Cherry blossoms are in full bloom near the Yeouido area in Seoul, as of Wednesday. The cherry blossom festival of Yeouido, a popular event in early spring, begins Saturday and runs until April 12. There is a flower-filled road located around Yunjung-ro, near the National Assembly Station on Subway Line No. 9. People usually stroll along the road prior to the festival, amid the flourishing trees. Written by Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com)  Photos by Park Hyun-koo (phko@heraldcorp.com)

In response to the #MeToo movement resonating within the country, the Korean government has launched a response center for sexual violence occurring within the culture and entertainment sector. The Korea Creative Content Agency and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism jointly held an opening ceremony for the gender equality center “Bora” on Thursday. Bora’s function includes taking reports of sexual violence cases and providing professional psychological help, therapy and legal counseling

By renting, not buying, luxury home appliances and clothing, Korean consumers now want to enjoy heightened quality of life on a budget

Approaching the violin studio, visitors can smell a mix of scents lingering in the alley. Maple, spruce and the varnish applied to them that fill the air inside of the workshop spill out over into the alley through the front door. Located in central Seoul, the workshop run by master violinmaker Kim Dong-in, offers an unusual atmosphere.　Hung on the walls by the necks, the violins wait to be diagnosed by a “geigenbaumeister” -- or master violinmaker -- with notes that include the owners’ names an

Yeol focuses on doing small things well to preserve, promote Korean culture

As blossoming flowers herald the arrival of spring, the Cultural Heritage Administration is running several programs related to the royal palaces in Seoul.　Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour, an annual event that kicked off in 2010, will be held from Thursdays through Sundays, from April 5 to the end of May, and from Aug. 23 to Oct. 28. There is no tour on May 6.Nighttime view of Changdeokgung (Cultural Heritage Administration)While visitors can freely roam the palace every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.,

The South Korean government on Tuesday confirmed the final lineup, size and schedule for its art troupe that will perform in North Korea next month.In a briefing held at the Seoul Government Complex, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism officially announced the lineup of Cho Yong-pil, Lee Sun-hee, Choi Jin-hee, YB led by Yoon Do-hyun, Baek Ji-young, Jung-in, Seohyun, Ali, girl group Red Velvet, Kang San-ae and jazz pianist Kim Kwang-min.Hwang Seong-woon, the spokesman for the Ministry of

Yongma Land, a closed down theme park in the northern corner of Seoul, has lately seen an influx of visitors coming around to take photos with the battered vintage amusement rides in the background.The place can be eerie on first impression, with deserted rides standing still as if frozen in time. But since the park began to appear in K-pop videos and dramas, it has gained popularity even among foreign travelers. Perhaps the biggest boost the park received was through K-pop group Crayon Pop’s mu

Korea’s modern and contemporary portrait photographs summon collective memory

Gazing at portraits created during the Joseon era, one is struck by the extreme delicacy with which the models’ facial features are depicted, from the fine wrinkle lines to tiny spots and faint scars.Lee Sung-nack, a board member at the Kansong Art and Culture Foundation, spotted such sophistication in the centuries-old portrait paintings and suggested that the portraits reflect signs of medical conditions that the subjects may have suffered. A dermatologist and professor who earned a doctoral d

A decade ago, the word “selfie” did not even exist, but almost everyone with a smartphone takes such photos these days. In Korea, there is even a word for a person who looks very different in selfies in a good way: “selgikkun.” For instance, Yura of Girls’ Day, who takes excellent photos of herself. “Taking a good selfie takes enormous effort,” Yura said multiple times while starring in the MBC show “We Got Married.” She explained how she takes more than a hundred snaps for one perfect photo. Yu

K-pop videos will soon be streamed on a billboard four times the size of a basketball court in Seoul.SMTown Media Facade, made of curved screens and installed on the outer walls of the SMTown Coex Artium, will start operation Sunday, according to the Korea International Trade Association.SMTown Coex Artium is part of the Coex Convention and Exhibition Center in Gangnam, southern Seoul. The building offers experiences related to S.M. Entertainment stars and the agency.  (Yonhap)The new billboard

　K-pop music will form the core of a South Korean art troupe’s repertoire when it performs in Pyongyang in April, with a prominent K-pop producer and songwriter to take the helm.　The Ministry of Unification on Sunday named Lee Yun-sang -- a singer-songwriter and producer professionally known as Yun Sang -- as the musical director for the South’s art troupe to Pyongyang. His North Korean counterpart is Hyon Song-wol, the leader of the all-female Moranbong Band. 　Yun Sang will lead the South Korea

“The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down,” written by South Korean Buddhist monk Haemin, has been nominated for the 2018 British Book Awards.The final shortlist for the awards was announced Friday (local time) by The Bookseller, the organizer of the awards and a British journal specializing in the publishing industry. Haemin’s essay was nominated for lifestyle book of the year. The British edition of “The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down” (Suo Books)Books from seven categories h

International visitors transformed into a palette of vibrant hues at the Holi Hai Festival of Colors, taking place on Wahyeon Beach in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, Sunday. The eighth annual festival, dubbed the “happiest event” in Korea, celebrates the coming of spring, the joy of friendship and values such as equality, while encouraging harmony between ethnicities and nationalities. The festival is held to mark the Indian end-of-winter festival of Holi, which people celebrate by spattering