Koreans today enjoy digital comics via computers and smartphones, but if you miss printed comic books and the joy of turning the pages, consider visiting Graphic this weekend. Within a 20-minute walk from Itaewon Station Exit 2 or Station Exit 1 on Subway Line No. 6, Graphic offers a quiet, cozy place for comic book fans. The three-story building is filled with graphic novels, comic books and art books in both Korean and English. With tables and chairs of different sizes and styles, the visit

Livestreaming, metaverse rise as a new trend in pandemic-era wedding scene

Cyworld, the dominant social networking site in South Korea throughout the 2000s before the era of Facebook, is set to reopen Saturday afternoon, as a social networking platform where users can use cryptocurrency to decorate their virtual spaces. Cyworld Z, the company that bought Cyworld last year, said Monday that the once-mighty homegrown platform will be officially re-released at 4:42 p.m. on Saturday through three app markets -- Google and Apple app stores, as well as One Store. Announci

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol announced that he would begin his term on May 10 as president of the Republic of Korea at the Ministry of National Defense compound in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul. Cheong Wa Dae -- which has been the presidential office for 70 years, since South Korea’s inaugural President Syngman Rhee -- is to open to the public on the same day. 　 Putting an end to the legacy of the “imperial presidency” and to better communicate with people are reasons offered i

In the 19th and 20th century, Western missionaries introduced brick buildings to Korea. Most of the building work was done by overseas Chinese workers. The Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul was built with bricks by Qing dynasty “Hwagyo” (overseas Chinese) workers in the late 1800s. Ehwa Women’s University’s brick building was also built by Qing dynasty Hwagyo workers. According to Yi Jung-hee, a professor at Incheon National University, Qing dynasty workers were large-frame

The site of Cheong Wa Dae dates back to Goryeo (918-1392) when the kingdom had royal palace halls at the site. During the Joseon era (1392-1910), the site was considered a sacred place. Located right outside Sihwamun, Gyeongbokgung’s north gate, it was a place where royal retainers pledged their loyalty to the king. According to annals from the reign of King Sukjong, the place was considered so sacred that no king dared to occupy the place despite its beautiful scenery. The land was la

Hanok-themed Solbangul Bakery About a five-minute walk from Jongno 3-ga Station in Seoul is a new bakery shop that resembles a hanok, a traditional Korean house, which makes it hard to miss. A cute sign of the bakery’s mascot squirrel holding a pine cone welcomes customers, and they pass by an open kitchen located up front to the bakery. Solbangul Bakery sells over 20 different types of bread, tarts and sandwiches.  Loaves of rice mugwort bread, which has ssukgaetteok (mugwort ric

The Tongyeong International Music Festival (TIMF), a leading annual classical music gala in South Korea, will begin this year's edition Friday as it marks its 20th anniversary. The 2022 festival will run through April 3 in Tongyeong, on the southern coast, presenting some 30 classical concerts and performances under the theme "Vision in Diversity." The 2020 edition of TIMF was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has been held in-person since last year. The Tongyeong Festival

An artwork created for the “2022 Special Concert for World Peace” is being sold as a non-fungible token on digital art platform and marketplace Evei starting Sunday. Drawn by artist Heo Wook, who graduated from Beaux-Arts de Paris with degrees in drawing, painting, architecture and multimedia, the main image is also featured in the poster for the March 23 concert co-hosted by The Korea Herald and the Seoul Arts Center. Based on Heo’s latest work “Cheom Cheom,” th

Where water flows, life flourishes, and around a century back, the history of South Korea’s clean water began with Ttukdo Reservoir Water Purification Plant.  In 1903, two American businessmen, Henry Collbran and Harry Bostwick, were granted the rights to set up the water supply system by Emperor Gojong. The two men were also behind the nation’s first electricity supply. They transferred their patent right to Korea Waterworks Co., which started construction in August 1906. T

Women’s prominent role in Korean Buddhism goes way back in history. Becoming a Buddhist nun or monk was a common life options for the ruling elites of the Silla Kingdom and Goryeo Empire which lasted more than 14 centuries from 57 BC to AD 1392. Even kings and queens jettisoned their throne to become Buddhist monks and nuns during the Silla period, just as the Siddhartha Shakyamuni Buddha gave up his kingdom to become an enlightened one, some 2,600 years ago. The oldest surviving book

The Bukchon Traditional Culture Center, located within the Buckchon Hanok Village in Seoul, will resume its series of Saturday cultural events. Under the theme, “Bukchon’s New Spring, New Hopes,” the program for March focuses on making and sharing New Year’s resolutions. Events will consist of a mix of online and on-site exhibitions and programs. Kang Yong-hoon, a pen drawing artist specializing in calligraphy works of urban landscapes, will hold seminars on designing

Feminist author Rebecca Solnit has said the anti-feminism sentiments amplified by president elect Yoon Suk-yeol is similar to racism under the presidency of Donald Trump in the United States. “In a way this almost seems more analogous to racism in the United States,” Solnit said of the current political climate in South Korea during an interview on Tuesday. “Trump was elected because of his racism by racists and part of the racism is to claim that there is no racism: Black peo

Performers from Korea, Ukraine and Russia to gather to share message of peace and hope in Seoul next week

The National Library of Korea, located in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, announced the opening of an immersive literature content hall experience, Jisikui Gil, which means “Path to Knowledge” on Monday. This follows last year’s Culture Ministry initiative project, Shilgam Seojae, which successfully transformed a few of South Korea’s ancient writings and archived documents stored in the library into interactive contents using multidimensional technologies. This year’s p