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DAILY FORTUNE - JUNE 1, 2023

DAILY FORTUNE - MAY 31, 2023

DAILY FORTUNE - MAY 30, 2023

INTERVIEW Long-awaited extension of Korean Pavilion at Venice Biennale to be pushed forward

The facade of the Korean Pavilion at the Giardini, one of the principal sites of the Venice Biennale in Italy / Courtesy of ARKOBy Park Han-solChoung Byoung-gug, chairperson of the Arts Council Korea / Courtesy of ARKOVENICE, Italy ― The Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, one of the world's longest-running international cultural festivals, may finally be granted a long-awaited chance to extend its small, nearly 30-year-old building, according to Choung Byoung-gug, the chairperson of the pavilion's commissioner, Arts Council Korea (ARKO).The Venice Biennale, which alternates between art and architecture, is a twofold event, composed of its flagship International Exhibition and a varying number of national pavilion shows organized by the respective home countries for each iteration.While 29 countries own permanent pavilion buildings in the Giardini, the sprawling parkland at the Italian town's southeastern tip, the rest are either located inside the former shipyard known as the Arsenale or scattered elsewhere across the lagoon city.Korean Pavilion was the last lucky one to enter t

DAILY FORTUNE - MAY 29, 2023

INTERVIEW Korean chef aims to change Hong Kong's dining scene

Bomnamul Bibimbap or Korean mixed rice with assorted spring vegetables presented by chef Lee Sang-gun / Courtesy of Hansik GooAward-winning chef delights Hong Kongers' taste buds with authentic Korean cuisine with modern twist By Kang Hyun-kyungLee Sang-gun, better known as chef Steve in Hong Kong, the head chef of fine-dining Korean restaurant Hansik Goo in Hong Kong / Courtesy of Hansik GooLee Sang-gun, better known as chef Steve in Hong Kong, was in disbelief when his name was announced as the winner of the Young Chef Award during the 15th edition of the Michelin Guide ceremony held on April 26 at the Grand Lisboa Palace in Macau.It was a nice surprise for Lee. “It was surreal,” he said during a Zoom interview with The Korea Times on Wednesday. “I had never thought I would be the one to get the prestigious award.” The Young Chef Award was recognized on the sidelines of Michelin's unveiling of a total of 96 restaurants in Hong Kong and Macau, which received Michelin stars. The award recognizes “a young chef working in a restaurant of the selection and

Korea hiking trail weeks kick off to promote regional tourism

Visitors walk along Oryukdo Sunrise Park in Busan, the starting points for the Haeparang and Namparang trails, in this photo taken in March 2013. Courtesy of Korea Tourism OrganizationBy Lee Hae-rinThe Korea hiking trail weeks, a promotional campaign for the Korea Dulle Trail, was launched Friday by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). The two-week event runs until June 9. The ministry held the campaign's kick-off ceremony at Oryukdo Sunrise Park in the southeastern port city of Busan, a starting point for two of the four trail routes constituting the Korea Dulle Trails ― Namparang Trail and Haeparang Trail.The Korea Dulle Trail system includes 4,500 kilometers of walking routes stretching along the eastern, western and southern coasts, as well as the border area in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The trail system is woven through 10 metropolitan areas and 78 local municipalities across the country.Haeparang Trail on the eastern coast starts from Busan's Oryukdo Sunrise Park and ends at the unification observatory in Goseong, Gangwon Pro

Prix Goncourt exhibition

Julien Cats, charge d'affaires a.i. at the French Embassy to Korea, delivers a speech on behalf of French Ambassador to Korea Philippe Lefort during the opening ceremony for the "Exhibition: History of Prix Goncourt" at the National Library of Korea in southern Seoul, Thursday. The exhibit aims to introduce the Prix Goncourt, a French literary award, to highlight bold and original French literature to Korean readers. It features some 80 works in their original French versions and Korean translations, set to run through June 25. Courtesy of National Library of Korea

Korean literature in translation enjoys growing universal appeal

From left, book cover of "Whale," "Violets" and "Love in the Big City" / Courtesy of Literature Translation Institute of KoreaBy Kwak Yeon-sooAs Korean literature in translation continues to reach more international readers, Korean authors are achieving a growing presence in the global publishing market. So far, a total of eight novels have been nominated for prestigious literary awards this year.Although it missed out on the 2023 International Booker Prize, novelist-director Cheon Myeong-kwan's “Whale,” translated by Kim Chi-young, was shortlisted for the British literary award. He is the third Korean writer to be shortlisted for the award following “The Vegetarian” and “The White Book” author Han Kang, who was selected in 2016 and 2018, and “Cursed Bunny” author Bora Chung, who was selected last year.“Whale,” a multi-generational tale that sheds light on growth and modernization in Korea after the 1950-53 Korean War, is set to be translated into several languages. The U.K. edition was released in January while the U.S. ver

Naver Webtoon's 'Hellbound' nominated for 2023 Eisner Awards

The poster for the web comic series "The Hellbound" by Yeon Sang-ho and Choi Gyu-seok/Yonhap"The Hellbound," the original Korean webtoon on which a popular 2021 Netflix series was adapted from, has been nominated for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, one of the most prestigious awards in the comics industry. "The Hellbound vols 1-2" by Yeon Sang-ho and Choi Gyu-seok, translated into English by Danny Lim, was named in the category of Best U.S. Edition of International Material―Asia, according to Comic Con International's homepage Thursday (local time).The comic series, which ran on Naver Webtoon from 2019-2020, was made into the Netflix Korean-language series "Hellbound" in November 2021, which topped the streamer's non-English TV show chart upon its release. Its second season is currently under production. Yeon, the animator and director of "Train to Busan" (2016), collaborated with Choi of the popular webtoon "Awl" on the story that features social turmoil and unrest after a series of inexplicable supernatural phenomena.Founded in 1988, the Eisner Awards is regarded as the comi