[Herald Interview] Kiaf Seoul, together with Frieze Seoul, govt. to strengthen Seoul as Asian art hub

As Seoul has emerged as a new key Asian art hub in the last couple of years with the country's growing number of art collectors, many are curious as to whether its new presence in the global art scene will grow bigger and stronger or slowly diminish. Hwang Dal-sung, president of the Galleries Association of Korea, who was reelected to lead the association representing some 160 galleries in Korea for another two years following a tightly fought election in February, is determined to strength

Arts & DesignMay 11, 2023

Project launched to monitor use of foreign languages in public spaces

Incorrect English signs have been a bugbear for public offices for a long time, but a language center in the Southeast of the country is taking aim at signs in foreign languages and characters that are difficult for the general public to understand. For example, in a public parking lot at a traditional market in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, information is provided in English in large black letters while the Korean is provided as a supplement, printed on paper and posted on the wall. To

CultureMay 11, 2023

Gaya Tumuli recommended for inclusion on UNESCO World Heritage list

The Gaya Tumuli, seven tomb clusters from Korea's ancient Gaya confederacy, has been recommend for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage list by an international advisory body, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Thursday. The Gaya Tumuli was recommended for inscription during a meeting of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, a cultural heritage evaluation advisory organization under UNESCO, according to CHA. The World Heritage Committee will make a final decision based

CultureMay 11, 2023

[Herald Review] 'Sejong 1446' offers majestic musical experience at Gyeongbokgung

Sitting outside in a cold and windy night on an uncomfortable plastic chair for 100 minutes might be challenging, but witnessing a musical centered on King Sejong the Great with the majestic hall, Geunjeongjeon, National Treasure No. 233, as the backdrop at Gyeongbokgung truly felt like a privilege. At 7:30 p.m. on May 2, night had already fallen and the show began by illuminating a spotlight on a pansori performer who introduced the historical background of the story. As pansori singer Lee Bong

CultureMay 10, 2023

In Papaioannou's 'Ink,' duet turns into duel in flooded universe

Greek contemporary theater director Dimitris Papaioannou is scheduled to premiere his latest project “Ink” in Asia at the National Theater of Korea’s Daloreum Theater from Friday to Sunday. Premiered at the Torinodanza Festival in Italy in September 2020, "Ink," a two-person performance, embarked on a world tour in January with some modifications and enhancements, and new music by Greek composer Kornilios Selamsis. Papaioannou, who describes the performance as one abo

PerformanceMay 10, 2023

Netflix’s ‘Black Knight’ explores dual life of deliveryman in post-apocalyptic 2071

The Netflix original series “Black Knight,” starring Kim Woo-bin and Song Seung-heon, explores the life of a deliveryman who offers necessities to people in need on a devastated Earth in 2071. Based on the webtoon “Delivery Knight” by Lee Yoon-kyun, published from 2016 to 2019, director Choi Ui-seok of “Cold Eyes” (2013) and “Master” (2016) tells the story of Earth in 2071, suffering from toxic air pollution. People rely on parcel delivery services

FilmMay 10, 2023

Korean Heritage Campaign highlights 10 heritage routes

The 2023 Visit Korean Heritage Campaign, which aims to help people discover the country's cultural heritage and natural attractions, kicked off Tuesday. Marking the campaign's fourth year, the Cultural Heritage Administration and Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation jointly unveiled 10 routes that go through 76 destinations in Korea during a press conference held in Seoul, Tuesday. The destinations include UNESCO World Heritage sites and those listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hu

TravelMay 10, 2023

[Herald Interview] Joshua Bell to perform Vieuxtemps, Chausson with SPO

Renowned American violinist Joshua Bell will make his debut with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra with two very special "old fashioned violin pieces" as he returns to Korea in May for the first time in five years to meet his favorite audience in the world. The 55-year-old chose Vieuxtemps’s Violin Concerto No. 5 in A minor, Op. 37, a piece not frequently performed over the past 40 years, he explained in an email interview with The Korea Herald. Chausson’s Poeme for Violi

PerformanceMay 10, 2023

[Herald Interview] For young people today, life is ‘Almost Entirely a Slight Disaster’

JEONJU, North Jeolla Province – "Almost Entirely a Slight Disaster" is a "film about unhappy people, but not in a dark way," Turkish director Umut Subasi told the audience at its Asian premiere at the Jeonju International Film Festival in North Jeolla Province on April 28. The festival had described it as a “depression comedy.” "Humor is a survival tool," Subasi explained. Set in Istanbul, "Almost Entirely a Slight Disaster" revolves arou

CultureMay 9, 2023

Reinterpretation of 'Chun-hyang' embraces modern style in traditional Korean dance

The National Jeongdong Theater of Korea is set to open the season with “Chun-hyang: Bird with Broken Wings.” Initially scheduled for a 2022 premiere, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Chun-hyang” is a modern retelling of the 17th-century Korean folk tale which was orally handed down through the pansori “Chunhyangga.” It tells about the love story between Seong Chun-hyang, the daughter of a retired courtesan, and Yi Mong-ryong, the son of a noblem

PerformanceMay 9, 2023

Universal Ballet's 'Shim Chung': a blend of filial folk tale and classical ballet

The Universal Ballet’s iconic original repertoire “Sim Chung: A Legend from the Far East“ returns this week for the first time in four years. The piece is based on the classic Korean folktale of Sim Chung, who sacrifices herself to the King of the underwater world in a desperate attempt to have her blind father's sight restored. The neoclassical choreography is the work of UBC’s first artistic director, Adrienne Dellas. Since its premiere in 1986, “Sim Chung&rd

PerformanceMay 9, 2023

Korean writers take stage at 2023 Brisbane Writers Festival

Seven Korean writers, including Bora Chung of “Cursed Bunny” and Bae Suah of “Untold Night and Day,” will participate in the Brisbane Writers Festival in Australia, which kicks off on Wednesday. The festival will run for five days until Sunday, with a total of 10 sessions scheduled for Korean writers, according to the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. South Korea is the Country of Focus for this year. Chung, who was shortlisted for the 2022 International Booker P

BooksMay 9, 2023

[News Analysis] Star filmmakers flock to streaming

Movie directors including star filmmakers Lee Byeong-heon and Jason Lee will release their next projects soon after the release of movies “Dream” and “My Heart Puppy,” respectively, earlier this year, but this time as Netflix drama series. Lee Byeong-heon, known for the hit comedy “Extreme Job” (2019), is expected to release “Chicken Nugget,” starring Kim Yoo-jung and Ryu Seung-ryong, as a Netflix original series sometime toward the year-end. Kim a

FilmMay 9, 2023

Stockholm and Vienna join Europe's expanding K-culture centers

Two new Korean Cultural Centers opened in Sweden and Austria on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, further expanding the presence of Korean culture in Europe. These new centers bring the total number of KCCs in Europe to 13, the highest of any region. They also mark the 34th and 35th locations, respectively, around the world. KCC Sweden opened Monday in Stockholm with an opening ceremony attended by officials from Korea and Sweden, including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Korean Cultural Center Swe

CultureMay 9, 2023

First lady's comments revive hopes of Goryeo artifact's repatriation

During a state visit to the US with President Yoon Suk Yeol, first lady Kim Keon Hee visited the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, on April 28. After touring the Korean and European galleries, Kim asked Matthew Teitelbaum, director of the MFA Boston, to resume discussion for the return of the silver-gilt lamaistic pagoda-shaped sarira reliquary from the 13th-century Goryeo era, one of the Korean artifacts on display in the museum's Korean Gallery. The museum official said that they would look in

CultureMay 9, 2023

‘Race’ to offer realistic, relatable stories of office life

Disney+ seeks to entertain viewers with realistic stories that unfold inside a public relations firm in its upcoming series, "Race." The global streamer’s project helmed by director Lee Dong-yun centers around an office worker, Park Yoon-jo (played by Lee Yeon-hee), who becomes the newest member of a top public relations company in South Korea. “When I read the script, I felt that the troubles and concerns of office workers, who are around my age, were realistically feature

TelevisionMay 9, 2023

Nam June Paik Art Center shows video art pioneer's early work at 'Something Like an Appleseed'

Nam June Paik Art Center, the world’s only museum dedicated to the Korea-born video art master, has unveiled the artist’s early work “Random Access Audio Tape” for the first time in South Korea after acquiring the piece last year. The exhibition “Something Like an Appleseed” at the museum in Gyeonggi Province was inspired by Paik’s 1980 lecture titled “Random Access Information” which was organized by curator Barbara London of the Museum of

Arts & DesignMay 9, 2023

Taiwanese company creates new BIFF award for Korean indie films

A new award aimed at discovering new Korean indie films has been created by Busan International Film Festival in conjunction with Rising Films International, a Taiwanese production company. Taiwan’s Rising Films International will fund the award, which carries up to 1 billion won ($758,000) in prize money to cover the film's production costs, according to Asia Contents & Film Market, BIFF's platform supporting content trading and international sales of local content. The aw

FilmMay 8, 2023

[Stories of Artifacts] 14th century pagoda bears witness to Korea's history

There are different ways of feeling the passage of time -- looking at the leaves changing colors to seeing fine wrinkles around a loved one's eyes. The 10-story stone pagoda in the center of the first floor of the National Museum of Korea, one can feel the country's history embodied in the stone structure. Towering 13.5 meters high, the pagoda was built at a temple called Gyeongcheonsa in 1348, during the reign of King Chungmok of the Goryeo Kingdom, according to the inscription on

CultureMay 8, 2023

[Herald Interview] Born to perform: For Choi Jung-won, musical theater is not a job, but a calling

Musical actress Choi Jung-won made her debut as Donna in "Mamma Mia!" on Jan. 18, 2007 -- the beginning of a remarkable journey that is 16 years in the running, encompassing more than 1,033 performances. Choi holds the record for the longest stint as Donna and has the second highest number of total performances in the role. Nowadays, the 53-year-old proudly identifies herself as "Choi Jung-won, born to play Donna," a statement that few would challenge. However, it wasn't

PerformanceMay 8, 2023