Amid virus crisis, online apps offer quick, convenient way to transform the home

Double K Film & Theatre announced Thursday that its production of “Art” would close temporarily, after cast members of “Phantom of the Opera” tested positive for the new coronavirus. “As people of the performing art industry test positive with the coronavirus, for the safety of actors, staff and audience and to prevent further spread, we have decided to temporarily cancel ‘Art’ performances from April 4-12,” Double K Film & Theatre posted

Roman Catholic churches in Seoul and temples of the country's biggest Buddhist sect will further suspend their public services, at least till mid-April, as part of national efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. The Catholic Church's Seoul archdiocese said in a press release on Thursday that all weekly public Masses will remain on hold until future notice. "On Tuesday, the government announced that it will put school openings on indefinite hold while starting the new school year throu

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in South Korea has launched an online museum series for children who are spending most of their time at home amid the COVID-10 outbreak, to help them better understand the modern art. The museum is unveiling a total of five episodes on its YouTube Channel, uploading new episodes on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The episodes will cover four renowned artists: Park Seo-bo, Marcel Duchamp, Ahn Kyu-chul and Choi Jeong-hwa. The videos aim to help kid

The cafe-like beverage can be easily made at home, allowing people to reminisce about their daily lives

As COVID-19 continues to keep people apart, games that are less stressful are gaining attention and bringing people together. While most games usually have a final boss to beat, a mission to complete or a competition, driving the players to reach the end, games that have no specific goals or endings are helping people enjoy the time indoors and remain positive by simulating a virus-free virtual reality. Animal Crossing: New Horizons, for Nintendo Switch, released in Korea on March 20, is one

The Cultural Heritage Administration on Wednesday announced that it had applied for the addition of Talchum, Mask Dance Drama in the Republic of Korea to the list of UNESCO intangible cultural heritage on Tuesday. The decision on the listing will be made in December 2022, after UNESCO reviews and evaluates the application’s technical completeness and the value of the heritage. Talchum is a performing art that encompasses dance, music, and theater. There are 18 different kinds of Kor

Since the coronavirus outbreak, Culture Minister Park Yang-woo has been busy visiting different facilities to hear rising concerns and difficulties that artists are facing. Following this, the Culture Ministry has announced several plans for financial assistance. On Feb. 20, it decided to inject 3 billion won ($2.5 million) to provide loans for artists who are experiencing financial difficulties following the outbreak. From March 1 to 10, the government received applications for the loan and

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) is hosting a calligraphy exhibition for the first time in its history, titled “The Modern and Contemporary Korean Writing,” aiming to show the beauty of calligraphy through the masterpieces from 1920s to modern era. The exhibition was unveiled online Monday through livestreaming on MMCA YouTube channel with curator Bae Won-jung guiding through the artworks for 90 minutes. The exhibition was scheduled to open in March, but w

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Johnson & Johnson said on Monday it had selected a lead candidate vaccine for the new coronavirus that would move to human trials by September and could be ready for emergency use by early next year. The pharmaceutical company has signed an agreement with the US government's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to invest $1 billion in the effort, it said in a statement. J&J began working on the vaccine under investigation -- Ad26 SARS-CoV-2 -- in

Though social distancing has become the status quo amid the COVID-19 crisis, people are trying to stay connected with others via various online platforms. As people are ordered or advised to stay home, the sense of isolation has led to the coining of such expressions as “corona blues,” referring to constant anxiety stemming from the fear of the highly contagious virus and depression from prolonged isolation. Looking for a way to feel connected, people are increasingly turning to

From Korean TV dramas and K-pop to the nation’s cinematic output, Korean content has taken the world by storm. This year, it may be Korean novels’ turn to engage global readers. According to the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, a state-run institute that promotes Korean literature abroad, at least 91 Korean books are being published in 19 countries this year. “There might be more books that will be published overseas, this is the number that we have for now,&rdquo

The Korean Culture and Information Service, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, announced that its 11th group of “Friends of Korea” began activities from Friday. Friends of Korea is a group of people whose main task is to report erroneous information about Korea in foreign media to the Korea Culture and Information Service’s online platform, “Fact:Korea.” Over the next four months, the group will also promote Korean culture to foreigners

The two main art auction houses in Korea saw better performance than expected in March despite the COVID-19 outbreak clouding the art market. Seoul Auction, the nation’s largest auction house, saw its auction success rate at 60 percent at the first auction of the year, held Tuesday. The total sales amounted to 5 billion won ($4.1 million), according to the company. “We worried about the auction result because the viral infection has frozen the art market, but it turned out to be

Entrances to Seokchon Lake, a famous sightseeing destination for its cherry blossom trees that bloom in spring in Jamsil, southeastern Seoul, will be temporarily shut down until mid-April to prevent people from visiting the area during the COVID-19 outbreak. The decision came after the Songpa District Office announced the cancellation of its annual Cherry Blossom Festival last week. The festival was originally scheduled to take place from April 3 to 12. Seokchon Lake is one of the most popu