[Graphic News] Cultural heritage and assets outside of South Korea

More than 240,000 Korean artifacts are currently located outside of the country including those that have been stolen, plundered and sold or given as gifts. According to Korean Cultural Heritage Administration and the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, 803 museums and art galleries in 29 countries around the world hold an estimated 246,304 artifacts as of January. This was a slight increase compared to January last year (229,655 artifacts). By country, Japan held the highest number

March 1, 2024

CJ Cultural Foundation announces support for music, film, musical creators

CJ Cultural Foundation is currently accepting works from aspiring artists, in a bid to help them enter the entertainment market. The annual contest is part of the foundation's efforts to support artists in marginalized sectors such as independent musicians, short film directors and musical creators. CJ Cultural Foundation said it is accepting music files or videos from aspiring music makers for its indie musician support program, titled "Tune Up," until March 20. Works can be subm

Feb. 28, 2024

[Herald Interview] Heading toward 20th anniversary, Novus String Quartet continues to stay current

Nine years ago this month, the Novus String Quartet was featured in The Korea Herald’s “Up and Coming” series. Nearly a decade later, they continue to evolve. “At that time, we were just making the transition from the mixed life of a student and a performer into a professional performer. Now we are professional performers who also pursue teaching careers,” violinist Kim Jae-young, the leader of the quartet, told The Korea Herald during an interview on Monday. Kim an

Feb. 27, 2024

West Bank museum showcases Gaza 'artistic demonstration' against war

BIRZEIT, Palestinian Territories - At a museum in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Gazan works on display are proclaimed to be an "ongoing artistic demonstration" in solidarity with the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. "This is not an exhibition," reads the sign at the entrance to the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit, near Ramallah, showcasing art and heritage from the Gaza Strip. Alongside contemporary pieces, the works include old, traditional paintings and costumes, as well

Feb. 27, 2024

'K-classical league' needed to create healthy classical music scene

South Korea has become a heaven for classical music prodigies but for sustainable growth, a '"K-classical league" would be more conducive, according to classical music experts during a forum on Friday. Hosted by the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation, which has been supporting talented young musicians since 2009, the forum dealt with various issues concerning fostering classical music talent. “Because now South Korea has become a heaven for prodigies, they are trying to

Feb. 26, 2024

UNESCO workshop on writing cultural heritage reports convenes in Jeonju

The Cultural Heritage Administration on Monday convened a five-day international meeting on empowering countries to write up better progress reports on protecting cultural heritage, in line with a UNESCO convention. About 100 government officials and UNESCO representatives from 42 countries in the Asia-Pacific region will discuss improving their collective submission of progress reports, mandated every six years under the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, in Je

Feb. 26, 2024

Sneak peeks of pianist Lim Yunchan's debut album on Decca heighten expectations

When pianist Lim Yunchan, the youngest winner ever to win the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, attended the press conference for Apple Music Classical on Jan. 29, he performed three of Chopin Etudes: Op. 25, No. 1 “Aeolian Harp;” Op. 10, No. 5 “Black Keys;” and Op. 25, No. 11 "Winter Wind." For his playlist exclusively unveiled on the Apple Music Classical app, the 19-year-old pianist featured Chopin 12 Etudes by Ignaz Friedman among other artists

Feb. 25, 2024

[Weekender] Discover the joys of life without a smartphone

In December, college student Kang Min-gu was preparing for his final exams when he decided to put his cell phone in a special type of locker called the "Room of Immersion." Once items are placed in the cylinder, also called a "smartphone prison," and a timer is set, it can only be opened before the time is up by breaking it. Kang, who majors in Korean medicine, meant to set a timer for 60 minutes so he could focus on his studies. But when he realized he had accidentally s

Feb. 24, 2024

Tours of royal hall at Changdeokgung to open

Free guided tours of the royal hall Injeongjeon at Changdeokgung -- one of the five palaces in Seoul of the Joseon era (1392-1910) -- will run for the entire month of March, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Friday. Existing tours of the palace covering major palace buildings are to add a 15-minute stop for a rare look inside Injeongjeon -- the main hall of the palace, where key royal ceremonies from proclamations to weddings took place. Kings used the hall to discuss day-to-day matters

Feb. 23, 2024

Temple that housed book on Hangeul launches Hangeul awareness group

A South Korean Buddhist temple believed to have housed an old book annotating Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, has launched an awareness group to promote the “power of altruism” behind the writing system King Sejong the Great created in 1443. “Going forward, we will undertake projects to promote the true spirit of Hunminjeongeum,” said the Ven. Beomjong, president of the Hunmin Spirit Globalization Association, referring to the original name for Hangeul at a launch ceremony

Feb. 23, 2024

Lim Yunchan to offer interpretation of Chopin's Etudes in Decca debut album coming in April

Lim Yunchan, the youngest winner ever to win the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, unveiled a single of Chopin’s Op.10 No.3 "Tristesse" earlier this week, offering a sneak peek at his first album on the Decca Classical label. His upcoming album, titled “Chopin: Etudes,” will be released April 19, according to Universal Music Group, Decca’s parent company. The pianist signed an exclusive recording deal with Decca in October last year. “Pianists l

Feb. 23, 2024

[Well-curated] Matcha espresso, salad that eats like meal, Ilya Milstein’s llustration

Try Matcha espresso with tonic water, Financier Koreans love their Americanos, but espresso bars have become more trendy over the last few years, with more than a hundred espresso bars thriving in Seoul's cafe scene. Mulino Espresso Bar, located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, is the rare combination of a strong espresso shot, cool-temperature whipped matcha cream, eye-pleasing pastel green matcha syrup and tonic water to refresh your mouth after your cup is finished. Try pairing it with a sweet and

Feb. 23, 2024

CHA eyes easing rules, bigger outreach

A sweeping overhaul of regulations and broader outreach are the focus of what the Cultural Heritage Administration intends to achieve this year, the state-run agency said Thursday. At an annual briefing to update the public about its latest priorities, CHA chief Choi Eung-chon underscored the new goal of allowing Koreans to enjoy the benefits of the work the agency does. “That’s our new role and value,” Choi said, describing the plan to rename the agency with the phrase “

Feb. 22, 2024

Kakao Entertainment conducts record crackdown on illegal webtoon, web novel distributors

Kakao Entertainment has deleted a record number of illegally distributed webtoons and web novels over a period of seven months, amid continued illegal dissemination of copyrighted works, online, the company said Monday. According to the company's "4th Illegal Distribution Response White Paper" published on Monday, Kakao Entertainment deleted 208 million web novels and webtoons from June to December 2023. Of the deleted materials, Kakao Entertainment's global anti-piracy team,

Feb. 20, 2024

CHA to help with Angkor Wat preservation efforts

The Cultural Heritage Administration will aid Cambodia’s efforts to preserve its signature temple complex Angkor Wat for the next three years starting this year. The latest joint project marks the fifth time Cambodia has sought out such outside help -- following the US, Germany, Italy and Japan -- according to the South Korean agency, which inked a memorandum of understanding with the Apsara National Authority on Monday. “The temple complex is a symbolic cultural heritage site in Cam

Feb. 20, 2024

Son-in-law of CJ Group chair appointed as head of CJ ENM's global biz division

South Korean conglomerate CJ Group's entertainment arm CJ ENM designated Jung Jong-hwan, the son-in-law of the chair of CJ Group Lee Jay-hyun, as the head of the entertainment company's newly created contents and global business division, according to industry sources Monday. Jung previously led the global integration team at CJ Group, before assuming the new role. His main achievements included leading CJ CheilJedang's acquisition of the US food company Schwan's Company, as

Feb. 19, 2024

Visits to historic sites double during Lunar New Year holiday

Historic sites in Seoul connected with the Joseon era (1392-1910) during last week’s four-day Lunar New Year holiday saw more than twice the number of visitors the previous year, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration on Monday. Seoul’s four main royal palaces -- Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung -- and the royal tombs as well as the Jongmyo Shrine drew a total of 534,347 guests, up from 246,022 recorded in the four days from Jan. 21-24 in 2023. C

Feb. 19, 2024

Minister Yu mulls strategies to boost Korea’s image with overseas culture chiefs

Culture Minister Yu In-chon kick-started a four-day meeting Monday with chiefs from the ministry’s overseas cultural centers to discuss interagency coordination on promoting South Korea. Thirty-five cultural center heads and officials from seven promotional centers across 34 countries took part in the in-person gathering in Seoul. The event follows an announcement by the Culture Ministry two weeks ago on the launch of an office to replace the previous cultural agency, which was criticized

Feb. 19, 2024

[Photo News] Busan baseball stadium to get a new look

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Yu in-chon, on Saturday visited the Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan, which is undergoing reconstruction. The reconstruction of Sajik Baseball Stadium is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2026, to be completed in the second half of 2028. In 2021, the city of Busan adopted a joint declaration with the Lotte Giants on the reconstruction and conducted a study to carry out the reconstruction. “This year, we plan to hold discussions with Lotte Grou

Feb. 17, 2024

Tapas, aiming to tap potential in N. America, unveils winners of first romance web novel contest

Tapas Entertainment, a North America-based web novel and webtoon platform, announced 15 winners of its romance web novel contest, its parent company Kakao Entertainment said Friday. The “True Love on Tapas” competition ran for approximately two months starting from October last year, with 15 entries selected out of a total of 264 submissions. It took place as part of Kakao Entertainment's strategy to strengthen its web novel expansion in North America this year. Despite being in

Feb. 16, 2024