Dance competition Chumsaeng to welcome applicants from Sept. 1

South Korea’s first dance management company, Zinhipz Entertainment, is launching a world dance competition titled “Chumsaeng.” The label is home to Heady, the winner of JTBC’s dance survival program “Showdown,” Comet, Zooty Zoot, Teenie, Ogong, Starry and Javeline. Under the slogan “dance is life,” Chumsaeng is a dance show with a difference. Instead of vying for the top spot, participants will use dance to express themselves and show the imp

CultureAug. 17, 2022

'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' tops Netflix chart for non-English series for 3rd week

The South Korean legal drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" has topped Netflix's latest weekly viewership chart of non-English TV shows for the third consecutive week, the global video streaming service said Wednesday. The TV series, which has aired every Wednesday and Thursday on the cable channel ENA since June 29, marked 69.4 million hours of viewing for the week of Aug. 8-14 to lead Netflix's official top 10 list for non-English TV programs available on the service, accordi

TelevisionAug. 17, 2022

Lee Jung-jae's directorial debut 'Hunt' tops 2m admissions

"Hunt," the directorial debut of Lee Jung-jae of "Squid Game," has topped 2 million admissions, box-office data showed Wednesday. The espionage film drew 146,000 people the previous day, bringing its combined total to 2.1 million, according to the data by the Korea Film Council. Released Aug. 10, it took seven days to reach the 2 million level, becoming the fourth most-viewed Korean film in 2022 after "The Roundup," "Hansan: Rising Dragon" and "The Wi

FilmAug. 17, 2022

Hyun Bin returns as more relaxed N. Korean detective in ‘Confidential Assignment 2’

When Hyun Bin reprised his role as North Korean detective Im Chul-ryung in the second installment of the action film “Confidential Assignment,” the top Korean actor initially thought that there wasn’t much he needed to prepare. “I thought I could simply perform in the same way that I did in the original movie. But this thought changed soon after I found out that everything from comedy to action elements had been upgraded in the new movie,” the actor said during a

FilmAug. 16, 2022

National Chorus of Korea aims to reach global audience with first album

The National Chorus of Korea aims to reach global audiences with its first album and special concerts with US soloists. After releasing its first regular album, “Voices of Solace,” alongside high-budget music videos for the album in June, the 49-year-old national choral group is taking Korea’s old and new melodies to the stage with the 24-member American Soloists Ensemble this month. “I had a chance to conduct an all-Korean music concert in the US in 2019 and realized

PerformanceAug. 16, 2022

CJ ENM launches new channel on US streaming platform Peacock

South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM announced that it has expanded into the US as a free-to-view addition to Peacock, US media and entertainment company NBC Universal’s streaming platform. According to the company, CJ ENM will offer Korean content which includes dramas, movies and K-pop programs via Peacock’s CJ ENM branded channel “CJ ENM Picks.” CJ ENM’s collaboration with Peacock is the Korean company’s second partnership with a US media company, fol

TelevisionAug. 16, 2022

Gangnam gets its first Imax screen

A new Imax theater opened at CGV Apgujeong on Tuesday, introducing the first Imax theater in the Gangnam area of Seoul, according to CJ CGV, the country’s largest multiplex cinema chain. The company said its new Imax theater has 170 seats and five private boxes with two seats each, the first ever private boxes in an Imax theater. To mark the opening of the latest Imax theater, “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Nope” and “Bullet Train” will screen there Saturd

FilmAug. 16, 2022

[Herald Review] Billie Eilish’s dreamy voice blares through Seoul on Korean Liberation Day

It took four years for American pop star Billie Eilish to return to South Korea to perform onstage. Despite the rainy evening on Korean Liberation Day, a holiday that commemorates Korea’s independence from Japanese colonial rule 77 years ago, a whopping 20,000 fans flocked to enjoy her long-awaited return. “Hyundai Card Super Concert 26 Billie Eilish,” the singer-songwriter’s second concert in the country, took place at Gocheok Sky Dome. She held her first show on the s

PerformanceAug. 16, 2022

[Herald Interview] ‘I draw what I see as pretty and cute’

Seoul-based illustrator and animator Seo In-ji has worked for the likes of Girls’ Generation, Red Velvet and NCT Dream. Her works also include the covers of Rina Sawayama’s singles and a Peggy Gou music video. Having studied animation at university, the 31-year-old dreamt of seeing her work featured on the cover of a book or a billboard. “If you ask me if this is a dream come true, I would say it is,” she said, laughing, during an interview with The Korea Herald. One

Arts & DesignAug. 16, 2022

Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ bags trophies at HCA TV Awards

Global sensation “Squid Game” won two trophies at the 2nd Annual Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards held in California on Saturday and Sunday. Netflix’s megahit drama won best international series, while star Lee Jung-jae was named best actor in a streaming series, drama for his performance as Gi-hun, a debt-ridden divorcee. “I am deeply grateful that so many of you around the world have enjoyed and supported this series. I think ‘Squid Game’ has opene

TelevisionAug. 16, 2022

Paintings of 'moon villages' evoke nostalgia

Seen from a distance, Korean painter Joung Young-ju’s “Another World” shows a scene of dim lights glowing throughout a village on a hillside at night. The lights are coming from houses and streetlamps in the neighborhood. The 1.9-meter painting at the entrance of the exhibition of the same name evokes childhood memories or tales many visitors have heard from their parents. A neighborhood built on a hillside is commonly referred to as “dal dongnae,” literally mean

Arts & DesignAug. 15, 2022

Billie Eilish back in Seoul after 4 years for one-day concert

American pop star Billie Eilish returned to Seoul for a one-day concert on Monday, her second concert in Korea since the first four years ago. The event took place at 8 p.m. at Gocheok Sky Dome on Korean Liberation Day, a holiday that commemorates Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule 77 years ago. In 2018, she held the concert on the same day, Aug. 15, at the 2,000-seat Yes24 Live Hall in eastern Seoul. The show was part of Eilish’s world tour for her second full-length

PerformanceAug. 15, 2022

Showbox to look into rumors on viral marketing against ‘Emergency Declaration’

One of the top four Korean film distributors, Showbox announced that it is looking into rumors that there might be a company intentionally producing negative reviews about its film “Emergency Declaration,” directed by Han Jae-rim. “If true, it could harm the Korean film industry as a whole in the long term, so we are looking into the case, regardless of its relevance to ‘Emergency Declaration,’” an official from Showbox said. This rumor has been spreading

FilmAug. 15, 2022

Love at first bowl, sotbap

Sotbap, various ingredients topped on rice and cooked in its own pot -- usually made of stone, metal or stainless steel -- is a hearty meal beloved by Koreans throughout the distinctive seasons. Although sotbap can be enjoyed by itself, the meal has its origins in the traditional gamasot -- a large and heavy pot used for heating and cooking rice or soup -- which dates back to the Goguryeo era. The longstanding custom of serving rice cooked in a giant gamasot, with an amount enough to be shar

FoodAug. 14, 2022

K-dramas: The making of a global breakthrough

Last month, Netflix revealed the list of its most-streamed TV shows of all time. “Squid Game,” which topped the list with 1.65 billion hours, also claimed the top spot in terms of the consecutive number of days it was ranked No. 1 worldwide. The global success of “Squid Game” is not only grounded in its quality and universal appeal, but also the existence of streaming platforms like Netflix that launched it and other local shows alike to an international audience. Wit

TelevisionAug. 14, 2022

K-musicals have a myriad of challenges to benefit from explosive potential

Compared to Broadway and the West End, which have become synonymous with musicals, South Korea’s musical industry remains small and stagnant at about 400 billion won ($307 million) a year. However, experts here said that Asia’s fourth-largest economy has developed musicals with its own distinct characters and hosts a unique audience and holds great potential, but only if it overcomes a myriad of challenges. “The popularity other K-cultural products enjoy and the potential of

CultureAug. 13, 2022

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

 Muju Firefly Festival The Muju Firefly Festival is scheduled to take place across the areas of Muju Deungnamu Stadium, North Jeolla Province, Aug. 27-Sept. 4. The Muju’s pristine environment provides a natural habitat for fireflies. Night-time programs include firefly explorations, stargazing experiences, traditional performances and concerts. Most of the programs are free, but the firefly exploration costs 15,000 won per person, with 1,200 spaces opened per day; the stargazing ex

TravelAug. 13, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Hunt (Korea) Opened Aug. 10 Spy-action Directed by Lee Jung-jae In the 1980s, two elite agents at the Agency of National Security Planning, Park Pyung-ho (Lee Jung-jae) and Kim Jung-do (Jung Woo-sung) chase after a North Korean spy who leaked top secret intel. The agents go head-to-head in an intense confrontation and competition to prove their loyalty for the country and their respective units. With their growing obsession to hunt down the spy, the agents start to suspect and investigate

FilmAug. 13, 2022

20 years on, K-webtoons have become first movers

In August 2002, the online portal site Daum created a category called “Webtoon” on its platform. Following Daum, South Korea’s largest online portal and search engine Naver launched a similar platform in 2005. Twenty years after their conception, webtoons have become a veritable industry of their own. South Korean webtoons have emerged as a strong multiuse source that create enormous economic value not only in Korea, but also globally. Domestically, it raked in 1.053 trillion

CartoonAug. 13, 2022

From ‘Shiri’ to ‘Parasite,’ Korean films came a long way

“Squid Game” star Lee Jung-jae said he could not enjoy drinks with fellow actors and directors after the VIP screening event of his directorial debut film“Hunt” held on Aug. 2. He explained that it was because he had a Zoom meeting to promote the film to foreign fans the next morning. Lee’s film has been sold to 144 countries including France, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, Russia and Brazil, even before its local release on Aug. 11. “Tomorrow morning, I also

FilmAug. 13, 2022