Latest news with #NationalPalaceMuseumofKorea
Korea Herald
a day ago
- General
- Korea Herald
33 artifacts relocated to National Palace Museum after Tuesday's blaze at Jogyesa complex
Central Buddhist Museum exhibition ends early in wake of fire Thirty-three Buddhist artifacts displayed at the Central Buddhist Museum next to Jogyesa, a Buddhist temple in central Seoul, were relocated to the nearby National Palace Museum of Korea late Tuesday, after a blaze broke out at a building within the temple complex earlier that day. The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism on Wednesday issued a statement confirming that it had safely moved 33 artifacts that were on display at the museum in a preventative measure prompted by the fire. The relocated items include nine state-designated National Treasures, nine state-designated Treasures, two Regional Tangible Cultural Heritage and 13 nondesignated artifacts. No damage was reported or found to the artifacts, it added. Other artifacts held at a storage facility located at the museum's third basement level were not part of the transfer. The decision to keep them at the storage facility came after a safety check, a senior official at the largest Buddhist sect in Korea told The Korea Herald. A fire broke out at the international conference hall on the second floor of the Korean Buddhism History and Culture Memorial Hall next to the temple at 10:22 a.m. The Central Buddhist Museum is on the basement level of a building connected to the Korean Buddhism History and Culture Memorial Hall. The fire was extinguished at 11:57 a.m. Following the fire, an exhibition titled "Hoseon Euigyeom: The Buddha Revealed at the Tip of the Brush" at the museum, originally scheduled to run through June 29, ended Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Ven. Jinwoo, president of the Jogye Order, apologized for the lack of safety measures and for causing concern to the public.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- General
- Korea Herald
8 artifacts relocated to National Palace Museum in wake of Jogyesa fire
One designated cultural heritage, seven nondesignated artifacts moved in precautionary measure prompted by fire Some eight Buddhist artifacts at the Central Buddhist Museum building next to the temple Jogyesa in central Seoul have been moved to the nearby National Palace Museum of Korea in a precautionary measure prompted after a fire broke out. According to the Korea Heritage Service, eight artifacts requiring urgent relocation were transferred to the National Palace Museum of Korea for assessment and will be temporarily stored at the state museum located inside the main palace Gyeongbokgung. The artifacts include one designated cultural heritage item and seven nondesignated artifacts that were on open display at a special exhibition at the Central Buddhist Museum. The agency added that a decision on relocating the remaining 25 items is to be made later, depending on the situation. The precaution comes after a fire broke out at the international conference hall on the second floor of the Buddhist History and Culture Hall at 10:22 a.m., causing some 300 people to evacuate, according to fire authorities and the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. The fire was extinguished at 11:57 a.m. At the time of the fire, the Central Buddhist Museum was hosting an exhibition titled "Hoseon Euigyeom: The Buddha Revealed at the Tip of the Brush." The special exhibition, which opened April 9, had on display cultural heritage items collected from temples across the country. Thirty-three items were on display, including nine state-designated National Treasures, such as the "Yeongsanhwesangdo" and "Palsando" paintings from Songgwangsa, a Buddhist temple in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, and nine state-designated Treasures, including an 18th-century Buddhist painting from Heungguksa in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province. The pieces were placed inside glass cases, protecting them from physical harm, dust and environmental damage. "We sincerely apologize for causing concern to the Buddhist community and the public due to the sudden fire. We will promptly address the situation and take swift action to ensure public safety," the largest Buddhist sect in Korea said in a statement.
Korea Herald
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Royal historic sites free to enter on Children's Day
Historic sites in Seoul, from royal palaces to tombs and shrines, will offer free admission on Children's Day alongside interactive programs for children to take part in, according to the Korea Heritage Service. On May 5, children aged 12 and under and their parents will have entry fees waived, regardless of nationality, at the four Joseon-era (1392-1910) palaces: Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung. Free admission will also be applied to the Jongmyo royal shrine and the royal tombs, which are spread across the capital, Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces. Children will be invited to play royal soldiers, trying on traditional uniforms and handling replica weapons. They can also snap photos with palace guards as part of the program. At the National Palace Museum of Korea, situated on the southwestern side of Gyeongbokgung, families will be treated to magic shows and tours of the museum that shed light on how celestial bodies were studied during the Joseon era. The royal rites and practices during the period will also be explained. The museum is the country's premier institution showcasing Joseon-related artifacts.
Korea Herald
16-04-2025
- Korea Herald
Man behind Gyeongbokgung graffiti sentenced to additional year for money laundering
A 31-year-old man previously convicted of orchestrating graffiti at Gyeongbokgung, the iconic Joseon-era (1392-1910) royal palace in Seoul, has been sentenced to an additional year in prison for laundering criminal proceeds, according to local media outlets. Previously, the man, identified by the surname Kang, was sentenced to seven years in prison in December for inciting two high school students he met via Telegram to deface the historic sites with graffiti promoting an illegal video-sharing website. Last week, the Seoul Central District Court handed down an additional one-year sentence for violating the Act on Regulation and Punishment of Criminal Proceeds Concealment. Two accomplices were also given suspended prison sentences for participating in the laundering scheme. 'The purpose of the crime was to conceal Kang's criminal profits, which amounted to approximately 2.5 billion ($1.8 million), making their criminal responsibility significant,' the judge said. 'They also committed the crime during a repeat offense period.' In December 2023, Kang instructed two teenagers to paint a 30-meter-long advertisement for his illegal site on the walls of Gyeongbokgung Palace, the National Palace Museum of Korea and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency building. He paid them 100,000 won. Kang claimed he had no assets, arguing that his illegal website had not generated significant profits. However, prosecutors conducted a forensic analysis of his smartphone and traced his cryptocurrency transactions. The investigation found that between December 2023 and May 2024, Kang received 2.5 billion won from advertisers of illegal gambling websites, which he attempted to launder with two accomplices.
Korea Herald
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Seoul suspends cultural activities ahead of impeachment ruling
Major palaces, museums, destinations near Constitutional Court to close on Friday Yeongdeungpo-gu, a district in western Seoul, announced Wednesday that it will postpone the start of the annual Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival from Friday to Tuesday, due to safety concerns surrounding the Constitutional Court's upcoming ruling on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment. According to the district office, the decision was made to prioritize visitor safety and convenience, as well as to prevent crowd crushes. It added that a portion of the festival program will be reduced in scale. The revised festival period is to be April 8 to 12, with traffic control measures set to be implemented from noon on Sunday until 10 p.m. on April 13. Controlled sections include the 1.7-kilometer stretch of road behind the National Assembly and areas near the southern part of Sogang Bridge. Different cultural heritage events scheduled to take place on the day of the impeachment ruling have been canceled as well, according to the Korea Heritage Service. With large rallies expected near the court, not far from Seoul's main royal palaces, the KHS also canceled an event showcasing traditional Korean ways of making fermented pastes and sauces, known as 'jang,' the royal guard's ceremony at Gyeongbokgung, nighttime palace tours at Changdeokgung and Deoksugung's Seokjojeon -- the first European-style stone building, built during King Gojong's reign (1863-1907). Four of the five palaces of the Joseon era (1392-1910) — Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung — and state-run museums such as the National Palace Museum of Korea and National Folk Museum of Korea have announced closures, saying protests anticipated on Friday could affect guest safety. Changgyeonggung, the farthest of the four palaces from the court, which is near Anguk Station in Jongno-gu, will close its nighttime tours only, though an official said daytime admission could be affected without prior notice. Museums and art galleries located within a 1-kilometer radius of the Gwanghwamun area have also decided on complete closure on Friday. Other sites popular with tourists to close include the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Seoul, National Museum of Korean Contemporary History, National Palace Museum of Korea and Cheong Wa Dae, the former presidential office now open to the public after Yoon moved the presidential office to Yongsan. While the Seoul Museum of Craft Art started its three-day break from Wednesday, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will close its exhibitions on the day of the ruling. Whether the palaces and museums will remain closed after Friday remains unclear. Officials from the institutions said they would update the public on further changes to admission in a separate notice. Meanwhile, police previously vowed to block off the Constitutional Court and turn the surrounding area within a radius of 100 meters around the court into a 'vacuum state.' Authorities announced they will expand the initial 100-meter radius to 300 meters by creating barricades with police buses and preventing public access to areas near the court. Police are also considering the establishment of a separate buffer zone near Gwanghwamun and Insa-dong, two areas south of the Constitutional Court, to prevent physical confrontations between pro- and anti-Yoon demonstrators. The ruling is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday. It will be broadcast live from the court.
