K-craft popup store to open in Bukchon

A unique store showcasing Korean traditional crafts will open from Sept. 14 to 18 at the Rakkojae Culture Lounge in Bukchon Hanok Village, northern Seoul. Organized by the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, the popup store Hanokyeoncha will have some 100 items on sale. They include moon jars, mini dining tables, and dinnerware sets priced between 20,000 won ($14.54) to 600,000 won. Works of both traditional craft masters and emerging artists will be on display, such as collections from potte

Sept. 6, 2022

Government YouTube channels cyberattacked

Three of the country’s official YouTube channels were hacked between Thursday and Saturday, including the South Korean government's YouTube channel with some 260,000 subscribers. The channels have since been restored, according to the relevant agencies. At 6 a.m. on Saturday, a Culture Ministry staff member read a blog post that said the government channels on the video-sharing platform may have been hacked. The post included a screen-captured shot of SpaceX founder Elon Musk's interview

Sept. 4, 2022

[Visual History of Korea] King Jeongjo the Greats formidable Hwaseong Fortress

In 1776, while the American Revolutionary War was raging in North America, 23-year-old King Jeongjo of the Joseon Kingdom who started his reign of the “yeomin” policy, "the monarch being with the people."   King Jeongjo the Great (1752 -1800) was a benevolent reformer who provided employment to 700,000 common people with good wages and excellent benefits while building his prized project, the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress.   The Hwaseong Fortress, which is 5.74 kilomete

Sept. 3, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

6/45 (Korea) Opened Aug. 24 Comedy Directed by Park Gyu-tae Chun-woo (Go Kyung-pyo), who is about to finish his military service, accidentally picks up the first prize in the lottery, which is worth 5.7 billion won. But he soon loses it again as the wind blows away the lottery ticket and it crosses the Military Demarcation Line. Yongho (Lee Yi-kyung), is a North Korean soldier who picks up the lottery ticket that came from South Korea. 　 　 Bullet Train (US)　 Opened Aug. 24 Action Directed by Dav

Sept. 2, 2022

[Photo News] Ninth-century wooden Buddhas

Two of the oldest wooden Buddha statues in the country, which date back to the late-ninth century Unified Silla period are to be designated as national treasures, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced Thursday.  Both are wooden seated Vairocana Buddhas at Haeinsa in Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province -- one (pictured) from the temple's Beopbojeon hall, and another from its Daejeokgwangjeon hall.  Both relics were designated treasures in 2012, and are currently placed at th

Sept. 1, 2022

Culture Ministry seeks W6.7t for next year, including W12.8b for Cheong Wa Dae project

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Tuesday said it is seeking 6.7 trillion won ($4.9 billion) for next year’s budget. 　Next year’s budget is a 9.3 percent cut from this year‘s, and stands in contrast to a 5.2 percent hike in the national budget proposed for the next year. 　An official at the ministry explained that some 450 billion won was transferred to local projects as part of the National Balanced Development Special Account for next year. Additionally, ther

Aug. 30, 2022

Gucci fashion show in Gyeongbokgung canceled after controversial fashion photo shoot at Cheong Wa Dae

After a recent fashion photo shoot by Vogue Korea on Cheong Wa Dae grounds sparked widespread public criticism, the Cultural Heritage Administration called off luxury brand Gucci’s fashion show in Gyeongbokgung, scheduled for Nov. 1, the CHA confirmed Monday. According to CHA meeting minutes from Aug. 16, Gucci Korea had applied for the use of the Geunjeongjeon, the main hall of the Joseon royal palace, noting publicizing the “historical value of Gyeongbokgung, a place where world-c

Aug. 29, 2022

[Visual History of Korea] Joseon royal tombs’ eternal presence in pristine settings

The Korean landscape has an abundant number of royal tombs dating back to Ancient Joseon from 2333 BC to the Joseon Kingdom of the 20th century. While most of the royal tombs of previous kingdoms still remain unidentified, all of the royal tombs of the Joseon Kingdom from that of the founding father of Joseon Yi Seong-gye to the last Emperor Yunghui of the Korean Empire are clearly marked and maintained in pristine condition. During the Joseon era, when the Yi family of Jeonju ruled Korea cont

Aug. 27, 2022

[Well-curated] Fall means Hangang night market, browsing books and hanbok for Chuseok

Banpo Hangang Park will stay brightly lit into the night this weekend with over 100 food trucks and arts and crafts vendors setting up shop. Starting at 5 p.m. Friday, Seoul Hangang Moonlight Night Market will offer international food, street food and special beverages from some 40 different food trucks. Around 60 arts and crafts vendors will be showcasing their unique products, from postcards and accessories to perfumes and pet supplies. The colorful changing of lights at the Banpo Bridge

Aug. 26, 2022

[From the Scene] Seoul Popcon returns after two-year COVID-19 break

Seoul Pop Culture Convention, a rebranding and expansion of comic culture festival Seoul Comic Con, kicked off its four-day run at C and D halls at Coex, southern Seoul. The offline festival returned after a two-year hiatus as South Korea continues to remove its COVID-19 social distancing restrictions. The huge crowds of masked attendees, the din of camera shutter sounds and the huge lines in front of booths proved that the long-anticipated return of this event has been well-received. &rdquo

Aug. 25, 2022

Hackberry from ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ receives natural monument status

A 500-year-old protected tree in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, which recently gained fame following its appearance in the global hit drama series “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” is to be designated a natural monument by the end of September, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced on Wednesday. The East Asian hackberry of Bukbu-ri, Changwon, also known as “Sodeok-dong paengnamu” in the TV series, stands 16 meters tall with a circumference of 6.8 meters. It h

Aug. 25, 2022

Gyeongbok Palace bathed in moonlight

Gyeongbokgung, the main royal palace of the Joseon era located in downtown Seoul, will stay open in evening hours for nighttime viewing from Sept. 1 to Nov. 6. The palace will offer nighttime viewings from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday, with last admission at 8:30 p.m. Over the Chuseok holiday of Sept. 10-12, the palace will offer nighttime viewing on Monday as well. The palace will also stay open for nighttime viewing on Oct. 3-4, Monday and Tuesday, during the 2022 Palace Cultu

Aug. 23, 2022

Show your space-out skills at Han River park

The Hangang Space-out Competition is returning to the banks of the Han River after a two-year break. The Sept. 4 event will crown a champion who can remain the “most stable” while staring into space for 90 minutes. The competition, hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in collaboration with the event’s founder, Woopsyang, aims to show people the relaxing value of doing nothing, challenging the idea that spacing out is a waste of time. This year, in particular, par

Aug. 22, 2022

[Visual History of Korea] Buddhist temple building where monks gathered to plan independence movement

Following the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty signed in 1910, Koreans were left without a country to call their own. There was a systematic destruction of their traditions, values and language.　 Suddenly bereft of a royal ruler, Koreans quickly espoused the concept of Korean independence and democracy, including civic participation. On May 12, 1919, the Daegu District Court sentenced a Buddhist student, Yoon Hak-jo, 25, and nine defendants to 10 months in jail for leading a crowd to call for Kor

Aug. 20, 2022

[Scholars and their Spaces] What do men live by?

An activist for Korean independence, a hero who did what a million Chinese troops could not and a terrorist against Japanese imperialism -– thus is Yun Bong-gil (1908-1932) evaluated in three East Asian countries. Yun threw a bomb at the Japanese dignitaries attending a ceremony commemorating the victory of the Japanese army in Hongkou Park, in Shanghai on April 29, 1932. He was a member of the Korean Patriotic Troops, a special task force of the Provisional Government of the Republic of

Aug. 20, 2022

[Well-curated] Spend summer nights with guilt-free treats, scavenger hunt and musical movie

If you’re vegan or on a gluten-free diet, stop by Jigu Bakery this weekend for some delightful treats. About a 10-minute walk from Gajwa Station Exit No. 1 or 4 on the Gyeongui Jungang Line, following the direction to the Yeonnam-dong community center, the beige awning, floor-to-ceiling windows and a line of people signal the entrance to the bakery. Certified by the Korean Vegan Dessert Association, the baker of Jigu Bakery offers various desserts, ranging from pound cakes to muffins and

Aug. 19, 2022

Cultural agency files complaint for dolmen damage

A cultural agency took legal action against the city of Gimhae in South Gyeongsang Province for its poor management of an ancient historic site. The Cultural Heritage Administration filed a report on Wednesday against Gimhae for violations of the nation’s law on buried cultural heritage protection, based on its expert inspection of the Gusan-dong Dolmen. Earlier in August, Gimhae was under fire for mishandling the 350-metric-ton Gusan-dong Dolmen, one of the largest dolmen in the world,

Aug. 18, 2022

Dance competition Chumsaeng to welcome applicants from Sept. 1

South Korea’s first dance management company, Zinhipz Entertainment, is launching a world dance competition titled “Chumsaeng.” The label is home to Heady, the winner of JTBC’s dance survival program “Showdown,” Comet, Zooty Zoot, Teenie, Ogong, Starry and Javeline. Under the slogan “dance is life,” Chumsaeng is a dance show with a difference. Instead of vying for the top spot, participants will use dance to express themselves and show the imp

Aug. 17, 2022

K-musicals have a myriad of challenges to benefit from explosive potential

Compared to Broadway and the West End, which have become synonymous with musicals, South Korea’s musical industry remains small and stagnant at about 400 billion won ($307 million) a year. However, experts here said that Asia’s fourth-largest economy has developed musicals with its own distinct characters and hosts a unique audience and holds great potential, but only if it overcomes a myriad of challenges. “The popularity other K-cultural products enjoy and the potential of

Aug. 13, 2022

Yi Yuksa’s handwritten letters to be listed as cultural heritage

A collection of four hand-written letters and postcards by Yi Yuksa (1904-1944), a Korean independence activist and writer of resistance poetry, will be registered as cultural heritage, South Korea’s Cultural Heritage Administration announced Thursday. The letters were written during the Japanese colonial period, expressing hardships working for the country’s independence and his deep emotions to relatives and friends. The collection includes a letter sent to his close relative Le

Aug. 12, 2022