Author Kwon Yeo-sun's “Seasons of Its Own” sits at the top of the annual “Book of the Year from 50 Writers” list recently released by Kyobo Book Center, once again proving Kwon as a writer's writer. The year-end list initiated by Kyobo Book Center, the country's largest bookstore, in 2016 features recommendations from 50 fiction writers who share their favorite books. Each writer can recommend up to five titles. The 2023 list includes releases from November

Icelandic pianist Vikingur Olafsson passionately confessed his deep affection for Johann Sebastian Bach and the “Goldberg Variations.” "I have been dreaming about recording the Goldberg Variations for 25 years, so most of my life,” said the 39-year-old musician during a press conference held at Geoam Art Hall in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Thursday. Reflecting on the moment he first encountered the piece through pianist Glenn Gould's performance at the age of 14, Olafsson r

Chewy rusk? Experimental bakery at Haebangchon Located on the way down the steep Haebangchon hill, O’pato, which has been loved for its homely European brunch and dining menu from soup to sandwiches, has newly opened a bakery offering a variety of experimental but irresistible bread. Although the bakery opened just a month ago, O’pato bakery’s chewing bread -- a chewy rusk made with a whole loaf of bread or salted butter roll -- has gone viral and can be purchased online and d

Bulgarian writer Ivan Vozov's "Under the Yoke," one of the best-known works of classic Bulgarian literature, is among five foreign literary works selected for the 2023 Grants for Translation of World Classics, the Dasan Foundation said Wednesday. The works selected have yet to be released in Korean due to difficulty in translation or lack of commercial interest. “The Torch in My Ear” by Elias Canetti, “Virgin Soil” by Ivan Turgenev, an essay collection from

The Korea Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) and Pinkfong Company have jointly created an English booklet titled, “Let’s Explore Korea with Pinkfong and Baby Shark,” introducing South Korea and Korean culture to children worldwide. The creator behind “Baby Shark” and other children's songs, which feature animated animal characters, takes a playful approach as Baby Shark hears from Grandma Shark about a treasure box she obtained during her trip to Korea. Pi

Inspired by the true story of a Joseon court lady and a French diplomat who fell in love with her, the musical "Lee Jin: The Woman of Light" brings to life the poignant love story set in the dramatic final years of the Korean Empire. Yi Jin (also spelled Lee Jin) is a court dancer who meets a newly arrived French envoy, Victor Collin de Plancy. As they teach each other their languages and waltz together, Yi yearns for freedom and dreams of a new life. Playwright Jung Ho-yoon said he dr

"An apple has fallen. The Earth felt excruciating pain as it was breaking apart. The final." Thirteen actors chant the poem “The Final” by writer-poet Yi Sang over and over at Yi’s funeral. Meanwhile, Yi's eyes pop open at the altar. He senses someone touching his face to create his death mask. He is bewildered by everything around him, as the actors chant: "Why am I lying here? Why are these people crying by my side? What does my face look like?" Yi Sa

Christmas-themed media facade in Myeong-dong Shinsegae Department Store in Myeong-dong, Seoul, has become a must-visit Christmas spot in the city. The building’s facade has been transformed into a splendid Christmas lights display with the theme of “Magical Winter Fantasy.” Once the Mitsukoshi Department Store in the 1930s during the Japanese colonial era, the building holds historical significance, and started to grab attention a couple of years ago during the holiday season

Comedian Yang Se-hyung has ventured into the realm of literature with his newly published poetry collection, "Path of the Stars" (Storyseller). Prior to this, he touched the viewers' hearts when he spontaneously composed and recited "Path of the Stars" on the episode of SBS’s variety show "Master in the House” which aired in June 2018. More recently, a video of Yang’s congratulatory verses for fellow comedians' weddings garnered attention on

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea announced the winners of the 2023 Korea Translation Award on Wednesday, with four translators clinching the grand prizes this year. This year’s grand prizes were awarded to Kim Hye-gyeong and Jean-Claude de Crescenzo for their French translation of Lee Seung-u’s “Cantant”; Oh Young-a for her Japanese translation of Cho Hae-jin’s “Simple Sincerity”; and Lia Iovenitti for her Italian translation of Kim Hye-jin&

Actors and musicians have come together for a relay performance to bid a heartfelt farewell to the Hakchon Theater, an iconic venue for Korean performing arts in Seoul's Daehangno district. Established in March 1991, the Hakchon Theater will close its doors on March 15, its 33rd anniversary, due to chronic financial difficulties and CEO Kim Min-gi's health issues. Upon hearing the news, singer Park Hak-ki gathered fellow artists and created the "Hakchon Again'' project -

A grand-scale production featuring a blend of traditional Korean instrumental music, Western orchestra, "pansori" (Korean traditional narrative singing), choir and dance will celebrate the year's end at the National Theater of Korea (NTOK). Three state companies -- the National Changgeuk Company of Korea, the National Dance Company of Korea and the National Orchestra of Korea -- affiliated with the NTOK have joined forces to mark the 50th anniversary of the theater's relocati

MADRID -- The Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) in Spain's capital boasts a rich history dating back to its establishment in 1293. As one of the world's oldest universities, it recently added Korean as a minor course within the Department of Asian Studies in 2021. Professor Yang Eun-sook, who has led Korean Studies at the university for 15 years, expressed a renewed sense of excitement for the future during an interview with The Korea Herald in October. Yang anticipates that Korea

A dark comedy about creature comforts and an exploration of tightrope walking were announced as the winners of the inaugural 2023 Korea Picture Book Award, jointly granted by the Culture Ministry and the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea (KPIPA), on Monday. Kwon Jung-min's fiction piece, "The Disappeared Dinner," and Minha's non-fiction, "A Round of Tightrope Walking," won top honors in their respective categories. "The Disappeared Dinner" (Ch

Madrid -- On a Friday evening in October, at the King Sejong Institute of the Korean Cultural Center in Madrid, Spain, two Korean language courses -- the N1 beginner class and the N5 advanced class -- were held, in a quite distinct atmosphere. The Spain branch of the King Sejong Institute provides a preparatory course and four regular intensive courses (N1-4), along with two nine-month-long courses (N5,6). The N5 and N6 advanced classes run from March to December, while the rest of the N-courses

"Break Up Care Insurance" By Lee Hee-young Giant Books We have insurance for our bodies, properties, cars and medical expenses, but a new novel asks: why don’t we have insurance for our emotions? Young adult fiction author Lee Hee-young, in her 10th novel, introduces the concept of BU Care Insurance, or breakup care insurance. This insurance involves a breakup consultant who helps clients with their emotional (and at times, physical) well-being and recovery after breakups. The na

"Passing Through Winter" (a literal translation of the Korean title) By Cho Hae-jin Jakka Publishing Author Cho Hae-jin has unveiled her latest novel, “Passing Through Winter," marking her return to the literary scene after two years. Known for consistently narrating the stories of marginalized individuals, Cho takes readers on yet another poignant journey. The narrative revolves around the protagonist, who, after the heartbreaking loss of her mother to pancreatic cancer, mo

"Mars and I" By Bae Myung-hoon Rabbit Hole In Bae Myung-hoon’s latest adventure into the world of science fiction, the red planet Mars takes center stage. The author of the bestselling novels, “Tower,” “Launch Something!” and “Future Past Tense” has been at the vanguard of the science fiction genre in Korea for the past decade amid its growing popularity. In the compilation of short stories titled, "Mars and I," Bae weaves six tales,

“The World to Protect” is a poignant narrative of a Korean language teacher interwoven with the history of South Korea’s labor movement and pressing issues in public education, written by Moon Kyung-min, a 22-year veteran elementary school teacher. "As a teacher and a novelist, this was a story I had with me for a long time. It was the one I could best tell,” said Moon at a recent press conference in Seoul. “The World to Protect” won the 13th Honbul Liter

On a chilly Saturday afternoon, a group of people dressed in Buddhist vests and pants strolled slowly around a pagoda at Jogyesa, making wishes and touring different corners of the Buddhist temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul. What seemed like a customary temple stay turned out to be an unusual affair. The 20 men and women were participating in a “dating” temple stay. They were gathered for the purpose of finding potential romantic partners over the weekend. "Meeting Temple Stay," o