Articles by Choi Si-young
Choi Si-young
siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com-
Making home your haven
Finding relief from the stress and anxieties of city living within the comfort of your home was the palpable trend at the annual Seoul Living Design Fair, which ended its five-day run at Coex in southern Seoul on Sunday. Massage chairs from Coway, a Korean company better known for its water purifiers, showed the kind of compromise sought by those who want to feel cocooned in a stylish chair, eschewing bulkier massage chairs that require more space to install. “A 5- or 10-minute massage onc
Arts & Design March 6, 2024
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April event in Boston to mark Goryeo relic’s return: CHA official
A ceremony marking the return to South Korea of long-sought 14th-century Buddhist antiquities from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston will take place at the US museum sometime during the first week of April, according to an official at Korea’s Cultural Heritage Administration on Monday. Discussions are still underway on finalizing the date, the official added, saying the CHA chief might join a Buddhist monk expected to travel to Boston for the ceremony. The official declined to elaborate furt
Culture March 4, 2024
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[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea
Japanese Cornelian cherry blossom trails in Gurye Cornelian cherry dogwood, one of the first trees to flower in spring, beckons tourists to cherry blossom-lined trails in Gurye County, South Jeolla Province. From March 9-17, the trail that cuts through villages and hidden spots is open to all looking for spring flowers. Guided tours will be offered March 10, 16 and 17 for those making reservations online at naver.me/xBsHaJDS. The 2.5-kilometer trail, which is mostly flat, takes about 50 minu
Travel March 1, 2024
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National Hangeul Museum eyes bigger role ahead of 10th anniversary
The National Hangeul Museum is looking to launch several exhibitions this year to boost its presence as the state-run institution prepares to mark its 10th anniversary on Hangeul Day on Oct. 9. A series of touring exhibitions will take place in cities around the country and abroad year-round, with exhibitions in Korea already underway. The exhibition “Children in a Happy World of Their Own” kicked off in January in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, the first of five stops in the t
Arts & Design Feb. 29, 2024
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Ceramic foundation seeks participants for Paris show
The Korea Ceramic Foundation, run by Gyeonggi Province, is seeking applicants to participate in the biannual Maison & Objet design fair in Paris, Sept. 5-9. The foundation is looking to select a total of 16 local craft workshops registered with the province, with the slots evenly split between firms in Yeoju and Icheon, cities known for their ceramics, to set up booths at the Gyeonggi Ceramic Pavilion during Maison & Objet. The Paris exhibition on tableware and household goods drew about
Arts & Design Feb. 27, 2024
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UNESCO workshop on writing cultural heritage reports convenes in Jeonju
The Cultural Heritage Administration on Monday convened a five-day international meeting on empowering countries to write up better progress reports on protecting cultural heritage, in line with a UNESCO convention. About 100 government officials and UNESCO representatives from 42 countries in the Asia-Pacific region will discuss improving their collective submission of progress reports, mandated every six years under the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, in Je
Culture Feb. 26, 2024
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Tours of royal hall at Changdeokgung to open
Free guided tours of the royal hall Injeongjeon at Changdeokgung -- one of the five palaces in Seoul of the Joseon era (1392-1910) -- will run for the entire month of March, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Friday. Existing tours of the palace covering major palace buildings are to add a 15-minute stop for a rare look inside Injeongjeon -- the main hall of the palace, where key royal ceremonies from proclamations to weddings took place. Kings used the hall to discuss day-to-day matters
Culture Feb. 23, 2024
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Temple that housed book on Hangeul launches Hangeul awareness group
A South Korean Buddhist temple believed to have housed an old book annotating Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, has launched an awareness group to promote the “power of altruism” behind the writing system King Sejong the Great created in 1443. “Going forward, we will undertake projects to promote the true spirit of Hunminjeongeum,” said the Ven. Beomjong, president of the Hunmin Spirit Globalization Association, referring to the original name for Hangeul at a launch ceremony
Culture Feb. 23, 2024
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[Well-curated] Matcha espresso, salad that eats like meal, Ilya Milstein’s llustration
Try Matcha espresso with tonic water, Financier Koreans love their Americanos, but espresso bars have become more trendy over the last few years, with more than a hundred espresso bars thriving in Seoul's cafe scene. Mulino Espresso Bar, located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, is the rare combination of a strong espresso shot, cool-temperature whipped matcha cream, eye-pleasing pastel green matcha syrup and tonic water to refresh your mouth after your cup is finished. Try pairing it with a sweet and
Culture Feb. 23, 2024
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[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea
Jeju Canola Flower Festival Canola flowers on Jeju Island herald the start of spring. Following the winter camellia festival, the resort island now invites visitors to its canola flower festival, which will run until the end of April. At Hueree Park, visitors won’t just find a field of yellow canola flowers. Red plum blossoms and hydrangea, set to bloom as early as April, will render a more spring-like atmosphere. Pets on leashes are allowed. Admission costs 13,000 won for adults, 11,0
Travel Feb. 23, 2024
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CHA eyes easing rules, bigger outreach
A sweeping overhaul of regulations and broader outreach are the focus of what the Cultural Heritage Administration intends to achieve this year, the state-run agency said Thursday. At an annual briefing to update the public about its latest priorities, CHA chief Choi Eung-chon underscored the new goal of allowing Koreans to enjoy the benefits of the work the agency does. “That’s our new role and value,” Choi said, describing the plan to rename the agency with the phrase “
Culture Feb. 22, 2024
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National Museum of Korea to show Buddhist paintings, drawings
The National Museum of Korea is mounting an exhibition through July 21 dedicated to exploring Buddhist paintings and drawings from the 19th to 20th century, a period the museum says is marked by Western influence. Of 37 pieces on exhibit -- all by monk painters -- the painting of Amitabha Buddha preaching in paradise is a textbook example of such influence, according to a NMK official, citing the three-dimensional effect of the drawn figures. Another painting carries the name of the painter hims
Arts & Design Feb. 21, 2024
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CHA to help with Angkor Wat preservation efforts
The Cultural Heritage Administration will aid Cambodia’s efforts to preserve its signature temple complex Angkor Wat for the next three years starting this year. The latest joint project marks the fifth time Cambodia has sought out such outside help -- following the US, Germany, Italy and Japan -- according to the South Korean agency, which inked a memorandum of understanding with the Apsara National Authority on Monday. “The temple complex is a symbolic cultural heritage site in Cam
Culture Feb. 20, 2024
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Visits to historic sites double during Lunar New Year holiday
Historic sites in Seoul connected with the Joseon era (1392-1910) during last week’s four-day Lunar New Year holiday saw more than twice the number of visitors the previous year, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration on Monday. Seoul’s four main royal palaces -- Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung -- and the royal tombs as well as the Jongmyo Shrine drew a total of 534,347 guests, up from 246,022 recorded in the four days from Jan. 21-24 in 2023. C
Culture Feb. 19, 2024
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Minister Yu mulls strategies to boost Korea’s image with overseas culture chiefs
Culture Minister Yu In-chon kick-started a four-day meeting Monday with chiefs from the ministry’s overseas cultural centers to discuss interagency coordination on promoting South Korea. Thirty-five cultural center heads and officials from seven promotional centers across 34 countries took part in the in-person gathering in Seoul. The event follows an announcement by the Culture Ministry two weeks ago on the launch of an office to replace the previous cultural agency, which was criticized
Culture Feb. 19, 2024
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