Here's your guide to a fun weekend from culture desk reporters at The Korea Herald. We're midway through June, with the hottest time of the year just around the corner. While air conditioning can be a real blessing in the summer heat, making your taste buds tingle with a cold treat is a deliciously chill way to keep cool in the hot weather. Myosa Seoul, located near Seoul Forest in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, serves bingsu, a summertime staple of shaved ice that comes in a variety of styles, one featur

The Korea Herald, South Korea’s leading English-language daily, hosted a charity golf tournament Wednesday to celebrate its 72nd year and reaffirm its dedication to promoting Hangeul, the Korean alphabet. Held at Serenity Country Club in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, the event drew approximately 300 participants, including Sejong City Mayor Choi Min-ho, prominent business leaders, artists and professional golfers. Corporate sponsors included Yes24 and some 20 additional firms. The tourna

Thirty-three Buddhist artifacts displayed at the Central Buddhist Museum next to Jogyesa, a Buddhist temple in central Seoul, were relocated to the nearby National Palace Museum of Korea late Tuesday, after a blaze broke out at a building within the temple complex earlier that day. The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism on Wednesday issued a statement confirming that it had safely moved 33 artifacts that were on display at the museum in a preventative measure prompted by the fire. The relocated item

Coinciding with the fourth edition of Frieze Seoul in September, the international art fair will launch Frieze House Seoul, inviting leading galleries to hold exhibitions and events there during the four-day event. The exhibition space will be located in Yaksu-dong, a neighborhood in Jung-gu, central Seoul, at a building renovated by Seoul-based architectural studio Samuso Hyoja. Frieze House Seoul follows the success of No. 9 Cork Street in London, according to Frieze on Wednesday. “Frieze Hous

Marking the 60th anniversary of pansori's designation as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage this year, 12 Intangible Cultural Heritage holders in pansori will come together to deliver a performance of pansori, a form of narrative singing of epic stories and folklore. The Korea Heritage Service and the Korea Heritage Agency are jointly organizing a performance titled "Deukeumjiseol," which translates as "the art of gaining the true sound and knowing how to tell it," June 26-28 and July 3-4 a

Seoul residents are returning to theaters, galleries and concerts in growing numbers, spending more on cultural activities and diversifying the way they engage with the arts, according to new survey data released Wednesday by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture. In 2024, the average Seoulite spent 214,000 won ($157) on arts and cultural experiences. Last year's figure is up 27 percent from 2022, when pandemic-related restrictions still lingered. People also went out more often, attending a

The art circle has been desperate for an opportunity to liven up the mood amid the Korean art market slump, and, at long last, here comes BTS' RM with the star power to create a buzz in the scene. RM, known as an avid art lover, was discharged from the military on Tuesday, and now many are interested in what his next move may be where the arts are concerned. Before being conscripted, he was often spotted at exhibitions across the country. He collected art and donated to a museum. A photo on soci

Some eight Buddhist artifacts on display at the Central Buddhist Museum next to Jogyesa, a Buddhist temple in central Seoul, were moved to the nearby National Palace Museum of Korea in a precautionary measure prompted by a fire. According to the Korea Heritage Service, eight artifacts requiring urgent relocation were transferred to the National Palace Museum of Korea for assessment and will be temporarily stored at the state museum located inside Gyeongbokgung, the main Joseon-period palace. The

South Korean culture has much more to offer than K-pop. Setting its sights on making South Korea one of the top five nations in terms of soft power, the state-run National Museum of Korea has been actively promoting Korean art and culture by providing grants to Korean galleries at overseas institutions through its Overseas Korean Galleries Support Program since 2009. A total of 23 museums in 10 countries are part of the program as of May this year. They include the Metropolitan Museum of Art in

The 2025 K-Culture Festival is set to kick off in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday, offering Malaysians an immersive experience into Korean culture. Co-hosted by the Korean Embassy in Malaysia and Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the 11-day event is a celebration of Korea’s expanding cultural presence, curated under the theme “Feel the Vibes, Savor the Flavors, and Explore with Style!” First launched in Terengganu last year, the festival returns with expanded programming that reflects Kor

At a time when visual images overflow, produced in excess by advances in technology, painters agonize over their role and how their work is received by viewers. Kukje Gallery brought together a group of young artists, born in the 1980s and '90s, at the exhibition “Next Painting: As We Are.” The gallery refers to the six artists -- Mackerel Safranski, Kim Se-eun, Yoo Sin-ae, Lee Eun-sae, Jeon Byung-koo and Jeong Yi-ji -- as “digital natives who naturally embody the media environment," but still s

For the next three months, an exhibition at the National Museum of Korea will look at how the first 200 years of Joseon (1392-1910) formed what is quintessentially the Korean identity today through exceptional artworks. The exhibition “Art of Early Joseon: Masterpieces from the 15th and 16th Century” illustrates the initiative and vibrancy the Joseon people projected as they fostered what would become Korea, according to Kim Jae-hong, the NMK director general, during a preview tour Monday. “Jose

The National Hangeul Museum is launching a new educational program dubbed "Atelier Hangeul" in Japan in June as part of a cultural exchange marking the 60th anniversary of Korea-Japan diplomatic relations. The hands-on educational program will familiarize participants with the Korean writing system while making unique leather craft items using Hangeul letters and traditional Korean patterns. Ten sessions will be held from Tuesday to Saturday at the Korean Cultural Centers in Tokyo and Osaka. Mor

Starting Monday, the 11th International Congress on Education in Botanic Gardens will be taking place at Seoul’s Coex for five days. Themed “Education for Change: The Role of Botanic Gardens in Addressing Global Challenges,” over 1,600 participants comprising practitioners, curators, academics, researchers and teachers from some 51 countries have gathered for the event, which takes place every two to four years. “With the accelerating dual crisis of climate change and biodiversity loss, it is mo

South Korea is turning up the charm this month with a series of craft exhibitions that celebrate the artistry found in everyday objects. The Korea Craft and Design Foundation is presenting "Hanji Objects: Embracing Wisdom" at Hanji House in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, through June 22. The exhibition spotlights "hanji," traditional Korean paper made from mulberry bark, and its evolving role over the centuries. Once primarily used for writing and books, hanji has long been repurposed into durable, l