Local animations funded by Korea Creative Content Agency projects are grabbing international attention. KOCCA has been trying to raise the competitiveness of Korean animations with many annual projects, including the domestic animation production support project that funds up to 2 million won ($1,700) for promising animations. One of the funded animations, “Bread Barbershop” by Monster Studio, was listed among the global top 10 most popular TV programs by Netflix just 14 days afte

K-pop band Monsta X will star in an online video series aimed at promoting treasured Korean cultural heritage overseas, according to cultural heritage authorities Wednesday. The YouTube series, titled "Korean Heritage Travelog," will premiere next Tuesday and will feature the six-member K-pop group alongside Seo Kyoung-duk, a liberal arts professor at Sungshin Women's University and a well-known Korea promoter, according to the state-run Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA). The se

After the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 fall-winter Seoul Fashion Week earlier this year, the fashion week showcasing the spring-summer 2021 collections will be held next month, reaching out to the global audience on an online platform. Some 45 South Korean fashion designers are participating in the 2021 SS Seoul Fashion Week -- 35 established designers for the Seoul Collection show and 10 rookie designers for Generation Next. The fashion shows, scheduled from Oct. 20-25, will be held

  Two major Protestant church groups -- the General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in Korea and the Presbyterian Church of Korea -- failed to make a decision in the case of the controversial Rev. Jun Kwang-hoon during their respective online general meetings on Monday. The two church groups had planned to decide at the meetings whether they considered the Presbyterian pastor a cult leader. But the meetings did not run smoothly and not everyone had a chance to speak, partially due to tech

With international travel halted by pandemic, backlog of dogs awaiting foreign adoption grows

When writer Emily Jungmin Yoon released her 2018 book of poems “A Cruelty Special to Our Species,” it was to inform North American readers about the “comfort women,” a euphemistic term for military sex slaves of the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. With the publication of the Korean translation of the book Aug. 14 with the full English version included in the back, Yoon sees her purpose as not to inform, as many Koreans are familiar with the history, but to c

Entrepreneur Zena Chung, also known as Seon D. Chung, became the recipient of the 2020 Dr. Sarojini Naidu International Award presented by the Asian Academy of Arts. The award honors Indian writer and political activist Sarojini Naidu (1879-1949), the first Indian woman to preside over the Indian National Congress and India’s first female state governor. Called the Nightingale of India for her poetry, Naidu is recognized as an important force in India’s independence movement aga

A large painting shaped like the letter A is installed in the middle of a dark room at the Arario Museum in Space. As gallerygoers walk around the structure and turn each corner, they encounter a different theme. The 14-meter-long painting, titled “The Unperceived,” features a collection of surreal scenes scattered across a linen canvas. The scenes were inspired by painter Lee Jin-ju’s personal memories and experiences. “The Unperceived” -- which gave its name to

Sitting on the lower slopes of Bukaksan is Samcheong Park.  Samcheong Park is the first officially designated park in Seoul, and still among the more popular areas for a stroll in the Samcheong-dong area. This park is busiest in April for its cherry blossoms, but many locals and tourists visit year-round. The park has a library as well as a learning center for children and sports facilities.  Located around 500 meters to the north from Samcheong Park is Malbawi, a popular spot to lo

Traditional rites for one of Korea’s largest holidays are likely to be scaled down further as social distancing continues

Models strutting and posing on the runway in a hall packed with celebrities and fashion industry movers and shakers. A crowded backstage where makeup artists stand tightly next to models, applying colorful eye shadow and lipstick. This year, it may be difficult see any of these scenes unfold as the COVID-19 pandemic has halted on-site fashion shows. In their place, the fashion industry has begun to embrace online shows. The Korea Creative Content Agency was the first to adapt to the “n

Charcuterie shop expands to second location in Samseong-dong

Columnist for The Korea Herald and the Elders Press of Korea, Kim Myong-sik has released “All in the Same Boat,” a compilation of 140 columns that he wrote for the Elders Press of Korea from March 2017 to July 2020. This is a second compilation of his columns. “Jongno Square,” containing three year‘s worth of columns, was published in 2013. In journalism for more than 40 years, Kim has served as a correspondent for Reuters, managing editor of the Korea Times and

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will provide links to cultural content from its affiliated bodies that the public can enjoy during Chuseok. The decision to provide this service was announced Friday during a Health Ministry press briefing, where authorities encouraged the public to stay home during the nation’s major traditional holiday. “We expect that many citizens will be staying at home instead of heading to their hometowns for the safety of their families and relat

Since finalizing her divorce from actor Ahn Jae-hyun in July, Koo Hye-sun has been busy as an actor, director, artist and musician. Her latest engagement is an art exhibition at the upcoming Bucheon International Animation Festival. Koo, who has directed three feature films and five short films since 2008, is one of the feature film judges at BIAF 2020. She will be joining a panel of world-class directors, including Anca Damian, who won last year’s grand prize, and director Kim Bo-ra of