After the World Health Organization declared a COVID-19 pandemic, global health care researchers are becoming more interested in South Korea’s experience and data. The country is becoming a center of research on international clinical data to overcome COVID-19 based on data of treatment information and progress in Korean patients. EvidNet, which has built up clinical data of 27 general hospitals in Korea as well as 33 million hospitals that are part of the standard data network, began re

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country earlier this year, it was something the art world never expected. It was particularly challenging for art galleries, which believed artworks were best appreciated in person at the gallery. But the unprecedentedly prolonged viral threat has changed things. Galleries had to come up with creative ways to reach out to people who are practicing social distancing. They held virtual reality exhibitions, online press conferences and private tours. And the g

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) was co-awarded at the Asia Art Pioneers Award 2019 for the exhibition “Awakenings: Art in society in Asia 1960s-1990s” which was held last year at the museum’s Gwacheon venue. The exhibition, which was co-hosted by South Korea, Singapore and Japan, encompasses artworks from 100 representative artists from the late 18th century in 13 Asian countries. The tour of the exhibition started in Japan in October 2018 an

Literature Translation Institute of Korea on Thursday announced that it will start a program to foster professional translators of Korean cultural content. The 12-week program will teach how to translate Korean movies and webtoons into English, Spanish and Vietnamese. The classes will begin on June 15 and around 10 students for each language will be selected. Anyone who has a bachelor’s degree with official language test scores can apply for the program. LTI Korea will accept applica

The Cultural Heritage Administration on Wednesday announced that it has created material about the site of Wolseong, also known as Moon Palace, in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in three foreign languages -- English, Chinese, Japanese. Wolseong was a royal dwelling of the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935), and stood until the kingdom collapsed. An archaeological dig by the CHA in 2017 led to the discovery of bones of two people under the west walls of Wolseong Palace, suggesting that the

In 1979, the British band Buggles lamented that “video killed the radio star,” predicting the end of the audio era. Over 40 years later, audio content is not just surviving, they are seeing a new possibility with changes in the media environment. Podcasts are now well-established, coming to prominence overseas in the 2000s. In Korea, podcasts caught on in the early 2010s and have since been enjoying a steady growth. Podbbang, the country’s biggest podcast application with a

Folk painting coloring book attracts interest as new hobby fit amid virus threat

Local churches laid out their plans for Easter this coming Sunday after the government announced Saturday that it was extending its social distancing campaign for another two weeks. Initially, South Korean churches hoped they could normalize their activities this Monday, the day after Palm Sunday. Holy Week, the week preceding Easter, is a meaningful time in the church calendar. Nonetheless, due to COVID-19, most of Korea’s Protestant megachurches have decided to hold their Easter serv

The Gwangju Biennale Foundation is embarking on a global project titled “MaytoDay” to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising, hosting exhibitions around the world in an effort to promote the spirit of the democratization movement. The project, “MaytoDay,” will take place in five cities in four countries -- Taiwan, South Korea, Germany and Argentina -- from May to November. The project will also be showcased at next year’s Venic

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Monday that its affiliated institutions -- museums, art galleries, libraries and performance venues -- will remain closed until April 19. The Culture Ministry’s announcement follows the government’s announcement on Saturday that it was extending its social distancing campaign for another two weeks. The campaign was originally scheduled to end Sunday, but the Ministry of Health and Welfare extended it to April 19 in an effort

As soon as Choi Seoul-gi, 26, gets home from work, she checks on the six plants she bought last summer: an orange jasmine, a Guiana chestnut tree, a Swiss cheese plant, an alocasia, a bird of paradise and another plant she can’t remember the name of. When she moved to a studio apartment last year, she was a bit lonely. That’s why she started bringing plants home, almost one every month. “As human beings, we have a desire to be loved, but the important thing is that we also ha

For many South Koreans, it feels like spring hasn’t arrived yet. Thanks to the novel coronavirus, school closures and social distancing mean many of us spend most of our time indoors. But many parts of the country are already in color, with seasonal flowers coming into bloom about a month earlier than usual. In Seoul, yellow forsythia bushes are usually one of the first signs of spring.   One of the popular places for spring festivals in the city is Eungbongsan in Seongdeong-

While #StayAtHome challenges have been trending around the world, perhaps one of the most challenging tasks at a time like this is preparing three meals a day at home. In response to the call to stay at home, people are flocking to online food delivery platforms, purchasing ready-to-eat foods. Orders on grocery delivery platform Market Kurly have skyrocketed in recent weeks. Market Kurly offers a wide range of groceries and merchandise for delivery by 7 a.m. the next day for orders placed

　 Dating apps that bar people from signing up based on appearance, education and wealth are a growing phenomenon in Korea. In order to join Amanda, one of the best-known dating apps in Korea, the applicant needs to receive an average score of three or higher out of five from 20 members of the app. The name “Amanda” is wordplay for the Korean meaning of “not meeting anyone.” 　 “We understand that there can be controversy over the nature of our app. At first, the

Safe delivery from Mayfield Hotel As more people are staying in these days, Mayfield Hotel in western Seoul is presenting food delivery service. The hotel’s bakery Cafe Delice presents a lunch box deal for four people, consisting of six Italian dishes, from pasta to salad. The deal is priced at 90,000 won. The bakery also offers one-person lunch boxes, offering a choice one pasta and a drink, at 20,000 won. Korean restaurant Bongraeheon also offers a lunch box deal, consisting of nin