Biannual palace festival to kick off next week

The biannual festival at the four biggest Joseon-era (1392-1910) palaces in Seoul will start a five-day run Wednesday packed with performances from ballet to classical music and musicals. The K-Royal Culture Festival, held in spring and fall, will host performances at Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung. At Gyeongbokgung, “The Royal Concert: Ballet and Sujecheon” will be performed Oct. 10-13, showing a blend of ballet and the royal court music of Joseon. On O

Oct. 4, 2024

BTS-themed moon jar to be unveiled on Hangeul Day

Cultural objects like a white porcelain moon jar will be reimagined with a BTS theme, Hybe, the label behind the K-pop superstars, announced Friday. Fourteen items decorated with BTS lyrics and designs linked to the seven-member boy band have been created in the latest collaboration between Hybe and the state-run National Museum Foundation of Korea, Hybe said. A white porcelain moon jar and a seated pensive bodhisattva and are some of the items to be made public Wednesday, which is also Hangeul

Oct. 4, 2024

Japanese, American professors recognized with Order of Culture Merit for promoting Hangeul

A government ceremony officially recognizing those who have helped promote Korea’s writing system Hangeul will be held on Hangeul Day, which is recognized each year on Oct. 9. Miyuki Hamanoue, a professor of the Korean language at Kanda University of International Studies in Japan, and Dafna Zur, a professor teaching Korean literature at Stanford University in California, will receive the Order of Culture Merit, the highest recognition by the Korean government, according to the Ministry of

Oct. 4, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Nighttime view of Gongsanseong A nighttime stroll around the storied Gongsanseong is perfect for those wanting a leisurely walk that is also enlightening. The fortress in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, will be lit up between 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. through Oct. 10. Installations will also give a glimpse into the Baekje Kingdom (18 BC to 660 AD). Visit ggm-art.kr. Wild chrysanthemums Check out a wide variety of chrysanthemums in full bloom at the Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong, G

Oct. 4, 2024

[단독] 조계종, 예일대에 100만불 기부로 ‘선명상’ 세계화 시동

대한불교조계종이 미국 예일대에 100만불(한화 약 13억원)을 기부한다. 조계종이 한국불교학 발전을 위해 해외대학을 지원하는 첫 사례로, 역점 사업인 ‘선(禪)명상’의 세계화를 올해 안에 본 궤도에 올리겠다는 총무원장 진우스님의 강한 의지가 엿보인다. 1일 복수의 예일대 관계자에 따르면, 기부 협약식은 예일대에서 내주 10일(현지시간) 체결된다. 8일 출국해 5박7일간 방미하는 진우스님, 모리 맥기니스(Maurie McInnis) 예일대 총장, 윤재웅 동국대 총장이 배석할 예정이다. 조계종 방미단의 공식일정은 5일부터 13일까지로 규모는 100명을 약간 넘는 수준이다. 기부금은 국제 및 지역학을 연구하는 예일대 맥밀란센터(MacMillan Center)가 받아 관리한다. 센터는 현재 교수 5명과 학예사 및 전문강사 각 1명으로 구성된 ‘불교학 이니셔티브’를 운영 중이다. 한국인 김환수 교수(일미스님)가 그 중 한명이다. 한 예일대 관계자는

Oct. 2, 2024

[Exclusive] Jogye Order to donate $1m to Yale for study of Seon Buddhism

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the largest Buddhist sect in Korea, will donate $1 million to Yale University to promote Korea’s Seon Buddhism -- the first-ever such gift to a foreign university and the largest one-off contribution to any organization overseas in the history of the Jogye Order. A ceremony making the donation official will take place Oct. 10 at the Ivy League school in New Haven, Connecticut, with Jogye Order President the Ven. Jinwoo, Yale University President Maurie M

Oct. 2, 2024

Herald chairman becomes head of lay Jogye Buddhists group

Herald Corp. Chairman Jung Won-ju was inaugurated as the president of the Lay Buddhist Association at a ceremony held Wednesday at Jogyesa in Seoul. Some 200 people attended the ceremony held at the main hall, Daeungjeon, of Jogyesa, Jogye’s headquarters. Jung’s inauguration comes as the sect is stepping up efforts to promote its style of meditation, called “seon,” to win over both the domestic public and international followers. Jung echoed the sentiment. “Seon has

Oct. 2, 2024

10,000 won pass to palace festival to go on sale

Tickets will go on sale for five days next week for Seoul’s annual palace festival, which will include interactive programs and performances across the city’s five palaces as well as the shrine Jongmyo. The tickets to the K-Royal Culture Festival are 10,000 won and will be sold from Oct. 9-13, through Ticketlink, according to the Korea Heritage Service. Tickets for the five-day event that starts Oct. 9 will allow unlimited access to Jongmyo shrine and palaces from the Joseon era (139

Oct. 1, 2024

This year’s Hangeul Week packed with events

A competition, a music festival, lectures and a forum will take place for a week from Friday, celebrating the annual Hangeul Week to raise awareness of the Korean writing system. Hours ahead of officially starting the weeklong event, a Hangeul contest will be held at Gyeongbokgung -- one of the five Josen-era (1392-1910) palaces in Seoul -- drawing 120 Koreans who survived regional finals and 130 foreign nationals selected for the competition. Open lectures by book writers will follow on Friday

Oct. 1, 2024

Meditation brings calm to Gwanghwamun

Tens of thousands descended on Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul for a Buddhist meditation retreat Saturday, as the nation’s largest Buddhist sect seeks to address real-life challenges. The second day of the five-day Seon Meditation Summit, attended by 35,000 people, is the latest highlight of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism’s push to promote its own style of meditation. “It’s time for a spiritual revolution. No matter how advanced technologies or the economy becomes, the mi

Sept. 29, 2024