[Weekender] Ringing in 2024: Six places to see the sunrise

For many Koreans, watching the sunrise on New Year’s Day is an important ritual, where wishes are often made for the days and months to come. The routine is typically enriched with celebrations across the nation, featuring vibrant musical performances and events to add to the New Year atmosphere. Sky Park in Seoul Located in Mapo-gu, the park is an ideal place for those who want to see the sunrise without having to travel far from the capital. The area’s district office said this w

CultureDec. 31, 2023

98% of teens, 20-somethings use streaming subscription services: report

Almost every South Korean in their teens or 20s is using some form of over-the-top media service, a report by the Korea Communications Commission showed Thursday. About 97.8 percent of all 20-somethings and 97.6 percent of teenagers aged 13 and above were using subscription-based streaming services, the highest out of all age groups. Overall, 77 percent of the general population were using OTT services, up five percent from the year before. The state-run organization conducted a survey on 7,055

TelevisionDec. 31, 2023

Naval war film 'Noryang' surpasses 3 mln admissions

"Noryang: Deadly Sea," a movie about South Korea's legendary naval admiral Yi Sun-sin, surpassed 3 million cumulative viewers on the 11th day of opening, Lotte Entertainment said Saturday. Director Kim Han-min's final installment of his trilogy about the 16th century admiral recounts the last naval battle between a retreating Japan and the allied forces of the Joseon and the Ming dynasties that pursued them. As of 3 p.m. Saturday, the 2.5-hour epic film took up 34.2 percent

FilmDec. 30, 2023

Over 8,000 enjoyed Korea’s cultural heritage: data

A total of 8,171 Koreans and foreign nationals enjoyed Korea’s intangible cultural heritage performances this year, according to the National Intangible Heritage Center on Thursday. The center, run by the Cultural Heritage Administration, said shows took place 36 times between May and December, mostly in the two halls the center operates in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, where the center has its headquarters. The highlight of the performances was the K-Festival, which was held in Berlin on

CultureDec. 30, 2023

Local governments up safety measures for year-end festivals

Hoping to keep New Year's festivals safe, local governments are planning to focus their efforts on crowd control at desirable travel destinations across the country which are popular for watching the first sunrise of 2024. Gangneung, a popular year-round travel destination facing out to the East Sea in Gangwon Province, has organized a special safety management team, encompassing the city’s police, firefighters and other travel-related officials to closely monitor the on-site situatio

TravelDec. 30, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Noryang: Deadly Sea” (South Korea) Opened Dec. 20 History/Action Directed by Kim Han-min In 1598, the seven-year Japanese invasion of Korea nears the end as Joseon's national hero Admiral Yi Sun-sin leads an allied fleet of Joseon and Ming to Noryang Strait and annihilates the Wae army. “12.12: The Day” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 22 Drama/Action Directed by Kim Seong-su Over the course of nine hours on Dec. 12, 1979, Gen. Chun Doo-gwang (Hwang Jung-min) attempts a

FilmDec. 30, 2023

Bidding farewell to last sunset of 2023

Haenam sunset festival From Haenam, a county located in South Jeolla Province at the southernmost tip of the Korean Peninsula, to Gangneung, Gangwon Province, a popular year-round travel spot facing the East Sea, desirable travel destinations are set to entertain those who wish to bid farewell to 2023 while watching the last sunset of the year on Sunday. Haenam’s Ttangkkeut Village, visited by countless travelers hoping to watch the last sunset or catch a glimpse of the first sunrise of th

TravelDec. 30, 2023

Who'll be 'lucky' in the new year? Who has to watch out?

Chinese zodiac is a system of belief that assigns an animal to each year and assumes one's fate is closely linked to this classification. As such, there are "lucky" and "unlucky" years for each person. In the year 2024, which is the year of the blue dragon, those born in the year of the monkey are expected to be lucky. The dragon and the monkey are part of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac system, in the order of: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, mo

CultureDec. 30, 2023

Record-high 14 million visit Joseon palaces, tombs, shrine this year

South Korea’s popular royal palaces, tombs and shrine connected to the Joseon era (1392-1910) attracted 14.2 million visitors this year, the highest number since the Cultural Heritage Administration began compiling data in 2011. The number of visitors jumped 28.5 percent on-year, exceeding the previous record of 13.3 million in 2019, particularly on the strength of domestic visitors. Foreign visitors to the cultural sites marked 1.9 million this year, well below the figure of 2.5 million i

CultureDec. 29, 2023

Salvation Army raises record in donations

The Salvation Army in South Korea said it has raised 1.4 billion won ($1.08 million) through its joint campaign with the local finance industry, the highest annual figure ever since the campaign was launched in 2011. “The donations will be used to rebuild old public welfare facilities and provide necessities and emergency cash to households in dire need,” the charity said Thursday. The group and 23 financial services companies – banks, brokerage firms, insurance and credit card

CultureDec. 29, 2023

Jeon Hye-jin’s upcoming comedy action flick, ‘Mission: Cross,’ delays release

Upcoming comedy action flick “Mission: Cross," starring actor Jeon Hye-jin, has delayed its theatrical release, according to distributor Plus M Entertainment. “Mission: Cross,” directed by Lee Myung-hoon, initially was to hit local theaters during the Lunar New Year in February 2024. But Plus M Entertainment said the release has now been delayed, without mentioning the concrete reason. The specific date of the film's release has not been decided, it added. Industry in

FilmDec. 29, 2023

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Park Hyatt Seoul offers lucky bag event The Park Hyatt Seoul, located in Gangnam, southern Seoul, plans to celebrate the New Year with a total of 200 lucky bags. Each lucky bag, valued at 600,000 won, consists of a hotel room voucher and two special dining vouchers. The hotel room voucher includes an opportunity to have a one-night stay in the Park Hyatt Seoul’s premium suite room, the “Diplomatic Suite,” or a two-night stay at the Park Hyatt Bangkok for two winners. The dining

CultureDec. 29, 2023

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Gwanghwamun Square Market Potentially the largest winter market in the capital is taking place at Gwanghwamun Square through Jan. 21, 2024. Open from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., the market not only sells seasonal goods, including crafts, but also offers street food from food trucks. The Seoul Lantern Festival is taking place concurrently, across Gwanghwamun Square and just to the south at Cheonggye Plaza and Seoul Plaza. The Gwanghwamun Square Market and lighting show are open during the same period

TravelDec. 29, 2023

Actors, directors mourn death of Lee Sun-kyun

Actors and those in the entertainment industry in South Korea on Thursday turned out in force to say goodbye to prolific actor Lee Sun-kyun who took his own life in Seoul on Wednesday. Lee, 48, had been under police investigation since October over suspicions of using illicit drugs on several occasions earlier this year. Scores of actors and directors that Lee had worked with paid their respects at Lee’s funeral altar at the Seoul National University Hospital funeral hall in Jongno-gu, Seo

FilmDec. 28, 2023

[Best Brand] Hyundae Rose Garden leads Korea's rose industry

Since beginning to cultivate roses in 1995, Hyundae Rose Garden has led the rose industry in South Korea, introducing numerous species of roses and developing unique roses to boost the country's flower industry. Hyundae Rose Garden CEO Kim Song-rae has led the domestic flower market by signing technology contracts with international companies that produce quality rose varieties. The company currently has about 600 species of roses and produces 400,000 to 500,000 seedlings annually to distri

CultureDec. 27, 2023

Entertainment industry cancels press events to mourn Lee Sun-kyun's death

A series of press conferences and interviews were canceled following Lee Sun-kyun's sudden death on Wednesday. As Korean actors and entertainment industry insiders express their condolences, more industry events are likely to be canceled over the next few weeks. Local broadcaster tvN said Wednesday it would reschedule the live online press conference for its new romantic comedy drama "Marry Me Now" to Jan. 1. The press conference was prepared to take place at 2 p.m. Wednesday. Act

FilmDec. 27, 2023

[Herald Review] Monster horror series 'Gyeongseong Creature' disappoints

Touted as the most anticipated Netflix original Korean drama series of the second half of the year, "Gyeongseong Creature," the latest work of director Jung Dong-yoon, fell flat upon its release. Set against the backdrop of Gyeongseong, today's Seoul, in 1945, "Gyeongseong Creature" is a 10-part thriller drama that centers around the stories of two individuals who encounter monsters in a mysterious hospital. While the series proclaimed itself as a monster horror series,

TelevisionDec. 27, 2023

Lee Sun-kyun's acting career from television to silver screen

South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, 48, was one of Korea's most decorated actors on television to silver screen, both domestically and internationally. Lee debuted as the lead actor in the short film "Psyco Drama" in 2000, a story about a lonely nurse. On television, Lee first appeared on broadcaster MBC's sitcom series "Lovers" in 2001, playing an unemployed troublemaker. Lee rose to stardom with the character Choi Do-young in MBC's megahit medical drama "Be

FilmDec. 27, 2023

Fee waivers spark surge in temple visits

The number of visitors to temples across South Korea this year increased by 33 percent on average from the previous year, likely thanks to fee waivers instituted in May. According to the Cultural Heritage Administration, the agency handling the grant, the surge in visits to 31 temples across the country between May and September was led by Hwaeomsa, a temple in South Jeolla Province that saw a 42 percent jump in the number of visitors. Next up was Haeinsa in South Gyeongsang Province and Seonams

CultureDec. 27, 2023

Lee Sun-kyun found dead during probe over alleged drug use

Prolific Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun was found dead inside a car in Seoul on Wednesday, days after the third round of police questioning on Saturday over suspicions of illegal drug use. He had been claiming innocence and had requested a lie detector test. According to police on Wednesday, the 48-year-old was found unconscious inside a car parked near Waryong Park in northern Jongno-gu, Seoul, at around 10:30 a.m. He was confirmed dead in an apparent suicide at the scene and was not sent to a hospi

FilmDec. 27, 2023