Documentary 'This is the President' to premiere at Jeonju film festival

A South Korean film on former President Moon Jae-in's life after office will premiere at the 24th Jeonju International Film Festival this month, the organizer said Monday. “This is the President," which will be shown on April 29, documents the "down-to-earth aspects" of the politician who has retired to a quiet farming village, rather than detailing controversies and conflicts in the political arena, according to the festival website. In a 35-second trailer, Moon, Korea

FilmApril 11, 2023

Muju Deogyusan Resort unveils new accommodation package

With the warm spring weather and blooming flowers encouraging more and more people to take trips, Muju Deogyusan Resort has announced a new accommodation package. Muju Deogyusan Resort, located in North Jeolla Province, offers a scenic view of Deogyusan Mountain and its surrounding nature all year long. It is the only comprehensive mountain resort that is located in a national park in Korea. Its new 2023 package is divided into two types – the Breakfast Package and Muju Package. Both optio

TravelApril 11, 2023

MBC apologizes for featuring controversial singer Horan

Terrestrial broadcaster MBC admitted to carelessness and apologized for featuring vocalist Horan on Sunday's prime time TV show “King of Masked Singer.” While broadcasting the music show in which singers and celebrities compete while wearing masks, MBC released footage of Horan removing her mask and being interviewed about her upcoming albums, plans and concerts. Controversy erupted Sunday night with viewers’ comments on the official website of “King of Masked Singer

TelevisionApril 11, 2023

Park Young-ha's paintings inspired by traditional music on show at Helen J Gallery

Korean artist Park Young-ha’ solo exhibition “Local Songs: Park Young Ha” at the Helen J Gallery in Los Angeles shows the artist’s lyrical approach to art. Park has been known for paintings that recall the traditional mud-plastered walls of Korean houses in rural areas. Park has pursued paintings that feature matieres techniques, adding physical texture to a painting and using a mixture of materials such as fine sand, gold dust and stone powders. He layers them using meta

Arts & DesignApril 11, 2023

[Herald Review] ‘Caveae’ brings audience on stage in immersive, experimental dance

To watch "Caveae," the latest production by the National Contemporary Dance Company, the audience had to enter the performance hall in an unusual way. The audience lined up in designated sections and were guided onto the stage through a passage that, on any other day, would only be used by staff members. On the dimly lit and slightly chilly stage, the dancers were already seated in the middle. The audience sat around in a seating area which was specially built for this performance, enc

PerformanceApril 10, 2023

[New on the Scene] Director Kim Tae-joon proves that hard work does pay off

Director Kim Tae-joon had dreamed of becoming a filmmaker since when he was in high school. After graduating from university in a non film-related major, he went straight into the film industry, working on shooting locations without any pay. The 39-year-old filmmaker’s debut film, “Unlocked,” a mystery thriller based on Higa Akira's award-winning Japanese novel of the same title, tells the story of Na-mi (Chun Woo-hee) and how her life is threatened by Jun-young (Yim Si-wa

FilmApril 10, 2023

As visitors wane, culture ministry aims to turn Cheong Wa Dae into 'dynamic space'

The former presidential office Cheong Wa Dae will be a more "dynamic place" in the hands of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the ministry announced on Monday. To promote Cheong Wa Dae as a cultural attraction, the ministry will prepare new exhibitions, performances and exploration programs related to four key areas -- presidential history, culture and arts, cultural heritage and trees -- to offer a unique and interesting experience for visitors, a ministry official said Mon

CultureApril 10, 2023

Cellist Choi Ha-young first winner of Fendi music award

Global fashion brand Fendi has launched a music award to support emerging young Korean musicians, Fendi Korea announced Monday. The award, created in tandem with the string ensemble Sejong Soloists, is to be presented to talented individuals who show excellence in classical music. Candidates are recommended by 15 music experts and the winner is selected by a panel of four judges led by Jaap van Zweden, the current music director of the New York Philharmonic who will lead the Seoul Philharmonic O

PerformanceApril 10, 2023

Disney+ to release Psy concert film

Disney+ -- the flagship streaming service of US media giant Walt Disney Co. -- has announced the release of Psy’s 2022 concert film “Summer Swag 2022.” The film features the global K-pop star’s signature summer concert series, where some 350,000 concertgoers took in the artist's hit songs while being sprayed with water. According to the streaming service, the film presents some of the most exciting performances among Psy’s “Summer Swag 2022” concert

TelevisionApril 10, 2023

Over 20 Korean craft artists to be exhibited during Milan Design Week 2023

Korean craft art will be introduced at Milan Design Week 2023, scheduled to kick off April 17, with craft works by 20 Korean artists in the exhibition, “Shift Craft.” “Shift Craft,” curated by Koo Byung-jun, will coincide with Milano Design Week 2023, exhibiting 65 craft works encompassing ceramics, glass, wood and "otchil," or lacquerware. Organized by the Korea Craft and Design Foundation, the exhibition will run through April 23 at the Fondazione Giangiac

Arts & DesignApril 10, 2023

Gwangju Biennale delivers transnational, trans-generational reconciliation

GWANGJU -- It was raining when the 14th Gwangju Biennale opened last Wednesday, a reflection of the biennale's theme: “Soft and weak like water.” As a symbol of democratic uprising decades ago, the city has been left with wounds. Artistic director Lee Sook-kyung presented water as a metaphor for solidarity and recovery, bringing together 79 artists across the world whose works interpret the theme in transnational and trans-generational ways. The whole city will be filled with ar

Arts & DesignApril 9, 2023

Studio Dragon confirms 2nd season of 'The Big Door Prize'

South Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM’s drama production subsidiary, Studio Dragon, decided to renew its first original US drama series, “The Big Door Prize,” with expanded stories for the second season. The production company confirmed the launch of its second season through a press release on Friday, ahead of the first season's fifth episode to be aired on April 15. The series premiered on March 29. Adapted from a novel of the same title written by American writer

TelevisionApril 9, 2023

Korean National Ballet's dancer-choreographer brings fresh perspective to 'Don Quixote'

The classic ballet “Don Quixote” has been re-choreographed in the hands of the Korean National Ballet's emerging choreographer. Dancer-choreographer Song Jung-bin’s adaptation of “Don Quixote” will kick off Wednesday at the Seoul Arts Center's Opera Theater in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul. The show will run until Sunday. “It started with the question, ‘Why isn’t Don Quixote the main character in the ballet piece of his own name?’&rdquo

PerformanceApril 9, 2023

[Herald Interview] Choe Jae-chun's 'Darwin’s 12 Apostles' sheds new light on evolution theory

Charles Darwin, an English naturalist and biologist, widely recognized for his contributions to evolutionary biology, published “The Origin of Species” in 1859. More than 160 years later, Darwin’s theory of evolution is still meaningful to us, said Professor Choe Jae-chun, a renowned expert in the field who received his doctorate in evolutionary biology from Harvard University. “Freud, Marx and Darwin are often cited as scholars who changed the 20th century. Among them, D

BooksApril 8, 2023

[College eats] Sinchon's all-time favorite campus town foods

Sinchon in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul is home to a number of top Korean universities such as Yonsei University, Sogang University and Ewha Womans University. Welcoming students from across the country as well as foreign students, Sinchon's wide boulevards are lined with bustling shops and cute cafes that create the vibrant atmosphere of a college town. One can frequently see cool street performances, young students busking with their guitars or rapping in the open air. Walking by them, what ultima

FoodApril 8, 2023

Time passes slower on Phu Quoc Island

PHU QUOC ISLAND, Vietnam – The number of Korean travelers to Vietnam was some 965,000 in 2022, accounting for more than a quarter of Vietnam’s foreign tourists, according to the Vietnamese General Statistics Office. With the full resumption of international flights, their presence is expected to continue this year. In addition to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh and Da Nang, the three most popular destinations for first-time travelers to Vietnam, there is a hidden gem of an island that is relative

TravelApril 8, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Rebound” (South Korea) Opened April 5 Drama Directed by Jang Hang-joon Kang Yang-hyun (Ahn Jae-hong), a former basketball player and public service worker, returns to his alma mater as a newly recruited basketball coach to take charge of a team on the verge of disbandment. It’s not an easy journey. “Air” (US) Opened April 5 Drama Directed by Ben Affleck “Air,” a biographical sports drama film directed by Ben Affleck and written by Alex Convery, tell

FilmApril 8, 2023

[Herald Interview] Music is life, life is music: Kavakos

Leonidas Kavakos, an artist-in-residence along with Korean pianist Kim Sun-wook at this year’s Tongyeong International Music Festival, is a Greek violinist with a special musical connection with Chin Un-suk, the artistic director of the festival. Chin, a multiple award-winning composer, who had vowed to write only one concerto per instrument, decided to make an exception after listening to a performance by Kavakos, a violin virtuoso. Kavakos, 56, has performed Chin’s second violin co

PerformanceApril 7, 2023

Yoo Hae-jin, Lee Je-hoon to work together in new film

Actors Yoo Hae-jin and Lee Je-hoon will work together for the first time in “Moral Hazard” (working title) by director Choi Yoo-jin, who wrote the films, “Steel Cold Winter” (2013) and “Office” (2015). “Moral Hazard” revolves around South Korea’s No.1 soju company, which is on the verge of bankruptcy, and its struggles against a global investment firm that wishes to take advantage of the situation. Yoo will star as Pyo Jong-rok, a financial d

FilmApril 7, 2023

Netflix original ‘Black Knight’ confirms May 12 release

Netflix original drama “Black Knight” starring Kim Woo-bin and Song Seung-heon will be released on May 12 via Netflix, according to the global OTT service platform. 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 a story of the Earth in 2071 hit by toxic air pollution. People rely on parcel delivery services for their basic needs and delivery

FilmApril 7, 2023