The fall edition of the Royal Culture Festival will run from Oct. 1 to 9, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced Tuesday. Jointly hosted by the Cultural Heritage Administration’s Royal Palace and Tombs Center and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, the festival has attracted 3.8 million visitors since its launch in 2015. The fall edition is scheduled to take place at Seoul's four royal palaces -- Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung -- as well as Jo

Culture Sept. 13, 2022

  Celebrating this year's Chuseok holiday, the first one to be spent in three years with social distancing measures lifted, heavy traffic congestion are already apparent on the nation's major highways, since Friday morning. Meanwhile, people still prefer to wear their face masks in public areas that are usually packed with crowds.  Passengers wait by the boarding entrance stairs of the Seoul Railway Station on Thursday, to be with families and acquaintances during the f

Social Affairs Sept. 10, 2022

  Visit royal palaces for Chuseok Over the Chuseok holiday, the four major royal palaces -- Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung -- the royal tombs and the Jongmyo shrine in Seoul will be open and free to the public, from Friday to Monday. The four palaces, which usually close on Mondays, will be closed on Tuesday instead. Jongmyo will also be closed on Tuesday. At Changgyeonggung, a special Chuseok event titled "Full Moon Lands on the Royal Palace" will take

Culture Sept. 9, 2022

The fall season is here, and so are family reunions as the Chuseok holiday approaches . Women of the house traditionally prepared food for the ancestral rites and later, the extended family sat down to a table overflowing with special dishes prepared for Chuseok, a time of thanksgiving. "Jeon" has been a constant staple among the ancestral offerings and later on the family dining table has had an assortment of jeon, typically slices of zucchini, fish and meat covered in a thin coat of

Food Sept. 9, 2022

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul unveils ‘Autumn Holic’ tea set The Lounge at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents the Autumn Afternoon Tea Set through Nov. 30. The tea set includes a selection of desserts, savory items, premium teas, coffee and champagne. Guests can choose among a choice of nine teas -- US organic tea brand Rishi Tea, Homage Coffee, custom-blended for JW Marriott Hotel Seoul by America’s Trinidad Coffee, and Korean traditional teas. The tea set is priced at 100,000 won for

Food Sept. 9, 2022

A total of 32 cases of heritage site damage was reported as of Wednesday evening in the aftermath of typhoon Hannamnor which slammed the country on Monday, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration. Seokguram Grotto and the Bulguksa Temple site in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, are among that sites that suffered major damage. Historical sites accounted for 24 cases, followed by three Treasures, two National Folklore Cultural Heritage, and one National Treasure, Natural Monument,

Culture Sept. 8, 2022

Less than two weeks after the Cultural Heritage Administration called off luxury brand Gucci’s fashion show to be held at Gyeongbokgung on Nov. 1, Gucci Korea on Thursday announced that the fashion show would take place as planned. Gucci's creative director Alessandro Michele will stage his first runway show in Korea at the central Seoul palace, according to Gucci Korea's press release on Thursday. The release stated that artistic and historic value of the Joseon palace will contribute in

Culture Sept. 8, 2022

The National Gugak Center is scheduled to tour four German cities with Jongmyo Jeryeak -- royal ceremonial music with singing and choreography, performed for ancestors of Joseon kings enshrined at the Jongmyo Shrine. The tour will start Monday and run through Sept. 26. As a joint initiative taken by the Korean Embassy in Germany and the Korean Cultural Center Germany along with the NGC, the fall music tour celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Korean-German Cultural Agreement. The four stops

Culture Sept. 7, 2022

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

Culture Sept. 6, 2022

Veteran gugak musician Ahn Sook-sun, 73, has been recognized as the National Intangible Cultural Heritage holder of "Chunhyangga" pansori, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced Tuesday. "Chunhyangga" is the best-known among the pansori genre, depicting a love tale between a daughter of an entertainer and the son of a magistrate. Ahn surrenders the "Gayageum Sanjo and Byeongchang" holder's qualification, since the CHA states that a single person should not

People Sept. 6, 2022

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

Culture Sept. 4, 2022

　 Manggyeongsansa in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, has gathered together in one place all the vegetables, both farm-grown and wild, needed to make temple food. 　The mountain herbs they grow with meticulous attention and care are not for sale but for giving away. 　They regard harmonious living with the local residents as the will of the Buddha. Temple food brings attention to the freshness of the ingredients and the simplicity of the seasoning. It seems simple to make, but it’s not. 　Manggy

weekender Sept. 3, 2022

JEJU ISLAND -- Just when the temperature starts to dramatically drop and chill breeze blows from behind one’s back, in gradual darkness, a journey inside Jeju Island’s untouched Manjanggul cave begins. Two restricted zones of the 7.4-kilometer-long cave, formed by the island’s basalt lava flows, is to open for a special period during the annual World Heritage Festival. In its third edition, this year’s festival seeks to enrich and spread the experience of UNESCO World Nat

weekender Sept. 3, 2022

  Although hansik has diversified in its taste and form over time, bulgogi still remains the top dish that comes to mind when Korean cuisine is mentioned. The mouthwatering grilled meat dish, made of beef or pork, derives from a simple compound word of “bul,” meaning fire, and “gogi,” meaning meat. Traditionally, because of the time and effort involved in making bulgogi, it was a special dish cooked at family gatherings or when inviting guests for a feast. The meat i

weekender Sept. 3, 2022

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents ‘Feeling Lucky at JW’ package for Chuseok holiday JW Marriott Hotel Seoul celebrates the Chuseok holiday with a promotion created for guests seeking a luxury hotel staycation without leaving the city. The package is available for four days only, for stays from Sept. 9 to 12. The package features a luxury stay in a choice of a deluxe room or Griffin Suite, as well as entry in a raffle with prizes including a Migak teaware set by Korean ceramic brand

Food Sept. 2, 2022