Bloggers get guided Namhansanseong tour

The Senior Public Diplomacy Group led a tour for dozens of expat bloggers to Namhansanseong Fortress in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, Saturday.The visit was organized by the SPDG, a nonprofit affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to promote the fortress ― South Korea’s most recent UNESCO World Heritage listing ― and to find out how people from overseas saw it.It was also promoted as a forum to encourage expat bloggers and photographers to meet and network. Expat bloggers listen to expla

Expat LivingApril 30, 2015

Images made in Korea

Before Korea became the leading exporter of semiconductors and cellphones, the top money magnet was wigs. Wigs, along with textiles, shoes and plywood, were the pillars of Korea’s exports in the 1960s and ’70s, until cheap-labor countries entered the market.The once-flourishing wig making process is reenacted by contemporary artist Lee Wan for his new exhibition in Seoul. In an 11-minute video, the artist cuts his long hair and asks a wig maker in Namdaemun to make a wig with it. A scene from th

PerformanceApril 30, 2015

‘Taming of the Shrew’ makes Asian ballet premiere

A lighthearted tale of love, cunning deceit and comedy, the ballet rendition of “The Taming of the Shrew” made its official Asian troupe debut Wednesday at the Seoul Arts Center. The Korea National Ballet, becoming the first Asian ballet company to stage the work choreographed by John Cranko, held a special premiere showing on Wednesday afternoon in front of nearly 1,000 middle school students. The family-friendly performance was intended to give children the opportunity to not only experience a

PerformanceApril 30, 2015

Science more exciting than fiction, ‘Interstellar’ producer Obst says

“Interstellar” producer Lynda Obst believes grounded science is more exciting than fiction. “Science can inspire you if you can tell a great story behind it,” Obst said in a press conference ahead of her keynote speech at the Culture Technology Forum at Coex Center in Seoul on Thursday. “You can turn the world on to these big ideas through character and story,” she said, referring to the link between time and space illustrated in the internationally acclaimed hard sci-fi epic “Interstellar.” The

FilmApril 30, 2015

Korea’s mountain temples seek UNESCO recognition

GONGJU, South Chungcheong Province ― Nestled in the hills of Mount Taehwasan sits Magoksa Temple, a serene haven with cozy tiled-roof shrines dotting sprawling courtyards and a five-story stone pagoda as its centerpiece. The spring mountain scenery surrounding the temple is lush and pristine, as if this were the first spring it had ever known. But the temple, founded in 640, bears the signs of history in its time-worn walls. It is this history that the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism hopes to cel

CultureApril 30, 2015

All about Korean food at Milan Expo

Korea will be featuring its best dishes at the 2015 Milan Expo in Italy until Oct. 31.Under the global expo’s theme of “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life,” the 3,990-square-meter Korean Pavilion will introduce a variety of healthy Korean dishes, ranging from bibimbap (mixed rice and vegetables), galbijjim (beef rib stew) to Japchae (sweet potato noodles) and bibim-myeon (mixed noodles).These signature dishes will be offered at restaurants in the three-story, moon jar-shaped pavilion, the Milan

FoodApril 30, 2015

Parents, kids differ on gift choice: survey

With Children’s Day looming, many Korean parents are looking for gift items that can satisfy the whims of their kids without breaking the bank. According to a survey by online shopping mall 11st, a toy from almighty mega-franchise Power Rangers ― Power Ranger Dino Force, to be precise ― was picked as kids’ most wanted gift, with 25 percent, followed by an Avengers 2 action set with 20 percent. Robot car series such as Hello Carbot and Tobot took the third place with 18 percent. Parents’ plans, h

CultureApril 29, 2015

How to keep your little ones amused on Children’s Day

With Children’s Day just around the corner on May 5, many Korean parents are stressing over how to entertain their kids on the special day. Designated a national holiday in 1975, the day is devoted to the welfare and enjoyment of children and a rare opportunity for modern working parents to create an entire day of memories with their little ones. The Korea Herald suggests five events for a holiday full of both entertainment and education: Outdoor activities at the Lighting Museum Festival (Light

CultureApril 29, 2015

‘Sixteen’ compete for spot in JYP’s next girl group

Mnet and JYP Entertainment have teamed up to launch the new survival-style debut program “Sixteen.”The program’s name refers to the number of contestants who will vie for a spot in the new seven-member group to come from JYP. The new group would be named “Twice,” JYP Entertainment’s CEO Park Jin-young revealed at a press conference at the 63 Convention Center in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Wednesday.“We chose that name because the members will be wowing their fans once through their ears, and twice

PerformanceApril 29, 2015

The best truffles on the planet

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt,” says a quote by famed cartoonist Charles M. Schulz.At times a token of love and at others a thoughtful gift, a carefully selected box of chocolates has come to mark the more special moments of our lives.Teuscher, for one, is a premium Swiss chocolatier that has mastered the art of chocolate-making through a long history of dedication to perfection and luxury. It has received a myriad of praise over the years, picked as the

FoodApril 29, 2015

Season of operas

This year’s sixth annual Korea Opera Festival is gearing up for its monthlong commitment to the operatic arts with five main-stage productions that are rare in the local scene.Kicking off on May 8 at the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho-gu, the festival will feature productions from five major local opera companies: Muak Opera Company’s rendition of Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro;” Sol Opera Company’s production of Puccini’s “Il Trittico;” Seoul Opera Ensemble’s production of Rossini’s “Mose;” Nuov

PerformanceApril 28, 2015

[Herald Review] Life in its harshest form in ‘Coin Locker Girl’

Darkness and isolation are the two constants in “Coin Locker Girl,” the feature-length debut from director Han Jun-hee. It is a crime drama ― violent, unpredictable and thrilling, but even amid its unexpected twists and turns the film never strays from its central message: life is a hard, solitary endeavor.That theme is counterintuitive to the fact that the central characters in the film call each other a “family” despite having no biological connection. In fact, it isn’t clear at first what the

FilmApril 28, 2015

K-pop label chiefs advance into other industries

Local entertainment agencies are expanding their businesses to cosmetics, golf, gaming and tourism to take advantage of the growing popularity of K-pop culture in the Asian market.   Leading the trend is YG Entertainment, which recently became one of the top music agencies in the country.  YG, which manages the rapper Psy and K-pop groups Big Bang and 2NE1, has advanced into the booming cosmetics market to capitalize on the growing popularity of Korean beauty products in the Asian market.  Last

PerformanceApril 28, 2015

Rare shamanism archive unveiled

Despite the long history of shamanism in Korea, remaining shamanistic relics and records are considerably few partly due to oppression following the dominance of Confucianism and modernization. Folklorist Kim Tae-gon (1936-1996) was the first scholar who paid attention to the disappearing shamanistic practices in the 1960s when it was considered a “primitive, backward and outdated culture.”The National Folk Museum of Korea sheds light on the lifetime work of folklorist Kim, who collected more th

CultureApril 27, 2015

[Herald Review] Big Bang kicks off world tour with a nod to Seoul fans

“B, to the I, to the?” “Bang! Bang!”YG Entertainment’s iconic boy group Big Bang lit up the Olympic Gymnastics Arena at Seoul Olympic Park on Sunday, the second day of the Seoul concert that kicks off their long-awaited group comeback. The 13,000 seats were packed strong with VIPs (as Big Bang’s fans are called) as the five members dominated the stage, freely moving around onstage and relocating ramps to interact with the audience. “I’m not as nervous as I was yesterday,” rapper T.O.P said, refe

PerformanceApril 27, 2015

Lim Kim keeps ‘Simple Mind’ in third EP

In her third EP, Lim Kim has grown up, and learned to approach life with a “Simple Mind.” “It’s an album about looking at things as simply as possible,” Kim said at a press showcase at Lezhin Comics V-Hall in Mapo-gu, Seoul on Monday.Newly blonde and dressed in a studded black leather jacket, Kim sang three songs from the seven-track album ― the playful and daring “Awoo,” which was prereleased on April 22, the addictive title track “Love Game,” and the poetic “Barama,” originally performed with

PerformanceApril 27, 2015