Elizabeth G. Kraft, a naturalized Korean who worked as a proofreader for the government for the past 41 years, is retiring with one of the highest honors given to a civilian.The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Wednesday that it is presenting the Moran Medal, the second-highest Order of Civil Merit, to Kraft upon her retirement on Friday.Craft, an English proofreader currently working for the Korean Culture and Information Service, has been working for the Korean government sinc

“Believer” surpassed 5 million in cumulative admissions on Tuesday, the first for a Korean film this year, data showed.　The crime thriller starring Cho Jin-woong and Ryu Jun-yeol passed the threshold at 2 p.m., according to the computerized box office tally from the Korean Film Council.　The film has sold 5,000,061 tickets since it opened on May 22, slightly more than that for two of the most popular domestic crime thrillers, 4.68 million for “New World” (2013) and 4.72 million for “Nameless Gang

Hwang Sok-yong, one of South Korea‘s most famous writers, has received the 2018 Emile Guimet Prize for Asian Literature for his novel “At Dusk.”　Hwang was announced as the winner of the prize by the national Guimet Museum of Asian Art in Paris at 6:30 p.m. Monday (Paris time).　Founded last year to better introduce Asian literature in France, the prize selects the winner among contemporary Asian literary works published in French in the past year. Novelist Hwang Sok-yong (Yonhap)　The first winner

On the east coast of Korea, Hotel Tops 10 is vying to become the No. 1 holiday spot this summer. Since its opening in last December, the hotel has made its presence in the high-end hospitality scene, preferred for its location and service. With more facilities opening in July, the hotel hopes to further fully satisfy its guests. Geumjin Hot Springs, using local thermal water will open, along with Aqua Park, VR Zone, Kids Zone, Golf Zone and a karaoke.  (Hotel Tops 10)On Saturday, a DJ party will

Vivaldi Park is adding more fun experiences to its repertoire by adding new attractions, including the first “horror experience-type water slide” in Korea.Pharaoh‘s Tower, will open late June at Vivaldi Park Ocean World and will have the horror theme park attractions of Pharaoh’s Maze on the first floor and Double Spin, Double Tornado water slides on the third floor. Double Spin is a four-person slide which boasts a bobsled-level high speed while Double Tornado has the riders plummet down a funn

For those torn between the convenience of a city and picturesque nature, the seaside city of Busan offers a perfect balance -- just like Hilton Hotel.Hilton boasts a unique concept of “urban destination retreat,” offering a place where nearly all things leisure or business-related are possible. Its spacious guestrooms have private balconies, along with ocean or mountain views.Its eateries are among its most notable features. Da MOIM World Kitchen offers live cooking stations that demonstrate the

Shinsegae Chosun Hotel’s boutique hotel brand L’Escape to open in July

Choi Jung-wha, the president of the Corea Image Communication Institute, will receive the Yeongsan Diplomat Award on July 4 for her decadeslong efforts to promote Korea and its culture around the world.　The accolade, bestowed by the Seoul Forum organization, is annually conferred upon an individual who made superlative achievements to enhance the nation’s image and interests through public diplomacy. This year’s award ceremony will take place at the Plaza Hotel Seoul and gather opinion leaders f

An exhibition on how Joseon Dynasty (A.D. 1,392~1,910) celebrated the birth of babies in the royal family will kick off Wednesday in Seoul.The National Palace Museum of Korea will hold the exhibition “The Birth of a Royal Baby of Joseon Dynasty” through Sept. 2, which will be at the special exhibition rooms on first and second floor. A ten-panel screen showing the celebration of a crown prince’s birth. (National Palace Museum of Korea)It will introduce the royal relics owned by the NPMK along wi

Seoul National University Museum of Art holds exhibition ‘Oscillation: Between Korea and the United State’

South Korea will build an information center in New York City, a global hub of culture and the arts, by July 2020, the government said Monday.The Korean Culture and Information Service, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said it will hold a ground-breaking ceremony for the facility, called the New York Korea Center, on Thursday.The new seven-story building on Manhattan's 32nd Street will have a total floor space of 3,212 square meters. It will be equipped with

Magician muses on ‘poetry of conjuring’

A direct flight between Korea’s Incheon Airport and Puerto Princesa Airport of Philippines’ Palawan launched on Saturday. Philippine Airlines will operate a 199-seater jet airliner Airbus A321 once a day. Incheon International Airport Corporation expects the new route to attract a yearly passenger of 120,000 traveling from Incheon to Palawan. This is the first regular flight route to open in Korea to Palawan, an archipelagic province of the Philippines known for its pristine nature. El Nido Lago

Ancient art of pungsu looks to find meaning and significance of the environment

Although “pungsu jiri,” a Korean version of Chinese feng shui that concerns correlation between life-force energy and its surroundings, is often regarded as superstitious, the idea is often reflected in the interior design of many Korean residences.The practice of integrating this intricate art of geomancy with housing, at the macro level, is usually done by building one’s home on an auspicious site to bring peace and luck. But it doesn’t always have to be complicated, as there are simple ways t