Most Popular
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1 in 3 Koreans live alone, family types becoming diverse
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Korea, Japan finance chiefs vow to tame rampant FX market volatility
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US 'incredibly concerned' about suspected NK-Iran military ties
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K-pop group's manager dismissed for setting up spycam in theater dressing room
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K-pop singer lost consciousness after being hit by foul ball, cancels show
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Korean Muslim YouTuber's plan to build mosque in Incheon goes viral
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[Kim Seong-kon] Democracy and the future of South Korea
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Why is Apple Pay struggling to get purchase in Korea?
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Yoon's office denies considering liberal figures for key posts
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Seoul says Fu Bao loan 'not going to happen'
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Pandemic fuels fashion upcycling
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives in many ways and has also made many people think about the environment, after seeing piles of throwaway face masks and plastic containers from food deliveries. With that, “upcycling” is gaining renewed attention in the fashion scene. Upcycling involves creating new items using old materials or reusing discarded products. Kim Byeol-ri, a 22-year-old college student, recently purchased a denim miniskirt and handbag made from an old pair o
Jan. 7, 2021
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Contemporary art master Kim Tschang-yeul dies at age of 91
Contemporary art master Kim Tschang-yeul died Tuesday at the age of 91, leaving behind a legacy of pioneering Korean abstract art. The artist’s unique “waterdrop paintings” greatly influenced both the Korean and global art scene, harmonizing Korean and Western values. Having lived through turbulent periods in Korean history, he condensed his philosophy and agony into waterdrops, which became his signature art. Kim was born in 1929 in South Pyongan Province, in today‘
Jan. 6, 2021
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PKM Gallery offers glimpse of trendy home design
The pandemic year saw interest in interior design rise as people were forced to spend more time at home. Responding to such interest, PKM Gallery’s first exhibition of the year sheds light on how artworks and home furniture that transcend time and region can be harmonized at home. “Time in Space: The Life Style” held at PKM+, part of the PKM Gallery in central Seoul, showcases around 40 paintings, sculptures, ceramics and pieces of furniture. The exhibition hints at how artw
Jan. 5, 2021
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'Giant moon' installed on dock on Han River
An art installation shaped like a giant moon has been constructed on a dock on the Han River, the Seoul city government said Monday. The installation, named "Dalbitnodeul," which means "Nodeul under the moonlight," is made up of two circular metal structures, each 12 meters in diameter, adjacent to Nodeul Island near the middle of the city. There is an observation deck on the second floor, with a view of the Han River and downtown Seoul, and steps inside the installation wh
Jan. 4, 2021
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Rose Wylie’s first museum exhibition in Korea brings bold, bright vibe
British painter Rose Wylie has brought her bold, expressive brushwork to Korea for the country’s first museum exhibition of her work. Her large-scale paintings have a bright feel to them, often with a childlike look. The 86-year-old artist gained global fame relatively recently. Although she gave up art to raise a family after marrying in her early 20s, she resumed her studies at the age of 45, entering the Royal College of Art in London. She would have to wait even longer for widesp
Jan. 3, 2021
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Art institutions push ahead with major shows in 2021
After a year of scrambling to respond to the unexpected pandemic, art institutions are bracing for 2021, a year that is expected to be another challenging one for artists, as well as museums and galleries. Better equipped to deal with the pandemic-wrought havoc after a turbulent year of on-and-off and then on-again exhibitions, major art institutions have announced their lineups for 2021, including two major biennales. The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea is holding &ld
Dec. 31, 2020
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Homage or plagiarism? Solbi’s cake ignites debate
Singer and artist Kwon Ji-an, better known as Solbi, sought to stifle allegations that she had plagiarized artist Jeff Koons’ famous sculpture Play-Doh by uploading a video on Instagram of herself eating the cake at the center of the case. Kwon uploaded an almost 10-minute video on Monday that shows her opening a cake box and eating the cake in silence before ending the video with the phrase, “Just a cake, Seoul.” A previous post on Dec. 22, showing Kwon making the cake, spa
Dec. 29, 2020
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Park Seo-bo biography published online in English
The English-language edition of a biography of Park Seo-bo, a contemporary artist who led the “dansaekhwa” movement of the 1970s, was recently published online as an open-access publication at www.parkseobo.life. Dansaekhwa refers to a style of Korean abstract painting that accompanies a process of repetition and meditation. The original biography, “Park Seo-bo’s Art&Life,” was written in Korean by the artist’s daughter Park Seung-sook, an art therapist,
Dec. 28, 2020
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[Newsmaker] Moon Joon-yong, President Moon’s son, criticized for receiving artist relief fund
Criticism is rising over President Moon Jae-in’s son Moon Joon-yong, who was selected as a recipient of 14 million won ($12,600) in relief funding for artists who have been hit by the pandemic. The fund is operated by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, under the Seoul Metropolitan Government. On Dec. 17, Moon Joon-yong’s solo exhibition kicked off at Keumsan Gallery in Seoul, reportedly with the city funding received earlier in the year. The exhibition runs until Wednesday.
Dec. 22, 2020
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RM, Henry recognized for art patronage
K-pop singers RM and Henry have been named This Year’s Art Patron by the Arts Council Korea. The state-run Arts Council Korea on Monday announced six firms and four individuals selected for seven awards related to art patronage. The awards highlight supporters of the local arts scene. BTS’ RM, who donated 100 million won ($91,000) to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in September made the individual awardee list. The MMCA used the donation to publish its ou
Dec. 21, 2020
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Artist who ‘erases’ newspapers till they are ‘burnt’
A whole page of a newspaper is turned into a torn, darkened mess at an exhibition dedicated to artist Choi Byung-so, who has played a pivotal role in the South Korean contemporary art scene. Arario Gallery in central Seoul is showcasing 15 of Choi’s works through a solo exhibition titled “Sens et Non-sens: Works from 1974-2020.” While many abstract painters in Korea were faced with criticism for having turned a blind eye to social issues when Korea was under dictatorships
Dec. 20, 2020
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Jenny Holzer returns as painter with new watercolor series in Korea
American conceptual artist Jenny Holzer is widely known for her large-scale flashing LED signs that display the artist’s ideas, arguments and sorrows in public spaces. “A great function of the signs is their capacity to move, which I love because it’s so much like the spoken word. You can emphasize, you can roll and pause, which is the kinetic equivalent to inflection in the voice,” the artist once said, according to Kukje Gallery in Seoul. Kukje Gallery, the major c
Dec. 16, 2020
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Pandemic brings low-key fashion to work
After all the year-end gatherings were taken off the calendar due to the COVID-19 resurgence, Kim, a 31-year-old office worker based south of Seoul, showed up to work wearing a hooded sweatshirt. Though a hooded sweatshirt might not even count as a minor rebellion for some, for Kim it was the first time she’d gone to work in anything that could be considered less than businesslike. She felt awkward and self-conscious about her casual fashion statement at first, but soon found her
Dec. 15, 2020
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Dreamy landscape painter Park Jong-sook opens solo exhibition
Painter Park Jong-sook, known for her dreamy landscapes, has opened up a solo exhibition “Part of Memory” in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. The exhibition, which runs through April 11 at Glass Island Museum in Ansan, showcases her painting series under the theme “Part of Memory.” The artist’s semi-abstract paintings feature portraits of her mindscape derived from her childhood, a mixture of elements from nature including winding roads in rural areas, trees, farms and
Dec. 14, 2020
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Sex dolls at MMCA stir up controversy
Some of the exhibited works for Korea Artist Prize 2020 at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, are under fire for including sex dolls. Works by visual artist Jung Yoon-suk are part of the exhibition for Korea Artist Prize 2020, co-organized by the MMCA and SBS Foundation. Four visual artists were selected earlier this year, and their works were unveiled at the MMCA Seoul venue on Dec. 4. At the center of the controversy is the two-hour documentary film “Tomorrow&
Dec. 13, 2020
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Fake painting scandal of Lee Ufan continues: report
The forgery scandal surrounding painting master Lee Ufan is opening yet another chapter, according to KBS investigative reporting TV show “Chang.” The TV newsmagazine, scheduled to air at 8:05 p.m. Saturday on KBS1, will look into alleged cases of fake paintings of Lee, South Korea’s leading Dansaekhwa artist and the pioneer of the Japanese Mono-Ha Movement. The investigative program claimed it has captured scenes where the artist’s forged works are traded in art circl
Dec. 12, 2020
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‘The Miracles of the Namiya General Store’ unfolds in real world
The heartwarming Japanese novel “The Miracles of the Namiya General Store,” written by mystery writer Keigo Higashino, is coming to life in the real world. The novel, which centers on general store owner Namiya who communicates with neighbors through handwritten letters and offers sincere advice, has been a steady seller in South Korea since its 2012 release. In commemoration of the 100th printing, publisher Hyundae Munhak kicked off a project inspired by the story in collaborati
Dec. 12, 2020
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Collector Sohn Chang-kun awarded highest order of cultural merit
Sohn Chang-kun, who has donated more than 300 important cultural heritage items that he collected throughout his life, was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit Geumgwan on Tuesday, becoming the first recipient of the country’s highest honor for cultural heritage preservation. “The honor is given to a contributor who has devoted at least 15 years to preserving Korea’s cultural heritage,” an official from the Cultural Heritage Administration told The Korea Herald. “
Dec. 9, 2020
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Art breathes new life into abandoned spaces under bridges
Spaces underneath overpasses are neglected spaces, many of them left shabby and used as illegal parking spots. In Seoul alone, the total space underneath the nearly 200 highway overpasses is equivalent in area to about 55 percent of Yeouido, or 210 football fields. But only 10 percent of these spaces are used efficiently, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. “Compared to the density of the Seoul population, many public spaces like those underneath overpasses are left wasted
Dec. 7, 2020
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Korea's abstract art pioneer Suh Se-ok dies at 91
Suh Se-ok, a leading artist who pioneered contemporary abstract ink painting, died on Nov. 29 at the age of 91. The announcement was belatedly made on Thursday after the family funeral was conducted in accordance with social distancing regulations out of consideration for the bereaved, according to the National Academy of Arts in Korea. Suh was born in 1929 in Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province, as a son of an independence activist who fought against Japanese colonialism during the Japanese c
Dec. 6, 2020