seeing a Korean guy was surprised that many Korean couples keep communicating even when they’re busy with their work or hanging out with other friends. “In my country, when couples are apart, they don’t constantly call or text. But many Korean couples seem to want to know about the whereabouts of their loved ones in near real time,” she said. On this, Sarah from ...

Former South Korean Navy special warfare officer Rhee Keun, who has reportedly been injured while leading a recent mission in Ukraine, may return home. According to a post by the International Legion of Defense of Ukraine on Thursday, Rhee, also known as Ken Rhee, was treated at a military hospital in Ukraine and will return to South Korea for rehabilitation. “He will soon resume his service an...

Welcome to Joseon Festival The Welcome to Joseon Festival is set to run through June 26 at Korean Folk Village in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Visitors can enjoy concerts, theatrical performances and hands-on experiences, including making natural scented candles, key rings and more, at the spring event. In addition to the traditional programs, the serene hanok offers an amazing backdrop for Inst...

You can also get a taste of the drinks you read about, such as “Cutty Sark highball” featured in Japanese novelist Haruki Murakimi’s 1Q84 and the “Gin Rickey” from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Great Gatsby.” The menu also boasts an interesting categorization system, dividing drinks based on the percentage of alcohol. For instance, the Poem category lists drinks with high-percentage alcohol, while the ...

L’Escape launches ‘You be You’ package with Starbucks L’Escape Hotel, located in Seoul’s Myeong-dong, is offering a collaboration package with Starbucks. The package includes a night stay at L‘Escape’s Deluxe Room. Gifts include a Starbucks logo patch and a limited edition design patch made by L’Escape for a fashionable summer look. At Marque d’Amour, the 26th floor hotel bar, three special co...

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korea Arts & Culture Education Service announced that they will hold the 11th International Arts Education Week next week. Under the theme of “Culture and Arts Education in the Post-Coronavirus Era, Resilience to Transformation,” the one-week event will showcase various programs including a symposium and seminar on culture and arts education, a one...

“Using the sijo form is an act that demonstrates my respect and heartfelt desire to engage with Korea’s astonishing history and culture. The syllabic constraints in a Korean sijo are not followed in my English-language “sijo/stlings”; but I have tried to remain faithful to the rhetorical structure of the sijo (theme to expansion to counter-theme, then resolution),” Disney said via e-mail on Wedne...

Jeju Biennale 2022 will take place across Jeju Island in November, addressing the message of living in harmony with all creatures and respecting nature, discourses that rose to the surface in the aftermath of the pandemic. The third edition of the biennale, helmed by artistic director Park Nam-hee, will evolve around the theme “Flowing Moon, Embracing Land,” taking place at the two main venues, ...

Perilla leaves are often clumped together because of their thin layers, making it hard for even the most dexterous chopstick user to take just one leaf at a time. Friendship with a member of the opposite gender, however, isn’t a controversial matter in Germany, like it is in Korea, said Lara, a German who is dating a Korean man. “It’s not easy to find Germans being jealous of their lover’s oppo...

The second round of the Gunahaeng parade is scheduled on Friday at Gyeonghuigung and its neighboring market alleys, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and Saturday at and around Deoksugung from noon to 1 p.m. The last round of the parade begins Sunday at Changgyeonggung from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. By Kim Hae-yeon ( hykim@heraldcorp.com )

Bunhwangsa, a Korean Buddhist temple, will open in Bodh Gaya, India on Saturday with a delegation of 150 Korean Buddhists from the Jogye Order – South Korea’s largest Buddhist sect -- attending the opening ceremony. Bodh Gaya in northeastern India’s Bihar state is one of Buddhism’s four holiest sites. It is where Sakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment under a Bodhi tree according to Buddhist te...

Crazy for love milestones On KakaoTalk, the almost-ubiquitous messaging app for Koreans, it is not difficult to find users who display the number of days they have been together with someone on their personal profile page. Other than updating their relationship status to friends and acquaintances, the calendar icon serves a very practical purpose -- counting the days for important milestones in...

At Donggureung, a newly refurbished nature learning center invites families and children to observe flowers and wetland plants that grow in the region. In the western Gyeonggi Province, Samneung and Jangneung, both in Paju, and Yungneung and Geolleung in Hwaseong have their forest paths open. More information and updates about the royal tomb forest trails can be found at the CHA’s website. By ...