Mudeungsan Mountain located in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, fully opened its door to the public for the first time in 57 years on Saturday. Civilian access to the top of the mountain had been restricted since 1966 as air force units were stationed in the respective location. Many visitors gathered on the day of the opening to enjoy a round-trip hike of approximately 390 meters that goes from Seoseokdae columnar joints to Inwangbong Observatory.

Truffle oil gives fusion finesse, while same-day slaughter brings capital its freshest yukhoe yet

Enjoy the autumn atmosphere at Cheongsan Arboretum, where pink muhly and pampas grass create a picturesque scene in Taean, South Chungcheong Province. Both the pink muhly and pampas grass gardens run through the end of November. Cheongsan Arboretum attracts nearly 200,000 visitors annually, featuring over 3,500 plant species, a forest maze, a lily garden, a Metasequoia road and more. The combination of pink muhly and pampas grass has made the arboretum a popular spot for capturing the perfect pi

"Face to Face" (a literal translation of the Korean title) By Choi Eun-mi Changbi Publishers In the author's note for her second novel, "Face to Face," Choi Eun-mi writes, "I’ve developed a habit of thinking about someone’s 2020 when I see people passing by, to come up with a new character for my story. Where they went to sleep, where they worked, whom they were closest to, and what they feared the most in that year." Choi takes readers back to the

"Graiai" By Kim Hye-bin Moonji Publishing The novel "Graiai" begins with a powerful opening as the head of a mummy is unearthed in an Irish peatland. Named “Baek-hee,” the head is confirmed to have Korean ancestry. Why Baek-hee left the Korean Peninsula 2,500 years ago, and the whereabouts of her body remain a mystery. The narrative is divided into three parts: In Part 1, the story centers around Joo-na, a broadcast journalist, investigating the excavation in Ir

"Ghost Duet" By Kim Hyun Hankyoreh Publishing Poet Kim Hyun has been delicately depicting the lives of queer people in Korea. His commitment to social issues is also evident, from his participation in events such as the "304 Recital," a reading event commemorating the 304 victims of the Sewol Ferry disaster, and in a memorial literature recital honoring the victims of last year’s Halloween crowd crush in Itaewon. Kim’s debut short story collection, “Ghost Du

The French drama series titled “The Fragile Colossus” received the Grand Prize at the Seoul International Drama Awards 2023 on Thursday. SIDA 2023 honored a total of 11 drama series as well as 15 actors, screenwriters and directors from around the world in a ceremony held at KBS Hall in Seoul. The French drama series was praised for its in-depth depiction of sexual violence. The plot of “The Fragile Colossus” revolves around Sebastien, a former rugby player who was sexu

An endowed curatorship for Korean art has been established at the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Korea Foundation Curatorship Fund, funded by the Samsung Foundation of Culture and Korea Foundation. Eleanor Soo-ah Hyun was named the Korea Foundation and Samsung Foundation of Culture associate curator on Wednesday. Hyun joined the Met in 2019 after working at the British Museum as a curator for the Korean collection. The Met also announced its plans to bolster Korean art exhibitions at the

Austrian writer Christoph Ransmayr has been selected as the recipient of the 12th Pak Kyongni Prize, the award’s organizers said Wednesday. This year, a total of 37 nominees were chosen through four rounds of preliminary screening from among 234 novelists from around the world. In June, four writers -- Ransmayr, Cormac McCarthy, Margaret Atwood and Antonio Lobo Antunes -- were nominated as the finalists. The 69-year-old Austrian writer won global recognition with his novel “The Last

Expanded Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale to open next year while exhibition highlighting Paik Nam-june and Korean art of past 30 years will be held at separate venue

Korea Creative Content Agency announced on Thursday that it will host a special venue to promote Korean comics and webtoon IP at the upcoming New York Comic Con, starting from Oct. 12 to 15. NYCC, which is set to be held at Javits Center, New York City, is considered the biggest comic and pop culture event on the US East Coast drawing comics creators, gaming stars, top anime and celebrities. Poised to raise the profile of Korean webtoons in the US, KOCCA is scheduled to run “The House of K

Namhae Oktoberfest comes to Seoul A limited-time pop-up event introducing Namhae German Village is being held in Seongsu-dong through Tuesday. The event sheds light on how Namhae German Village -- a village built by Koreans who went to work in Germany primarily as nurses and miners in the '60s and the '70s and returned to Korea after retirement, many of them with their German spouses. The village was first settled by about 75 families. The event showcases photos and maps of Namhae Germ

Wonju Dancing Carnival The Wonju Dancing Carnival will be held at the Wonju Sports Complex in Gangwon Province, Sept. 22-24. The event will feature various programs, including art performances, a dance competition, a fringe festival, a free dancing festa and more. K-pop girl group fromis_9 and singers Insooni and Kim Bum-soo are scheduled to perform onstage. Admission is 10,000 won, with a special discounted rate of 5,000 won for Wonju residents. More information can be found at ddcwj.com. Gim

Grand Hyatt Seoul presents special dining experiences Grand Hyatt Seoul is offering special dining experiences for the autumn season. The hotel’s Japanese restaurant presents dobin mushi, a traditional Japanese broth served in a tea pot with various ingredients and matsutake mushrooms. Tenkai, another Japanese restaurant at the hotel, offers lobster salad, unadon and meat and vegetable skewers, to be paired with craft beer and sake. The hotel’s Steak House offers premium beef steaks

US, UK publishers seek next Korean literary gems, emphasize vital role of translators