No need to fly: Experience Japan in Korea

Friends and couples in kimonos take pictures on streets lit by colorful paper lanterns under the eaves of Japanese-style houses and shops. Food stalls' yakitori, takoyaki and platters of beautifully arranged sashimi tempt the appetites of passersby. At a shinto shrine, people write prayers or wishes on paper strips and bamboo plaques and hang them on wooden hooks. This corner of Dongducheon, just north of Seoul, may be a picture-perfect slice of Japan, but if you came to the same spot years

Nov. 15, 2022

New online platform KLWave aims to lead literature’s Hallyu

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea on Monday announced the launch of Korea Literature Wave, an online platform linking the country’s literature and the global market. “Even though the interest in translation and Korean literature is growing, overseas publishers do not necessarily know which works to purchase, while domestic publishers do not know to whom they can sell,” Kwak Hyo-hwan, president of the LTI Korea, said during a press conference on Monday. “We h

Nov. 14, 2022

[Feature] Trending: Audio dramas offer more room for imagination

Suspenseful music is playing in the background when a voice is heard over a walkie-talkie saying “ready to shoot.” The sound of a gun reloading is followed by quiet footsteps. Then a pop of a gun and a thump of a body falling to the ground and a window shattering. Chaos ensues with ambulance sirens blaring and cars screeching to a halt. The main character, breathing laboriously, gets into a car and drives away. A few minutes later, an echo of an explosion and bullets flying everywher

Nov. 14, 2022

Korean pianist Lee Hyuk wins 1st prize at Long-Thibaud Competition

South Korean pianist Lee Hyuk became joint first prize winner of the 2022 Long Thibaud International Competition, along with Japanese pianist Kamei Masaya, according to its organizers Sunday. Lee is the second Korean pianist to win the prize, following Lim Dong-hyek, who won the prize in 2001. The third prize was given to American pianist Davidman Michael. The 22-year-old will receive 27,500 euros ($28,300) in prize money in addition to an opportunity to participate in about 20 concerts and mu

Nov. 14, 2022

Exhibition reflects on lives of Confucian scholars

To commemorate the opening of the Institute of Korean Confucian Culture, located in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, a special exhibition looking back on the daily lives of seonbi, or Confucian scholars, is being held at the institute's Special Exhibition Hall. The exhibition, "Revisiting Confucianism: The Root of Korean Spirit," concentrates on Confucianism of the 17th and 18th century and presents some 80 relevant relics from the 17th century to the 20th century. During the p

Nov. 14, 2022

'Yutnori' makes Intangible Cultural Heritage list

A popular traditional board game has been made a state-designated Intangible Cultural Heritage. Yutnori is a board game in which players compete to move their tokens around the board by throwing four wooden sticks into the air and advancing a number of spaces depending on which way up the sticks land. The game is the 16th item on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage list that does not recognize a specific person or group, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Friday. Yutnori is tradition

Nov. 13, 2022

[Herald Interview]Gigas owner- chef Jung values time spent on farms

At 10:30 a.m., the chefs at Gigas, a Mediterranean restaurant located in an alley within Apgujeong, Seoul, are already busy slicing and chopping ingredients, getting ready to receive dinner guests. Enter the rustic-looking, two-story building with a blue canopy with the words "Modern Mediterranean" on it, and you are immediately hit with a complex mix of vegetable scenes punctuated by a sharp citrus note. Gigas, which opened in early 2021, received a Michelin Green Star in October, b

Nov. 12, 2022

[Scholars and Their Spaces] 'New wave' seen through Korean eyes

Korea's first public funeral was held for Yi Sang-jae (1850-1927), one of the leaders of Korea's enlightenment period. The event was attended by some 100,000 people, a testimony to his huge following. His voice was heard through a phonograph and a recording of his speech, "To Young People of Joseon," was released in July 1927, four months after his death. "Now, the world is getting worse and worse, there is no morality. People focus only on material things and kill other

Nov. 12, 2022

[Weekender] In hyper-connected Korea, a growing urge to unplug

Smartphones brought the world to our fingertips. But they have also brought endless notifications, social feeds and a deluge of information and distractions. Fatigue from this ever-persistent and ultra-fast connectivity has led to a growing interest in ‘digital detox’, or unplugging from the digital and online world, among South Koreans. Kim Young-jae, a 40-year-old office worker, felt a strong urge to disconnect recently. It was after the Oct. 29 Itaewon crowd crush which left 156 p

Nov. 12, 2022

[Temple to Table] Recovering health through food: Water kimchi and jeon

Having entered the monastic community in 1980 at Sinheungsa Temple in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, under the tutelage of Venerable Seongil, Ven. Seonjae showed remarkable talent in preparing temple food early on, thanks to her “magic hands” inherited from her grandmother. Ven. Seonjae’s health declined for a while due to hepatic cirrhosis, but she was healed through food. After this personal experience which confirmed for her the medicinal quality of temple food, she took actio

Nov. 12, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul unveils penthouse package JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents Romantic Holiday at JW, created in collaboration with Manolo Blahnik, the celebrated designer whose shoes won global fame when they were featured in the hit TV show "Sex and the City." Available for stays until Dec. 31, the package includes five hours’ use of the Presidential or Ambassador penthouse, JW Marriott Hotel Seoul’s luxurious accommodations featuring a unique two-floor design, plus

Nov. 12, 2022

'The Owl’ adds imagination to Crown Prince Sohyeon’s suspicious death

The upcoming mystery thriller “The Owl” added imagination to a record in the Annals of Joseon Dynasty about Crown Prince Sohyeon’s suspicious death. “Our film started from day blindness. I started with the idea of a protagonist with day blindness getting to witness something,” director An Tae-jin said during a press conference held at CGV Yongsan on Thursday. Day blindness is an inability to see as distinctly in bright light as in dim light. As the director develo

Nov. 11, 2022

11 maestros to fill Seoul Philharmonic's 2023 season before new artistic director joins in 2024

In 2023, a year without an artistic director, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will offer a season with a series of programs with 11 guest conductors including outgoing and incoming artistic directors. Osmo Vanska, whose term is ending this year, will continue the ‘Sibelius Cycle,’ a project to perform all of the Finish composer’s symphonies,’ until March next year, as a guest conductor. He began the project in April this year and will open SPO's next season with Sibeliu

Nov. 11, 2022

[Well-curated] Search for alien life, imagine your ideal home and get ready to be surprised by vegan fare

Alien Festival at Miryang Arirang Observatory Have you ever wondered about alien species and extraterrestrial beings? A space-themed “Alien Festival” delving into scientific experiments and extraterrestrial mysteries will kick off this weekend at Miryang Arirang Observatory located in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province. The two-day festival is packed with family-friendly games and programs which will stimulate imagination and curiosity. Inside the observatory, the entire second floor

Nov. 11, 2022

NMK explores AR museum-viewing with Naver Labs

To round out the year, the National Museum of Korea is set to host a digital museum experience event that uses augmented reality, in conjunction with Naver Lab. Titled "Exploration," the event will be held Nov. 14 to Nov. 25 and Dec. 5 to Dec. 16. Using a mobile device distributed to visitors at the entrance, guests can experience different historical-themed routes within the museum for 50 minutes. Each visitor can choose a historical period or focus on a specific type of relic. The NM

Nov. 11, 2022

[Eye Interview] Korean American director on why he followed five US politicians of Korean descent

On Thursday morning, Korean news outlets reported that New Jersey Rep. Andy Kim had just become the second Korean American to win a third term in the US House of Representatives. Along with Kim, US Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland, who is of Korean descent, won her reelection bid as the representative of Washington state's 10th District in the US midterm elections. Korean American politicians Young Kim and Michelle Steel, both of California, were in the lead and likely to secure their sea

Nov. 10, 2022

Seoul Independent Film Festival to kick off in December

The Seoul Independent Film Festival will be held from Dec. 1 to Dec. 9 at CGV Art House Apgujeong in Seoul, its organizer announced on Wednesday. “This year is our 48th festival. The Seoul Independent Film Festival has a history of providing an opportunity for audiences to meet with young directors, actors and different creators. I hope that (the audiences) are excited about it,” the festival’s director Kim Dong-hyun said at the beginning of a press conference held at the Chu

Nov. 10, 2022

‘Ditto’ presents new image of first love

Instead of the pure and innocent-looking girl with long black hair that is often featured in Korean mainstream media as a first love icon, romance film “Ditto” features a different character. The new image of first love is shown by featuring the story of an amateur first crush of university student Yong, portrayed by former child actor Yeo Jin-goo, 25, alongside Kim Hye-yoon. “Before we started shooting, I also thought of a typical image of someone’s first love -- a pur

Nov. 9, 2022

Russian pianist Elisso Virsaladze to perform Mozart and Chopin in Seoul

Elisso Virsaladze, an 80-year-old Russian pianist, is set to bring her favorite Mozart and Chopin pieces to Seoul later this month, according to Kumho Art Hall on Wednesday. On Nov. 24, she will perform Mozart’s Fantasia for Piano in C minor, K. 396, 9 Variations on “Lison dormait” for Piano in C Major, K. 264 and Rondo for Piano No. 3 in A minor, K.511 as well as Chopin’s Waltz for Piano in A minor, B. 150, Op.posth. After the intermission, she will return with Mozart&rs

Nov. 9, 2022

Gucci to fund Gyeongbokgung’s conservation projects for three years

Italian luxury brand Gucci has announced a three-year commitment to supporting the conservation and restoration of the Gyeongbokgung Palace. Gucci President and CEO Marco Bizzarri and Cultural Heritage Administration Administrator Choi Eung-chon signed an agreement Nov. 1 on cooperating on future improvement projects of multiple sites within Gyeongbokgung, said Gucci Korea in a press release issued by its PR agency. "Beauty is a constant source of inspiration for Gucci, but it also needs co

Nov. 9, 2022