[Herald Design Forum 2022] Tadao Ando highlights value of living in harmony with nature

In modern society where people try to pursue almost everything virtually, it is easy to forget that architecture can provide a space for emotional stability and inspiration, beyond its practical use. “No matter how advanced the technology gets, humans remain ‘irrational’ and ‘imperfect’ beings who live with emotions and memories,” said Tadao Ando, a Japanese architect who won the 1995 Pritzker Prize. “I believe architecture has unchanging values that a

Arts & DesignAug. 24, 2022

Sculpture show opens on Ttukseom Hangang Park

An outdoor park along the Han River has been turned into an exhibition stage for sculptures. The 2022 Hangang Sculpture Project, jointly organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and K-Sculpture, an organization promoting Korean sculptors and their works, kicked off Saturday at Ttukseom Hangang Park.   Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Youn Young-dal, chairman of Crown-Haitai and K-Sculpture, attended the opening ceremony. Some 1,100 sculptures are on display, harmonizing with the riverside

Arts & DesignAug. 24, 2022

[Korean Artists of Note] Lee Hee-joon ‘builds’ painting with layers of colors

  Following is the second in a six-part series highlighting the next generation of Korean artists active in the international art scene. – Ed At a glance, Lee Hee-joon‘s studio seems like that of an architect or carpenter, with paints and equipment likely to be used on construction sites scattered around the space. Since early this year, Lee has been working at Seoul Art Space Geumcheon in northern Seoul as part of a residency program. Lee’s recent series, “Image

Arts & DesignAug. 24, 2022

‘Honest Candidate’ sequel returns with even funnier setting

What would happen if a politician cannot lie? The original film “Honest Candidate,” which started from this idea, featured politician Joo Sang-sook (played by Ra Min-ran), who attempts to run for the fourth time for a seat at the National Assembly. She would lie about anything if it can earn her a vote. However, after visiting her grandmother, Sang-sook finds that she is unable to lie. This immediately gets her into all sorts of trouble. Actor Ra won the best actress award for pl

FilmAug. 24, 2022

Kwon Yuri, Jung Il-woo wish to continue their proven synergy in ‘Good Job’

It is rare for two actors to star alongside each other for two consecutive drama series. The concern is that the viewers may be reminded too much of the characters from the previous project. But this did not seem to worry “Good Job” actors Kwon Yuri and Jung Il-woo. “I have never worked with the same co-star in two drama series, one after another. I think we are destined to be together,” Kwon, actor and member of K-pop girl group Girl’s Generation, said in an onl

TelevisionAug. 24, 2022

[Herald Interview] Park Eun-bin prepared like student for ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’

Entering a cafe in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul, Park Eun-bin greeted the group of reporters with the same smile from the last scene of her hit TV series “Extraordinary Attorney Woo.” But the 29-year-old actor, in her low-pitched voice, let reporters know she was not Woo Young-woo, and shared how proud she was to have completed her long journey with the 16-part courtroom series. “I studied like a student preparing for an exam. I tried to memorize the script by writing down the

TelevisionAug. 24, 2022

[Korean Artists of Note] Lee Kang-seung rewrites history through artistic practice

Following is the first in a six-part series highlighting the next generation of Korean artists active in the international art scene. – Ed In the graphite drawings of Hong Kong-born photographer Tseng Kwong Chi and Chinese ballet dancer Goh Choo San, artist Lee Kang-seung blurred Tseng, making his presence more vivid. The acclaimed photographer and choreographer were active in the West in the late 20th century. Yet, they were marginalized individuals who faced discrimination and prejud

Arts & DesignAug. 23, 2022

‘Street Man Fighter’ to revive dance fever with male crews’ fiercer competition

After seeing phenomenal success with last year’s “Street Woman Fighter,” South Korean cable channel Mnet has returned with another dance competition program featuring one of the most talented male dancers in the country. Dubbed “Street Man Fighter,” the program will feature eight top-tier dance crews spanning a wide-range of dance genres such as hip-hop, krump and choreography. The teams will pit against one another through missions and battles to win the title of

TelevisionAug. 23, 2022

Jarasum Jazz Festival returns in full swing

After two pandemic-ridden years of online and scaled-back performances, the country‘s biggest jazz festival is set to return in October. The three-day Jarasum Jazz Festival will kick off on Oct. 1 on Jara Island, Gyeonggi Province, with 19 international performers and 13 Korean acts participating in the jazz-filled program. The 19th edition of the festival will open with singer Kim Hyun-chul, four-member keyboard band Hardpiano, jazz trio Winter To Spring and newcomers jazz vocalist Cho

PerformanceAug. 23, 2022

Yoo Ah-in returns with ‘Seoul Vibe,’ a movie full of hip-hop music, retro fashion

Movie star Yoo Ah-in is returning with Netflix’s “Seoul Vibe,” a film full of old hip-hop music and retro-inspired fashion. Directed by Moon Hyun-sung, “Seoul Vibe” revolves around talented driver Dong-wook (Yoo) who forms a team with his hipster friends to investigate the slush fund of a former president during the 1988 Seoul Olympics. The film includes car chase scenes in Seoul as well as old-school hip-hop and Korean pop music. “It is a fun and brainless

FilmAug. 23, 2022

Gyeongbok Palace bathed in moonlight

Gyeongbokgung, the main royal palace of the Joseon era located in downtown Seoul, will stay open in evening hours for nighttime viewing from Sept. 1 to Nov. 6. The palace will offer nighttime viewings from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday, with last admission at 8:30 p.m. Over the Chuseok holiday of Sept. 10-12, the palace will offer nighttime viewing on Monday as well. The palace will also stay open for nighttime viewing on Oct. 3-4, Monday and Tuesday, during the 2022 Palace Cultu

CultureAug. 23, 2022

Upcoming Frieze Seoul to feature Asian galleries, Kiaf Seoul to show art at Incheon airport

The upcoming Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul will bring more than 350 galleries from around the world to Seoul, with art patrons, museum officials and collectors coming to see the art and explore the city’s vibrant pop culture scene. Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul will kick off in collaboration on Sept. 2 at Coex in southern Seoul. With the purchase of one ticket, visitors will be admitted to both Kiaf Seoul and Frieze Seoul. Early-bird tickets were sold out last week as soon as they went on s

Arts & DesignAug. 22, 2022

Show your space-out skills at Han River park

The Hangang Space-out Competition is returning to the banks of the Han River after a two-year break. The Sept. 4 event will crown a champion who can remain the “most stable” while staring into space for 90 minutes. The competition, hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in collaboration with the event’s founder, Woopsyang, aims to show people the relaxing value of doing nothing, challenging the idea that spacing out is a waste of time. This year, in particular, par

CultureAug. 22, 2022

DMZ Peace Trail to reopen in September

Eleven hiking trails along the Demilitarized Zone, which separates the two Koreas, will open to the public next month. DMZ Peace Trail routes in 10 regions -- Ganghwado, Gimpo, Goyang, Paju, Yeoncheon, Cheorwon, Hwacheon, Yanggu, Inje and Goseong -- will be fully open from Sept. 13 to December, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Goseong has two trails. Online reservations start Tuesday. Each trail has different dates and time slots available, with a maximum of 20 people

TravelAug. 22, 2022

Pianist Paik Kun-woo returns with music of Granados

Pianist Paik Kun-woo, who is known for focusing on one composer at a time, is set to bring the music of Spanish composer Enrique Granados to the stage. In an Oct. 8 recital at Seoul Arts Center, Paik will perform works by Granados, a composer who is not well-known in Korea. They include “Goyescas, Op. 11,” “Los Requiebros,” “Coloquio en la Reja,” “El Fandango de Candil,” “Quejas, o la Maja y el Ruisenor,” “El Amor y la Muerte:

PerformanceAug. 22, 2022

[Newsmaker] Sadness overload: the tricky art of ‘sinpa’ tear-jerkers

When Netflix‘s “Squid Game” became an international hit last year, Korean critics praised how the show’s emotional aspects helped its success among western audiences. Just a year later, the star-studded “Emergency Declaration,” one of the most anticipated films of 2022, went down in flames, obliterated by fans and critics alike, with criticism directed at its supposed tear-jerking moments. Comparing the differing responses these two received resurfaced a dec

FilmAug. 22, 2022

[Feature] Enter stage right: Musical theatre holds opportunities for K-pop idols

  Over the past few years, K-pop idols have been expanding their horizon through onstage debuts, with more singers entering the world of musical theatre, which was once considered an elitist realm only for the classically trained. The latest to make it on stage is Mamamoo‘s lead vocalist Solar, who made her debut in the titular role of “Mata Hari” in May. The cast included Chang-sub of boy band BTOB and rock band FT Island’s Lee Hong-ki, who played Armand, the mal

PerformanceAug. 22, 2022

Coupang Play denies apologizing to ‘Anna’ director

Local OTT platform operator Coupang Play on Monday denied apologizing to “Anna” director Lee Joo-young for editing her eight-episode drama series into a six-part series without her consent. 　“On Aug. 21, Song Young-hoon, a lawyer at Siwoo, the legal representative of Lee, released press material saying ‘Coupang Play apologized for the controversy in the editing process.’ This is not true. When we approached the lawyers about this, Jo Gwang-hee, another legal repr

TelevisionAug. 22, 2022

New LG Arts Center offers another chance to catch Cho Seong-jin, LSO in concert

Tickets for the performance by London Symphony Orchestra and pianist Cho Seong-jin at LG Arts Center on Oct. 13 will go on sale Sept. 1. The concert was originally planned as an invitation-only event, marking the reopening of LG Arts Center Seoul at its new location in Magok-dong, southwestern Seoul. In announcing the switch to making all of the theater’s seats available on its website Wednesday, the center said that all proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to support young art

PerformanceAug. 21, 2022

Herald Artday donates proceeds to support young overseas Koreans

Herald Artday, a subsidiary of Herald Corp., donated part of the proceeds from the 2022 Charity Auction to the Korean Youth Diaspora Project to support young overseas ethnic Koreans. The Korean Youth Diaspora Project was launched earlier this year by the Godowon Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to youth mentoring; the Blue Tree Foundation, a nongovernmental organization working against school violence; and The Korea Herald. The three organizations signed a memorandum in March to s

Arts & DesignAug. 21, 2022