Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Korea designates midcentury masterpieces, historic Gwangju theater as cultural heritage sites

Four sites reflecting Korea’s industrial, architectural and wartime history have been proposed for national heritage registration, including a factory designed by one of the country’s most influential modern architects and a cinema that has served audiences for more than nine decades. The Korea Heritage Service said Monday that it will propose national registration for the former Yuyu Pharmaceutical factory in Anyang, Gwangju Theater, the former Daejeon Public Hall and Japanese military aircraft hangars at Altteureu Airfield in Moseulpo, Jeju Island. The former Yuyu Pharmaceutical complex, built between 1958 and 1960, comprises a factory, research building and guardhouse designed by Kim Chung-up, a leading figure in modern Korean architecture. The complex is recognized for its historical role in the pharmaceutical industry and architectural features that reflect Kim’s early work, including distinctive columns, projecting window frames and a cylindrical guardhouse. Gwangju Theater, which opened in 1935 under an organization established with Korean capital during Japanese colonial ru

Oct 12, 2026By Lee Kyung-min

Korea designates midcentury masterpieces, historic Gwangju theater as cultural heritage sites

American helped bring spacing to Hangeul

When it comes to Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, two figures are often mentioned: King Sejong (1397-1450), who initiated its creation, and linguist Ju Si-gyeong (1876-1914), who helped develop and systematize Korea's modern grammar and writing system. Last year, Yoo Hong-june, director of the National Museum of Korea and a historian, highlighted another important contributor to the development of Hangeul: Homer Hulbert (1863-1949), an American educator, Christian missionary and scholar. “Hulbert recommended Ju Si-gyeong use spacing in Hangeul writing, and Ju accepted the recommendation. That decision to accept the recommendation, I believe, made the biggest contribution to Hangeul’s development,” Yoo said during a lecture on Hangeul. Kim Dong-jin, chairman of the Hulbert Memorial Society (HMS), also said historical records provide supporting evidence that Hulbert was behind bringing spacing to Hangeul. Newspaper with Hangeul Hulbert came to Korea in 1886 as a teacher at Yugyeong Gongwon, also known as the Royal English School, one of the country’s first modern schools. Hulbert became

Oct 9, 2026By Kim Se-jeong and Park Jin-hai

American helped bring spacing to Hangeul

InterviewLearning Korean? 3 people share what works for them

As Korea celebrates Hangeul Day's 100th anniversary this month, The Korea Times asked three people learning Korean what drew them to the language, where they struggle now and which study habits have worked best for them. They range from a beginner in the United States to advanced speakers pursuing graduate degrees in Seoul. Name: Adrian Adams Level: Beginner Study tip: Constant exposure, repetition and practice For Adrian Adams, a 22-year-old church secretary in Springfield, Missouri, Korean began as a way to fill the long days of the COVID-19 lockdowns, when a friend recommended a few BTS songs and K-dramas. Adam's interest quickly became something more than a pastime. "Korean culture is so beautiful and intricate," Adams said. "I was amazed by the respect and beauty found in the spoken language." Wanting to understand what the singers and actors were actually saying, Adams started learning in 2022 by following Korean teachers on social media and picking up Hangeul through YouTube videos, then hired a tutor to prepare for a trip to Korea that Adams' parents gave as a surprise high school g

Oct 9, 2026By Pyo Kyung-min

Learning Korean? 3 people share what works for them

Seoul museum traces history of Hangeul typewriters

Long before digital touchscreens and predictive text algorithms reshaped daily communication, inventors struggled with a complex puzzle: how to fit the intricate structure of the Korean alphabet onto a mechanical keyboard. Opening Friday at the G-Valley Industrial Museum in Seoul, a new exhibition titled "The Type-Writing Machine for Hangeul" traces eight decades of mechanical innovation behind the Korean script. The timing is especially symbolic, coinciding with the centennial of both Hangeul Day and the release of the Korean Braille system. The exhibition explores the evolution from early 20th-century vertical script to modern horizontal layouts, featuring over 40 rare typewriters, archival photographs and vintage media. At the center of the collection is a newly restored replica of the 1914 Lee Won-ik typewriter, widely recognized as the earliest attempt to mechanize Korean writing. Created in the United States by modifying a Smith Premier No. 10 typewriter, the machine laid the groundwork for decades of technological experimentation. Visitors can trace the fierce design debates of th

Oct 8, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

Seoul museum traces history of Hangeul typewriters

Jongmyo Shrine, Basilica of Saint-Denis exchange French, Korean visitor guides

Situated nearly 5,500 miles apart, Seoul’s Jongmyo Shrine and the Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis near Paris share a remarkably similar historic duty: serving as the final resting places for two nations' royal dynasties. Now, the two historic sites are swapping native languages to welcome an expanding influx of international travelers. Officials from Korea’s Royal Palaces and Tombs Center met with France’s Centre des Monuments Nationaux inside the Saint-Denis cathedral last week to officially exchange freshly published visitor guidebooks — offering French text for Jongmyo and Korean for Saint-Denis. The initiative marks the first concrete deliverable under a cultural collaboration agreement signed during a bilateral summit in April. Both institutions sought to deepen diplomatic and heritage ties by linking their premier royal burial sites. Jongmyo Shrine, built in 1395, houses the spirit tablets of Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) kings and queens. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it remains a sanctuary for centuries-old ancestral rituals that are themselves protected as

Oct 6, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

Jongmyo Shrine, Basilica of Saint-Denis exchange French, Korean visitor guides

Seokguram exhibition opens in Paris to mark 140 years of Korea-France ties

An exhibition on Seokguram Grotto, an eighth-century Buddhist cave temple among Korea's first UNESCO World Heritage sites, opened in Paris on Thursday (local time), alongside a weeklong Korean heritage festival, the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) said Friday. The exhibition, "The Millennium Mystery of Buddhist Art: Seokguram," runs through March 13, 2027, at the Korean Cultural Center in France. The KHS organized it with the center and the Gyeongju city government to mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France. Seokguram is an artificial granite grotto on Mount Toham in Gyeongju, the capital of the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935). It was added to the UNESCO list in 1995. The show features a 3D immersive video recreating the grotto's interior and a reconstruction of green-glazed tiles depicting Buddhist guardian deities that once decorated a wooden pagoda base at the Sacheonwang Temple Site in Gyeongju. Korean Ambassador to France Kwon Hyuk-woon gave opening remarks, followed by congratulatory speeches from Rep. Kim Seok-ki, Gyeongju Mayor Joo Nak-young and

Oct 2, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

Seokguram exhibition opens in Paris to mark 140 years of Korea-France ties

4,000 reenactors to march 32 km in Korea's largest historical reenactment

In the autumn of 1795, King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty set out on an unprecedented eight-day royal pilgrimage from his palace in Seoul to his father’s memorial site in Hwaseong. Escorting his mother, Lady Hyegyeong, the monarch marched with thousands of soldiers, officials and horses in a historic display of filial piety and royal authority. That grand journey will return on a monumental scale this Sunday. The Seoul Metropolitan Government, Gyeonggi Province, and the cities of Suwon and Hwaseong announced a joint historic reenactment of King Jeongjo’s 31.8-kilometer procession. The 2026 King Jeongjo Royal Parade will begin from Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul and cross the Han River to end at Yungneung, the royal tomb complex in Gyeonggi Province. Featuring more than 4,000 participants and 108 horses, the daylong festival is one of Korea’s largest living history spectacles. The procession bridges four major municipal boundaries, transforming modern urban thoroughfares into dynamic outdoor stages for traditional pageantry, street theater and cultural performances. The journey b

Oct 1, 2026By Lee Kyung-min

4,000 reenactors to march 32 km in Korea's largest historical reenactment

Immersive program offers foreign professionals portal into Korean heritage

Beyond the fast-paced pulse of high-tech city life, foreign diplomats, executives and journalists living in Korea are being offered an immersive window into the country's ancient seasonal rhythms and cultural legacy. The Korea National University of Heritage said Thursday that it is opening enrollment for its 2026 K-Heritage Leadership Program, a tailored five-week weekend course designed to connect expatriate professionals directly with master craftspeople, UNESCO-listed treasures and centuries-old customs. Running every Saturday from Oct. 24 through Nov. 21, the initiative pairs interactive academic lectures with hands-on cultural immersion across historic venues in Seoul and the university’s principal campus in Buyeo, a city in South Chungcheong Province steeped in ancient Baekje history. Set against the theme "Korean Traditional Culture Met Through the Four Seasons: Wisdom and Elegance of the Ancestors Found in Nature," the course explores how traditional lifestyle practices, architecture and aesthetics harmonized with nature’s shifting climates throughout history. Rather than re

Oct 1, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

Immersive program offers foreign professionals portal into Korean heritage

Forest trails at 9 Joseon Dynasty royal tombs open for autumn walks

Forest trails at nine royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty will open to the public beginning Thursday, giving visitors a chance to walk among autumn foliage at the UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Korea Heritage Service said Wednesday. The Joseon Dynasty ruled Korea from 1392 to 1910. Forty of its royal tombs, located in Seoul and nearby areas, were collectively inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009. Much of the woodland surrounding the tombs is normally closed to visitors to protect the sites. The nine trails cover a combined 19.04 kilometers (11.8 miles). They are located at Donggureung in Guri; Gwangneung and Sareung in Namyangju; Taereung and Gangneung, and Uireung, in Seoul; Yungneung and Geolleung in Hwaseong; Jangneung and Samneung in Paju; and Yeongneung and Nyeongneung in Yeoju. Apart from the two Seoul sites, all are in Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds the capital. The longest route, at about 3.7 kilometers, links the Yungneung and Geolleung tombs in Hwaseong. Other highlights include a 2.7-kilometer route at Donggureung, the largest cluster of Joseon royal tombs,

Sep 30, 2026By Jhoo Dong-chan

Forest trails at 9 Joseon Dynasty royal tombs open for autumn walks

BTS' RM donates $70,000 to National Museum of Korea for artifact acquisition

BTS leader RM has donated 100 million won ($70,000) to support acquisitions at the National Museum of Korea, extending his long-standing patronage of Korean art and culture. The museum said Wednesday that RM, whose legal name is Kim Nam-joon, made the contribution on Tuesday through the National Museum of Korea Foundation. The funds will be used to acquire objects for the museum’s collection. Appointed as the museum’s global ambassador in June, RM said he was pleased to offer support in the role. “I am happy to be able to support the museum as its global ambassador,” RM said. “I will continue to work with the museum to promote it and our culture.” The museum said it expects RM’s continued support of the arts and culture to draw greater public interest in Korea’s cultural heritage and museums, adding that it will respond with stronger exhibitions and programs. Known as an avid art lover and collector, RM has supported cultural institutions and built a collection focused largely on Korean modern and contemporary art. His collection will take center stage in San Francisco this

Sep 30, 2026By Lee Hae-rin

Korean Heritage