Most Popular
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1 in 3 Koreans live alone, family types becoming diverse
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Korea, Japan finance chiefs vow to tame rampant FX market volatility
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US 'incredibly concerned' about suspected NK-Iran military ties
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Sewol victims commemorated on tragedy's 10th anniversary
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K-pop group's manager dismissed for setting up spycam in theater dressing room
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K-pop singer lost consciousness after being hit by foul ball, cancels show
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Korean Muslim YouTuber's plan to build mosque in Incheon goes viral
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[Kim Seong-kon] Democracy and the future of South Korea
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Yoon's office denies considering liberal figures for key posts
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Why is Apple Pay struggling to get purchase in Korea?
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With 10-year-old classic festival as catalyst, Gyechon evolves into art village
When the Gyechon Music Festival was being considered over a decade ago, residents of the village Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, expressed a preference for popular music genres like trot, rather than classical music -- or at least a mix of the two. Ten years on, no one is talking about a pop music festival. Rather, the village hopes to solidify its identity as an art village, with the rare outdoor classic music festival as the catalyst, according to Lee Dong-yeun, director of the festival and p
April 17, 2024
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Verdi's 'La Traviata' embraces time, beauty of Korea in early 20th century
Gyeongseong, as present-day Seoul was called during the Japanese colonial rule of Korea from 1910 to 1945, is the background of many popular TV shows, including “Mr. Sunshine" (2018) and “Gyeongseong Creature" (2023), or even in the musical “Il Tenoro" (2023). While watching “Mr. Sunshine,” the head and artistic director of the Seoul Metropolitan Opera, Park Hye-jin, envisioned Verdi’s opera “La Traviata” set in 1900s to 1930s Korea
April 17, 2024
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King Sejong Institute to continue digital innovation for Hangeul learners
Amid heightened interest in Hangeul, the King Sejong Institute, which is at the forefront of Korean-language education abroad, saw a surge in the number of students last year, according to the King Sejong Institute on Friday. The number of online students rose 44 percent to about 88,000 last year. Including some 128,000 offline students, the King Sejong Institute now serves well more than 200,000 Korean-language students. “This shows digital innovation for the King Sejong Institute is very
April 15, 2024
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Goryeo relics to come home, finally
South Korean Buddhist monks will bring back long-sought 14th-century Buddhist relics from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, following a transfer ceremony there Tuesday. The event is the latest highlight from a deal struck in February in which the museum agreed to “donate” the sarira, or bead-shaped objects found among cremated remains of Buddhist masters. The agreement between the museum and a delegation of Cultural Heritage Administration officials and monks from the Jogye Order of K
April 15, 2024
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Buddhist Lantern Festival gets younger
Outreach to the young will be the focus of this year’s Buddhist Lantern Festival in Seoul, which starts Wednesday in the run-up to Buddha’s Birthday on May 15. The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the organizer of the annual festival, is betting big on an electronic dance music performance by the Ven. New Jean, a comedian who gained a following after he delivered Buddhist verses to EDM at last year’s event. The name, meaning a “fresh move forward,” is a wordplay on t
April 14, 2024
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[Weekender] How young Koreans find peace of mind in pet stones
Some perhaps remember a stone slab from director Bong Joon-ho’s Academy Award-winning film “Parasite,” which Ki-woo, one of the main characters, holds onto throughout the film. In the film, his friend Min-hyuk delivers the stone, stolen from his grandfather’s collection, telling Ki-woo the stone will bring wealth to his family. The stone, which is known as "suseok" or scholar’s rock here, is a collectible item that was prominent among scholars during the J
April 13, 2024
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[Well-curated] Late bloomers
Enjoy last-minute cherry blossoms with less crowding With the arrival of spring in earnest in the last week or so, popular cherry blossom destinations in Seoul like Yeouido and Seokchon Lake have been packed with people day and night. If you wish to enjoy last-minute cherry blossoms this weekend with fewer people around, try the Seongnae Stream section of the Songpa Trail -- widely known as Seongnaecheonduk-gil --before the delicate pink and white petals drop off. Seongnaecheonduk-gil is a cause
April 12, 2024
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Changdeokgung tree tours in English available
Free guided tours exploring the flora of Changdeokgung will be conducted in English on Wednesday and Thursday mornings from April 17 to June 28, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Thursday. The first 20 people to make it to Donhwamun, the palace’s main gate, before tours start at 10:30 a.m. will be allowed to join the tour group upon presenting the 3,000 won admission ticket. The same tour of the only palace in Seoul of the Joseon-era (1392-1910) inscribed on the UNESCO World Herita
April 11, 2024
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Attempt to set fire to UNESCO-listed palace prompts calls for action
The disclosure by police of an ongoing investigation of a man charged with attempting to set fire to a UNESCO-listed palace in Seoul has put fresh pressure on officials to roll out measures to protect heritage sites. According to police on Wednesday, the man, whose identity is being withheld, allegedly last month tried to set fire to a door at Changdeokgung’s Daejo Hall -- the queen’s quarters at Changdeokgung, one of the five Joseon-era (1392-1910) palaces. Changdeokgung is the only
April 10, 2024
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[Herald Interview] Son Yeol-eom and Svetlin Roussev perfect couple for 'Love Music'
In terms of personalities, celebrated Korean pianist Son Yeol-eum and Bulgarian violinist Svetlin Roussev are polar opposites. Son, an introvert who loves solitude, prefers not to engage in frequent phone conversations. She typically spends less than an hour on personal calls. Roussev, on the other hand, is an extrovert who loves to connect with people and enjoys spending time outside. He easily spends an hour on the phone. “He’s so energetic. Nothing matches outside of music,”
April 10, 2024
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Man arrested for attempted arson at Changdeokgung
A man in his 50s, suspected of trying to set fire to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed palace Changdeokgung, has been apprehended by law enforcement. On Tuesday, the Hyehwa Police Station reported it is investigating a man who is believed to have tried to set a fire at Changdeokgung in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on March 23 at approximately 6 p.m. Police are looking into the incident involving the man who purportedly attempted to ignite a fire using a lighter. According to local authorities, during the la
April 9, 2024
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[Herald Interview] With musical 'Il Tenore,' Seo Kyung-su 'couldn't be happier'
The strong and positive audience reaction to the new musical, "Il Tenore," has led to a rerun just a month after the two month-long premiere concluded on Feb. 25. Additionally, the musical led Seo Kyung-su, who plays the lead role of Yun I-seon, a medical student with a passion for classical singing, against the backdrop of 1920s Korea during the Japanese colonial occupation, to volunteer to do an interview. Seo alternates the role with two other top actors, Hong Kwang-ho and Park Eun-
April 9, 2024
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Oscar-nominated animation director Erick Oh to hold exhibition on Jeju
Multimedia artworks by acclaimed California-based, Korean animation director Erick Oh will be exhibited on Jeju Island starting April 25. According to his agency, Beasts And Natives Alike, a large-scale media art exhibition titled "O: an Erick Oh Retrospective" will be held at the House of Refuge, a multicultural space located in Aewol-eup, Jeju Island. The exhibition will showcase media artworks from Oh's critically acclaimed animation works such as “Opera" and "O
April 9, 2024
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[Herald Interview] 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' countertenors aim to win over Verdi, Puccini, Wagner fans
When "A Midsummer Night's Dream," an opera adapted by Benjamin Britten, premieres in South Korea later this week in a production by the Korea National Opera, it will represent two rarities here. An opera with a libretto from William Shakespeare's play of the same title, it will stand out as a rare English-language opera in a country where the works of Verdi, Wagner and Puccini are beloved. Additionally, the opera is one of very few to include countertenors in the leading role
April 8, 2024
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Beha Philharmonic celebrates 10th anniversary with concert
The Beha Philharmonic Orchestra will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a concert on April 12 at the Lotte Concert Hall. Conducted by Kim Bong-mi, the first part of the concert will feature vocal performances by three tenors and the second part will have an orchestral performance. Three tenors Jin Sung-won, Kim Dong-won and Lee Dong-myong will together perform ,"” a tenor aria from Verdi's opera "Il Trovatore" and “Nessun dorma” from Puccini's oper
April 8, 2024
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[Weekender] Jeju commemorates its deepest scar
The home of the late Jin A-young sits overlooking the rocky shores at Weolryeong-ri 381, Hanrib-eup in Jeju City, in the west of Jeju Island. The unassuming house, preserved in almost the exact state as it was when Jin died on Sept. 8, 2004, at the age of 90, is about the only earthly remnant of her life, torn apart by the massacres that took place there over half a century ago. On a table in her home was a dust-covered pack of antacids, one of her daily necessities. Jin had suffered from chro
April 6, 2024
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Cultural Heritage Administration celebrates Arbor Day
The Cultural Heritage Administration planted trees at Joseon-era (1392-1910) historic sites in Seoul on Friday in celebration of Arbor Day, raising awareness of preserving cultural heritage and protecting the planet. CHA chief Choi Eung-cho and Starbucks Korea executives led a group of 50 people including company employees and elementary school students in planting 35 pine and fragrant snowbell trees at the shrine Jongmyo in Jongno-gu. On Saturday, Choi will lead another group of 35 people, incl
April 5, 2024
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National Theater of Korea's 'Art in Series' to welcome spring
The outdoor plaza in front of the National Theater of Korea's Haeoreum Grand Theater will be filled with weekly festivals and open-air markets every Saturday for two months in April and May. Dubbed "Art in Series," this biannual festival event is hosted by the National Theater of Korea during the spring and fall seasons. Each week in that season will be held under specific themes such as pets, books, crops and artifacts. The event opens with the "Art in Pet" festival whi
April 5, 2024
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[Well-curated] Pies, cute stationery and Confucianism
Savoring leisure with warm pie and coffee If you're planning to embark on a journey from Seoul Station or just passing through the heart of Seoul, enjoy a warm pie for a meal that's a little different than the typical. Focal Point is a pie restaurant in at a brown brick building behind Seoul Station. Various savory pies welcome visitors, including the Song-jung tteokgalbi pie, featuring minced short rib, broccoli and corn seasoned with soy sauce, the grilled corn pie topped with al
April 5, 2024
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K-Royal Culture Festival marks anniversary with wider outreach
The biannual festival involving five palaces of Joseon-era (1392-1910) Seoul is expecting to draw the biggest-ever participation by foreign nationals with exclusive programs, as it marks its 10th anniversary this month. The 9-day event starting April 27 at five palaces -- Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Gyeonghuigung -- will feature royal music and dance performances as well as tours with royal cuisine tastings. At Gyeongbokgung, “gugak” or traditional K
April 4, 2024