Same day, different holiday: Mid-autumn festivals across East Asia

People staring at screens to book tickets to home, jammed highways and families enjoying festive foods are typical scenes associated with Chuseok, one of South Korea's biggest traditional holidays. Along with Seollal, Chuseok is one of two holidays that span three consecutive days. The origins of Chuseok are unclear, but similar holidays are celebrated across East Asia on the same date -- Aug. 15 on the lunar calendar -- though some have come to mark Aug. 15 on the solar calendar as well.

Sept. 29, 2023

Explore the culture of Joseon during Chuseok

In celebration of Chuseok, a traditional Korean holiday, major cultural tourist attractions such as palaces, Jongmyo Shrine and Joseon Royal Tombs will be open to the public for free. According to the Cultural Heritage Administration, four major palaces (Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace and Changgyeonggung Palace) of Joseon, Jongmyo Shrine and the royal tombs of Joseon will all be open to the public for free from Sept. 28 to Oct. 3. While Jongmyo Shrine usually ope

Sept. 28, 2023

Intangible cultural heritage exhibitions, performances head overseas

Korea's intangible cultural heritage is to be showcased overseas in special events being held in France, Vietnam, India and Guam from late September to November. The series of exhibitions and performances will kick off at Cernuschi Museum in Paris, Sept. 29. Kim Jeong-ok, the Intangible Cultural Heritage title holder for the craft of pottery, also known as a sagijang, will demonstrate his expertise in traditional Korean earthenware live onstage. Meanwhile, an exhibition of his works has bee

Sept. 27, 2023

[Our Museums] Gyeonggi Ceramic Museum shows artistic essence of ceramics throughout history

GWANGJU, Gyeonggi Province -- Korea's ceramic heritage dates back 8,000 years, with a lineage of artisans refining their craft across generations. At the Gyeonggi Ceramic Museum in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, visitors have the opportunity to follow the evolution of Korean ceramics from ancient times to the present day. During the Joseon era, Gwangju emerged as an important ceramics supplier to the court as its rich soil and abundant firewood that were conducive to making high-quality cerami

Sept. 26, 2023

[Photo News] PM Han at Dondeokjeon opening

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (second from right) and US Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg (second from left) participate in a brushwork painting performance at the opening ceremony of Dondeokjeon in Seoul on Monday. Dondeokjeon, a Western-style building at Deoksugung, opened to the public Tuesday following a six-year restoration. The building was once used as a royal guesthouse and venue for diplomatic events during the Korean Empire (1897-1910). The two-story structure, built between 1902 and

Sept. 25, 2023

Reconstructed Dondeokjeon hall in Deoksu Palace to open to public

Dondeokjeon, a historic Western-style building in Seoul's Deoksu Palace used as a royal guesthouse during the Korean Empire (1897-1910), will open to the public Tuesday after being reconstructed in its original shape, the Cultural Heritage Administration said. The reconstruction was part of the agency's broader plan to restore the original states of royal palaces, which were damaged during the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. The two-story building, known to have

Sept. 25, 2023

[Photo News] Dondeokjeon reopens after century

Dondeokjeon, a Western-style building next to Deoksugung in central Seoul, opens to the public Tuesday after a six-year restoration. The building was once used as a royal guesthouse and venue for diplomatic events during the Korean Empire (1897-1910). The two-story structure, built between 1902 and 1903 during the reign of King Gojong to commemorate the 40th anniversary of his enthronement, was destroyed by the Japanese in the 1920s. The Japanese subsequently turned the palace into a children�

Sept. 25, 2023

French drama series wins Grand Prize at Seoul International Drama Awards 2023

The French drama series titled “The Fragile Colossus” received the Grand Prize at the Seoul International Drama Awards 2023 on Thursday. SIDA 2023 honored a total of 11 drama series as well as 15 actors, screenwriters and directors from around the world in a ceremony held at KBS Hall in Seoul. The French drama series was praised for its in-depth depiction of sexual violence. The plot of “The Fragile Colossus” revolves around Sebastien, a former rugby player who was sexu

Sept. 22, 2023

[Herald Interview] 'Businesses should be led to invest in the arts': Arts Council Chair Choung Byoung-gug

Wearing a white shirt and jeans, Arts Council Korea Chairperson Choung Byoung-gug prepares coffee at his Seoul office in the small-theater district of Daehagno before the interview in late July. “Five or six years ago, we signed a memorandum of understanding for a 50 billion-won ($37 million) project to build a coffee museum, a coffee library and so on in Addis Ababa,” said Choung, recalling his work as a member of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Commit

Sept. 22, 2023

KOCCA to showcase Korean webtoons, graphic novels in New York Comic Con

Korea Creative Content Agency announced on Thursday that it will host a special venue to promote Korean comics and webtoon IP at the upcoming New York Comic Con, starting from Oct. 12 to 15. NYCC, which is set to be held at Javits Center, New York City, is considered the biggest comic and pop culture event on the US East Coast drawing comics creators, gaming stars, top anime and celebrities. Poised to raise the profile of Korean webtoons in the US, KOCCA is scheduled to run “The House of K

Sept. 22, 2023

[Well-curated] A weekend for fall-time festivities

Namhae Oktoberfest comes to Seoul A limited-time pop-up event introducing Namhae German Village is being held in Seongsu-dong through Tuesday. The event sheds light on how Namhae German Village -- a village built by Koreans who went to work in Germany primarily as nurses and miners in the '60s and the '70s and returned to Korea after retirement, many of them with their German spouses. The village was first settled by about 75 families. The event showcases photos and maps of Namhae Germ

Sept. 22, 2023

[Herald Interview] Maestro Sung Si-yeon says orchestra is "conductor's mirror"

When Korean conductor Sung Shi-yeon took the stage at the Seoul Arts Center on Tuesday night to lead the Korean Symphony Orchestra, she chose some pieces that are unfamiliar to the public. Despite the risk of losing members of the audience, who tend to be less enthusiastic about such modern or unfamiliar pieces, Sung introduced Fazil Say’s "Water (Su) for piano and orchestra, Op.45" for the first time in Korea. With the piece and Carl Nielsen’s "Helios Overture, Op.17,

Sept. 20, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] Diébédo Francis Kéré emphasizes role of architecture in sustainable future

Diébédo Francis Kéré, the winner of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize 2022, emphasized the role of architecture in creating a better future with inspiring stories of designing sustainable buildings. “In the past, it was a competition to create wealth. The decision-makers were forced to create space and investors would have to create space for us to live. But nowadays, together, we have to think, 'How will we achieve all of this with respect to sav

Sept. 19, 2023

[Our Museums] Cheongju Early Printing Museum chronicles birth of publishing

CHEONGJU, North Chungcheong Province -- In the digital age we live in, it is easy to forget the origins of communication and information dissemination. The Cheongju Early Printing Museum in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, is a testament to the importance of printing throughout history, long before smartphones and laptops became commonplace. The museum shows how people conveyed their thoughts, ideas and stories through the tangible and enduring medium of print. Opened in March 1992, the mus

Sept. 19, 2023

[Photo News] Crown princes' building

Gyejodang, a part of Gyeongbokgung where the Joseon crown princes attended to state affairs and hosted banquets, opens to the public Wednesday after a six-year restoration. Built in 1443 during King Sejong's reign, the original Gyejodang was completely destroyed by the Japanese in around 1910 after Japan's annexation of Korea. Traditional materials and building techniques were used in the restoration, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration. (Cultural Heritage Administration)

Sept. 19, 2023

Gaya Tumuli named UNESCO World Heritage

The Gaya Tumuli, seven tomb clusters of Korea's ancient Gaya Kingdom (42-562), were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on Sunday. The decision was made during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee, which took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The session, which commenced on Sept. 10, decides on the inscription of 50 sites on the tentative list, and is set to conclude on Monday. The seven tumuli clusters enlisted are: Gimhae Daeseong-dong Tumuli, Haman Marisan Tumuli, Chan

Sept. 17, 2023

Webtoon ‘Get Schooled’ canceled in US over 'racist' content

Naver Webtoon series “Get Schooled” has been canceled and removed from the platform's US service after the series' allegedly racially discriminatory content sparked controversy. Naver Webtoon said on Saturday that it had discontinued the series in the US, and the English edition is currently unavailable. On the Korean platform, the latest episode in question has been deleted and the webtoon series has been suspended indefinitely. “The racist content has been removed f

Sept. 17, 2023

Animals left in substandard conditions at some local zoos

A jaguar paced back and forth within its cage, measuring about 30 square meters in total area. Each time the great cat reached the edge of its enclosure, it reared on its hind legs, as if to attempt a futile climb onto the wall. Daejeon Aquarium’s “mini zoo,” located on the third floor of the aquarium, recently came under fire on social media for placing its animals in substandard living conditions. In light of the revision to the Enforcement Degree of the Act on the Management

Sept. 16, 2023

Chang Han-na and Mischa Maisky to take stage together in Korea after 11 years

Renowned cellist Mischa Maisky's one and only student Chang Han-na are set to showcase their ever-evolving joint musicianship before South Korean audiences later this month. Outside Korea, the duo -- who first met when the 41-year-old cellist-turned-conductor Chang was 9 years old -- occasionally took the stage together, but the upcoming reunion will mark their first performance together in 11 years. Chang and Maisky, together with the Ditto Orchestra, are set to take the stage for five p

Sept. 15, 2023

'The Girl in the Picture,' a special storytelling concert about 'comfort women,' returns after 6 years

A special storytelling music concert that sheds light on "comfort women" -- South Korean victims and survivors of Japanese military sexual slavery -- is returning with its seventh concert. “The Girl in the Picture” was started in 2012 by the Yoon Joo Hee Microcosmic Ensemble, combining cinematic elements, music, dance and graphic art to create a unique and visually striking show. It is a story about girls who came to be later called comfort women against their will and is a

Sept. 15, 2023