83-year-old woman achieves life-long dream of college education

An 83-year-old South Korean woman who had made headlines for her belated passion for education has been accepted to the extension college of Sookmyung Women's University. The Seoul-based university on Friday said Kim Jeong-ja has been accepted as a social welfare major for its Future Education Institute, which provides courses in liberal arts, specialized education. The school has granted Kim a one-year scholarship in support for her dreams. "I will keep on learning as much as my healt

PeopleJan. 26, 2024

[Well-curated] Test out guitars, explore old photos and drink coffee on airplane

Explore guitars at Guitarnet Showroom While enjoying a weekend stroll through Apgujeong, visit the Guitarnet Showroom, where you can feast your eyes on an array of colorful guitars. Just a 5 to 7-minute walk from Apgujeongrodeo Station's Exit No. 6 on the Suin-Bundang Line, the oval-shaped, dark gray store cannot be missed after making a right turn at the Hana Bank. Insa-dong’s Nagwon Instrument Arcade, also known as the Nagwon Music Mall, is widely considered to be a musicians&#

CultureJan. 26, 2024

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Grand Hyatt Seoul presents American prime beef promotion Grand Hyatt Seoul’s Steak House has launched new promotions to taste top-rated American prime beef, starting from Monday. Collaborating with the US Meat Export Federation, the top-rated American beef is dry-aged with Bourbon whiskey flavor and roasted in a charcoal oven. The restaurant offers porterhouse, T-bone and L-bone steaks with a glass of wine to bring up the flavor for the whole table. The steaks are offered with a price of

CultureJan. 26, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Wish” (US) Opened Jan. 3 Animation Directed by Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn Seventeen-year-old Asha interviews for an apprentice job to King Magnifico in the Kingdom of Rosas on the day of her grandfather Sabino's 100th birthday. The interview goes well until Magnifico declines Asha's request for Sabino's wish to be granted, seeing the wish as a potential threat to his power. “Alienoid Part 2” (South Korea) Opened Jan. 10 Action Directed by Choi Dong

FilmJan. 26, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Rides & farm at E-World At E-World in Daegu, a one-day pass at a cost of 49,000 won, the most expensive of the ticket options, gives visitors access to everything they might want in a theme park, from attractions and a cinema to a farm and a park. Attractions include classics like go-karts, roller coasters, monorail tours and merry-go-rounds. Arcade games and a cinema, as well as periodic parades to entertain younger guests, are also available. There is even a farm and a park for alpacas

TravelJan. 26, 2024

[Graphic News] Korean-style fried chicken, kimchi among popular Korean foods overseas: poll

Korean-style fried chicken and kimchi were cited as some of the favorite “hansik” foods among people overseas, a poll showed, with more people becoming aware of Korean cuisine. The survey was based on respondents from 18 major cities across the globe, including New York, Beijing and Ho Chi Minh City, in 2023. It was conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to study the awareness of hansik, or Korean cuisine, among people overseas. According to the survey, 60 p

FoodJan. 26, 2024

[Herald Review] ‘Wonka’ is sweetest take on a childhood dream

Timothee Chalamet piles on the charm in “Wonka” to provide a mesmerizing back story of one of Roald Dahl's most famous characters. Throughout the 116-minute runtime, it’s hard to take your eyes away from the fantasy-like journey Wonka (Chalamet) takes to open a chocolate shop and become the world-renowned chocolatier, a promise that he made his mother. The movie begins with Wonka pompously stepping into a town in Europe with 12 sovereign coins in his pocket and an old hat.

FilmJan. 25, 2024

[From the Scene] Hauser & Wirth expands in Hong Kong to further engage with community

Hong Kong -- Two performers in lion costumes made their way across European gallery Hauser & Wirth’s newly opened space in Hong Kong on Wednesday, dancing to the drumbeat and clashing cymbals. The dancing lions plucked green heads of lettuce hung on a pole and spread them across the exhibition space, private showroom and office, as part of a traditional ritual performance in Hong Kong to bring good luck and fortune to a new space. It was accompanied by a roast pig cutting ceremony. Hau

Arts & DesignJan. 25, 2024

Composer Chin Unsuk receives prestigious Ernst von Siemens Music Prize

South Korean composer Chin Unsuk was awarded this year's International Ernst von Siemens Music Prize, a prestigious award that honors a composer, performer or musicologist who has made a distinguished contribution to the world of music, according to the Tongyeong International Music Festival, Thursday. Chin is the first Asian and fifth woman to receive the main prize since it was first given in 1974. Chin has shown new paths in contemporary music and has captivated a broad audience, annou

CultureJan. 25, 2024

How ‘Sing Again’ stays a hit brand in a sea of audition shows

A 27-year-old office worker Choi Ji-yeon recently bought a ticket for a concert of the Top 10 participants of the audition program “Sing Again 3.” Tickets for the concert sold out within 10 minutes of opening, showing the popularity of the program. “I have been a big fan of the program since its first season. In the recent season, I’m obsessed with the voice of So Soo-bin, the runner-up of the show,” said Choi. “Audition program is one of the most common theme

TelevisionJan. 25, 2024

‘Past Lives’ receives 2 nods at 2024 Academy Awards

Korean Canadian director and playwright Celine Song’s directorial debut “Past Lives” has been nominated in two categories -- best picture and original screenplay -- at this year’s Academy Awards slated to take place on March 10. At the 96th edition of the world’s top film festival, also known as the Oscars, eyes are on whether “Past Lives” could repeat the success of Lee Isaac Chung's heartwarming family drama “Minari," which was nominate

FilmJan. 24, 2024

Plans to bolster webtoon industry lead to jump in shares of webtoon firms

Shares of South Korean webtoon platforms soared Wednesday following the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's announcement a day earlier to aggressively ramp up support for the growth of the nation's webtoon industry. Shares of Korean webtoon and web novel platform Mr. Blue closed at 2,865 won ($2.14), a 29.93 percent jump from the previous trading day. Shares of Korean webtoon platform KidariStudio closed at 6,510 won, showing a 4.49 percent increase from Tuesday, while shares of

CultureJan. 24, 2024

National Museum of Korea to ramp up outreach for 2024

Bringing some of the finest artworks to those less privileged or living in remote areas is a goal the National Museum of Korea intends to pursue this year, among other priorities, the state-run institution said Wednesday. “Last year, our museums, including us and all the 13 spread across the country, set a milestone, breaking through the 10-million mark in annual attendance,” said Yoon Sung-yong, director general of the NMK, during a press conference on Wednesday. The museum will bui

CultureJan. 24, 2024

[Herald Interview] After dream come true in 'Les Miserables,' Lumina begins real journey

On Tuesday evening, the 112th performance of the third run of the musical “Les Miserables” took place at Blue Square in Seoul. During the intermission, a couple in seats in the 10th row discussed whether Eponine was biracial, while two other women in the same row, seemingly in their 50s, praised her singing. Eponine is a character from Victor Hugo's 1862 novel "Les Miserables." Despite being the daughter of the unscrupulous Thenardiers, she assists her friend Marius, w

CultureJan. 24, 2024

Apple Music Classical launches in Korea

Apple Music’s app exclusively for classical music launched in Korea on Wednesday with the endorsement of South Korean star pianists Lim Yun-chan, Cho Seong-jin, Son Yeol-eum and more. South Korean musicians who collaborate with Apple Music Classical expressed their expectations for the new platform. Son said, "I believe it will be a valuable platform that significantly contributes to classical music becoming not just the music of past eras but our music today." "Streaming pr

CultureJan. 24, 2024

Lee Min-ho, Ahn Hyo-seop to lead movie adaptation of ‘Omniscient Reader’

Actors Lee Min-ho and Ahn Hyo-seop have been cast as lead actors in the movie adaptation of “Omniscient Reader,” a popular web novel that has garnered 200 million views since 2018. “Omniscient Reader” follows the story of Kim Dok-Ja (Ahn), whose world turns upside down when the novel he’s reading comes to life. In the new world, Kim is the only one who knows the story’s ending, which is why he must do everything in his power to change the course of the outco

FilmJan. 24, 2024

[Rising Virtuosos] 'Nerd' pianist Kim Jun-hyung unveils artistic vision at Kumho

It was early morning when Munich-based pianist Kim Jun-hyung received a phone call from Kumho Art Hall at Yonsei University. Over the phone, the second-prize winner of the 2022 ARD International Music Competition’s piano category was invited to be Kumho Art Hall’s artist-in-residence for 2024. Kim, a night owl who goes to sleep at 4 or 5 in the morning, couldn’t fall back to sleep. As the artist-in-residence, he would be given a chance to design his own program for four concert

CultureJan. 23, 2024

[Herald Review] 'Wife': A look at 90 years of shifting notions of marriage

"I am no longer your wife." With these final words, Nora in Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House" leaves her home and husband, discarding from her identity as someone's wife and mother, while determined to be just herself. Nora hints at her journey to discover herself as the play concludes. And it is from this point, that the story of the play "Wife" unfolds. Written by British playwright Samuel Adamson, "Wife" draws inspiration from Ibsen's

PerformanceJan. 23, 2024

Architect Cho Min-suk to design Serpentine Pavilion in London

The Korean concept of “madang,” a multi-functional courtyard, will be central to the 23rd Serpentine Pavilion designed by Seoul-based architect Cho Min-suk and his firm, Mass Studies. The pavilion, titled “Archipelagic Void,” will be unveiled at Serpentine South in London on June 5, Serpentine said in announcing the choice of this year’s pavilion Monday. Shaped like a five-pointed star with a void in the center, “Archipelagic Void” will consist of five &

Arts & DesignJan. 23, 2024

PyeongChang 2018 Legacy Foundation touts campaign to empower youth

For South Korea, the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, the first-ever Winter Games the country hosted, spotlighted a decadeslong push to raise Korea’s global profile as a nation that is as much invested in giving back to the international community as it is in advancing its interests. The PyeongChang 2018 Legacy Foundation looks to build on that legacy as it searches for its role in empowering youth, after the two-week Winter Youth Olympics kicked off Friday in Gangwon Province. Korea is the firs

CultureJan. 23, 2024