Ddareungi is Seoul city’s public rental bike service, which you can use across the city. You can download the Seoul Bike app on your phone then register or log in with Naver, Facebook or a Kakao account. The app is available in both Korean and English. You can select “Buy Pass” and select the plan that fits you -- one-time, weekly, monthly and annual pass. There are one or two-hour rentals for each time you check out a bike. A one-time pass for one hour costs 1,000 won ($0.88)

  Seoul-based media artist unit a’strict will debut in New York, showcasing nature-themed immersive media art in Times Square, starting July 16. The media artist unit has expanded digital technology to the art sphere since it was formed last year. The group will present two works “Whale #2” and “Waterfall-NYC,” which will explore the theme of summer and provide chances to enjoy natural scenery even as the pandemic has restricted people from traveling in the su

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Green Seoul Citizens Committee jointly hosted a fashion show behind closed doors Friday to underscore the importance of climate variability at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul. This year’s fashion show was held without an audience under the slogan “Dealing with climate change with citizens.” Related videos will be available on YouTube. “I would like to thank the citizens and companies for participating in making clean

Mayfield Hotel offers summer packages Mayfield Hotel in Seoul presents the Summer Garden Picnic Package and Golf & BBQ Package for the summer season. The packages include a stay at the hotel and breakfast for two. The Summer Garden Picnic Package is for families with kids, and offers gardening activities at the hotel’s garden of more than 100 plants accompanied by a special instructor. The package is priced at 260,000 won. The Golf & BBQ package includes golf at the hotel and

Gimje Horizon Festival The Gimje Horizon Festival takes place in front of the Byeokgoljae Reservoir in Gimje, North Jeolla Province. Themed “sky and land meeting at the horizon,” the festival aims to showcase the uniqueness of South Korea’s farming culture. A variety of programs are available for festivalgoers, including dragon games, rice harvesting, a Black Eagle air show and a parade. This year’s festival will be held online from Sept. 29 to Oct. 3. More information

New head of Literature Translation Institute of Korea vows to break stereotype of Korean literature

A light breeze fills the hall with the scent of peonies. In the background, rain falls and birds chirp. The first part of the National Palace Museum of Korea’s special exhibition “Peonies: Flowers of Peace and Prosperity” brings visitors immediately to this peaceful garden.  “The audience will feel like they are at a resting space inside the palace instead of an exhibition hall. They will enjoy the gentle scent while walking in nature. The exhibition will be ref

2 sites in central Seoul under consideration for the late Samsung chairman’s donation

Interdisciplinary artist Jun So-jung has been selected as the first South Korean artist to join a global project showcasing digital artwork. Her newly commissioned work is scheduled to be presented in August. “The details, including the artist’s new work, are still in discussion with Josef O’Connor,” an official from the Barakat Contemporary told The Korea Herald. O’Connor is the founder and artistic director of digital artwork platform Circa. The gallery is the

When Gucci’s Gaok, the Italian high-end fashion brand’s second flagship store in South Korea, opened in Hannam-dong in late May, the store was the talk of the town not only for its luxury lineup but also the building itself in the posh Seoul neighborhood. The building facade features a nature-inspired artwork titled “Hwan (Illusion)” created by Korean artist Park Seung-mo. The outer walls of the building are fitted with more than 100 panels of overlapping stainless stee

Poppin’ dancer Nam Hyun-joon, gugak singer Park Ae-ri prove how work and life can harmonize with love

Two national museums that received the bulk of art donated by the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee will hold exhibitions of some of the donated works starting July 21. “We are planning to showcase around 70 artworks among Lee’s collection along with the MMCA. The exhibitions will be held separately at the two museums starting July 21,” said an official from the National Museum of Korea on Sunday. In late April, a total of 1,488 modern and contemporary masterpieces we

The deep blue sea stretching beyond the horizon combined with the sight of palm trees makes a splendid summer view.  Beaches on Jeju Island officially opened on July 1. Summer vacationers enjoy swimming at Hamdeok Beach in Jocheon-eup.  A huge banner requests visitors to comply with the safety rules at Woljeong Beach in Gujwa-eup. (Photos: Yonhap)

Novelist Yun Ko-eun become the first Asian to win a prestigious CWA Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger on Thursday. The Dagger awards, conferred by the Crime Writers’ Association in the United Kingdom, recognize excellence in the art of crime writing. This year’s winners were announced during an online event hosted by the winners from last year. Yun was the first Asian winner since the association established a separate award in 2006 to recognize both the translator of a work an

The screening for the artistic director of the Korean Pavilion in the upcoming 59th Venice Biennale will start over, after a complaint emerged over an unfair screening process. A complaint alleged a conflict of interest between an applicant and selection committee member, according to the Arts Council Korea, the commissioner of the Korean Pavilion for the International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale slated for April 2022. “There was a complaint submitted that one of the&nb