Articles by Choi Si-young
Choi Si-young
siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com-
[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea
Lighting at Cheonggye Plaza Cheonggye Plaza is lit up in festival lights until the end of this month from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Visitors can drop by and see the area illuminated with a giant Christmas tree set up along the Cheonggye Stream, which runs from west to east starting from the plaza. There is no admission fee. Parking and public bathrooms are not separately available. Visitors are encouraged to use the subway. The nearest stations to the area are Exit No. 5 from Gwanghwamun Station on
Travel Dec. 22, 2023
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Architects discuss how to make public spaces more inclusive
A number of renowned architects in South Korea gathered Wednesday to discuss ways to make public spaces more inclusive amid a wider push within the country as well as around the world to raise the quality of public architecture for communities. “Space for All: Exploring Impact of Public Architecture on Civic Life,” a forum organized by The Korea Herald to recap its seven-part series published in August, weighed in on insights and behind-the-scenes stories of public projects led by se
Arts & Design Dec. 21, 2023
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[Herald Interview] Hiroshima survivor recounts tragic experience
TOKYO -- A nuclear bomb detonated as a 12-year-old schoolgirl was on her way to her family, on a train fleeing a war nearing its end. “I heard the B-29 bomber flying over, which got me thinking, ‘The air raid warning isn’t on. What is that?’ Then I heard a blast and saw flames roaring,” said Park Nam-joo, recalling the day Hiroshima went up in flames on Aug. 6, 1945, which hastened Japan’s surrender and the end of World War II. The 91-year-old Korean Japanese,
Foreign Affairs Dec. 20, 2023
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Special exhibition held to mark year of dragon
The National Folk Museum of Korea is holding a special exhibition to celebrate the Year of the Dragon, one of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. The show, set to run through March 3, 2024, will explore symbols and mythology associated with the only imaginary creature of the 12 animals, the state-run museum said Wednesday. According to Korean mythology, the dragon lives underwater -- one of the reasons lakes and rivers, as well as mountains, reference it in their names. Government data released in 20
Arts & Design Dec. 20, 2023
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Craft fair highlights artisans under radar
The largest annual fair showcasing crafts in South Korea ended Sunday, with hopes for the country’s artisans to go global on surging demand for their work. The 2023 Craft Trend Fair, hosted by the Culture Ministry and organized by the Korea Craft & Design Foundation from Thursday to Sunday, attracted 276 participants -- mostly galleries and workshops -- with handmade goods ranging from tableware and furniture to knitting and embroidery. New to this year’s fair, which has run sinc
Arts & Design Dec. 19, 2023
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Japan: Stop calling Fukushima water ‘contaminated’
TOKYO -- Tokyo Electric Power Co. wants South Korea to stop calling the wastewater released from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant “contaminated” because the water has been treated. “The two terms -- treated and contaminated -- should be used accordingly,” Tomohiko Mayuzumi, a spokesperson for the power company operating the plant, told reporters in Tokyo on Dec. 1. “It’s treated if the water has gone through the Advanced Liquid Processing System and i
Foreign Affairs Dec. 17, 2023
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[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea
Nature Park A zoo for those curious about how animals survive winter has opened in Daegu. Visitors can feed the animals and enjoy the nearby flower garden and playground. Through early January, guests will receive presents if they buy a “Lucky Bag” sold on the spot. Admission is priced at 20,000 won for adults and 18,000 won for elementary school students and younger. The zoo is open Wednesday to Monday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with last admissions at 5 p.m. More details are avail
Travel Dec. 15, 2023
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National Museum sets attendance record
A record 4 million people have visited the National Museum of Korea this year, the highest annual number since the state-run institution relocated to central Seoul’s Yongsan-gu in 2005, the museum said Wednesday. The museum, which is the largest museum in the country housing more than 1.5 million artifacts and showcasing about 10,000 pieces in regular exhibitions, marked the occasion by presenting the 4 millionth visitor with gifts. “One of my friends told me to go visit the museum
Culture Dec. 13, 2023
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Talks resume ahead of S. Korea-ASEAN culture exchange projects
South Korea will discuss coordinating joint projects to promote Seoul’s cultural heritage, during a two-day dialogue that started Tuesday with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Chiang Rai, Thailand. The working-level talks, attended for the third time by officials in charge of cultural ties, will discuss how Asian nations can advance cultural traditions, particularly those involving the cultivation of rice, a staple in South Korea. “The meeting this time will be
Culture Dec. 12, 2023
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[Herald Interview] ‘N. Korea needs reassurance, besides deterrence’
TOKYO -- Deterring aggression by reaffirming pledges to counter North Korean nuclear strikes with the same force needs to take place in tandem with reassuring the regime of its safety, a Japanese expert said of curbing North Korea’s provocations. The strategy of using the US nuclear umbrella is what Seoul and Washington have been doubling down on since April when the two allies agreed to bolster deterrence on the North’s weapons tests. President Yoon Suk Yeol, who came to power in Ma
Foreign Affairs Dec. 11, 2023
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National Museum explores ideals of Joseon Kings Yeongjo, Jeongjo
A special exhibition that revisits an era when two Joseon kings pursued rule of impartiality has opened ahead of next year’s 300th anniversary of King Yeongjo’s ascendance to the throne. King Yeongjo was succeeded by his grandson, King Jeongjo. The exhibition, organized by the National Museum of Korea under the theme “Wise and Unbiased,” comprises calligraphy and paintings that, according to the museum, declared an equal share for all under a powerful monarch. “King
Arts & Design Dec. 11, 2023
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[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea
Jeju Camellia Festival Winter on Jeju Island is all about the camellia flower, which has become like a symbol for the island itself. Jeju Island invites visitors tired of the freezing cold to its camellia festival, which runs to the end of January next year. Visitors will be surrounded by blooming camellias in lush greenhouses, gardens and trails -- all within a park. Jeju tangerines add a flavor making the trip all worthwhile. Adults pay 13,000 won for entry, while fees for those
Travel Dec. 8, 2023
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More cultural assets to be digitized
The Cultural Heritage Administration said Thursday it would push for concrete steps to grow the economy and digitize the way cultural assets are used and promoted, ahead of the enactment of a new law on heritage management. Nurturing cultural heritage-related startups while incentivizing ordinary Koreans to make more frequent visits to cultural sites are some of the priorities, the culture agency said in a press statement. Legislative support will be provided to make that happen, it added. Next
Culture Dec. 7, 2023
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Exhibition opens to deepen ‘Olympic experience’
An exhibition featuring calligraphy, paintings and folding screens opened Tuesday at the Chuncheon National Museum in Gangwon Province, near the site of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, ahead of the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics. The exhibition showcases artifacts that offer a glimpse into what it would be like to traverse Kumgangsan, a mountain that has been featured in numerous works of Korean art. In addition to works depicting the mountain, which sits in North Korea and borders Gangwon Pro
Arts & Design Dec. 5, 2023
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Court orders Japan to compensate ‘comfort women’
A South Korean appeals court found the Japanese government liable for damages to be paid to Korean women forced to work in wartime brothels during its 1910-45 occupation of the peninsula, reversing the previous ruling two years ago. A group of 21 plaintiffs -- “comfort women” or sex abuse victims who are still alive and their families -- filed the complaint in 2016. Dismissing the case in 2021, the court acknowledged Japan has state immunity from lawsuits in another country. The same
Foreign Affairs Nov. 23, 2023
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