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Korean contemporary art takes center stage in Paris
Korea Herald correspondent PARIS, France — An exhibition presented at the Korean Cultural Center in Paris offers a rare glimpse into the history of Korean modern and contemporary art built over the past seven decades. “Colors of Korea: Spotlight on Korean Contemporary Art,” which opened on Oct. 22, coinciding with Art Basel Paris, shows works by 34 Korean artists and was organized in commemoration of the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic relations next year. “We began the exhibition w
Nov. 6, 2025 -
Culture Ministry meets gaming sector, discusses 52-hour workweek
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Thursday convened a roundtable with key figures from Korea’s gaming sector, addressing concerns that the nation’s 52-hour workweek policy — initially intended to curb overwork — has instead fueled longer unpaid hours, amid the industry’s demanding production cycles. Kim Young-soo, vice minister of culture, sports and tourism, met with representatives from gaming company labor unions to discuss the state of working conditions across the sector. The s
Nov. 6, 2025 -
'Telecom Derby' showdown: T1 and KT Rolster face off in all-Korean Worlds
South Korea is sweeping this year's global League of Legends stage, with Faker’s T1 and veteran squad KT Rolster charging into the 2025 World Championship Finals set for Friday in Chengdu, China. League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), the Korean professional League of Legends league long recognized for its dominance in esports, has produced both finalists this year — marking the first all-Korean Worlds final since DRX faced T1 in 2022. Both T1 and KT Rolster have endured grueling runs througho
Nov. 4, 2025 -
Seoul’s high-rise push sparks world heritage alarm
Seoul’s approval of a 141.9-meter (approximately 34-story) building across from Jongmyo Shrine — Korea’s first UNESCO World Heritage site — has resurfaced a longstanding question: how far should urban renewal go when internationally recognized heritage is at stake? The city recently revised height limits for the Sewoon District No. 4 redevelopment zone, easing the cap from the previous 71.9 meters to 141.9 meters on the Cheonggyecheon side. The change comes seven years after limits were first im
Nov. 4, 2025 -
Hanwha to open ‘Space ZeroOne’ in New York’s Tribeca
The Hanwha Foundation of Culture will open a non-profit exhibition space, Space ZeroOne, in New York this week. Located in Tribeca, one of the city’s most vibrant cultural districts, the venue aims to serve as a global platform and launchpad for emerging Korean artists, according to the foundation on Tuesday. It will also be the first exhibition space in New York directly run by a Korean business-run cultural foundation. Opening on Friday, the inaugural exhibition, “Contours of Zero,” will showc
Nov. 4, 2025 -
Pritzker-winning Riken Yamamoto warns Seoul faces crisis without new housing vision
Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto, winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2024, warns that Seoul's future is in jeopardy if its record-low birth rate persists — a crisis he believes is deeply tied to how the city conceives of and inhabits housing. “Many of the fundamental problems stem from housing. Because housing, at its core, is about how we choose to live,” Yamamoto said during an interview with a group of reporters at Seoul City Hall this September. The Japanese architect, who has com
Nov. 3, 2025 -
Gyeongju National Museum to limit visitor numbers to Silla gold crowns exhibition
Gyeongju National Museum will limit the number of daily visitors to “Silla Gold Crowns: Power and Prestige,” an unprecedented exhibition showing six gold crowns discovered in ancient royal tombs of the Silla Kingdom (57 BC-AD 935) in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, the capital of the ancient kingdom. The exhibition, organized to follow the recent APEC summit, opened to the public on Sunday, drawing a long line of people well before the museum opening at 10 a.m. The state museum announced Su
Nov. 3, 2025 -
Designer Woo Young-mi breaks obsession, embraces openness in Wooyoungmi Itaewon
More than two decades after launching her eponymous high-fashion label in Paris, South Korean designer Woo Young-mi has returned home with a landmark debut: the opening of Wooyoungmi’s first flagship store in Itaewon, Seoul, on Wednesday. “Itaewon is a town of diversity where different cultures and nationalities coexist, creating a young and hip energy. Embracing such diversity is our brand’s most important philosophy,” Woo said in an interview with The Korea Herald. The store’s striking archite
Nov. 2, 2025 -
Gallery Hyundai signs artist Christine Sun Kim, who redefines sound and language
Korean American artist Christine Sun Kim has joined the roster at the Seoul-based Gallery Hyundai. Based in Berlin, Kim draws on her personal experience navigating between signed and spoken languages to question established frameworks for understanding sound and language. Kim wittily brings attention to the ways sound operates within society, confronting the systemic marginalization of the Deaf community through her art, encompassing drawing, performance, video and installation. Musical notation
Nov. 2, 2025 -
Talk of Beijing's lifting Hallyu ban 'premature': Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange
Amid rising hopes that Beijing will lift its unofficial Hallyu ban, following South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping's in-person summit on Saturday, the Presidential Committee on Popular Culture Exchange remained cautious, stressing it remains too early to draw conclusions. In a press release Sunday, the committee dismissed news reports that Xi had "responded favorably" to Park Jin-young's suggestion during the Korea-China banquet that Korean artists be allowed to
Nov. 2, 2025 -
Naver’s Webtoon Translate to shut down
Webtoon Translate, the official fan translation platform operated under Naver subsidiary Webtoon Entertainment, will cease operations on Nov. 26. New user registration has been disabled since Sept. 24, and the platform will shut down later this month, with access to the site permanently discontinued. According to Naver, all translation data will be deleted once the service ends and will not be retained or archived. Former users of Webtoon Translate who wish to preserve their work have been advis
Nov. 2, 2025 -
G-Dragon, Cha Eun-woo light up APEC 2025 gala dinner in Gyeongju
K-pop icons G-Dragon and Cha Eun-woo added star power to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit’s gala dinner in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Friday, captivating global leaders and delegates gathered at the event. The dinner, hosted at Lahan Select Hotel’s grand ballroom, opened with Cha Eun-woo, a South Korean singer and actor currently serving in the military, who stepped out of uniform to host the evening in fluent English. “I never imagined I would be here as an emcee in front
Nov. 1, 2025 -
G-Dragon, K-pop dancers, 11-year-old violin prodigy grace APEC gala dinner
Against the majestic surroundings and nocturnal splendors of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, K-pop superstar G-Dragon, along with other cultural figures, graced the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting Gala Dinner on Friday night with a special showcase of Korea's culture. Following the dinner hosted by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hea Kyung at the Lahan Select Hotel in Sinpyeong-dong, a gala show titled "Journey of Butterfly: Together, We Fly" took the baton. The show
Oct. 31, 2025 -
In Gyeongju, past and present breathe as one
In Gyeongju, the past and present exist side by side. Once the capital of the Silla Kingdom (57 BC-AD 935), the city also bears traces of later periods, including the Joseon era (1392-1910). Ancient temples and royal tombs stand meters away from contemporary buildings — a harmony that continues to inspire architects today. Ranging from UNESCO World Heritage landmarks to recent architectural works, the following spaces reveal Gyeongju’s cultural legacy and how it continues to evolve through the c
Oct. 31, 2025 -
Servant's obsession reimagines Korea's most famous love story in dance drama
The story of Chun-hyang, Korea’s best-known romance folk tale, follows the love between Yi Mong-ryong, the son of an aristocrat, and Seong Chun-hyang, the daughter of a retired courtesan. The star-crossed lovers’ tale has long been celebrated as a parable of fidelity and defiance against rigid class boundaries. The National Gugak Center will stage “Chunhyang and Hyangdan’s Tale,” a new dance drama that reinterprets this beloved story from a fresh perspective, from Nov. 14 to 16. This adaptation
Oct. 31, 2025