This weekend may be the last chance to see the red and gold fall foliage at its peak in Seoul. N Seoul Tower is where you can enjoy the autumn colors while hiking the trail to the tower on top of Namsan. If you arrive at the top at night, you can enjoy panoramic views of central Seoul as well as check out Namsan Octagonal Pavilion. On top of N Seoul Tower is n.Grill, a French restaurant that offers a prix fixe menu for lunch and dinner. The restaurant rotates, giving a complete 360-degree panora

Culture Nov. 3, 2023

The inaugural design and art fair, Define Seoul, kicked off Wednesday, bringing together some 25 galleries and design brands from home and abroad in Seongsu-dong, one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Seoul, home to hip cafes, intriguing pop-up stores and shops. “Seoul is garnering unprecedented international recognition as one of the major art centers. Define Seoul encapsulates the idea of connecting design and fine art while redefining the way we perceive and engage with art,” said

Arts & Design Nov. 2, 2023

Online non-fungible token art trading platform ArtToken and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have signed a memorandum of understanding to push for projects integrated with art and technology. The MOU between KAIST’s Graduate School of Culture Technology and ArtToken, inked on Thursday, aims to foster collaboration in the fields of art and technology such as coding art, interactive art and NFT art based on blockchain technology. Based in Seoul, ArtToken has organized proje

People Oct. 31, 2023

To Swiss art collector, businessperson and former diplomat Uli Sigg, who is known for having an extensive private collection of contemporary Chinese art, collecting art in a meaningful way allows one to understand a society, and collectors supporting artists and museums enables them to develop and function better. “The most important quality a collector has to build is to find a focus that will distinguish a collection from a mere accumulation of works. I collect artworks as I find this th

Arts & Design Oct. 30, 2023

World-renowned architect Dominique Perrault unveiled details of an ongoing project at Seoul’s Gangnam Intermodal Transit Center at an exhibition held at the French Embassy in Seoul on Thursday. The exhibition centers around a newly published book that introduces the history and implications of the transit center at the heart of Seoul, which will become the largest underground station in the world. “The 'Lightwalk' will bring a change to the history of underground space in S

Arts & Design Oct. 27, 2023

Savor traditional Korean desserts at Korea House The Korea House, affiliated with the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, is offering a chance to savor traditional Korean confectionaries sold under its dessert brand Kohojae. The Korea House has prepared the "Autumn Dessert Course," which comprises a variety of traditional Korean desserts and beverages such as rice cake, candied fruits and teas. The Autumn Dessert Course includes a sweet rice honey cookie, or yakgwa, cinnamon punch with

Culture Oct. 27, 2023

Italian architect Franco Mancuso has donated nearly 4,000 documents related to the Korean Pavilion of the Venice Biennale to the Arts Council Korea (Arko). The architect had gathered the documents as he undertook the design of the pavilion together with Korean architect Kim Seok-chul, who has since died. Arko, the commissioner of the Korean pavilion, runs the 26th national pavilion in Giardini located on the eastern edge of Venice. Opened in 1995 as the last national pavilion at the biennale, it

Arts & Design Oct. 26, 2023

Silversmith William Lee is the winner of this year's Craft Prize, an annual craft award given by the Culture Ministry and the Korea Craft and Design Foundation. Lee, based in Seoul, studied silversmithing and metalwork at Camberwell College of Arts, part of the University of London. He re-creates a form of traditional Korean ceramics with silver that features delicate flowing lines and subtle marks that appear to be melted on the surface. Lee's silver objects -- such as vessels and jar

Arts & Design Oct. 24, 2023

Tang Contemporary Art, one of the most influential commercial galleries in Asia, will launch a new space in London next year, its first gallery in the West after 26 years in Asia. Headquartered in Beijing, the gallery represents Chinese contemporary art masters such as Ai Weiwei, Yue Minjun and Zhao Zhao. It has presented some 80 artists, mostly from Asia, including Korean artists Paik Nam-june, Chun Kwang-young, Woo Kuk-won and Lee Diren. The gallery is currently working on the interior desig

Arts & Design Oct. 23, 2023

Standing in front of the works by Korean artists Kim Deok-han and Keem Ji-young can be a solemn experience, as the artists’ laborious effort and sincerity hit home. The exhibition “Keem&Kim’s Glowing Overlaid Hour” at Gizi Foundation’s Art Base in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, shows 11 works by the young artists whose works are created through the tedious and time-intensive process of layering colors over each other. Born in 1981, Kim applies traditional Korean lacquerin

Arts & Design Oct. 22, 2023

Korean heritage built with Lego A special Lego exhibition titled "HEstorical Lego" is underway on the second floor of Moryham in Myeong-dong, central Seoul. Themed around Korea's traditional cultural heritage, mostly from the Joseon era (1392-1910), the “HEstorical Lego” exhibition comprises a total of 42 Lego works by Colin Jin. The 49-year-old artist introduces himself as a "Lego Maker" on his Instagram profile. The highlight of the exhibition is “Jon

Culture Oct. 20, 2023

Hakgojae Gallery, which had hoped to present an art piece by Korean avant-garde artist Quac In-sik created 61 years ago at Frieze London, has had to abandon its plans due to the Cultural Properties Protection Law that bans the movement of historical works abroad to sell. The law requires any artifact that is at least 50 years old to be appraised to determine whether the item can leave the country. The Cultural Heritage Administration does allow for exceptions when an item is taken abroad for an

Arts & Design Oct. 18, 2023

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will present the exhibition “Lineages: Korean Art at The Met” in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the museum’s Korean gallery, presenting 30 works of art and artifacts from the 12th century to the present. “(The exhibition) is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of presenting Korean art for The Met’s international audiences. By pairing historical with modern and contemporary artwork, the show also poses the question of

Arts & Design Oct. 17, 2023

The news of the death of artist Park Seo-bo at 92 years old on Saturday was met with an outpouring of condolences from around the world, as people remembered Park's legacy and his contributions to the development of dansaekhwa movement. Earlier this year, Park revealed that he had been diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer. He chose not to receive treatment so that he could keep working. To continue his art, the artist said, he had decided to regard the cancer as a friend that he would live

Arts & Design Oct. 15, 2023

The city of Basel in Switzerland is famously known to many people in Seoul for the world’s leading art fair, Art Basel. The city’s top figures in art and architecture gathered at the Swiss Embassy in Seoul on Thursday for "Basel Night," an event aimed at promoting the city's cultural scene in Seoul. The event was attended by Swiss Ambassador to Korea Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli; Christoph Bosshardt, marketing director of Basel Tourism; Angelle Siyang-Le, director of Ar

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 13, 2023