[Graphic News] Over 6m enjoy ‘temple stay’ programs for past 2 decades

　Over 6 million have participated in temple-life experience programs over the past decades, with foreigners accounting for 11 percent of the total, data showed. 　According to data compiled by Rep. Song Eon-seok of the ruling People Power Party, a total of 6.44 million have visited temples across the country as of 2022 to experience temple life since the programs’ launch in 2002. Some 695,000 foreign tourists also enjoyed the temple stay programs. 　Temple stay gives visitors a fuller exp

TravelJune 23, 2023

[Reporter’s Notebook] Netflix co-CEO barely scratches surface of Korea investment details

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, in South Korea for the first time in seven years, on Thursday spoke about the US streaming giant’s interest in Korean content and what its partnerships with local production and VFX firms could lead to. Almost 200 local reporters gathered to hear the details of Netflix’s $2.5 billion investment plan in Korea over the next four years, but details were scant. “It’s been an amazing partnership between the Korean creative community and Netflix. Bu

FilmJune 22, 2023

Dubai’s Global Education Venture partners with King’s College

Global Education Venture, an educational company based in Dubai, has joined hands with boarding school King’s College to provide British education to students across the world. This partnership aims to establish British schools across regions including South Korea, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Macao, India and Nepal. More regions will be added to the list going forward. Based on the agreement, Global Education Venture has been granted exclusive rights to establish and develop King’s

PeopleJune 22, 2023

[Herald Review] ‘King of Clones’ reexamines story of disgraced S. Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk

Netflix’s UK original documentary, “King of Clones,” sets off on the jaw-dropping tale of South Korean veterinarian Hwang Woo-suk at a research center in a desert in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Watching a scene where the scientist stands in front of the portraits of key Emirati leaders, the viewers can sense that Hwang is a man with a long, complex story. Directed by Singaporean filmmaker Aditya Thayi, the 85-minute documentary, “King of Clones,” features one o

TelevisionJune 22, 2023

KBS files injunction against gov't move to separate fee collection

Public service broadcaster KBS filed an injunction with the Constitutional Court on Wednesday seeking to halt the government's plan to separate the collection of its license fees from electricity bills. The move came as the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) is planning to amend a Broadcasting Act enforcement ordinance for the separate collection in the latter half of the year following a recommendation by the presidential office on June 5. Since 1994, KBS has charged a monthly fee of 2,

TelevisionJune 21, 2023

Universal Ballet's Kang Mi-sun wins best female dancer at Benois de la Danse

Kang Mi-sun, a principal dancer at Universal Ballet in Seoul, has won the top prize at the prestigious Benois de la Danse, an annual ballet competition held in Moscow. Kang, along with China's Qiu Yunting, jointly received the best female dancer award at the awards ceremony held at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow on Tuesday, according to the organizing committee. Kang was honored with the award for her role as a widow who bids farewell to her husband in "Mirinaegil,” an original pr

PerformanceJune 21, 2023

[Herald Review] Lee Soon-jae's charisma shines in final turn as 'King Lear'

Veteran actor Lee Soon-jae, recently wrapped up a 16-day run of “King Lear” on Sunday at the LG Arts Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. The 88-year-old -- the oldest actor still active in Korea -- commanded the stage for 200 minutes, in captivating performance as Shakespeare’s tragic ruler. Having completed the 16 performances from June 1-18, Lee expressed his gratitude through a statement released by the production company, Theater Yeonwoo, Monday: “I would like to thank all t

PerformanceJune 21, 2023

[Herald Interview] Restraints are off for return of ‘The Zone: Survival Mission’

Disney+’s “The Zone: Survival Mission,” has scaled up the set pieces for its second series. Using escape room-style games, the first season of “The Zone: Survival Mission” threw a star-studded cast of Yu Jae-seok, Lee Kwang-soo and Kwon Yuri into catastrophic situations such as a zombie apocalypse, water shortage, gambling addiction and more, for four hours. In an interview with local reporters at a cafe in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, directors Cho Hyo-jin and Kim Don

TelevisionJune 21, 2023

Kiaf Seoul 2023 gears up for second collaboration with Frieze Seoul

Some 210 galleries from 20 countries will be participating in South Korea’s long-running international art fair Kiaf Seoul this year. The 22nd edition will kick off on Sept. 6 at Coex, southern Seoul along with global art fair Frieze Seoul. Galleries joining the fair for the first time include Denny Gallery and The Hole in New York, Galerie Marguo in Paris, Galerie Thomas in Munich, Lucie Chang Fine Arts in Hong Kong, Tuesday to Friday in Valencia and Triumph Gallery in Beijing. Some leadi

Arts & DesignJune 21, 2023

Park Chan-wook touts first-ever Netflix project in front of co-CEO

Award-winning director Park Chan-wook talked about his first-ever film project with Netflix during a roundtable discussion with the US streaming giant's co-CEO Ted Sarandos, who is on a two-day visit to Seoul. On Wednesday, Park and Sarandos gave a talk to aspiring filmmakers and content creators in Korea, sharing their insights and ideas on the future of the digital content market. Park, who recently announced his participation as co-screenwriter and producer in the new Netflix film &ldq

FilmJune 21, 2023

Korean heritage sites gear up for this year's World Heritage Festival

The 2023 World Heritage Festival is to take place in eight cities from July to October, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced Wednesday during a press conference held at Korea House in Jung-gu, Seoul. The festival, which began in 2020, aims to invite people to explore the UNESCO world heritage sites in Korea and engage in various programs, including performances, activities and exhibitions that help visitors understand the sites' values and significance. Organized by the Korea Cult

CultureJune 21, 2023

‘Concrete Utopia’ more black comedy than disaster flick

Six years after “Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned,” director Um Tae-hwa returns with disaster thriller “Concrete Utopia,” in which home turns hostile for a group of apartment dwellers. The movie is based on the second part of a webtoon about an earthquake and its aftermath, “Pleasant Neighbor.” Lee Byung-hun, Park Seo-joon and Park Bo-young star as few residents of Hwang Gung Apartments in the devastated city. Lee plays Young-tak, a leader among the resident

FilmJune 21, 2023

Park Seo-joon ‘doesn’t deny’ dating YouTuber Xooos

Asked to make a comment on his personal life, actor Park Seo-joon, meeting with the press a day after a media report said the actor was dating Korean YouTuber and singer Xooos, neither confirmed nor denied the news. Park was attending a press conference for his upcoming disaster thriller flick “Concrete Utopia,” held at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University in Seoul, Wednesday. “I heard the news late yesterday because I was shooting another project. First thing I felt after reading th

FilmJune 21, 2023

[Herald Review] Changgeuk version of ‘Merchants of Venice’ balances East, West

For those unfamiliar with Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" and the genre of Changgeuk, the combination of the two might not sound so appealing. After watching such an attempt, "The Merchants of Venice" by the National Changgeuk Company of Korea, one might change their mind. Changgeuk is akin to a Korean version of opera. It derives from pansori, Korea's traditional narrative singing form that is registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. “Chang&r

PerformanceJune 20, 2023

KBS employees demand CEO’s resignation amid fee collection controversy

More than 1,000 KBS employees on Tuesday have demanded the resignation of CEO Kim Eui-cheol and the board of directors. The call for change comes as the broadcaster is expected to face a severe financial crisis when a relevant enforcement ordinance is amended for a separate collection of TV license fees. In a statement released Tuesday, the Joint Committee for KBS Employees and Broadcasters for the New KBS said they collected signatures from 1,080 employees calling for the resignation of Kim and

TelevisionJune 20, 2023

KOFIC eyes ASEAN cooperation to develop Asian cinema

The Korean Film Council emphasized the significance of Korea-ASEAN cooperation in the film industry, while promising to restructure itself to better support and promote Korean films as a state-funded entity. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism openly lambasted KOFIC on June 15 over its lax management, particularly the organization’s mishandled budget of 2.4 billion won ($1.86 million) over the last five years which was aimed at creating the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Film Organizati

FilmJune 20, 2023

Fabric installation artist Woo Hannah wins inaugural Artist Award at Frieze Seoul

Korean artist Woo Hannah has been chosen to receive the inaugural Artist Award at Frieze Seoul, part of the global art fair’s curated program of special projects and collaborations, ahead of its upcoming second edition in September. Woo’s winning commission, “The Great Ballroom,” is a large-scale fabric installation that conveys the changes of the human body. It will be installed at Coex in Seoul, suspended from the ceiling during the art fair. Frieze Seoul will take pl

Arts & DesignJune 20, 2023

Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah overcome fear of water for ‘Smugglers’

The hit filmmaker who helmed “Veteran” (2015) and “Escape From Mogadishu” (2021) returns with the star-studded female-led action film “Smugglers.” Set in a peaceful seaside village in the 1970s, the crime action film revolves around an accident in front of “haenyeo,” female divers who collect seafood from the ocean floor. Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah, Zo In-sung, Park Jung-min, Kim Jong-soo and Go Min-si star in the film. Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ha

FilmJune 20, 2023

‘Fusion Korean Music Night’ set to perform in Japan

South Korean world music group Gongmyoung is set to perform “Fusion Korean Music Night” in the Japanese cities of Shimonoseki, Sendai and Niigata on June 23, 26 and 28, respectively. The touring show is co-hosted by the Korea Foundation and the Consulates General of the Republic of Korea in Hiroshima, Sendai and Niigata. Since its debut in 1997, Gongmyoung, which translates to “resonance” in Korean, has been introducing a new genre of Korean music, infusing traditional me

PerformanceJune 20, 2023

HiKR Ground celebrates first anniversary with HiKR Festa

Celebrating the one-year anniversary of the HiKR Ground tourism center, the Korea Tourism Organization will hold HiKR Fest at the center located in Jongno-gu, Seoul, from June 30 to July 1. Actor Lee Jae-wook from the tvN drama series "Alchemy of Souls" will host a talk concert at the HiKR Ground on June 30. On July 1, an outdoor stage will feature performances by K-pop group Oh My Girl, rapper Woo Wonjae and dance crew HolyBang. Various events will be held at the center building, feat

TravelJune 20, 2023