With her poetry collection “Autobiography of Death,” Kim Hye-soon brought Asian women’s voices to the forefront of the international literary scene by winning the 2019 International Griffin Poetry Prize earlier this month.It marked the first time the Canadian prize, founded in 2000, had ever gone to two Asian women -- Kim shared the honor with Choi Don-mee, who translated the book into English.  Kim and Choi were not expecting the prize. “At the ceremony, the transla

Two of Jeju Island’s most famous tourist spots and natural heritage sites, Seongsan Ilchulbong and Manjanggul, will begin charging higher entrance fees starting next month.The Jeju World Natural Heritage Center said Sunday that general admission to Seongsan Ilchulbong, a volcanic peak formed by hydrovolcanic eruptions, will be increased from 2,000 won ($1.73) to 5,000 won. Tickets to Manjanggul, a huge cave created by basalt lava flows, will double in price from the current 2,000 won, the

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Monday rolled out a five-year plan to make Korean art and artifacts more accessible to the general public. The plan includes building more art galleries and museums, expanding the conservation system for the collections and creating online and mobile systems for people to acquire information on exhibitions.According to the ministry, the government plans to build an additional 140 museums and 46 art galleries by 2023, which will bring the number of s

LOS ANGELES -- Writer Judith Krantz, whose million-selling novels such as “Scruples” and “Princess Daisy” engrossed readers worldwide with their steamy tales of the rich and beautiful, died Saturday at her Bel-Air home. She was 91.Krantz’s son Tony Krantz, a TV executive, confirmed her death by natural causes on Sunday afternoon. He said he’d hoped to re-create the “Scruples” miniseries before her she died but it is still in the works.“She ha

PARIS -- It was quite literally the final curtain for Kenzo’s Carol Lim and Humberto Leon at Paris Fashion Week on Sunday, after the duo’s eight successful years at the creative helm of the house came to a close.With a 100-meter curtain on set, a surprise performance by singer Solange and thousands of guests in attendance, the duo’s departure was a farewell to remember.Here are some highlights from the final day of spring-summer 2020 men’s and coed collections from the Ke

Doosan Humanities Theater at Doosan Art Center concludes with ‘Post APT,’ a multidisciplinary show

Sunfull Foundation held an anti-cyberbullying campaign for youth in Seoul last week, in recognition of Prince William and the Royal Foundation’s efforts to counter cyber violence.Sunfull Foundation on Thursday hosted an anti-cyberbullying campaign at Kwangwoon Middle School in Seoul, calling on students to stay away from violence and hate speech on the internet. The event was held as part of the Sunfull Foundation’s support for the Stop, Speak, Support campaign launched last year by

PARIS -- Dior brought art to Paris Fashion Week on Friday as designer Kim Jones used a monumental plaster sculpture on the runway to inspire his architectural show.Guests including Kate Moss, Christina Ricci and Kelly Osbourne marveled at the giant artwork by American artist Daniel Arsham that spelled out “DIOR” in broken up plaster with jewels surreally glimmering beneath.Here are some highlights of spring-summer 2020 menswear shows.___　 Dior goes back to past“It’s quite

ATHENS -- Climate change could wreak “irreversible damage” on the world’s most precious ancient monuments and other cultural sites, experts warned Saturday as they pushed for UN protection for major global sites.Academics and policy makers gathered in Athens for a meeting on the threats to world heritage called for an array of tools to predict, measure and counter the effects of climate change. They are campaigning to have the issue included on the agenda at the UN Summit for C

ATHENS, Greece -- Greece’s Acropolis Museum opened an excavation site underneath its modern building Friday, allowing visitors for the first time to walk through an ancient Athenian neighborhood that survived from the Classical era to Byzantine times.The museum, which sits at the foot of the Acropolis hill in Athens, houses masterpiece sculptures of Greek antiquity, including works from the Parthenon, one of the most influential buildings in Western civilization. “Visitors can come d

Daemyung Hotel & Resort’s Sono Felice is offering a promotion for foreign guests. The resort is located near Vivaldi Park in Gangwon Province, a two-hour drive from central Seoul.Under the promotion, a night at the silver suite costs 187,000 won ($160.70), the gold suite 212,000 won and the royal suite 234,000 won.  The deal also includes discount coupons for breakfast and other perks, including 40 percent off admission to the Ocean World water park, 30 percent off admission to th

Novelist Han Kang shares love for literature, printed word

1. Busan International Magic FestivalThe Busan International Magic Festival kicks off next Tuesday at Haeundae Beach with a grand opening ceremony. A magic contest and a gala magic show are among the events on offer during the festival, which runs until June 30 at the Busan Cinema Center, areas of Gunam-ro in Haeundae and the Busan Community Media Center.The minimum age for participants is 36 months.For more information in Korean, English, Japanese or Chinese, call the travel hotline at 1330. Th

Korean fried chicken franchises face cutthroat competition at home, look overseas for survival

Raised aisles stretch out under the glare of the spotlight, chic models parade up and down the catwalk, top-notch designers give brusque last-minute directions, and front-row celebrities flaunt their outfits for the cameras.This is how runways are often perceived by the general public -- sophisticated yet disconnected from everyday life.But what if fashion shows broke out of the conventional frame and models posed in the streets, under natural light and at eye level with the audience? Every part