Not your ordinary meat skewers

The history of barbeque skewers for threading, storing, and cooking meat over fire dates back to the Middle Ages. This versatile tool has stayed with people over centuries and up to today, as can be seen in traditional markets and modern restaurants with variations by countries and regions. Russian shashlik are skewered grilled meat cubes widely enjoyed across Central Asia, while souvlaki from Greece are chicken, beef or lamb with vegetables on skewers. First records of the Korean version of s

FoodFeb. 17, 2023

[Well-curated] Immersive media art and Korean crafts for your eyes, chewy bagels and craft beer for your taste buds

Explore Seoul's vibe with immersive media What's your image of Seoul when you think of the city? A media art exhibition “Seoul Vibe” at Gallery Gwanghwa, located near Gwanghwamun Square, offers a new interactive and immersive experience of the city we know through digital media technology. Ten different sections of the exhibition shed new light on the image of Seoul. When you first enter the space, 12 zodiac animals on the screen will greet you. Scan the barcode of the ti

CultureFeb. 17, 2023

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Nonsan Strawberry Festival Returning in-person for the first time in four years, the Nonsan Strawberry Festival will take place from March 8 through March 12 at various areas of Nonsan Citizen Park in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province. The event promotes the strawberries of Nonsan, providing opportunities for tourists visiting the city to enjoy the strawberries and the beautiful surroundings in which they are grown. The five-day festival offers various hands-on activities, including strawberry

CultureFeb. 17, 2023

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Mayfield Hotel Seoul launches Relay Festa promotion Buffet restaurant Castle Terrace, located in the Mayfield Hotel's lobby floor, is launching a “Relay Festa” event, offering up to 30 percent discounts for guests visiting through March 17. On Mondays, a 20 percent discount will be offered to neighboring residents living in Gangseo-gu or Yangcheon-gu, upon presenting their identification cards. On Thursdays, for graduating students and newly entering freshmen, a 20 percent disco

FoodFeb. 17, 2023

Korean plays, gugak musical and stand-up comedy at 2023 Adelaide Fringe

Four groups of Korean artists will perform at this year’s Adelaide Fringe Festival, one of the world's largest annual arts festivals, which starts on Thursday and runs until March 19. Held in Adelaide, Australia, the festival of performing arts draws more than 6,000 artists from around the globe. Around 2.7 million visitors enjoyed the festival in 2019. Two plays, one gugak musical and one stand-up comedy routine, are scheduled as part of the “Korean Season” segment of the

PerformanceFeb. 16, 2023

‘TV Art Show’ to be taped with live studio audience

Terrestrial broadcaster MBC’s classical music program “TV Art Show” is scheduled to be filmed with a live audience and spectators for the first time this year. Under the theme of “virtuoso,” “TV Art Show” invites viewers and fans of all ages for the mesmerizing performances, featuring beloved pianist Son Yeol-eum, violinist Kim Bomsori and cellist Yang Sung-won, at MBC Golden Mouse Hall in Sangam-dong, northwestern Seoul. While Son is set to perform on F

TelevisionFeb. 16, 2023

Christie's, Seoul Auction bring together prominent Korean works in Seoul

Christie’s and Seoul Auction will put up prominent Korean works for auction, unveiling them to the public during the preview session in February at the auctioneers’ spaces in Seoul. The British auctioneer will present a white porcelain moon jar from the 18th century Joseon era, owned by a Japanese collector. The porcelain is expected to sell for between $1 million to $2 million. A moon jar is known as the representative type of porcelain from the Joseon era, made from two separate pi

Arts & DesignFeb. 16, 2023

Korea Improvised Music Festival to kick off next week

An improvised music festival exploring different genres, from traditional Korean to electronic music, kicks off at Seoul Namsan Gugakdang on Feb. 22. The Seoul Namsan Gugakdang, in collaboration with the Seoul Donhwamun Traditional Theater, will stage the first inaugural “Korea Improvised Music Festival” with musicians in various fields. The festival hopes to break down the boundaries of music genres, with its focus on traditional music. The main performance of the festival begins Fe

PerformanceFeb. 15, 2023

[Herald Interview] Musical actor Min Woo-hyuk shows emotional Ahn Jung-geun in 'Hero'

Min Woo-hyuk, a musical actor, had been working in small theater productions for three years before scoring his first major role, as Enjolras in "Les Miserables," staged in 2015. Around the same time, he saw "Hero" and immediately knew he would like to take on the role of Ahn Jung-geun, the historic independent activist who assassinated Hirobumi Ito, Japan’s first prime minister and the first Japanese resident-general in Korea, in Harbin, China, in 1909. The 39-year-o

CultureFeb. 15, 2023

Korean illustrator’s drawing offers consolation to people of Turkey

Korean artists have sent messages of condolence through their creative works to those affected by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Among those, two heartwarming images, drawn by Korean illustrator Myeong Min-ho, have made the rounds on social media. The illustrations, posted on Friday on Instagram, feature a Turkish soldier and Korean Disaster Relief Team member drawn in similar kneeling positions, helping out children from different tragedies. As of Wednesday, the post has attra

CultureFeb. 15, 2023

Yim Si-wan puts new twist on villian role in Netflix original ‘Unlocked’

Singer and actor Yim Si-wan said he took a different approach to playing the role of a villain in his new film, “Unlocked,” highlighting the character's child-like nature, rather than portraying him as a ruthless killer. “Unlocked,” a debut film by director Kim Tae-joon, is based on Shiga Akira's award-winning Japanese novel of same title. The thriller tells the story of Na-mi (Chun Woo-hee) and how her life is threatened by Jun-young (Yim Si-wan) after she lose

FilmFeb. 15, 2023

London's V&A Museum offers digital Paik Nam-june experience

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London will present “Meet again The More, The Better,” an interactive display that walks visitors through how Korea-born video art pioneer Paik Nam-June created the giant video tower “The More, The Better." The interactive display will be offered at a drop-in event held from Wednesday to Friday at the museum as well as on the official website of the museum. The interactive artwork “Meet again The More, The Better” was created

Arts & DesignFeb. 15, 2023

'Talchum' to take stage at Venice Carnival

"Talchum," a Korean mask dance performance, will make its debut Friday at the Venice Carnival in Italy, the festival's organizing committee announced through its official website. Known as one of the world's three major carnivals and the biggest festival in Italy, attracting over 3 million visitors each year, the two-week long Venice Carnival kicked off on Feb. 4, and will continue through Tuesday. Talchum is a performing art that encompasses dance, music and theater, and is

CultureFeb. 15, 2023

[Photo News] Cultural Heritage on postage stamps

The Korea Post Headquarters has unveiled commemorative postage stamps with illustrations of four cultural heritage pieces that have been repatriated from abroad, with support from the Cultural Heritage Administration. A total of 640,000 stamps will be sold at post offices nationwide, starting Wednesday.

CultureFeb. 15, 2023

‘Webtoon Singer’ to entertain viewers with XR-themed music performances

Webtoons and K-pop, two of the leading powers in the Korean Wave, are to join hands to create greater synergy in Tving’s extended reality music competition show “Webtoon Singer.” It is not the first time for a webtoon to team up with K-pop. In 2020, the original soundtrack for the popular Daum Webtoon series, “She's My Type," sung by K-pop boy band B1A4’s Sandeul, reached the No. 2 spot on local streaming platform Melon, following BTS’ “Dynamit

TelevisionFeb. 15, 2023

Jeongdong Theater hopes to be cultural destination for all ages

The National Jeongdong Theater, a public performance hall in Jung-gu, Seoul, has unveiled its season line-up for this year, along with major initiatives for the 2023 season. “We will develop and promote performing arts of both the contemporary and traditional style, and for that we're preparing a wide variety of programs for not only enthusiasts in their 20s and 30s, but also for children and families, middle-aged and senior audiences,” said director Choung Soung-sook on Tuesday

PerformanceFeb. 14, 2023

[Herald Interview] Culture promotion agency to play more active, expanded role after pandemic

With the country moving further away from the pandemic, the Korean Culture and Information Service is going full steam ahead in its endeavor to catapult Korean culture this year further around the world. Kim Jang-ho, the head of the agency, is a veteran government official who joined the Culture Ministry in the mid-1990s when the government body realized the importance of culture and art as an industry and created a division called the Culture Industry Department. It was when the movie "Jur

CultureFeb. 14, 2023

[Herald Interview] Yoo Teo takes on rom-com leading role

While expressing his satisfaction with playing the lead role of Nam Kang-ho in Netflix’s latest romantic comedy series “Love to Hate You,” Yoo Teo cautiously shared some of his updated goals for becoming a better actor. “With the rise of local and global streaming platforms, I’ve become more ambitious and dream of something bigger. More unexpected opportunities are waiting for actors. I am well aware of how much more work I have to do to achieve my goal, but I feel

TelevisionFeb. 14, 2023

Book tells epic stories, illustrations of national treasures

The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage has published a book on the nation's artifacts, unraveling behind-the-scenes stories that have been found in the research process, the state-run institute announced Monday. Titled "Encountering Relics," the 214-page book focuses on detailed records, images and relevant materials of a total of 13 state-designated national treasures and treasures that have been selected and studied by the institute for research and preservation pu

CultureFeb. 14, 2023

Jin Seon-kyu’s boxing comedy film ‘Count’ tells story of fearless underdogs

Actor Jin Seon-kyu garnered the spotlight through his supporting roles in “The Outlaws” (2017) and “Extreme Job” (2018) after long years of anonymity. The 45-year-old actor finally made his debut as a leading role actor in the comedy film “Count,” which is in some ways a story about Jin himself. In “Count,” Jin plays Si-heon, a former boxing Olympic medalist who now teaches students at a high school in Jinhae, North Gyeongsang Province. A stubborn

FilmFeb. 14, 2023