As the entire nation struggles with the ongoing spread of COVID-19, the tourism industry -- both inbound and outbound -- has been one of the hardest hit by the virus outbreak. More than 100 countries around the world are restricting the entry of all travelers from Korea, as of Monday, pushing outbound travel agencies to the brink. Hana Tour and Modu Tour, Korea’s top two outbound travel agencies, have reported major losses in sales due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Hana Tour sent 49,000

Korea.net, the South Korean government’s online platform, announced Monday that its ninth group of honorary reporters had begun their first assignment and were covering the spread of COVID-19 in Korea. Korea.net is operated by the Korea Culture and Information Service, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and has a mandate to promote Korean culture globally. The reporters’ first task was to produce a video about how the Korean government is dealing

Harvard epidemiology professor estimates up to 60 percent of adults will get infected

With more individuals jumping on to online video platforms in recent years, Korea has seen a sharp increase in the number of related trademark applications, according to data released by the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Sunday. Last year, a total of 5,174 trademark applications within the broadcasting and communication industry were filed, marking a 57 percent increase from 3,298 cases in 2015. The number began to spike by 28.8 percent with around 4,000 cases in 2018, and saw the bi

“The Aesthetic Consciousness of Korean Modern Art” By Lee Joo-young Misulmunhwa Visual Arts Publication Though we may come across some Korean modern and contemporary artworks, not many realize the philosophies and backgrounds embedded in the artworks. The book “The Aesthetic Consciousness of Korean Modern Art,” written in Korean and published in February, digs into the common characteristics of Korea’s modern and contemporary artworks. Lee Joo-young, the head

Mainstream Protestant church groups -- the National Council of Churches in Korea and the United Christian Churches of Korea -- on Friday asked the government to investigate leaders of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus here. “The government should clarify facts about the spread of the infectious disease and arrest Shincheonji leader Lee Man-hee and the leaders of its 12 tribes to investigate them,” the two Christian groups said in a joint statement. The groups stated that Shincheonj

The Museum of Korea Emigration History on Friday announced that it is asking Korean emigrants in South America to donate historic items for a special exhibition to be held in early July. “It has been 60 years since Korea officially began emigrating to Brazil in 1961. The first immigrants, who were adults at the time, are now in their 80s and 90s, and many of them have already passed away. Before it‘s too late, we would like to exhibit the history of early emigrants,” The Mus

Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas introduces vegan wine selection, pairings

Early spring at L‘Escape Hotel L‘Escape Hotel presents a package deal designed for the spring season. As fine dust can halt some from enjoying outdoor activities in the spring, the French-style boutique hotel has prepared various indoor activities. Guests will be offered a total package for coloring activities upon check-in. For guests who post their coloring activity works to their Instagram accounts with hashtags of “#lescapehotel,” and “#hotelpackage,”

Garden of Morning Calm Spring Festival The Garden of Morning Calm, situated in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, is one of Korea‘s major botanical gardens. Established to promote the beauty of Korean flowers and plants and to develop the local gardening culture, the botanical site attracts about 700,000 visitors each year. During the Spring Festival period, the Garden of Morning Calm is covered with a rich tapestry of color from thousands of flowers and trees in full bloom. In addition, t

As the new coronavirus spreads throughout the nation, more and more people are reluctant to go to the gym for a workout. The situation worsened Thursday, when the city of Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, said 80 people had tested positive for the virus after taking Zumba classes at local fitness centers or coming into contact with people who took those classes. “I used to take Zumba lessons at a fitness center near my home. Since last week, the center temporarily closed down and I

National Solidarity for Shincheonji Victims on Thursday asked President Moon Jae-in to order an investigation into the religious group Shincheonji. “We are filing charges against Shincheonji and also urging the president to have a meeting with us,” the group’s head Shin Kang-shik said at a press briefing held in front of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul. Shin explained that he was holding the briefing in front of the presidential office because the organization had already filed char

Many art galleries and museums here have shut down or postponed exhibitions due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and more people are in self-imposed isolation as part of social distancing to prevent the spread of the respiratory illness. But, there is still a chance to alleviate negative emotions that result from the prolonged crisis and refresh your mind: browsing works of art from the collection of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea from the comfort of your home. Established

After historic global successes by South Korean movie "Parasite" and K-pop band BTS, South Korea will focus on further nurturing local creativity and the global sales of Korean cultural content in 2020, the culture ministry said Thursday. To meet the policy direction, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will pour a total of 1.69 trillion won ($1.42 billion) into assistance funds to help local content creators better finance their projects, including an 80 billion-won venture

As the number of people infected by the novel coronavirus increases daily, the gaming scene in Korea is suffering -- especially esports. The most popular esports league in Korea, the 2020 League of Legends Champions Korea decided on Tuesday to postpone the start of the second round-robin event for the spring season, following the first, initially held without spectators to prevent the spread of new coronavirus. “2020 Woori Bank LCK Spring has decided to take a temporary break from the fi