“Managing fire and time is the essence of my major,” said Choi Hyo-ryeong, who majors in metal craft at the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage in Buyeo-gun, South Chungcheong Province. Choi demonstrated how she creates Korea’s traditional decorative metal works called "chilbo," an enameling technique similar to cloisonne, in which metal is coated with various powders and subjected to high temperatures of 600 degrees or above. Often worn as accessories, the

Nam Chang-dong was 8 years old when he was spellbound by jultagi tightrope walking. “The jultagi player looked like a hero in a fantasy film for me," he said. Now 22 and a professional “rope clown,” he is the custodian of jultagi, the tightrope walking art that is officially recognized as part of South Korea’s intangible cultural heritage. It might be compared to tightrope walking, but in jultagi the performers dance, sing and tell stories while walking, standing and

Korean golfers purchase nearly half of golf apparel globally; Fashion brands flock to launch their first golf wear lineup

Although the reading population of Korean adults is less than half the total -- meaning over half of adults do not read a single book in a year -- unique independent bookstores are enjoying growing popularity. There were 815 independent bookstores nationwide in 2022, according to Dongneseojeom (Bookstores in Neighborhood), an independent bookstore recommendation service. It has been keeping track of the number of bookstores since 2015 in its annual trend report. The number has been steadily incr

“The geomungo was a ‘hip’ instrument and the most popular among noblemen 500 to 600 years ago. And such appreciation is returning today,” said Shin Ji-hee, a 29-year-old player of the geomungo, a six-string instrument with the widest pitch among Korea’s traditional string instruments -- of three octaves. The origin of the instrument dates back to around 1,500 years ago during the period in which three kingdoms reigned on the Korean Peninsula: the Goguryeo, Baekje an

Korea struggles to cope with growing number of teens in distress as they return to school after pandemic

Jeon So-min, a student majoring in traditional architecture, shows how she measures Yuhyeondang at Korea National University of Cultural Heritage in Buyeo-gun, South Chungcheong Province. Yuhyeondang, a vacation home built 1971, has all the marks of traditional hanok -- from the graciously curved eaves to the wooden floor exposed outside. But for convenience, modern styling has been applied to its lighting, kitchen and restroom. The building is a good example of how traditional architecture deve

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“The mesmerizing moment of turning a wheel and the soft feeling of the clay led me to seek a career here,” said Kim You-jin, a student studying pottery at the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage. “There wasn't anything special in how I decided on my major, it was just like any other college student,” she added. “It might be destiny that ties me with pottery,” Kim’s schoolmate Ki Jung chimed in, saying majoring in pottery was a natural cho

Korean descendants from war ravaged Ukraine search for their roots, future in a village near Gwangju

“’Geumeo’ is a magic fish guiding the way to find a tree which grants wishes in changgeuk ‘Tree, Fish, Moon,’” actor Kim Su-in explained his role. “Changgeuk” refers to a traditional play form, in which many performers participate in the story, singing songs called “chang.” Kim simply calls the traditional art genre "Korean style opera or musicals." In the play, Kim wears a costume that looks like colorful fish scales, with a

Yang Hye-min moves her hand carefully as she gathers and assembles scattered parts of the past, working tirelessly to regain the appearance it once had hundreds of years ago. "A relic that has survived the test of time will inspire future generations " said Yang, who majors in Conservation Science at Korea National University of Cultural Heritage, as she explained why she chose her major. "I want to find the best way to preserve relics for the next generation so they can further d

In Gangnam’s education-mad neighborhood, a child’s academic score defines mother’s success

“Making hanbok can be called ‘linking the past and the present,’” said Kim Ji-hu, a student of textile art at the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage. Hanbok-making embodies knowledge and skills developed by people in the past, according to Kim. “I learn all processes of making hanbok at school, from weaving cloth to transforming it into garments,” Kim said. “The work begins with understanding the features of traditional textiles and clothes.

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