Take a journey through time to the streets of Jeong-dong this weekend, where Jeongdong Culture Night will be held Friday and Saturday at Deoksugung Palace and the Jeong-dong area in Jung-gu, central Seoul. During its heyday, the Jeong-dong area was the epicenter of burgeoning new trends. Cultural sites will remain open late into the evening during the two-day festival, featuring performances, guided historical tours, a stamp tour along the stonewall walkway, street performances, busking, nightti

Culture Oct. 13, 2023

In opera, tradition often takes center stage. But director Alex Olle of La Fura dels Baus boldly reshapes timeless classics with realism, breathing fresh life into operatic experience while challenging the boundaries of tradition. The opera “Norma,” which premiered as the opening production of the 2016 season at the Royal Opera House in the UK, is set to be staged at the Seoul Arts Center on Oct. 26-29. "I wanted to come to Korea for at least a week to meet the actors and help t

Performance Oct. 12, 2023

The Monte-Carlo Ballet Company, led by the artistic director and choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot, is set to present “Romeo and Juliet” at the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho-gu from Friday to Sunday. This is the Monaco-based ballet company’s first performance in Korea since their 2019 rendition of “Cinderella.” Maillot reimagines Shakespeare’s literary masterpiece through the flashbacks experienced by the distraught Friar Laurence as he reflects on how the t

Performance Oct. 11, 2023

The Seoul Performing Arts Festival, celebrating its 23rd year, kicks off Friday and runs until Oct. 29 in various venues across Seoul, including the National Theater of Korea, the National Jeongdong Theater of Korea, the ARKO & Daehakro Arts Theater and Yohangza Theater. Nineteen Korean and international productions are set to deliver messages that transcend the boundaries of art and technology, as well as those between nations and regions. "We will introduce works that challenge conven

Performance Oct. 6, 2023

Every Saturday in October, the "Art in Series" presents a variety of themed events such as a plant market, book market, farmer's market and mask dance workshops, in the outdoor plaza in front of the National Theater of Korea's Haeoreum Grand Theater. This Saturday's event, "Art in Garden," is a plant market where visitors can browse through a variety of flowers, rare plants and gardening supplies. Gardening classes will provide tips and insights into growing an

Culture Oct. 6, 2023

Mirinae Lee's genre-defying debut novel, inspired by her great aunt who defected from North Korea, weaves eight dark yet spellbinding chapters spanning the eight different lives of the main character, Mrs. Mook, who begins her saga by declaring that she was born Japanese (under occupation), lived as a North Korean and is now dying as a South Korean. Lee's "8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster," published by Harper, the fiction imprint of HarperCollins, hit the shelves in the Un

Books Oct. 5, 2023

When King Sejong the Great promulgated Hangeul in 1446 -- after creating the writing system in 1443 -- the announcement was accompanied by the publication of "Hunminjeongeum Haerye," a book written by the king and eight scholars involved in the creation of Hangeul that explains the creation of Hangeul and the principles behind its letters and the writing system. The book was written in Hanja, or Chinese characters. Later, during King Sejo's reign, "Hunminjeongeum Haerye&quo

Culture Oct. 5, 2023

If you've ever wanted to juggle, spin plates or soar through the air like a circus sensation, then the "Circus Playground" workshop was the place to be last weekend. As part of LG Arts Center Seoul's fall season education programs, the one-day workshop, co-organized by the circus education experts at "Jumpers," provided an exciting experience for beginners of all ages, including the young-at-heart adults. The morning session catered to adventure-seeking adults, whil

Performance Sept. 27, 2023

Seoul's streets are to become a festive outdoor venue for various street arts, circus performances, dance, multidisciplinary shows and art installations this weekend. The outdoor performing arts festival organized by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, known as the Seoul Street Arts Festival, kicks off Friday at Seoul Plaza, along with a Chuseok full moon viewing event. The opening performance, “Full Moon,” starts at 6:30 p.m. Friday, featuring artists from this year&rsqu

Performance Sept. 27, 2023

Breaking away from the traditional portrayal of the iconic femme fatale, Carmen, Seoul Metropolitan Theatre's theatrical rendition of the classic character meets audiences with the haunting specter of dating violence. Seoul Metropolitan Theatre Artistic Director Koh Sun-woong undertook the adaptation of “Carmen” to reevaluate the character in a new light and to deliver a powerful message: Obsession is not love. Based on Prosper Merimee's 1845 novella and Bizet's opera

Performance Sept. 26, 2023

This year’s Benois de la Danse winner, Kang Mi-sun, is set to perform the classic ballet “Don Quixote” at the Seoul Arts Center’s Opera Theater next month. Kang, a principal dancer at Universal Ballet in Seoul, clinched the top prize at the prestigious Benois de la Danse, an esteemed annual ballet competition held in Moscow. Kang is the fifth Korean national to win the prize. The upcoming performance is Kang's return to the stage with a full-length production at the

Performance Sept. 25, 2023

The National Changgeuk Company of Korea, which recently premiered its modern take on traditional changgeuk performances in “Jeong-nyeon” and “The Merchants of Venice,” returns with a traditional Korean pansori, “Shimcheong-ga” for the Chuseok holiday. The production is based on the classic Korean pansori and folktale of Sim Cheong, a young girl who makes a selfless sacrifice to the king of the underwater world in a desperate attempt to restore her blind father

Performance Sept. 24, 2023

"Face to Face" (a literal translation of the Korean title) By Choi Eun-mi Changbi Publishers In the author's note for her second novel, "Face to Face," Choi Eun-mi writes, "I’ve developed a habit of thinking about someone’s 2020 when I see people passing by, to come up with a new character for my story. Where they went to sleep, where they worked, whom they were closest to, and what they feared the most in that year." Choi takes readers back to the

Books Sept. 23, 2023

"Graiai" By Kim Hye-bin Moonji Publishing The novel "Graiai" begins with a powerful opening as the head of a mummy is unearthed in an Irish peatland. Named “Baek-hee,” the head is confirmed to have Korean ancestry. Why Baek-hee left the Korean Peninsula 2,500 years ago, and the whereabouts of her body remain a mystery. The narrative is divided into three parts: In Part 1, the story centers around Joo-na, a broadcast journalist, investigating the excavation in Ir

Books Sept. 23, 2023

"Ghost Duet" By Kim Hyun Hankyoreh Publishing Poet Kim Hyun has been delicately depicting the lives of queer people in Korea. His commitment to social issues is also evident, from his participation in events such as the "304 Recital," a reading event commemorating the 304 victims of the Sewol Ferry disaster, and in a memorial literature recital honoring the victims of last year’s Halloween crowd crush in Itaewon. Kim’s debut short story collection, “Ghost Du

Books Sept. 23, 2023