Study sheds light on Joseon royal processions to tombs

South Korean researchers have identified how royal processions in the Joseon era (1392-1910) evolved over time. Released by the Cultural Heritage Administration on Tuesday, the study found that Joseon kings in the latter years saw their roles expanded in the procession to royal tombs. The change in “neunghaeng,” or visits to the graves of Joseon kings and queens, aimed to reinforce the ruling Yi family’s legitimacy, the study said. The guards accompanying the king in the proces

Jan. 10, 2024

Goryeo bronze bell at Naesosa made National Treasure

The Cultural Heritage Administration held a ceremony Tuesday to celebrate the designation of an 802-year-old bell from the Goryeo Kingdom as a National Treasure. Known as the “Bronze Bell of Naesosa,” a Buddhist temple in North Jeolla Province, the bell was named a National Treasure two weeks ago, an elevation of its status from Treasure, also a state designation. “It’s a textbook bell of the 13th century,” said Choi Eung-chon, the CHA chief, in a speech, noting the

Jan. 9, 2024

Sejong Center unveils new season that will defy growing competition

Facing increasing competition from business, The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will introduce more in-house productions and adopt innovative marketing and sales strategies, its CEO Ahn Ho-sang said during a press conference Tuesday. “Hotels and resorts have emerged as new competitors as they sell experiences rather than mere consumer goods. We are considering how to deliver meaningful experiences to our audience,” Ahn explained. The Sejong Center’s new season, which run

Jan. 9, 2024

Seoul Philharmonic invites 100 Seoulites to Zweden's inaugural concerts featuring Lim Yun-chan

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is inviting 100 Seoul residents to the much-awaited inaugural concerts of Jaap Van Zweden on Jan. 25 and 26, which will also mark the orchestra's first collaboration with piano sensation Lim Yun-chan. Fifty Seoul residents selected through a draw will each be given two tickets to the concert. Korean and foreign nationals with a valid resident registration number aged 14 and above can participate in the draw. Winners will be selected using a lottery sys

Jan. 9, 2024

NMK opens exhibitions on Indian, Native American cultures

South Korean state-run museums will present a diverse range of exhibitions this year, including cultural exhibits on India and Native Americans, and a retrospective on South Korea’s modern history. Through mid-April, the National Museum of Korea is showcasing early Buddhist art from India. The first-ever exhibition on the topic in Korea features 97 pieces brought together from museums in India, the US, the UK and Germany. The show is an adaptation of “Tree & Serpent: Early Buddhi

Jan. 9, 2024

What to expect in Korean art scene this year

With museums and galleries announcing their exhibitions for the year, the issue of gender is getting attention at two major museums in the country. The privately run Hoam Museum of Art will showcase “Women and Buddhism” in March, the largest-ever exhibition examining East Asian Buddhist art from a new perspective through the lens of gender. The exhibition will present masterworks of Buddhist art in cooperation with overseas art institutions. “(The exhibition) will showcase the

Jan. 8, 2024

Pianist-conductor Kim Sun-wook looks to grow together with Gyeonggi Philharmonic

Pianist Kim Sun-wook spoke calmly during a press conference on Monday to mark his inauguration as the artistic director of the Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra, one of South Korea’s top five, but his words were full of confidence and expectations. The Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra appointed the 35-year-old pianist and conductor to fill a post that had remained empty for one year. Kim began his two-year tenure this month, with the New Year’s event on Friday to mark his first official

Jan. 8, 2024

CHA to unveil technologies to protect cultural heritage

Authorities will soon roll out technologies that can better protect cultural heritage from natural disasters, the result of a yearlong project, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Monday. According to the agency, special structures will be used to shield historic sites from disasters like wildfires and technologies using radiation analysis will be available to identify the best preservation methods. A center dedicated to employing high-end technologies will be set up, the agency added. &ld

Jan. 8, 2024

[Herald Interview] Conductor behind 'Maestra' explores new musical territory

ㅡ In the recent TV drama series “Maestra,” South Korea’s prominent actor Lee Young-ae plays a charismatic conductor. Based on a 2018 French thriller “Philharmonia,” "Maestra" centers around world-class conductor, Cha Se-eum, who returns home to lead a local orchestra after conquering New York. Chin Sol, a young South Korean conductor, was responsible for Lee's transformation into a charismatic conductor in a space of a few months. “Actors seem

Jan. 7, 2024

CHA chief revisits Goryeo lacquerware, seeks greater awareness

Mother-of-pearl lacquerware dating back to the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392) represents a work of art of exceptional sophistication recognized worldwide -- a reason to make continuous efforts to reclaim other similar pieces located overseas, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration. At a lecture Wednesday dedicated to the topic, Choi Eung-chon, the CHA’s chief since May 2022, recalled the repatriation of a lacquered mother-of-pearl box inlaid with chrysanthemum and vine scrolls, or &l

Jan. 7, 2024

Busan to open K-pop high school in 2028

A high school specializing in educating students on K-pop and related performances will open in the southeastern port city of Busan, the city's education authorities said Sunday. The Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education said it will push for turning a middle school, which is soon to be closed, into a specialized public high school with a goal of opening it in March 2028. It will be the first public school dedicated to K-pop courses to be established in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast

Jan. 7, 2024

[Eye Plus] Hanji adds ethereal touch to furniture

When hanji is put into epoxy resin, the paper soaks up the fluid and solidifies in the form of a panel. The panels are carved and connected into furniture, while hanji’s unique patterns can be seen through its transparent surface. This is how Son Sang-woo, a furniture designer, makes his works. Hanji is traditional Korean paper made from mulberry bark. As the bark’s texture is visible on the paper, Son’s works display unique patterns and gloss. “Many people are curious wh

Jan. 6, 2024

Oh Eun-young hopes to promote harmony, awareness of disabilities

Oh Eun-young, a prominent South Korean child psychiatrist, is set to host an upcoming talk concert through which she hopes to raise awareness for people with disabilities and promote respect and understanding for them. "What is most needed in families who have someone who is disabled is attention and hope. I promised to create content involving people with disabilities early last year, and this talk concert marks the beginning of that commitment," she said during a press conference, Th

Jan. 5, 2024

S. Korea's content industry sees record exports in 2022: data

South Korea's content-related exports and sales reached a new record in 2022, an industry survey report showed Friday, reflecting the global popularity of Korean pop culture. The content industry's exports reached $13.24 billion in 2022, a 6.3 percent rise from the previous year's $12.45 billion, according to a 2022 research study on the cultural content industry conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The content industry encompasses 11 different sectors, incl

Jan. 5, 2024

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Moxy Seoul Myeongdong presents special staycation package Located in one of Seoul’s main tourist districts, Moxy Seoul Myeongdong offers the “Beauty Hunter” package to quench beauty enthusiasts’ thirst. The promotion presents an opportunity to experience Korean beauty, food and culture with a one-day stay at the hotel. Guests receive a free welcoming drink after check-in. The hotel also offers five sheet masks from vegan beauty brand Lapcos. The package includes the oppor

Jan. 5, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

All-in-one park in Paju At First Garden Park in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, visitors can try everything from riding a train that runs across the park to fishing for smelt. Street food is available too. The festivities run through the end of February. All-inclusive tickets, covering up to six attractions and sledding without snow, are priced at 27,000 won for admissions starting at 11 a.m., and 23,000 won for those entering the park after 1 p.m. The fees are the same for adults and children. For

Jan. 5, 2024

World-famous ice fishing festival to kick off in Hwacheon on Saturday

A world-renowned annual ice fishing festival is to kick off in Hwacheon, a remote mountain town in the northeastern province of Gangwon, on Saturday, organizers said. The 2024 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival will continue for 23 days through Jan. 28 in Hwacheon, located just 25 kilometers south of the inter-Korean border and about 90 km northeast of Seoul, the organizers said Thursday. Sancheoneo is a species of trout known to live only in very clean fresh water. This year's festival is ex

Jan. 4, 2024

National museums surpass 10 million visitors

The National Museum of Korea and its 13 regional museums across the country attracted 10,471,154 visitors combined last year, breaking through the barrier of 10 million for the first time. According to the state-run institution on Thursday, the number of visitors rose 17.1 percent on-year, exceeding the previous record of 9,980,837 in 2019. NMK officials attribute the surge to special exhibitions regularly held at museums, citing in particular collections donated by the late Samsung Group Chairm

Jan. 4, 2024

CHA vows tougher oversight following palace vandalism

South Korea will step up security efforts to prevent vandalism of its historic sites, following nighttime graffiti incidents on the walls of Gyeongbokgung two weeks ago, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration on Thursday. The measures unveiled by the CHA will center on increasing police patrols and the number of surveillance cameras, reaching up to 110 overall. According to the agency, the country’s popular royal palaces as well as tombs and a shrine in Seoul -- all connected to

Jan. 4, 2024

[Herald Interview] G Gallery looks ahead with emerging Korean artists

Galleries come and go with the changing tides of the art market. When the market booms, new galleries mushroom, but in lean times, many disappear. Chung Seung-jin, director of G Gallery in Seoul, has held on to her commitment to art, and her gallery, for the past 10 years. The gallery was first founded in 2013 in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, and moved to Cheongdam-dong, an affluent neighborhood in southern Seoul, four years later to meet more collectors. “The last 10 years were never easy.

Jan. 3, 2024