The Ven. Jaseung, a former leader of the Jogye Order, the nation's largest Buddhist sect, has died in a fire at a temple in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, according to the Jogye Order on Thursday. The Ven. Jaseung was visiting Chiljangsa temple in Anseong when a fire erupted at one of the buildings there at around 6:50 p.m. Wednesday. His body was found after firefighters extinguished the blaze in about three hours. He was 69. The Jogye Order said during a press conference at the Korea Bud

Korean American author Ilyon Woo’s nonfiction work has been recognized as one of the New York Times' 10 Best Books of 2023. “Deeply, deeply honored for this recognition from the (New York Times), on the eve of the 175th anniversary of Ellen and William Craft’s heroic escape from slavery,” Woo wrote on her Instagram. "Master Slave Husband Wife" follows the true story of Ellen and William Craft, an enslaved couple in Georgia. In 1848, the couple made a daring

The photo capturing the moment when giant panda Fu Bao's twin sisters were born has been selected as one of Time magazine’s Top 100 Photos of 2023. The list, announced last week, includes the photo of the mother Ai Bao with her newly-born female twin pandas taken on July 7 after their birth. It marked the first time twin pandas were born in South Korea after their older sister Fu Bao became the first giant panda to be born in the country. Fu Bao and her giant panda family are among th

South Korea’s rice output fell 1.6 percent this year due mainly to a decrease in cultivation area, data showed. Rice production came to 3.70 million metric tons in 2023, compared with 3.76 million tons a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. This year’s decline came as the combined size of rice paddies slid 2.6 percent on-year to a record low of 708,012 hectares. The government has been implementing measures to balance supply and demand of rice, such as gi

The Samsung Foundation of Culture will collaborate with overseas cultural institutions to restore works of Korean cultural heritage, bringing the works to the Leeum Museum of Art for the restoration process, the foundation announced Wednesday. “Banquet for the Governor of Pyeong-an,” owned by the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts, is currently under restoration and is the first work to benefit from the collaboration. The folding screen painting from the 19th century depicts a ban

The Cultural Heritage Administration announced Tuesday that the agency will expand its support for buried cultural heritages next year with the aim of protecting South Korea’s historical sites, artifacts and monuments while relieving financial burdens for those whose projects involve small-sized buried heritages. The CHA emphasized that the assistance for buried cultural heritages will include not only small-scale excavations, but also examination of buried sites prior to the uncovering pr

The former presidential office compound of Cheong Wa Dae will open its gates at night for six days next month, allowing visitors to enjoy the venue's beautiful landscape and nighttime atmosphere. From Dec. 6 to 11, Cheong Wa Dae will accept 2,000 visitors per day from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism said Tuesday. Visitors can explore the compound's main garden, the main building, the moonlit small garden, the former presidential residence buildings, the

Violinist You Da-yoon has won the second prize at the 2023 Long-Thibaud International Competition, according to the Kumho Cultural Foundation on Tuesday. You, 22, performed Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in D Minor Op. 47 with Orchestre de la Garde republicaine at the final that took place at the University of Paris II, Grand Amphitheatre on Sunday. This year's competition took place from Nov. 22 to 26 in Paris, France, with 21 violinists selected from a pre-selection round. The violinis

The state-run organ donation agency on Monday revealed the story of a 15-year-old middle school student, whose post-mortem donation of her vital organs gave five people a new lease on life. Lee Ye-won, who passed away last year on May 11 after extensive damage to her brain from a cerebral hemorrhage, had her heart, lungs, liver and both kidneys donated to five individuals, said the Korea Organ Donation Agency, an affiliate of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The child collapsed on April 26 of

The 118-year history of Van Cleef & Arpels, a French luxury jewelry brand, is showcased at a world-touring exhibition titled “Van Cleef & Arpels: Time, Nature, Love" which opened in Seoul on Nov. 18. More than 300 jewelry creations, watches and precious objects and more than 90 original archives are brought together at the exhibition, which arrived in Seoul after touring Italy in 2019, China in 2022 and Saudi Arabia earlier this year. The delicate beauty of the gems is breatht

If you visit Jeju Island, popular tourist spots, well-known landmarks, Instagrammable cafes and restaurants may be filled not only with holidaymakers but also with their pet dogs. A total of 307 pet-friendly destinations beckon pet owners looking to enjoy the southern resort island, worry-free. It is an increase of 130 places from 2022, taking into consideration the 23 spots that closed this year, according to Jeju Tourism Organization. Recognizing that most pet-welcoming places are restaurants

As a staff of Haegeum Laboratory Moogung, Kim Da-rae draws traditional Korean paintings on haegeum, a traditional Korean instrument that consists of a wooden body with two strings and a bow. “I am a haegeum creator who imbues a fresh wave into haegeum,” Kim said. Kim majored in Korean art both in college and graduate school. She says it was lucky that she was able to become a designer after a long journey to find the right career for her. “I had a dream to be an artisan who pro

PKM Gallery, one of the leading commercial galleries in South Korea, is offering two exhibitions of artists with whom it has long-standing relationships: British contemporary artist Toby Ziegler and Korean sculptor Kwon Jin-kyu. The gallery, located in Samcheong-dong in northern Seoul, brought together works by the two artists in separate exhibitions, “Toby Ziegler, Broken Images” and “Kwon Jin Kyu: The Reliefs.” Ziegler has shown his works at the Seoul-based gallery ever

"OnStage," a weekly music show on Naver that has been praised for discovering indie musicians and expanding the domestic music scene, has come to an end after 13 years, Naver Cultural Foundation said Friday. It aired its final episode on Nov. 16, a video on the Korean rock band Peppertones, the foundation said in a blog post. "Over the past 13 years, various live video platforms have emerged, making it easy for anyone to create video content and directly connect with music fans. T

Two of the most sought-after Korean classical musicians will take the stage with the Munich Philharmonic next week. Maestro Chung Myung-whun and violist Clara Jumi Kang, whose relationship dates back more than a decade, will perform Beethoven's Violin Concerto with the orchestra. “Since childhood, I frequently listened to live recordings of Beethoven's Symphony by the Munich Philharmonic and Sergiu Celibidache. The distinct, sharp yet warm and intricate sound unique to the Munich