Actor Song Kang-ho to host this year’s Busan International Film Festival

This year’s Busan International Film Festival, Asia’s largest film festival, will be hosted by actor Song Kang-ho amid the absence created by the resignations of the festival executive director and chairperson in May. On Tuesday, the BIFF announced that Song will fill in as the host, adding that renowned actors and filmmakers such as Luc Besson, Shunji Iwai, Hirokazu Koreeda, Fan Bingbing and Youn Yuh-jung and Chow Yun-fat will attend the festival. Chow Yun-fat was announced as the r

FilmSept. 5, 2023

‘A Time Called You’ to recreate iconic series in its own way

“A Time Called You” director Kim Jin-won and actors Jeon Yeo-been, Ahn Hyo-seop and Kang Hoon are confident that the series' remake will be worth watching in its own right. Kim, who was a fan of the original Taiwanese series, “Someday or One Day,” said that balancing new changes in the remake with the original elements was his greatest challenge. “After hearing that a remake of ‘Someday or One Day’ would be made in Korea, I actually didn't wa

TelevisionSept. 5, 2023

[Herald Design Forum 2023] A.A.Murakami explore limits of human perception, natural world through installation art

A.A.Murakami, a Tokyo and London based Artist duo consisting of Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves, have quickly made a name for themselves in art circles through their unique sensory installations. Currently on display at Hyundai Motor Studio in Busan through Oct. 10, A.A.Murakami's works were inspired by the limits of human perception and the world that surrounds us, according to the artist duo. “With our recent installation in Busan, we used plasma to make an immersive experien

Arts & DesignSept. 5, 2023

[Korean Artists of Note] Lee Jae-seok muses on power dynamics, natural forces and more

The world functions in dynamics of power and hierarchy. Although such power is sensed from time to time, it is hard to recognize sometimes. That power could be religion, natural forces or something else, artist Lee Jae-seok muses. Most of Lee's works were inspired by his experience during his mandatory military service from 2010 to 2012 that lasted for a year and 10 months. “I was 22 years old when I entered the military service. My experience at the military, which is based on a st

Arts & DesignSept. 4, 2023

Leading international galleries, auction house unveil spaces, shows in Seoul ahead of Frieze Seoul 2023

Renowned international galleries and an auction house, Sotheby’s, have opened new spaces in Seoul ahead of the second edition of Frieze Seoul which kicks off Wednesday. Two newly arrived galleries -- Britain's White Cube and Japan’s Whitestone Gallery -- will unveil their spaces through group exhibitions in southern and northern Seoul, respectively. White Cube will open an inaugural exhibition, “The Embodied Spirit,” directed by the gallery’s global artistic di

Arts & DesignSept. 4, 2023

Art-inspired runways set to spice up 24SS Seoul Fashion Week

Seoul Fashion Week kicks off Tuesday for a five day-run with thirty Korean designers presenting their 2024 spring-summer collections on the runways of Dongdaemun Design Plaza, and 94 local fashion brands participating in the fashion week trade show. Held twice a year, the upcoming edition of Seoul Fashion Week, now in its 22nd year, will include Seoul Collection (SC) shows from 22 top designers, Generation Next (GN) shows for eight up-and-coming designers, and a show by Metrocity, a corporate

Arts & DesignSept. 4, 2023

Poet, independence fighter Manhae’s legacy revived in poetry quarterly Yusim

A literary magazine originally founded by poet, Buddhist monk and independence activist Han Yong-un (1879-1944), also known by his pen name Manhae, has been relaunched as a poetry-focused quarterly. Yusim was reintroduced with a September issue on Friday, with Kwon Young-min, a literary critic and honorary professor at Seoul National University, serving as the publisher, and poet Shin Dal-ja as the managing editor. “Our magazine aims to uphold the spirit and teachings of Manhae Han Yong-un

BooksSept. 4, 2023

[Korean Artists of Note] Lee Jin-ju brings images from the deep abyss

People go through numerous experiences in life. Some will be forgotten naturally, but some, whether pleasant or not, remain in the abyss of the unconscious. Some memories are so strong they dominate one’s life. Lee Jin-ju recalled an unpleasant incident from her childhood and called it “trauma” – she did not know as a little kid that the memory would stick around for so long. “I did not think of it as a big deal at the time. But the unpleasant memory has lingered, p

Arts & DesignSept. 4, 2023

[Herald Interview] Kang Ki-young feels his acting career has entered new chapter

Many drama fans were closely watching Kang Ki-young -- especially what his next work would be -- after he made a name for himself and won countless drama fans’ hearts in the hit legal drama, “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” (2022). Some people thought Kang would have a hard time choosing his next project, but the 39-year-old actor said it wasn't difficult. “‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ was certainly a turning point in my 14-year acting career. I always had a

TelevisionSept. 4, 2023

Rediscover Gyeongseong's century-old hit songs

Popular hit songs of the 1920s and 1930s will be revisited for two days this week. The National Gugak Center is set to perform “Gyeongseong Hit Songs,” a collection of century-old tunes originally recorded on gramophone records, on Wednesday and Thursday at the center's Pungnyu Sarangbang. Gyeongseong is an old name for Seoul. The introduction of phonograph records the 1920s transformed how music could be experienced. Music, previously only heard on live stage performances, was

PerformanceSept. 3, 2023

S. African artistic director endeavors to spread joy of music

Pianist, chamber musician, accompanist to a choral conductor and artistic director -- Willem Vogel, 66, has played many roles in the field of music. In a career spanning 30 years, Vogel has hosted more than 6,000 concerts through Salon Music, his impresario business, and has engaged in productions, theater rentals and educational projects since 1993. Vogel is the founder and artistic director of the Brooklyn Theater, a venue in Pretoria, South Africa, established in 2010. He is also artistic dir

PeopleSept. 3, 2023

[New in Korean] 'Runaway Lovers' blends suspenseful thriller and bittersweet romance

"Runaway Lovers" (a literal translation of the Korean title) By Lee Seung-eun Changbi Publishers A young couple is locked in an unending struggle for survival. Tae-oh writes scripts for plays and works at a gas station on the outskirts of a provincial city, while Ji-soo works part-time as a theater actor. She secretly lodges in the employee’s lounge where Tae-oh works. Despite their financial struggles, they depend on each other and dream of a future on the stage. On a fateful sn

BooksSept. 3, 2023

[New in Korean] Choi Eun-young of 'Shoko's Smile' returns with loving narrative on women

"Even a Very Faint Light" By Choi Eun-young Munhakdongne Publishing Award-winning author Choi Eun-young of “Shoko’s Smile” returns with a collection of short stories, titled "Even a Very Faint Light.” This year marks the 10th anniversary of Choi’s literary debut. One of the most prominent young female writers in Korea of the past decade, Choi has delved into the intricate and subtle emotions of characters as they navigate the complexities of connectio

BooksSept. 3, 2023

[Space for All] Korea's public architecture at turning point

Living in urban Korea, just stepping outside brings into view a plethora of buildings. But the average person here most likely doesn't give much thought to what kinds of spaces were created for the public and how they actually affect people's lives. These public spaces can include: a school, where 12 years of one's life are spent, a rest area by a river or stream, an observatory, a multipurpose facility under an expressway, a swimming pool popular with the elderly or a museum buil

Arts & DesignSept. 2, 2023

[New in Korean] Alien parasite transforms human violence into deadly 'Blue Flesh'

"Blue Flesh" By Lee Tae-je Vookda Kyobo Book Center, the largest bookstore chain in Korea, has taken steps to strengthen its content business recently by establishing an intellectual property team within the company. The company launched its very own publishing brand, Vookda, which has released its first book, “Blue Flesh.” The sci-fi dystopian novel won the grand prize at the 10th Kyobo Book Center’s story content competition. The author, who writes under the pen nam

BooksSept. 2, 2023

[Coffee Klatch] Indulge in buttery croissants and decadent coffees at Teddy Beurre House

Yongridangil is a trendy street near Yongsan Station that is well-known among food lovers for its abundance of exotic eateries and atmospheric cafes. Tucked away in a corner of Yongridangil are two stores run by chef Kim Hoon -- Sam Sam Sam, an American homestyle eatery, and Teddy Beurre House, a European-style bakery -- both of which have quickly made a name for themselves in Seoul's food scene. Chef Kim chose a teddy bear and a croissant as the main concept of Teddy Beurre House to appe

FoodSept. 2, 2023

Work and explore in Korea's scenic destinations

The Culture Ministry and the Korea Tourism Organization have unveiled a "workation" program, spanning 16 regions across the nation, away from the bustling city of Seoul. The pilot initiative is aimed to give people a chance to step away from conventional office settings and experience a change in their work environment, while also potentially stimulating local economies. The ongoing application process, launched Tuesday, will be carried out until Oct. 30., on a first-come, first-served

TravelSept. 2, 2023

Popular webtoon-based TV series drive more readers to original works

Kakao Entertainment webtoons are enjoying a renewed bump in popularity from TV drama adaptations by broadcasters and video streaming platforms that have become major hits this year. Disney+’s superhero action series “Moving” became the most watched Korean original project on Disney+ and Hulu, topping Disney+'s TV series charts in several countries, including Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and other Southeast Asian countries. Proving its growing popularity, the original webtoon “

BooksSept. 2, 2023

Three writers win Korean diaspora literature awards

A new literature award that aims to discover creators worldwide who write in the Korean language and examine the diaspora literature from diverse perspectives, has selected its winners, the Literature Translation Institute of Korea announced on Friday. LTI Korea has awarded three writers -- Lee Soo-jeong, Chung Chul-young and Kim Jae-dong -- for the inaugural “‘Nomo New Literature Award,” selected from a total of 111 entries received between Nov. 14, 2022 and April 30 of this y

BooksSept. 1, 2023

Low-budget horror flicks to hit cinemas in September

Horror films are traditionally released at the hottest time of the year in Korea -- July or August -- but there is a new trend to release them at the tail end of the summer, when there is usually less competition from massive blockbusters. A series low budget horror films open this month. Jason Yu’s “Sleep” is a 94-minute-long mystery thriller revolving around a sleep-walking husband and his wife, who believes he may be possessed by a demon. The film has been invited to the 76t

FilmSept. 1, 2023