When French diplomat Victor Collin de Plancy (1853-1924) was posted in Joseon Korea, he collected many unique treasures, including rare ancient Korean books. He returned to France with the treasures he found in Korea, including a 1377 Jikji book printed with movable metal type, and a beautiful wife named Lee Shim, a former royal palace dancer he had spotted performing for Emperor Gojong. Lee, who moved to France with Collin de Plancy in 1893 and accompanied him to Africa the following year, la

A hotel in Gangwon Province that organized an event based on Netflix’s megahit “Squid Game,” on Friday started issuing refunds to more than 1,100 participants, after the games got canceled by city authorities over COVID concerns. St. John’s Hotel in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, on Thursday announced they would refund those enrolled in the event, called “Saint Game,” which would have been held on Oct. 24 at the hotel’s outdoor pine tree forest. Players

Nicknamed “house of treasures,” Ace Four House in the Euljiro neighborhood is frequented by people on the hunt for unique antiques as well as casual visitors browsing the exotic items on display. The owner of Ace Four House, Kim Ji-yeon, who studied fashion communication in Seoul and Europe, was an avid collector of European antiques even before she opened the shop. “Before the pandemic hit, I would travel to the outskirts of cities in Europe where they have rare antique art

The Korean language has evolved over the millennia amassing an extensive lexicon. The Korean language is comprised of words indigenous to Korean people, original Korean characters, Hanja-rooted words, and foreign words which have taken root in modern Korean culture. Currently, the Korean online dictionary has more than 1.1 million words, the largest number of all languages. For reference, the total number of words in English is about half that. No wonder, the US State Department, which rates

Thanks to the soaring popularity of Korean culture, 26 words and phrases of Korean origin have been included in the latest update to the Oxford English Dictionary. The dictionary was first published in 1884, and the word “Korean” was first added in a 1933 supplement. Food features prominently in the recent update: Banchan are small side dishes served along with rice as part of a typical Korean meal. Bulgogi is a dish consisting of thin slices of beef or pork, which are marinated a

Autumn is here. And the best way to enjoy the glorious colors of trees and scent of pine while learning about Korean history is to visit forest trails inside Joseon royal tomb compounds which will stay open through Nov. 30. For those who want to enjoy trails in the city, there are two trails in Seoul — a trail at royal tombs Taeneung and Gangneung and a trail at Mount Cheonjang near Euineung. The trail between Taeneung and Gangneung is around 1,800 meters long and the trail near Euineu

To celebrate Hangeul Day, the newly created Princess Deokon Font, will be released free of charge on Friday, according to the National Hangeul Museum. The font is based on Princess Deokon’s handwritten Hangeul translation of “Jagyeongjeonki,” a book originally written by King Sunjo in Chinese characters. Princess Deokon (1822-1844) was the last princess of Joseon and the youngest daughter of King Sunjo -- the 23rd king of Joseon -- and Queen Sunwon. It is said that Queen Su

Kim Hyun-mo, head of the Cultural Heritage Administration, answered lawmakers‘ questions about the controversy surrounding apartments near an UNESCO-listed royal tomb in Gimpo during the parliamentary inspection Tuesday. The Joseon-era royal tomb Jangneung in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, houses the parents of King Injo, the 16th ruler of Joseon, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009, along with several other Joseon royal tombs around the country. According to the CHA, it

To say that Korea wouldn’t be here today without Korean Gakgung Bow would be an understatement! Since ancient times, Gakgung, which means “bow made with animal horn,” was the weapon of choice for hunting and for protection of Koreans from invaders. The fact that the majority of Korean land is mountainous makes the bow and arrow a perfect weapon to defend fortresses from invaders. Koreans have always been known to be excellent archers. Neighboring kingdoms were even afraid to

A Chinese game featuring a female character dressed in traditional Korean costume hanbok has sparked controversy over plagiarism and intellectual property theft in South Korea.  According to industry sources Thursday, Blooming Moonlight, a game serviced in Korea by Chinese game developer Zishi Technology, showcases a character wearing a hanbok outfit with the exact same design as that of Baekoaksoo, a renowned Seoul-based hanbok company, which previously designed the outfits featured in th

For Seoulites, this weekend is a great chance to hike a somewhat challenging historical path in the northern part of Seoul. The 9th Hanyang Doseong Culture Festival under the theme “Sungseong: Embracing the Wishes” will be held both on and offline, including on-site participation for visitors. The festival begins Oct. 1 and continues for 10 days. Hanyang Doseong, also known as the Seoul City Wall, follows the ridges of Bugaksan (Baekaksan), Naksan (Naktasan), Namsan (Mongmyeoks

The local culture scene has continued to protest the nomination of Ahn Ho-sang as the new head of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. Some artists and art groups held a protest Thursday in front of the art center in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, calling for Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to withdraw the nomination of Ahn as the new CEO of the city-funded art center, citing the blacklist scandal.　 “Ahn is deeply involved in the blacklist scandal. The investigation shows that he is an assail

A preview performance of musical “Lepaka Muryang” directed by Kolleen Park will be held during the18th Odaesan Mountain Culture Festival

Construction companies accused of breaking law by failing to ask Cultural Heritage Administration’s permission

An ancient mountain pass called Mungyeongsaejae separates the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula from the middle-region, where the capital city is located. Mungyeongsaejae, which literally means a mountain top so high that even birds have difficulty flying over it, cuts over the Baekdudaegan, the mountain range which runs through entire length of the Korean Peninsula. Since the 10th century, in order to take imperial examinations, equivalent to civil service exams today, those from sout