The Tongyeong International Music Festival (TIMF), a leading annual classical music gala in South Korea, will begin this year's edition Friday as it marks its 20th anniversary. The 2022 festival will run through April 3 in Tongyeong, on the southern coast, presenting some 30 classical concerts and performances under the theme "Vision in Diversity." The 2020 edition of TIMF was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has been held in-person since last year. The Tongyeong Festival

Korea, Qatar hold cultural exchange via traditional costume show

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol suggested Wednesday that President Moon Jae-in should keep his local breed Pungsan dogs, which were gifted to him by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The dogs, named Gomi and Songang, were given by Kim during the Inter-Korean Summit of 2018 as a symbol of peace in the peninsula. The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae confirmed hours earlier that the dogs belong to the state, as the gifts were for the president of South Korea, not Moon himself. “If (Moon) were

The Seoul city government on Wednesday signed an agreement with Tranoi, the official trade fair of Paris Fashion Week, to help South Korean designers expand to the European fashion market, officials said. Under the memorandum of understanding on the "nurturing of global fashion brands and development of the fashion industry," the two sides will pick promising Korean fashion brands and support their European inroads through various channels, including fashion shows, the city officials s

  South Korean illustrator Suzy Lee won one of the most prestigious prizes given to authors and illustrators of children‘s books Monday. The International Board on Books for Young Children on Monday announced Lee as the 2022 winner of the illustration section of Hans Christian Andersen Award, which is specifically given in honor of the lifetime work of an illustrator. With the award, Lee has become the first Korean to receive or be nominated at the Hans Christian Andersen Award an

New York-based gallery bolsters presence in Korea through expansion in Hannam-dong

The Galleries Art Fair 2022 closed Sunday with a record number of visitors and sales, continuing the ongoing art fever in South Korea. Some 143 galleries participated in the country’s oldest art fair, making it the largest in its history. The five-day art fair kicked off Wednesday at Seoul Trade Exhibition Convention in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul. It attracted some 5,300 visitors and clinched 17.7 billion won ($14.5 million) in sales, more than twice last year’s sales figure of 7.

Joseon royal palace Gyeongbokgung will be open for nighttime viewing from April 1 to May 29, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Monday. The night view of Gyeongbokgung in spring is noted for its beautiful blossoms, including the weeping cherry blossoms and bright azaleas that light up the night. Up to 1,300 visitors will be admitted per evening and reservations are required through the 11Street website. Online reservations will open Thursday morning, with each person limited to two tick

An artwork created for the “2022 Special Concert for World Peace” is being sold as a non-fungible token on digital art platform and marketplace Evei starting Sunday. Drawn by artist Heo Wook, who graduated from Beaux-Arts de Paris with degrees in drawing, painting, architecture and multimedia, the main image is also featured in the poster for the March 23 concert co-hosted by The Korea Herald and the Seoul Arts Center. Based on Heo’s latest work “Cheom Cheom,” th

As the saying “The March winds are the morning yawn” goes, a fresh spring breeze not only awakens our souls, but imbues renewed energy in nature. During this season, one of the side dishes almost always present on Korean dining tables is namul, or seasoned vegetables and herbs. Although now available year round, many wild plants, herbs and vegetables are in their best condition during the spring season. Most namul varieties are bathed in shades of green, but not all have to be

Where water flows, life flourishes, and around a century back, the history of South Korea’s clean water began with Ttukdo Reservoir Water Purification Plant.  In 1903, two American businessmen, Henry Collbran and Harry Bostwick, were granted the rights to set up the water supply system by Emperor Gojong. The two men were also behind the nation’s first electricity supply. They transferred their patent right to Korea Waterworks Co., which started construction in August 1906. T

Women’s prominent role in Korean Buddhism goes way back in history. Becoming a Buddhist nun or monk was a common life options for the ruling elites of the Silla Kingdom and Goryeo Empire which lasted more than 14 centuries from 57 BC to AD 1392. Even kings and queens jettisoned their throne to become Buddhist monks and nuns during the Silla period, just as the Siddhartha Shakyamuni Buddha gave up his kingdom to become an enlightened one, some 2,600 years ago. The oldest surviving book

There is one essential practice all aspiring monastics must perform -- to be a “haengja,” or postulant. A haengja is someone who is undergoing a trial period before becoming a monastic. The process of entering a temple as a haengja and becoming a monastic takes from six months to a year. However, one cannot become a monastic just because one has completed this probationary period. One must also learn proper monastic etiquette and Buddhist ceremonies during this period, and must p

Seoul Fashion Week, South Korea’s biggest fashion event held every March and October, kicked off Friday with physical catwalk shows and offline events for the first time in three years. The opening ceremony of 2022 fall-winter Seoul Fashion Week took place at the Seoul Museum of Craft Art in central Seoul and about 150 people -- including Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, big-name celebrities and buyers – were in attendance. The six-day fashion extravaganza marked opened up with a performa

The Bukchon Traditional Culture Center, located within the Buckchon Hanok Village in Seoul, will resume its series of Saturday cultural events. Under the theme, “Bukchon’s New Spring, New Hopes,” the program for March focuses on making and sharing New Year’s resolutions. Events will consist of a mix of online and on-site exhibitions and programs. Kang Yong-hoon, a pen drawing artist specializing in calligraphy works of urban landscapes, will hold seminars on designing