A monument to a scholar that stands in the center of Sejong city, South Korea’s administrative capital, is inscribed with a long letter to King Hyojong. The letter, considered to be the most notable appeal of its kind, was unprecedented at the time. More than 20,000 characters long, it contains a complete development plan for national reform proposed by Yi Yu-tae (1607-1684), a prominent scholar of the Giho school of Neo-Confucianism in the middle Joseon period. Upon reading the letter,

Twice a day, the West Sea tides rise and drain the Korean tidal flats, called gaetbeol, along the western coast of Korea. The slow draining and replenishing of the gaetbeol, as the seawater comes under the influence of the moon, breathes oxygen-rich life into the muddy and sandy West Sea coast, creating a variety of gaetbeol wetlands rich with the aquatic and amphibious creatures that live in them. The gaetbeol are a complex muddy and sandy environment submerged in the water at high tide and e

Jeong Da-hye became the first South Korean artist to win the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize, for “A Time of Sincerity,” a basket created from woven horsehair. The awards ceremony was held at the Seoul Museum of Craft Art in Jongno, central Seoul, on Thursday. Made using a 500-year-old Korean hat-making technique that had long been considered a lost art, Jeong’s piece won the prize in a unanimous decision by the panel of judges. “‘A Time of Sincerity’ exuded

As the hot, humid days of Korea‘s rainy season are well underway, how about enjoying a weekend at a pop-up store? An ID card is all you need to enjoy your favorite Disney shows in cool comfort. A 5-minute walk from Hongik University Station Exit No. 9 on Subway Line No. 2, following the main road to the university, the blue-colored store cannot be missed. Disney+’s special pop-up store will be showing attendees a variety of shows exclusively offered by the streaming platform. They

Cheong Wa Dae will stay open to the public during the evening hours from July 20 to Aug. 1, the Cultural Heritage Administration’s Cheong Wa Dae operations team announced Tuesday. Nighttime tours will be held twice a day, at 7:30 p.m. and 8:10 p.m., except on Tuesdays. The 90-minute tour will be led by a guide, who will explain about the Cheong Wa Dae’s buildings and compound. Cold drinks will be served, along with a live performance of fusion gugak at the former presidential res

Kakao Entertainment and the Korean Cultural Center Thailand will present a webtoon about Thai veterans who participated in the Korean War. The webtoon has been created to inform the younger generation about the history of the Korean War. Titled “One Day, My Beloved Idol Group‘s Leader Disappeared!” it will be launched in September in Thailand. The story begins when the leader of the famous K-pop boy band Little Tiger disappears, even from people’s memory. The main charac

War is always a human-made calamity. The Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598), known as the Imjin War, that began in the Year of the Dragon in 1592 were no different. While Korea of the Joseon era had superior battleships, muzzle-loading cannons and large weapons that could rapidly fire several rounds of explosives, which Japan lacked, the combat-ready standing army at the time of the Japanese invasion was only around 2,000 men. Goryeo Kingdom inventor and engineer Choi Mu-sun (1325-1395) h

Yun Jeung (1629-1714) was a representative “sarim,” a scholar who was highly educated and virtuous but who lived in seclusion without a government post. He is considered the head of “Soron,” a minor group in the “Seo-in” political faction in the late Joseon Dynasty. Until his death at the age of 86, he never held a government office. King Sukjong conferred him the post of prime minister without ever having seen Yun and Yun declined the appointment. He live

Mythical animals, like the nine-tailed fox, dragons and “haetae” are some of the famous creatures featured in many Korean dramas, films and webtoons. If you want to learn about Korean gods, imaginary monsters and ghosts, the “Curious 12 Tales” exhibition is a perfect place to visit. Held at one of the most famous tourist destinations, Insa-dong, the media exhibition is all about Korean folk tales and myths. Within a 5-minute walk from both Anguk Station Exit No. 6 on S

One of three paintings from Joseon era’s “Dokseodanggyehoedo (Gathering of Officials at Dokseodang Study)” was unveiled to the press at the National Palace Museum of Korea on Wednesday. The painting, known as the oldest among the three, was acquired by the Cultural Heritage Administration through the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, at an auction held in the US in March. The work was produced during King Jungjong’s reign (1506–1544) to commemorate a

Multipurpose cultural complex the first such facility in newly developed Magok area

Major outdoor public areas across Seoul – including Seoul Plaza, Nodeul Island and Hangang Park -- have been turned into exhibition spaces for sculptures. The outdoor sculpture festival is jointly organized by the city of Seoul and K-Sculpture, an organization promoting Korean sculptors and their works, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Friday. Some 10 works will be on display at Seoul Plaza, including Kim Woo-jin’s “Deer,” Kim Tae-soo’s “Ec

Just by looking at the Korean title of the movie “Missing Yoon Si-nae,” your mother might be interested in watching this film with you. Yoon Si-nae is the name of a popular ‘80s Korean singer. If you’re looking to spend some quality time at the cinema, the 107-minute-long film, which deals with a mother-daughter relationship while also looking at the two as individual human beings, is a solid choice. The protagonists in the new independent film “Missing Yoon&rdquo

An 8th-century gold leaf artifact from the Unified Silla Period found at the Na Zone of the Gyeongju Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, was unveiled by the Gyeongju National Research Institute of Culture Heritage, Thursday.  Discovered in November 2016, the artifact is an example of the finest metal craftsmanship of that time, with engraved bird and flower patterns carved at a thickness of 0.05 millimeters, thinner than a strand of human hair.  The artifact is available for public viewi

The nonverbal show “Nanta” is returning after two and a half painful years of hiatus, according to Song Seung-hwan, the creator of the long-running hit on Tuesday. “After 22 years of a great run, we surrendered to the impact of COVID-19. But we‘re coming back this summer,” Song, CEO & artistic director of PMC Production. “Nanta” will be back on stage in July in South Korea at the exclusive Nanta Theaters in Myeongdong in Seoul and Jeju. Song s