A pop-up store based on South Korean actor Lee Dong-wook is scheduled to open at The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido on Nov. 9. According to Lee’s agency King Kong by Starship, the upcoming offline flash event, titled “Fancy Being Friends?” will mainly feature the actor’s avatar Wookdong, a white lion character which embodies the actor’s appearance, hobbies and personality. “Lee Dong-wook will be the first Korean actor to hold a character-themed pop-up shop here,&r

This weekend may be the last chance to see the red and gold fall foliage at its peak in Seoul. N Seoul Tower is where you can enjoy the autumn colors while hiking the trail to the tower on top of Namsan. If you arrive at the top at night, you can enjoy panoramic views of central Seoul as well as check out Namsan Octagonal Pavilion. On top of N Seoul Tower is n.Grill, a French restaurant that offers a prix fixe menu for lunch and dinner. The restaurant rotates, giving a complete 360-degree panora

Now is a perfect time to visit royal palaces and tombs as several trails and tombs normally closed to the public are open for a few weeks in autumn when leaves change colors. While the peak foliage season varies from year to year and in different locations, this year, the leaves are expected to be at their most colorful and vibrant through early November. The eight forest trails of the Joseon royal tombs, including some that are usually closed to the public, which opened on Sept. 28, will remain

When Ji-won Yeo took to the stage in the title role for Bellini's opera "Norma" on Oct. 26, she might have been nervous. After all, despite performing just about every major role possible overseas, it was the 43-year-old's first lead role in her motherland. But the South Korean soprano, better known overseas as Vittoria Yeo, proved why she has been only taking main roles since her debut despite some doubts earlier in her career. When she decided to go study abroad in 2005,

The epitaph plaque for Madam Jo (1841-1892), the wife of Park Chung-yang (1841-1905), the first Korean diplomatic minister sent to the US in 1887, has been brought back to Korea and returned to their descendants, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced Tuesday. Professor Emeritus Mark A. Peterson from Brigham Young University, who owned the artifact for more than 40 years after purchasing it in an antiques store, donated the epitaph plaque to Park Chan-su, the current head of the Bannam P

Bang Si-hyuk, Ahn Hyung-joon talk out companies' long-term conflict

MADRID -- With the flourishing popularity of Korean culture, now is the time to contemplate its sustainability and expansion, according to the newly appointed director of the Korean Cultural Center in Madrid. Shin Jae-kwang, who took on the role in September, sat down with The Korea Herald for an interview at the Korean Cultural Center in Madrid on Oct. 19. He expressed his hope to not only extend the influence of K-pop and K-drama, but also to broaden the scope of Hallyu to encompass various cu

Yu In-chon, the new minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, called for a wide-ranging revamp of the ministry’s support programs for artists and the role of its affiliates. “The environment has changed so much that you can take it to mean building the government support from scratch," Yu said on his planned changes during a press conference Monday at the Modu Art Theater in Seoul, the country’s first disability arts performance venue. "I want the programs to be effe

More than half of adults of South Korean nationality do not plan to continue holding the “jesa,” the traditional ritual held in honor of one’s ancestors, a recent survey showed. According to the Sung Kyun Kwan, a traditional Confucian educational institution, its survey of 1,500 Korean men and women aged 20 or older across the country found that while 62.2 percent of the respondents still perform the jesa ritual, 55.9 percent are considering discontinuing it in the future. The

With the growth of the Korean wave, the Korean Cultural Center New York has launched the "It's Time for K-Culture" campaign to promote Korean culture and Korean-themed events in New York. The campaign features a special brochure with a list of New York's museums, stores and restaurants that are holding, or will hold, Korean-themed events in November and December. For instance, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will hold the “Lineages: Korean Art at The Met" starting N

Soprano Sumi Jo received the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit on Friday. The nation's highest honor is given to artists by the president of South Korea in recognition of contributions to enhancing Korea's global cultural reputation. Thirty-two individuals, including Jo, received awards at a ceremony recognizing their contributions, organized by the Culture Ministry, which took place at the Modu Art Theater in central Seoul. Hwang Eul-sun, intangible cultural heritage holder of royal si

“Haegeum is like ink that has permeated into my life,” Kim Sae-jin said. Kim majors in haegeum at the Korea National University of Arts, a special educational institution to foster artists. Haegeum is a traditional Korean string instrument that is played by pulling the bow across its two strings. It is also nicknamed the “ggaeng-ggaeng-i” for its high-pitched sounds. The haegeum's body consists of a soundbox made of bamboo and oak, a bamboo bar and two tuning pegs. T

INCHEON (Yonhap) -- Police will summon actor Lee Sun-kyun of the Oscar-winning "Parasite" on Saturday for questioning on suspicions of his drug use. Lee has recently been booked for investigation on charges of using illegal drugs in violation of the Narcotics Control Act. The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency plans to conduct a drug test when he shows up for questioning to determine whether he used illegal drugs and, if he did, how often and what kinds. On Friday, the police imposed

The "Selected Works of Korean Buddhism" collection is displayed at Daewoongjeon Hall at the Buddhist temple of Jogyesa in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Oct. 27. The Educational Institute of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, South Korea's largest Buddhist sect, held a ceremony to celebrate the publication of 10 volumes of selected Korean Buddhist scriptures, representing Korean Buddhism from the Unified Silla Kingdom to the modern era. The English translation of the collection took six ye

Savor traditional Korean desserts at Korea House The Korea House, affiliated with the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, is offering a chance to savor traditional Korean confectionaries sold under its dessert brand Kohojae. The Korea House has prepared the "Autumn Dessert Course," which comprises a variety of traditional Korean desserts and beverages such as rice cake, candied fruits and teas. The Autumn Dessert Course includes a sweet rice honey cookie, or yakgwa, cinnamon punch with