Two state-designated treasures from the Kansong Art Museum will be returned to the museum after an auction Wednesday failed to find new owners. The two treasures -- Treasure No. 284, Gilt-Bronze Standing Buddha and Treasure No. 285, Gilt-Bronze Standing Bodhisattva -- which were put on the block at K-Auction at a starting price of 1.5 billion won each, failed to attract any bidders.　 “The detailed schedule of the return cannot be disclosed due to our contract with the clients,” sa

The three venues of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) in Seoul, Gwacheon and Deoksugung will temporarily close for next two weeks starting Saturday, reflecting the government’s strict social distancing measures in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, MMCA announced on Thursday. MMCA Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province, however, will remain open for now. The announcement came after the government brought back stricter social distancing norms Thursday

League of Legends Champions of Korea (LCK) teams T1 and Damwon Gaming (DWG), failed to qualify for the semifinals of Mid-Season Cup (MSC) on Thursday, ceding the qualifying ticket to League of Legends Pro League (LPL) teams, FunPlus Pheonix (FPX) and Top Esports (TES). The four teams played a best of 1 round robin on Thursday. The day started with a win for T1 in the opening match against FPX, in which T1 dismantled FPX with a poke composition featuring Canna’s Jayce and Faker’s

Two state-designated treasures from the Kansong Art Museum failed to find new owners at an auction in Seoul on Wednesday. They were the first sales attempt of the storied museum’s artifacts. Treasure No. 284, Gilt-Bronze Standing Buddha and Treasure No. 285, Gilt-Bronze Standing Bodhisattva, both failed to attract bidders at the highly anticipated auction held by K-Auction in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul. The bidding started at 1.5 billion won for each treasure but no bidder came forwa

A pair of gilt-bronze shoes was among the relics the Cultural Heritage Administration unveiled to the public on Wednesday in conjunction with the Silla Cultural Heritage Research Institute. The relics -- thought to be from the late fifth to early sixth century Silla Kingdom -- came from an archaeological excavation of sites near tomb No. 120 in Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The excavation is still in its early stages, the CHA said. Gilt-bronze shoes were last discovered

Roses in full bloom brighten up people’s day amid continued virus outbreak. Seoul citizens admire different species of roses while taking a walk around the Rose Garden at the Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul. On the opposite side of the country, a German rose called “Corona” attracts a bee at the River Seomjingang village in Gokseong, South Jeolla Province. People also take time to enjoy roses from around the world even though the 5th International Rose Festival that was

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South Korea will conduct comprehensive research on cultural assets and natural heritage inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the border with North Korea, the cultural heritage authority said Monday. In collaboration with the provincial governments of Gyeoggi Province and Gangwon Province, the survey will start Tuesday and run for one year, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA). The 55-member panel will look for archaeological relics and flora and fauna in 40 sites and vill

The Korea Craft and Design Foundation, a public organization affiliated with the Korean Ministry of Sports, Culture and Tourism, on Wednesday opened the “Hanji Culture and Industry Center” to promote Korean traditional paper hanji. “Hanji has a long history. However, it has not been promoted properly. Through the establishment of this center, we hope to work on promoting hanji not only in Korea but also in the global market,” Vice Culture Minister Oh Young-woo said at

The forces that shaped today’s Korea -- from its belated opening to the outside world in the late 19th century and its annexation by Japan in 1910 to the 1950-53 Korean War, dictatorships, rapid industrialization and blood-paved democratization -- are on exhibit at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History. Located in Gwanghwamun Square, a site of historic and symbolic importance, the eight-story museum tells stories of the country’s politics, society, economy and culture

Tiger cub siblings, one male and one female, were introduced to the public Thursday at Everland, a zoo and theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. The mother tiger was shown taking care of her cubs, which are less than 100 days old. (Photos: Yonhap) By Kim Tae-eun (kimt17@heraldcorp.com)

Buddhism-themed traditional lanterns portraying fairies, lotus flowers, animals and Buddha are displayed to brighten up Cheonggye Stream in Seoul from Thursday to next Sunday. Meanwhile, Buddhist groups in South Korea canceled a lantern procession this weekend to mark Buddha’s birthday amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. The procession had already been postponed, with the actual Buddhist holiday being on April 30. Celebratory services, however, will be proceeded at temples across the

The popular nighttime tours of royal palaces in South Korea will resume next week, months after their suspension due to novel coronavirus fears, the cultural heritage authority said Saturday. The Gyeongbokgung Starlight Tour will start on Wednesday and go through June 8, while the Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour will open from Thursday until June 21, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration. Tickets for the nocturnal programs are available for purchase at the e-commerce website Auction

　South Korea’s exports of cultural goods jumped nearly 10 percent on-year in 2018, led by games and character intellectual property, a government survey showed. 　The combined overseas sales in 11 culture and entertainment sectors reached about $9.62 billion, up 9.1 percent from 2017, according to the annual content industry statistics published by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. 　The industries surveyed included movies, broadcasting, publishing, music, games, cartoons,

The Kansong Art Museum -- a private museum in Seoul that has collected valuable artifacts since the Japanese colonial era -- has put two state-designated treasures up for auction. The Buddhist sculptures are the first items to be sold by the museum in its 82-year history. The trading of state-designated cultural treasures is also a rare occasion in the auction market. Founded in 1938 as the country’s first private museum, the Kansong Art Museum is a point of cultural pride in Korea.