Former Vice Culture Minister Kim Jang-sil has been appointed the new head of the Korea Tourism Organization, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Thursday. The post had been vacant since May, when Ahn Young-bae stepped down. Passing the civil service examination in 1979, Kim has served in various posts in the government. In 2008, during the Lee Myung-bak administration, Kim was appointed vice minister at the Culture Ministry. From 2009 to 2012, he served as the head of the Seoul

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and the Dominican Republic, the Dominican Embassy in Seoul has invited two-star Michelin chef, Maria Marte, to introduce Dominican cuisines to Korea. Hosted by the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, Marte has been introducing a series of Dominican dishes, desserts and cocktails, through the hotel's promotion, "Dominican Week," since Monday. Dishes by Marte as well as Elaine De W

The Seoul Performing Arts Festival, in its 22nd edition this year, will explore changes in our times with domestic and overseas projects that test the boundaries of performing arts, the organizers said during a press conference on Tuesday. The SPAF is an annual festival held in the Daehangno neighborhood of Seoul, considered the mecca of performing arts in Korea. It is co-organized by the Korea Arts Management Service under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Seoul Foundation for

Here's what to expect at Korean campus fests

A live performance recording of Beethoven’s “Emperor Concerto” by Lim Yun-chan, the youngest winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, will be released in November, Universal Music announced Tuesday. Lim will take the stage with the Gwangju Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Hong Seo-kwon, on Saturday at Tongyeong Concert Hall to perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, known as the "Emperor Concerto." The album, to

On July 13, 2011, South Korean flutist Choi Na-kyung, also known as Jasmine Choi, played at a recital for the celebration of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s re-election. There she met people she considered to be truly selfless, people who live their lives for the purpose of tackling famine, climate change, improving women's rights and other pressing global issues. Unexpectedly, the joyful event made her depressed for months. “I love music so much, but I couldn’t help

MARSEILLE -- A festival dedicated to James Joyce's novel "Ulysses" is touring 18 European cities, with artists and writers linking the work to contemporary issues such as immigration. "Ulysses," published in 1922, counts among the 20th century's key novels, and its centenary has already sparked much celebration in Joyce's native Ireland. But Liam Browne, co-artistic curator of "Ulysses European Odyssey," said the tour is to go beyond the kind of liter

In 1795, King Jeongjo traveled from Changdeokgung in the capital to Suwon Hwaseong Fortress to visit his father’s grave, Yongneung, in Hwaseong. Accompanying King Jeongjo on the eight-day journey was his mother, Lady Hyegyeong, celebrating her 60th birthday. Often cited as the expression of King Jeongjo's filial piety, the royal parade will be reenacted on Saturday and Saturday. The parade will set off at 10 a.m. at Changdeokgung, located in Jongno-gu, and course through areas of Seou

##Expression widely used to refer to prime of one's life, but not many Koreans know its soccer-related origin story

Time travel to Japan's Edo period in Seoul An exhibition will take you on a time and space travel journey this weekend to 17th century Japan, without having to leave the city. An exhibition introducing urban customs and lifestyles of Japan's Edo period (1603-1867) is ongoing at the Seoul Museum of History, in central Seoul, through Oct. 23. Edo is the former name of Tokyo and the capital of the military government at the time, the Tokugawa shogunate. Titled "Scenes Around Sumidaga

Next week is a big week for Busan. Not only will some of the biggest film stars grace the red carpet for the Busan International Film Festival, another glitzy festival -- "Busan Starry Night Festa" -- that is being held for the first time will light up the port city. Major tourist destinations across Busan will come alive with films, live performances and tasty refreshments, starting Saturday to Nov. 13, welcoming both domestic and foreign tourists to enjoy the fall evening out in th

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul showcases Autumn Teppanyaki Selection Tamayura, the luxury Japanese dining destination at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul, greets autumn with an authentic set-course teppanyaki menu. The highlight of the epicurean eight-course dinner is the main dish of Korean Woorungchan hanwoo beef tenderloin, grilled to perfection on an iron hotplate. Autumn pine mushroom shabu-shabu showcases Tamayura’s signature plating, evoking Biwa, Japan’s biggest lake, offering a feast for th

The new president of the Seoul Arts Center on Thursday unveiled plans to focus on “pure art," such as opera and ballet, as the organization seeks to return to its original goals. Chang Hyoung-joon, who was appointed in June as the 17th president of South Korea’s top art complex by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, "The Opera Theater, which was built as an opera and ballet theater, will regain its original position by presenting pure art works centered on op

Italian Michelin-starred chef Fabrizio Ferrari shares his dream, love for Korean food