A research arm of the Cultural Heritage Administration published for the first time an English report on “gwaebul,” large paintings depicting Buddha preaching to his followers that are hung outside temples when rituals take place. Such paintings are rarely found in China and Japan, the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage said Tuesday, citing a project that has been studying gwaebul since 2015. A broader probe into Buddhist paintings took off in the mid-1970s, it added. T

President Yoon Suk Yeol attended a Buddhist New Year's gathering Tuesday and pledged to do more to better preserve Buddhist and other religious heritages. The gathering co-organized by the Association of Korean Buddhist Orders and the Buddhist leaders' forum of the Jogye Order brought together some 800 members of the public, Buddhist leaders, including Jogye leader Ven. Jinwoo, lawmakers and government officials, to mark the 2568th year in the Buddhist calendar. In congratulatory remar

The musical "School of Rock" starts with an announcement by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who wrote the music for the musical, asking a key question: "Do the kids really play their rock instruments live?" The answer is an emphatic "Yes, they do!" Webber declares. The announcement is made because, without the notice, many people find it hard to believe that they are witnessing child actors with an average age of 11.5, rocking out with exceptional musical talent and energeti

The French Embassy in Seoul kicked off its signature book recital event Saturday, heralding a number of cultural activities scheduled for this year for the local audience. The second edition of the annual Rendez-vous a Seoul mainly involves having visitors recite anything written in French, from books to periodicals. It is an occasion for advancing the traditions that value reading and sharing, according to an embassy official. “The French government first started this program eight years

From a memorial hall to an Ethiopia-themed cafe, South Korean town cherishes its ties with a country half a world away

Starting next year, the Cultural Heritage Administration will cover the costs of preserving buried cultural property found during construction projects, according to a revised bill that passed the National Assembly on Thursday. Until now, the CHA has managed such buried cultural properties under certain conditions, such as when a construction project has had to be completely called off due to the discovery of important pieces of cultural heritage. In that case, the government and local authoriti

The red plum blossoms at Hwaeomsa, a temple on the slopes of Jirisan in South Jeolla Province, have been designated as a natural monument, Hwaeomsa said Thursday. Hwaeomsa is one of the 25 head temples run by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. The temple is recognized as a cultural heritage site, as it is already home to two other natural monuments -- a winter-flowering cherry tree (natural monument No. 38) and wild plum blossoms (natural monument No. 485) -- as well as five national treasures

Explore guitars at Guitarnet Showroom While enjoying a weekend stroll through Apgujeong, visit the Guitarnet Showroom, where you can feast your eyes on an array of colorful guitars. Just a 5 to 7-minute walk from Apgujeongrodeo Station's Exit No. 6 on the Suin-Bundang Line, the oval-shaped, dark gray store cannot be missed after making a right turn at the Hana Bank. Insa-dong’s Nagwon Instrument Arcade, also known as the Nagwon Music Mall, is widely considered to be a musicians&#

Grand Hyatt Seoul presents American prime beef promotion Grand Hyatt Seoul’s Steak House has launched new promotions to taste top-rated American prime beef, starting from Monday. Collaborating with the US Meat Export Federation, the top-rated American beef is dry-aged with Bourbon whiskey flavor and roasted in a charcoal oven. The restaurant offers porterhouse, T-bone and L-bone steaks with a glass of wine to bring up the flavor for the whole table. The steaks are offered with a price of

South Korean composer Chin Unsuk was awarded this year's International Ernst von Siemens Music Prize, a prestigious award that honors a composer, performer or musicologist who has made a distinguished contribution to the world of music, according to the Tongyeong International Music Festival, Thursday. Chin is the first Asian and fifth woman to receive the main prize since it was first given in 1974. Chin has shown new paths in contemporary music and has captivated a broad audience, annou

Shares of South Korean webtoon platforms soared Wednesday following the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's announcement a day earlier to aggressively ramp up support for the growth of the nation's webtoon industry. Shares of Korean webtoon and web novel platform Mr. Blue closed at 2,865 won ($2.14), a 29.93 percent jump from the previous trading day. Shares of Korean webtoon platform KidariStudio closed at 6,510 won, showing a 4.49 percent increase from Tuesday, while shares of

Bringing some of the finest artworks to those less privileged or living in remote areas is a goal the National Museum of Korea intends to pursue this year, among other priorities, the state-run institution said Wednesday. “Last year, our museums, including us and all the 13 spread across the country, set a milestone, breaking through the 10-million mark in annual attendance,” said Yoon Sung-yong, director general of the NMK, during a press conference on Wednesday. The museum will bui

On Tuesday evening, the 112th performance of the third run of the musical “Les Miserables” took place at Blue Square in Seoul. During the intermission, a couple in seats in the 10th row discussed whether Eponine was biracial, while two other women in the same row, seemingly in their 50s, praised her singing. Eponine is a character from Victor Hugo's 1862 novel "Les Miserables." Despite being the daughter of the unscrupulous Thenardiers, she assists her friend Marius, w

Apple Music’s app exclusively for classical music launched in Korea on Wednesday with the endorsement of South Korean star pianists Lim Yun-chan, Cho Seong-jin, Son Yeol-eum and more. South Korean musicians who collaborate with Apple Music Classical expressed their expectations for the new platform. Son said, "I believe it will be a valuable platform that significantly contributes to classical music becoming not just the music of past eras but our music today." "Streaming pr

It was early morning when Munich-based pianist Kim Jun-hyung received a phone call from Kumho Art Hall at Yonsei University. Over the phone, the second-prize winner of the 2022 ARD International Music Competition’s piano category was invited to be Kumho Art Hall’s artist-in-residence for 2024. Kim, a night owl who goes to sleep at 4 or 5 in the morning, couldn’t fall back to sleep. As the artist-in-residence, he would be given a chance to design his own program for four concert