Free guided tours exploring the flora of Changdeokgung will be conducted in English on Wednesday and Thursday mornings from April 17 to June 28, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Thursday. The first 20 people to make it to Donhwamun, the palace’s main gate, before tours start at 10:30 a.m. will be allowed to join the tour group upon presenting the 3,000 won admission ticket. The same tour of the only palace in Seoul of the Joseon-era (1392-1910) inscribed on the UNESCO World Herita

The National Hangeul Museum is offering free in-person or online sessions on calligraphy of the Korean writing system for foreign nationals through Nov. 29. The two-hour in-person sessions will take place at the museum in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Thursdays at 10 a.m. and Fridays at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. One-hour online sessions will run Tuesdays starting at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. and Fridays at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Each session will be limited to

Over 630 works from more than 20 South Korean artisans will be featured at this year’s Korean Craft Show during Milan Design Week next week, under the theme “Thoughts on Thickness.” According to the Culture Ministry, the body backing the craft show for the last 12 years, two exhibitions will take center stage this time, with one sideline exhibit set up outdoors in the northern Italian city from Monday to April 21. The main exhibits will explore objects of varying thickness made

The disclosure by police of an ongoing investigation of a man charged with attempting to set fire to a UNESCO-listed palace in Seoul has put fresh pressure on officials to roll out measures to protect heritage sites. According to police on Wednesday, the man, whose identity is being withheld, allegedly last month tried to set fire to a door at Changdeokgung’s Daejo Hall -- the queen’s quarters at Changdeokgung, one of the five Joseon-era (1392-1910) palaces. Changdeokgung is the only

For Sovan Meta, nursing was less a calling than finding a job with few ups and downs. Then an encounter with Korean Christians reaching out to the Cambodian national to volunteer as an interpreter led to the soul-searching of a lifetime. She ended up becoming a Christian minister. “In Cambodia, many people become nurses but few become ministers. I decided to become one and preach to those without the benefits of spirituality,” Meta said in a recent interview with The Korea Herald. In

K-pop stars and idols are now going through a phase of transition where versatility is required -- both to stand strong as individual artists and to project a collective appeal when called to perform as teams. How K-pop stars make it through this period of transition will largely determine whether South Korea will continue to command its global cultural reach and impact in years or decades to come in the name of Hallyu, or the Korean wave, said Kim Heon-sik, a culture critic who has written a bo

The National Museum of Korea in Seoul ranked sixth in terms of its total number of visitors in 2023, in a survey of 100 museums and galleries worldwide. According to the UK-based Art Newspaper, the figure for the state-run museum came to 4,180,285. The Louvre Museum in Paris topped the list with 8,860,000 visitors and the Vatican Museums followed with 6,764,858. The British Museum in London ranked in third place with 5,820,860 visitors followed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York at 5,

Buddhism has traditionally prioritized silence, a hallmark of meditation that sets the religion apart. That notion took a hard turn Thursday as a DJ in a monk’s robe kicked off the four-day International Buddhism Expo in Seoul, shouting out Buddhist verses to the beat of electronic dance music. “I’d say the event is living up to the slogan they put out,” said Kim Hyung-sik, an undergraduate Seoulite in 20s attending the expo on the first day, referring to the slogan writt

The Cultural Heritage Administration planted trees at Joseon-era (1392-1910) historic sites in Seoul on Friday in celebration of Arbor Day, raising awareness of preserving cultural heritage and protecting the planet. CHA chief Choi Eung-cho and Starbucks Korea executives led a group of 50 people including company employees and elementary school students in planting 35 pine and fragrant snowbell trees at the shrine Jongmyo in Jongno-gu. On Saturday, Choi will lead another group of 35 people, incl

The National Museum of Korea’s 10 regional museums across the country will start showcasing over 2,000 artifacts donated by the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee as early as mid-April. The 2,254 pieces, which include 107 nationally-recognized objects, are part of over 20,000 pieces donated by Lee, a prolific collector of Korean and contemporary art. The collection spans from calligraphy and paintings to crafts, ceramics and sculptures. From mid-April, the Buyeo National Museum will s

Savoring leisure with warm pie and coffee If you're planning to embark on a journey from Seoul Station or just passing through the heart of Seoul, enjoy a warm pie for a meal that's a little different than the typical. Focal Point is a pie restaurant in at a brown brick building behind Seoul Station. Various savory pies welcome visitors, including the Song-jung tteokgalbi pie, featuring minced short rib, broccoli and corn seasoned with soy sauce, the grilled corn pie topped with al

  N Seoul Tower tours   Throughout April, N Seoul Tower is offering discounts on admission to its observatory and meals at its dining hall, allowing visitors to enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the capital and the cherry blossoms. Tickets for the observatory start at 18,900 won for adults, and a package offering entry to the observatory plus dinner for two adults is priced at 230,000 won. Lunch specials are also available. The observatory is open year-round from 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m

The biannual festival involving five palaces of Joseon-era (1392-1910) Seoul is expecting to draw the biggest-ever participation by foreign nationals with exclusive programs, as it marks its 10th anniversary this month. The nine-day event starting April 27 at five palaces -- Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Gyeonghuigung -- will feature royal music and dance performances as well as tours with royal cuisine tastings. At Gyeongbokgung, “gugak” or traditiona

Tours exclusively for foreign nationals of Deoksugung, a Joseon-era (1392-1910) palace, including a musical performance at Seokjo Hall, will be offered for the first time in May. Nighttime tours of the hall -- the first Western-style stone building in Seoul built in 1910 -- will run from May 1 to May 3, with three tours taking place daily, each limited to 18 people. Participants will be served refreshments like coffee and madeleines as they watch musical performances. A classical music performan

Starting this month, three palaces from the Joseon era in Seoul will add something extra to their tours: a venue to taste “royal desserts” and audio guides. Gyeongbokgung will open up Saenggwabang, the kitchen where desserts and refreshments for the Joseon royal household were prepared. Seven snack options, including “juak” -- fried rice cake -- and therapeutic herbal tea prepared according to a recipe written by the king’s doctors in 1607 will be offered to visitor