Groove to LP sounds at Music Complex Seoul The Music Complex Seoul, located inside the Anyoung Insadong shopping center in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, offers the special experience of listening to music in an old-fashioned yet captivating way -- via records on turntables. Adorned with retro red wallpaper and neon lights, the Music Complex Seoul boasts a music library with over 20,000 vinyl LPs. Choose a record from the shelves and bring it to your table to play it on one of the many turntables and

The National Changgeuk Company of Korea is making a grand return to the stage with one of its most most unconventional repertoires, "Farewell My Concubine.” Premiered in the spring of 2019 and met with sold-out shows during its fall run, this "changgeuk" is a blend of traditional Korean and Peking operas, brought to life through the collaborative efforts of creative teams from Korea and Taiwan. Set in the turbulent Spring and Autumn Period in ancient China, "Farewell My

The inaugural World Pansori Festival, organized by the World Pansori Association, took place Tuesday and Wednesday, celebrating the 20th anniversary of UNESCO's recognition of "pansori," at the Seoul Namsan Gukakdang in Jung-gu, central Seoul. Pansori is a traditional genre of musical storytelling performed by a vocalist accompanied by a drummer. It is characterized by the deliverance of an epic tale by a single singer, who weaves together folktales using an expressive form of sin

French writer Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio, recipient of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Literature, talked about myth and Jeju Island in a lecture at the Kyobo Building in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, on Friday. Titled “The Myth and the Tale,” the lecture was hosted by the Daesan Foundation. Le Clezio emphasized the significance of myths, describing them as collective fictional creations. “Myths are collective fictional creations … and Korea has a rich source of inspiration through its

Memories may fade with time, but the genuine emotions within the memories persist, Bora Jin, an author and winner of the 2022 New Korean Voice Prize, said about her debut novel, “A Prescription for You From Memory Care.” The award was launched by the New York-based Barbara J. Zitwer Agency in collaboration with the Charm Agency in Seoul to discover new voices in the Korean literary scene. After Jin's win a year ago, the book was published in August. The inspiration for the novel

Novelist Hyun Ki-young became the oldest recipient of the Daesan Literary Awards Monday for his latest three-volume novel, "Oh, Jejudo” (Changbi Publishers), which narrates the whirlpool of Jeju Island myths and tales following the history of the island from the late Joseon period, the Japanese colonial period to the April 3 uprising and tragedy. “I am quite embarrassed to receive an award at this age when I should be giving out (awards),” said the 82-year-old writer durin

"Condolences for the Lost Time" (a literal translation of the Korean title) By Kim Hong-shin Hainaim Kim Hong-shin, the author of Korea's first million-selling novel, "Human Market" (1981), meets readers with "Condolences for the Lost Time," a narrative that delves into the torment and redemption of a person unfairly stigmatized by a group. The story begins with Han Seo-jin's daughter, Ja-in, reading her father's posthumous letter and retracing his li

"Ground Explorers" By Kim Cho-yeop Publion Best-selling science fiction writer Kim Cho-yeop has published her second full-length novel in two years. While her first novel, “Greenhouse at the End of the Earth,” which sold over 150,000 copies, told a story about plants taking over the Earth, her latest dystopian sci-fi novel, “Ground Explorers,” deals with fungi. Fungal spores that spread madness to humans take over the Earth, driving humans into dark, musty und

"Art on Fire" By Yun Ko-eun EunHaeng NaMu Publishing Author Yun Ko-eun, the winner of the prestigious CWA Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger in 2021 for the novel "The Disaster Tourist” (translated by Lizzie Buehler), returns with the black comedy "Art on Fire." The story follows an artist named Ahn Yi-ji, who once aspired to be a painter but now makes a living as a delivery rider. One day, she receives an interesting offer from a foundation called the Robert Foun

The National Theater of Korea will screen three plays in November as part of “NTOK Live+,” a program introducing prominent overseas theatrical performances. Three classic plays -- Shakespeare’s “Othello,” Euripides’ “Medea” and Chekhov’s “The Seagull” -- have been reinterpreted by the National Theatre in London, the International Theater Amsterdam and the Jamie Lloyd Company in London, respectively. All three works are being scree

The Korean National Ballet is set to mesmerize audiences with "The Wayward Daughter" ("La Fille Mal Gardee" in French), a delightful comic ballet that portrays the love story of an ordinary couple. The performance is scheduled to take place at the Seoul Arts Center's Opera Theater from Nov. 8 to 12. Choreographed by Jean Dauberval in 1789, this ballet piece stands as one of the oldest surviving full-length ballets. Last year, the Korean National Ballet introduced its ren

This weekend may be the last chance to see the red and gold fall foliage at its peak in Seoul. N Seoul Tower is where you can enjoy the autumn colors while hiking the trail to the tower on top of Namsan. If you arrive at the top at night, you can enjoy panoramic views of central Seoul as well as check out Namsan Octagonal Pavilion. On top of N Seoul Tower is n.Grill, a French restaurant that offers a prix fixe menu for lunch and dinner. The restaurant rotates, giving a complete 360-degree panora

If literature has one pivotal purpose, it is the very act of imagining what lies beyond our own life and language, and the attempt to think about the lives of others, according to Austrian novelist Christoph Ransmayr, winner of the 12th Pak Kyongni Prize. “It's not possible to define what literature is. But the attempt to understand unfamiliar environments and people through literature, at the very least, helps eliminate biases towards others and encourages an attempt to bring about c

A new contemporary performance taking place in Seoul gently lulls its audience to sleep. The three-hour performance of "Zzz," which kicked off Tuesday at the Quad in Daehagno, allows the audience to lie down and take a nap at any time during the show. Choreographer Hwang Soo-hyun, known for "Sense of Black" and "Cavae," has long strived to break the barriers between the stage and the audience, delving into unique sensory experiences during her performances. In April

MADRID -- With the flourishing popularity of Korean culture, now is the time to contemplate its sustainability and expansion, according to the newly appointed director of the Korean Cultural Center in Madrid. Shin Jae-kwang, who took on the role in September, sat down with The Korea Herald for an interview at the Korean Cultural Center in Madrid on Oct. 19. He expressed his hope to not only extend the influence of K-pop and K-drama, but also to broaden the scope of Hallyu to encompass various cu

Acclaimed South Korean author Han Kang’s latest novel, “I Do Not Bid Farewell,” has earned a spot on the shortlists for two prestigious literary awards in France, according to the book's Korean publisher. “I Do Not Bid Farewell,” translated to French by Kyungran Choi and Pierre Bisiou, has so far been shortlisted for the Prix Femina for foreign literature and Prix Medicis for foreign literature -- on Oct. 24 and Oct. 18, respectively -- according to Munhakdongn

On the night of Oct. 29, 2022, 159 young lives were lost in a packed alley in Itaewon, Seoul. The book "We Are in Itaewon Now," (a literal translation of the Korean title) (Changbi Publishers), released ahead of the first anniversary of the tragedy, is the first published collection of interviews of the survivors and the bereaved families. "I trust ordinary people. If they are given the right information and the facts, even those who cursed and criticized (the victims) will change

The story of Adm. Yi Sun-sin, one of the most celebrated figures in Korean history, who led the country to victory against the Japanese invaders during the Imjin War (1592-1598), has been reimagined in diverse mediums, including drama series, movies, novels and even a graphic novel in English. Set to premiere in November, “Sun-sin,” a genre-bending production by the Seoul Performing Arts Company brings together accomplished artists from various performing arts backgrounds, including

MADRID -- A grand mosaic wall art installation by New York-based Korean artist Kang Ik-joong has made its Spanish debut, featuring more than 6,000 hand-drawn Korean characters on tile canvases. The 6,072 three-by-three-inch tiles, covering three walls at the Korean Cultural Center's exhibition space in the Spanish capital, were created by around 365 students studying the Korean language in Spain. They were asked to inscribe their favorite Korean phrases, or the things they know, along with

MADRID -- Heavy rainfall in Madrid caused the city to declare a red alert for adverse weather conditions at 3 p.m. on Thursday. Several subway stations and city parks were shut down, but the downpour did not dampen the spirit of the crowd who had gathered to celebrate a vibrant display of art and Korean culture. About 150 people gathered at the Korean Cultural Center in Spain to attend the opening of the public installation work “Things I Know” -- a colorful series of wise words writ