The Supreme Court ruled Thursday against a Korean Buddhist temple's ownership claim to a 14th-century Bodhisattva statue that it argues was plundered by Japanese pirates in the late Goryeo era. The highest court ruled that the statue, stolen from a Japanese temple by a Korean theft group, rightfully belongs to Japan. The final ruling was based on Japan's Kannonji Temple's "acquisitive prescription" of the statue, the court said. The law governing the ownership of the sta

How do we live in changing times is a question that the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, which runs Feb. 20 through May 24 in Saudi Arabia, seeks to ask. Taking place at the historic town of Diriyah, just outside the capital Riyadh and home to the UNESCO World Heritage site of At-Turaif, the biennale will feature 92 artists from 43 countries, including 30 artists from the Gulf region, according to a press release issued by the biennale Wednesday. “We face climate change, political tensio

Masks from Korea, Japan and China are being shown at a special exhibition titled "Everyday Use of Masks, the Ideal of Masked Play," which opened Tuesday at the National Folk Museum of Korea. On display are 195 masks -- 102 from Korea, 48 from Japan and 45 from China -- each with its own unique story and cultural significance. Some rare Korean masks dating back to the 1920s and 1930s are on view. At the time, masks were often discarded after a single use, making these masks special. &qu

Semyon Bychkov, chief conductor and artistic director of the Czech Philharmonic, who made his Korean debut on Tuesday, condemned Hamas' recent attack on Israel as an act of terrorism, breaking his silence on the ongoing Israel–Hamas war, during a press meeting in Seoul on Monday, "I have stayed silent since that war started. Why my silence? Because it is very different from the one between the aggression of Russia against Ukraine," said Bychkov, who was born in Soviet Russia

ULLEUNGDO, North Gyeongsang Province -- On Oct. 19, more than 100 eager individuals embarked on a journey, hoping to set their feet on the Dokdo islets, South Korea's easternmost outpost, just days before Dokdo Day on Oct. 25. The sense of anticipation and yearning to reach the remote and symbolic islets was palpable. For many, this opportunity to visit Dokdo was a rare and cherished one, and the journey itself was a testament to their determination. One of the groups on that boat, guided b

The seventh iteration of the Busan Webtoon Festival is set to kick off Thursday for a four-day run at KT&G Sangsang Madang Busan, with domestic and overseas webtoonists in attendance. Under the theme of "Back to the Future," the BWF will present webtoons with plots that revolve around the main characters traveling through time to cities around the world. Italian webtoonists Andera Mancini's "The Cities of Past" and Stefano Casini's "The New York's Futu

Korean railroad history is vividly displayed in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, often referred to as the "city of rail." Run by Korail, the national railway operator, the Korea Railroad Museum is an hour's drive from central Seoul. Uiwang's railway history goes back to 1944, with the opening of Bugok Station. During the process of redistributing the functions of the original railway hub at Seoul's Yongsan Station, an official residence for railway personnel was also establish

A special exhibition that focuses on the Roman Catholic Church’s presence in Korea since the late 19th century is underway at the Seosomun Shrine History Museum in Seosomun-dong, central Seoul. The Seosomun Shrine History Museum, which opened in 2019, stands on a holy site where a number of Catholics in Korea were martyred during the Joseon era (1392-1910). Titled “Love and Peace for All,” the exhibition presents originals and copies of papal documents and letters, and governme

The Humboldt Forum in Berlin has removed pieces from its special exhibition of Korean artifacts in response to reports of inaccuracies in the displayed information, the National Museum of Korea said Monday. The exhibition, titled "Ari-Arirang," was aimed to commemorate the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Germany and to introduce Korean traditions and culture. Opened on Oct. 12, the exhibition is scheduled to run until April 21, 2024. About 120 items fr

English tenor set to deliver lecture, concert at Sejong Soloists' festival

Additional Korean tidal flats in regions of South Jeolla Province and nine sites of the Busan wartime capital have been incorporated into UNESCO's tentative list of world heritage sites, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration on Friday. The submission of the two clusters of sites to UNESCO took place in May this year. UNESCO's tentative lists serve as inventories of sites significant in a state party's cultural or natural heritage, possessing strong potential for future

Geonwonneung, the royal tomb of King Taejo (1335-1408), the founder of the Joseon Kingdom, will be accessible to the public for a limited period this autumn, from Oct. 31 to Nov. 5, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced Friday. Situated in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, the tomb is renowned for having a silver grass-covered mound, a unique feature among royal tombs from the Joseon era. Historical records suggest that this distinction arises from the relocation of silver grass from Hamheung, S

Korean heritage built with Lego A special Lego exhibition titled "HEstorical Lego" is underway on the second floor of Moryham in Myeong-dong, central Seoul. Themed around Korea's traditional cultural heritage, mostly from the Joseon era (1392-1910), the “HEstorical Lego” exhibition comprises a total of 42 Lego works by Colin Jin. The 49-year-old artist introduces himself as a "Lego Maker" on his Instagram profile. The highlight of the exhibition is “Jon

A shipwreck discovered in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, has been identified as dating from the Goryeo era (918–1392), according to the Cultural Heritage Administration on Thursday. The underwater excavation of the wreck, found around Songho Beach, was conducted by the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage over a four-month period from June to September. A total of 15 artifacts, including pottery, tiles, whetstones and an anchor stone were recovered. Radiocarbon dating

The second installment of the Blue House Concert series will take place Nov. 5 in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the South Korea-US alliance at Chunchugwan. Chunchugwan served as the media center for the former presidential house Cheong Wa Dae in central Seoul. The free concert will begin at 3 p.m. with American violinist Gil Shaham taking the stage with Korean pianist Shin Chang-yong to perform Mozart's Rondo in C major and Faure’s Violin Sonata No.1. Shin will also perfo