Journalist

조보희
Cho bo-hee
  • PHOTOS: Spring flowers delight citizens
    PHOTOS: Spring flowers delight citizens SEOUL, April 01 (AJP) - Cherry blossoms and forsythia, harbingers of spring, are in full bloom everywhere. We've gathered a collection of spring flowers in full bloom across the country. 2025-04-01 15:09:03
  • PHOTOS: Royal guard appointment ceremony
    PHOTOS: Royal guard appointment ceremony SEOUL, March 31 (AJP) - A reenactment of a historic royal guard appointment ceremony took place at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul on March 30. The "National Royal Guard Appointment Ceremony," an annual spring event, is based on records dating back to 1469, during the reign of King Yejong of the Joseon Dynasty. Historically, the king would select the most trusted official to serve as head of the royal guards through a process known as "nakjeom," marking the name of the chosen individual. Organizers scaled down this year's event in consideration of the recent devastating wildfires that have impacted the northern Gyeongbuk region. 2025-03-31 14:38:21
  • PHOTOS: Historic temple destroyed in wildfire
    PHOTOS: Historic temple destroyed in wildfire SEOUL, March 28 (AJP) - A devastating wildfire has engulfed and largely destroyed the ancient Gounsa Temple in Uiseong-gun, North Gyeongsang Province. The temple, dating back to 681, was a significant cultural landmark. Most of the temple complex was consumed by the flames. Fortunately, cultural artifacts, including the Stone Seated Buddha, had been moved off-site prior to the fire, averting their destruction. Images from February, before the blaze, highlight the extent of the damage to the temple. 2025-03-28 11:20:59
  • TRAVEL: Leeum Museum of Art - Private museum preserving S. Koreas artistic soul
    TRAVEL: Leeum Museum of Art - Private museum preserving S. Korea's artistic soul SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - TRAVEL: Leeum Museum of Art - Private museum preserving S. Korea’s artistic soul Located in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, the Leeum Museum of Art is a private institution founded by the Samsung Foundation of Culture. A reflection of the collective artistic passion of the extended Samsung family—including the late founder Lee Byung-chul, the late Lee Kun-hee, and Hong Ra-hee—the museum blends their appreciation for Korea’s ancient and contemporary art. The museum is organized into permanent and special exhibition halls. Its permanent collection boasts an impressive array of traditional and modern works. While the museum does not officially disclose its full holdings, it is widely known to possess 36 National Treasures and 96 Treasures, making it arguably the top private collection in the country. Museum I, which focuses on traditional Korean art, presents a floor-by-floor journey: the fourth floor is dedicated to Goryeo celadon, the third to Joseon white porcelain and Buncheong ware, and the second to painting, featuring works by Jeong Seon, Choi Buk, Kang Se-hwang, Kim Hong-do, and Kim Jeong-hui. The first floor houses metal crafts and Buddhist art. The modern art wing includes works by global and Korean masters—from Alberto Giacometti and Park Soo-keun to Lee Jung-seop and Damien Hirst. Leeum has recently attracted attention for exhibiting two significant cultural relics from abroad: the Welcoming Ceremony for a Successful Civil Service Candidate by the Pyeongan Governor, and a Hwarot—a ceremonial wedding robe worn by a Joseon princess. The Welcoming Ceremony is an eight-panel folding screen housed at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, Massachusetts. It is a large-scale documentary painting featuring an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 figures. Thanks to a collaborative effort between the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation and the Samsung Foundation, the artwork underwent a 16-month conservation process in South Korea and is now on display at Leeum through Apr. 6. According to the museum, three experts in traditional painting restoration painstakingly worked over several months to repair approximately 10,000 worm-eaten holes. The greatest challenge, however, was reassembling the panels in the correct order. Using clues such as the attire of figures and the shifting color tones that indicated the passage of time, they successfully restored the piece to its original format as a folding screen. The Hwarot, also owned by PEM, was donated in 1927 by the renowned Japanese antiquities dealer Yamanaka & Co. Time had not been kind to the robe, which had grown tattered and faded after multiple uses and nearly a century in storage. Thanks to a 13-month restoration project led by the Seok Juseon Memorial Museum at Dankook University, the garment was returned to its former glory. Both the Hwarot and the Welcoming Ceremony will return to the United States after the exhibition to become part of the permanent Korean gallery at PEM, which is scheduled to reopen in May. 2025-03-27 17:36:49
  • PHOTOS: Wildfire devastates coastal village in North Gyeongsang
    PHOTOS: Wildfire devastates coastal village in North Gyeongsang SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) - A wildfire that ignited in Uiseong, a landlocked area of North Gyeongsang Province, has swept eastward, fueled by strong winds, and devastated a coastal village in Yeongdeok. Authorities in Yeongdeok County issued a mandatory evacuation order for all nine townships and districts at 7:30 p.m., March 26. 2025-03-27 10:34:27