Photographer Atta Kim, whose innovative, striking photographs have received much attention in the global art community, will return with a solo exhibition this week in Seoul, breaking his six-year hiatus in the Korean art world. Kim will present new images to wrap up the “On-Air” project that won him worldwide attention, as well as his previous works and introduce another ambitious, philosophical project at his upcoming exhibitions scheduled to be held in three parts for two years in his native

The office floor of Kim Chang-il, chairman of Arario Group, is strewn with artworks like a statement of his life as an art lover. Four stuffed deer studded with glass balls, an artwork of Japanese artist Kohei Nawa, greet visitors. Then the onlooker’s gaze is naturally drawn to a large photograph hanging in the reception room, and then to more photographs and paintings in other rooms, all of them seen through glass walls. Kim, 63, who boasts a number of occupations ― a businessman, an art collec

The Korea Railroad Corp. will launch train ticket sales for the Lunar New Year holiday from Jan. 7-10 on its website and at train stations nationwide. In an effort to prevent a ticket purchase rush, KORAIL will begin sales on different days for different routes. Sales will start with North Gyeongbu, North Chungcheong and North Gyeongsang lines on Jan. 7 and 8, followed by Honam, Jeolla and Janghang lines on Jan. 9 and 10. Tickets will be sold from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the website on Jan. 7 and 9.

More Russians are expected to visit Korea under a new visa-waiver program that took effect on Jan. 1.The visa exemption program allows Russian travelers to Korea to stay for 60 days without a visa. A total of 160,639 Russians visited Korea from January to November last year. They accounted for 1.4 percent of the total foreign arrivals in Korea. “The number will certainly go up because Russians don’t have to go through the complex visa application process anymore. We expect it will definitely inc

Dongdaemun, one of the largest commercial districts in Korea, will have its new face revealed with the opening of the latest masterpiece by star architect Zaha Hadid, in an ambitious Seoul Metropolitan Government project to establish a design and cultural hub in the capital. The Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Park will be unveiled in March amid anticipation that the new flashy building and its adjacent public park will attract citizens much like Korea’s first sports stadium originally located on th

HIVA OA, Marquesas Islands ― “If it’s Tuesday, it must be Ua Pou,” said Keith, stretched out on the adjacent mattress. One of a half-dozen passengers still asleep on the upper deck of the Aranui 3, he pushed up on his elbows to watch the dawn skitter over the waves.“It rained last night, just enough to cool us off,” he said, yawning. “Did you get wet?”I didn’t remember. But I was a lot cooler than I’d been the day before.That night had been pretty warm. Stuffy in the lounge. Stifling even, if yo

 Authentic ‘osechi’ cuisine at The Ritz-Carlton, SeoulHanazono, the Japanese restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Seoul, will be serving traditional osechi New Year cuisine as part of its special lunch and dinner menu from Jan. 1 to 7. The set meals will include miniature, single-serving osechi, in which each dish has a special meaning of its own, as well as sashimi, jorim (a boiled-down soy sauce dish), stew, glutinous rice and dessert. The osechi consist of prawns cooked in a special sauce, b

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (AP) ― This Mississippi River city is proud of its barbecue, its fried chicken, its soul food. But the food scene here is often stereotyped because of it. Those foods are what tourists typically obsess over, standing in line at Central BBQ for smoky ribs or Gus’s Fried Chicken for juicy drumsticks. When told that there’s a place in Memphis that makes standout Korean food like soups and noodle dishes with meat and seafood, some may scoff. But Crazy Noodle is real, and it might

Korea has seen double-digit growth in tourism over the last couple of years, with record annual growth of 11.3 percent last year, and is on track to welcome over 12 million visitors this year. But the strong Korean currency and changes in the political dynamics in Northeast Asia may put a stop to the fast growth next year, experts suggest. Korea earned 1.4 billion won ($1.3 million) from tourism in the January to October period, a 25 percent increase form the same period last year.According to t

Oakwood Premier Coex CenterServiced Residence/World Wide/Oakwood Premier COEX CenterThe Oakwood Premier Coex Center Seoul aims to upgrade its sophistication and luxury with the extensive renovation of its apartments. The serviced residence has undertaken a renovation project 11 years after opening. With the first phase just completed, giving a fresh look to the rooms, the second phase is expected to finish by April 2014 and will transform the overall ambience of the residence from classic to chi

It was ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics when the Korean galleries’ ambitions for entering the Chinese art market were at their highest. From 2005, major Korean galleries flocked to China in search of big spenders and potential buyers in the booming art market. The reality was different. Galleries struggled to make ends meet with skyrocketing rent, complex shipping processes and different art-market dynamics. Now Pyo Gallery 798 remains the sole Korean gallery in Beijing, once a hopeful place f

Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changgyeonggung Palace in Seoul will open until late at night in February, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Tuesday. The Changgyeonggung Palace will remain open until 10 p.m. and Gyeongbokgung Palace until 9 p.m. from Feb. 12-17, as part of the CHA’s cultural programs to help citizens and visitors immerse themselves in the rich history of the Joseon period. The CHA have set the quota for admission to 1,700 visitors a day at Changgyeonggung Palace and 1,500 at Gy

Portraits have been a popular medium for Chinese artists in expressing the political and social transitions experienced by modern China. China’s top-selling contemporary artists Yue Minjun and Zeng Fanzhi have conveyed the underlying conflicts behind those political and social changes in portraits that reflect social tension. But the strong expressions of social messages have gradually receded in paintings of emerging artists, who focus instead on emotions generally shared by an international au

The Korea Grand Sale runs from Jan. 3 until Feb. 16 throughout Korea. The annual sales event offers discounts on shopping and special offers at hotels and department stores. This year’s event includes the participation of 118 duty free shops, shopping malls, outlets, large supermarkets and theaters, along with 17 traditional markets. A total of 27,291 stores will provide discounts of up to 50 percent. During the sales period, 23 hotels in Korea will offer an extra one-night stay for foreign tour

New Year’s party at J.J. Mahoney’sGrand Hyatt Seoul’s J.J. Mahoney’s is holding year-end party “6IX SNOW NIGHTS AT JJ’S” the last week of December. The party will invite guests to the club hall decorated with a winter theme to enjoy a variety of events, including live performances by J.J.’s house band Storm and a guest DJ, and a dance contest. A lucky draw will be held during the party, offering coupons to use facilities at Grand Hyatt Seoul. On Dec. 31, guests will get to countdown to 2014 on t

Intensity filled the auction room as bidding for the 1987 “Farm” painting by modern artist Lee Dae-won climbed higher and higher at the second auction for the seized art collection of former President Chun Doo-hwan at Seoul Auction on Wednesday. In seconds, the bids soared from the 250 million won starting price to 640 million in a heated competition over the flamboyant painting that had hung in Chun’s living room. The bidding soon rose to 660 million won, which was followed by a pause. “No Regr

The biggest showcase of craftwork in Korea will be held from Thursday to Sunday at Coex in Seoul, presenting unique and creative works made by more than 600 artists.The 8th Craft Trend Fair will feature a wide range of craftworks such as tableware, home decor items, accessories, stationary and clothes designed by Korean, French and British artists. Craft galleries and lifestyle brands are also participating in the fair, presenting a diverse array of lifestyle objects and gift ideas for the holid

Koreans have chosen France and Australia as their most desired travel destinations, but with short vacation days, they settle for Hong Kong/Macao, China and Japan as realistic travel spots.According to a recent tourism trend survey conducted by the Korea Tourism Organization, France was voted the top destination that Koreans wished to visit if given more money and days off, followed by Australia, the mainland U.S., Hawaii and Italy. The survey was conducted among 1,000 Koreans aged 18 and over w

The Gaya Tumuli in South Gyeongsang Province’s Gimhae and Haman, clusters of tombs of kings and aristocrats of the Gaya Kingdom (A.D. 43-532), have been put on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. According to the Cultural Heritage Administration on Monday, the two sites were nominated as World Heritage Sites, to be evaluated by the World Heritage Committee for final listing.“Gimhae Daeseong-dong Tumuli and Haman Malisan Tumuli were recommended as candidates for the World Heritage

A residency program at Arts Council Korea has been dispatching artists to some of the most remote places in the world. Expeditions visit places such as the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, Lake Baikal in Siberian Russia and Antarctica. Starting in 2008, the residency program has sent out more than 100 artists, giving them time to find inspiration while being immersed in a new environment and culture. On Monday, four artists will depart for Antarctica on a mission to explore new ways to practice their ar