The 16th Seoul International Fireworks Festival, slated for Oct. 6, might have to be postponed if the rain brought by Typhoon Kong-rey does not subside.According to international weather agencies, the worst of the storm will be felt Friday night and into Saturday as Kong-rey makes landfall on the southern coast of Korea.Hanwha Group, the organizer of the fireworks event, said it will closely monitor the weather and decide Saturday morning around 10 a.m. whether to go ahead with the festival.  (H

Seoul City is inviting citizens to share ideas on creating a “smarter city.”The Seoul International Digital Festival, organized by the Seoul Digital Foundation, will open on Oct. 27 at Gaepo Digital Innovation Park and Dongdaemun Digital Plaza for a five-day run, according to the city government on Friday.The third SIDiF features forums and contests held under the slogan “We Digitalize Seoul,” in an effort to share insights and discuss the use of digital technology to resolve urban problems.  (Y

The poet Heo Su-kyoung has died of gastric cancer in Germany where she had been studying archaeology for the past 26 years, her publishing agency said Thursday. She was 54.Heo passed away at around 7:50 p.m. on Wednesday at her home in Germany, Kim Min-jeong, the head of Nanda, Heo's publisher, told Yonhap News Agency. Heo will be buried in a woodland in Germany, Kim said, citing Heo's acquaintance. (Yonhap)Since her debut in 1987, Heo's regular subjects have been human hunger, grief and longing

Commonly known as the Seoul Fortress, the Hanyangdoseong is a series of walls built during the Joseon era (1392-1910) to protect the kingdom’s capital -- today’s Seoul -- against invaders. 　Completed in 1396, the 18.6-kilometer wall remains a significant historical monument in South Korea today. Originally built along the ridges of Seoul’s four inner mountains -- Baekgaksan, Namsan, Naksan and Inwangsan -- the fortress has undergone a number of reconstruction projects to be in today’s form. 　An

Seoul Garden Show kicked off Wednesday at Yeouido Park, aiming to offer a picnic-like experience for visitors. This year, the annual show now in its fourth edition, is held under the theme of “Seoul Picnic.” Around 95 gardens are spread across the park. Local and foreign garden designers created the small garden spaces, showcasing gardening trends as well as the hobby’s beauty. Thirty-two gardening equipment businesses have also set up booths, with parasols, benches, interior plants and home gar

A civic group in the southeastern city of Gyeongju said Tuesday it will form a committee with the city government and the city assembly as part of its efforts to have a ninth century Buddhist statue returned from the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul more than 100 years after it was displaced by a Japanese man.    The committee, if launched, will visit the presidential office and related institutions to obtain the return of the statue to the city, the civic group told a press conference

Foreigners learning Korean language across the world via state-run King Sejong Institutes will visit the country from Oct. 2-10, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Monday.According to the ministry, 147 foreigners who got high scores at Korean speaking contests at the 172 institutes across 56 countries have been invited, with 12 of them participating in the finals Thursday. Students of King Sejong Institute in India try on traditional hanbok in this Sept. 24 file photo. (Yonhap)Part

The barbershop, once considered a place of the past, has come back around as an essential grooming parlor for young hipsters in Korea. Many of the newly opened shops are operated by young barbers who garner customers by featuring trendy hairstyles.The professional trimming skills of more aged barbers, however, have caught the eyes of the youth, as videos of YouTubers experiencing old-school barbershops in Seoul have gone viral online.  (YouTube channel "That Russian Guy")YouTube creator Art from

About 34.7 percent of the museums run by regional governments have failed the government’s certification system, according to a Culture Ministry data submitted to an opposition lawmaker.Rep. Kim Jae-won of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party said Thursday that 66 of the 187 public museums across the country fell short of the standards set by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.  Rep. Kim Jae-won (Yonhap)The ministry has been assessing the public museums via its certification system i

Breezy, sunny and cool, fall is arguably the best season to explore Seoul -- the capital filled with tradition, history and a flair for fun.　As the fall weather is ideal for outdoor activities, the city is offering an array of festival and events -- from traditional music festival to those that feature international cuisine in Itaewon.　For those who would like to get a taste of Korea’s traditional music and dance, Seoul Arirang Festival, which is taking place at the Gwanghwamun Plaza in central

North Korea on Thursday requested a delay in the joint excavation of an ancient palace site scheduled to begin later in the day, citing lack of preparations and workforce, the unification ministry said.The two Koreas earlier agreed to launch a three-month joint survey from Thursday on the Manwoldae site in the North's border town of Kaesong where the palace of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) used to be located for about 400 years."Discussion will continue to resume the planned excavation," a minis

On the final day of Chuseok holiday, Koreans hit the streets with their families to visit key tourist spots and large shopping districts in Seoul and elsewhere.A large crowd gathered at the Korean Folk Village. Located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, the popular tourist attraction offers various traditional cultural events that date back to the late Joseon period. Parents sat on the ground with their children in their laps as they enjoyed the “jultagi,” or acrobatics on a tightrope, performance up

“Matilda,” the Korean production of “Matilda the Musical,” provides ample doses of what you would expect of the Tony-winning musical, from witty banter, funny and likeable characters to satirical comedy just black enough to still pass for a children’s story.The musical, based on the novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, focuses on brilliant but mistreated girl Matilda, who endures obstacles in her life from her ignorant and obnoxious parents to her principal Miss Trunchbull. (Yonhap)It basically

During the Chuseok holiday, many Koreans gather to honor ancestors, reconnect with family members and eat festive meals together. But for non-Koreans, the holiday is different: Many family members live abroad, and more plainly, it lacks cultural significance. This year, the Korean traditional holiday begins Sunday and runs through Sept. 25. Many Korean restaurants and businesses will be closed, with some resting one or two days in addition to the designated days. Even the most bustling streets a

A cute puppy named Injeolmi has stolen the hearts of pet lovers throughout Korea, thanks to photos posted on social media that garnered explosive popularity. The 2-month-old female pup, whose breed has not yet been determined, has a black nose, short legs and two black eyes with double eyelids. Injeolmi and actor Kwak Dong-yeon (Kwak`s Instagram)The puppy was rescued from a ditch near an apple farm in August, and the farmer’s daughter began taking care of the young animal. As a new pet parent, s