[Herald Interview] Ceramicist Suh Dong-hee's sculptures embody Christian spirituality

The sunlight coming through the window provides natural lighting at ceramicist Suh Dong-hee's home gallery. “I used to change the works on display every year, but since the pandemic has limited people's visits (to the gallery), I have left these works out for a while. This is 'The Lily of the Valleys' series that I began in 2020,” Suh, 76, told The Korea Herald during a recent interview at her home gallery in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Suh is professor emeritus of cerami

Arts & DesignMarch 13, 2023

[Photo News] Japanese tram track discovered in Gwanghwamun

OLD TRAM TRACK -- A tram track used during the Japanese colonial period (1910-45) was discovered between September and October last year at the excavation site of Woldae, an elevated stage for royal ceremonies in front of Gwanghwamun, Gyeongbokgung's main gate. The tram was in service from 1917 to 1966, and ran on a Y-shaped train track on what is today's Sejong-ro, and connected Anguk-dong and Hyoja-dong via Woldae.

CultureMarch 13, 2023

Korean Cultural Center Washington to hold exhibition on animation, literature

The Korean Cultural Center in Washington said Monday that it is holding an exhibition on South Korean animation and literature from March 24 to Dec. 29. The Culture Ministry-run institution said the exhibition aims to offer opportunities for visitors to take an in-depth look into South Korean animation content based on well-known literary works, as well as increase their understanding in Korean culture. Titled “K-Animation With Literature,” the exhibition is co-hosted with animat

FilmMarch 13, 2023

Paris Opera Ballet announces its first Black 'etoile' in Seoul

The Paris Opera Ballet has appointed Guillaume Diop to its highest “etoile” title, marking the first time a black dancer has reached the top rank of honor reserved for just a handful of dancers in the company's 354-year history. "In the life of the dancers at the Paris Opera Ballet, there is a rare and collective moment which we share with the public at the end of the performance,” said director Jose Martinez in making the announcement on stage after Diop’s perf

PerformanceMarch 13, 2023

Streaming services release baseball docus for 2023 KBO season

Tving, entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM’s subscription-based streaming platform, is scheduled to release its first sports documentary series, “Our Game: LG Twins,” on March 30, in time for the opening of the baseball season on April 1. The documentary features LG Twins, one of the most beloved professional Korean baseball teams, and its 2022 KBO season. The series, encompassing almost 2,500 hours of footage, documents the baseball players’ journey in seeking to once again

TelevisionMarch 13, 2023

Hallyu's popularity to remain for years to come: survey

A majority of Koreans and foreigners believe that Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, is likely to continue riding the tide of globalization for a long time to come, according to a recent Corea Image Communication Institute survey aimed at probing people's views on popular topics. The CICI’s multiple-choice survey, titled “AI, ChatGPT and Hallyu,” involved 471 participants -- 257 Koreans and 214 foreigners who either visited or resided in Korea. More than 60 percent of the parti

CultureMarch 13, 2023

Japanese animation 'The First Slam Dunk' tops 4 mln admissions in S. Korea

The Japanese animated film "The First Slam Dunk" has drawn over 4 million moviegoers in South Korea, data showed Monday. The film adaptation of the popular Japanese basketball comic book series "Slam Dunk" topped 4 million admissions Sunday, 67 days after it hit local theaters on Jan. 4, according to the data from the Korean Film Council. It was another record for the film, which became the most-viewed animated Japanese film released in the nation by garnering an accumulated

FilmMarch 13, 2023

80-year-old rebel artist Sung Neung-kyung covers art with aluminum foils

Sung Neung-kyung pioneered South Korea’s avant-garde art in the 1970s as a conceptual artist, when many other artists in the scene at the time were involved in speaking out against the dictator-led government through their art. Sung created rebellious art using newspapers that were censored at the time. The 1970s was a time when the Korean art scene was a mixture of different art genres – Dansaekhwa, or Korea’s monochrome-style paintings; Minjung art, or paintings that criticiz

Arts & DesignMarch 13, 2023

‘The Glory’ producer Ahn Gil-ho admits physical assault as a high schooler, apologizes to victims

Producer Ahn Gil-ho of the hit Netflix drama “The Glory” admitted to physically assaulting students at a neighboring middle school as a high school student, and apologized to the victims in a statement via his attorney on Sunday. According to the statement released by his law firm Jipyong, director Ahn physically assaulted middle schoolers when he was 17 years old while studying abroad in the Philippines in 1996. “After hearing that his girlfriend was teased by a group of her f

TelevisionMarch 12, 2023

‘Black Rubber Shoes’ creator, cartoonist Lee Woo-young dies

Cartoon artist Lee Woo-young, one of the creators behind the original hit comic book and animated series, “Black Rubber Shoes,” in the 1990s and the 2000s, was found dead at his home in Incheon, according to police Sunday. Lee was discovered by his family member at around 7 p.m. on Saturday, in what was an apparent suicide. Lee’s family said that he was going through a rough time due to recent lawsuits regarding copyright issues. An autopsy will not be conducted at the request

FilmMarch 12, 2023

Three Korean films confirm April release, gear up to top local box office

Three South Korean films will be released in April with the support of local multiplex theaters in an attempt to top local box offices currently dominated by foreign films such as Japanese animated films “Suzume” and “The First Slam Dunk.” According to local multiplex theaters CGV, Lotte Cinema and Megabox, films “Rebound,” “Killing Romance” and “Dream” will open in April, along with sponsorships by multiplex theaters to revitalize loca

FilmMarch 12, 2023

Pasifik chief named goodwill ambassador for World Scout Jamboree

North Jeolla Province said Sunday it has appointed Lee Kwang-yeon, chairman of Pasifik Korea, a halal certification agency, as a goodwill ambassador for the 25th World Scout Jamboree 2023 SaeManGeum. The SaeManGeum World Scout Jamboree, the world's largest youth camp for youth engagement, will be held this year in Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province, from Aug. 1 to 12, where 43,000 youths from 170 countries will flock together. World Scout Jamboree aims to contribute to world peace as a globa

PeopleMarch 12, 2023

Gu Byeong-mo’s ‘Book of Lorem Ipsum’ blurs boundaries of fantasy, reality

Bestselling author Gu Byeong-mo of “Wizard Bakery” and “The Old Woman with the Knife” has released a collection of 13 short stories that offers a unique glimpse into the writer’s style and imagination. “The Book of Lorem Ipsum,” published by Anonbooks, hit bookstore shelves on Jan. 31. The 50-page collection of short stories consists of pieces that were previously published in magazines or anthologies beginning 2017, as well as four previously unpublishe

BooksMarch 11, 2023

Wonhyeongdeul creates desserts keeping ingredients’ original form

For many, cilantro is an ingredient that you either love or hate. Love it or hate it, a dessert cafe in Seoul is offering up irresistibly sweet, vividly colored cakes – with cilantro as the main ingredient. Located in an old, narrow alley in Euljiro in Jung-gu, Seoul, dessert cafe Wonhyeongdeul turns unlikely ingredients into fancy, delectable and aesthetically pleasing cakes. Opened in July 2021, Wonhyeongdeul is a second brand of Seomgwang, a cafe and wine bar located in the same buildin

FoodMarch 11, 2023

Salute spring at Hwaseong Botanical Garden

HWASEONG, Gyeonggi Province -- Although the weather still feels cold for early March, impatient flower lovers head to Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province to look for the first signs of spring. Some 50 kilometers southwest of Seoul, Hwaseong Botanical Garden welcomes visitors with more than 580 species of plants growing on the Korean Peninsula. Outside the garden, trees and flowers have yet to bloom and the dry, crinkled brown leaves are a reminder of the last snap of winter. But inside the walls of a la

TravelMarch 11, 2023

‘HyeMiLeeYeChaePa’ director confident show will become ENA’s next big hit

Local cable channel ENA, which made a name for itself with the megahit legal drama series “Extraordinary Attorney Woo” (2022), is aiming for another memorable hit with a highly anticipated weekly variety show called “HyeMiLeeYeChaePa.” The travel show is named after the first syllable of cast members' names: Singer-turned-actor Hyeri, Miyeon of (G)I-dle, Leejung of dance crew YGX, vocalist Choi Yena, Chaewon of Le Sserafim and TV personality Patricia. “If &lsqu

TelevisionMarch 11, 2023

BLACKPINK sets Guinness world record for most-streamed girl group on Spotify

K-pop girl group BLACKPINK was inscribed on the Guinness World Records as the most-streamed girl group on Spotify in the world, the group's agency said Saturday. The band's songs had garnered 8.88 billion streams as of March 3, breaking the previous record of 8.4 billion streams set by the British girl group Little Mix, YG Entertainment said, citing the announcement from the Guinness World Records. "Shut Down," the main single off BLACKPINK's second full-length album, to

PerformanceMarch 11, 2023

Yet untold stories of 'In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal' are more horrifying and cruel, director says

Among the four Korean religious cult leaders featured in Netflix’s latest Korean documentary series “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal,” Jeong Myeong-seok – the leader of the Christian Gospel Mission, better known as the Jesus Morning Star or JMS church – has been taking over local headlines. “I recognized that many viewers felt uneasy with professor Kim Do-hyeong’s stories featured in the series, but they make up only one tenth of his experiences over

TelevisionMarch 10, 2023

[Photo News] Incheon Airport tourist center

An opening ceremony for the new tourist center at Incheon Airport's Terminal 1 was held Friday, with Choi Eung-chon (second from right), head of the Cultural Heritage Administration, in attendance. Operated by the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, the center aims to promote Korea's cultural heritage to visitors by introducing recommended destinations through the latest media art and virtual reality images.

CultureMarch 10, 2023

[Newsmaker] Over half of Netflix users in Korea will drop service if account sharing is banned: survey

As global streaming service Netflix began a crackdown on account sharing in other countries, many Korean Netflix users said they would leave the service if the ban were enforced in Korea according to a survey. In February, a new plan charging additional fees for sub-accounts rolled out in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain. The plan, which makes users set a "primary location" to match their account activity, is expected to be introduced in more countries in the coming months, incl

CultureMarch 10, 2023