Ancient king comes to light after 1,500 years In 1921, during the routine upkeep of a local resident’s home, a golden crown, or geumgwan, and numerous associated relics were found in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do (North Gyeongsang Province), the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935). This was the first-ever discovery of such Silla era…
Film festival kicks off in Bucheon Hyun Bin (left) and Son Ye-jin walk down the red carpet during the opening ceremony for the 18th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival on July 17. They each received a Producers’ Choice Award. (photos: Jeon Han) The Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (Pifan) began on July 17 in Bucheon…
Korea, Dominican Republic share farming expertise A center for agricultural cooperation between Korea and the Dominican Republic recently opened in Santo Domingo, the country’s capital. The establishment of the new KOPIA center, an abbreviation for the center for the “Korean Project on International Agriculture,” was created as a result of an agreement reached…
Sejong Institute opens 17 more branches On July 9, 17 more King Sejong Institutes were newly opened across regions in Asia, the U.S. and Europe. Among them, nine institutes are found in Asia, six in the U.S. and two in Europe. In those regions, more workforce exchanges have occurred recently and more Korean companies…
Late Silla stone chamber found in Jeolla A stone chamber believed to be the remnants of a tomb and earthenware artifacts, all dating from the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935), have been found in Namwon, Jeollabuk-do (North Jeolla Province), announced the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) on July 9.This is the first time that…
Kongjwi and Patjwi: Cinderella tale offers insight into old Korea The story of Kongjwi and Patjwi is a beloved and popular Korean folktale made around the late Joseon period. The folktale is known to exist in 17 variant forms, and the novel version was first published in 1928. Often compared to the Western…
Fashionista: Jeon Ji-hyun in ‘My Love From the Star’ There is a growing number of people today who watch Korea-made soap operas and listen to Korean hip hop and dance music. This recent uptick in media consumption has brought increased attention to elements of the nation’s mass media and content industry. One of this…
Korean classical music, dance, theater showcased in London A wide range of Korean culture from music to dance has been shown in and around London as one of the main themes – Seoul in the City – of the 52nd City of London Festival, which started on June 22. The “Seoul in…
‘Cultural Partners’ bridge different cultures On July 12, all spotlight was focused on a group of international musicians as they started playing unfamiliar, exotic musical instruments on a domestic stage. Their instruments, including Uzbekistan’s stringed gijjak, similar to a violin, Mongolia’s morin khuur, a violin-sized string instrument, the Nigerian sekere, a type of shaker and bata drum, a double-headed…
Singin’ in the room noraebang nights Ask a Korean the biggest cultural oddities facing a Westerner in his country, and you will likely hear a commentary on terrifyingly spicy food, unfailing reverence for the elderly or the perils of trying to master chopsticks. Ask a Westerner, however, and the list transforms. What the…
