[Newsmaker] Police investigate after Gyeongbokgung walls vandalized

Gyeongbokgung, one of Korea's significant cultural heritage sites, was vandalized with spray paint Saturday. The police are tracking down the person behind the graffiti that spans some 44 meters of wall. The incident occurred around 1:50 a.m., when an unidentified suspect wrote graffiti with red and blue spray paint on various sections of the palace, including both the left and right sides of Yeongchumun (The West Gate), and the side gate near the National Palace Museum of Korea, according

Dec. 17, 2023

[Well-curated] Harry Potter, Warner Bros. and an experimental bakery

Chewy rusk? Experimental bakery at Haebangchon Located on the way down the steep Haebangchon hill, O’pato, which has been loved for its homely European brunch and dining menu from soup to sandwiches, has newly opened a bakery offering a variety of experimental but irresistible bread. Although the bakery opened just a month ago, O’pato bakery’s chewing bread -- a chewy rusk made with a whole loaf of bread or salted butter roll -- has gone viral and can be purchased online and d

Dec. 15, 2023

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Moxy Seoul Myeongdong presents holiday season promotion Moxy Seoul Myeongdong, located in one of Seoul’s main tourist districts Myeong-dong, is offering a special holiday food promotion featuring a chop steak with Champagne. The juicy chop steak topped with the chef’s special sauce and a bottle of Beaumont Des Crayeres will be available during the holiday season. Two specialty cocktails -- the snow red velvet cocktail and the ruby mojito – are available as well. The promotional

Dec. 15, 2023

Naver's US webtoon subsidiary appoints new top brass ahead of listing

Naver Webtoon on Thursday said that Webtoon Entertainment, Naver's subsidiary in the United States responsible for the webtoon service's North American business, has made a new addition to its top brass. David J. Lee has been appointed chief financial officer and chief operating officer at Webtoon Entertainment, according to Naver Webtoon. Upon taking the new role, Lee will be in charge of unifying and overseeing global corporate, financial and operations teams at Webtoon Entertainment

Dec. 14, 2023

Pinkfong, Baby Shark explore Korea in new English booklet

The Korea Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) and Pinkfong Company have jointly created an English booklet titled, “Let’s Explore Korea with Pinkfong and Baby Shark,” introducing South Korea and Korean culture to children worldwide. The creator behind “Baby Shark” and other children's songs, which feature animated animal characters, takes a playful approach as Baby Shark hears from Grandma Shark about a treasure box she obtained during her trip to Korea. Pi

Dec. 14, 2023

National Museum sets attendance record

A record 4 million people have visited the National Museum of Korea this year, the highest annual number since the state-run institution relocated to central Seoul’s Yongsan-gu in 2005, the museum said Wednesday. The museum, which is the largest museum in the country housing more than 1.5 million artifacts and showcasing about 10,000 pieces in regular exhibitions, marked the occasion by presenting the 4 millionth visitor with gifts. “One of my friends told me to go visit the museum

Dec. 13, 2023

Bibimbap, 'Cupid,' 'King the Land' among the most searched on Google

Korea's traditional dish bibimbap was the most-searched recipe on Google in 2023, while several other Korean content-related keywords, including K-dramas and K-pop song titles, were included in the global search engine’s top search list for this year. Google announced its “Year in Search 2023,” a roundup of words most frequently searched by its users across the globe. Search words were sorted into 18 categories that included news, recipes and songs. Topping the list for re

Dec. 13, 2023

ARKO unveils 28 new promising projects to support

Arts Council Korea, an organization that supports diverse arts and cultural activities in the country, has unveiled 28 repertories through ARKO Selection. ARKO Selection is an effort to discovers outstanding creative repertoires of drama, musicals, choreography, opera and traditional arts that the organization launched 15 years ago. The art productions are selected through a three-step evaluation process of document review, interview and on-site assessment. Selected groups are provided with su

Dec. 13, 2023

Talks resume ahead of S. Korea-ASEAN culture exchange projects

South Korea will discuss coordinating joint projects to promote Seoul’s cultural heritage, during a two-day dialogue that started Tuesday with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Chiang Rai, Thailand. The working-level talks, attended for the third time by officials in charge of cultural ties, will discuss how Asian nations can advance cultural traditions, particularly those involving the cultivation of rice, a staple in South Korea. “The meeting this time will be

Dec. 12, 2023

Hanwha Classic continues with decade-long promotion of Baroque music

When the Hanwha Classic, a 10-year-old concert series that highlights Baroque music, returns this year with a top Italian ensemble and star mandolinist, it will be offering a rare chance not only for period music fans but also for the musicians who continue to evolve to enjoy Baroque music. Titled “Unity: Il Giardino Armonico and Avi Avital,” the concerts will take place Tuesday and Wednesday at the Concert Hall of the Seoul Arts Center. For the 10th anniversary of the Hanwha Classic

Dec. 11, 2023

Comedy, talk show and girl band caught YouTube users' attention this year

This year, Korean YouTube users enjoyed talk shows and comedy videos the most while female idol groups showed outstanding performance in terms of viewership in the music video section. According to YouTube's statistics released Monday, an episode from Rapper Lee Young-ji’s talk show channel, “Not Much Prepared,” featuring aespa's Karina, topped the list of the most popular videos of the year. The video, which was released six months ago, had more than 16 million views

Dec. 11, 2023

[Herald Interview] Singer Yun Hee-jung keeps jazz enthusiasm going with long-running concert series

In a studio that became the home ground for jazz singer Yun hee-jung for 30 years, concert posters, newspaper clippings, microphones, a keyboard and other musical instruments show the history of the 70-year-old vocalist. Clad in leather pants and an eye-catching knitted hat, Yun brewed her coffee — the latest obsession for Yun, who lacks no energy. After expounding on her newfound passion for a while, she returns to her biggest passion: jazz. Jazz came to her a bit later in life -- when sh

Dec. 10, 2023

[Herald Interview] With fashion exhibition in Korea, Kennie Ting hopes to expand Singapore museum's reach

Singapore's Asian Civilisations Museum, a cultural institution that exhibits a wide range of artifacts and offering a fascinating exploration of the diverse heritage and history of Asian civilizations, is trying to attract younger visitors with its latest fashion exhibition, according to its director Kennie Ting. “It was very much focused on connoisseurship, and there was an aspect of us that was ethnographic because we have these Southeast Asian collections,” Ting told The Kore

Dec. 10, 2023

Culture minister to discuss exchanges with Vatican this week

South Korea's culture minister plans to meet Vatican officials in Italy this week to discuss bilateral exchanges as Seoul and the Vatican mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year, his office said Sunday. Culture Minister Yu In-chon plans to hold a meeting with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin in Rome on Monday to explore opportunities for strengthening ties and participating in a set of cultural events, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Dec. 10, 2023

[Eye Plus] Tradition reborn in 'ottchil'-lacquered electric guitar

Tradition, by definition, is a pattern or custom established over a long time. But the collaboration between Lee Jung-hyun, a musical instrument designer, and Ahn So-ra, a lacquer artisan, goes one step beyond preserving the time-honored practice of "ottchil," natural lacquering derived from the sap of staghorn sumac trees, blending Ahn's craft with Lee's invention in the lacquering of an electric guitar. "Rather than to keep the tradition going, I think what we're

Dec. 9, 2023

[Well-curated] Embrace the holiday spirit with lights, concerts and a Christmas market

Christmas-themed media facade in Myeong-dong Shinsegae Department Store in Myeong-dong, Seoul, has become a must-visit Christmas spot in the city. The building’s facade has been transformed into a splendid Christmas lights display with the theme of “Magical Winter Fantasy.” Once the Mitsukoshi Department Store in the 1930s during the Japanese colonial era, the building holds historical significance, and started to grab attention a couple of years ago during the holiday season

Dec. 8, 2023

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Park Hyatt Seoul unveils special winter cakes Park Hyatt Seoul, located on Gangnam's Teheran Road, presents two winter-themed cakes to elevate the year-end atmosphere with lovely desserts. Crafted with chocolate and sweet compote made from seasonal strawberries, the Christmas wreath cake brings profound sweetness and elegance to the table. Meanwhile, the fresh cream strawberry cake notches up the flavor with mascarpone cream. Cake reservations, which began Nov. 24, run through Dec. 20 via N

Dec. 8, 2023

More cultural assets to be digitized

The Cultural Heritage Administration said Thursday it would push for concrete steps to grow the economy and digitize the way cultural assets are used and promoted, ahead of the enactment of a new law on heritage management. Nurturing cultural heritage-related startups while incentivizing ordinary Koreans to make more frequent visits to cultural sites are some of the priorities, the culture agency said in a press statement. Legislative support will be provided to make that happen, it added. Next

Dec. 7, 2023

[Rising Virtuosos] Multitalented pianist Kim Song-hyeon pursues his potential

When pianist Kim Song-hyeon participated in the Isangyun Competition in early November, he saw the waters of Tongyeong and prayed to become tranquil just like the sea. Before the final round, he re-read messages of encouragement from Paik Hae-sun, a prominent South Korean pianist and his teacher at the New England Conservatory. Paik, who had flown to Korea for her own performance, came straight to Tongyeong from Incheon Airport after a 20-hour flight to cheer on her student. The 21-year-old pe

Dec. 7, 2023

Berlin Philharmonic's 'Unsuk Chin Edition': Unthinkable becomes reality

“Something unthinkable has become a reality. It feels like a lifetime achievement to some degree,” said Korean composer Chin Un-suk of the Berlin Philharmonic album dedicated to her music. Titled “The Unsuk Chin Edition,” the album released last month contains six works Chin performed by the world’s top orchestra between 2005 and 2022. It is a rare album of a living composer and only the second time after the philharmonic released, in 2017, an album of John Adams, w

Dec. 6, 2023