Composer Alexey Shor may be considered an enigma of sorts, a composer whose relatively late emergence onto the landscape of classical music has been marked by performances of his works at some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls and by renowned artists from across the world. This year will see further performances of Shor’s works in locations around the world. Described as neo-romantic and neo-classical, Shor’s works present a penchant for traditional harmony and co

As the harsh winter season is gradually coming to an end, fresh spots are opening up on the street corners of Hongdae, Seoul, for those who can sing, dance and are ready to perform in front of crowds this coming spring. The Mapo-gu district office’s tourism department said Monday it will begin recruiting artists for the event, “2021 Hongdae Culture Tour - To Hongdae, to culture, and to tourism,” to be held at the Walking Street in the popular district. 　 The categories for th

Starting this year, award certificates presented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will be on “hanji,” Korea’s traditional paper handmade from mulberry trees. The purpose is to support the nation’s hanji industry, which is suffering from a lack of demand despite its competitive quality, the ministry announced. The ministry stated on Tuesday that they had established a hanji consultative body in October 2020, with the participation of both central and local

Visiting theaters in Daehangno Sunday, new Culture Minister Hwang Hee suggested testing audiences with rapid coronavirus tests, as part of measures to prop up the hard-hit sector. Hwang suggested establishing two temporary centers in the art neighborhood for rapid polymerase chain reaction testing, which is currently under review by authorities. If the audiences can be tested right before using the facilities, the theaters would be able to operate without the one-seat-apart social distancing r

With the rise of US social media app Clubhouse, Korean celebrities also quickly hopped on the trend to socialize with their celebrity acquaintances as well as fans. Developed by California-based startup Alpha Exploration, the buzzy app is a new type of social network based on voice. The platform allows users to start and join its unique group chat room. Creators of the room and few others that are chosen by the creators can talk freely in this conversation room, while others listen. These li

Hangwa, or traditional Korean confections, and rice cakes are essential snacks during the Korean lunar new year holiday. After a memorial service for ancestors and sharing meals with the family, traditional desserts are enjoyed with tea. While Korean desserts have been mainly relished during the traditional holidays, they are becoming more diverse and enjoying popularity among younger generation with creative visuals. “Korean desserts come in a wide variety as customers expect visual

Millions of people in South Korea are set to drive for hours to reunite with their families and relatives for one of the country’s biggest celebrations: Seollal. Ceremonies and rituals are traditionally held during the big holiday to pay respect to ancestors. People usually bow to an altar table with fruits, liquor, fish and meat, wishing for prosperity and health. The Lunar New Year falls on Feb. 12 of the Gregorian calendar this year, and the holiday starts Thursday and runs through S

Diary decoration market grows, supported by millennials

The Seoul Institute of the Arts livestreamed a dance workshop with Italian choreographer Nicola Galli on Tuesday through the school’s official YouTube channel. The workshop, streamed at 5 p.m. and again at 6:30 p.m., is part of the “Crossing the Sea” project undertaken with the support of the Italian Ministry of Culture and Heritage. Its purpose is to connect the arts scenes in Italy, Asia and the Middle East. Italian choreographer Jacopo Jenna began the workshops in 2019, an

If you’re looking to pick up a new language this year, you might want to consider Korean. And if you’re a native speaker or have at least some knowledge of the language, then rejoice: Korean is currently the second fastest-growing language in the world, according to Duolingo’s 2020 “Year in Language” report, which was published in December. With over 500 million total users across 194 countries, Duolingo is the most downloaded education app in the world, meaning t

The Korea Creative Content Agency is making headway in helping small and medium-sized Korean game companies expand to the global market with its Game Global Service Platform Plus project. While previous years saw KOCCA assigning selected gaming companies with service companies to help them reach the global market, the agency reorganized the project last year to allow gaming companies to directly choose the service that they need from open market platform GSP Plus. Successful applicants are g

Lunar New Year gifts go online, premium under social distancing system

Artists with less than two years of experience will be eligible to receive “art creation funds” from March, to help carry on their initial art productions with financial stability. Unfair practices that have lingered over the nation’s arts scene, such as overdue wages, are also to be addressed. The Korea Artists Welfare Foundation, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, announced its 2021 business plan on Jan. 27. On the agenda are the establishment of the New Arti

Museum to promote Three Kingdoms-period Pensive Bodhisattvas as iconic exhibits

The culture ministry said Tuesday it will focus on reviving the pandemic-hit culture and tourism industries here, as well as continue to support the spread of "hallyu," or the Korean Wave, around the world in 2021. Under the plan, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism laid out four major policy goals for the year, which were then divided into 15 agenda items, such as supporting sectors that took a blow from the new coronavirus, helping content producers go digital, strengthening