South Korean scholars have highlighted the significance of the country’s oldest historical educational institution, papers showed Wednesday, as the Seoul city government pushes to list it as a UNESCO world cultural heritage site. The foremost education institution during the Joseon era (1392-1910), Sungkyunkwan, has been keeping the ritual called “Seokjeon” alive at the Confucian shrine Munmyo on the grounds of what is now Sungkyunkwan University in central Seoul, said professor Chang Jae-cheon

Venues across Hongdae will open their doors for a multistage showcase festival this weekend.Zandari Festa’s acts are mostly Korean, including well-known acts such as Crying Nut and Kingston Rudieska, but also visiting acts -- particularly from the UK and France this year. And several expat performers will be among the Korea-based acts.Patrick Connor, who is part of the festival’s organizing team, said the festival aimed to bring together music professionals and musicians from Korea and overseas.

An expat-made documentary on campaigners for North Korean human rights has arranged distribution for release in more than 100 countries this fall.“While They Watched” won awards at over 12 international festivals and was listed as one of the “12 Documentaries You Cannot Miss” at the Human Rights Dignity Festival hosted by Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar. “I feel honored that audiences can watch our film and people of such influence are aware of it,” said director Jake Smith.“Hopefully it will help c

SINGAPORE (AFP) -- A Singapore firm headed by a scion of one of Asia's richest families has bought a 49 percent stake in Rolling Stone, with plans to diversify the iconic magazine into new business including live events and merchandising.BandLab Technologies, a music and technology start-up headed by 28-year-old Kuok Meng Ru, bought the stake for an undisclosed sum and will partner current owners Wenner Media, the firms said in a statement late Sunday.Rolling Stone International, a new subsidiar

China's largest food delivery and group buying website will pick the hottest restaurants in Seoul to help a growing number of individual travelers find the best places to eat, the state-run tourism agency here said Tuesday. The state-run Korea Tourism Organization said it has signed an agreement with Meituan Dianping, China's No. 1 restaurant and entertainment review and daily deals website, to share big data related to Chinese travelers. The first joint project will be selecting the best restau

The number of South Koreans with sleeping disorders has been increasing over the past few years, data showed Tuesday, urging the government to come up with campaigns on the proper use of related treatment drugs.According to the data compiled by Rep. In Jae-keun of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, the number of South Koreans diagnosed with insomnia came to 456,000 in 2015, up 40 percent from 325,000 tallied in 2011.The amount of related medical expenses also reached 50.2 billion won ($4

GOTHENBURG, Sweden (AFP) -- Noted Syrian poet Adonis, whose name surfaces regularly as a top contender for the Nobel literature prize, says religious fanaticism is “destroying the heart of the Arab world,” but sees salvation in poetry.The 86-year-old lives in exile and is equally scathing about the West's role in the conflict in his homeland which has claimed more than 300,000 lives over five years.“The Americans are not looking for solutions, they are seeking problems,” he told AFP in an interv

A flea market opened in downtown Seoul on Sunday with foreign residents as vendors, as part of the city government's efforts to provide them opportunities to integrate with citizens here.About a hundred foreigners from some 40 teams selected by the Seoul Global Center gathered at Gwanghwamun Plaza early in the morning and sold various goods, ranging from used items to traditional handcrafts.For graduate student Alex Gubo from Slovakia, the flea market was a platform to introduce his country's cu