Bringing some of the finest artworks to those less privileged or living in remote areas is a goal the National Museum of Korea intends to pursue this year, among other priorities, the state-run institution said Wednesday. “Last year, our museums, including us and all the 13 spread across the country, set a milestone, breaking through the 10-million mark in annual attendance,” said Yoon Sung-yong, director general of the NMK, during a press conference on Wednesday. The museum will bui

For South Korea, the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, the first-ever Winter Games the country hosted, spotlighted a decadeslong push to raise Korea’s global profile as a nation that is as much invested in giving back to the international community as it is in advancing its interests. The PyeongChang 2018 Legacy Foundation looks to build on that legacy as it searches for its role in empowering youth, after the two-week Winter Youth Olympics kicked off Friday in Gangwon Province. Korea is the firs

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the annual K-Royal Culture Festival will offer more convenient access to visitors. For the first time, foreign nationals will be able to buy tickets themselves online via a designated link for the annual event involving the five main palaces in Seoul connected with the Joseon era (1392-1910), according to the Cultural Heritage Administration on Monday. The CHA is also planning to sell 10,000 all-pass tickets, up from the previous 1,000. The all-pass ticket offer

A private university in Chile has opened a space dedicated to learning about Korea, bringing the tally of such spaces worldwide to 34, the Culture Ministry said Friday. The state-run National Library of Korea provided the materials for the space. “Window on Korea,” as the space is officially named, at la Universidad Central de Chile has some 1,607 books about Korea. The university is the only institution offering a master’s degree in Korean Studies in all of Central and South A

Butter in Gangnam At a glance, the shop looks like a toy store, making passersby wonder how it manages to pay rent in this prime retail area, less than a five-minute walk from bustling Gangnam Station. But it doesn’t take long to figure out that the shop, Butter, stays afloat selling household goods. Almost every item on the shelves or hanging on the walls features characters including those from children’s movies such as animated comedy “Minions.” From stationery and hom

Haeundae Lighting Festival Streets, markets and shops close to the popular Haeundae Beach in Busan will be lit up every day from 05:30 p.m. through midnight during the Haeundae Lighting Festival, which runs to the end of January. Visitors can get snaps at the photo zone and have them developed right away for a fee of 1,000 won or 2,000 won, depending on the size. Those who make a purchase at nearby markets and shops will receive raffle tickets. For more information, visit haeundae.go.kr/tour

The government has decided to close down the Korean Culture and Information Service, the agency tasked with promoting South Korea overseas, handing over the role to the Culture Ministry to bolster its power to oversee interagency efforts toward expanding Korea’s soft power overseas. The move announced Thursday was largely expected, with Culture Minister Yu In-chon hinting at the change in December, two months after taking office. At a meeting Wednesday with the heads of government bodies l

Nighttime tours will be available from as early as April this year at Changgyeonggung, one of the five royal palaces in Seoul connected with the Joseon era (1392-1910), the Cultural Heritage Administration said Monday. The program, already available in the three other agency-run palaces including the main palace Gyeongbokgung, is most likely to take place April 27 through May 5. Gyeonghuigung is under supervision by the Seoul city government. During that period, the CHA also holds its annual K-R

For the late Choi Young-do, a prolific antiquities collector, earthenware represented “radiating warmth and charm.” Choi is one of 114 donors recognized Thursday as the National Museum of Korea unveiled its renovated donor galleries, showcasing 1,671 pieces ranging from pottery and craft to paintings and relief, following a two-year overhaul. “Pottery in particular was of interest to my father and he made it his mission to ‘protect what’s rightfully Korea’s,&r

Expect to see more “mobile museums” around the country as containers equipped to allow visitors to not only see artifacts but to feel what it is like touring cultural heritage sites will be stationed at more schools and other institutions from March to November. The Cultural Heritage Administration will operate more mobile museums where underprivileged students, people with disabilities and seniors can have immersive cultural experiences, the state agency said Friday, in an effort to

Templestay at Naesosa Immerse yourself in Buddhist culture by starting the day with prostrations and the sound of the “moktak,” a wooden percussion instrument used by Buddhist monks. Naesosa, a temple in Buan County, North Jeolla Province, has a staff dedicated to assist overseas visitors who want to take part in its templestay program. A total of 137 temples of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism offer three types of templestay programs: One-day programs, experience-oriented programs

Seoul Lantern Festival Held annually since 2009, the Seoul Lantern Festival is again taking place across Gwanghwamun Square and just to the south of it at Cheonggye Plaza and Seoul Plaza. The lights come on from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. every day through Jan. 21. Also open at the same time is the Gwanghwamun Square Market, potentially the largest winter flea market in the capital. Seasonal goods including crafts and street food are offered. Both cash and credit cards are accepted at the stores. Bot

A quartet consisting of a Buddhist monk, Protestant pastor, Catholic priest and Won Buddhist cleric aspires to dance its way to the UN like the K-pop sensation BTS did in 2021 to send a message on happiness. “That’s a wild dream,” said the Venerable Sungjin, a Buddhist monk, speaking of the group’s plan for the year at a press conference marking the publication of their first book on Monday in Seoul. The book, “We May Have Different Religions, but Life’s Worri

South Korean researchers have identified how royal processions in the Joseon era (1392-1910) evolved over time. Released by the Cultural Heritage Administration on Tuesday, the study found that Joseon kings in the latter years saw their roles expanded in the procession to royal tombs. The change in “neunghaeng,” or visits to the graves of Joseon kings and queens, aimed to reinforce the ruling Yi family’s legitimacy, the study said. The guards accompanying the king in the proces

The Cultural Heritage Administration held a ceremony Tuesday to celebrate the designation of an 802-year-old bell from the Goryeo Kingdom as a National Treasure. Known as the “Bronze Bell of Naesosa,” a Buddhist temple in North Jeolla Province, the bell was named a National Treasure two weeks ago, an elevation of its status from Treasure, also a state designation. “It’s a textbook bell of the 13th century,” said Choi Eung-chon, the CHA chief, in a speech, noting the

South Korean state-run museums will present a diverse range of exhibitions this year, including cultural exhibits on India and Native Americans, and a retrospective on South Korea’s modern history. Through mid-April, the National Museum of Korea is showcasing early Buddhist art from India. The first-ever exhibition on the topic in Korea features 97 pieces brought together from museums in India, the US, the UK and Germany. The show is an adaptation of “Tree & Serpent: Early Buddhi

Authorities will soon roll out technologies that can better protect cultural heritage from natural disasters, the result of a yearlong project, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Monday. According to the agency, special structures will be used to shield historic sites from disasters like wildfires and technologies using radiation analysis will be available to identify the best preservation methods. A center dedicated to employing high-end technologies will be set up, the agency added. &ld

Mother-of-pearl lacquerware dating back to the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392) represents a work of art of exceptional sophistication recognized worldwide -- a reason to make continuous efforts to reclaim other similar pieces located overseas, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration. At a lecture Wednesday dedicated to the topic, Choi Eung-chon, the CHA’s chief since May 2022, recalled the repatriation of a lacquered mother-of-pearl box inlaid with chrysanthemum and vine scrolls, or &l

All-in-one park in Paju At First Garden Park in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, visitors can try everything from riding a train that runs across the park to fishing for smelt. Street food is available too. The festivities run through the end of February. All-inclusive tickets, covering up to six attractions and sledding without snow, are priced at 27,000 won for admissions starting at 11 a.m., and 23,000 won for those entering the park after 1 p.m. The fees are the same for adults and children. For

The National Museum of Korea and its 13 regional museums across the country attracted 10,471,154 visitors combined last year, breaking through the barrier of 10 million for the first time. According to the state-run institution on Thursday, the number of visitors rose 17.1 percent on-year, exceeding the previous record of 9,980,837 in 2019. NMK officials attribute the surge to special exhibitions regularly held at museums, citing in particular collections donated by the late Samsung Group Chairm