The Indonesian Embassy held a diplomatic reception Tuesday at the residence of the Indonesian ambassador to Korea in Seoul, showcasing the culture and tourism of North Sulawesi Province. The event titled, "Colorful North Sulawesi in Seoul" presented cultural highlights of the province, such as batik and tenun, traditional dance and music as well as fashion. The reception began with a performance of kolintang, a traditional Minahasan percussion instrument from North Sulawesi, by seven

Barakat Contemporary, one of the leading contemporary art galleries in Seoul, is presenting exhibitions of three prominent Korean artists in London as part of efforts to introduce the country's contemporary art in Europe. The artists -- Kim Yun-chul, Chung Seo-young and Jun So-jung -- are pioneers of different artistic practices and have emerged as prominent artists in the contemporary art scene since the 1990s. The three exhibitions are running at No. 9 Cork Street, an exhibition space r

Skin moisturizers used by a Joseon princess have been reinterpreted as modern day cosmetic products. Princess Hwahyeop’s Porcelain Edition, a collection of skin care products created through research on the makeup-related relics found in the tomb of Princess Hwahyeop, was unveiled by Korea National University of Cultural Heritage and the National Palace Museum of Korea on Wednesday at the National Palace Museum of Korea. A number of makeup tools and cosmetics used by Princess Hwahyeop, t

Italian luxury fashion house Gucci said Tuesday it will hold its Cruise 2024 collection show in Seoul on May 15, without revealing the specific venue. The brand said it had picked South Korea for being the center of dynamic heritage, culture and creativity, which is in line with Gucci’s core values. Just last month, Gucci had to call off its fashion show titled “Gucci Cosmogonie Collection Seoul” scheduled to take place at Gyeongbokgung Palace on Nov. 1, following the tragedy

In releasing an all-Korean crossover album “In Love: Korean Love Poem,” internationally acclaimed soprano Sumi Jo said Tuesday that she hopes that the genre of Korean art songs, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, can be enjoyed more globally like K-pop. “Korean art songs were introduced a century ago, but people still find Korean art songs difficult. I paid a lot of attention to the singing method and arrangement and poured all my passion, soul and time into it

The novel series “Uncanny Convenience Store” by Kim Ho-yeon has topped this year’s bestsellers lists in Korea. The two-volume series ranked number one on the 2022 bestseller charts for Kyobo Book Center, the biggest bookstore chain in Korea, and Yes24, Korea's largest online book retailer. In November, the two-volume series sold a combined 1 million copies, according to publisher Namu Bench. It is the third to do so since 2020, following Lee Mi-ye’s fantasy series &l

A special exhibition on traditional Korean food culture opens Wednesday at the National Intangible Heritage Center in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. The exhibition runs through May 14, 2023. The exhibition, titled "Eat and Inherit: Korean Traditional Food Culture," takes visitors on a journey to discover the root of Korean cuisine through kimchi, jang (fermented paste), makgeolli (rice wine) and tteok (rice cake). Kimchi and jang making were designated National Intangible Cultural

Artist Nam Hwa-yeon, who shed light on Korea's modern dance pioneer Choi Seung-hee's life with narratives that bridge the past and present, unveiled her new work on Nov. 18 at Atelier Hermes in Seoul. She titled the show “Gabriel,” the archangel known as the messenger of God in charge of heralding future events, especially wars and births. Gabriel is best known as the angel who delivered to the Virgin Mary the news that she would give birth to Jesus. The artist did not excl

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea announced the winners of the 2022 Korea Translation Award on Monday, with four translators winning grand prizes under newly revised criteria for this year. This year’s grand prizes were awarded to Koh Eun-ji -- who also writes under the pen name E. J. Koh -- and Marci Calabretta Cancia-Bello for their English translation of poet Yi Won’s “The World's Lightest Motorcycle”; Yu Hsin Hsin for her Chinese translation of Lee Ta

Celebrated Korean soprano Jo Sumi took the stage on Sunday to celebrate the 15th anniversary of a charity concert program at The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. On Sunday, Jo along with the Prime Philharmonic Orchestra, Seoul Metropolitan Junior Chorus, haeguem player Nary, tenor Jang Joo-hoon and crossover tenor Chris Young performed for a special audience of 2,500 at the invitation-only concert. Among those invited were multicultural families, the underprivileged and the disabled.

The Korea Tourism Organization is accepting reports on improper use of foreign languages on tourism-related websites operated by public organizations in Korea in a special event running through Dec. 16. The public may submit instances of inaccurate or wrong uses of foreign languages found on English, Chinese and Japanese versions of websites operated by public museums, performance centers and galleries, as well as tourism organizations. A list of the relevant websites in the three languages ca

As a teenager, Chun Byong-geuk, the first vice minister of culture, sports and tourism, would watch Western movies and listen to classical music as well as trot, which was heavily influenced by Japanese music. Now he, 58, still loves going to classical music concerts but finds himself enjoying more K-dramas and movies. Chun said it is not just because he feels obliged, but because he is genuinely intrigued by the unique storylines and riveting characters. Chun, appointed in May, oversees culture

Hongik University, a prestigious art university in South Korea, held its inaugural Hongik Fashion Week with the aim of fostering collaboration among students beyond their degrees and majors in the department of textile art and fashion design. “I am grateful to be able to present fashion week, and I am confident that we can create a new trend by collaborating together regardless of their fields,” said Choi Chul-yong, associate professor of fashion design at the opening ceremony on Wed

How would "seonbi," Confucian scholars during the Joseon era (1392-1910), have fun, if they lived today? As a response to his curiosity, Hwang Tae-in, 35, created “sansunoleum,” a reinterpretation of “hanryangmu.” The word "hanryang" has had different meanings throughout history, ranging from those who retired from public office to those trying for a military position, but today the word is used to refer to unemployed or carefree people. The hanryangmu

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents Sweet Memories Afternoon Tea Set The Lounge at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul celebrates the arrival of seasonal winter strawberries with the Sweet Memories Afternoon Tea Set, available from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28. This season’s tea set features a variety of unique JW Marriott Hotel Seoul desserts crafted by the hotel’s pastry team from strawberries, plus a selection of savory items. Served on a two-tier silver tray by Greggio, the tea set features five strawberr