The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Wednesday it will inject 156.9 billion won ($131.28 million) to support artists who are suffering financially from the spread of COVID-19. The amount accounts for around 45 percent of the total 346.9 billion won third extra budget of the ministry. “Since the overall culture industry has been hit by the COVID-19, we have worked hard for this third extra budget,” Oh Yeong-woo, first vice minister of Culture Ministry, said during a pr

The Korea Herald is set to accelerate its digital drive with the opening of a brand new studio. The newspaper plans to maximize the use of a multipurpose studio to meet demand for multimedia content, including video and podcast productions. After a month of construction, Herald Corp. held an opening ceremony for its new studio at the company’s building, Herald Square, in Seoul’s central Yongsan district on Wednesday.  “With the completion of a studio that will lead the

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on Friday that the National Assembly passed a third extra budget of 346.9 billion won ($289.4 million) to support the cultural industry that has been suffering financially due to the spread of COVID-19. The ministry added that the amount increased by 7 billion won from 339.9 billion won, the initial budget plan it had submitted on June 3. The National Assembly has approved the Culture Ministry’s project plans for increasing jobs and

Daejanggeum Park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, is one of the largest open sets in South Korea, where period dramas, movies and commercials are filmed.  It is a semipermanent set that has been modeled after the architectural styles and traditional Korean houses of the Three Kingdoms period, Goryeo kingdom and Joseon era.  Starting with the production of the drama “Shindon” in 2005, numerous dramas and movies, including “Daejanggeum,” “Jumong” and

The Catholic archdiocese in the southwestern city of Gwangju has decided to put off public masses due to a recent resurgence in novel coronavirus infections in the region. "As part of concerted efforts to prevent further infections and join the government-led precautionary measures, the diocese will suspend Masses and gatherings in parishes and institutions within Gwangju until second-level social distancing ends," the Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju said in a message posted online o

The Korean Academic Society for Public Relations on Wednesday held a symposium to discuss promoting Korean culture in the post COVID-19 era. The event was sponsored by the Korean Culture and Information Service. “Next year is the 50th anniversary of the establishment of KOCIS. It is meaningful to have discussions like this at this time,” said Choi Yoon-hee, second vice minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. During the talk, Eulji University’s public rela

Staff of the Royal Palaces and Tomb Center’s Gyeongbokgung Palace Management Office clean the interior of Gyeongbokgung’s main hall, Geunjeongjeon, on Monday. The Joseon-period palace is closed to visitors due to the spread of COVID-19. By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com)

Regulatory loophole leads to freewheeling sexual content

Experts on Korea and Japan relations, novelist Han Su-san and political science professor Yuji Hosaka on Monday discussed the issue of Japan breaching its promise to honor forced laborers at historic industrial sites, including Hashima Island. Hosaka is currently a political science professor at Sejong University and Han is a well-known author whose works include “Crow” and “Hashima Island,” novels based on the true stories of forced laborers during the 1910-45 Japanes

National Museum of Korea on Thursday opened a special exhibition marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean War titled “The Museum & The War.” “Through this exhibition, visitors can find out the role of the National Museum of Korea and how some of the cultural heritage were damaged during the wartime,” said Choi Seon-ju, head of curatorial affairs office at the National Museum of Korea, during a press conference Friday held ahead of its opening. The exhibition is la

Unlike tech-savvy readers who have jumped over to e-books in the mobile era, there are people who still feel nostalgia for paper books, and some still love going to secondhand bookstores. One of the biggest draws of visiting a secondhand bookstore is probably the joy of accidentally discovering a rare treasure in the piles of dusty, faded old books, especially one that is out of print.  At a secondhand bookstore in Gaebong-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul, books are priced by weight. That’

A reed warbler is seen sitting on top of a lotus leaf in Seongho Lake, located in Icheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, shortly after rain on Thursday. (Photos: Yonhap) (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

Seongsu-dong in eastern Seoul was once filled with rugged warehouses and shops specializing in handmade shoes. The once-industrial district has turned into an Instagrammable spot. Trendy cafes and restaurants have replaced old storage spaces, infusing fresh energy into the district. Unique signboards, tables and chairs lying outside the cafes sit in contrast with the remnants of old buildings. Cafes and restaurants exhibit stylish sensibilities, inviting people to experience a newly emergin

Kim Dong-gi, ambassador and permanent delegate of the Republic of Korea to UNESCO, criticized Japan on Thursday for not keeping its promise to honor the victims of wartime forced labor at its historic industrial sites, including Hashima Island. “Japan is not living up to the pledge that it made and also is disregarding the authority of the World Heritage Committee,” Kim said during a press conference in Paris. Kim added that Japan’s actions were harming its national image.

Riot Games will donate proceeds from the sale of certain in-game items to help people suffering from the spread of COVID-19. Starting Friday at 5 a.m. until July 24, proceeds from three in-game champion skins, or character decorations, as well as other accessory items, such as limited icons and emoticons, will be donated to the Riot Games Social Impact Fund. The three champion skins for the event, which are Nurse Akali, Kennen M.D. and Surgeon Shen, are all medical-staff-related skins in orde