[Herald Interview] Journey to find her voice has brought Vittoria Yeo to peak performance

When Ji-won Yeo took to the stage in the title role for Bellini's opera "Norma" on Oct. 26, she might have been nervous. After all, despite performing just about every major role possible overseas, it was the 43-year-old's first lead role in her motherland. But the South Korean soprano, better known overseas as Vittoria Yeo, proved why she has been only taking main roles since her debut despite some doubts earlier in her career. When she decided to go study abroad in 2005,

Oct. 31, 2023

Epitaph plaque for wife of first Korean diplomatic minister in US returns to Korea

The epitaph plaque for Madam Jo (1841-1892), the wife of Park Chung-yang (1841-1905), the first Korean diplomatic minister sent to the US in 1887, has been brought back to Korea and returned to their descendants, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced Tuesday. Professor Emeritus Mark A. Peterson from Brigham Young University, who owned the artifact for more than 40 years after purchasing it in an antiques store, donated the epitaph plaque to Park Chan-su, the current head of the Bannam P

Oct. 31, 2023

Hybe artists could be returning to MBC

Terrestrial broadcaster MBC appears to be burying the hatchet with K-pop powerhouse Hybe. The company on Monday announced Bang Si-hyuk’s visit to its headquarters in Sangam-dong, western Seoul, to discuss measures to enhance the rights of K-pop artists in TV productions. MBC President Ahn Hyung-joon said he hoped to root out past, abusive conduct that hurt young artists several years ago, according to the press release by MBC on Monday. Ahn said he wished to create a healthy content prod

Oct. 31, 2023

[Herald Interview] Korean Cultural Center in Madrid aims to extend, expand Korean culture in Spain

MADRID -- With the flourishing popularity of Korean culture, now is the time to contemplate its sustainability and expansion, according to the newly appointed director of the Korean Cultural Center in Madrid. Shin Jae-kwang, who took on the role in September, sat down with The Korea Herald for an interview at the Korean Cultural Center in Madrid on Oct. 19. He expressed his hope to not only extend the influence of K-pop and K-drama, but also to broaden the scope of Hallyu to encompass various cu

Oct. 30, 2023

Culture minister vows greater scrutiny over arts funding

Yu In-chon, the new minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, called for a wide-ranging revamp of the ministry’s support programs for artists and the role of its affiliates. “The environment has changed so much that you can take it to mean building the government support from scratch," Yu said on his planned changes during a press conference Monday at the Modu Art Theater in Seoul, the country’s first disability arts performance venue. "I want the programs to be effe

Oct. 30, 2023

Over half of Koreans say they won't continue jesa: survey

More than half of adults of South Korean nationality do not plan to continue holding the “jesa,” the traditional ritual held in honor of one’s ancestors, a recent survey showed. According to the Sung Kyun Kwan, a traditional Confucian educational institution, its survey of 1,500 Korean men and women aged 20 or older across the country found that while 62.2 percent of the respondents still perform the jesa ritual, 55.9 percent are considering discontinuing it in the future. The

Oct. 30, 2023

Special brochure brings together Korean-themed events in New York

With the growth of the Korean wave, the Korean Cultural Center New York has launched the "It's Time for K-Culture" campaign to promote Korean culture and Korean-themed events in New York. The campaign features a special brochure with a list of New York's museums, stores and restaurants that are holding, or will hold, Korean-themed events in November and December. For instance, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will hold the “Lineages: Korean Art at The Met" starting N

Oct. 29, 2023

Sumi Jo awarded Geumgwan Order, highest honor for artists

Soprano Sumi Jo received the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit on Friday. The nation's highest honor is given to artists by the president of South Korea in recognition of contributions to enhancing Korea's global cultural reputation. Thirty-two individuals, including Jo, received awards at a ceremony recognizing their contributions, organized by the Culture Ministry, which took place at the Modu Art Theater in central Seoul. Hwang Eul-sun, intangible cultural heritage holder of royal si

Oct. 29, 2023

[Eye Plus] Haegeum music filling in the blanks of life

“Haegeum is like ink that has permeated into my life,” Kim Sae-jin said. Kim majors in haegeum at the Korea National University of Arts, a special educational institution to foster artists. Haegeum is a traditional Korean string instrument that is played by pulling the bow across its two strings. It is also nicknamed the “ggaeng-ggaeng-i” for its high-pitched sounds. The haegeum's body consists of a soundbox made of bamboo and oak, a bamboo bar and two tuning pegs. T

Oct. 28, 2023

Police to question actor Lee Sun-kyun on drug use suspicions

INCHEON (Yonhap) -- Police will summon actor Lee Sun-kyun of the Oscar-winning "Parasite" on Saturday for questioning on suspicions of his drug use. Lee has recently been booked for investigation on charges of using illegal drugs in violation of the Narcotics Control Act. The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency plans to conduct a drug test when he shows up for questioning to determine whether he used illegal drugs and, if he did, how often and what kinds. On Friday, the police imposed

Oct. 28, 2023

[Photo news] Works of Korean Buddhism in English

The "Selected Works of Korean Buddhism" collection is displayed at Daewoongjeon Hall at the Buddhist temple of Jogyesa in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Oct. 27. The Educational Institute of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, South Korea's largest Buddhist sect, held a ceremony to celebrate the publication of 10 volumes of selected Korean Buddhist scriptures, representing Korean Buddhism from the Unified Silla Kingdom to the modern era. The English translation of the collection took six ye

Oct. 27, 2023

[Well-curated] Traditional dessert, fall strolls and art downtown

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

Oct. 27, 2023

Supreme Court dismisses Buseoksa's appeal in Bodhisattva statue ownership dispute

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday against a Korean Buddhist temple's ownership claim to a 14th-century Bodhisattva statue that it argues was plundered by Japanese pirates in the late Goryeo era. The highest court ruled that the statue, stolen from a Japanese temple by a Korean theft group, rightfully belongs to Japan. The final ruling was based on Japan's Kannonji Temple's "acquisitive prescription" of the statue, the court said. The law governing the ownership of the sta

Oct. 26, 2023

[Herald Interview] Saudi Arabia seeks to engage with world through Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale

How do we live in changing times is a question that the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, which runs Feb. 20 through May 24 in Saudi Arabia, seeks to ask. Taking place at the historic town of Diriyah, just outside the capital Riyadh and home to the UNESCO World Heritage site of At-Turaif, the biennale will feature 92 artists from 43 countries, including 30 artists from the Gulf region, according to a press release issued by the biennale Wednesday. “We face climate change, political tensio

Oct. 25, 2023

Rich culture of masks in Korea, Japan and China on show at Folk Museum

Masks from Korea, Japan and China are being shown at a special exhibition titled "Everyday Use of Masks, the Ideal of Masked Play," which opened Tuesday at the National Folk Museum of Korea. On display are 195 masks -- 102 from Korea, 48 from Japan and 45 from China -- each with its own unique story and cultural significance. Some rare Korean masks dating back to the 1920s and 1930s are on view. At the time, masks were often discarded after a single use, making these masks special. &qu

Oct. 25, 2023

Maestro Semyon Bychkov breaks silence on Israel–Hamas war

Semyon Bychkov, chief conductor and artistic director of the Czech Philharmonic, who made his Korean debut on Tuesday, condemned Hamas' recent attack on Israel as an act of terrorism, breaking his silence on the ongoing Israel–Hamas war, during a press meeting in Seoul on Monday, "I have stayed silent since that war started. Why my silence? Because it is very different from the one between the aggression of Russia against Ukraine," said Bychkov, who was born in Soviet Russia

Oct. 24, 2023

Braving wind and high water to celebrate Dokdo Day

ULLEUNGDO, North Gyeongsang Province -- On Oct. 19, more than 100 eager individuals embarked on a journey, hoping to set their feet on the Dokdo islets, South Korea's easternmost outpost, just days before Dokdo Day on Oct. 25. The sense of anticipation and yearning to reach the remote and symbolic islets was palpable. For many, this opportunity to visit Dokdo was a rare and cherished one, and the journey itself was a testament to their determination. One of the groups on that boat, guided b

Oct. 24, 2023

Italian, Egyptian, Taiwanese, Japanese webtoonists to attend Busan Webtoon Festival

The seventh iteration of the Busan Webtoon Festival is set to kick off Thursday for a four-day run at KT&G Sangsang Madang Busan, with domestic and overseas webtoonists in attendance. Under the theme of "Back to the Future," the BWF will present webtoons with plots that revolve around the main characters traveling through time to cities around the world. Italian webtoonists Andera Mancini's "The Cities of Past" and Stefano Casini's "The New York's Futu

Oct. 24, 2023

[Our Museums] Ride through nation's train heritage at Korea Railroad Museum

Korean railroad history is vividly displayed in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, often referred to as the "city of rail." Run by Korail, the national railway operator, the Korea Railroad Museum is an hour's drive from central Seoul. Uiwang's railway history goes back to 1944, with the opening of Bugok Station. During the process of redistributing the functions of the original railway hub at Seoul's Yongsan Station, an official residence for railway personnel was also establish

Oct. 24, 2023

Exhibition at holy site highlights Catholic presence in Korea

A special exhibition that focuses on the Roman Catholic Church’s presence in Korea since the late 19th century is underway at the Seosomun Shrine History Museum in Seosomun-dong, central Seoul. The Seosomun Shrine History Museum, which opened in 2019, stands on a holy site where a number of Catholics in Korea were martyred during the Joseon era (1392-1910). Titled “Love and Peace for All,” the exhibition presents originals and copies of papal documents and letters, and governme

Oct. 23, 2023