Frieze, Kiaf to bring together established galleries, high quality works in Seoul

Two international art fairs joined by some of the world’s most established galleries will open Friday in Seoul. With more than 350 galleries setting up booths at Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul, the events are expected to attract hundreds of art aficionados from around the world. VIP openings for both shows at Coex in southern Seoul will begin 2 p.m. Friday. Frieze Seoul will be open to the public from Saturday to Monday while Kiaf Seoul will open Saturday through Tuesday. Those who purchase j

Arts & DesignSept. 1, 2022

[Korean Artists of Note] Choi Chan-sook unearths landownership

The following is the fifth in a six-part series highlighting the next generation of Korean artists active in the international art scene. - Ed An automatic reclining massage chair moves back and forth with music playing in the background. Former US President Donald Trump appears on the side issuing a warning against North Korea: “They will be met with fire, fury and frankly power.” Sounds of old ladies' laughter drifts out from the video, seemingly tickled by his remarks. Korean-b

Arts & DesignSept. 1, 2022

Hit film directors say copyright law must change for K-movies' global success

Members of the Directors Guild of Korea on Wednesday gathered at the National Assembly Members' Office Building to talk about why the current Copyright Act should be revised for fair remuneration of filmmakers’ work and Korean movies' further global success. The event was jointly hosted by the DGK and Yoo Jung-ju, a lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea. At the beginning of the meeting, director Park Chan-wook, who is currently in Los Angeles, joined via videoconference to show his su

FilmAug. 31, 2022

'Attorney Woo' makers Astory stress importance of IP at BCWW 2022

Broadcast Worldwide 2022, an annual event showcasing South Korean content and insights to the broadcast industry around the world, kicked off its three-day run at Art Hall 1 and 2 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Jung-gu, Seoul. With its two previous events held in online, BCWW was excited to welcome the industry insiders and visitors. Wednesday’s opening day event began with a session on the power and future of K-contents, featuring Lee Sang-baek, CEO of Astory, the production company behind

EntertainmentAug. 31, 2022

Glamorize me: Makeover photo shoots catching on among camera-confident youngster

Photo studios are evolving into one-stop beauty shops allowing customers to experience a professional makeover and a photo shoot as if preparing for the cover of a fashion magazine. One such shop is Stylegrapher in Seoul’s posh Apgujeong-dong in Gangnam-gu. For a complete makeover from top to toe, it has two vanity tables for hair and makeup at one corner and a clothes section filled with chiffon dresses, tank tops and trendy trousers. Dozens of pairs of shoes are laid out too. &ldq

Arts & DesignAug. 31, 2022

Lang Lang reinterprets Disney music in new album

As The Walt Disney Company celebrates 100 years, pianist Lang Lang is set to release “The Disney Book,” which contains 27 songs from the entertainment giant’s iconic films. 　Speaking to Korean reporters on Tuesday in an online interview, Lang Lang said the project took him several years as he and his production team tried to make sure the new arrangement would be on par with the music of great composers like Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Rachmaninoff and so on. 　“I always w

PerformanceAug. 31, 2022

Music worth a listen: Key on his 2nd LP ‘Gasoline’

  To make the case that his presence is the one and only and greatest of all time in the cutthroat K-pop industry, Key of boy band Shinee welcomed the beauty of the new season with his second LP, “Gasoline,” released Tuesday evening. This marks a return for the singer-turned-soloist nearly 11 months since he dropped his first EP, “Bad Love,” in September 2021. It is also his first full-length studio album since his first LP, “Face,” in November 2018. &

EntertainmentAug. 30, 2022

‘Kim Min-young of the Report Card,’ an independent film about high school friendship

  Some people say you make your lifelong friends in high school, while others say it is only normal for high school friends to drift apart later in life. The new Korean independent film “Kim Min-young of the Report Card” deals with the topic realistically. Co-directed by Lee Jae-eun and Lim Ji-sun, the film centers around a girl name Jeong-hee (Kim Joo-ah) who has two best friends -- Min-young (Yoon Ah-jung) and Soosanna (Son Da-hyun). Jeong-hee goes to Min-young’s house

EntertainmentAug. 30, 2022

Culture Ministry seeks W6.7t for next year, including W12.8b for Cheong Wa Dae project

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Tuesday said it is seeking 6.7 trillion won ($4.9 billion) for next year’s budget. 　Next year’s budget is a 9.3 percent cut from this year‘s, and stands in contrast to a 5.2 percent hike in the national budget proposed for the next year. 　An official at the ministry explained that some 450 billion won was transferred to local projects as part of the National Balanced Development Special Account for next year. Additionally, ther

CultureAug. 30, 2022

Not the ‘Little Women’ you know from the novel

Inspired by American author Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 coming-of-age novel of the same title, tvN drama series “Little Women” seeks to bring a different taste to the story loved around the world. “I imagined the 'little women' from the novel coming to South Korea. We start off by presenting the money problem, a harsh reality that many viewers can easily relate to, and the story ends with a huge twist that will exceed all expectations,” director Kim Hee-won, who was p

TelevisionAug. 30, 2022

Diaspora exhibition at PODO Museum attracts visitors with thought-provoking theme

A museum on Jeju Island is gaining attention with its thought-provoking exhibition. Since opening on July 5, more than 16,000 people have attended PODO Museum’s “Yet, With Love” exhibition, as of Monday. Under the theme “Diaspora and All Minorities of the World,” the exhibition focuses on people who are pursuing new lives away from their geographical and emotional hometowns for various reasons, proposing ways to embrace inclusion and coexistence. Paintings, sculptur

Arts & DesignAug. 30, 2022

[Korean Artists of Note] Kim Young-eun explores migration of sound

The following is the fourth in a six-part series highlighting the next generation of Korean artists active in the international art scene. - Ed The piano is a familiar instrument in Korea, but how did the Western musical instrument come to the country? What impact did the piano have on the music scene at the time? Korean-born artist Kim Young-eun touches on the questions in “Brilliant A.” The video follows the journey of the first-ever piano to arrive in the country, coming acro

Arts & DesignAug. 29, 2022

Chamber Orchestra of Europe, pianist Kim Sun-wook to take stage in November

Korean concert pianist Kim Sun-wook will join forces with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, this time led by conductor Kirill Karabits, to bring the 18th and 19th German and Austrian music to Korea in November. On Nov. 5, the London-based orchestra and Kim will perform Schubert Overture in the Italian Style, D.59, Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 37, and Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4, Op. 90. It is an all-Beethoven program on Nov. 8 with Coriolan Overture Op. 62,Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 58

PerformanceAug. 29, 2022

Director Yoon Je-kyoon starts ‘K-Pop: Lost in America’ project

Korean director Yoon Je-kyoon, who created hit Korean films like “Haeundae” and “Ode to My Father,” has begun working on the script for “K-Pop: Lost in America,” according to CJ ENM on Monday. The company also said that Yoon is considering casting Cha Eun-woo of K-pop boy band Astro to play the protagonist in his new movie. Filming will begin in the first half of next year. The film centers around a K-pop boy band that is about to be introduced to the Nor

FilmAug. 29, 2022

‘Nelly & Nadine,’ ‘The Fading Nomads’ win at EBS International Documentary Festival

Seven works were announced as winners in the EBS International Documentary Festival’s competition sections at the awards ceremony held at EBS Space Hall in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. “Nelly & Nadine,” directed by Magnus Gertten, won the grand prix while “Jason,” by Maasja Ooms, won the special jury award and the audience award in the Festival Choice: Global section. “Nelly & Nadine” revolves around a love story of two women who arrive i

FilmAug. 29, 2022

Disney+ seeks to turn tide with Yoo Jae-suk variety show

Walt Disney Co. Korea is set to release its second Korean original variety show, “The Zone: Survival Mission,” on Sept. 8. Starring comedian Yoo Jae-suk alongside actors Lee Kwang-soo and Kwon Yuri, who is also a member of K-pop girl group Girl’s Generation, the upcoming series seeks to entertain with a format not widely used in Korean variety shows. While many survival programs have adapted escape room-style games, “The Zone: Survival Mission” presents the three

TelevisionAug. 29, 2022

[Feature] Ramen, ramyun, or ramyeon? Stories behind the popular instant noodles

Last week, it was reported that South Korea’s export of instant noodles hit a new all-time high in the first half of the year. Yet the country’s leaders in the industry differ on how to spell the product in English. Nongshim, the perennial industry leader of instant noodles in the country, spells it “ramyun” on its homepage and on its exported product packages. But Ottogi and Samyang inscribe “ramen” on products that are shipped overseas. When inquired abou

FoodAug. 29, 2022

Gucci fashion show in Gyeongbokgung canceled after controversial fashion photo shoot at Cheong Wa Dae

After a recent fashion photo shoot by Vogue Korea on Cheong Wa Dae grounds sparked widespread public criticism, the Cultural Heritage Administration called off luxury brand Gucci’s fashion show in Gyeongbokgung, scheduled for Nov. 1, the CHA confirmed Monday. According to CHA meeting minutes from Aug. 16, Gucci Korea had applied for the use of the Geunjeongjeon, the main hall of the Joseon royal palace, noting publicizing the “historical value of Gyeongbokgung, a place where world-c

CultureAug. 29, 2022

UK journalist asks: What is the Korea we refuse to see?

As individuals, we often see ourselves through the lens of others, giving careful consideration to how we are viewed. However, as a country of such individuals, we may not see or refuse to acknowledge the reality of our social and cultural dynamics until someone -- likely an outsider with an insider’s view -- points it out. A recent book by Raphael Rashid, a Seoul-based freelance journalist from the UK, does just that. In his book “The Korea We Refuse to See,” written in K

BooksAug. 29, 2022

[Newsmaker] Archbishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik becomes S. Korea’s fourth cardinal

Archbishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik became the fourth South Korean cardinal in an appointment ceremony at the Vatican on Saturday. You, 70, was sworn in at St. Peter’s Basilica at 4 p.m. as one of 20 new cardinals appointed by Pope Francis. The appointment was announced in May. He was also among 16 cardinal electors under 80 years old, who are eligible to vote for the next pontiff in a secret conclave. You became the fourth Korean cardinal after the late Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan, th

PeopleAug. 28, 2022