As Korea celebrates the 100th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement of 1919 on Friday, an iconic figure of the tumultuous period returns to the spotlight: Yu Gwan-sun.Yu, who was 16 years old at the time, was an active participant and martyr of the independence movement. She is remembered as a brave, young patriot who inspired others to join Korea’s resistance against Japan’s colonial rule.Yu was born in 1902 to Christian parents in the small town of Byeongcheon near Cheonan, South Ch

Historic sites mark the path of independence demonstrations in central Seoul

Seodaemun Prison History Museum holds exhibition to honor Korean independence fighters

Royal palaces and tombs across the country will be open to all visitors free of charge this Friday to mark the centennial of the March 1 Independence Movement of 1919.According to the Cultural Heritage Administration, the Joseon-era palaces Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung and Changgyeonggung will be open free of charge on Friday, along with the shrine Jongmyo and the royal tombs of the Joseon Kingdom. It is the first time they will be open free of charge for the March 1 holiday.  This b

The Museum am Rothenbaum in Hamburg, Germany, will return a pair of Joseon era stone statues to South Korea, the Overseas Cultural Heritage Foundation announced Thursday.The two statues will be returned on March 19. Estimated to have been produced in the late 16th or early 17th century, the statues were initially believed to have been shipped to Germany after a German national acquired them from a local antique shop in Seoul in 1983. The museum purchased the pair in 1987. A pair of stone statues

It’s easy to spot beautiful palaces when you walk around Seoul, a city that blends modern and traditional Korean cultures. Changdeokgung, a royal palace built in 1405, is among them. Donhwanum is the main gate of Changdeokgung, the second royal palace built in 1405. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)The palace Changdeokgung viewed from above. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)Visitors clad in traditional Korean hanbok take pictures in front of Donhwamun. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)The main gate

Many remember listening to a cassette tape on a deck or portable player like Sony’s Walkman. Pressing the rewind and stop buttons to find the right track and flipping the tape to listen to the reverse side were all part of the reel-to-reel tape ritual. Not to forget the messy moment of a tape getting chewed inside of a deck or the importance of having a pencil handy. The heyday of cassette tapes came to a close late in the 1990s, as they lost out to digital compact discs. A resurgence of the onc

From baby care to homemaking, apps cater to needs of today’s generation

With the Moon Jae-in administration stressing the importance of balancing one’s work and leisure, a government survey announced Tuesday found that most Koreans prefer spending their free time alone, watching TV. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism conducted a survey on 10,498 men and women aged over 15 and found that 59.5 percent said that they spend most of their free time alone. It was followed by 29.7 percent who replied “with family” and 8.7 percent who said “with a friend.” (Yonhap)

Proposal to turn historical building into K-pop concert hall ignites controversy

The Asia Development Foundation delivered a $90,000 donation to World Taekwondo on Friday, with the money to be used in providing taekwondo education to the underprivileged in Asian countries.According to the WT, half of the donated amount will be used for WT Taekwondo Cares projects in Nepal, such as free taekwondo education and training for the disadvantaged, including female victims of domestic violence, students of schools build by the Um Hong Gil Human Foundation, and underage offenders at

South Korean authorities have identified and requested the revision of 222 cases of incorrect information about the country at 105 homepages of state-run or public organizations in other countries and international bodies, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said.The ministry and its affiliate Korea Culture and Information Service said that since July 2017, they have monitored information related to Korea that are on sites run by organizations, including the United Nations, the Organizat

A collection of 68 writings by Princess Deokon (1822-1844), the last legitimate princess of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1897), and her family has returned home. The National Hangeul Museum and Culture Heritage Administration recently announced the acquisition of the collection, citing that it has great value as an example of court writings in Hangeul, the Korean alphabet. According to officials, the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, a subsidiary of the CHA, purchased the collection from

Armed resistance was not the only line of defense to keep alive the spirit of Koreans living under Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule. Some fought for preservation of the language with their lives, others for its literature and other forms of art. Chun Hyung-pil’s battle was to keep the country’s cultural properties within its territory.Achievements of Chun, also known by his penname “Kansong,” are commemorated in the special exhibit “A Collection for Korea” that will continue through March 31 at Don

A photo essay titled “Hi! My Name Is Injeolmi” (unofficial translation) recently became a bestseller, proving the dog’s popularity even outside the realm of social media. The book of photos and short anecdotes about rescued puppy Injeolmi ranked within the top 10 on the Kyobo Book Centre’s best-seller list for the second week of January. Released Monday, the book documents Injeolmi’s life and rescue story.  (Wisdom House) Instagram account @zzangjeolmiA farmer’s daughter rescued Injeolmi from a