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Seoul exhibition raises questions about what makes a masterpiece

A young adult novel on Japan's wartime sexual slavery, which was recently translated into English, will hit the shelves in the United States and other countries this year to recount the devastation of the Japanese wartime atrocity, according to its publisher Thursday.The 248-page novel, "Trampled Blossoms: What They Stole from Grandma," written by Moon Young-sook and translated by David Carruth, will go on sale at the US online bookseller Amazon and through other global circulation cha

Gyeongbokgung Palace will invite visitors to enjoy its grounds at night this coming autumn, opening its gates between 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. from mid-September until early November.According to Cultural Heritage Administration, the annual nighttime special tours of the Joseon-era palace will take begin Sept. 12 -- during the Chuseok Holidays -- and will conclude on Nov. 6. The hours will be extended from the usual 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., but only up to 4,500 people a day will be able to visit the pal

Muchangpo Mystic Sea Road FestivalA 1.5 kilometer path opens up across the sea from Muchangpo Beach to Seokdaedo Island when the tide goes out during this festival. Visitors can enjoy a wide range of attractions and hands-on programs such as celebratory performances, fishing with a torch, the Mystic Sea Road torch parade, barehanded fishing, catching manila clams, gathering razor shells and many more.It is open to all visitors, and is held until Sept. 1.For more information in Korean, English, J

In “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” Walt Disney’s famous eight-minute animation from 1940 based on a Goethe poem of the same name, Mickey Mouse takes a hold of the magical hat that his master left behind. The apprentice Mickey uses the magical hat to do his chores, but he soon falls asleep, only to wake up to waves of water filling the cavern. Mickey tries to stop the water with his hands, yet fails.Just when Mickey thought he was in control, disastrous consequences were on t

South Korea’s biggest dessert festival, the Seoul Dessert Fair, closed the doors on its 23rd event last weekend at the Setec exhibition hall in Gangnam, Seoul.(Shot and edited by Choi Ji-won / The Korea Herald)The three-day event ran Friday to Sunday and garnered more than 30,000 visitors. Around 240 dessert shop owners and individual sellers from around the country presented assorted confections ranging from seasonal sweets to those following the latest trends.Traditional Korean treats an

Widely known as the “100-year-old philosopher,” professor Kim Hyung-seok recently published a collection of essays that delves into the meaning of life. Kim, 100 this year by Korean age, was born in 1920 in Pyongyang, which is now the capital of North Korea. He studied philosophy at Sophia University in Tokyo. After Korea’s liberation from Japan in 1945, he taught at a local middle and high school in Seoul and eventually joined Yonsei University. He is now a professor emeritus

Artist couple Yi Joung-min, 48, and Jin Shi-u, 44, of Okin Collective were found dead at their home Friday, sources within the local art community said Monday. According to the sources, the couple had experienced financial difficulties and conflicts with others in the art world. Police are currently investigating, they said.Okin Collective was a three-member artist collective founded in 2009 to address issues surrounding the eviction of residents of the Okin Apartment Complex in Jongno-gu, centr

Wolseong (Moon Palace), a now-destroyed royal dwelling of the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C.-A.D. 935), is now the subject of a Danish exhibition held to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.The Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage of the Cultural Heritage Administration, along with Gyeongju City, has been hosting the exhibition “Korea in Denmark - Welcome to the Moon Palace: Wolseong” at the Nikolaj Kunsthal in Copenhagen, Denmar

A special festival in central Seoul will showcase the essence of some internationally recognized traditional Korean performing arts, the culture ministry said Friday.    The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in collaboration with the Korean Traditional Performing Arts Foundation, will host the festival, whose title translates as "Great Inheritance Meets Today," from Aug. 31 to Sept. 21 on the premises of the National Museum of Korea.     The upc

As Korean culture gains popularity around the world, Airbnb has launched a new K-wave Trip section -- a chance for tourists to take part in K-pop or K-beauty activities.The global house-sharing platform held a press event Friday in the Itaewon area of central Seoul, inviting reporters to a class on how to make a vegan bath scrub, registered as a K-beauty trip under Airbnb. “On Airbnb, we have always seen the want for local, authentic experiences. As the K-wave has proved itself to be

Customized cocktails at Park Hyatt SeoulThe Park Hyatt Seoul’s premium vinyl music bar, the Timber House, is offering a series of cocktail promotions until the end of September. Each promotion runs three weeks: Summer Tropical from Aug. 1-21, Traditional Korean from Aug. 22 to Sept. 11 and Refreshing & Relaxing from Sept. 12-30. Welcome dishes will be served including pickled cherry, Gouda cheese, banana creme brule and more. Guests can ask the bartenders to create customized cocktails

Seoul Fringe Festival (1)Seoul Fringe Festival is held annually to support indie culture by introducing various genres of artists and artworks. Festival-goers can explore the charm of dances, plays, music and more at festival venues throughout the city. The hours are from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. from Thursday until Aug.24. Admission fees are 30,000 won per day.For more information in Korean, English, Japanese or Chinese, call the travel hotline at 1330. The homepage (www.seoulfringefestival.net) is on

Master Kim Hee-sook sticks to centuries-old brewing-distilling techniques