By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo Korean artist Jang An-soon breathes life into the unassuming reed (蘆絮), transforming it into a profound symbol of human emotion and the natural world. For Jang, reeds are not mere plants swaying in the wind; they are living metaphors for the ebb and flow of human existence. Their movements reflect life's challenges and triumphs, while their seasonal transformations symbolize the passage of time. In Jang’s hands, the reed becomes a bridge connecting humanity to nature’s essence, a medium for exploring life’s subtleties. At the core of Jang’s artistic philosophy
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Kim Ki-Chong is an artist who has gained attention in the Korean art world for his contemporary interpretation of the moon jar, a symbol of traditional Korean ceramics. His works are considered to have a mesmerizing power to stimulate the inner feelings and emotions of Koreans beyond the mere shape of the pottery. As a specially selected artist for the National Exhibition, his skills are widely recognized. Kim has developed his own unique style of painting that harmoniously fuses tradition and modernity, using a variety of materials and techniques to maximize the
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Nine foreign promoters of Korean culture on Jan. 7 visited Muju-gun County, Jeollabuk-do Province, to get a taste of the country's winter, the Korea.net reported. Korea.net Honorary Reporters and K-influencers shared their experience in a snowy landscape despite the cold temperature of below 0 degrees Celsius. The nine were divided into two teams, with one group going to Muju Deogyugsan Resort to hit the slopes. Though it was a weekday, the venue was filled with the visitors' energy. Those trying skiing for the first time quickly adapted thanks to expert guidance
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The 2025 “Diplomacy and Reunification K-Folk Painting Exhibition” will be held from March 12 to 18 at the Korea Museum of Art, Insa-dong in Seoul. The K-Folk Painting Exhibition is co-hosted by the Diplomacy Journal and the K-Folk Painting Research Center, co-organized by the Korea Masters Association and the monthly K-Folk Painting, and sponsored by the Damwha Cultural Foundation. The event is designed to pray for peace and reunification of the Korean Peninsula through art and to recognize the status of Korean culture on the global diplomatic stage. In particula
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo A special exhibition will be held to strengthen cultural ties between South Korea and Uzbekistan in the new year of 2025. The 52nd International Cultural Exchange Exhibition will be held from March 5 to 11 on the second floor of the Insa-dong Museum of Korean Art in Seoul, marking the 33rd anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The international event was organized in consultation with Uzbekistan's Ambassador to Korea Alisher Abdusalomov and Diplomatic Journal Chairman Lee Jon-young. The exhibition will be a magnificent cultural exchange
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo The “Korea+Sweden Young Design Award (KSYDA),” a contest aiming to discover and nurture emerging Korean designers and foster design exchange between Korea and Sweden, marks its 5th round. Co-hosted by IKEA Korea, the Embassy of Sweden in Seoul, and the Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP), the contest was launched in 2019 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and Sweden and has since become a key platform for collaboration and innovation. The Korea+Sweden Young Design Award is grounded in three core values
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young From January 15 to 31, 2025, a solo exhibition by artist Kim Yong-mo will be held at 3AM Gallery in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon. The exhibition features works from Kim Yong-mo's representative series, “Life Story - Hwayangyeonhwa,” in which the artist uses natural colors found in nature to express the colorful moments of life. The artist uses mixed materials and bold borders to emphasize the boundaries of his works, conveying the energy of happiness and positivity through images of flowers and trees. The underlying texture of the work is emphasized by the use of mixed
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee “Welcome to the New Year (Byeoksachobok) Sehwa Exhibition,” a large-scale exhibition of folk paintings with traditional Korean values of bringing good luck and wishing for the beginning of the year and warding off bad luck, gets underway through Jan. 6, at the Korea Museum of Art, Insa-dong, Seoul. The exhibition showcases the works of more than 100 folk painters from across the country and seven invited artists from the Korea Masters Association, and is attracting great response and interest. The event was co-hosted by the monthly K Folk Paintings and the Diplom
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) in partnership with the Korea Craft & Design Foundation unveiled a Hanbok collection designed by actress Kim Tae-ri as part of the 2024 K-Wave Collaborative Content Planning and Development in Hanbok (Hanbok Wave). Since 2021, MCST has been in charge of the Hanbok Wave project to promote Hanbok, developed through collaboration between Korean Hanbok designers and K-wave artists, domestically and internationally. The project also aims to support promising Hanbok design houses in expanding their market opportuni
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Dec. 27 that the cumulative number of visitors to its winter festival, Seoul Winter Festa 2024, has surpassed 3.32 million within two weeks of its opening. According to the city, this year's Seoul Winter Festival, which kicked off on Dec. 13, is taking place in various parts of the city center, including Gwanghwamun and Cheonggyecheon. The cumulative number is a result of counting visitors to the six venues. In particular, the Seoul Light Gwanghwamun, a giant media façade in Gwanghwamun, and the Seoul Light Lantern F
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee On January 1, 2025, a new history of Korean traditional arts will be written. At the New Year's Sehwa special exhibition held by the Korea Masters Association (Chairman Damwha Lee Jon-young), in the year of the snake, leather brush painter (Hyeokpil painter) Nam Sang-joon will be awarded a certificate of master and will receive a 200th scholarship of KRW 1,010,000 to commemorate his 101st birthday. This is a moment to honor his lifelong achievements and his dedication to the succession of traditional arts. Hyeokpil painter Nam's achievements and dedication From 1
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee In honor of the upcoming New Year 2025, a special exhibition of Sehwa paintings that convey the meaning of the New Year will be held at the Insadong Museum of Korean Art. The exhibition is expected to be a meaningful occasion to ward off bad spirits and invite good fortune through Sehwa paintings that blend tradition and modernity. Exhibition Information Exhibition Period: January 1, 2025 (Wed.) ~ January 6, 2025 (Mon.) Venue: 2F, Insadong Museum of Korean Art, Seoul Award Ceremony: January 1, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. (Including wine party and gift presentation) Main fe
By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young The white tiger painting is one of the four deities in traditional East Asian culture, and is a painting of a white tiger symbolizing the west. It depicts four sacred animals: the blue dragon, the jujak, the white tiger, and the hyeonmu, which represent the directions of east, west, south and north, as well as the five elements, the seasons, and various attributes of nature. Symbolism and characteristics of the white tiger The white tiger represents the west and symbolizes gold. In the Five Elements, gold represents hardness and strength, which is in line wit
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Novelist Han Kang, 54, became the first Korean and the first Asian woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature on Dec. 10 (local time), joining the ranks of the world's leading literary figures. Han wore a black dress to the ceremony at the landmark Konserthuset in Stockholm, Sweden, at 4 p.m. local time, where she was called fourth in the order of the award and received the Nobel Prize in Literature medal and certificate from Swedish King Carl Gustaf XVI. As the king entered to the sound of Mozart's March, accompanied by an orchestra, Han joined the other laureat
By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee Korea Masters Association (KMA) was established to preserve traditional Korean culture and arts, reinterpreting and developing them for modern times. The organization spreads the social value of traditional skills and arts through the discovery and support of masters, education, and promotion activities. The importance of preserving traditional culture and the role of Korea Masters Association Korea has a long history of developing traditional culture and technology, producing numerous masters. However, rapid modernization and industrialization have threatened to