[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Single in Seoul” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 29 Romance Directed by Park Bum-soo Young-ho (Lee Dong-wook) -- who dreamt of being single forever and enjoying every moment of his life by himself -- meets Hyun-jin (Im Soo-jung), who gives the men around her a sense of meaning in their actions. “12.12: The Day” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 22 Drama/Action Directed by Kim Seong-su The film covers nine hours on Dec. 12, 1979 during a coup attempt by Gen. Chun Doo-gwang (Hwang Jun

FilmDec. 8, 2023

Comedian Yang Se-hyung channels his emotions into poetry in 'Path of the Stars'

Comedian Yang Se-hyung has ventured into the realm of literature with his newly published poetry collection, "Path of the Stars" (Storyseller). Prior to this, he touched the viewers' hearts when he spontaneously composed and recited "Path of the Stars" on the episode of SBS’s variety show "Master in the House” which aired in June 2018. More recently, a video of Yang’s congratulatory verses for fellow comedians' weddings garnered attention on

BooksDec. 8, 2023

More cultural assets to be digitized

The Cultural Heritage Administration said Thursday it would push for concrete steps to grow the economy and digitize the way cultural assets are used and promoted, ahead of the enactment of a new law on heritage management. Nurturing cultural heritage-related startups while incentivizing ordinary Koreans to make more frequent visits to cultural sites are some of the priorities, the culture agency said in a press statement. Legislative support will be provided to make that happen, it added. Next

CultureDec. 7, 2023

[Rising Virtuosos] Multitalented pianist Kim Song-hyeon pursues his potential

When pianist Kim Song-hyeon participated in the Isangyun Competition in early November, he saw the waters of Tongyeong and prayed to become tranquil just like the sea. Before the final round, he re-read messages of encouragement from Paik Hae-sun, a prominent South Korean pianist and his teacher at the New England Conservatory. Paik, who had flown to Korea for her own performance, came straight to Tongyeong from Incheon Airport after a 20-hour flight to cheer on her student. The 21-year-old pe

CultureDec. 7, 2023

Lee Young-ae returns with 'Maestra: Strings of Truth'

South Korean actor Lee Young-ae will be making her comeback to television after a near two-year hiatus via cable TV channel tvN's 12-episode drama series, "Maestra: Strings of Truth." Based on French television series "Philharmonia," the series narrates the story of a globally renowned female violinist-turned-conductor with a secret past. After returning to Korea, Cha Se-eum, played by Lee Young-ae, becomes the conductor of a Korean orchestra where mysterious incidents h

FilmDec. 7, 2023

Tourism potential of Philippines, Korea discussed at GBF

Philippines Ambassador to Korea Maria Theresa B. Dizon-DeVega and Korea Tourism Organization President Kim Jang-sil shared economic and tourism potential of the two countries with CEOs attending the Global Biz Forum hosted by the Korea Herald on Wednesday. Amb. Dizon-DeVega emphasized the forward-looking approach of both countries, noting the significance of the Philippines-Korea Free Trade Agreement signed on Sept. 7, 2023. South Korea and the Philippines solidified their economic and industria

Diplomatic CircuitDec. 7, 2023

Hero soldier may get honorary degree from university

Chosun University said Thursday it is seeking to present an honorary bachelor's degree to Jeong Seon-yeop, a soldier who died while resisting the military coup of 1979 that resulted in former dictator Chun Doo-hwan rising to power. "We are seeking to present an honorary degree to honor the spirit of Sgt. Jeon, who perished while trying to resist the rebel forces," the university said. The degree is slated to be awarded in January, after a deliberation process and obtaining consent

PeopleDec. 7, 2023

LTI Korea announces winners of 2023 Korea Translation Award

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea announced the winners of the 2023 Korea Translation Award on Wednesday, with four translators clinching the grand prizes this year. This year’s grand prizes were awarded to Kim Hye-gyeong and Jean-Claude de Crescenzo for their French translation of Lee Seung-u’s “Cantant”; Oh Young-a for her Japanese translation of Cho Hae-jin’s “Simple Sincerity”; and Lia Iovenitti for her Italian translation of Kim Hye-jin&

BooksDec. 6, 2023

Actors, musicians unite for Hakchon Theater's closing act

Actors and musicians have come together for a relay performance to bid a heartfelt farewell to the Hakchon Theater, an iconic venue for Korean performing arts in Seoul's Daehangno district. Established in March 1991, the Hakchon Theater will close its doors on March 15, its 33rd anniversary, due to chronic financial difficulties and CEO Kim Min-gi's health issues. Upon hearing the news, singer Park Hak-ki gathered fellow artists and created the "Hakchon Again'' project -

PerformanceDec. 6, 2023

Born rich, promoted young: chaebol scions become president just after 40

Members of major conglomerate owner families generally become executives in their mid-30s, and assume leadership roles sometime in their early 40s, a report released Wednesday by a local corporate tracker showed. Leaders Index analyzed the careers of 199 members of owner families running South Korea's 100 leading conglomerates, who are either the chairman or vice chairman of their group, or a president of an affiliate company. In total, there are 827 members of owner families currently work

PeopleDec. 6, 2023

Four Korean drama series nominated for Critics Choice Awards

Four South Korean dramas have been nominated at the 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards, which is slated to be held in Los Angeles on Jan. 14. Of the seven nominations for the best foreign language series, four are Korean dramas -- Korean streaming service Tving's original series “Bargain,” Netflix's original series "The Glory" and "Mask Girl" and Disney+'s original series "Moving" -- according to the Critics Choice Association on Tuesday.

TelevisionDec. 6, 2023

Berlin Philharmonic's 'Unsuk Chin Edition': Unthinkable becomes reality

“Something unthinkable has become a reality. It feels like a lifetime achievement to some degree,” said Korean composer Chin Un-suk of the Berlin Philharmonic album dedicated to her music. Titled “The Unsuk Chin Edition,” the album released last month contains six works Chin performed by the world’s top orchestra between 2005 and 2022. It is a rare album of a living composer and only the second time after the philharmonic released, in 2017, an album of John Adams, w

CultureDec. 6, 2023

Kim Bo-seong shows Hangeul art in Spain, Portugal

Artist Kim Bo-seong, who has found inspiration in the Korean alphabet, Hangeul, for his art, rolled up his sleeves to herald Korean consonants and vowels in Europe through his art created using virtual reality technology. Kim kicked off the project in April while traveling to Spain and Portugal, presenting his works through virtual reality, which he continues until Tuesday next week. Each consonant and vowel is a source of artistic inspiration for Kim. who has explored Hangeul for more than 35 y

Arts & DesignDec. 6, 2023

Things look bright for ‘Past Lives’ Oscars prospects

Hopes are growing that Korean Canadian director and playwright Celine Song’s directorial debut “Past Lives” could repeat the success of Lee Isaac Chung's heartwarming family drama “Minari," nominated in six categories at the 2021 Academy Awards. The 2024 Academy Awards are slated to take place March 10, 2024. "Past Lives," which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in January, quickly garnered international critical attention. The film opened i

FilmDec. 6, 2023

Solbi talks about dealing with malicious online comments in documentary

Appearing in a US documentary, singer and painter Solbi has impressed viewers with her courageous journey in overcoming malicious comments. Solbi appeared in a documentary entitled "Painting Through Pain" as part of the Voice of America's 52 Documentary series on YouTube, sharing the painful experience of malicious comments and cyberbullying and how she overcame them. Directed by Komeil Soheili, the documentary was part of the weekly documentary series released from the VOA. Accor

FilmDec. 6, 2023

[Contribution] Future of agriculture

By Chung Hwang-keun Minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs “Technology changes agriculture and, consequently, the lives of farmers,” said John May, chairman and CEO of John Deere, an American manufacturer of farm machinery and industrial equipment that is drawing the world’s attention for its advanced autonomous farming machines. By implication, he emphasized the necessity of technological innovation in agriculture, going beyond traditional ways of farming, to re

TechnologyDec. 6, 2023

Musical 'Yujin and Yujin' captivates Taiwanese audience

Taipei, TAIWAN -- On Nov. 25, about 160 seats of the Experimental Theater at the National Theater & Concert Hall in Taipei, Taiwan were full. In front of the audience were two Taiwanese actresses -- Da Tian and Lee Ling-Wei -- and a cello and piano duo. The actresses sitting facing the audience on two simple chairs turned into two characters, both named Yujin: "Big Yujin" and "Little Yujin." With their lines and dramatic songs, the two actresses led the audience into th

PerformanceDec. 5, 2023

[Herald Interview] Lee Eung-bok expresses 'Korean spirit' of monster horror in 'Sweet Home'

The star director of hit Korean TV dramas "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" (2016) and "Mr. Sunshine" (2018), Lee Eung-bok is back with the much-awaited second season of Netflix's "Sweet Home." Lee's first season of "Sweet Home," a 10-part Netflix original series, gained a global following in 2020, making it to the Netflix US top 10 list as the first Korean TV drama to do so. "When I decided to direct 'Sweet Home', I didn't

TelevisionDec. 5, 2023

Scalpers take bigger cut of Korean music industry

Kim Yeon-soo, 27, was able to get her hands on a resale ticket for her favorite artist's concert, but at twice the regular price. “I wanted to see the concert so badly, I searched social media and resale websites. Hundreds of tickets were up for sale at ridiculous prices," said Kim, an office worker. "It's upsetting to give money to scalpers who take advantage of fans’ desperation, but I didn’t have a choice." Ticket scalpers are one of the biggest head

CultureDec. 5, 2023

Exhibition opens to deepen ‘Olympic experience’

An exhibition featuring calligraphy, paintings and folding screens opened Tuesday at the Chuncheon National Museum in Gangwon Province, near the site of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, ahead of the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics. The exhibition showcases artifacts that offer a glimpse into what it would be like to traverse Kumgangsan, a mountain that has been featured in numerous works of Korean art. In addition to works depicting the mountain, which sits in North Korea and borders Gangwon Pro

Arts & DesignDec. 5, 2023