[Weekender] Art as more than propaganda: Meaning of culture and art transforms for North Korean defectors

Park Sang-young, the founder and principal of Set Net School for North Koreans resettling in South Korea, will be stepping down after 20 years. "Set" and "net" mean numbers three and four, respectively, in Korean. The school's name signifies that it serves as a continuation for North Korean defectors who have completed the three-month educational program at the government-run Hana Dul (One, Two) School. While several organizations offer alternative education programs f

Aug. 24, 2024

KTO launches Korea Dulle Trail campaign

The Korea Tourism Organization announced that a special campaign aimed at promoting the Korea Dulle Trail will run through Nov. 30, offering gifts, mobile certificates and more. The Korea Dulle Trail is a 4,500-kilometer walking trail that circles South Korea, including its east, west and south coasts and the border area of the Demilitarized Zone. Hoping to satisfy local and overseas trekking enthusiasts who wish to discover charms of South Korea with their feet firmly on the ground, the trail w

Aug. 24, 2024

Fun, laughters to fill port city as Busan International Comedy Festival opens for 10-day run

Korean and international comedians will converge for the 12th Busan International Comedy Festival, one of Asia's largest comedy events, which kicks off Friday. This year's BICF will begin with an opening ceremony on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Busan Cinema Center, hosted by popular Korean comedians Yoo Se-yoon and Jang Dong-min. The opening ceremony will showcase performances by the group Koyote and comedian Youn Sung-ho, also known as DJ Ven. New Jean. International comedians, including p

Aug. 23, 2024

[Well-curated] Retreat and confront extreme heat

In today’s busy modern society, people often seek a retreat from the city -- a place where they can find peace and fresh air in nature. Chwihoga, meaning "Temple of the Tiger" in Korean, offers just that. Consisting of three private houses, the property was curated by a married couple who left the bustling capital of Seoul in 2020 to find a new home in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province. The couple encountered Pyeongchang during their travels and felt an inexplicable sense of peace th

Aug. 23, 2024

BIFAN-winning director Francis Galluppi says ‘don’t go to film school’

“I would argue that this movie is not a Western,” Francis Galluppi, director of “The Last Stop in Yuma County,” said about his first feature film just hours before it won the audience award and top competitive Best of Bucheon title at Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival on July 12. The film takes place deep in the desert of 1980s Arizona at a diner next to the only gas station in a hundred miles. More than one mysterious stranger makes an entrance, denim and cow

Aug. 22, 2024

Seoul Tourism Organization to host lectures on K-culture trends

The Seoul Tourism Organization is hosting special lectures titled "K-Culture Trends in the World" at Seoul Tourism Plaza in Seoul on Sept. 28. The global standing of K-pop, trends in contemporary Korean art, and Korean webtoons and web novels will be discussed in three separate lectures by experts in the respective fields -- Kim Jae-heun, a culture reporter at The Korea Herald; Jason Haam, founder of Jason Haam Gallery and Cheon Beom-sick, well-known webtoon creator. The lectures are f

Aug. 19, 2024

[Herald Interview] Chat with your favorite webtoon character

The line between fiction and reality is becoming increasingly blurred. The AI planning team at Naver Webtoon has rolled out an official AI chatbot service, which lets users chat with fictional characters. Character Chat is a chatbot service available on the Naver Webtoon app which leverages Naver's AI language model, HyperClova X, to facilitate conversations with characters from webtoons. Users can interact with four popular webtoon characters of their choice, including Ki Sang-ho from &quo

Aug. 19, 2024

Top concertmasters gather in Seoul to celebrate 30 years of Sejong Soloists

Four esteemed concertmasters will gather to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Sejong Soloists at the Seoul Arts Center on Saturday. Frank Huang, concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, David Chen, concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Andrew Wan, concertmaster of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and Daniel Cho, concertmaster of the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra, all share a significant connection: they are alumni of the Sejong Soloists, an ensemble founded 30 years ago

Aug. 19, 2024

North Korea threat still overshadows K-culture: Survey

Despite the rapid rise of South Korea's cultural and artistic presence on the global stage -- driven by the growth of K-pop, films, and dramas -- a recent survey reveals that the dominant image foreigners associate with Korea is still the threat from North Korea. The survey, released on Wednesday by the Corea Image Communication Institute, found that 83.9 percent of foreign respondents identified North Korea's security threat as their foremost association with Korea. This starkly contrasts with

Aug. 16, 2024

[Well-curated] Theme your summer

If you have some time to spare before (or after) shopping at the popular shopping complex HDC IPark Mall in Yongsan, central Seoul, head over to “The Great Era of Piracy," a special exhibition on "One Piece," a mega-hit Japanese animation series on air since 1999, on the mall's sixth floor. In Seoul, the exhibition which previously toured Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia, presents Korean anime fans with opportunities to enjoy the beloved series via limited edition merc

Aug. 16, 2024

[Herald Interview] Flutist Kim Yu-been on his journey from France to the US, first album

About 11 years ago, at the age of 16, aspiring South Korean flutist Kim Yu-been moved to France to pursue his passion for the instrument. Since then, Kim's journey as a flutist has taken him from France to Germany and now to the US, winning major competitions along the way and serving as the principal flutist at two prestigious orchestras. Kim studied at prestigious French music institutions, including the Conservatoire National Superieur Musique et Danse de Lyon and the Conservatoire Natio

Aug. 15, 2024

Pianist Park Jae-hong highlights hidden gems by Rachmaninoff, Scriabin in latest album

For emerging Korean pianist Park Jae-hong, his latest album featuring two Russian composers and the upcoming recitals showcasing it will be special, as he will bid a temporary goodbye to the music of these composers he loves this fall. On Monday, Park released his Decca debut album, featuring Alexander Scriabin’s 24 Preludes Op. 11 and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Sonata No. 1 in D minor Op. 28 - the two composers’ lesser-known works. Park, winner of the 2021 Busoni Piano Compet

Aug. 14, 2024

Korea unveils items linked to independence activists

Documents, books and a plaque shedding light on Korean independence activists who fought against Japan’s 1910-45 colonial occupation were disclosed Wednesday, a day before National Liberation Day. Thirteen documents written between 1851 and 1909 show how independence fighters organized a militia and how Japanese police cracked down on them. It’s the first time the 13 original documents have been made public, the Korea Heritage Service said, noting they were repatriated from Japan las

Aug. 14, 2024

View Seoul’s iconic palaces from above

Exploring Seoul’s iconic cultural heritage sites like Gyeongbokgung, Deoksugung and Jongmyo is one of the must-do activities while visiting South Korea. A light stroll along the stone walls of the palaces and taking in centuries-old "hanok," or traditional Korean houses, makes many fans feel like they've wandered into a Korean period drama. But, tourists can take a step back from these crowd-packed spots and enjoy a different view of Seoul's historical landmarks from ne

Aug. 14, 2024

[From the Scene] Matchmaking at Buddhist temple

YANGYANG, Gangwon Province -- Camera crews quickly swarmed a woman, zooming in on her pick for a dinner date from 10 men in photos at a temple run by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the country’s largest sect that since last year has been pushing hard with an unlikely project -- matchmaking. “I haven’t really had time to chat with this guy and we have only one dinner,” said the woman, identified as Woman 10, referring to her choice as she hurriedly left the room cro

Aug. 12, 2024

Liberation Day-themed programs, events held at local travel spots

Celebrating its 79th Liberation Day this Thursday, tourist destinations around the country offer special programs to highlight what Korean independence fighters went through under Japanese occupation, commemorate their sacrifices and remember the history. Seodaemun Prison History Hall, in Seodaemun-gu, northwestern Seoul, offers a hands-on activity and concert for young visitors keen on taking in some of the nation’s arduous modern history. Children aged 7 to 10 can participate in a &ldquo

Aug. 11, 2024

Old Korean Legation under review for US Register of Historic Places

The Old Korean Legation building in Washington, DC is expected to be registered in the US as a historic place worthy of preservation as early as mid-September. According to a US Federal Register notice Wednesday, the National Park Service plans to gather public input on whether to recognize officially the 19th-century building on the National Register of Historic Places -- the US government list of buildings, sites and structures known for their historic or artistic value. The process will run t

Aug. 9, 2024

[Well-curated] Escape from heat with Samoyeds, nature in a glass, comics

Fluffy happiness In the bustling streets of the Hongdae area, there is a must-visit spot for dog lovers. At the special cafe named Winter’s Village, visitors can meet 11 Samoyeds and one Malamute spread across two floors, all enjoying their free time. While animal welfare is a common concern with pet-related businesses, this cafe is run by the owner who personally raises all the dogs. They limit the number of customers to prevent overcrowding and provide regular breaks for the dogs. To dis

Aug. 9, 2024

[Herald Interview] Meet the Japanese actor in Korean musical 'Hero'

In the later part of the Korean musical "Hero," there is a scene where the imprisoned independence activist Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910) awaits his sentencing day. In a somber atmosphere, a Japanese prison officer appears with mixed feelings. They have a conversation about Ahn’s dream for the realization of peace in East Asia, a topic he had been writing about in prison and which remained unfinished. Then the officer hands out a funeral shroud sent by Ahn's mother. The role

Aug. 6, 2024

SAC Int'l Music Festival to feature conductor Dan Ettinger and aspiring musicians

The Seoul Arts Center’s summer music festival is set to return under its new name of International Music Festival next week from August 6 to 11. For the fourth edition of the festival, Dan Ettinger, Israeli orchestra conductor and opera singer, will make his South Korean debut as he leads the SAC Festival Orchestra. The SAC Festival Orchestra is mainly composed of Korean musicians who have been active on stages with prestigious orchestras overseas. Ettinger, who called himself a fatalist

Aug. 3, 2024