NEW YORK (AP) ― Andy Warhol once predicted 15 minutes of fame for everyone.But 25 years after his death, the pop artist’s reputation and impact on the contemporary art world show no signs of fading. His iconic images of everyday consumer objects and celebrities consistently command high prices and draw enthusiastic crowds to museum and gallery shows. But before he catapulted onto the world stage, the young artist was already producing some of his most iconic pieces. In a new exhibition, Warhol i

A government-civilian panel to promote nine “seowon,” or private Confucian academies established dur­ing the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), as UNESCO world heritage sites was launched in a ceremony in Seoul on Wednesday.The panel is comprised of 19 experts in the government and the private sector, including Kim Chan, administrator of Korea’s Cultural Heritage Administration, and Choi Gun-duk, chairman of the Korea Seowon Association.The Presidential Council on National Branding and the CHA have pus

NEW YORK (AP) ― The Brooklyn Museum’s feminist art center is marking its fifth anniversary this year by commemorating famous women of the next millennium ― placing them alongside luminaries of the past.The Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art is using Judy Chicago’s work, “The Dinner Party,’’ a massive triangular banquet table, to envision a place where these high achievers might meet.Each wing of Chicago’s triangle pays tribute to a millennium ― 13 women for each ― beginning with primor

Culture Ministry plans to create fair  business environment for artists, large concert hall and support content developersThe Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on Wednesday a set of comprehensive plans for hallyu, such as building infrastructure for better content development, facilitating a support system for less popular Korean cultural genres, and promoting cultural exchanges to prevent anti-Korean sentiment.“Concerns are rising that the Korean Wave will fade away in just four

Shariq Saeed carries an unconventional status symbol with him everywhere he goes: a calloused indentation on his forehead. The weathered bump, called a zabiba, was caused by friction between his head and a prayer mat.Muslims are instructed to pray five times a day, and a zabiba is generally viewed as a sign of piety and devotion caused by deep, repeated bows.Saeed is a nine-year resident of Seoul from Pafkistan, and a practicing Muslim. The scar tissue on his forehead is evidence of dedication t

Park Eun-mi has been watching TV almost all day for months. As a television programmer, she is among those responsible for sifting through scores of submissions to create a list of candidates for the Seoul International Drama Awards.Now in its seventh year, the awards ceremony recognizing the best in television dramas will be held in August in South Korea, a country increasingly known worldwide for producing top-notch programming.“It is our way of giving back,” said Min Young-dong, last year’s p

Traditional accommodation offer rare experience in urban SeoulTucked away in a corner of the artsy district of Samcheong-dong, central Seoul, guesthouse Soriwool is a rare place to be.Located near Gyeongbokgung, the main Joseon palace, the hanok guesthouse offers a unique “gugak” ― traditional Korean music ― experience, on top of its serene traditional architecture. Whether you are a Seoulite who is used to the city where apartment complexes dominate the landscape, or a tourist visiting Korea f

Yeondeunghoe, the lotus lantern festival that accompanie Buddha’s Birthday, has been designated as an intangible cultural heritage by the Cultural Heritage Administration said Monday.The first form of the festival dates back to Korea’s Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-935 A.D.), and has been held on the day of Daeboreum ― a Korean holiday that celebrates the first full moon of the lunar calendar. The religious ceremony now takes place annually in Seoul on the nearest Sunday to Buddha’s Birthday.“Though Ye

GORI, Georgia (AP) ― A museum that has honored Josef Stalin in Georgia since 1937 is being remodeled to exhibit the atrocities that were committed during the Soviet dictator’s rule.Georgian Culture Minister Nika Rurua said Monday that his nation, which became independent in 1991, can no longer host a museum “glorifying the Soviet dictator.’’Stalin was born Josef Dzhugashvili in the central Georgian town of Gori in 1879, and the museum opened here in 1937, at the height of purges that were later

Director Woo stresses role of foreign media and opinion leaders in promoting KoreaIn the eyes of the foreign media, South Korea has been seen mainly as confronting the militant North Korea or an economic success story. It is time to divert their attention from the country’s complicated political issues to its amazing, yet relatively unknown culture, the new head of Korean Culture and Information Service said.“The new era will soon come with culture leading the country’s economy, not industries.

A British man who bought a handful of sketches at a Las Vegas rummage sale for $4.76 said one of them turned out to be an Andy Warhol worth $2.06 million. Andy Warhol`s "Marylin" -- This photo is not directly related to the story. (AFP-Yonhap News)Andy Fields of Tiverton, England, said he bought a few pieces of art from the sale in 2010 and later learned one of the pieces was an original sketch be