After five decades of high growth and the rags-to-riches transformation, Korea’s economy is finally slowing. Although it might look quite natural to outsiders, particularly in this global era of the “new normal” -- slower but more sustainable growth -- the ongoing economic slowdown worries many in Korea to a great extent. They fear Korea’s half-century stride toward prosperity may be coming to a full stop at the threshold of the much-coveted “advanced economy” status. “Time of Accumulation” arri

BooksOct. 1, 2015

“The Long Way Home” is a film that seeks to address both the implications of war on a grand scale and the microscopic relationship between two individual soldiers, all the while providing wholesome family comedy, moving drama and high-quality battle scenes. None of these ambitious aims, however, are quite met. Nam-bok (Sol Kyung-gu) is a farmer who has been drafted to fight in the Korean War and entrusted with the mission of delivering a crucial, top-secret document containing war strategies to

FilmOct. 1, 2015

After a ten-month break, JTBC‘s hugely popuar reality game show “Hidden Singer” is returning for its fourth season with singer BoA headlining the first episode.“We weren’t sure that we could come back this year,” chief producer Cho Seung-wook told press on Thursday. “But thanks to the support of those who waited for Season 4 to come back, we were able to be ready by October.”Poster for Season 4 of "Hidden Singer" (JTBC)The show, on which established singers are pitted against five fan contestant

TelevisionOct. 1, 2015

A retrospective of designer Lee Young-hee traces the iconic hanbok designer’s four-decade quest to modernize the Korean traditional costume and promote it in the global fashion stage. From traditional hanbok style, consisting of a short bolero-style blouse and a full skirt, to contemporary evening gowns that are reminiscent of hanbok’s restrictive use of colors and delicate silhouettes, some 100 of Lee’s hanbok creations are on display at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul until Oct. 9. Lee, 79, h

Arts & DesignOct. 1, 2015

 Rookie group iKON’s latest EP, “Welcome Back,” topped major Korean and international charts immediately after its release Thursday. 　The six-track EP nabbed the top spot on iTunes’ albums charts in 11 regions, including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand. 　The EP’s lead track “Rhythm Ta” ranked No. 1 on eight local charts, including Genie, Olleh, Naver and Soribada. Other songs from the album, “Airplane,” “Welcome Back,” “My Type” and “Today,” also ranked high

Oct. 1, 2015

Yoo Ah-in to return to small screen in ‘Six Flying Dragons’ alongside Shin Se-kyung Actor Yoo Ah-in, the lead star of latest Korean box-office hits “Veteran” and “The Throne” will return to the small screen this month. In addition, other upcoming TV dramas feature rising actors Nam Joo-hyuk, Yook Sung-jae and more. Following is a roundup of the upcoming dramas that you can look out for.◆ Yoo Ah-in in “Six Flying Dragons” Monday-Tuesday 10 p.m. on SBS Premiering on Oct. 5 Yoo Ah-in (left) and Shi

Oct. 1, 2015

Expat-run art magazine Angle will take part in Ulsan’s Cheoyong Festival with its biggest-ever music show.The Ulsan-based online magazine will present seven acts in a showcase of what the southern part of the country has to offer as part of the international music festival.Magazine founder Philip Brett said that the show came about after a coordinator for the festival visited Big Day South, a showcase event organized by the magazine in April featuring artists and performers from across the south

Expat LivingSept. 30, 2015

Korea Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages will hold its annual international conference next week, drawing speakers from across the world. The conference hosted by KOTESOL, a professional organization for teachers of English, will provide hundreds of lectures, workshops and presentations for teachers who want to improve their skills. This year’s focus will be on the switch from information-based to inquiry-based teaching, according to KOTESOL International Conference chair Carl Du

Expat LivingSept. 30, 2015

Korea’s largest international film festival will welcome stars from all over the globe as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.The Busan International Film Festival will kick off Thursday with a ceremony hosted by Afghan actress Marina Golbahari and Korean actor Song Kang-ho. For the gala presentations, the festival will feature visits from Japanese actress Nagasawa Masami, who appears in “Our Little Sister” and British actress Tilda Swinton, from “A Bigger Splash.” Nagasawa Masami (Toho Entertain

FilmSept. 30, 2015

 Within a year since its launch, K-pop Herald (www.kpopherald.com) has hit 300,000 likes on its Facebook page, establishing itself as the go-to website for the most credible, up-to-date news and information in English on Korea’s pop culture trends and entertainment scene. 　The K-pop Herald crossed the milestone on its first anniversary on Sept. 24, and, as of Wednesday, the website has 304,168 followers on its Facebook page. K-pop Herald websiteRun by the nation’s No. 1 English news outlet, The

Sept. 30, 2015

A promotional image of the upcoming Korea-France collaboration performance piece, “Beautiful Escape: Emergency Exit,” which will be held as part of the 2015 Hi Seoul Festival lineup on Oct. 2 and 3 at the Seoul Museum of Art and the Cheonggye Plaza, respectively. (Hi Seoul Festival)This year’s Hi Seoul Festival will highlight more than 50 acts and street performances, including eight acts invited from overseas. Under the theme of “Let’s play on the street,” the festival is being held from Oct. 1

PerformanceSept. 30, 2015

Director Ryoo Seung-wan of hit-film “Veteran” said his next film on Hashima Island (“Battleship Island”) will begin shooting from next summer. Hashima is an outlying island abandoned by Japan off the coast of Nagasaki, where countless Koreans were drafted into forced labor during World War II to work in dangerous conditions. Director Ryoo Seung-wan (left) with actor Hwang Jung-min (CJ Entertainment)“This film will show the draftees escaping from the island,” Ryoo said. Early reports have noted t

Sept. 30, 2015

In the inner circle of Matthias Y. Sutter, the general manager of Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel is known as the “bicycle hotelier.”Sutter rides his bike to work every morning from his home in Bangbae-dong in southern Seoul to the hotel in Sindorim-dong, southwest Seoul -- always trying to come in under 40 minutes in the 20-kilometer ride. He also rides his bike with his employees and hotel guests every Wednesday morning for 45 minutes.Sheraton Seoul D Cube general manager Matthias Y. Sutter o

CultureSept. 30, 2015

"The Origin of Life" by Ha In-dooHerald Artday, a subsidiary of Herald Corp., is holding its monthly online auction from Oct. 1-8 at the Herald Gallery in Yongsan-gu. In celebration of the Chuseok holidays, this month’s auction will feature an array of soothing, nostalgic pieces including Ha In-doo’s “The Origin of Life,” which expresses a reverence for life and the nobility of the everyday; the vibrant “Narodo Seascape” by Choi Ssang-joong; “Musing” by Lee Dong-youb, a contemporary painter cons

CultureSept. 29, 2015

Yang Yo-seob of the boy band Beast plays Prince Christopher in the ongoing musical production of “Cinderella.” (Showholic)One of the world’s most recognized and enchanting fairy tales, “Cinderella” has now taken center stage as one of Korea’s newest musical productions. With music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, the Broadway hit musical has made its way to Seoul for the first time. Hammerstein’s original Broadway show made a grand debut on the musical scene in 2013, receiv

PerformanceSept. 29, 2015