A nighttime light show will take place in central Seoul for about two weeks to celebrate the end of this year and the beginning of next year, municipal officials said Wednesday. The light show, dubbed "Seoul Light," will be staged at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, or DDP, from Friday to Jan. 3, according to officials at the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Design Foundation.The show featuring a mix of colorful light and visuals and music will be held every hour from 7 p.m. to

In the first match of his retirement series, South Korean Go master Lee Se-dol defeated home-developed artificial intelligence program HanDol on Wednesday.Lee secured the victory after 92 stones thanks to an early blunder by HanDol, a program developed by South Korea's NHN Entertainment Corp.Lee announced his retirement from Go, or baduk in Korean, last month, saying he felt he could no longer beat AI programs. Lee famously defeated AlphaGo of Google's DeepMind in 2016 in one match of a five-mat

Music, aesthetics and other aspects of Korean culture will be the main features of the 10th Korea Grand Sale, its organizers said Tuesday. The Visit Korea Committee announced the details of the annual event, which runs Jan. 16 through Feb. 29 and offers benefits and cultural opportunities to foreign visitors.The focal point of next year’s event will be the special five-point promotion of “K-pop, K-beauty, K-food, K-heritage and K-winter.”Organizers are holding a lucky draw for

Togo’s Deputy Minister Victor G. Yawotse Vovor shakes hands with the founder of the International Youth Fellowship, Park Ock-soo (right), during an event for a joint agreement, in Lomo on Saturday. The two sides agreed to implement the “2018-2020 National Development Plan” to foster the country’s fundamentals, technology and youths. Established in 2001, the IYF seeks to provide education programs for the younger generation in developing countries like Africa. (IYF)

A giant eagle and gorilla recently took up residence by an outdoor pool in Jungnang-gu in northeastern Seoul. They -- along with smaller animals, scarecrows and other figures arranged on the pool grounds during the offseason -- are all made of straw from this year’s rice harvest. The sculptures are the works of artist Lee Chun-su and the people of Buan County in North Jeolla Province. About 30 works are on display as part of the rural county’s efforts to showcase what it calls &

People dance for many reasons -- for imparting love and joy, in celebration or when they try to overcome something unexpected through passion. Similarly, the aesthetic movement is an art that can work as a form of communication. The bodily conveyance could be directed toward ourselves, but it could also serve others and even play the role of a medium for emotional release. South Korea’s traditional dances, along with its chronicled history, have developed over a long period -- including th

The National Palace Museum of Korea is holding the exhibition “Treasures from the Shenyang Palace Museum,” featuring national treasures and relics from the Chinese museum in Shenyang. The Shenyang Imperial Palace was the official residence of Nurhaci and Hong Taiji, the founder of the Later Jin Dynasty and Nurhaci’s son, who built the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911). After the capital was relocated from Shenyang to Beijing, the Shenyang Imperial Palace remained a secondary capital.

National Museum puts together archeological findings since ’90s for better understanding of era

Health benefits of Korea’s beloved fermented side dish range from anti-cancer to weight control to hair growth

Representatives from eight of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations faced off at the ASEAN-KOREA: Korea Food Contest Final, showing off dishes that reflect Korean culture and identity with a common ingredient: rice.The final round of the multinational cooking contest was held Tuesday at the Korean Cuisine Cultural Center in Jung-gu, central Seoul. The contestants, all nonprofessional cooks, came from Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Laos a

President Moon Jae-in on Monday vowed to push for the mutual prosperity of Korea and ASEAN member states through cultural exchange, stressing the importance of cultural content in an event held on the sidelines of the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in Busan.Speaking at the ASEAN-ROK Culture Innovation Summit at Bexco, Moon praised the power of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc’s cultural content, and its potential to extend further into the world. He also pointed out how Hall

People who get together for the monthly meetings at SeochonBooks, a small bookstore housed in a hanok near the palace Gyeongbokgung, may feel awkward at first. But soon they form friendships as they share their thoughts about a book that Ha Young-nam, the owner of the bookstore, recommends. “I visit this bookstore every month. ... I have craved for communities where I could meet people, which have now mostly disappeared compared to the past,” said Jeon Ji-yeon, who is in her 50s. &ld

Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, was yet again engulfed in a wave of enthusiasm for South Korean soccer coach Park Hang-seo. On Nov. 14, the country’s national soccer team, led by Park, beat the United Arab Emirates 1-0 in the 2022 Qatar World Cup’s second qualifying round, securing first place in its group. Waving Korea’s national flag, the Taegeukgi, Vietnamese soccer fans sang their national team’s fight songs. This scene is not unfamiliar to us anymore.In September, Ba

BUSAN -- Perhaps it is fitting that a city known for a wide range of unique delicacies should host an inaugural event showcasing dishes from across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states. The 2019 ASEAN-ROK Food Street event kicked off Nov. 15 and is slated to continue until Wednesday at the Busan Cultural Complex Center for Youth, or Norimaru, near Seomyeon Station -- an area known as the “streets of youth” for its vast collection of bars, coffeehouses and restaura

Busan -- Busan is no stranger to a large influx of guests, but South Korea’s second-largest city was even more robust than usual this weekend with multiple events taking place on the eve of the 2019 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit.Subway cars were plastered with ads for the ongoing ASEAN-themed events, including the “ASEAN Crafts: From Heritage to the Contemporary” exhibition running at ASEAN Culture House until Jan. 15. The subway is a wise choice if you wish to bypass the