A traditional wind player Hong Ji-hye attributes K-pop’s global popularity to its unique features handed over from Korea’s traditions. “At the bottom of the globally appreciated K-pop, there lie Korea’s unique music culture and customs, especially those with ‘Heung’ (joy and excitement),” the 32-year-old musician said. Hong is a member of the National Gugak Center, a state institution responsible for preserving and developing gugak, Korea’s traditi

Superstition that they bring wealth behind enduring popularity of calendars from financial institutions

‘Slowly, things are changing for the better’

“I want to leave drawings that can be publicly praised by people in the present,” Kwak Seon-hye, majoring in traditional fine arts at the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage said. Kwak studies Korea’s traditional Buddhist arts in college. She sees her role as a bridge between the past and future, underlining the importance of drawing beautiful and valuable works of the traditional genre. “As (ancestors’ present) became our tradition from the past, what we

Christmas decorations and lights fill every corner of city

Park Hyatt Busan presents festive promotions Dining Room, the Steak & Seafood Grill restaurant, located on the 32nd floor of Park Hyatt Busan, offers a “Festive Lunch,” featuring an appetizer buffet with a variety of fresh seafood items such as sashimi, king prawns, crabs, oysters, abalone, and classic Mediterranean appetizers, followed by scrambled eggs with caviar, grilled lobster tail, Australian beef tenderloin steak and dessert. A five-course dinner menu includes Dining Room

“Sounds from machines and tools echo in this huge space. I feel comfortable listening to the sounds while working with the timbers here,” said traditional architecture students Kim Jun-ha and Kwon Seong-jun as they showed their workspace. Kim and Kwon are students at the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage, which specializes in training students in traditional crafts. With a plane and saw in hand, they are on their way to being masters of traditional Korean building constr

The surprising effects and side effects of some folk medicines according to an internal medicine expert

Are you warm-toned or cool-toned? The current craze for South Koreans is to take personal color tests -- or consultations that provide recommendations for people's personal color types. The tests, largely held offline for accuracy, have professional analysts evaluate whether people fall under the category of "warm-tone" or "cool-tone," by scrutinizing their skin tone. According to the tests, warm-toned people generally have a yellow-base skin undertone, while cool-toned

How would "seonbi," Confucian scholars during the Joseon era (1392-1910), have fun, if they lived today? As a response to his curiosity, Hwang Tae-in, 35, created “sansunoleum,” a reinterpretation of “hanryangmu.” The word "hanryang" has had different meanings throughout history, ranging from those who retired from public office to those trying for a military position, but today the word is used to refer to unemployed or carefree people. The hanryangmu

Exchange program between children from Seoul and rural areas offers time to learn things textbooks can't teach

JEJU CITY -- About an hour‘s flight from the South Korean capital of Seoul, Jeju Island is a popular destination for those who want to get away from the grit of the city. The ubiquitous porous basalt, covering more than 90 percent of the island, is evidence that the island was created as a result of volcanic activity. "Dolharubang," or village guardian statues carved out of porous basalt, fresh seafood, mandarin oranges and more than 368 parasitic cones are iconic symbols of t

With over 250,000 visitors expected, S. Korea’s largest gaming convention takes place at BEXCO in Busan from Thursday to Sunday

“The process attracts me more than the results,” says Kim Na-yeon a spinner and weaver of Hansan ramie fabric, which is made from the plant ramie, used to make traditional summer costumes. Ramie fabric from Hansan, South Chungcheong Province, has a long tradition that goes hundreds of years, and its production process was designated as a cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011. The making process of Hansan ramie fabric starts with making strings with parts of ramie stems to weaving the

Fatigued by information and social media overload, Koreans search for a digital detox