With the number of users of ChatGPT, an interactive artificial intelligence chatbot, exceeding 100 million worldwide, the publishing industry in Korea is seeing a rapid rise in the number of publications and sales related to ChatGPT. A total of 17 books on ChatGPT, including preorders, were published in February. The sales of the related books in January increased 3.4 times compared to the previous month, and the number soared to 94.5 times in February, according to a recent report by Yes24, Kor

Can AI write its own book? The question prompted one Korean editor to test just how far ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot, could go. “45 Ways to Find a Purpose in Life,” published by Snowfox Books, is the first book officially authored by ChatGPT in Korea, and having hit the shelves on Feb. 21. It only took seven days from the time of its writing to its first sale, according to Seo Jin, CEO and the book’s editor at Snowfox Books. The entire process of writing, editing

An exhibition, three plays and eight lectures under the theme of "Age, Age, Age" make up this year's annual program at the Doosan Humanities Theater, which showcases exhibitions, plays and lectures that explore contemporary themes. The programmed events will take place at the Doosan Art Center and Doosan Gallery in Jongno-gu, Seoul, from April 3 to July 15. “Korea is an aging society. We are living longer while the birth rate is dropping," said Doosan Humanities Theater

It's difficult to express emotions, especially when the emotion itself isn't clearly defined by language. In Korea, there’s a complex, multi-faceted emotion called “jeong,” which is deeply rooted in Korean culture. "Jeong" is often described as a feeling of affection or attachment that arises from a sense of emotional connection. It is sometimes characterized by feelings of warmth, fondness or longing and yearning for someone or something. But after watching

On a lazy Saturday afternoon, the cheerful buzz of crowds and live music filled the air, complimented by fresh vegetable crops and colorful flowers on display in front of the National Theater of Korea's Haeorem Grand Theater, in central Seoul. Hosted by the National Theater of Korea, the “Art in Marche” is an open-air eco-friendly crop market where some 50 teams of farmers, artisanal food vendors and handicraftsmen offer their products. This year’s spring chapter of the &l

A newly established series of literary and translation prizes, which aims to discover emerging talent in Korean literature and Korean-English translation, has completed its selection of inaugural winners with an announcement of its translation winner earlier this week, according to the series organizer, Charm Agency, this week. On Tuesday, Jenny Jisun Kim, a US-based translator and visual artist, was named the winner of the New Translator Prize for her translation of Dolki Min’s “Set

A family day out at Children’s Grand Park Located in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Children’s Grand Park is the perfect destination for a fun family day out. The park houses an amusement park which offers a wide range of family-friendly attractions and activities that are suitable for children of all ages. The park features thrilling rides for older children, who should not miss the opportunity to try out the Wave Swinger and the Drop Tower. In particular, the Family Coaster is wildly popular

South Korean novelist Cheon Myeong-kwan’s “Whale” has been longlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize, one of the three most prestigious literary awards in the world. "Whale," a story of an ambitious woman making something of herself in the world, was among the 13 preliminary nominations that were announced by the organizer on Tuesday. “Right now, I am just nonchalant because it has been so long, almost 20 years, since I wrote the book, that I have nearl

The Universal Ballet is set to capture the unique emotion of “jeong” through the language of ballet expressed with traditional Korean music in "Korea Emotion," which kicks off the company's 2023 season this week. “Korea Emotion,” choreographed by the company's artistic director Liu Bingxian, will be performed at the Haeoreum Grand Theater from Friday to Sunday. “Jeong” is an emotion for which it is hard to find an English equivalent. It is

South Korean novelist Cheon Myeong-kwan's "Whale," has been longlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize, one of the three largest literary awards in the world, the award's organizer announced Tuesday. “Whale,” translated by Chi-Young Kim and published by Europa Editions on Jan. 19, was among the 13 preliminary nominees for the British prize, established in 2005 to honor an author and translator equally for a single work of fiction translated into English. T

The Paris Opera Ballet has appointed Guillaume Diop to its highest “etoile” title, marking the first time a black dancer has reached the top rank of honor reserved for just a handful of dancers in the company's 354-year history. "In the life of the dancers at the Paris Opera Ballet, there is a rare and collective moment which we share with the public at the end of the performance,” said director Jose Martinez in making the announcement on stage after Diop’s perf

Bestselling author Gu Byeong-mo of “Wizard Bakery” and “The Old Woman with the Knife” has released a collection of 13 short stories that offers a unique glimpse into the writer’s style and imagination. “The Book of Lorem Ipsum,” published by Anonbooks, hit bookstore shelves on Jan. 31. The 50-page collection of short stories consists of pieces that were previously published in magazines or anthologies beginning 2017, as well as four previously unpublishe

The number of active Hallyu fans around the world reached 178 million in 2022, according to an annual report published by the Korea Foundation in cooperation with overseas missions, Friday. The figure is about an 18-fold increase from 9.26 million in 2012, when the Korea Foundation’s survey was launched. In comparison, the population of Hallyu fans at 178 million would place it as the eighth-largest country in the world, just bigger than Bangladesh while trailing Brazil. The general report

The Jeju Fire Festival, this year's iteration of which kicked off Thursday, has decided to cancel the program's highlights involving actual fire due to safety concerns, according to the organizers on late Thursday. Several events scheduled for Friday and Saturday, including the festival's highlight, the Oreum Fire Lighting, were canceled as a series of wildfires have recently broken out in other areas in Korea amid the dry weather. Other performances, concerts and programs will go

Changgyeonggung's Grand Greenhouse under the stars With spring just around the corner, the Grand Greenhouse inside Changgyeonggung invites visitors to taken an enchanting stroll through the palace garden. Located in Jongno-gu, Seoul, the Joseon-period palace offers a peaceful retreat in the heart of the bustling city, having recently reopened its nighttime viewings in March, As you walk through the gates and into the palace court, the night lights cast a dreamy glow on the surroundings, cas

The production team of the Netflix show “Physical: 100” disclosed the original video recordings of the show's final match and emphasized that “there was no manipulation of the results.” The reality survival program, which aimed to find the fittest among 100 contestants, crowned CrossFit athlete and snowboarder Woo Jin-yong as the winner after the final “rope pulling” match against Olympic cyclist Jung Hae-min on Feb. 21. However, controversy arose when ru

The National Gugak Center is scheduled to go on a nationwide tour to perform Jongmyo Jeryeak, which is royal ancestral ritual music featured at Jongmyo Shrine. The tour will be followed by an overseas tour later in the year. The tour will start at Sejong Art Center in Yeongi-gun, Sejong City on Saturday. It will then be performed at Yeak-dang in the National Gugak Center in Seoul from June 14-16, followed by performances at the Daejeon Municipal Yeonjeong Korean Traditional Music Center on July

The Paris Opera Ballet, one of the leading ballet companies in the world, is set to stage “Giselle,” an iconic French romantic ballet, from Wednesday to Saturday. The oldest national ballet company in the world premiered the piece in 1841, and will be performing in Korea for the first time in 30 years. The same piece was performed in Korea in 1993. “‘Giselle’ is a performance that best captures the characteristics of French ballet,” said Jose Martinez, directo

Four Korean picture books received special mention at the BolognaRagazzi Award this week, as part of the Bologna Children's Book Fair held in Italy. “Moving Away,” written and illustrated by Lee Ji-yeon, was given special mention in the Fiction category. “This exquisitely designed leporello … invites the reader to follow a magnified ant trail through the garden where a child is playing,” said the jury. "The Blue: Bench" written and illustrated by mia

Standing tall at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul is a statue of Adm. Yi Sun-shin, one of the most celebrated figures in Korean history, a national hero who prevailed over the Japanese invaders during the Imjin War (1592-1598). Yi didn’t start his career in the Navy. He was serving in the Army when he was stripped of his rank by adversaries who were jealous of his talent. But 14 months before Japan invaded Korea in 1592, Yi was appointed commander of the Left Jeolla Naval District. It w