Korean National Ballet returns with comic 'La Fille Mal Gardee'

The Korean National Ballet is set to mesmerize audiences with "The Wayward Daughter" ("La Fille Mal Gardee" in French), a delightful comic ballet that portrays the love story of an ordinary couple. The performance is scheduled to take place at the Seoul Arts Center's Opera Theater from Nov. 8 to 12. Choreographed by Jean Dauberval in 1789, this ballet piece stands as one of the oldest surviving full-length ballets. Last year, the Korean National Ballet introduced its ren

PerformanceNov. 3, 2023

Tving’s ‘High School Mystery Club’ to return with season 3

Korean streaming service Tving recently confirmed the return of its franchise entertainment show “High School Mystery Club” with a third season. “High School Mystery Club” (2021-22), the service's first-ever original show, revolves around five high school girls -- who are not in fact actual students, transferring to a suspicious school where a mysterious murder case and strange phenomenon occur. The same cast -- TV personality Park Ji-yoon, Jaejae, comedian Jang Do-y

TelevisionNov. 3, 2023

The Beatles release new track ‘Now And Then’ after 27 years thanks to AI

The Beatles on Thursday released a new song, “Now And Then," their first track in 27 years, according to an announcement by the English band’s publishing agency Universal Music Group on Friday. According to the agency, “Now And Then” will be the last song in which all the members of The Beatles participated in its production. Before the release of "Now And Then," the last song released by the group was "Real Love" in 1996. "Now And Then"

CultureNov. 3, 2023

Shin Min-a turns from professor to countryside eatery owner in ‘Our Season’

Actor Shin Min-a turns into eatery owner Jin-joo, who sells homecooked food based on her mother’s recipes in “Our Season,” which confirmed its release in local theaters on Dec. 6. Veteran actor Kim Hae-sook appears as Shin’s mother, Bok-ja, who has come to visit her as part of her “vacation from heaven,” following the lead of a guide who has arranged the visit down from heaven, played by Kang Ki-young. While Bok-ja can see her daughter from a close distance, J

FilmNov. 3, 2023

35 foreign individuals to be awarded for promoting Korean culture

Foreign individuals who promote Korean culture on the global stage will be honored with an award by the Korean Culture and Information Service, affiliated with the Culture Ministry, at the 2023 K-wave Festival on Saturday. The winners comprise a total of 35 individuals; eight outstanding Korea.net Honorary Reporters; eight K-influencer teams (nine individuals); eight winners of 2023's Talk Talk Korea, a global online contest of Korea-related content; and three winning teams (10 individual

CultureNov. 3, 2023

Lee Dong-wook pop-up store to open next week

A pop-up store based on South Korean actor Lee Dong-wook is scheduled to open at The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido on Nov. 9. According to Lee’s agency King Kong by Starship, the upcoming offline flash event, titled “Fancy Being Friends?” will mainly feature the actor’s avatar Wookdong, a white lion character which embodies the actor’s appearance, hobbies and personality. “Lee Dong-wook will be the first Korean actor to hold a character-themed pop-up shop here,&r

CultureNov. 3, 2023

[Well-curated] Seoul nightscape from revolving restaurant, painting over coffee and dazzling Christmas village

This weekend may be the last chance to see the red and gold fall foliage at its peak in Seoul. N Seoul Tower is where you can enjoy the autumn colors while hiking the trail to the tower on top of Namsan. If you arrive at the top at night, you can enjoy panoramic views of central Seoul as well as check out Namsan Octagonal Pavilion. On top of N Seoul Tower is n.Grill, a French restaurant that offers a prix fixe menu for lunch and dinner. The restaurant rotates, giving a complete 360-degree panora

CultureNov. 3, 2023

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Le Meridien showcases autumn dining promotion Le Meridien’s restaurant La Palette Paris showcases a special dining promotion for the fall season. The promotion features popover bread with truffle butter, scallops with truffles and mashed potatoes. Prices are 87,500 won for the weekday lunch and 101,500 won for the weekday or Sunday dinner. The promotion is 130,500 won for weekend lunch and Saturday dinner. Visit the restaurant before Nov. 11 for a discount of up to 30 percent. Josun Ho

FoodNov. 3, 2023

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Beartree Park Fall Foliage Festival Beartree Park Fall Foliage Festival, which began on Oct. 21, will run through Sunday at Beartree Park in Sejong. Visitors can enjoy the peak fall foliage while taking a light stroll along the walking trail at Beartree Park. The festival is set to entertain visitors with outdoor concerts, unique photo zones and more. Holidaymakers can immerse in nature and enjoy the autumn breeze. The opening hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission costs 12,000 won and 10,000 won

TravelNov. 3, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Brave Citizen” (South Korea) Opens Oct. 25 Drama/Action Directed by Park Jin-pyo Substitute teacher So Si-min (Shin Hae-sun), a former boxer, dons a cat mask and takes justice into her own hands when she notices the bullying antics of Han Soo-gang (Lee Jun-young), dubbed "crazy dog," who constantly gets into fights with other students. “Killers of the Flower Moon” (US) Opened Oct. 19 Drama/Crime Directed by Martin Scorsese A series of murders target the Osa

FilmNov. 3, 2023

SPO and Lim Yun-chan to perform together in Seoul in January

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and piano sensation Lim Yun-chan will take the stage together in January, according to MOC Productionon on Thursday. The SPO, under the new music director Jaap van Zweden, will kick off its new season in January next year. The collaboration with Lim will take place Jan. 25 at the Seoul Arts Center and Jan. 26 at the Lotte Concert Hall as part of the SPO's regular concert. Before the January concerts, Lim, who won the prestigious Van Cliburn International Pia

PerformanceNov. 2, 2023

Pak Kyongni Prize winner Christoph Ransmayr says literature sparks imagination, breaks biases

If literature has one pivotal purpose, it is the very act of imagining what lies beyond our own life and language, and the attempt to think about the lives of others, according to Austrian novelist Christoph Ransmayr, winner of the 12th Pak Kyongni Prize. “It's not possible to define what literature is. But the attempt to understand unfamiliar environments and people through literature, at the very least, helps eliminate biases towards others and encourages an attempt to bring about c

BooksNov. 2, 2023

Define Seoul beckons Seongsu-dong hipsters with art, design

The inaugural design and art fair, Define Seoul, kicked off Wednesday, bringing together some 25 galleries and design brands from home and abroad in Seongsu-dong, one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Seoul, home to hip cafes, intriguing pop-up stores and shops. “Seoul is garnering unprecedented international recognition as one of the major art centers. Define Seoul encapsulates the idea of connecting design and fine art while redefining the way we perceive and engage with art,” said

Arts & DesignNov. 2, 2023

[Herald Review] ‘Zzz’ lulls audience to sleep through onstage performance

A new contemporary performance taking place in Seoul gently lulls its audience to sleep. The three-hour performance of "Zzz," which kicked off Tuesday at the Quad in Daehagno, allows the audience to lie down and take a nap at any time during the show. Choreographer Hwang Soo-hyun, known for "Sense of Black" and "Cavae," has long strived to break the barriers between the stage and the audience, delving into unique sensory experiences during her performances. In April

PerformanceNov. 1, 2023

Director touts Netflix’s ‘Daily Dose of Sunshine’ as warm tale for adults

Director Lee Jae-gyu, most recently known for “All of Us Are Dead,” has returned with comedy series “Daily Dose of Sunshine,” a Netflix original series set in a psychiatric ward. Park Bo-young stars as a kind-hearted nurse working at a psychiatric ward, dealing with a variety of patients and colleagues. Lee Jung-eun (“Parasite,” “Our Blues”) appears as a head nurse who supports Da-eun. Yeon Woo-jin stars as Go-yoon, a doctor in charge of proctologi

TelevisionNov. 1, 2023

Women’s stories continue to resonate with Korean viewers

More drama series with diverse women in the lead are expected to dominate South Korean TV screens over the remainder of the year. Several new shows last year, including “Juvenile Justice,” “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” “Under the Queen’s Umbrella” and “Twenty-Five Twenty-One,” garnered greater-than-expected attention from viewers with their strong, independent women. This year, TV dramas with bold, no-nonsense women have proved a strong trend

TelevisionNov. 1, 2023

Somber palaces, tombs swathed in fall colors

Now is a perfect time to visit royal palaces and tombs as several trails and tombs normally closed to the public are open for a few weeks in autumn when leaves change colors. While the peak foliage season varies from year to year and in different locations, this year, the leaves are expected to be at their most colorful and vibrant through early November. The eight forest trails of the Joseon royal tombs, including some that are usually closed to the public, which opened on Sept. 28, will remain

CultureNov. 1, 2023

ArtToken, KAIST sign MOU to cooperate in art, technology fields

Online non-fungible token art trading platform ArtToken and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have signed a memorandum of understanding to push for projects integrated with art and technology. The MOU between KAIST’s Graduate School of Culture Technology and ArtToken, inked on Thursday, aims to foster collaboration in the fields of art and technology such as coding art, interactive art and NFT art based on blockchain technology. Based in Seoul, ArtToken has organized proje

PeopleOct. 31, 2023

[Herald Interview] Journey to find her voice has brought Vittoria Yeo to peak performance

When Ji-won Yeo took to the stage in the title role for Bellini's opera "Norma" on Oct. 26, she might have been nervous. After all, despite performing just about every major role possible overseas, it was the 43-year-old's first lead role in her motherland. But the South Korean soprano, better known overseas as Vittoria Yeo, proved why she has been only taking main roles since her debut despite some doubts earlier in her career. When she decided to go study abroad in 2005,

CultureOct. 31, 2023

Epitaph plaque for wife of first Korean diplomatic minister in US returns to Korea

The epitaph plaque for Madam Jo (1841-1892), the wife of Park Chung-yang (1841-1905), the first Korean diplomatic minister sent to the US in 1887, has been brought back to Korea and returned to their descendants, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced Tuesday. Professor Emeritus Mark A. Peterson from Brigham Young University, who owned the artifact for more than 40 years after purchasing it in an antiques store, donated the epitaph plaque to Park Chan-su, the current head of the Bannam P

CultureOct. 31, 2023