Cherry blossoms are in full bloom near the Yeouido area in Seoul, as of Wednesday. The cherry blossom festival of Yeouido, a popular event in early spring, begins Saturday and runs until April 12. There is a flower-filled road located around Yunjung-ro, near the National Assembly Station on Subway Line No. 9. People usually stroll along the road prior to the festival, amid the flourishing trees. Written by Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com)  Photos by Park Hyun-koo (phko@heraldcorp.com)

Yeol, the Korean Heritage Preservation Society, is currently holding an exhibition of craftworks inspired by Korea’s tradition. The retrospective exhibition that highlights the foundation’s support of local craftsmanship over the last 16 years also marks the opening of its new building, Yeol Bukchonga in the Bukchon area in Seoul. Yeol, since its foundation in 2002, has supported various cultural heritage conservation efforts. It also has provided financial support and exhibition opportunities f

BusinessKorea, Korea’s first English business magazine, appointed Yu Kun-ha, former editor-in-chief of The Korea Herald, as new president and CEO on Wednesday.Yu joined The Korea Herald in 1982 and had served as its business editor, managing editor and editor-in-chief before retiring in 2016.BusinessKorea has also named Youn Won-chang, former editor of the Electronic Times, as its new managing editor.(khnews@heraldcorp.com)

Belgian dancer and choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker introduced her postmodern dance work “Violin Phase” -- the third of four movements set to the music of Steve Reich -- at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Arts on Monday and Tuesday.A square-shaped sheet of white sand was placed in the middle of a white cuboid space while the late afternoon sunlight streamed in. De Keersmaeker entered, stood erect on the side and soon walked into the square. As Reich’s “Violin Phase” began,

Literary translator and professor Kim Wook-dong asserted in his recently published article that the English version of the novel “The Vegetarian” has a significant number of mistranslations.In his article published online on March 30, Kim wrote that “The Vegetarian,” a winning novel of the 2016 Man Booker International Prize, contains many more mistranslations than what “one would expect from a professional translator.”Professor Kim Wook-dong (Photo courtesy of Kim Wook-dong-Yonhap)Kim is a prof

　According to a survey from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the proportion of men who smoke came to 39.3 percent in 2017, down 1.3 percentage points from a year earlier. The survey was conducted with 228,381 adults here.　The smoking rate has steadily fallen from 47.8 percent in 2008 to 40.3 percent in 2015, with exceptions in 2009 and 2016, the survey showed.　The smoking rate temporarily moved up to 40.6 percent in 2016 following a huge drop a year earlier due to an increas

In response to the #MeToo movement resonating within the country, the Korean government has launched a response center for sexual violence occurring within the culture and entertainment sector. The Korea Creative Content Agency and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism jointly held an opening ceremony for the gender equality center “Bora” on Thursday. Bora’s function includes taking reports of sexual violence cases and providing professional psychological help, therapy and legal counseling

South Koreans took up the largest percentage of foreign tourists visiting Japan in January and February this year.The number of Koreans visiting Japan early this year surpassed that of Chinese tourists, who topped the list last year, the Japan National Tourism Organization announced Sunday. The surge came after the Chinese government staged economic retaliation against Korea following diplomatic tensions around the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, driving Koreans to Japan instead, rep

Taste of Asia at InterContinental Seoul CoexDiners who wants to devour on Asian food but don’t know specifically what they want can visit Asian Live, a fine dining restaurant located on the second floor of InterContinental Seoul Coex. To celebrate the first anniversary of its grand reopening, Asian Live features a special gourmet promotion through the end of April. It is to launch a special set-course menu of dishes from Korea, China, Japan, India and Arab countries. Diners will also be gifted w

Pates, sausages and ham crafted by dedicated charcutier in Seocho-dong

By renting, not buying, luxury home appliances and clothing, Korean consumers now want to enjoy heightened quality of life on a budget

Approaching the violin studio, visitors can smell a mix of scents lingering in the alley. Maple, spruce and the varnish applied to them that fill the air inside of the workshop spill out over into the alley through the front door. Located in central Seoul, the workshop run by master violinmaker Kim Dong-in, offers an unusual atmosphere.　Hung on the walls by the necks, the violins wait to be diagnosed by a “geigenbaumeister” -- or master violinmaker -- with notes that include the owners’ names an

Yeol focuses on doing small things well to preserve, promote Korean culture

A South Korean software company has launched a specialty tour service targeting foreign visitors hoping for their own “oppa,” as depicted in Korean TV dramas. Korean women use the term “oppa” to address an older male family member, friend or romantic partner of the same generation. The service -- “Oh My Oppa” -- allows foreign visitors to “rent an oppa.” “It started out as a joke that foreigners coming to Korea expect to find men like the ones they see on dramas, but no, there aren’t any men on

Obese people are more susceptible to contracting diabetes than those who are not, a survey showed Friday.Obese people have a 156 percent greater chance of contracting diabetes than those who are not obese, according to the survey of51,405 people carried out by a research team led by Professor Kwon Hyock-sang of Saint Mary's Hospital in Seoul. The review was carried out between 2002 and 2009.During the seven-year period, 2,748 people, or 5.3 percent of those surveyed, contracted diabetes, althoug