Celebrity producer Na Young-seok’s new-concept reality show “Three Meals a Day” was a sensational hit when it aired last year. Based on a simple premise of making your own meal from scratch, two urban men, who happen to be an A-list TV actor and a K-pop idol, struggled with rural life in the middle of nowhere.Following on the huge success of its inaugural season and a spin-off, the show returns Friday with the original cast ― actor Lee Seo-jin and singer Ok Taec-yeon ― joined by a third member,

Television May 14, 2015

Italian luxury fashion house Ferragamo collaborated with Korean artist Lee Sea-hyun for its collection of silk, cashmere and wool accessories. Lee is known for the “red landscape” images that depict North and South Korean scenes in delicate washes of crimson orange, reflecting Korea’s sociopolitical reality. His paintings have been exhibited internationally in the U.K., Switzerland, Amsterdam, New York and Seoul. The first partnership between Ferragamo and Lee began when the brand’s Asia-Pacific

Arts & Design May 13, 2015

No outfit is complete without shoes. But when it comes to the hanbok look in modern times, a vital part has been missing. Platform heels or loafers have replaced shoes traditionally matched with a hanbok. A team of academics and an artisan shoemaker launched a rare project to rekindle the tradition. The project, launched by the private cultural heritage foundation Yeol with sponsorship of GRI Korea ― importer of Nine West and Steve Madden ― revived 30 pairs of shoes worn by kings and nobility du

Culture May 12, 2015

The Chanel Cruise collection for 2015/16 was a tribute to Korean aesthetics. Models wore large braided wigs, or “gache,” a key accessory for women of noble birth during the Joseon period. The elegant decorations traditionally worn on the wigs were reinterpreted as brooches and accessories that added a Korean character to each look.  Chanel Cruise Collection 2015/16 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul on Monday. (Chanel)Drawing on Korean traditional aesthetics, Karl Lagerfeld filled his latest co

Arts & Design May 6, 2015

Nestled at the foothills of Mount Inwangsan, Cheongun Literature Library is an emerging tourist draw in Seoul.In a rare architectural style for a public building in Korea, the library’s faade exudes a traditional feel, in harmony with the surrounding mountain landscape. The Cheongun library is one of the latest architecture projects of the district office of Jongno. Starting from the restoration of Bukchon hanok village, the district has been spearheading efforts to popularize hanok in modern li

Arts & Design May 4, 2015

Before Korea became the leading exporter of semiconductors and cellphones, the top money magnet was wigs. Wigs, along with textiles, shoes and plywood, were the pillars of Korea’s exports in the 1960s and ’70s, until cheap-labor countries entered the market.The once-flourishing wig making process is reenacted by contemporary artist Lee Wan for his new exhibition in Seoul. In an 11-minute video, the artist cuts his long hair and asks a wig maker in Namdaemun to make a wig with it. A scene from th

Performance April 30, 2015

Despite the long history of shamanism in Korea, remaining shamanistic relics and records are considerably few partly due to oppression following the dominance of Confucianism and modernization. Folklorist Kim Tae-gon (1936-1996) was the first scholar who paid attention to the disappearing shamanistic practices in the 1960s when it was considered a “primitive, backward and outdated culture.”The National Folk Museum of Korea sheds light on the lifetime work of folklorist Kim, who collected more th

Culture April 27, 2015

A dinner with Ven. Hyemin, one of the most influential Buddhist monks in Korea, is up for auction, with a starting price of 3 million won ($2,780).The winning bidder of the online auction may take three of his or her friends to the dinner with the monk, scheduled to be held from 7-9 p.m. on May 15 at Dugaheon restaurant in Samcheong-ro, Seoul. “This is a chance to have dinner with Ven. Hyemin and listen to his good words and donate the proceeds to charity,” said Sohn Yi-cheon of art K Auction, w

People April 24, 2015

PAJU, Gyeonggi Province ― Just a few kilometers south of the Demilitarized Zone runs a long line of barbed wire fences, separating the rice fields in the south and no-man’s land in the north. Imjingang River also crosses the world’s most fortified border between South and North Korea. It is a tense and hostile area, with a man shot to death trying to cross to the Nouth in September 2013. In this area, a white signpost reads “Hello” in Korean on both sides. Looking alien in its surroundings, the

Performance April 23, 2015

Royal life will unfold at Seoul’s four historic palaces during the first Royal Culture Festival in May. From May 2-10, the Joseon-era palaces ― Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung ― and Jongmyo Shrine invite locals and foreigners to immerse themselves in all things royal. “The Cultural Heritage Administration has held programs that would bring citizens and foreign tourists closer to royal palaces such as the night tour program at Changdeokgung Palace. This festival bring

Culture April 22, 2015

This is the third installment of a four-part series introducing Korea’s springtime tourist destinations. ― Ed.CHANGWON, South Gyeongsang Province ― Changwon, a southern industrial port city, heralds the arrival of spring on the Korean Peninsula with cherry blossoms. The city’s Jinhae district draws huge crowds of tourists and locals with the famed cherry blossom festival Gunhangje every April. But Changwon is not all about cherry blossoms. A true spring trip comes after the blossoms fall. This i

Travel April 19, 2015

The 56th Venice Biennale will begin its seven-month run next month, bringing some of the world’s greatest artists and emerging names to the floating city. More than ever before, this year’s biennale will see a large number of Korean artists displaying their works. In the main exhibition, to be curated by Nigerian biennale director Okwui Enwezor, works by three emerging Korean artists will be included ― the first Korean representation in six years.  Artist Moon Kyung-won (left) and Jeon Joon-ho.

Performance April 15, 2015

A former veteran aid worker has published a compilation of the greatest speeches in history that have inspired him during his overseas missions for 23 years, including a stint in the earthquake-hit Haiti.Titled “History Development and Human Prosperity,” the book compiles 39 speeches of world leaders in religion and politics. They range from ancient figures such as Socrates, Jesus Christ, the founder of the early Korean kingdom Dangun to leaders of the modern time, including U.S. Presidents Fran

Books April 12, 2015

When 27-year-old young art dealer Park Myeong-ja opened her gallery in April 1970, the first response she received from people was how fast she would give up and close the shop. It was a time when even the word “gallery” was unfamiliar to most Koreans.  Exhibition view of the Korean abstract painting exhibition that marks the 45th annniversary of Gallery Hyundai. (Gallery Hyundai)“People didn’t know there was such a place where you could view and buy paintings,” Park recalled at a press viewing

Performance April 9, 2015

The Independence Hall of Korea announced Wednesday the launch of a five-year project that traces the legacies of thousands of Korean independence activists and compiles them into an encyclopedia. “The Who’s Who in the Korean Independence Movement” will feature 16,000 patriots who campaigned against Japanese colonial rule, including well-known heroes Ahn Jung-geun and Yun Bong-gil. The encyclopedia is expected to be published in 2019, the year that marks the 100th anniversary of the foundation of

Culture April 8, 2015