14 May 2010, Posted by Matt in Art & Culture, Best of DK.com, Festivals & Holidays, Historic Korea, Seoul, UNESCO Sites, 2 Comments

The Jongmyo Royal Shrine’s Great Rite

When King Taejo founded the Joseon Dynasty in 1394, he built the Jongmyo Royal Shrine to honor his ancestors. Each May, Korea’s royal Confucian ancestral rites are opened to the public.

10 Aug 2009, Posted by Matt in Art & Culture, Historic Korea, Seoul, Video, 11 Comments

Gwanghwamun Plaza: A City’s New Center

The unveiling of a controversial, renovated Gwanghwamun Plaza has created a new centerpiece in downtown Seoul. Long a busy city intersection, what was 16 lanes of traffic is now punctuated by a 19,000-square-meter public plaza.

21 May 2009, Posted by Matt in Historic Korea, Seoul, Video, 6 Comments

Gyeongbokgung Palace

(A version of this video was uploaded to the KBS World site on May 20, 2009.)

18 May 2009, Posted by Matt in Historic Korea, Nature, Seoul, 11 Comments

Mt. Namsan Park and N. Seoul Tower

In a city as huge as Seoul, finding your bearings can be a challenge. But on this week’s show we’ll take a look at a Seoul icon that helps city residents secure their sense of place. When King Taejo (태조왕) moved Korea’s capital to present-day Seoul in 1394, he protected it with 18 kilometers of fortress walls that connected four mountaintops. Namsan (남산), which means “South Mountain,” formed the city’s southern border.

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20 Sep 2008, Posted by Matt in Festivals & Holidays, Historic Korea, Seoul, UNESCO Sites, 5 Comments

Jongmyo: The Royal Ancestral Shrine

Built in the late 14th century, the Jongmyo Royal Ancestral Shrine was built to honor ancient Korea’s kings and queens and is recognized by UNESCO as a piece of intangible cultural heritage.