Choi Min-sik returns with “Exhuma,” his first-ever occult flick

Veteran actor Choi Min-sik of “Old Boy” who gained huge popularity last year with Disney+ series “Big Bet” stars in his first-ever occult flick, “Exhuma,” directed by "K-occult master" Jang Jae-hyun. “I personally don’t watch scary films. I suffer after watching them. But I not only had curiosity in the occult genre, I wanted to know more about how the director would delve into this superstitious, abstract concept in a cinematic way,&rdqu

FilmJan. 17, 2024

BTS members RM, V complete basic military training

RM and V of K-pop supergroup BTS completed five weeks of boot camp training Tuesday, the Army said, after enlisting late last year to carry out their mandatory military service. The two members earned the rank of private after undergoing various training, including basic combat and chemical, biological and radiological defense drills, at the Korea Army Training Center in Nonsan, 152 kilometers south of Seoul. At the boot camp graduation ceremony, the two members received an award as elite trai

PerformanceJan. 16, 2024

Golden Girls to tour 12 cities

Golden Girls, a new K-pop group consisting of four legendary female singers Insooni, Park Mi-kyung, Shin Hyo-beom and Lee Eun-mi, will tour 12 cities nationwide starting February. They are also reportedly pushing for overseas concerts as well. The Golden Girls will perform in Daejeon, Cheongju, Busan, Gwangju, Uijeongbu, Incheon and Changwon, starting with a concert at Kyunghee University's Peace Hall in Seoul Feb. 3-4. Golden Girls is a new K-pop group produced by Park Jin-young of JYP Ent

PerformanceJan. 16, 2024

Cho Seung-woo, Jeong Sun-ah, 'SheStars!' win at Korea Musical Awards

The creators and actors of “Memphis,” “The Phantom of the Opera” and “If, Then” were recognized as the most accredited musicals, while the “failed” “SheStars!” was named best musical of the year at the eighth Korea Musical Awards that took place Monday evening. Co-written by Kolleen Park and Jeon Su-yang and directed by Park, “SheStars!” traces back through various girl K-pop groups from the 1930s to 1970s. “We faile

PerformanceJan. 16, 2024

Korean animated film 'Circle' to compete at Berlin International Film Festival

South Korean animation director Joung Yu-mi's short animated film, "Circle," has been invited to compete in the short film category at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, according to industry sources Tuesday. With a running time of some seven minutes, "Circle" metaphorically explores the barriers created by societal perceptions. The short animated film narrates the story of a girl drawing a circle. People gather one by one in the circle, and after the space bec

CultureJan. 16, 2024

Post-apocalypse Netflix original ‘Badland Hunters’ packed with Don Lee action

A household name in South Korea for crime-action franchise flicks, actor Don Lee – also known as Ma Dong-seok here – has joined hands with his long-time partner, martial arts director Heo Myung-haeng, for Netflix original film “Badland Hunters." The dystopian action film, which opens on Jan. 26, is Heo’s directorial debut film. Set in a post-earthquake Seoul where society has completely collapsed, fearless hunter Nam-san (Lee) goes out to rescue Soo-na (Roh Jeong-eui

FilmJan. 16, 2024

With competition and star musicians, classical music scene to remain vibrant

The year 2023 was characterized by visits from world-class orchestras and the realization of numerous previously postponed concerts. While there will be fewer such performances this year, South Korea's classical music scene is anticipated to maintain its vibrancy with competition among top domestic orchestras and star performers. Two of the four leading South Korean orchestras now have new artistic directors -- Jaap van Zweden for the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and Kim Sun-wook for the

CultureJan. 15, 2024

Are Korean dramas struggling on Netflix?

Despite the continued success of Netflix's global hit Korean drama originals such as “Squid Game,” "The Glory," and "Hellbound," which have all topped Netflix's non-English TV series weekly chart in succession, Netflix's recent K-drama original releases made at higher production costs are struggling to reap the same results. According to Netflix's "Global Top 10" list, which ranks its titles in four categories including "Film (En

TelevisionJan. 15, 2024

Winter dilemma: Enjoy the cold or stay warm?

Plunging temperatures draw mixed reactions. They may be great news for winter sports fans, but others wish to escape the cold, waiting for signs of spring. Following are some of the country’s popular weekend getaways that outdoor, adrenaline addicts and those sensitive to cold can enjoy, respectively. Vivaldi Park Resort Though the unexpected warm weather this year has disappointed some skiers, preventing them from enjoying the slopes to the fullest in December, Vivaldi Park Resort -- am

TravelJan. 15, 2024

[Herald Interview] Tei hopes to exceed expectations with dream role in 'Rebecca'

South Korean singer and actor Tei embarked on his journey as a ballad singer in 2003, leaving a strong impression on the public with chart-topping hits such as "Love Leaves Its Scent" and "Same Pillow." Transitioning to musicals, Tei made his debut on the stage in 2012's "Sherlock Holmes.” His career has steadily continued with productions like "Gone With the Wind" (2018) and "Gwangju" (2020). Recently, the 40-year-old actor took on the rol

PerformanceJan. 15, 2024

[Herald Review] Lee Junho returns as soloist with sold-out concert

While he is known for his multitude of talents, Lee Junho once again proved himself to be a highly skilled singer at his two-day solo concert in Seoul, his first in five years. After completing his mandatory military service in March 2021, Lee focused on his acting career, taking part in projects like the hit TV series “Red Sleeves” and “King The Land,” where he played the charismatic male leads. On Sunday, almost 11,000 fans filled Jamsil Indoor Stadium for Lee’s s

PerformanceJan. 15, 2024

Hit foreign films reopen at local theaters

Hit foreign films with large fan bases are reopening at local theaters. Japanese animation “The First Slam Dunk” began its second round of screening on Jan. 4 to celebrate the first anniversary of its theatrical release at cinemas nationwide. The film adaptation of the popular Japanese basketball comic book series "Slam Dunk" topped 4.7 million tickets sold in just two months after it hit local theaters in January last year. Following the movie’s success, special scre

FilmJan. 15, 2024

Vietnam marks Hometown Spring

The Vietnam Embassy in Seoul hosted a Hometown Spring event with the Vietnamese community in Korea on Sunday. Vietnam’s traditional spring festival symbolizes hope, health, luck and prosperity for the upcoming lunar year. Attended by more than 500 members of the Vietnamese community, the event not only honored age-old traditions but also highlighted the spirit of togetherness among Vietnamese who have left their hometown. The Vietnam Embassy's charge d'affaires ad interim Nguyen

Foreign AffairsJan. 15, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'Single's Inferno 3' may be most successful season yet

The producers of Netflix dating show "Single's Inferno 3" said the third season was the most successful compared to previous seasons. The last episode of "Single's Inferno 3" was aired Tuesday amid much excited squabbles about the cast's actions and their decisions on their final partners. "'Single's Inferno' and 'Single's Inferno 2' garnered total viewing hours of some 6 million viewing hours, respectively, but the third seas

TelevisionJan. 15, 2024

Nighttime tours of Changgyeonggung to open in April

Nighttime tours will be available from as early as April this year at Changgyeonggung, one of the five royal palaces in Seoul connected with the Joseon era (1392-1910), the Cultural Heritage Administration said Monday. The program, already available in the three other agency-run palaces including the main palace Gyeongbokgung, is most likely to take place April 27 through May 5. Gyeonghuigung is under supervision by the Seoul city government. During that period, the CHA also holds its annual K-R

CultureJan. 15, 2024

[Herald Interview] Lee Kwang-ho paints to learn his desires

Numerous painstaking depictions of each blade of grass, flower and plant fill 59 canvases that are pieced together to create a complete work that is more than 12 meters long and fills the wall from floor to ceiling. It’s a rare experience to feel awe while standing in front of an artwork, but Lee Kwang-ho’s large-scale painting of a New Zealand wetland at Kukje Gallery is overwhelming. Lee could not recall how many brushes he has at his studio when asked during an interview with The

Arts & DesignJan. 14, 2024

'Island' wins best original digital drama at Asian Television Awards

South Korean streaming service Tving said Sunday its original drama series "Island" notched an accolade at the 2023 Asian Television Awards, which honors production achievements in the Asian television industry annually. According to Tving, the first part of "Island" won the award for best original digital drama series at the 28th ATA held in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. "Island," helmed by star director Park Bae-jong, who is best known for the hit film "Welcom

TelevisionJan. 14, 2024

Donors hail National Museum revamp

For the late Choi Young-do, a prolific antiquities collector, earthenware represented “radiating warmth and charm.” Choi is one of 114 donors recognized Thursday as the National Museum of Korea unveiled its renovated donor galleries, showcasing 1,671 pieces ranging from pottery and craft to paintings and relief, following a two-year overhaul. “Pottery in particular was of interest to my father and he made it his mission to ‘protect what’s rightfully Korea’s,&r

CultureJan. 14, 2024

Amsan Ice Festival canceled due to warm winter

Ice festival lovers living in the country’s southeastern Yeongnam area, which covers South Gyeongsang Province, North Gyeongsang Province, Daegu, Busan and Ulsan, will need to travel further afield to enjoy this year’s winter festival, as the Amsan Ice Festival has been canceled due to unusually warm winter temperatures. The Amsan Ice Festival, which was scheduled to take place in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, is one of the most visited winter festivals in the Yeongnam area,

TravelJan. 14, 2024

[New in Korean] Korean winner of US National Award explores the transparent and nonexistent

"Things Transparent and Things Nonexistent" (a literal translation of the Korean title) By Kim Yi-deum Munhakdongne Publishing An English translation of Kim Yi-deum's book of poems, “Hysteria” (translated by Jake Levine, Seo So-eun and Hedgie Choi), became the first-ever book to win both the US National Translation Award and the Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize, presented by the American Literary Translators Association in 2020. Since her debut in 2001, Kim has g

BooksJan. 14, 2024