"Six-Fold Screen of the Sun, Moon and Five Peaks," produced between the late 19th and early 20th century. Courtesy of National Palace Museum of Korea Paintings that once embellished the interiors of the royal palaces during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) were more than just ornate decorations as they symbolized the king’s majesty and embodied hope for the nations’ prosperity.   To celebrate 2020-2021 being the Year of Cultural Dialogue between Korea and the United Arab

A view of artist Yeesookyung's exhibition "Moonlight Crowns" at the Art Sonje Center. Courtesy of Art Sonje Center Since 2002, artist Yee Soo-kyung (also written as Yeesookyung) has continually visited the kilns of some of Korea’s most renowned master potters in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do Province; Gangjin, Jeollanam-do Province; and elsewhere.   But she’s not there for the gleaming, newly fired ceramics. Instead, she collects broken shards from blue and white porcelain, celad

Senior citizens clap and dance to the songs performed by trot singer Kim Yong-im in Hyochang Stadium in Yongsan District, Seoul, Oct. 15, 2019. Photo by Shim Hyun-chul Q.  K-pop’s popularity knows no borders, as fans all across the world enjoy it. But in Korea, is K-pop also popular among people of all ages?   A.  Older and younger Koreans, just like generations everywhere, have different tastes in music. In general, K-pop is popular among young music fans, altho

Graphic by Bae So-young ● Summer reading list recommended by New York-based literary agent Barbara Zitwer ● Like Scandi Noir, she says, Korean thrillers have “a unique point of view.”   Scorching temperatures and the Delta variant-fueled resurgence of COVID-19 have made it much easier to catch up on reading as people are advised to stay indoors and refrain from mingling with others.   Barbara Zitwer, a literary agent and founder of the Barbara Zitwe

gettyimagesbank ● The country has long dominated Olympic archery with 27 gold medals – nearly double the count of the sport’s 2nd  most successful country (USA, 14). ● The prolific medalists on Korea’s Olympic archery squad won their places through tough national competitions. South Korea proved itself again as a global archery powerhouse at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The country has scored gold medals in four of the five archery events – mix

Hashima Island. Courtesy of Museum of Japanese Colonial History in Korea A UNESCO committee has expressed “strong regret” over Japan’s management of its World Heritage Sites, including Hashima Island, citing the country’s failure to keep its earlier promise to honor victims of wartime forced labor, primarily Koreans and Chinese.   On July 22 (local time), the World Heritage Committee (WHC) held a virtual session adopting a resolution calling on the Japanese government

Photo by Shim Hyun-chul ● Millennials, Gen Z view North Korea as a poor, needy neighbor. ● Unlike older South Koreans, the younger generation is lukewarm about unification.        Recent public opinion surveys found that North Korea is a flash point that drives a rift between South Korea’s young and old generations.   Unlike their parents and grandparents, younger Koreans are not eager to see their homeland reunited and some are eve