Global Business Forum looks to future in virtual economy

A vision of the future where humanity has settled into a digital world of the metaverse was presented at the Global Business Forum on Wednesday, at the Ambassador Seoul hotel. At the forum, Philippines Ambassador to South Korea Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega stressed the Philippines’ efforts to prosper in Industry 4.0, which includes virtual and augmented reality, in her welcome remarks. “It is important to embrace the unprecedented convergence of biological, physical and digital wor

PeopleMarch 17, 2023

City that treasures nostalgic memories: Goyang

GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province -- Less than a 50-minute drive northwest from central Seoul, Goyang is an easy-to-reach destination for Seoulites. The city's reputation as a quiet residential area might have kept it off the top of day-trippers' lists, but in recent years, Goyang's increasingly successful spring flower expo has been encouraging people to see more of what the town has to offer. Looking to capitalize on this, the city has begun to offer guided bus tours to introduce its mo

TravelMarch 17, 2023

[Well-curated] Knitting, luxury car exhibition and Spring adventures

A family day out at Children’s Grand Park Located in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Children’s Grand Park is the perfect destination for a fun family day out. The park houses an amusement park which offers a wide range of family-friendly attractions and activities that are suitable for children of all ages. The park features thrilling rides for older children, who should not miss the opportunity to try out the Wave Swinger and the Drop Tower. In particular, the Family Coaster is wildly popular

CultureMarch 17, 2023

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Andaz Seoul Gangnam presents afternoon tea Andaz Seoul Gangnam, located at Apgujeong Station in Seoul, showcases its new tea set for spring. The menu features fresh seasonal fruit and tea, with three savory bites such as its A1 cheesesteak sandwich and four sweet dessert items such as citron dacquoise and mugwort madeleine. The tea set will be served with the Andaz special coffee or premium tea. The promotion is available from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Jogakbo, located on the second floor of the hote

FoodMarch 17, 2023

Tving’s ‘Zero Sum Game’ expands reach to Vietnam

Tving, the South Korean online streaming service provider run by entertainment giant CJ ENM, on Wednesday announced that Vietnamese content production company Red Carpet and TV channel HTV7 acquired the Vietnamese rights for its variety show “Zero Sum Game,” which marks the beginning of their partnership with the streamer. The 12-part unscripted show presents 10 participants who seek the highest prize money possible by maintaining their first total body weight, measured in the firs

TelevisionMarch 16, 2023

Warmth, empathy, lightheartedness at 2023 fall-winter Seoul Fashion Week

Seoul Fashion Week, one of Korea's most established fashion shows, is being held in-person for the second year in a row this week at an even bigger scale than last year. While many industry insiders believe that the industry is still recovering from the pandemic, designers are seeking new ideas and identities in the post-pandemic period. After spending the last few years away from in-person shows – with busy backstages and catwalk audiences -- designers are seeking to express warmth a

Arts & DesignMarch 16, 2023

[Photo News] Spring begins blooming

Spring has arrived across Korea in the middle of March, with flowers blooming in the warmer provinces along the southern and eastern coasts. Apricot and cornelian cherry flowers bloom the fastest among spring flowers, indicating the end of winter. Here are photos of colorful spring views with those flowers, taken this week across South Korea.

TravelMarch 15, 2023

[From the Scene] Seoul Fashion Week returns full scale with 31 designers

Seoul Fashion Week, South Korea’s biggest fashion event organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and held every March and October, kicked off its five-day run at Dongdaemun Design Plaza on Wednesday, showcasing the fall-winter 2023 collections of 23 designers, seven rookie designers and one corporate brand. Following last year’s format, the 22nd Seoul Fashion Week will include 100 percent in-person shows with real-time streaming available on its YouTube channel. Celebrities sho

Arts & DesignMarch 15, 2023

Culture Ministry vows to protect creators' rights

Just three days after the news of the death of the cartoonist of the original "Black Rubber Shoes" broke, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced a series of measures to prevent similar tragedies. On Wednesday, the ministry announced that it plans to include specific provisions concerning secondary works in the standard contract for the comics field. Secondary works are creative works created by modifying, adapting or producing videos from the original. Under the plan, th

CultureMarch 15, 2023

[Herald Interview] 'Whale' by Cheon Myeong-kwan makes International Booker Prize longlist

South Korean novelist Cheon Myeong-kwan’s “Whale” has been longlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize, one of the three most prestigious literary awards in the world. "Whale," a story of an ambitious woman making something of herself in the world, was among the 13 preliminary nominations that were announced by the organizer on Tuesday. “Right now, I am just nonchalant because it has been so long, almost 20 years, since I wrote the book, that I have nearl

BooksMarch 15, 2023

School bullying claims roil showbiz

Though celebrities who have been accused of school bullying do not have to face deadly consequences as presented in Netflix’s revenge-soaked hit series, “The Glory,” their past deeds are nonetheless considered unforgivable. Former K-pop boy band BLACK6IX member Kim Hyun-jae withdrew from JTBC’s latest audition project, “Peak Time,” which features already-debuted artists who have fallen short of building a successful career and gives them a second chance to bec

TelevisionMarch 15, 2023

Art Basel Hong Kong makes full return to cement its presence in Asia’s art market

Art Basel Hong Kong, Asia’s largest art fair, will fully return to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre next week after a three-year pandemic hiatus with a stronger line-up of galleries from Asia and the Asia-Pacific region, including 12 homegrown galleries from South Korea. The five-day art fair will kick off on Tuesday and run through Saturday, opening to the public from Thursday through Saturday. It will bring together 177 galleries from 32 countries, including 22 first-time

Arts & DesignMarch 15, 2023

[Herald Interview] Universal Ballet's 'Korea Emotion' captures 'jeong' through ballet

The Universal Ballet is set to capture the unique emotion of “jeong” through the language of ballet expressed with traditional Korean music in "Korea Emotion," which kicks off the company's 2023 season this week. “Korea Emotion,” choreographed by the company's artistic director Liu Bingxian, will be performed at the Haeoreum Grand Theater from Friday to Sunday. “Jeong” is an emotion for which it is hard to find an English equivalent. It is

PerformanceMarch 14, 2023

Cheon Myeong-kwan's ‘Whale’ longlisted for 2023 International Booker Prize

South Korean novelist Cheon Myeong-kwan's "Whale," has been longlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize, one of the three largest literary awards in the world, the award's organizer announced Tuesday. “Whale,” translated by Chi-Young Kim and published by Europa Editions on Jan. 19, was among the 13 preliminary nominees for the British prize, established in 2005 to honor an author and translator equally for a single work of fiction translated into English. T

BooksMarch 14, 2023

‘Rebound’ re-creates underdogs’ valiant fight against champions

Director Jang Hang-jun of upcoming sports comedy film “Rebound” said he prioritized matching the actors to their real-life characters as a basketball coach and high school players. The film, based on the true story of a basketball team at Busan Jungang High School in 2012, follows basketball coach Kang Yang-hyun as he tries to bring together a team of underdog players. “To create a realistic mood in the film and stay similar to this true event, we shot the film at the actual co

FilmMarch 14, 2023

Pianist Son Yeol-eum releases Mozart complete piano sonatas album with recitals

It was an impulsive decision to start recording Mozart's piano sonatas, as the opportunity only presented itself due to the availability of time and place. However, as Son Yeol-eum began recording at the Tongyeong Concert Hall in January, she felt as though she had returned home and she decided to finish the complete collection of Mozart’s 18 sonatas. The pianist's ninth album, "Yeol Eum Son: Mozart Complete Piano Sonatas," is being released Friday. Even though it felt

PerformanceMarch 14, 2023

Cult group files for injunction against Netflix doc

Local religious cult Baby Garden has filed for an injunction against the streaming of two episodes of Netflix’s documentary series “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal,” featuring its leader Kim Ki-soon. The eight-part documentary series presents four Korean religious cult leaders -- Jeong Myeong-seok of Christian Gospel Mission, better known as Jesus Morning Star (JMS); Park Soon-ja of Odaeyang Church; Kim Ki-soon of Baby Garden; and Lee Jae-rock of Manmin Central Church -- wh

TelevisionMarch 14, 2023

Koreans don’t sweat it when asking, ‘Will you marry me?’

“We’re having a June wedding, and he hasn’t proposed yet.” This oxymoronic statement is not that uncommon among Korean couples. Weirdly enough, a proposal, which usually involves someone on his or her knee nervously asking, “Will you marry me?” has little to do with asking for a hand in marriage in Korea. More often than not, Korean brides get proposed to after all the preparations are done, sometimes only days before the wedding. Unlike Western norms of marri

CultureMarch 14, 2023

[Herald Interview] Match made in algorithm

Finding a romantic partner is a task many struggle with, but a group of university students is looking to make the task easier with an algorithm designed to connect people. Two years ago, four Yonsei University undergraduates created Yeonpick, an online matchmaking service catering mainly to college students. One big difference for Yeonpick is that its design largely eliminates looks from the equation. Its algorithm matches the users based on their values, interests, and what they look for in th

PeopleMarch 14, 2023

Four top classical musicians to showcase duo dynamism

Four top classical musicians, including recent international competition winners Yang In-mo and Choi Ha-young, will showcase their virtuosity and harmony as a duo. Yang In-mo, 28, the double winner of two prestigious competitions, and Kim Da-sol, also with an impressive track record, join forces to perform Webern’s Four Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 7, Brahms’ Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Major, Op. 78, Furrer’s Lied for Violin and Piano (1993) and Beethoven’s Sona

PerformanceMarch 14, 2023