Han So-jin’s “In Praise of Death” seems equipped with the enticing elements of a best-seller: a femme-fatale artist misunderstood by her generation and a tragic affair with a married man. Unfortunately, whether the novel lives up to its potential is as elusive as the unfulfilled love story. “In Praise of Death” by Han So-jin (Hainiam)Yun Sim-deok (1897-1926) was Korea’s first soprano and an early Korean pop figure. Her biography is often scandalized by her relationship with playwright Kim Woo-ji

As the summer heat rolls through Korea, many are hoping to travel abroad for an enjoyable, relaxing vacation. With so many convincing options and intriguing places, it is often overwhelming to research and decide on a fun, exciting and affordable location.Based on online rankings from South Koreans, popular social media posts and opinions from Korean youth, The Korea Herald has compiled some of the most interesting places to visit overseas this summer. Not too far from home, each of the destinat

Summer holidays are finally here.The idea of getting away from city life is always fun. But the reality is that it’s scorching outside, most of Korea is well over 30 Celsius degrees, and everywhere you go will be crowded with holidaymakers. Plus, the roads are already packed with millions of vacationers. When you do finally reach the beach after hours stuck in highway traffic, you find yourself swimming shoulder to shoulder with others. Koreans often say the beaches are “half water, half people”

Mark Tetto talks about how moving into Pyeonghaengjae, hanok in Gahoe-dong, has profoundly changed his life

Spending a week or a month at famous travel spots trending among Koreans

It was here, on a sequestered patch of greenery, that King Danjong (1441-57), the sixth king of the Joseon era, was sent into a brief exile before his death at the age of 16. That was some 560 years ago.

Embracing a childlike perspective and naive expression in their work, artists like Paul Klee and Chang Uc-chin explored a then-undiscovered area of art.Minhwa paintings have similarities characteristic of the aforementioned artists. Instead of being restrained by artistic and cultural orthodoxies, late Joseon-era minhwa -- or folk paintings -- show forms of expression that are rough yet free and innocent.Two minhwa exhibitions are currently running in Seoul: “Flower Paintings from the Joseon Dyn

　Sales of cigarettes in Korea declined 1.6 percent in the first six months of the year compared to a year earlier, due to a government-led anti-smoking campaign and higher prices, data showed.　Korean smokers purchased 1.68 billion 20-cigarette packs in the first half of the year, compared with the previous year’s 1.71 billion packs, according to data compiled by the Finance Ministry.　Starting in January 2015, Korea increased the price of cigarettes by 80 percent, from 2,500 won ($2.20) per pack

Thousands of people with a sweet tooth descended on the 2018 Seoul Dessert Fair to satisfy their cravings for all-things sweet on Saturday at the Setec Exhibition Hall.The theme for the two-day weekend event was watermelon. Many stalls infused watermelon elements into their desserts, such as green-and-red sweet bread, watermelon fruit punch and watermelon-flavored macarons.(Video shot and edited by Lim Jeong-yeo/The Korea Herald)Beyond indulging their taste buds, visitors were also treated to a

King Mu of Baekje, the protagonist of a “Romeo and Juliet”-esque fable, may have been found, as researchers said Wednesday human remains uncovered in April are likely to be his.Buyeo National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage held a press conference to reveal the results of their examination of remains found inside what is believed to be a royal tomb from Baekje Kingdom, which existed in the southwestern Korean Peninsula from 18 BC to AD 660. The tomb in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, was d

A state-organized contest for Hangeul-themed content will be held in July and August.The fourth Hangeul Idea Award -- hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency and sponsored by Naver -- is about creating new products based on Hangeul.The poster for the fourth Hangeul Idea Award (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)The award categories are: content, referring to product plans introducing Hangeul-themed content, such as publications,

More foreigners have shown interest in visiting South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan, industry data showed Wednesday, amid the government's efforts to pursue balanced regional tourism growth. According to the data from Skyscanner, an online site that compares trip prices, the number of searches for a round-trip ticket to South Korea from abroad in the July-August period on its website increased 63 percent on-year.Among others, Busan, the country's second-largest city, located 450 kilome

French crystal maker Baccarat held an exhibition in Seoul from July 13-18 in collaboration with South Korean creative director Kan Ho-sup, featuring the blend of Eastern and Western beauty.Under the theme “the beauty created by combining Baccarat and a scroll dress,” the exhibition presented a collection of Baccarat’s crystal pieces and director Kan’s artworks. The scroll dresses are parts of Kan’s signature artworks, which has gained a worldwide reputation among the fashion industry. The dresse

Movie buffs will soon have a rare chance to watch old films in Technicolor on proper widescreen.Starting Wednesday, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul will hold “The History of Visual Magic in Technology Pt. 2: Technicolor,” featuring 12 films produced in Technicolor from the 1930s to the 1950s.“Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.)Technicolor is one of the earliest film coloring systems developed by the American company Technicolor Motion Picture

Eve Cup, the third menstrual cup to gain the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s approval for sales in Korea, was heatedly received on Monday when it launched on social crowdfunding platform Tumblbug.The only campaign to begin at half past noon on the day, the launch of Eve Cup crashed the Tumblbug site due to excessive traffic. Once back online, Eve Cup reached its target of 10 million won ($8,900) within 25 minutes and twice the target amount within six hours. 　As of noon, Tuesday, more than 88