Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Korea's 7,000-year-old petroglyphs gain UNESCO World Heritage status

Prehistoric petroglyphs carved into rocks nearly 7,000 years ago at the southeastern tip of Korea have been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, recognized for their vivid depictions of marine life and what is believed to be the world’s oldest portrayal of whale hunting. The decision to inscribe the Neolithic rock carvings, found along Ulsan’s Bangucheon Stream, was made Saturday (local time) during the 47th session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee in Paris. The newly listed site encompasses the petroglyphs of Bangudae Terrace and nearby Cheonjeon-ri, both of which are state-designated national treasures. First discovered in 1971, the Bangudae engravings are etched into the lower portion of a cliff in the upper reaches of Bangucheon Stream. Spanning 3 meters in height and 10 meters across, the rock face holds 312 distinct imprints: humans, land and sea animals, ships and tools — each one an image of ancient life along the Korean coast. Among the sea creatures portrayed, whales appear most frequently. Rendered with striking finesse, they have made the site famous as the w

Jul 12, 2025By Park Han-sol

Korea's 7,000-year-old petroglyphs gain UNESCO World Heritage status

PHOTO Goryeo, Joseon-era Buddhist masterpieces return home from Japan

A rare set of paintings of "The Ten Underworld Kings" from the early Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), recently retrieved from Japan, is unveiled at the National Palace Museum of Korea in Seoul, Tuesday. Also unveiled there on the same day was the "Transcription of the Zhou Version of the Avatamsaka Sutra (The Flower Garland Sutra), Vol. 22" from the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). The Buddhist paintings and the scripture were returned following efforts made by the Korea Heritage Service and the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation. Yonhap

Jul 8, 2025By Park Han-sol

[PHOTO] Goryeo, Joseon-era Buddhist masterpieces return home from Japan

From tigers to grim reapers: Korean folklore easter eggs in 'KPop Demon Hunters'

The breakout appeal of Netflix’s supernatural action-comedy animation “KPop Demon Hunters” has stretched beyond screens and soundtracks into the world of traditional Korean art and folklore that helped breathe life into its unique visuals. From its memorable animal sidekicks to the Saja Boys’ grim reaper-inspired swagger, here’s a closer look at the cultural roots behind some of the film’s most iconic moments. Tiger and magpie Without a doubt, the movie’s ultimate scene-stealers are an unlikely duo: a delightfully “derpy” tiger and its cunning magpie companion. This odd-couple pairing may seem random at first, but it traces back to Korean folk art and genre paintings called “minhwa.” Flourishing in the later centuries of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), minhwa broke away from the refined conventions of court painting. Rather than following rigid formalism, the genre embraced raw charm and unrestrained spontaneity. Brimming with whimsical, often mischievous details, these works reflected the imaginative desires and everyday humor of ordinary people. One recurring motif

Jul 4, 2025By Park Han-sol

From tigers to grim reapers: Korean folklore easter eggs in 'KPop Demon Hunters'

Joseon royal shrine returns home after a century in Japan

Gwanwoldang, a royal shrine from the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty, has returned to Korea nearly 100 years after it was taken to Japan during the colonial era. This marks the first time a complete Korean building has been repatriated from abroad, setting a new model for international cooperation in cultural heritage preservation. The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) and the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation (OKCHF) announced Tuesday that they had formally received the disassembled components of the Gwanwoldang building from Kotoku-in Temple in Kamakura, Japan. The repatriation was made possible through an agreement with the temple’s chief priest Takao Sato. The shrine's parts are now stored at the Korea Foundation for Traditional Architecture and Technology in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, where the restoration process is set to begin. "This return is a meaningful achievement, made possible by the sincere cooperation of the owner and the ongoing efforts of both Korean and Japanese experts. It stands as a model case of mutual respect and understanding through cultural heritage," Choi Eung

Jun 24, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

Joseon royal shrine returns home after a century in Japan

Restored to life, Joseon folding screens reunite with homeland before departure to US

A quiet homecoming unfolds at the National Palace Museum of Korea, devoted to just two objects: a pair of late Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) folding screens that crossed the ocean in the last century and found new homes in American museums. Their return will be marked by a yearlong restoration, carried out here in the land that first gave them life. Currently on view in Seoul are “Cloud Dream of the Nine,” from the Portland Art Museum in Oregon, and “One Hundred Boys at Play,” from the Denver Art Museum in Colorado. The screens will remain on display until July 20, before making their way back across the Pacific. Time has taken its toll since their creation in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. As the two artifacts passed through many hands, their surfaces accumulated stains and were altered by earlier repair efforts. The latest conservation, part of an initiative by the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, has sought to return the relics to their original state through a restoration that began in October 2023. The 10-panel folding screen, “Cloud Dream of the Nine,”

Jun 23, 2025By Park Han-sol

Restored to life, Joseon folding screens reunite with homeland before departure to US

Tomb believed to belong to Baekje's King Samgeun identified

Heritage authorities said on Tuesday that one of the royal tombs from the ancient Baekje Kingdom is likely to belong to King Samgeun, its 23rd monarch. The tomb is part of a cluster of royal burial mounds in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, which served as the Baekje capital, then called Ungjin, from A.D. 475 to 538. Of the seven known tombs in the area, only that of King Muryeong, Baekje's 25th ruler, has been identified. The others remain anonymous, having suffered extensive looting and damage during Japan's colonial rule of Korea from 1910 to 1945. King Samgeun (465–479), the grandson of King Gaero and son of King Munju, ascended the throne at age 13 and died just two years later, at 15. Historical records regarding the king are scarce due to his short reign. Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea alongside Goguryeo and Silla, ruled parts of the Korean Peninsula from 18 B.C. until its fall in A.D. 660. The Buyeo National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage launched a reinvestigation of Tombs No. 1-4 in 2023. In Tomb No. 2, researchers discovered two teeth, believed to be mo

Jun 17, 2025By Yonhap

Tomb believed to belong to Baekje's King Samgeun identified

Song Hye-kyo and professor donate Korean history booklets to Saipan

Actor Song Hye-kyo and professor Seo Kyung-duk have once again teamed up to promote Korean history abroad. To mark the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, the pair donated 10,000 Korean history guidebooks to Saipan and Tinian, islands in the western Pacific Ocean, according to Seo, a professor at Sungshin Women’s University, Tuesday. The guidebooks, available in both Korean and English, are being distributed at popular tourist locations, including the reception area of Saipan World Resort. They provide detailed information on key historical sites, including locations where Korean laborers were forcibly conscripted, a memorial honoring Korean victims, a former cave site used for Japanese wartime sexual slavery, and the airfield where atomic bombs were loaded during World War II. “Preservation of overseas Korean historical sites is far from ideal,” Seo said. “Continued interest and visits from Korean citizens are the most powerful way to protect them.” He also encouraged those unable to travel to visit the official website, “History of Korea Fou

Jun 17, 2025By Hankookilbo

Song Hye-kyo and professor donate Korean history booklets to Saipan

Korea to celebrate 1st Gugak Day on June 5

Starting this year, Korea will officially celebrate Gugak Day on June 5, marking a new annual occasion to honor and promote the country’s traditional music and dance. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the celebration will feature a wide range of events in Seoul and across the country. "Gugak," or traditional Korean music, also encompasses various forms of traditional dance. The official designation of Gugak Day was made possible by the Gugak Promotion Act, which was enacted last year. The law mandates the establishment of a day to recognize and promote the genre. “Gugak has long been promoted as part of Korea’s cultural heritage,” a ministry official told The Korea Times. “But with the Gugak Promotion Act in place, the genre will now have better access to financial and human resources.” Unlike K-pop, Korea’s traditional music remains relatively unknown globally and relies heavily on public sector support for production and promotion. “From my experience overseas, Gugak has virtually no recognition outside of Korea. This new law could change that,”

Jun 4, 2025By Kim Se-jeong

Korea to celebrate 1st Gugak Day on June 5

Who was Hungarian bomb expert behind Korea’s fight for independence?

In the 2016 film "The Age of Shadows," a mysterious foreign explosives expert named Ludvik (Foster Burden) assists Korean independence fighters against Japanese colonial rule. Though dramatized for the screen, the character was inspired by a real yet little-known historical figure — a Hungarian bomb technician known only as “Magyar,” a word that simply means “Hungarian” in his native language. The identity of this enigmatic foreign ally was recently unearthed by Mozes Csoma, former Hungarian ambassador to Korea and now a professor at Karoli Gaspar University in Budapest. Through archival research, Csoma has confirmed that Magyar was not just a generic reference to a Hungarian national, as previously assumed, but likely the man’s actual surname. Csoma identified him as Gabor Jozsef Magyar, born in 1896 in Selmecbanya, who was captured by Russian forces during World War I and detained in Siberian prisoner-of-war (POW) camps. The search for Magyar began in 2019, during Csoma’s diplomatic posting in Seoul. The Hungarian Embassy co-hosted an academic conference with Dankook Uni

Jun 1, 2025By Kwon Mee-yoo

Who was Hungarian bomb expert behind Korea’s fight for independence?

Korea welcomes international creators to share its UNESCO heritage sites with world

Korea wants to share its cultural treasures with the world through a new initiative that invites foreign content creators residing in the country to explore and promote the nation’s UNESCO-listed heritage. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Friday that it will host the 2025 UNESCO heritage and attractions tour program from June to November to highlight the universal value of Korea’s cultural assets. The program, “Unlock Korea’s Treasures,” will help foreign creators produce their own content as they visit key heritage sites across the country. Over five tours, participants will delve into both tangible and intangible heritage. “Even foreigners who have lived in Korea for a long time rarely get the chance to deeply explore its history and culture,” a culture ministry official said. “We hope this program will allow them to experience Korea’s invaluable heritage firsthand and serve as cultural ambassadors to the world.” Korea currently boasts 16 UNESCO World Heritage sites, with another 23 items on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list and 20 inscrib

May 23, 2025By Baek Byung-yeul

Korean Heritage