After Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk died Tuesday night at the age of 89, Roman Catholics gathered at the Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul on Wednesday to pay their respects to South Korea’s second cardinal. There was a long line of people waiting. The late cardinal was in a glass coffin before the altar in the cathedral, where attendance at a requiem Mass held in Wednesday’s early morning hours was limited to 80 people out of concern about COVID-19. The crowd was much sma

Some experts say collection should have been kept intact

Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk, former Catholic archbishop of Seoul, died Tuesday, Catholic officials said. He was 89. Cheong passed away at 10:15 p.m. while at a hospital for treatment, according to the officials. Born in 1931, he entered the priesthood in 1961 after his graduation from the Catholic University of Korea. He served as the archbishop of Seoul for 14 years starting in May 1998, when he was appointed to the post after Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan stepped down. Cheong was ordained a

Linear parks facilitate connection, orderly movement of people which are important considerations in pandemic times

While veteran actor Youn Yuh-jung made history by winning the Oscar for best supporting actress for her portrayal of a Korean grandmother in “Minari,” her “wonderful Minari family” made its presence felt on the red carpet by sporting iconic looks. Youn showed up at the 93rd Academy Awards in a boxy midnight blue brocade gown designed by Egyptian semi-couture designer Marmar Halim, based in Dubai and London. She completed the look with a velvet belt, a diamond bracelet f

Consumption expenditures in South Korea's tourism and leisure sector decreased by more than 20 percent last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, a state-funded think tank said Monday. In particular, foreigners' spending in the domestic tourism and leisure sector plunged by nearly 80 percent and the travel industry was hit hardest among the relevant industries, the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute said. Last year, consumption expenditures in the nation's tourism and leisure industries were

The seventh Royal Culture Festival will begin Saturday in Seoul and bring a variety of cultural experiences both to online and offline spaces. The theme is relaxation. The annual festival will run through May 9 at Seoul’s five royal palaces -- Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Gyeonghuigung and Deoksugung -- as well as the shrine Jongmyo and the altar Sajikdan. The 23 on-site events will include “Cinema in Palace” at Gyeongbokgung, “Self-Discovery Time&rd

Just as spring is a season of rebirth, a 49-year-old amusement park in Seoul has also been given a new lease on life.  Reopening to the public after eight months of renovation, the Children’s Grand Park located in Neung-dong, Gwangjin-gu is a popular picnic spot that has been loved by generations of Seoulites since 1973.  Covering a total of 530,000 square meters, the park has a zoo, botanical garden, outdoor performance venue and many other fun attractions.  The public p

Craft chocolate pioneers branch out with chocolate jam

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, will explore the history of animation from the 1920s to the 1940s in an exhibition that starts Friday. “Movement Making Movement” runs through Sept. 26 and features works by five representative pioneers of the genre. A total of 24 animations produced by German animators Lotte Reiniger (1899-1981) and Oskar Fischinger (1900-1967), New Zealand animator Len Lye (1901-1980), Czech film director Karel Zeman (1910-1989) and Scott

A traditional Korean outfit worn by BTS’ Jimin that was scheduled to go under the hammer was removed last minute on Thursday. His fans however are calling for the modern “hanbok” suit to be put up for auction as planned. The K-pop superstar wore it for a September performance on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Myart Auction on Thursday removed the outfit from its online auction list last minute and it was only available for preview as the a

Clean Hikers pick up litter along mountain trails

InterContinental launches Children’s Day promotion InterContinental Seoul Coex in Samseong-dong announced its collaboration with global content company Smartstudy and Pinkfong Baby Shark. The “Kids For-Rest Package” will launch in May ahead of the Children‘s Day holiday. The package offers exclusive concept rooms decorated with Pinkfong characters such as Baby Shark from the world’s most-viewed YouTube video, limited editions of the “Pinkfong Baby Shark Kids

Yellow Forest in Kimcheon Kimcheon City in North Gyeongsang Province has set up a forest decorated with yellow furniture pieces and objects, named the “Yellow Forest.” The project was inspired by the Purple Island in Sinan. Two islands in the Sinan area in South Jeolla Province are blanketed in a hue of purple, with all the roofs and streets painted purple. Kimcheon City hopes to attract tourists with its new Yellow Forest. It will feature hands-on activities such as woodcraft cl

Several modern and contemporary artworks in the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee’s collection may be headed to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. “The discussion about Lee’s art collection donation to the museum is continuing. Details are yet to be disclosed, but we will announce the result when the matter is settled,” a public relations official from the MMCA told The Korea Herald. “We can’t say how many works are under discus