[Herald Interview] Hitmaker Choi Dong-hoon feels pressure with high-budget film ‘Alienoid’

From his debut feature “The Big Swindle” (2004) to his most recent megahit film “Assassination” (2015), which attracted over 10 million viewers, there is not a single movie out of the six directed by Choi Dong-hoon that has failed to appeal to Korean audiences. The 51-year-old director’s other crime film “The Thieves” also broke the 10-million mark when it was released in 2012. Many people might assume that the word “failure” is simply n

FilmJuly 17, 2022

Take a light walk, eat to beat the heat at Namhansanseong

SEONGNAM, Gyeonggi Province -- While most people try to fight to summer heat with indoor air conditioning and ice-cold drinks, some Koreans still hold on to the saying that you can beat the heat with heat -- like eating piping hot dishes or exercising outdoors in the hot, humid weather. If you want to test this maxim handed down through generations, consider walking Namhansanseong-gil in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Located just to the east of Seoul, Namhansanseong-gil is one of seven courses

TravelJuly 16, 2022

[Visual History of Korea] ‘Pansori’ -- Musical storytelling across societal barriers

Among Korea’s oral traditions, “pansori,” or narrative singing of epic stories and folklore drama, is performed with audience participation. A solo performer who sings and narrates folktales must have an audience who verbally cheers, reacts to the climax of a scene, and helps the performer build up the spiritual and physical energy needed for the culmination of the story. A combination of singing, called “chang,” plus verbal storytelling called “aniri,&rdqu

CultureJuly 16, 2022

[Herald Interview] How Pungwoldang, old-school classical music store, survived nearly 2 decades

In a corner of Sinsa-dong in Seoul’s Gangnam district, there’s a nearly two-decade-old record store dedicated to classical music. With a collection of more than 200,000 CDs and vinyl records as well as some 3,000 books on the world’s greatest musicians and music history, the shop – Pungwoldang – is not an ordinary shop. It is a salon, school and publishing house for classical music aficionados and musicians. But above all, owner Park Jong-ho, 62, wants it to be

PeopleJuly 16, 2022

NMK unveils 1,300-year-old relics of Astana tombs

 The National Museum of Korea has opened the “Astana Tombs – A House of Eternity” exhibition in the Central Asia Gallery located on the third floor of the Permanent Exhibition Hall. The exhibition has on display figurines, pottery and documents discovered inside some 400 Astana tombs at a cemetery of the ruling class built near Turpan in Xinjiang, China, near the ancient city of Gaochang that dates back 1,300 years. The relics are recorded to have been discovered or tra

Arts & DesignJuly 15, 2022

Exhibition on Korea’s pop culture to open in London’s V&A

A special exhibition exploring Korea’s pop culture and its historical roots will open in London this September. Britain’s Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum announced Thursday the opening of “Hallyu! The Korean Wave” exhibition on Sept. 24. Supported by Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the exhibition will run through June 25, 2023. It will look at the makings of the Korean Wave through movies, dramas, music and fandom, and explore its global impa

Arts & DesignJuly 15, 2022

[Video] The man behind Korea’s MBTI craze

What first seemed to be a simple trend is now a major part of how many Koreans define themselves. People often ask each other what their MBTI is – between friends, on blind dates and even in job interviews. But why are Koreans so obsessed with MBTI and who brought it to Korea? Let’s find out! Kim Su-hyeon, Park Sun-yeong and Lee Ji-min contributed to this report. By Kim Min-jung (minjung.kim@heraldcorp.com) Choi Jeong-yoon (jychoi@heraldcorp.com)

CultureJuly 15, 2022

Pinkfong to expand IP-based NFTs

Pinkfong, the company behind the hit YouTube “Baby Shark Dance,” is set to sell shark family-related non-fungible tokens on the digital art platform and marketplace MakersPlace in the third quarter of the year. According to the company, a total of 10,000 generative art NFTs, including the members of shark family -- Mommy Shark, Daddy Shark, Grandma Shark, Alec (the grandfather shark) and Ollie, the Little Baby Shark -- and background images, will be produced for the upcoming projec

CartoonJuly 15, 2022

[Well-curated] Posters, seeds and carbonated cocktails to lift your spirits

If you want a new look for your house, but don’t have many ideas how to go about it, visit Postershop located near Hongik University Station for inspiration. A 7 to 10-minute walk from Hongik University Station Exit No.9 on Subway Line No. 2, following the road at Gyeongui Line Forest Park in Mapo-gu, western Seoul, a glass covered building with a red-colored sushi restaurant on the ground floor can be easily spotted. Postershop, on the third floor, sells posters whose subjects range fro

CultureJuly 15, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Shilla Seoul launches ‘Refreshing Moment with Molton Brown’ package The Shilla Seoul, located at the heart of Seoul, is launching a special collaboration package with Molton Brown, a bath and body fragrance brand, for the month of July. The package includes a Deluxe Room and complimentary entry to the Urban Island Moonlight, an outdoor pool with a jacuzzi at the hotel’s rooftop. A complimentary Molton Brown shower gel and body lotion set are provided. Package visitors are

FoodJuly 15, 2022

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Vacation in Snoopy Garden The Vacation in Snoopy Garden is scheduled to run through Aug. 31 on Jeju Island. Held at Snoopy Garden in Songdang-ri, Gujwa-eup of Jeju City, on the western side of the island, the festival allows the visitors to stroll through Peanuts comics-themed gardens, featuring the major characters, including Snoopy and Charlie Brown. Ranging from a garden to a cafe and souvenir store, various sites in Snoopy Garden will entertain cartoon-lovers of all ages. Tickets cost 18

TravelJuly 15, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Elvis (US) Opened July 13 Drama Directed by Baz Luhrmann Elvis Presley (Austin Butler) is an ordinary 19-year-old boy who dreams of becoming a musician. He lives in one of the poorest parts of Mississippi. But one day, Elvis gets to sing on a small stage for a local radio station and his performance is incredible. Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), who is working in the entertainment business, sees the performance and promises Elvis he will make him a star.  Thor: Love and Thunder (US)

FilmJuly 15, 2022

Netflix sees Korea as proving ground for hit content

Global streaming service Netflix seeks to catch the eyes of Korean viewers by strengthening its unscripted content lineup. “I personally think the Korean viewers have strict standards and high expectations of variety programs. Our team believes that winning the local audiences’ heart is important. This may lead the show to become a global hit like ‘Single’s Inferno,’” Yoo Ki-hwan, Netflix’s manager of content, said in a press conference held at Communi

TelevisionJuly 14, 2022

Choi Dong-hoon hopes 'Alienoid' is as entertaining as 'The Avengers'

From a boomerang-shaped spaceship, an exoskeleton powered by a fictional source and a time-traveling vehicle to a dynamic gun fight and fan-wielding magician from the Goryeo period (918-1391), director Choi Dong-hoon’s latest sci-fi-action film “Alienoid” has many elements that connect past, present and future. “I wanted to make a movie as fun as Marvel‘s ’The Avengers,‘ but with a Korean twist. I really wanted the audience to enjoy ’Alienoid&lsq

FilmJuly 14, 2022

Yearning for peace, music festival at DMZ to kick off July 24

A three-month music festival in the Demilitarized Zone that separates the two Koreas is set to kick off July 24, the festival organizer said Wednesday. The Peace and Life Zone Festival this year will host about 20 performances and other events, beginning with an opening concert at Jejin Station located inside the civilian-controlled area within the DMZ, in Goseong, Gangwon Province, featuring the event’s artistic director and pianist Im Mi-jung, clarinetist Kim Han and the Seoul Virtuosi

PerformanceJuly 13, 2022

[Herald Interview] Lim Hyang-hwa, 70, returns to stage 4 decades late

In the 1970s, a Korean woman with a college degree from a prestigious university would have a promising career in what she was passionate about. But it would be a brief career as she would typically quit upon getting married, thinking that’s what all other people did, and she would become a devoted wife, mom and daughter-in-law, just like most other women. Lim Hyang-hwa -- whose life followed a similar trajectory after she put aside her acting dreams for more than 40 years to take care

PerformanceJuly 13, 2022

American sculptor Tom Sachs invites Seoulites to his artistic indoctrination

Long lines formed to see works by US sculptor Tom Sachs when the shows kicked off in late June at Art Sonje Center, Thaddaeus Ropac and Hybe Insight. Exhibitions of the same artist are running simultaneously at three different places across Seoul. Born in 1966, the New York-based artist’s sculptures present twists on contemporary society, culture, politics, and economy. A self-proclaimed guilty consumer living in an age of instant gratification, Sachs questions overconsumption and

Arts & DesignJuly 13, 2022

Nine in 10 visitors satisfied with Cheong Wa Dae visit

The majority of visitors gave positive reviews of their Cheong Wa Dae visits, according to a survey conducted by Cultural Heritage Administration on Wednesday. About 89.1 percent of the respondents answered that they were satisfied with the visit, while 87.5 percent said they would recommend visiting the iconic site to others. More than 60 percent answered that the most satisfying point of the visit was “walking around Cheong Wa Dae grounds and appreciating its landscape.” The mos

CultureJuly 13, 2022

22 artists bring BTS songs to life through ‘Beyond the Scene’

K-pop sensation BTS’ discographies are being presented as artworks at the Total Museum of Contemporary Art in Jongno-gu, Seoul, until July 30. The special exhibition, titled “Beyond the Scene” is being held to coincide with the third BTS Global Interdisciplinary Conference, which is set to kick off on Thursday, bringing the septet’s songs and messages to life. The exhibition’s title comes from the K-pop act’s English initials and the idea of using art to &

Arts & DesignJuly 13, 2022

'Squid Game' nets 14 Emmy nominations

Netflix’s South Korean megahit “Squid Game” has been nominated for 14 awards at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, becoming the first non-English best drama series nominee, the Academy of Television Arts and Science announced Tuesday. The 16-part “Squid Game” vies for the best drama series award with “Better Call Saul,” “Euphoria,” “Ozark,” “Stranger Things,” “Succession” and “Yellowjackets,” whi

TelevisionJuly 13, 2022