Jindo Miracle Sea Road Festival The Jindo Miracle Sea Road Festival will be held April 8-11. The island in South Jeolla Province is known for its indigenous Jindo dogs. The Jindo Miracle Sea Road is a 40-meter-wide, 2.8-kilometer-long path connecting two separate islands. It only appears for approximately an hour during extremely low tides. Open to visitors of all ages, the festival draws over 500,000 visitors every year. Admission is free. For more information in Korean, English, Japan

Though walking on water may not be possible, dancing on water is -- if you board the cruise music festival “It’s the Ship” this summer in Busan. The festival is a four-day-long journey of Electronic Dance Music party, held on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean. This summer, for the first time, it will sail the waters off the shores of South Korea, Aug. 28-31, making a round trip to Fukuoka, Japan. Launched in Singapore 2014 by an event management company, Livescape Gr

For Park Jong-seong, the harmonica is a sophisticated instrument with great versatility. The 34-year-old is a harmonica player, a rare profession in the local music scene. Although many pick up the instrument as a hobby, especially seniors, the number of professional harmonicists remains limited. Park is therefore unique, having won awards at international competitions in Japan, China and Germany. He has also released three solo albums. The third album, released in 2019, includes harmoni

Filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s dark comedy “Parasite” not only ruled the Oscars with its four wins, but also dominated social media, being the subject of more tweets than any other film from the event. “Parasite” won four awards at the Oscars: best picture, best director, best international feature film and best original screenplay. It was the first foreign language movie to win best picture in the 92-year history of the annual film event.  Since Jan. 13, when th

Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho made history with his feature film “Parasite,” winning four awards at the Oscars on Sunday, including the coveted award for best picture. “Parasite” became the second film ever to win the Palme d’Or and the Oscar for best picture together, after the 1955 romance film “Marty” by Delbert Mann.   The awards ceremony for the 92nd Academy Awards was held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday. Attended by renowned f

While filmmaker Bong Joon-ho made history with “Parasite” by winning the best picture award at the Oscars -- first non-English language film to get the honor and the first time in the event’s 92-year history that a foreign film has won four awards in a single night -- Lee Mi-kyung, vice chairwoman of CJ Group, thanked the Korean audience for their “straightforward opinions.”   Lee, also known as Miky Lee, is the executive producer of the film. “I would

Filmmaker Bong Joon-ho of “Parasite” won the best director at the 92nd Oscars held in Los Angeles, Monday. 　 “After winning (the best international feature), I thought I was done for the day and was ready to relax,” Bong said in his acceptance speech. “When I was young and studying cinema, there was a saying that I carved deep into my heart, which is ‘the most personal is the most creative,’” he said. “That quote came from our great Marti

After clinching the Oscar for best international feature, filmmaker Bong Joon-ho of “Parasite” said he is “very ready to drink.” The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently changed the name of the category from “best foreign language film” because the old name was seen as outdated. 　 　 “The category has a new name now, from foreign language film to international feature film. I am so happy to be its first recipient under the new name,&rdq

South Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won of “Parasite” won the best original screenplay award at the Oscars on Sunday. “It is a lonely job to write a film script. I am not writing to represent Korea, but it is the first Oscar to South Korea,” Bong said in his acceptance speech at the ceremony. “I thank my wife, who always inspired me, and the ‘Parasite’ actors who beautifully delivered the lines on screen.”   Bong shared the honor wi

A mother featured in an MBC documentary featuring her eight-month journey to reunited with her dead child through virtual reality has gone offline, saying she needed a break from the publicity. The mother, Jang Ji-seong, felt she had to shut down her blog, the producer of the documentary said on a radio show Friday. A video clip of the show uploaded on YouTube by the production team had garnered 6 million views as of Sunday. The production stemmed from the idea that VR technology can a

Ruby Valentine at Grand InterContinental Seoul The Lobby Lounge at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas presents “Ruby Chocolate Special” promotion for the upcoming Valentine‘s Day. The promotion features desserts made with chocolate and offers diamond-shaped ruby chocolate as an addition to the three-course meal and strawberry dessert buffet at Strawberry Gourmet Boutique. On Valentine’s Day, the meal and buffet will be available twice at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. “

Taean Tulip Festival Taean Tulip Festival is a picturesque event for both local residents and tourists alike with beautiful and vibrant tulips in full bloom. The festival venue is divided into multiple sections, which are decorated in different themes, allowing visitors to enjoy the sight of colorful tulips against creative and fun backdrops. The festival runs from April 14 to May 11 at the Korea Flower Park in Taean-gun, South Chungcheong Province. The event is open to visitors of all ages.

ULJIN, North Gyeongsang Province -- Though the east coast is a favorite summer destination for many, Uljin may not be foremost on the minds of holidaymakers. A three-hour drive from Seoul, Uljin is a quiet harbor community that too often stands in the shadow of the popular tourist towns Gangneung and Sokcho. Old shops and dockyards line the streets, giving Uljin a retro vibe. Though it may lack the sparkle of its better-known neighbors, Uljin -- with its hot springs and forests -- is a go-t

The Los Angeles Philharmonic, also known as the LA Phil, will hold “Seoul Festival” in 2021, appointing celebrated composer Chin Un-suk as the curator of the 10-day event. On Wednesday, the prestigious orchestra, led by music and artistic director Gustavo Dudamel, released its 2020-21 season program, including some of the programs for “Seoul Festival” which will be held from April 25 to May 4 next year.   LA Phil’s website says the city of Los Angeles is hom

The Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation released a list on Tuesday of four artists it calls the rising stars of 2020, along with a recital schedule through April. Since 2004, the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation has supported young, talented classical musicians in South Korea through the Kumho Rising Star series, selecting some 60 gifted musicians, including today’s hottest names such as violinists Kim Da-mi and Yang In-mo, and pianists Kim Da-sol, Kim Sun-wook and Sunwoo Yekwon.   Thi

The National Gugak Center recently released an English-language publication on the performing art scene in North Korea. The center has been publishing the Korean Musicology Series since 2007, aiming to promote understanding about traditional Korean arts, encouraging its globalization and international exchanges.  A total of 10 English-language books have been released, one each on pansori (traditional narrative singing), sanjo (instrumental music) and Korea’s traditional folk song

Relax muscles at Grand Hyatt Seoul Grand Hyatt Seoul’s The Spa presents the Muscle Release spa program for guests stressed out from the Lunar New Year holiday. The treatment begins with a scalp massage, followed by a body scrub and full-body massage using organic ginger oil. The Muscle Release treatment is priced at 198,000 won for 60 minutes or 264,000 won for 90 minutes. For more information, call Grand Hyatt Seoul at (02) 799-8808. Valentine’s Day at Mayfield Hotel Mayfie

20 for 2020 at Everland　 Everland theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, is to hold the “Hello My Twenties” event to celebrate the year 2020. In Korea, the number 20 symbolizes the beginning of adulthood, as students enroll in universities when they turn 20 by the Korean age system. The “Hello My Twenties” event aims to congratulate and encourage those who have just turned 20 and to remind those who are older of their 20s. Visitors can record special moments at a

Eyeglasses are more than a fashion accessory, being a necessity for those who need their vision corrected. Designer Yun Ji-yoon, who formerly worked at a fashion firm, fell in love with the practicality of eyeglasses. She joined hands with her father Yun Chul-joo -- who has been in the eyewear business for around 30 years -- to launch eyewear brand Yun, naming the brand after the family name. The Yun family all pitched in the business, and launched the label’s first shop in Berlin in

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of maestro Beethoven’s birth, a contemporary music recital will be held at Kumho Art Hall on Thursday, featuring up-and-coming composer-conductor Choi Jae-hyuck and his chamber music ensemble. Since 2017 -- the 190th anniversary of Beethoven’s death -- the art hall, under the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation, has featured a series of 25 programs in homage to the maestro, ranging from piano and violin solo performances to chamber music recital