Yang In-mo, the winner of this year’s International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition, never thought he would be competing in a competition again. After all, he had already taken home the top prize from the prestigious Paganini Competition in 2015, at the age of 19, which was the first time the jury awarded that prize since 2006. Last December, the violinist decided to take part in the competition held in Helsinki in a desperate search for a change and a more active career and he surprise

For three years, rumors swirled around who was the mysterious winning bidder of Korean artist Kim Whan-ki’s dot painting “05-IV-71 #200 (Universe). The painting sold for 88 million Hong Kong dollars ($11 million) at a Christie’s auction in 2019, and remains the most expensive painting by a Korean artist to date. The collector was recently revealed when Korean clothing manufacturer Global Sae-A Group announced the opening of an art gallery, S2A, in southern Seoul in July. The bi

Many Koreans have a love-hate relationship with traditional shamans, or “mudangs” as they are called here. While it is not unusual to find a practitioner around the block, they are still widely frowned upon by the majority of the public. Jeong Ho-geun, a 58-year-old veteran actor better known as a shaman nowadays, has experienced such prejudice firsthand since he decided to become a shaman in 2014. His friends started dodging his calls and people left him “like the parting of t

SINGAPORE -- Traveling takes courage, especially when it comes to trying out new food in a foreign country. Although basic ingredients such as meat or vegetables in popular dishes are universal, the differences in seasoning and the resulting aroma of each dish can take a traveler by surprise. But in Singapore, those with even the most fastidious tastes have nothing to fear. Known as a melting pot of Asia for its mix of history, culture and arts, Singapore's food options also delight epicure

Ven. Kyungwoon spends most of her time in Seosan interacting with Buddhists over temple food, but she heads to Seoul once a week to teach at Hyangjeok Segye, the official culinary institute for Korean temple food. While teaching the recipes, she often cites the Buddha’s teachings from the sutras as well, to let her students know about the spirit embodied in temple food. To do that, she has to spend more time preparing for class. However, she does not mind. “The mindset one has before

Early movable metal type printing from the period of the Goryeo Kingdom shows surface tension of the ink, which is a common tendency of liquid on metal surface at rest to shrink into circular liquid drops. An 87-page book from 1239 is full of Hanja characters printed on hanji, traditional Korean paper made from mulberry tree bark, showing the characteristics of movable metal type printing. Might was always right in the Goryeo Kingdom. The political elite in the 13th century were military leaders

Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Seattle is hosting “Runway to Partnership,” a series of hanbok fashion shows along with cultural performances this week to celebrate the 140th anniversary of Korea-US diplomatic relations. On Oct. 29, a Hanbok fashion show will take place at University of Washington, featuring Kumdanje and OUWR. About 40 Hanboks designed Kumdaje’s CEO and designer Lee Il-soon will be introduced. Kumdanje’s hanbok attires have been featured on

Thirteen-year-old "painting prodigy" Kim Ha-min received a scholarship from ArtTechTree and Connect Art, the operators of the contemporary art exhibition “Midnightluv,” at Andtree Gallery in southern Seoul on Thursday. Kim received a 2 million won ($1,410) scholarship, which came from the profits from the exhibition, where 63 pieces of works by four artists are on display. “ArtTechTree and Connect Art joined hands with The Korea Herald to support young art talents. On

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea said Thursday it will overhaul the 10-year-old annual prize given to promising young Korean artists, after an internal review revealed some shortcomings. Some chronic problems of the award, including the winner selection process and lack of concrete support for award recipients afterward, have long been criticized. Artists skeptically refer to the Korea Artist Prize as a "tomb," as the winning artists do not receive attention

Former head of CHA completes Seoul edition of iconic bestseller series ‘My Exploration of Cultural Heritage’

The main street in the Hongdae neighborhood in Seoul -- a street bustling with young people near Hongik University – will be full of Halloween vibes this weekend, complete with a zombie parade, Halloween busking, DJ party, street dance contest and costume contest. Free cocktails and Halloween makeup will be offered at booths set up near Hongik University Station Exit No. 8. The Halloween event will be held from Friday to Sunday. Halloween art market booths will sell handmade craftworks, ac

Colorful Autumn Garden, Gwangju The Colorful Autumn Garden opened on Oct. 15 and runs through Nov. 13 at Hwadam Botanic Garden in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. Visitors can enjoy the autumn foliage at its peak to the fullest in the eco-friendly arboretum, an hour’s drive from central Seoul. Autumn lovers can stroll down the promenade and feel the fall atmosphere with crisp air and some 4,000 different species of plants and trees. Admission costs 10,000 won for adults and 8,000 won for teen

Four Seasons Hotel Seoul presents 'Time to celebrate' with Baccarat The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul is celebrating the festive end-of-the-year season with Baccarat,a French fine crystal brand. Limited room packages available for the month of December include a stay in a club room or suite, plus a set of two beautiful Baccarat Beluga tumblers. Other perks include complimentary valet parking plus access to the hotel’s Korean sauna and executive club lounge -- for all-day drinks, after

Black Adam (US) Opened Oct. 19 Action Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra Khandaq, a country that used to be prosperous, is now run by Intergang, which has oppressed its people for 27 years. Meanwhile, Adrianna (Sarah Shahi) accidentally frees Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson), who was bestowed with the almighty powers of the ancient gods -- and imprisoned just as quickly -- 5,000 years ago, from his earthly tomb. He is now ready to unleash his unique form of justice in the modern world. Everything Every

SINGAPORE -- The TravMedia Summit Asia 2022 brought together some 150 tourism brands, travel writers, influencers and journalists from across the Asia-Pacific region, to network and develop new insights and ideas on tourism, on Oct. 17, at Swissotel the Stamford, in Singapore. Presented in partnership with Tourism Australia, the summit was held on the first day of the two-day event of International Media Marketplace, a media networking event for the travel industry. "We are proud to bring t