JERUSALEM (AFP) -- Israeli archaeologists Wednesday unveiled a seventh century B.C. text they said contains the earliest mention in Hebrew of Jerusalem outside the Bible, prompting officials to stress the Jewish connection to the city.“For Israeli archaeology, this is the first mention in Hebrew of the city of Jerusalem outside the New Testament,” Amir Ganor of Israel’s antiquities authority told AFP as the papyrus was presented in Jerusalem. The antiquities authority said the papyrus, found nea

BEIJING (AFP) -- His uncle was the last emperor of China, reigning over the Middle Kingdom from the Forbidden City. Now Jin Yulan scours the antique shops of Communist-ruled Beijing for trinkets that might once have belonged to his family.The Qing dynasty ruled over China for 268 years until it was deposed after the 1911 revolution. But interest in the past is growing, and when Jin opened an exhibition of his artifacts this week dozens of enthusiasts attended.A retired teacher dressed in a polo

Since January 2014, the last Wednesday of every month has been designated a special “Culture Day” to boost support for the local culture and arts.During Culture Day, museums offer discounts for exhibitions. Cultural sites such as the royal palaces and Jongmyo Shrine offer free admission or discounted admission fees, while performances at national art organizations such as the National Theater of Korea, National Gugak Center, Korea National Opera, and Korean National Ballet are free of charge or

Jerome Ford, an antiques appraiser, left work an hour and a half earlier than usual Friday to put himself at the front of a long line of people at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington.After another hour and a half waiting, he got what he wanted: one of the seats in the front row for the South Korean nonverbal comedy and percussion show “Nanta,” the opening installment of the inaugural three-day “Korean Culture Week.”Ford, 68, from Alexandria, Virginia, was among about

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The Philadelphia home where Oscar-winning actress Grace Kelly grew up and accepted a marriage proposal from Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1955 is now in the hands of the royal family.Her son, Prince Albert of Monaco, has confirmed to People Magazine that he was the recent purchaser of the six-bedroom, 2.5-story Colonial home in the city's East Falls section. He said in an interview on the magazine’s website posted Friday that the house is “very special to our family.” He s

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -- A member of the Swedish Academy that awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in literature to Bob Dylan says the American singer-songwriter's silence since receiving the honor is “impolite and arrogant.”Per Wastberg said Dylan’s lack of reaction to the honor the academy bestowed on him last week was predictable, but disrespectful nonetheless. “One can say that it is impolite and arrogant. He is who he is,” Wastberg was quoted as saying in Saturday's edition of the Swedish newspa

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The United Nations celebrated Wonder Woman's 75th birthday on Friday by naming the comic book character as its new Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Woman and Girls, despite frustration from both inside and outside the world organization that the spot should go to a real -- and less sexualized -- woman.The carefully choreographed ceremony was marred by some 50 UN staffers protesting by the visitors’ entrance to the UN, who then went inside the Economic and Social

Artist Yang Kyung-soo hopes his pictures will contribute to fairer, more reasonable office culture

Around 4,000 people from around the world are to take part in a charity event in Seoul early next month to make kimchi for impoverished residents as the Seoul metropolitan government will hold a three-day festival to cherish the Korean tradition of making and sharing the iconic spicy fermented cabbage side dish, the local government said Thursday. (Seoul Metropolitan Government)The Seoul Kimchi Festival, which will open on Nov. 4, is aimed at promoting the Korean practice of making a great deal

Culture Ministry says ‘not official promo video’

Just in time for the busiest season for culture and arts, the Literature Translation Institute of Korea has been organizing events across North America, Europe and Asia to promote Korean literature.Writer and poet Song Sok-ze will be launching “Das Dorf am Fluss,” the German edition of his novel “Wepungdangdang,” and will talk about modern Korean literature at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany on Thursday.The following day, he will participate in a panel discussion with German author Ju