A special program to allow the general public to see the interior of four throne halls of Deoksu Palace in central Seoul will kick off from March 29 through April 3, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Tuesday. 　One of Seoul’s five grand palaces built during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), Deoksugung, meaning “Palace of Virtuous Longevity,” became a palace in 1593 when King Seonjo moved in after all of Seoul’s other palaces were destroyed during the Japanese invasion.　Visitors taking part

MONROEVILLE, Alabama (AP) -- The death of “To Kill a Mockingbird” author Harper Lee hasn’t hurt ticket sales for a dramatic version of her novel staged each year in her Alabama hometown.　A statement issued by play organizers Monday says only a few hundred tickets remain for the 16 performances, which begin next month in Monroeville.　This is the first year the play will be produced by a nonprofit organization formed last year in Lee’s name. The production was previously overseen by a museum locat

For many years, "traditional" has been a euphemism for "dull" for young South Koreans. But lately there seems one exception: hanbok, or Korean traditional attire.On Thursday's quaint cobblestones of Gyeongbok Palace, the largest royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), a throwback to an ancient era is on display: young people sporting colorful hanbok with matching hairdos and clutches."I saw lots of photos of my friends in hanbok posted on social media sites. I thought it would be cool to

Shin Kyung-sook's "Please Look After Mom" was listed as South Korea's most-read book for the past ten years, a local bookstore said Monday.The country's biggest Kyobo Book Centre produced the data based on the accumulated sales figure since 2006.Published in 2008, the book became an instant bestseller with the heartbreaking story of a mother who suffers from Alzheimer's disease and her family who are haunted by her disappearance. Shin received the "Man Asia Literary Prize" in 2011 as the first K

Good quality translation on top of universal appeal are the requisite elements needed for a Korean book to succeed overseas, said a Korean book agent on Thursday."Quantity doesn't really matter. The bottom line is it should be in good quality to help a foreign reader's understanding of Korean literature," said Im Young-hee at French publishing company Philippe Picquer, in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on the sideline of the Paris Book Fair. South Korea is the guest of honor to mark the 13