Why 'The Odyssey' resonates with Koreans

Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” has become the second film this year — and the 10th foreign film in Korean box-office history — to draw more than 10 million moviegoers. Now its blockbuster momentum is spilling into bookstores, reviving interest in one of literature’s oldest epics. Books related to “The Odyssey” sold nearly 31 times as many copies last month as they did a year earlier, according to Kyobo Book Centre, one of the country’s largest bookstore chains. Sales of books with “Odyssey” i

2026-09-10 15:01:38:00

Half a Big Mac for palace ticket? Korea weighs higher admission fees

Admission fees for Korea's royal palaces and Joseon-era royal tombs have remained unchanged for 21 years and now cost less than a single hamburger, according to an analysis presented at a public forum. As interest in Korea's traditional culture grows alongside the global popularity of K-culture, there are growing calls to find a reasonable way to bring admission fees in line with the times. The Korea Heritage Service has announced that it will unveil new admission fee guidelines for royal palace

2026-09-09 15:09:33:00

K-Royal Culture Festival returns this fall with expanded international access

The Korea Heritage Service's flagship heritage event returns this fall with five days of performances, exhibitions, tours and hands-on programs, along with expanded opportunities for international visitors. K-Royal Culture Festival runs Oct. 7-11 at Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung and Changgyeonggung, and Jongmyo Shrine. The spring edition drew about 725,000 visitors, a record for the festival, organizers said. The fall edition will offer a distinct experience with programs designed to

2026-09-07 13:58:08:00

Reading matters more than ever: e-book CEO

Artificial intelligence can summarize an entire book in seconds and answer questions almost instantly. So, in an age when information is increasingly available at the touch of a screen, why do we need to read? "Will we still be reading books the way we do now 10 years from now?" Jung Jae-wook, CEO of Millie's Library, posed the question Thursday in Seoul at the company's 10th anniversary conference, "The Future of Reading." His answer was clear: The way we read will change, but reading will rema

2026-09-04 17:27:46:00

Foreigners invited to test their knowledge of Joseon Royal Tombs

A quiz competition testing participants' knowledge of Joseon royal tombs and Korean history will be held later this month at Seolleung and Jeongneung Royal Tombs in southern Seoul. The "2026 Joseon Royal Tombs Golden Bell" event is scheduled for Sept. 20 at the UNESCO World Heritage site. The competition will be divided into two categories, with a quiz for high school students from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and a separate competition for foreign participants from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Modeled after Kore

2026-09-04 13:48:23:00

Cakes for the dead, memories for the living

A cake begins with thin layers, baked like the pages of a book. Between them are cream and fresh strawberries. On each layer — or page — is the ending of a mystery novel Irae loved but never got to finish. Then comes another unusual ingredient: memory. A cassette tape containing fragments of Irae's life is played through a "cakessette" player that infuses those memories into the cake. When you take a bite, the taste of strawberries, along with the contents of the book, unfolds like an illusion.

2026-09-04 07:00:00:00

Lee Na-eun takes first steps onto the stage in ‘Closer’

Actress and former K-pop girl group April member Lee Na-eun will make her stage acting debut in the upcoming Korean production of the play "Closer." Written by British playwright Patrick Marber, "Closer" follows the tangled relationships of four people — Larry, Anna, Dan and Alice — amid love, obsession and betrayal in 1990s London. The play was adapted into a 2004 film of the same title starring Natalie Portman. Lee will play Alice, an attractive but enigmatic stripper, alternating the role wit

2026-09-03 08:00:00:00

Jeon Do-yeon, Park Hae-soo's 'Cherry Orchard' heads to New York

South Korean actors Jeon Do-yeon and Park Hae-soo will wrap up their international tour of "The Cherry Orchard" with a New York run this month. Produced by LG Arts Center Seoul and helmed by acclaimed Australian director Simon Stone, the production will make its North American premiere at the Park Avenue Armory from Sept. 16 to 26, LG Arts Center Seoul said Tuesday. The production premiered in Seoul in June 2024 and has since toured Busan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Adelaide, Australia. The New Yo

2026-09-02 14:30:15:00

Is reading really hip in Korea? Or is it just the goods?

Book-related events and merchandise are booming in Korea. Book fairs are drawing huge crowds, publishers' limited-edition goods are selling out, and the latest viral craze is, of all things, a pastry. Yet at the same time, the country's adult reading rate is falling sharply. The contradiction has prompted a growing debate: Is Korea's newfound enthusiasm for book culture getting more people to read, or simply turning literature into another lifestyle accessory? Among younger Koreans, visiting boo

2026-09-02 13:55:32:00

Korea Herald kicks off 3rd Herald K-Art Competition

The Korea Herald has launched the third Herald K-Art Competition, appointing leading figures from Korea's traditional art community to its organizing committee. The appointment ceremony for the competition's organizing committee was held Tuesday at Herald Square in Seoul. Herald Media Group CEO Choi Jin-young and Art and Bridge CEO Yang Jeong-seok attended the event, along with prominent figures in the traditional art world who were appointed to the committee. The nationwide competition was crea

2026-09-02 13:32:00:00