Unlike tech-savvy readers who have jumped over to e-books in the mobile era, there are people who still feel nostalgia for paper books, and some still love going to secondhand bookstores. One of the biggest draws of visiting a secondhand bookstore is probably the joy of accidentally discovering a rare treasure in the piles of dusty, faded old books, especially one that is out of print.  At a secondhand bookstore in Gaebong-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul, books are priced by weight. That’

A reed warbler is seen sitting on top of a lotus leaf in Seongho Lake, located in Icheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, shortly after rain on Thursday. (Photos: Yonhap) By Lee Sae-byul (nstelle@heraldcorp.com)

Seongsu-dong in eastern Seoul was once filled with rugged warehouses and shops specializing in handmade shoes. The once-industrial district has turned into an Instagrammable spot. Trendy cafes and restaurants have replaced old storage spaces, infusing fresh energy into the district. Unique signboards, tables and chairs lying outside the cafes sit in contrast with the remnants of old buildings. Cafes and restaurants exhibit stylish sensibilities, inviting people to experience a newly emergin

Kim Dong-gi, ambassador and permanent delegate of the Republic of Korea to UNESCO, criticized Japan on Thursday for not keeping its promise to honor the victims of wartime forced labor at its historic industrial sites, including Hashima Island. “Japan is not living up to the pledge that it made and also is disregarding the authority of the World Heritage Committee,” Kim said during a press conference in Paris. Kim added that Japan’s actions were harming its national image.

Riot Games will donate proceeds from the sale of certain in-game items to help people suffering from the spread of COVID-19. Starting Friday at 5 a.m. until July 24, proceeds from three in-game champion skins, or character decorations, as well as other accessory items, such as limited icons and emoticons, will be donated to the Riot Games Social Impact Fund. The three champion skins for the event, which are Nurse Akali, Kennen M.D. and Surgeon Shen, are all medical-staff-related skins in orde

Cultural Heritage Administration head Chung Jae-suk on Monday talked about her ambition to play a more active role in promoting Korean cultural heritage around the world. “The CHA’s role has been restricted to preserving cultural heritage. Even now this role accounts for a large part of our work, up to 70-80 percent of our budget. I understand the importance of preserving cultural heritage but from now on we have to also consider how we will promote these items,” Chung said

Dongrak-ga, a shared working space in central Seoul’s Jongno, opened its doors last month, offering space that nonprofit organizations in Korea can use without paying any rent.  Dongrak-ga translates into “a place where people come together for fun,” and was originally the house of Lee Joon-yong, the honorary chair of the corporation Daelim. After his retirement, Lee announced in 2015 that all his property, estimated to be worth around 200 billion won ($165 million), wou

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Sunday denied reports that it had planned to officially ask UNESCO to delist Japan’s historical industrial sites, including Hashima Island. In 2015, Japan had promised the center would include information on the Koreans who were forced to work at the site during that country’s 1910-45 colonial rule over Korea. Although it denied plans to take any immediate official action, the Culture Ministry added that it was currently discussing th

The classic condensed milk and red beans become transcendent when they meet shaved ice

The Cultural Heritage Administration will hold an offline in-person performance to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War. While many events and concerts to mark the war here are set to take place online due to the ongoing spread of COVID-19, the CHA will hold the offline concert at its National Intangible Heritage Center’s concert hall in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, on June 24. This performance’s main theme will be about Koreans coming together and becoming united throu

The Academy of Korean Studies, a state-run research and educational institute located in Gyeonggi Province, is awaiting submissions for the Understanding Korea 2020 Contest Call for Essays. The deadline for essays is set for July 31. “Promoting correct understanding of Korea is necessary nowadays, as Korea is increasingly gathering more global attention for its outstanding response to COVID-19. For that reason, we will listen to and utilize the stories of those who have more objecti

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Monday that its affiliated institutions will hold several events to mark the 70th anniversary of the war that began on June 25, 1950, when North Korea invaded the South. The National Theater of Korea on Wednesday will hold a concert at Lotte Concert Hall and perform music about war and peace to mark the special day from 8 p.m. Due to the COVID-19, the concert will be held without audiences and will air the performance through the online ch

Eight major works by Lee Ufan and a work by the late Park Soo-keun will be presented to the public, along with real estate

The now seldomly frequented Hwanghak-dong, near the tourist spot of Dongdaemun Design Plaza, was once an up-and-rising, sophisticated neighborhood in Seoul in the 1980s. After Seoul hosted its first Asian Games in 1986 and the Olympic Games in 1988, the country was suddenly flooded with Western culture. With the move came the surge in demand for eating out and diverse kitchenware and tableware. The Hwanghak-dong street, where sellers of kitchen appliances and furniture flocked for business,

Time is ripe for public discussion on legalizing tattoos