[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Portrait of a Lady on Fire(France)Opened Jan. 16Drama, RomanceDirected by Celine SciammaFrance, 1760. Marianne (Noemie Merlant) is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Heloise (Adele Haenel), a young woman who has just left the convent. Because Heloise is a reluctant bride-to-be, Marianne approaches her under the guise of companionship, observing Heloise by day and secretly painting her at night. The two women become closer as they share Heloise’s last moments of freedom before th

FilmJan. 17, 2020

[Travel Bits] Festivals and sights across Korea

Herb Island Lighting Festival The Herb Island Lighting Festival creates a romantic ambiance with beautiful lighting displays. Visitors can enjoy the pink wish tunnel, sparkling buildings, the Santa Village, a photo zone and other twinkling places.It is open to visitors of all ages, and admission costs 9,000 won. Children, senior citizens, people with disabilities and groups of 20 or more get in for 7,000 won per person. The festival runs through April 30.For more information in Korean, English o

TravelJan. 17, 2020

[Eye plus] Look into King Jeongjo’s dream city: Hwaseong Fortress

The Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, dates back to the latter part of the Joseon era (1392-1910).Designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in December 1997, the 5.74-kilometer-long fortress wall was constructed from 1794 to 1796, taking two years and nine months. The fortress was intended to display King Jeongjo’s filial piety toward his father and create a new city with its own economic power.Jeong Yak-yong, a prominent Silhak -- practical learning -- scholar, led the

Arts & DesignJan. 17, 2020

Where ordinary moments are turned into special memories

While it has become second nature for many to snap away with cutting-edge smartphones, trying to find a “special moment” among the hundreds of photos stored is never easy.Following are four studios in Seoul offering unique ways to remind patrons of their ordinary yet special moments. Photo Cafe CharLee-GangmoolA cafe from not only the outside but also the inside, Cafe Charlee-Gangmool hides two paparazzi who take pictures of lovers, friends and families relaxing at the tables. Even w

CultureJan. 17, 2020

Starbucks to roll out BTS drinks

Starbucks Korea will start a new campaign with K-pop boy band BTS and roll out new menu items and products, as part of a project supporting youth, the company said Thursday. According to the coffee chain, it will start a new campaign, dubbed “Be the Brightest Stars” from Jan. 21 to Feb. 6, to present limited edition menu items and goods themed around the color purple in collaboration with BTS. The campaign is designed to deliver to young people the message, “You shine like a st

ConsumerJan. 17, 2020

S. Korea, US agree to closely coordinate on inter-Korean projects: nuclear envoy

WASHINGTON -- South Korea and the United States agreed Thursday to coordinate closely on possible inter-Korean projects amid stalled nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang, Seoul's chief nuclear envoy said Thursday.Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, made the remark to reporters after holding talks with his US counterpart, Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun, in Washington.The pair met after President Moon Jae-in expressed a desire ea

Foreign AffairsJan. 17, 2020

Pentagon claims shared defense costs benefit S. Korean economy

The Pentagon claimed Thursday that much of the costs shared between South Korea and the United States to station American troops on the peninsula directly benefits the South Korean economy.The comment by Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman comes a day after the allies concluded their sixth round of defense cost-sharing negotiations without an agreement due to wide differences over how much of the burden Seoul should carry.Washington has demanded a significant increase in Seoul's financial contri

Foreign AffairsJan. 17, 2020

Biegun reaffirms US commitment to N. Korea talks

WASHINGTON -- US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun has reaffirmed the United States' commitment to denuclearization talks with North Korea and urged China to fully enforce United Nations sanctions against Pyongyang, the State Department said Thursday.Biegun made the remarks during a phone call with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng on Wednesday, the department said in a readout. The deputy secretary also serves as Washington's top envoy to nuclear talks with the North."Deputy

North KoreaJan. 17, 2020

S. Korea, China hold working-level defense talks over peninsula

South Korea and China held working-level defense talks in Seoul on Thursday on ways to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula and enhance bilateral cooperation, Seoul's defense ministry said.During the 18th round of bilateral policy consultations, Lee Won-ik, director general of international policy at the Ministry of National Defense, and his Chinese counterpart, Song Yan Chao, exchanged their assessments of the recent security situation on the peninsula, according to the ministry. They shared t

DefenseJan. 16, 2020

US envoy surprised that N. Korea didn't give 'Christmas gift'

SEOUL (AP) -- The US ambassador to South Korea said Thursday he was surprised and pleased that North Korea did not give the US an unwelcome "Christmas gift" because of stalled nuclear disarmament talks, and that President Donald Trump is still confident it will denuclearize.North Korea had warned that its "Christmas gift" to the US would depend on what action Washington took in the talks, leading to concerns that it might conduct a major weapons test. It has not conducted any

Foreign AffairsJan. 16, 2020

Queen to hit Seoul stage re-creating Bohemian sensation

Legendary British rock band Queen’s guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and their vocalist of a decade hailing from the US, Adam Lambert, have returned to Korea perform at this year’s Hyundai Card Super Concert.“I think this time, our visit to Korea may be on another level, after the fantastic success of the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ movie on our career and Freddie,” Taylor said at a press conference Thursday at the Conrad Seoul Hotel. The band last performed

PerformanceJan. 16, 2020

[Graphic News] Louvre sees fewer visitors after steps to limit crowds

　The hordes flocking to the Louvre in Paris fell to 9.6 million in 2019 as the museum tried to limit overcrowding, its director said.　After numbers rocketed by a quarter the previous year to a record 10.2 million, the most visited museum in the world said, it set out to actively discourage tourists in the peak summer months.　The Louvre gets far more visitors than any other museum in the world, including the National Museum of China in Beijing, which attracted 8.6 million people in 2018; and New

World NewsJan. 16, 2020

Woori Financial walks away from W2tr Prudential Life bid

Woori Financial Group, South Korea’s fourth-largest banking group by assets, walked away from a bid to buy a 100 percent stake in Prudential Life Insurance of Korea, according to the group on Thursday.Woori Financial, Korea’s only banking group without an insurance unit, did not join the preliminary bidding round for the sale of a 2 trillion-won ($1.73 billion) stake in Prudential Financial’s Korean unit, a spokesperson of the group said.Other talked-about contenders, including

MarketJan. 16, 2020

Seoul Real Estate Forum names new head

The Seoul Real Estate Forum said Thursday that it had named Wang Jeong-han as its sixth president.Wang, 57, will double as head of the SREF and the Seoul-based Ara Group Architects and Planners, dedicated to architecture, design, construction management and audits in South Korea. Wang has led Ara since 1998. Founded in 2003, the SREF is a forum comprising some 200 members, including real estate professionals and professors in Korea. The forum holds monthly seminars that center on the latest

MarketJan. 16, 2020

Modern masterpieces on show at Seoul Arts Center

The Seoul Arts Center is showcasing impressionist and postimpressionist masterpieces collected by the Israel Museum, Jerusalem as the first exhibition of the year. The exhibition features 106 pieces by masters including Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Paul Gauguin, Paul Cezanne and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Impressionism -- one of South Koreans’ favorite art movements -- originated in late 19th-century France as a rejection of traditional and mainstream artistic styles. Instead, the artists expres

Arts & DesignJan. 16, 2020

Violinist Chung Kyung-wha to perform at Deoksugung

The Cultural Heritage Administration announced Thursday it will hold a New Year’s concert at the palace Deoksugung at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.Korean violinist Chung Kyung-wha and pianist Kim Tae-hyung will perform in the first concert of the year at Deoksugung’s Seokjojeon Hall.  The two artists will be performing violin sonatas of Beethoven and Mozart.Admission is by invitation only. The Cultural Heritage Administration said that multicultural families and people with disabilities wh

PerformanceJan. 16, 2020

FSC pledges to step up efforts to grow fintech industry

With bills on personal data and credit information passing the legislature, Korean financial authority Financial Services Commission and other financial organizations on Thursday vowed to make joint efforts to create a better, fair environment for the financial technology market.“The FSC hopes to see fintech firms achieve successful results of their businesses this year, and for that, it will not spare efforts to support them,” said Kwon Dae-young, director general of FSC’s fin

MarketJan. 16, 2020

[Leonid Bershidsky] Libya’s endless war is what happens if US won’t lead

A solution to the civil conflict in Libya is the ultimate hot potato. A series of global and regional powers have tried to bring the warring sides together; Turkey and Russia were the latest to try and fail in Moscow on Monday. Now it’s Germany’s turn, and if it fails as well, the standoff is likely to go on until the collapse of one faction or both. The complex, multisided game playing out in Libya provides a window on how things work in a new, post-Pax Americana world. An assertive

ViewpointsJan. 16, 2020

[David Fickling] HK could be a loser from trade deal

As the gateway for China’s trade with the world for more than 70 years, Hong Kong might be expected to benefit from the phase one deal that Beijing will sign with Washington on Wednesday. Chances are, things won’t pan out that way. Consider the $200 billion increase in Chinese imports from the US over the next two years that Washington hopes to see as a result of the agreement. Such a rise would involve nearly doubling inbound trade.That’s difficult, but not impossible. China&r

ViewpointsJan. 16, 2020