South Korean novelist Bora Chung’s “Cursed Bunny,” translated by Anton Hur, has been selected as one of six books for the prestigious 2022 International Booker Prize short list, organizers said Thursday. “It’s getting even more unrealistic, but I’m thrilled to even witness that Korean genre literature is recognized this much and loved worldwide,” Chung told The Korea Herald after the announceme...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, watching videos on YouTube, cooking and regularly washing hands became part of a new routine to Koreans and foreigners alike, according to a recent survey by the Corea Image Communication Institute. The CICI’s survey titled “Effects of COVID in our daily lives” involved 417 participants -- 214 Koreans and 203 foreigners who have visited or resided in Korea, with mor...

Lee Kun-hee collection will go on three-year nationwide tour of 10 museums

Buoyed by the popularity of Korean cultural products, a Korean language learning frenzy is spreading around the world. Unlike in the past, when most Korean learners studied for practical reasons like for academic research or jobs, more people now seem to do so out of interest in the country itself. As of 2020, some 1,669 elementary, junior high and high schools in 39 countries have opened and op...

Pier 1 of Busan Harbor will be among the four venues of the 65-day biennale, which will start on Sept. 3 under the theme of “We, on the Rising Wave.” The 4,093-square-meter warehouse at the harbor will be turned into an exhibition space during the biennale. The pier was built in 1912 by Japanese colonialists to ship Korea’s resources out of the country. During the Korean War, the pier was where p...

Just in time for spring and the downward slope of the omicron variant peak, two new theme parks opened in South Korea offering a bunch of new thrill rides and attractions. One in Busan is a Lotte World franchise and the other in Chuncheon, a city in the mountainous Gangwon Province, is part of the global Legoland chain. Here’s a quick look at the new amusement parks and their most anticipated at...

Korean collectors exceptionally knowledgeable, have sophisticated appreciation of art, according to Austrian gallerist Ropac

Kansong Art Museum -- South Korea’s first private museum and home to some 5,000 artifacts including 10 state-designated national treasures -- will open its doors for the first time in seven years on April 16. A new exhibition at Bohwagak, the museum’s original building, coincides with the recent completion of a new storage facility on the museum grounds. The exhibition will showcase 44 artifacts...

Flowers expected to be at peak bloom mid-April and remain through May

TOKYO -- An exhibition featuring art works on victims of the Japanese military sexual slavery kicked off in Tokyo on Saturday despite protests from Japanese right-wing activists. "Non-Freedom of Expression Exhibition" opened for a four-day run at a public gallery in Kunitachi, Tokyo Prefecture, to showcase works by 16 artist collectives, including a statue symbolizing victims of the Japanese mil...

Boisterous sounds from machinery and the clash of folded steel in Mullae-dong, southwestern Seoul, welcome visitors who pass by the vicinity. Mullae-dong was once home to steel foundries during the 1970s. Also dubbed as the “place that can make everything,” the area housed around 1,700 iron plants to manufacture South Korea’s components. But the nondescript neighborhood was left empty as factori...

Korean master hand potter Lee Hak-Chun, a seventh-generation potter, is a self-taught painter who learned his craft from his father. Lee was recognized for his gift early in his career and has won many awards. Lee is known for his near-perfect recreations of the Ido Dawan tea bowl that are famous in Japan. The simple Korean rice bowl is a highly sought-after item among collectors. A tomb-raider...

I live at Baengnyeonsa Temple in Gangjin, located on the southernmost coast of South Jeolla Province. Baengnyeonsa is renowned for its “Baengnyeon Practice Movement” and is also known as the “beautiful temple of tea and camellias.” The path from the temple’s main entrance gate to the temple compound is bordered on both sides by a grove of camellia trees. Camellias begin to flower sparsely in ear...

Presidential transition committee Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo visits the headquarters of HYBE, the K-pop powerhouse that manages BTS, in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul. With an attempt to discuss ways to promote Korean culture, Ahn and the members of different subcommittees hoped to listen to what the new administration can do for start-ups and entertainment industry. Officials of President-elect Yoon Su...

“The completion date is yet to be announced, but we hope to finish the installation by autumn,” the official added. By Lee Si-jin ( sj_lee@heraldcorp.com )