Journalist

Yoon Ju-hye
  • South Korea survey urges fixes to overly polite public language and common errors
    South Korea survey urges fixes to overly polite public language and common errors The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the National Institute of Korean Language on Wednesday released results of a public survey on “public language that needs improvement.” The survey was conducted from Dec. 24-30, 2025, of 3,000 people nationwide ages 14 to 79. It was based on 30 difficult words and incorrect expressions frequently encountered in media that influence everyday language use, including broadcasting, news outlets and social media. The item most respondents said should be changed was excessive honorific wording, such as “That product is sold out” phrased with an honorific ending and “Your coffee has come out,” another over-polite service expression. A total of 93.3% said such wording should be replaced. Many also said confusion between the Korean forms equivalent to “do” and “does” should be corrected (90.2%). Other items cited as needing improvement included misuse of the expression meaning “keep in mind” (74.8%) and confusion between two similar verbs meaning “to guess correctly” (71.2%). More than 70% also said hateful or discriminatory expressions should be improved, including the derogatory suffix “-chung” (87.1%) and the phrase “suffer from a disability” (78.7%). More information on the selected expressions and recommended usage is available on the National Institute of Korean Language website and the “Let’s Use Easy Korean” website. The ministry and the institute said they will launch a public awareness campaign based on the “30 public-language items that need improvement,” including producing and distributing short-form videos such as Shorts and Reels to promote proper Korean usage, especially among younger people. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-12 08:57:00
  • Experts urge steps to make hanbok part of everyday life, not just formal wear
    Experts urge steps to make hanbok part of everyday life, not just formal wear A forum on ways to make hanbok part of everyday life was held Tuesday at the National Assembly. Experts said the first step is changing the view that hanbok should be limited to formal occasions. Kim So Hyun, a professor in the Department of Hanbok Culture Contents at Baewha Women’s University, said young people have driven the shift. “In the past, older generations wore hanbok for weddings and other formal events, but younger people rent hanbok and take photos, turning it into something for play,” she said. Kim said more content is needed so people can experience hanbok in virtual spaces. She pointed to brands such as Louis Vuitton using platforms like Zepeto to offer brand experiences to younger users and generate revenue through item sales. “Hanbok is being combined with films, dramas, webtoons and games and changing into cultural content enjoyed as play,” she said, adding that “the space for hanbok in daily life is expanding into virtual worlds such as the metaverse.” Kwon Hye Jin, CEO of hanbok studio Hyeon and an adjunct professor at Ewha Womans University, said lifestyles have changed so much that some people do not wear hanbok even for New Year’s bows. She said the hanbok industry has “degenerated into the wedding industry.” To bring hanbok into daily life, she said, it is not enough to focus on awareness. “Hanbok has to enter everyday life,” she said, noting that 70% of customers at hanbok shops are in their 20s and 30s. Kwon said designers must figure out how to make hanbok for daily wear without losing its core value. She also said idol stars who bow for New Year’s greetings are helping introduce hanbok to fans worldwide, and she stressed strategies to increase exposure tied to K-content and collaborations with Korean Wave stars. She also proposed a hanbok festival that friends, couples and families can enjoy together, like Brazil’s Carnival or Japan’s matsuri. Presenter Ji Su Hyun, a professor in the Department of Korean Costume Science at Wonkwang Digital University, called for building hanbok data. “We need to build a database of original hanbok forms,” he said. “If hanbok data opened to the public spreads worldwide, its value will be enormous. Standardization is needed.” He also advised that hanbok should evolve to offer consumers more benefits, similar to Louis Vuitton headquarters providing repair services. Ahn Mi Jung, director of the Traditional Culture Division at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that if the Hanbok Culture Industry Promotion Act is enacted soon, the government will create a basic plan as a long-term roadmap to foster the industry. “We will build the foundation for the hanbok industry to develop,” she said. On the Hanbok Wave project, she said the ministry will better promote participating designers’ stories and plans to produce separate content. The forum was hosted by People Power Party lawmaker Lee Dal Hee and Democratic Party lawmaker Baek Hye Ryeon and organized by the Korea Hanbok Promotion Institute and a lawmakers’ group that supports hanbok. 2026-02-11 18:24:00
  • South Korea to Reopen Search for Korea Creative Content Agency Chief After All 5 Candidates Rejected
    South Korea to Reopen Search for Korea Creative Content Agency Chief After All 5 Candidates Rejected South Korea’s process to select a new head of the Korea Creative Content Agency will restart from the beginning.   The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Wednesday that all five candidates who reached the interview stage were rejected. The ministry plans to launch a new recruitment process soon.  The ministry and the agency began accepting applications on Jan. 13 and later interviewed five finalists, but all were deemed unqualified, according to officials. Those interviewed reportedly included actor Lee Won Jong, who has publicly supported President Lee Jae Myung.    A ministry official said it is too early to say when the new recruitment will begin, noting that an executive recommendation committee must be newly formed each time the process opens. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-11 16:49:09
  • Life of Pi Adds Feb. 16 Show After Last-Minute Cancellation in Seoul
    'Life of Pi' Adds Feb. 16 Show After Last-Minute Cancellation in Seoul The stage production "Life of Pi," starring actor Park Jung Min, will add a performance on Feb. 16 after a show was canceled just five minutes before curtain, organizer Clip Service said Tuesday. The performance had been scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday at the GS Arts Center in Seoul but was abruptly called off shortly before it was to begin. Clip Service said it found a lighting equipment error during a final inspection of the Feb. 10 performance and that "unexplained malfunctions" continued despite repair efforts. It said the technical problem involved lighting equipment that affected performers' movement, and it decided to cancel the show with safety as the top priority. The added 7:30 p.m. performance on Feb. 16 will be offered only to ticket holders for the canceled Feb. 10 show, with the same seats and the same cast. Seat changes will not be allowed. Those who do not want to attend the added performance will receive a refund of 110% of the ticket payment amount. Cancellations can be made without fees through the ticket seller's customer service center until 5 p.m. on Feb. 16.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-11 15:48:00
  • Gyeongju museum to stage Silla gold crown exhibitions every 10 years, next in 2035
    Gyeongju museum to stage Silla gold crown exhibitions every 10 years, next in 2035 The National Museum of Gyeongju said Tuesday it will hold regular exhibitions of Silla gold crowns every 10 years. The museum said the next exhibition will be in 2035, when it marks its 90th anniversary. It plans to broaden the show spatially and conceptually, bringing together not only six Silla gold crowns but also gold crowns from South Korea and abroad for a single overview. The museum also said it will present gold crowns this year in Yangsan and Cheongdo to expand local residents’ access to cultural programs. It will also hold Silla special exhibitions in Paris in May and in Shanghai in September, featuring Silla gold crowns, to continue promoting Silla’s golden culture. The special exhibition “Silla Gold Crowns: Power and Prestige,” being held to mark the museum’s 80th anniversary and the APEC 2025 KOREA leaders’ meeting, opened to the public on Nov. 2, 2025, and runs through Feb. 22, 2026, for a total of 110 days. Attendance so far is 251,052, averaging 2,561 visitors a day. The museum said it is the first exhibition ever to gather all six Silla gold crowns and all six gold belts in one place, 104 years after Silla gold crowns were first introduced to the world. Yoon Sang Deok, director of the National Museum of Gyeongju, said the museum will continue working to promote Silla history and culture at home and abroad, using the gold crowns as a link to what he called the roots of K-culture. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-11 13:03:21
  • Hanwha Foundation to Open Michael Joo Solo Show at Space Zero One in New York
    Hanwha Foundation to Open Michael Joo Solo Show at Space Zero One in New York Hanwha Foundation said Tuesday it will present a solo exhibition by Korean American artist Michael Joo at its New York exhibition space, Space Zero One, from Feb. 20 to April 18.   Titled “Sweat Models 1991-2026,” the show is Space Zero One’s first exhibition of 2026, the foundation said.  Space Zero One opened in November in Tribeca as a global arts support platform built around a mission of discovering and supporting emerging artists. The foundation said it aims to help artists sustain and expand their work internationally and to build a long-term ecosystem that incubates contemporary Korean art on the world stage.  The foundation said selecting Joo for the year’s first show is intended to broaden Space Zero One’s mission through experimentation and exchange across generations. Joo, a second-generation Korean American born in New York, has worked for more than 30 years across sculpture, installation and video, exploring where material and systems, and the body and information, intersect. A Korean diaspora artist, he drew international attention after participating in the Venice Biennale in 2001.  After Joo’s exhibition, Space Zero One will continue its program in May with a show by a next-generation midcareer artist approaching a new turning point, the foundation said.  “Space Zero One is a place that supports emerging artists as they start from a local context and expand to the global stage,” said Lim Geun Hye, the foundation’s exhibition director. “We will continue to broaden that mission through exhibitions and exchanges that cross generations and regions.”  * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-11 11:27:00
  • Arts-Tech Fusion Camp APE CAMP Seeks Participants From South Korea and Abroad
    Arts-Tech Fusion Camp APE CAMP Seeks Participants From South Korea and Abroad APE CAMP open call web poster. (Arko photo) The Arts Council Korea, known as Arko, said Tuesday it is recruiting participants from South Korea and abroad for the fifth APE CAMP, to be held June 13-16 at COEX Magok Square Ballroom A. The program has been expanded from two nights and three days to three nights and four days. Arko also added a new opening program, the first Arko Arts-Technology Convergence Youth Forum, designed as an exchange-focused session where young creators, researchers and company workers share early-stage ideas and questions. Arko will select 80 participants from South Korea and separately choose 40 from overseas for a “global camp.” In the arts track, artists and planners age 39 and under working in fields such as literature, theater and musicals, traditional arts and multidisciplinary arts may apply. In the technology track, applicants may include professionals in performance technology such as stage lighting, sound and video, as well as advanced fields including AI, immersive audio, robotics, VR, AR, XR, the metaverse, motion capture and big data. Workers in basic science-based technologies, including life science, physics, chemistry and geology, are also eligible. To reduce language barriers, the camp will introduce an AI-based interpretation system. This year’s mission combines advanced-technology keywords such as “agentic AI” and “robotics” with themes in contemporary arts-technology discourse, including “nonhuman,” “symbiosis,” “entanglement” and “co-evolution.” Participants will form teams to develop ideas based on the keywords and build them into creative projects. Arko said it will run follow-up support programs after the camp. “APE Global Connect (research trip)” will run Aug. 22 to Sept. 14 at overseas partner institutions to help participants network with experts worldwide. “APE Lab” will support turning camp ideas into works: In the first stage, about 10 teams will receive 2 million to 3 million won per team for experimental activities; in the second stage, about three teams from the first stage will be selected for up to 10 million won per team in additional support. Application details are available on Arko’s official website.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-11 09:48:00
  • Abu Dhabi Launches Duty-Free Program for Imported Art to Attract Global Collectors
    Abu Dhabi Launches Duty-Free Program for Imported Art to Attract Global Collectors The Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism announced on Tuesday the launch of a program exempting import duties on artworks. The program applies to artworks brought into Abu Dhabi for at least three years and includes a six-month grace period for re-export, giving collectors added flexibility. Additional operational services will be expanded in phases over the coming months. Participating works may also be considered for academic research and selected public engagement programs. Saood Abdulaziz Al Hosani, undersecretary at the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, said the program reflects Abu Dhabi’s commitment to creating an environment “based on strong governance, scientific expertise and responsible oversight.” He said it will help ensure important artworks are preserved with their authenticity intact and made accessible for research and cultural discussion. A specialist committee made up of global experts will review applications to determine whether they meet program standards and align with the department’s responsibility to protect outstanding cultural assets. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-11 09:27:00
  • Actor Shin Goo Returns to Stage in Jang Jin’s New Play ‘Bullanseo Geumgo’
    Actor Shin Goo Returns to Stage in Jang Jin’s New Play ‘Bullanseo Geumgo’ “Because theater is what I’ve done all my life. It’s like eating.” Actor Shin Goo, 89, said Monday he is returning to the stage because “I’m still alive and breathing, so I should keep doing what I’ve done my whole life,” speaking at a press event for the play ‘Bullanseo Geumgo’ at NOL Seokyeong Square in Seoul’s Hyehwa neighborhood. “I want to do it, but there are things that make it difficult,” he said. “Still, I’m going to do my best.” He added that Lee Soon-jae recently told him that someone he used to call “older brother” had died, and said he felt deep regret that “it seems there’s no one left to look up to.” ‘Bullanseo Geumgo’ is a new play written by director Jang Jin, his first in 10 years. It follows a night of commotion as characters try to open a safe. Jang said the idea began without a detailed synopsis. Jang said the play started from “a simple dream” of wanting Shin onstage. He said he watched Shin in ‘Waiting for Godot’ at the National Theater in May last year and was struck by the performance, regretting he had not worked with him onstage before. “Whether it worked out or not, I wrote it thinking I had to bring him to the stage,” Jang said, adding that he wrote while imagining Shin’s voice and how he might deliver each line. Jang said he finished the script in mid-September last year and handed Shin a freshly printed copy the next day. About a month later, at Shin’s birthday gathering, Jang recalled, Shin had a drink or two of gaoliang liquor and replied, “Let’s just do it.” Shin said that after deciding to appear, he worried so much about his condition that he thought of himself as “a body that can’t go onstage.” “My health isn’t good,” he said, adding he feared it might be “greed” to take the role. He said he is trying to overcome his limitations so the production is not harmed, but “my body doesn’t do what I want.” He said it has become harder to use his body as he wishes, and that he now forgets lines he once memorized: “I turn around and I forget.” Jang said Shin texted him that ‘Bullanseo Geumgo’ was “the reason I’m alive.” Jang said Shin spent months preparing at home, starting with walking practice. “When I got that message, we couldn’t not work hard,” he said. Jang also said Shin sets an exceptionally high standard, staying in the rehearsal room and taking detailed notes, including directions he gives to other actors. ‘Bullanseo Geumgo’ runs from March 7 to May 31 at NOL Seokyeong Square, Scone Hall 1. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-10 17:00:00
  • South Korea to Test Autonomous Patrol Robot at Changdeok Palace
    South Korea to Test Autonomous Patrol Robot at Changdeok Palace The Korea Heritage Service said Monday it will run a roughly one-month pilot of an autonomous patrol robot, dubbed “Sunrabot,” at Changdeok Palace in Seoul starting Feb. 10. The name comes from the Joseon-era guards who patrolled the royal palace and areas in and around the capital. The robot will support round-the-clock safety management and nighttime patrols, detecting fires and unusual noises in real time and reporting emergencies to the Changdeok Palace Management Office and other relevant units. The pilot is funded through the Lottery Fund, and officials will review whether to deploy additional units later. Separately, the agency said it will work with local governments to conduct joint disaster-prevention inspections ahead of the spring thaw at about 40 national heritage sites, including the Seoul City Wall, a historic site. It also plans discussion-based drills and field training with related agencies, including fire departments, based on scenarios such as fires, storms and floods, and earthquakes. To share the meaning of “National Heritage Disaster Prevention Day” with the public, the agency also plans to light up Sungnyemun with nighttime illumination for one day on Feb. 10. A Korea Heritage Service official said the agency will continue strengthening prevention and on-site response to climate-crisis disasters, including large wildfires. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-10 16:18:35