Galleries come and go with the changing tides of the art market. When the market booms, new galleries mushroom, but in lean times, many disappear. Chung Seung-jin, director of G Gallery in Seoul, has held on to her commitment to art, and her gallery, for the past 10 years. The gallery was first founded in 2013 in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, and moved to Cheongdam-dong, an affluent neighborhood in southern Seoul, four years later to meet more collectors. “The last 10 years were never easy.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it will implement various cultural, sports and tourism policies focusing on youth, vulnerable groups, culture-related companies and regional development in 2024. Support for youth and vulnerable groups has been expanded, including an increase in the subsidy for integrated cultural use cards, the ministry said. For instance, to provide cultural experiences to those who have become legal adults this year, a pilot program called the Culture and Arts

Several concerts are set to take place throughout the month of January, ringing in the new year. The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will hold New Year's concerts Friday and Saturday at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and the Seoul Arts Center, respectively. Friday's performance will feature conductor Sung Si-yeon and violinist Yang In-mo as the guest performer. The concert on Saturday, organized by the Daewon Cultural Foundation, will have pianist Son Yeol-eum as the guest pe

Jung Kang-ja is one of the few female artists who led Korean experimental art that flourished in the 1960s to 1970s. Yet, the artist remains relatively unfamiliar to many. Arario Gallery sheds light on the artist’s path, presenting some 70 works in Shanghai and Seoul. The exhibition in Shanghai titled “Jung KangJa: Life Goes On” gives a glimpse of Jung’s path from the 1980s to 2000s, showing many of the works that were inspired by the artist's travels across South Am

South Korean actor Lee Na-eun, who was formerly part of girl group April, denied rumors that she is in a romantic relationship with soccer player Lee Kang-in on Tuesday. Lee's agency, Namoo Actors, said that she and the Paris Saint-Germain player "just know each other," responding to earlier reports the two are dating. The agency said that the two had had a meeting, but it was merely for the actor to receive tickets to a game. Lee Kang-in's representatives did not comment. Ea

The first South Korean officially born in the New Year is a healthy, 3.15-kilogram boy, born to a couple who struggled to conceive for over a decade. Cha Gangnam Medical Center in Seoul said Monday that the baby boy was born exactly at midnight of the year 2024, making him the first person to be born in the country in the new year. The boy was conceived through in vitro fertilization to 44-year-old Lee Ju-hong and 38-year-old Im A-yeon. "(Our baby's birth) is even more special becaus

From getting a job to wishing for a recovery from the pandemic, five people born in the Year of the Dragon share their hopes for the coming year

While food tours or luxury adventure vacations are surefire crowd-pleasers, exploring South Korea's many sites inspired by the mythical dragon creature will offer holidaymakers a chance to learn more about the country, its culture and history in 2024, the year of the blue dragon. Busan’s Haedong Yonggung Temple If you are looking to hit some towns in South Gyeongsang Province or pay a visit to Busan, the popular coastal town at the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, consider add

Reflecting on the literary landscape of 2023, The Korea Herald explores a selection of translated Korean books that have earned recognition on prestigious lists, or received recommendations from major newspapers. These works stand as a testament to the diverse voices and compelling stories emerging from the vibrant Korean literary scene. Fiction Building on the momentum from the previous year, a Korean novel secured its place as a finalist for the 2023 International Booker Prize, one of the mo

For many Koreans, watching the sunrise on New Year’s Day is an important ritual, where wishes are often made for the days and months to come. The routine is typically enriched with celebrations across the nation, featuring vibrant musical performances and events to add to the New Year atmosphere. Sky Park in Seoul Located in Mapo-gu, the park is an ideal place for those who want to see the sunrise without having to travel far from the capital. The area’s district office said this w

A total of 8,171 Koreans and foreign nationals enjoyed Korea’s intangible cultural heritage performances this year, according to the National Intangible Heritage Center on Thursday. The center, run by the Cultural Heritage Administration, said shows took place 36 times between May and December, mostly in the two halls the center operates in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, where the center has its headquarters. The highlight of the performances was the K-Festival, which was held in Berlin on

Hoping to keep New Year's festivals safe, local governments are planning to focus their efforts on crowd control at desirable travel destinations across the country which are popular for watching the first sunrise of 2024. Gangneung, a popular year-round travel destination facing out to the East Sea in Gangwon Province, has organized a special safety management team, encompassing the city’s police, firefighters and other travel-related officials to closely monitor the on-site situatio

Haenam sunset festival From Haenam, a county located in South Jeolla Province at the southernmost tip of the Korean Peninsula, to Gangneung, Gangwon Province, a popular year-round travel spot facing the East Sea, desirable travel destinations are set to entertain those who wish to bid farewell to 2023 while watching the last sunset of the year on Sunday. Haenam’s Ttangkkeut Village, visited by countless travelers hoping to watch the last sunset or catch a glimpse of the first sunrise of th

Chinese zodiac is a system of belief that assigns an animal to each year and assumes one's fate is closely linked to this classification. As such, there are "lucky" and "unlucky" years for each person. In the year 2024, which is the year of the blue dragon, those born in the year of the monkey are expected to be lucky. The dragon and the monkey are part of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac system, in the order of: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, mo

South Korea’s popular royal palaces, tombs and shrine connected to the Joseon era (1392-1910) attracted 14.2 million visitors this year, the highest number since the Cultural Heritage Administration began compiling data in 2011. The number of visitors jumped 28.5 percent on-year, exceeding the previous record of 13.3 million in 2019, particularly on the strength of domestic visitors. Foreign visitors to the cultural sites marked 1.9 million this year, well below the figure of 2.5 million i