Articles by Choi Si-young
Choi Si-young
siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com-
NMK opens exhibitions on Indian, Native American cultures
South Korean state-run museums will present a diverse range of exhibitions this year, including cultural exhibits on India and Native Americans, and a retrospective on South Korea’s modern history. Through mid-April, the National Museum of Korea is showcasing early Buddhist art from India. The first-ever exhibition on the topic in Korea features 97 pieces brought together from museums in India, the US, the UK and Germany. The show is an adaptation of “Tree & Serpent: Early Buddhi
Culture Jan. 9, 2024
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CHA to unveil technologies to protect cultural heritage
Authorities will soon roll out technologies that can better protect cultural heritage from natural disasters, the result of a yearlong project, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Monday. According to the agency, special structures will be used to shield historic sites from disasters like wildfires and technologies using radiation analysis will be available to identify the best preservation methods. A center dedicated to employing high-end technologies will be set up, the agency added. &ld
Culture Jan. 8, 2024
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CHA chief revisits Goryeo lacquerware, seeks greater awareness
Mother-of-pearl lacquerware dating back to the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392) represents a work of art of exceptional sophistication recognized worldwide -- a reason to make continuous efforts to reclaim other similar pieces located overseas, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration. At a lecture Wednesday dedicated to the topic, Choi Eung-chon, the CHA’s chief since May 2022, recalled the repatriation of a lacquered mother-of-pearl box inlaid with chrysanthemum and vine scrolls, or &l
Culture Jan. 7, 2024
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[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea
All-in-one park in Paju At First Garden Park in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, visitors can try everything from riding a train that runs across the park to fishing for smelt. Street food is available too. The festivities run through the end of February. All-inclusive tickets, covering up to six attractions and sledding without snow, are priced at 27,000 won for admissions starting at 11 a.m., and 23,000 won for those entering the park after 1 p.m. The fees are the same for adults and children. For
Travel Jan. 5, 2024
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National museums surpass 10 million visitors
The National Museum of Korea and its 13 regional museums across the country attracted 10,471,154 visitors combined last year, breaking through the barrier of 10 million for the first time. According to the state-run institution on Thursday, the number of visitors rose 17.1 percent on-year, exceeding the previous record of 9,980,837 in 2019. NMK officials attribute the surge to special exhibitions regularly held at museums, citing in particular collections donated by the late Samsung Group Chairm
Culture Jan. 4, 2024
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CHA vows tougher oversight following palace vandalism
South Korea will step up security efforts to prevent vandalism of its historic sites, following nighttime graffiti incidents on the walls of Gyeongbokgung two weeks ago, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration on Thursday. The measures unveiled by the CHA will center on increasing police patrols and the number of surveillance cameras, reaching up to 110 overall. According to the agency, the country’s popular royal palaces as well as tombs and a shrine in Seoul -- all connected to
Culture Jan. 4, 2024
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Songzio to launch Paris flagship store
Songzio, the South Korean fashion house known for its avant-garde men’s wear, will open a flagship store in Paris in June and unveil its first womenswear collection, also in June, for the spring-summer 2025 season, according to an agency representing the company. The move means a “real start of globalizing the brand,” said Song Zio, the founding designer of Songzio International, in a statement, calling Paris the center of the fashion world and Seoul the center of a new culture
Arts & Design Jan. 4, 2024
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[Weekender] Ringing in 2024: Six places to see the sunrise
For many Koreans, watching the sunrise on New Year’s Day is an important ritual, where wishes are often made for the days and months to come. The routine is typically enriched with celebrations across the nation, featuring vibrant musical performances and events to add to the New Year atmosphere. Sky Park in Seoul Located in Mapo-gu, the park is an ideal place for those who want to see the sunrise without having to travel far from the capital. The area’s district office said this w
Culture Dec. 31, 2023
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Over 8,000 enjoyed Korea’s cultural heritage: data
A total of 8,171 Koreans and foreign nationals enjoyed Korea’s intangible cultural heritage performances this year, according to the National Intangible Heritage Center on Thursday. The center, run by the Cultural Heritage Administration, said shows took place 36 times between May and December, mostly in the two halls the center operates in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, where the center has its headquarters. The highlight of the performances was the K-Festival, which was held in Berlin on
Culture Dec. 30, 2023
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Record-high 14 million visit Joseon palaces, tombs, shrine this year
South Korea’s popular royal palaces, tombs and shrine connected to the Joseon era (1392-1910) attracted 14.2 million visitors this year, the highest number since the Cultural Heritage Administration began compiling data in 2011. The number of visitors jumped 28.5 percent on-year, exceeding the previous record of 13.3 million in 2019, particularly on the strength of domestic visitors. Foreign visitors to the cultural sites marked 1.9 million this year, well below the figure of 2.5 million i
Culture Dec. 29, 2023
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Salvation Army raises record in donations
The Salvation Army in South Korea said it has raised 1.4 billion won ($1.08 million) through its joint campaign with the local finance industry, the highest annual figure ever since the campaign was launched in 2011. “The donations will be used to rebuild old public welfare facilities and provide necessities and emergency cash to households in dire need,” the charity said Thursday. The group and 23 financial services companies – banks, brokerage firms, insurance and credit card
Culture Dec. 29, 2023
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[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea
Gwanghwamun Square Market Potentially the largest winter market in the capital is taking place at Gwanghwamun Square through Jan. 21, 2024. Open from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., the market not only sells seasonal goods, including crafts, but also offers street food from food trucks. The Seoul Lantern Festival is taking place concurrently, across Gwanghwamun Square and just to the south at Cheonggye Plaza and Seoul Plaza. The Gwanghwamun Square Market and lighting show are open during the same period
Travel Dec. 29, 2023
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Fee waivers spark surge in temple visits
The number of visitors to temples across South Korea this year increased by 33 percent on average from the previous year, likely thanks to fee waivers instituted in May. According to the Cultural Heritage Administration, the agency handling the grant, the surge in visits to 31 temples across the country between May and September was led by Hwaeomsa, a temple in South Jeolla Province that saw a 42 percent jump in the number of visitors. Next up was Haeinsa in South Gyeongsang Province and Seonams
Culture Dec. 27, 2023
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Korean artifacts reclaimed from overseas rise 9-fold
The number of South Korean artifacts that have been retrieved from abroad this year increased to 1,550 from 170 in the last year, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration. The artifacts were collected through purchases made on behalf of the CHA’s Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation as well as personal donations by collectors, the agency said. Such items include Daedongnyeojido, or the Territorial Map of the Great East by cartographer Kim Jeong-ho. This map is more detai
Culture Dec. 25, 2023
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[Well-curated] Lantern festival, PC room and animations galore
Seoul Lantern Festival The annual Seoul Lantern Festival, held until Jan. 21, 2024, is made all the more memorable this year with the event spanning areas from Gwanghwamun Square to Seoul Plaza. The areas light up from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The lighting show, which first began in 2009, features installations and media facades, as well as on-site programs. The festival is taking place concurrently with the Gwanghwamun Flea Market, a pilot program that took off last year. The market offers not only ha
Culture Dec. 22, 2023
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