It wasn‘t exactly Prince Charming but one of Ukraine’s “Sleeping Beauties” finally got a kiss on the lips as she dozed on a dais filmed by cameras -- though unlike the fairy tale she never woke up.“I‘m not sure I would marry precisely this girl, I just was curious whether she would open her eyes,” said the young woman who dared the embrace while male visitors shied away.The venue was Ukraine’s National Art Museum and the stakes were -- marriage.Visitors at a wacky performance called “Sleeping Be

JAKARTA (Yonhap News) ― A regional consultative body to safeguard intangible cultural heritage in 11 Southeast Asian countries was launched in Jakarta Monday under South Korea’s initiative.The launch took place during a sub-regional meeting of the International Information and Networking Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region. The Daejeon-based center, affiliated with South Korea’s Cultural Heritage Administration, was established in July 2011 as an a “category 2 cent

From a special nighttime tour of the UNESCO World Heritage site Changdeokgung Palace to the performance of “Mr. Rabbit and the Dragon King,” a Korean pansori opera, participants at the third Culture Communication Forum were introduced to a wide range of cultural experiences.Culture Minister Choe Kwang-shik on Tuesday evening hosted a welcome dinner for the 15 guests representing 14 different countries. Despite the heavy downpour, the minister went ahead with the tour of Changdeokgung Palace, a J

Culture Communication Forum tackles issues society-at-large faces todayThe challenge of fostering culture-driven communication was the hotly discussed topic at the third Culture Communication Forum in Seoul, Thursday. Keynote speaker Dominique Wolton ― research director of the French National Centre for Scientific Research ― opened the panel by putting the spotlight on globalization. Rather than praise technological advances as a driving force in the formation of a more tightly-knit global socie

The Gwangju Biennale, known as the largest contemporary art festival in Asia, will open Thursday to introduce the latest international developments in modern art to South Korea.This year’s event, the 9th, will display works by 92 artists from 40 countries at various venues across the southwestern provincial city of Gwangju, under the theme “Round Table.” The biennale runs through Nov. 11.The theme reflects the festival’s aim to serve as a platform for restoring respect for other countries and sh

The Korea Foundation is holding a series of lectures in English on Korean culture and tradition. The lecture series focuses primarily on Korea’s modern society, traditional music and food, and Seochon, a hanok-dotted neighborhood west of Gyeongbok Palace. Classes will be held Saturdays from 2-4 p.m. starting Sept. 22 on the 19th floor of Mirae Asset Center One building. Lecturers include renowned experts, including novelist Park Tae-won; Kelly S. Walsh, professor of world literature at Yonsei Un

Benedict GroeschelA U.S. Catholic priest has apologized for saying victims of clergy abuse were seducers and says he did not intend to put blame on victims.The Rev. Benedict Groeschel of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, in an opinion piece in the National Catholic Register, a conservative publication, said victims of sexual abuse are looking for father figures."People have this picture in the

BUNOL, Spain (AFP) ― Tens of thousands of revelers hurled 120 tons of squashed tomatoes at each other Wednesday, drenching the streets in red in a gigantic Spanish food fight known as the Tomatina.A sea of more than 40,000 alcohol-soaked men and women packed into the Plaza Mayor square of Bunol, eastern Spain, many with their shirts off and wearing swimming goggles to keep out the stinging juice.Spectators peered over the balconies of surrounding buildings, some also chucking tomatoes on chantin