Ahead of Frieze Seoul kicking off on Sept. 4, Seoul is in a festive mood with numerous art exhibitions and events taking place at museums, galleries and auction houses around the city. In a two-part series, The Korea Herald offers a roundup of selected events in the city -- in southern and northern parts of the capital. The following piece is the first in the series. -- Ed. Its streets lined with flagship stores of luxury brands, Cheongdam-dong, a neighborhood in Seoul south of the Han River, is

A tour of a Joseon-era (1392-1910) palace that includes coffee and desserts as well as a mini-musical exploring the life of King Gojong, the 26th Joseon king and the first emperor of the Daehan Empire, will return for a fall edition from Sept. 24 to Nov. 2. Seokjojeon, a hall at Deoksugung designed by British architect John Reginald Harding and constructed in 1910, is known as the first Western-style stone building in Korea. A guide will start tours by introducing the history of the two-story ha

Sustainability is back in the limelight as the spring-summer 2025 Seoul Fashion Week kicks off its five-day run Tuesday at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, addressing the urgent concern shared by the fashion industry. One of the 21 brands showcasing their collections on the runway is Julycolumn led by Park So-young. The 41-year-old designer, who opened the previous fall-winter 2024 show in February, will feature pieces that use materials created using recycled plastic bottles. The materials com

The kouign-amann go-to Kouign-amann, a delicacy of Brittany in France meaning “butter cake,” is something like a caramelized croissant. This opulent pastry balances caramelized crust with light, moist layers with salted butter baked between, which crumble into sweet flakes upon a bite. One of the best places to try a slice is b. Patisserie at the mall complex Shinsegae Central City in Seocho-gu -- one of the three branches in South Korea operated by the San Francisco-based pastry sho

Kansong Art Museum Daegu brings together several designated national treasures in the largest-ever show of national treasures in its collection. The museum's inaugural exhibition “Treasures of the Kansong Art Museum Daegu,” which opens Sept. 3, marks the opening of a new home for the country's oldest private museum. “It took nearly 10 years to open the museum in Daegu, and I am glad we can offer an opportunity to people outside Seoul to enjoy our collection of natio

A reenactment of a royal feast showing how Joseon-era (1392-1910) officials celebrated events involving kings and their families will take place Sept. 4-5 at Yeongyeongdang in Changdeokgung, one of the five Joseon-era palaces in Seoul. The Yeongyeongdang Feast was first held by the eldest son of King Sunjo to mark Queen Sunwon’s 40th birthday in 1828 at Yeongyeongdang -- a hall Crown Prince Hyomyeong, the eldest son, set up during the same or the previous year to host royal celebrations. T

Marking the 30th anniversary of the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, the history of the pavilion is being presented at Palazzo Malta-Ordine di Malta, a few minutes walk from the Giardini Garden, one of the main venues of the Venice Biennale. Entitled “Every Island is a Mountain,” the exhibition at Palazzo Malta-Ordine di Malta brings together 36 artists who have participated in the prestigious biennale over the last three decades, as well as archival material on the Korean Pav

As Frieze Seoul approaches, galleries are bustling with activity as they prepare to showcase their works to art enthusiasts at the annual art fair, which runs from September 4 to 7 this year. The nation's art scene is entering festive mode, with many exhibitions slated to open at the end of August. Notable examples of galleries embracing this celebratory atmosphere with their exhibitions, include Gallery Baton and Lehmann Maupin in Hannam-dong and Tang Contemporary Art Seoul in Gangnam. Dok

An interactive program where participants can experience what it was like at celebrations hosted by Joseon-era (1392-1910) heirs to the throne will be open to the public during the Chuseok holiday at Changgyeonggung. The Changgyeonggung Nighttime Feast, an annual event in its fourth year, will accept 90 people a day to take part in the feast as ranking officials in traditional attire, prepared by the Joseon-era palace in Seoul. Royal music performances and food will follow. Tickets purchases in

Kiaf Seoul to join Expo Chicago next year as part of partnership with Frieze

An exhibition of Korean artifacts and contemporary artworks from clothing to window wallpaper will take place Sept. 3-8 at Nakseonjae in Changdeokgung, one of the five Joseon-era (1392-1910) palaces in Seoul. Around 50 intangible cultural heritage title holders and contemporary artists will show some 80 pieces at the “Korean Heritage Art Exhibition.” Clothing made using the “nubi,” or quilting, known for distinctive, tightly spaced rows of stitches, and celadon will be on

A bowler-turned-blacksmith, Jeong Hyeong-goo finds it surreal to hear people call him an artisan, a description he says he will probably get used to by the time the two-month exhibition of his metal works ends in October. “The Craft of Temperature and Sound: A Guide to the Four Seasons,” which opens Thursday at the Yeol Korean Heritage Preservation Society showroom, is this year’s annual showcase of works by the Yeol artisan of the year and Yeol young craftsperson of the year,

Busan Biennale 2024 kicked off Saturday in the port city, moving up the opening date from its regular fall opening as part of the Culture Ministry’s Korean Art Week centering around the upcoming Frieze Seoul. Curated by two artistic directors -- Vera Mey and Philippe Pirotte -- the biennial took the theme of “Seeing in the Dark.” The curators drew upon the idea of pirate utopias as early forms of autonomous societies that served as a refuge for the socially or politically exile

BUSAN – Arte Museum, an immersive media art museum operated by design company d’strict, has unveiled a new media art exhibition centered on nature in Busan, South Korea’s largest port city. The exhibition, which opened in July in the museum’s new 5,600-square-meter space in Yeongdo-gu, is a permanent display with some works being updated annually. The museum is the eighth and largest Arte Museum to date. The show features a series of captivating media artworks, with 16

A report containing photos taken by German missionaries that show what Korea looked like in the early 20th century has been made public, according to the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation. The announcement Monday came two years after the conclusion of a joint project by the state-run group and a local research institute on Korean church history to retrieve the 1,874 photos showing Korean people or landscapes held by St. Ottilien Archabbey, a Benedictine monastery in southern Germany.