Exhibition organizer says it aimed to deliver street artist’s message rather than focusing on showing original works

　The South Korean government is to abolish the controversial “shutdown law,” lifting the curfew that blocks access to online games by underage users late at night 10 years after the law came into force. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced the decision Wednesday, saying they will scrap the shutdown law out of respect for the rights of youths and encourage education at home. Underage gamers will be protected from ex

Three museums in Korea have come together to find a way to persevere amid the pandemic through a new online platform aimed at audiences from home and abroad. ARKO Art Center, Art Sonje Center and Nam June Paik Art Center have launched the website “Kind Neighbors,” which will operate as an online common place for three months. Artists, curators and experts from both inside and outside the art world will join the new platform.  “Amid the urgent priorities of the social

Two books of Korean poetry have recently been published in the US, one by a veteran poet and another by an emerging young talent. The Daesan Foundation announced Monday the publication of “Monarch Butterfly,” with selected poems by poet and literary critic Choi Dong-ho, and “Catcalling,” another collection by Lee Soho, in English by Mudus Artium Press and OpenLetterBooks, respectively. “Monarch Butterfly” is a selection of 51 of Choi’s poems from his 5

Installation artist Yang Hae-gue will unveil her paper collage series titled “Mesmerizing Mesh” on Tuesday at Kukje Gallery in central Seoul, a year after she showed a glimpse of her paper artwork at her solo exhibition held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. The “Mesmerizing Mesh” collage series is created with hanji, Korean mulberry paper, and inspired by “kkasugi,” or sacred paper cutting, which refers to shaman paper objects o

Once serving as the first South Korean-made railway, the Gyeongchun Line delivered cargo, people and memories between Seoul and Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, for more than seven decades beginning 1939. The line terminated operations in 2010, but was reborn into a forest park a few years later.  Gyeongchun Line Forest Park is located in Nowon-gu, northern Seoul. The 6-kilometer-long park is divided into three sections. In the first section, visitors are welcomed with eye-catching murals, c

Schoolteacher-turned-farmer produces artisanal omega-rich oil

As soon as the Seoul Museum of Craft Art opened in late July near Insa-dong, a popular tourist destination in central Seoul, visitor slots filled up quickly. That was an indication of how long people had waited for a museum dedicated to Korean crafts. The country’s first craft museum occupies the former site of Poongmoon Girls’ High School in Jongno-gu, which relocated to Gangnam-gu in 2017 and became a coed school.  Some of the school buildings have been renovated and turned

A family of water pheasants rest in Wupo swamp, located in South Gyeongsang Province. In the middle of the swamp full of lotus leaves, an adult pheasant swims with ducklings. The swamp is the biggest of its kind in the nation, and is well-known as the habitat of more than 300 types of plants and animals.  The water pheasants live near lakes or freshwater swamps, and insects are their main diet. They are known as a polyandrous species, generally reproducing from March to July. Photos: (Y

Archbishop Lazarus You Heung-sik, the new Vatican prefect, will celebrate a Mass on Saturday to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Korea’s first Roman Catholic priest. The Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican commemorates Andrew Kim Tae-gon, who died in 1846, and will be the first Korean-language Mass at the basilica in six years. The last one was in March 2015, when Korean bishops visited the Vatican to reciprocate Pope Francis’ five-day visit to South Korea i

The British Council Korea and Korea Foundation announced on Friday the winning project on climate change after reviewing projects proposed by cross-border teams from South Korea and the UK. The winning project, “The Greenverse,” was jointly suggested by the Art Center Nabi in Seoul, Watershed, a digital media center in the UK, and Bang and Lee, a Seoul-based artistic duo that explores various aspects of contemporary life such as effects of technology and networked societies. Twen

Former Culture Minister Park Yang-woo was appointed as the new president of the Gwangju Biennale Foundation which will become his second time to lead the organization, according to the foundation. “Park will start his new position as early as this month. The presidency term is three years and allows consecutive terms,” an official from the foundation told The Korea Herald on Friday. The announcement of the new president was made after the committee meeting held Tuesday. Park pre

With the aim of boosting the presence of Ulleungdo as a global tourist destination for both local and global visitors in the next five years, the Korea Tourism Organization has joined hands with Ulleung County and Kolon Glotech, Inc., the KTO announced Friday. Ulleungdo, an island east of South Korea is 72.86 square kilometers in size, and has a population of about 10,153. The island is known for its well preserved natural environment along the coast and its geographic significance, overlookin

JW Marriott Hotel offers ‘Truly Flavors’ promotion Flavors, the luxury buffet dining establishment at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul, is offering the “Truly Flavors” promotion, with a special selection of pass-around dishes that celebrate the restaurant’s variety of cuisines. 　 The promotion began Monday and runs to Sept. 30, featuring freshly cooked dishes served by the chefs. Dishes are decided daily, chosen from among filo pastry lamb chops, macaroni with a three-chee

Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Festival The Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Festival is taking place at the Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Center in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, from Sept. 24-27. The festival celebrates Korea’s unique celadon, “buncheongsagi.” Programs promoting buncheongsagi, including cooking with buncheong ceramic pots and pottery making, will be available. 　　　 The event is free to visitors of all ages. More information can be found at festival.buncheong.net. Ro