Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Korea to stage yearlong cultural events in France for 140th anniversary of ties

Korea will stage a yearlong series of cultural exchange events across France to mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, the culture ministry said Tuesday. Under the theme of "creativity, opportunity and solidarity," the program will feature exhibitions, performances and various other events aimed at showcasing the past, present and future of the Korean culture, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. In the visual arts sector, major French cultural institutions will host exhibitions by leading Korean artists. The "Colors of Korea" modern and digital art exhibition has been running since October at the Korean Cultural Center in France. From April to June, the Fondation Fiminco will present a solo exhibition by Korean media artist Kang Yi-yun and a group show of young artists. The National Museum of Asian Arts - Guimet in Paris will hold a series of high-profile exhibitions showcasing the Korean culture, including "The Secret of Korean Beauty: From Joseon to K-Beauty" (March–July), "Silla: Gold and Sacredness" (May–August) and "Illusi

Feb 10, 2026By Yonhap

Korea to stage yearlong cultural events in France for 140th anniversary of ties

Joseon-era woodblocks once sold as souvenirs return home from US

Three sets of historical printing woodblocks, carved between the early 19th and early 20th centuries and later taken to the United States through private hands, have made their way home to Korea. Once used to print literary collections devoted to major figures of the late Joseon Dynasty era (1392-1910), the plates were donated to the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) and the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation (OKCHF) on Sunday (local time). All three sets were taken abroad in the early 1970s by Americans who had been stationed in Korea and brought them home as souvenirs. Treated as merchandise rather than cultural artifacts, the woodblocks were physically altered to increase their decorative appeal — metal fixtures and ornate handles were added so they could be mounted on walls and their carved surfaces were painted over in gold and silver. These modifications occurred before Korea had the Cultural Heritage Protection Act in place to regulate the export of heritage items. According to the two agencies, their histories trace a broader trend from that period, when many artifacts th

Feb 9, 2026By Park Han-sol

Joseon-era woodblocks once sold as souvenirs return home from US

Facing record crowds, National Museum of Korea plans earlier openings, new visitor controls

After drawing a record-breaking 6.5 million visitors last year, the National Museum of Korea (NMK) is moving to address growing congestion and lay the groundwork for the possible introduction of admission fees. By December, the country’s largest museum plans to launch a customer relationship management (CRM) system that will compile real-time attendance figures, visitor behavior data and revenue statistics. Based on this integrated platform, it aims to introduce an advance online reservation system in the first half of 2027. “Once the system is in place, it will allow us to simulate different scenarios related to paid admission,” Director-General You Hong-june said at a press conference outlining the museum’s annual strategy and exhibition plans on Tuesday. “We have no intention of introducing fees simply to limit visitor numbers. That said, it is true that visitors who pay tend to engage with exhibitions more attentively than those who enter for free.” Any shift toward paid admission, he added, would focus on improving convenience rather than restricting access. Policy hurdle

Feb 3, 2026By Park Han-sol

Facing record crowds, National Museum of Korea plans earlier openings, new visitor controls

Rare first edition of Chae Man-sik's 'The Muddy Current' enters National Hangeul Museum

To mark the centennial of Hangeul Day, the National Hangeul Museum is stepping up its drive to expand its collection of cultural heritage associated with the Korean alphabet, with a focus on public donations. Designating 2026 as the Year of Hangeul Heritage Donations, the museum is launching a nationwide campaign to encourage the sharing and preservation of materials that embody the spirit of the Korean writing system. Since its founding in 2014, the museum has amassed roughly 105,000 items ranging from early manuscripts and rare 20th-century publications to typewriters. Of these, nearly 30,000 have entered the collection through donations. Last year alone, 172 objects were donated, including a rare 1939 first edition of Chae Man-sik’s “The Muddy Current.” Originally serialized in a local daily newspaper between 1937 and 1938, the novel is widely regarded as a landmark of modern Korean literature. Set in the port city of Gunsan in the 1930s, it offers an unflinching portrait of the hypocrisy, greed and moral decay that had seeped into Korean society during the Japanese colonial per

Jan 27, 2026By Park Han-sol

Rare first edition of Chae Man-sik's 'The Muddy Current' enters National Hangeul Museum

Heritage agency slams move to advance high-rise plan near Jongmyo

Korea's cultural heritage agency on Monday reacted sharply to a move by Seoul municipal authorities to allow high-rise buildings near the historic Jongmyo Shrine, reigniting a bitter feud over the UNESCO World Heritage site. The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) said it recently received a request for consultation from Seoul's Jongno Ward office regarding the city government's decision to double the area's building height limit to 145 meters. The request is part of the due process required to reflect the modifications to the project. In a statement, the heritage authority criticized the move, saying it "unilaterally scraps an existing compromise" reached after years of discussions between it, the Seoul city government and Jongno Ward. The agency added that the entire project must be reconsidered to ensure the preservation of the shrine. The dispute centers on "Sewoon District 4," a city-run redevelopment area located directly across from the site that houses the memorial tablets of Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) kings and queens. While the Seoul city government argues the redevelopment will revit

Jan 26, 2026By Yonhap

Heritage agency slams move to advance high-rise plan near Jongmyo

Hangeul, Chinese characters or both? Long battle over Gwanghwamun's nameboard

Should the signboard of Gwanghwamun, the historic main gate of Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, be written in Chinese characters or in Hangeul, the Korean alphabet? What appears to be a simple question has stirred decades of heated debate in Korea. At present, the nameboard displays “Gwanghwamun” in Chinese characters, the same as the original inscription from 1395, when the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) palace was first built. But this has not always been the case. In 1968, amid a state-led push to promote a distinctly Korean national identity, it was replaced with a Hangeul version handwritten by then-President Park Chung-hee. In 2010, after more recent large-scale restoration work was completed, the Hangeul sign was replaced again with Chinese character plaque, continuing the history of the gate being repeatedly rebuilt. The debate has been reignited once again. Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young told President Lee Jae Myung at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that the ministry seeks to review a proposal to install an additional Hangeul signboard beneath the existing Chinese character plaque. “G

Jan 23, 2026By Park Han-sol

Hangeul, Chinese characters or both? Long battle over Gwanghwamun's nameboard

Heritage agency files complaint against Kim Keon Hee over private use of cultural sites

The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) filed a criminal complaint against Kim Keon Hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, with Seoul’s Jongno Police Station, Wednesday, following an internal audit that found state-managed cultural heritage sites and resources were allegedly used for private purposes. The complaint stems from a special audit launched by the agency last November to investigate matters related to state heritage involving the former president and his spouse. The KHS noted this internal investigation was separate from a special probe already transferred to police. According to the audit findings, Kim allegedly held a private tea gathering at Mangmyoru Pavilion inside Jongmyo Shrine, an area normally closed to the public, for reasons unrelated to official state events or diplomatic receptions. The report also states that Kim exceeded her authority regarding national heritage affairs by conducting advance inspections of an official commemorative event for the restoration of Gwanghwamun’s Woldae platform and signboard and by touring restricted areas of the National Pal

Jan 21, 2026By Kwon Mee-yoo

Heritage agency files complaint against Kim Keon Hee over private use of cultural sites

Korea Heritage Service warns development around Jongmyo could hurt national reputation

The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) warned Monday that Seoul’s continued refusal to comply with UNESCO’s request to conduct a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) on its development plan — which permits high-rise construction across from Jongmyo Shrine — could ultimately “damage the country’s reputation internationally.” The agency added that while it currently lacks domestic legal grounds to formally demand such an assessment, it plans to do so once revisions to the Enforcement Decree of the Special Act on Conservation, Management and Utilization of World Heritage are finalized within the first quarter. “There are a few nations that have been unable to carry out HIAs due to unforeseeable factors such as armed conflict or climate disasters,” KHS Administrator Huh Min said at a press conference at Government Complex Seoul. “But to my knowledge, there are no cases in which a country has declined to conduct an assessment after being explicitly asked to do so.” Founded in 1395, Jongmyo has served as the site of ancestral rites for the kings and queens of the 1392-1910 Joseon

Jan 19, 2026By Park Han-sol

Korea Heritage Service warns development around Jongmyo could hurt national reputation

Seoul eyes joint UNESCO bid with Pyongyang to list taekwondo as shared heritage

South Korea aims to join forces with North Korea to seek UNESCO recognition for the traditional martial art of taekwondo as a shared intangible cultural heritage, officials said Monday. The Cultural Heritage Committee, an advisory body to the Korea Heritage Service (KHS), has selected taekwondo as the next candidate for a joint or expanded inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during a recent meeting, according to the KHS. "We plan to submit an application to the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguard of the Intangible Cultural Heritage by March," a KHS official said on condition of anonymity. The move comes after Pyongyang submitted its own application in March 2024 to list "Taekwon-Do, traditional martial art in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea." The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is North Korea's official name. A review of the North's bid is currently under way, with a final decision expected during the committee's 21st session in Xiamen, China, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 5. If successful, the move would mark the

Jan 19, 2026By Yonhap

Seoul eyes joint UNESCO bid with Pyongyang to list taekwondo as shared heritage

Painting peonies and tigers: Where to learn minhwa in Korea

“Dip your finest brush in color. Keep your brush vertical — this is very important. Lower it gently onto the paper. Don’t apply pressure. You’ll see tiny yellow dots appear,” a teacher told students learning Korean traditional folk painting, demonstrating how to add stamen and pistil to a peony painting during a class in Insa-dong, central Seoul, Jan. 6. Known as minhwa, Korean folk painting thrived during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The works, often created by anonymous artists, depict animals, trees, flowers and everyday objects, and were traditionally painted with the hope of warding off bad luck and ushering in good fortune. The class is run by the Korea Minhwa Association, an organization dedicated to promoting minhwa at home and abroad. “There are many places where people can learn minhwa, but the classes offered by our association are the longest-running and among the most widely recognized in Korea,” said An Mi-gyung, the association’s vice president and a class instructor. An said interest in minhwa has been growing steadily in recent years. “We receive many

Jan 14, 2026By Kim Se-jeong

Korean Heritage