Internet links people with food, friendship

On Friday evening at Greek Joy, a Greek restaurant in Seoul’s Hongdae, six women and a man got together.They had never met each other before. But it didn’t take long for them to gossip, giggle and converse pleasantly.Red, white and rose wines were served with vegetable soup. Meat skewers were paired well with a strong red. They had gathered through online community Zipbob (homemade meal), which arranges social wining and dining events for those who don’t want to eat alone. Zipbob’s tagline state

Nov. 22, 2013

[Photo News] Remembering N.K attack

Nov. 21, 2013

Korean handicraft travels to Saudi Arabia

Craftsmen and their works are increasingly at the vanguard of the promotion of Korean culture, with an exhibition in Saudi Arabia being the latest example.According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the month-long “Hidden Match ― An Exhibition of Korean Craft” kicked off on Thursday at the Saudi National Museum with 34 artists featuring 106 sets of items. This is the first time a handicraft exhibition is being held in the Gulf state. Featuring a wide range of handicrafts ― includin

Nov. 21, 2013

U.S. finds ‘priceless’ Joseon seals

Priceless national and royal seals from the Daehan Empire (1897-1910) have been seized in California by U.S. authorities. When they are returned, which could be as early as next June, the artifacts will be the most valuable items of cultural heritage to be repatriated to Korea to date, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Wednesday.According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations unit and Korea’s Cultural Heritage Administration, the items confisc

Nov. 21, 2013

Space Group headquarters to become registered cultural heritage

The 42-year-old Space Group headquarters building in central Seoul, widely hailed as Korea’s best modern structure, is likely to be registered as a cultural heritage, authorities said Wednesday. The Cultural Heritage Administration announced that the 224.56-square-meter building designed by legendary architect Kim Swoo-geun (1931-1986) between 1971 and 1977 will be reviewed for registration as a cultural heritage site early next year after a thorough inspection next week. “It is true that modern

Nov. 20, 2013

‘Artists in companies lead to innovation solution’

The arts can be more than “condiments” such as welfare policies or marketing opportunities for businesses. They can become an engine for innovation and development in an organization, a group of academics and businessmen claimed Tuesday. They urged more Korean organizations to adopt “artistic intervention,” which involves artists at all levels, from human resources management to strategic planning and business development, at firms and organizations.“Arts can engage people with mind, emotions an

Nov. 19, 2013

Three shades of ‘Carmen’

It is no wonder that a tale of fiery yet innocent romance between a young, naive soldier and a sultry gypsy touches the hearts of many Koreans. “Carmen,” the tragic love story of exotic dancer Carmen and Don Jose by Prosper Merimee, was named the most-loved opera in a National Opera survey in 2012. From November through December, the story and music will be reinterpreted on three very different stages in opera and musical forms.KNO ― Original French styleThe Korea National Opera will feature “Ca

Nov. 17, 2013

National Theater Company releases English book

The National Theater Company of Korea has released a compilation of three Korean plays translated into English, titled “Three Plays.” The 150-page book features the well-loved plays Bae Sam-sik’s “March Snow,” Ko Yeon-ok’s “The Master Has Arrived,” and Park Geun-hung’s “Red Bus.” The book also contains commentaries written about the writers’ lives and works by honorary professor at Pennsylvania State University, Richard Nicole. The National Theater Company of Korea has sent copies to more than 1

Nov. 14, 2013

Naju National Museum to open next week

The Naju National Museum, the 13th central government-funded museum under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, will open to the public on Nov. 22. Located about a 20 minutes’ drive from central Naju, South Jeolla Province, in a rural setting, the museum will be a place where the past meets the present and future of the Yeongsangang River area, said Park Jung-hwan, director of the museum.“In the past, we built national museums in city centers, but this time we are reenacting history: The

Nov. 14, 2013

Lee Charm in hot water over allegations of receiving sexual favors

Lee Charm, CEO of the Korea Tourism Organization, is in hot water for allegedly receiving favors from a subcontractor by visiting a brothel in Japan last year. While the German-turned-Korean admits to visiting the business, he insisted that he paid for the services on his own, saying it was only a “pure massage to take away the fatigue.”According to a report by jTBC on Tuesday, the KTO CEO visited Japan during the Lunar New Year holiday in January last year with workers of a subcontract company

Nov. 13, 2013

Korea promoter presents 10 things people should know about Korea

Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor of General Education at Sungshin Women’s University, well-known for his efforts for promoting Korea’s position on sovereignty over the Dokdo Islets, and has recently published a book titled, “Do you Know? 10 Things you Must Know About Korea.” Seo, who is known for his efforts to promote Korean culture, has selected a wide range of issues, historical moments and cultural aspects that he feels must be known about the peninsula including: the Dokdo Islets (listed as the

Nov. 12, 2013