Mainstream Protestant church groups -- the National Council of Churches in Korea and the United Christian Churches of Korea -- apologized to the public on Thursday for the COVID-19 clusters that formed at churches. The statement also said the organizations hoped to normalize group activities and worship services from April 6. The joint statement followed an increase in the number of novel coronavirus clusters in South Korea this week among those attending Protestant church services. As of Fr

As cluster infections of the novel coronavirus among those attending church worship services increase in Korea, public concerns about the issue are also on the rise. This week saw at least 66 coronavirus cases related to River of Grace Community Church in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. In response to rising concerns, the government of Gyeonggi Province on Tuesday issued an administrative order that imposes strict conditions on church worship services. The Gyeonggi Province government started

The Cultural Heritage Administration seeks to register the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with North Korea, according to its plan for 2020 announced last week. CHA’s DMZ plan came after President Moon Jae-in raised the issue during his 2020 New Year’s Address. “The DMZ’s value is enormous and relates to ecology, history, peace and reconciliation between the South and the North. Jointly registering the DMZ on the lis

More and more Korean readers have found themselves cracking open “The Plague” by Albert Camus anew, amid the spread of the novel coronavirus. The Camus novel was published in 1947 and is set in the same time, though it is believed to be based on the cholera epidemic that killed a large percentage of the population in the French Algerian city of Oran in 1849. “The Plague,” which portrays people’s diverse responses to the plague, won the French Critics’ Pri

Roses are red, violets are blue. The season of love is here, and the coronavirus is too. “I was supposed to get married on White Day but I delayed it to this fall due to the coronavirus,” a bride-to-be commented on Naver blog Make My Wedding, a popular online community with more than 38,997 members who are preparing for weddings. In Korea, White Day, which falls on March 14, sees men giving candy to women. On Valentine’s Day, women typically give chocolate to men. “I

More and more local public libraries in Korea are starting to provide drive-thru book services as a solution for the shutting down of libraries due to the spread of coronavirus. A public library in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday said it was providing a drive-thru service to check out books. The library said that it is a temporary service and will operate until March 22. Anyone who would like to check out books from this library can call (02) 2204-6440 from Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to

Korean Cultural Centre UK announced Wednesday that it is holding its UK Residency Report Showcase, in an exhibition titled “Rendered Reality” that features multimedia works by Min Joon-hong and Suh Shin-uk, running from Wednesday to April 18. This marks the first UK Residency Report Showcase exhibition, held with artists who have completed KCCUK’s residency program to support emerging artists. The opening reception of the exhibition held Monday at the KCCUK in London featu

Millie’s Library, a subscription-based e-book service provider, on Tuesday announced that it was offering two months of free service to COVID-19 patients and those in home quarantine in conjunction with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. “We hope that reading can be of some comfort for everyone who is struggling with COVID-19 until they get better and return to their daily life,” Millie’s Library CEO Seo Young-taek said in a statement. According to the startup,

Korea.net, the South Korean government’s online platform, announced Monday that its ninth group of honorary reporters had begun their first assignment and were covering the spread of COVID-19 in Korea. Korea.net is operated by the Korea Culture and Information Service, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and has a mandate to promote Korean culture globally. The reporters’ first task was to produce a video about how the Korean government is dealing

Mainstream Protestant church groups -- the National Council of Churches in Korea and the United Christian Churches of Korea -- on Friday asked the government to investigate leaders of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus here. “The government should clarify facts about the spread of the infectious disease and arrest Shincheonji leader Lee Man-hee and the leaders of its 12 tribes to investigate them,” the two Christian groups said in a joint statement. The groups stated that Shincheonj

OTT service provider Watcha Play on Friday announced that it is discussing with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety about providing a free service for a month to COVID-19 patients and those under self-quarantine. The company explained that it is providing the service to support those who are having a hard time due to the outbreak of the virus. “We reached out to the government first with the idea. The ministry agreed to provide the service with us,” a Watcha Play spokesperson

The Museum of Korea Emigration History on Friday announced that it is asking Korean emigrants in South America to donate historic items for a special exhibition to be held in early July. “It has been 60 years since Korea officially began emigrating to Brazil in 1961. The first immigrants, who were adults at the time, are now in their 80s and 90s, and many of them have already passed away. Before it‘s too late, we would like to exhibit the history of early emigrants,” The Mus

As the new coronavirus spreads throughout the nation, more and more people are reluctant to go to the gym for a workout. The situation worsened Thursday, when the city of Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, said 80 people had tested positive for the virus after taking Zumba classes at local fitness centers or coming into contact with people who took those classes. “I used to take Zumba lessons at a fitness center near my home. Since last week, the center temporarily closed down and I

National Solidarity for Shincheonji Victims on Thursday asked President Moon Jae-in to order an investigation into the religious group Shincheonji. “We are filing charges against Shincheonji and also urging the president to have a meeting with us,” the group’s head Shin Kang-shik said at a press briefing held in front of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul. Shin explained that he was holding the briefing in front of the presidential office because the organization had already filed char

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Tuesday urged Protestant churches in South Korea to halt gatherings as the novel coronavirus continues to spread. Culture Minister Park Yang-woo on Tuesday visited the central office of the United Christian Churches of Korea in Jongno, central Seoul, to ask the organization’s head, Kim Tae-young, for active cooperation. He emphasized that now was a crucial moment in the effort to stem the spread of COVID-19. Park also expressed gratitude

Shincheonji founder Lee Man-hee, the figure at the center of the spread of COVID-19 in Korea, refused to answer a question about eternal life, concerning a claim he is said to have made to his believers, during a press briefing held in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. As of 4 p.m. on Monday, the number of novel coronavirus patients had jumped to 4,335 in Korea with more than half of the patients either Shincheonji Church of Jesus followers or those who had contact with them. Before the

When National Library of Korea Chief Executive Suh Hye-ran, 65, took office in August, one of the first things she did was expand the media center for digital content creators. “We used to have three booths for creating media content. Now we have more than 10,” Suh said during a recent interview with The Korea Herald at the National Library of Korea in Seoul. “We also created a Maker Space at the National Library for Children and Young Adults,” Suh added. Maker Space

Korean films continue making history at the three big prestigious film festivals-- Berlin, Cannes and Venice. South Korean director Hong Sang-soo on Saturday in Berlin won best director at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival for “The Woman Who Ran.” Last year, director Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” won the country’s first Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. It might seem like the country’s films have become the toast of the town in the

Protestant churches in South Korea are considering canceling Sunday worship services this week due to the spread of COVID-19. The disease became an even more serious concern for churches after a pastor at Myungsung Church in eastern Seoul, which has more than 100,000 members, was diagnosed with the virus on Tuesday. He is reported to have attended several services on Feb. 16. Myungsung Church announced Tuesday that it is shutting down its facility and its Sunday services will be canceled unti

A goose-shaped chair with a gigantic art book in front of it dominates the room. If you came expecting a typical library, you might think you came to the wrong place. Sojeonseolim, which means “forest of books covered with white bricks,” is a new library in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, which opened Saturday. “Swiss architect Davide Macullo designed this building in 2016 as an art museum. We changed it into a library and Korean architect Choi Wook, director of One O One Ar