The Educational Broadcasting System is finally taking action to protect its copyrights over the popular character Pengsoo, after numerous infringements since the beloved penguin debuted last year. The broadcasting company announced Friday that it had signed a contract with the MIJU Law Firm, which specializes in intellectual property rights infringement issues online. “EBS and MIJU Law Firm already investigated both online and offline cases of copyright infringement of Pengsoo. We are

The winner of TV Chosun’s hit talent audition show “Mr. Trot” will be announced Saturday, after the broadcaster failed to name the winner on its Thursday’s episode, citing an unprecedented number of text message votes from viewers. “Mr. Trot” was to announce the winner at the end of Thursday’s episode, aggregating the scores by the panel of judges and text message voting from viewers after the final round of competition. However, as the show neared t

When Park Jin-ryoung, a Daegu resident, saw people waiting in line for hours to buy a face mask -- a must-have survival item in the city, which accounts for nearly 70 percent of COVID-19 cases in South Korea -- her thoughts went to people in need. So she took out her sewing machine. She visited offline and online stores to buy the materials she needed to make 120 fabric face masks: elastic braids, wire cords, filters and fabric. Park and her two daughters -- whose elementary school graduatio

Video art pioneer Paik Nam-june’s retrospective exhibition will open Friday at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam in the Netherlands, the second stop of the exhibition’s international tour. Titled “The Future is Now,” the show will feature more than 200 works by the artist, including those in the museum’s collection. The exhibition will run through Aug. 23. The major retrospective exhibition of Paik is on a two-year international tour, starting at the Tate Modern i

With the spread of COVID-19 continuing for more than 50 days, museums and galleries have begun to seek ways to provide cultural experiences for people who are isolating themselves at home and minimizing social activities. The National Museum of Korea, which is temporarily closed due to the spread of the new coronavirus, said Monday that it would stream its special exhibition, “10,000 Years of Design - Man, Matter, Metamorphosis” at 7 p.m. on Friday through Naver TV, at https://tv.

Chung Min-su, who has three bichon frise dogs at home, began to worry about the possibility of her pets catching COVID-19 after hearing news last week that a dog had tested positive for the new coronavirus in Hong Kong. The outbreak has now affected more than 7,000 people in South Korea. “I am more cautious when I am with my dogs in an enclosed space with other people, like in an elevator,” Chung said. “When I walk my dogs outside, they sniff around everywhere, and I freak ou

“The Aesthetic Consciousness of Korean Modern Art” By Lee Joo-young Misulmunhwa Visual Arts Publication Though we may come across some Korean modern and contemporary artworks, not many realize the philosophies and backgrounds embedded in the artworks. The book “The Aesthetic Consciousness of Korean Modern Art,” written in Korean and published in February, digs into the common characteristics of Korea’s modern and contemporary artworks. Lee Joo-young, the head

Many art galleries and museums here have shut down or postponed exhibitions due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and more people are in self-imposed isolation as part of social distancing to prevent the spread of the respiratory illness. But, there is still a chance to alleviate negative emotions that result from the prolonged crisis and refresh your mind: browsing works of art from the collection of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea from the comfort of your home. Established

A 32-year-old librarian in Gumi-dong, Gyeonggi Province, who is expecting a baby in May, has not left her house for four days. Her daughter, 4, has been home all day since her day care center shut down due to the COVID-19 outbreak. “I am pregnant so I am very cautious about the ongoing situation, and there is no place for my first child to play these days. ... It is really stressful for me and my daughter,” the woman said. “Over the past four days, a 15-minute walk to the groc

In early January, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) announced that it would hold an archival exhibition of Paik Nam-june, a Korean-born avant-garde artist and pioneer of video art. The date of the exhibition, which the museum said would be the largest of its kind, however, has yet to be set. The announcement came as Paik Nam-june, who died in 2006, has come to the spotlight recently with a retrospective exhibition embarking on a tour of renowned museums in the

Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Arario Gallery said Friday it will unveil artworks through an online exhibition. Most art galleries in Korea have shut down temporarily due to rising virus infections across the country.  Arario Gallery, a major commercial contemporary art gallery here, will showcase more than 20 works initially planned for Art Basel Hong Kong, the biggest international art fair in Asia, which was canceled earlier this month due to the virus outbreak. The online showcase

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea has selected Yang Hae-gue as its seventh artist for the MMCA Hyundai Motor Series, the museum announced on Wednesday. The MMCA Hyundai Motor Series, sponsored by the Hyundai Motor Company, aims to introduce the current state of Korean contemporary art. The project selects a promising artist every year who has established their own aesthetic world and provide opportunities to construct their own unique art platform.  Yang is con

The National Museum of Korea held a symposium last week at the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery to introduce the religious implication embedded in Korean Buddhist artifacts, the national museum said Tuesday. The symposium -- held from Thursday to Friday at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, known as the Smithsonian’s Asian art museum -- coincided with the exhibition “Sacred Dedication: A Korean Buddhist Masterpiece,” jointly organized by the Freer Gallery, Sackler Ga

Next month’s Seoul Fashion Week is to be canceled amid a serial cancellation of events, as worries over the novel coronavirus spread escalate in Korea. “We have internally decided to cancel the 2020 fall-winter Seoul Fashion Week and will notify the concerned parties of the decision in a few days,” said an official from the Seoul Metropolitan Government in charge of the biannual fashion week. “However, we will seek ways to support and help designers in Korea by hosting

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) announced Monday it will temporarily close its four venues in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, as the number of infections have spiked in the past few days. The announcement came after the government raised the virus alert level to the “highest” on Sunday. “A few days from now are a very important moment,” President Moon Jae-in said. MMCA Seoul will close starting Tuesday. The three ot

With the coronavirus outbreak leading to cancellations of exhibitions and art fairs, galleries are opening online platforms in an effort to revive plummeting sales of artworks. Art Basel announced Friday it would launch Online Viewing Rooms, its first digital initiative offering exhibitors an opportunity to showcase artworks to its global network of patrons and buyers. “As the market continues to evolve, Art Basel has continually reviewed how new technologies can give us fresh opportun

Cho Hee-sook has been named Asia’s Best Female Chef of 2020 by the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, one of the most influential groups in the cuisine industry in Asia. Cho, who owns Hansikgonggan in Seoul, a Michelin-starred Korean restaurant specializing in royal court cuisine, started her culinary arts career more than 20 years ago. She has worked at five-star hotels in Seoul and in 2005, she was appointed executive chef at the South Korean Embassy in Washington. “I s

After Kim Se-han, 30, a research scientist at a dairy company, was notified last month to wear a face mask in the office to prevent spread of the novel coronavirus, she started to feel a sense of freedom from a troublesome routine: wearing makeup every day. “I used to feel pressure every morning to wear makeup, but now my colleagues and I do not put much makeup on as we started to wear masks at work,” Kim said. “This is really comfortable because I do not have to care abo

문화체육관광부는 사랑의교회 내에 위치한 사랑아트갤러리에서 박성남 화가 초대전을 개최할 예정이라고 19일 보도 참고자료를 통해 밝혀 논란을 일으켰다. 종교기관 안에 위치한 화랑에서 열리는 미술 전시를 국가기관이 나서서 홍보한 것은 이례적이다. 문체부 대변인실을 통해 배포된 보도 참고자료에는 “사랑의교회 오정현 담임목사가 그 동안 두문불출했던 박성남 화가를 세상 밖으로 초대한 것”이라며 “사랑의교회가 서초동으로 이주하고 사랑아트갤러리의 개관 후 첫 개인 초대 전시라는 의미가 있다”고 밝혔다. 해당 보도자료를 배포한 문체부 홍보 담당자는 “박성남 화가가 한국 현대 미술계에서 워낙 의미가 있는 인물이고, 주최 측을 통해 부탁을 받았다”고 말했다. 다만 그는 해당 이메일이 “문화체육관광부 대변인실 메일로 배포된 것은 실수였으며 개인 보도자료로 보내려고 한 것”이라고 해명했다. 문체부 대변인직은

Prominent figures from K-pop agencies have been working with girl groups managed by other companies. Lee Soo-man, founder and chief producer of S.M. Entertainment, participated in the production of girl group LOONA’s second EP, “#,” released Feb. 5. The 12-piece act, whose Korean name translates to “Girl of the Month,” is managed by Blockberry Creative, a small entertainment agency. The EP has topped the iTunes Albums chart in 47 countries including Poland, Spa