As the number of cat owners in South Korea goes up, so does the number of abandoned cats. Some 250,000 cats were abandoned or lost in 2016, according to the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency. Only 30 percent of them were adopted by new owners. The reason for the low adoption rate is the persistent prejudice against abandoned cats. People assume that rescued cats were abandoned for negative reasons, such as mental or physical issues. Earth Cat Cafe, located near Ewha Womans University in Seoul,

Comic artist’s drawings of feline companions strike a chord among cat lovers in Korea

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Monday officially launched a government-civilian joint committee to investigate the previous administration’s blacklist of cultural figures.The committee, co-headed by Culture Minister Do Jong-hwan and artist Shin Hak-chul, consists of 21 local artists and four ministry officials. Its three subcommittees are respectively charged with investigation, drawing up measures to prevent such blacklists in the future and compiling a white paper on the scanda

Nestled in the heart of Insa-dong, Kimchikan offers Koreans and tourists alike a deep dive into the world of Korea‘s most famous food.The museum is run by food company Pulmuone, which makes and sells kimchi. It has been operating since 1986, but has been at its current location since just 2015. When it moved from its previous location at Coex to Insa-dong, the museum received a major face-lift. Instead of the traditional museum style of showing kimchi-related artifacts behind glass, Kimchikan ma

If someone asked you what Seoul’s Gangnam area smelled like, how would you answer?“Very woody and very glamorous,” said Kim Su-hyang, creative director of her eponymous perfume brand Soohyang. A burst of citrus for the 24/7 shopping crowds of Dongdaemun. Sharp notes of patriotic red pine for Namdaemun, South Korea’s first designated National Treasure. Florals to evoke the lilac trees that bloom every April in chic Hannam-dong. Kim Su-hyang at the flagship Soohyang store in Gangnam (Soohyang)Sooh

Before the 1990s, translating Korean literature was spearheaded by the government, with local translators and professors churning out writing largely considered anachronistic, nationalistic and out of sync with Western sensitivities. Amid the country’s efforts to catapult its literature to the world stage, the Global Korean Literature Translation Award, organized by the GKL Foundation, was launched Thursday with the goal of bringing works closer to global sensibilities through enhanced cultural

When Ahn Sung-soo took the helm of the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company at the end of last year, he came to the job prepared. That is, the seasoned choreographer already had in his mind the first two works he would stage.Yet, it was scarcely more than a week before the curtain would go up that Ahn decided the piece was finally complete.“It was completed just yesterday,” said Ahn at his office at Seoul Arts Center on July 19.“Music for Rites -- The Afterimages of the Rose,” the first of

The Corea Image Communication Institute -- a nongovernmental organization dedicated to promoting Korean culture worldwide -- announced Tuesday the winners of a visual contest, titled “Korea Through the Lens,” organized on the theme of Korea’s identity and beauty. Korean calligrapher Kang Byung-in, who combines his innovative calligraphy and Korea’s traditional sceneries in the clip titled “Beautiful Korea and Hangeul” won the video category’s top prize. Nestle Korea CEO Erwan Vilfeu, who produce

Seoul is a vibrant megalopolis with modern high-rises crowding the city’s major arteries. Nestled among the gleaming buildings are maze-like alleys that appear to have escaped the passage of time. The Korea Herald explores the many nooks and crannies of Seoul, proclaimed the capital of Joseon in 1392, that reveal a multifaceted city. - Ed. Everyone loves Myeong-dong. But the next time you visit one of Korea’s most famous shopping districts, why not sidetrack just a little bit? From Exit No. 4 of

The Naver Cultural Foundation said Monday it has reached an agreement with a state-run cultural agency to produce English promotional materials for new and ambitious Korean visual artists.The agreement between the foundation and the Korea Arts Management Service calls for KAMS to translate content published on Naver's Hello! Artist website into English, the foundation said. The foundation is run by South Korea's largest Internet portal, Naver. This composite image from Naver`s Hello! Artist webs

Kim Yun-jin will foray onto the stage in the US with the play “Wild Goose Dreams.” 　“There is not only the one-dimensional everyday of Korean society but a deep reflection on everyday people and their love stories,” said Kim about the upcoming play.　“There’s a theme that the American audience can relate to as well. That’s what I like about it. I chose it right away,” she said.　The play is set in Seoul and centers on Yoo Nan-hee, a woman who has defected from North Korea. Through an online dating

An annual international mud festival will open in the South Korean city of Boryeong on Friday under the slogan of "Let's Go to Boryeong and Play with Mud!," an official on the event's organizing committee said Wednesday."The 2017 Boryeong Mud Festival will open for a 10-day run at Daecheon Beach in the namesake city, 190km south of Seoul, on Friday," the official said. (Yonhap)Launched in 1998, the festival has developed into a top international summer event with its mud flats attracting many to

On Thursday afternoon, the 17th Korea Queer Film Festival kicks off, the latest event in a monthlong program organized as part of the Korea Queer Culture Festival.Saturday’s gay pride parade proved a massive success, drawing a record 85,000 people to Seoul Plaza. The turnout apparently shows Korea becoming more understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, and the organizers hope to build on that.From left to right: Holic and Ha-re stand outside the Korea Herald building

Madonna asked a judge Tuesday to block an auction of memorabilia including a breakup letter from rapper Tupac Shakur, saying the intimate items were stolen by her former friend.The pop superstar filed a motion with a New York court a day before auction house Gotta Have Rock and Roll was set to start taking bids for more than 100 items, with Tupac's letter expected to fetch as much as $400,000. In this July 11, 2017 file photo, Madonna, left, sits with her adopted children David, Stella and Mercy

Everland Resort, an amusement facility equipped with a water park and a zoo, was the No. 1 destination for local and foreign visitors last year, South Korea's tourism agency said Wednesday.According to the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, 6.96 million people visited the amusement park in Yongin, just south of Seoul, in 2016. It marks the second year in a row that Everland took the top ranking, although the number of visitors was down 6.2 percent. October was the most popular month for the pa