[Herald Interview] Son Yeol-eum: The shy girl from Gangwon to acclaimed pianist

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon -- As a child, Son Yeol-eum, the virtuoso pianist hailing from Wonju, a city in the scenic Gangwon Province, was very shy. So shy that she would choose to walk down small alleys rather than large streets. As the spotlight on her grew, as did the pressure of being a promising pianist, she was reluctant to embrace fame. She remembers asking her mom why they couldn’t be mutually exclusive -- playing the instrument she loved without all of the extra attention. Fast forwar

PerformanceJuly 6, 2022

National Palace Museum unveils cultural heritage brought home

The National Palace Museum of Korea and the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation are presenting a special exhibition titled, “Treasures of Ours Treasured by Others: Journey of Korean Cultural Heritage,” starting Thursday. The museum is presenting a selection of 40 cultural artifacts that have been brought back from abroad, six of which are being shown to the public here for the first time. A considerable number of Korean cultural artifacts were plundered and taken out of

CultureJuly 6, 2022

[Herald Interview] Tailoring dance steps to idols: Kasper says it’s essential in K-pop

The name Kasper may sound familiar to many K-pop fans. His demo videos of popular choreography have made him a hit among lovers of Korean music. Kasper, whose real name is Kim Tae-woo, is a choreographer with 15 years of experience working with elite groups from S.M. Entertainment. He received praise for composing the moves for Exo’s “Ko Ko Bop” and Shinee’s “Don’t Call Me.” Wearing in his signature look of sneakers and earrings, and with his right a

PeopleJuly 6, 2022

Homegrown blockbusters set to hit screens in summer

The local box office in the upcoming summer peak season will highly likely be a four-way race among Korean blockbusters as theaters are gearing up for a continuous rush of filmgoers. The sci-fi action fantasy "Alienoid" will hit local theaters July 20, opening the largely all-Korean competition for the season. The new film by popular filmmaker Choi Dong-hoon, who has made many smash-hit films, including "The Thieves" (2012) and "Assassination" (2015), depicts two pa

FilmJuly 6, 2022

‘Squid Game’ lead Lee Jung-jae’s ‘Hunt’ stars best friend Jung Woo-sung

Not many people were surprised when it was announced that top Korean actor Jung Woo-sung would star in “Squid Game” lead actor Lee Jung-jae’s directorial debut feature. The two top movie stars, who became close while filming “City of the Rising Sun” (1999), directed by Kim Sung-soo, have long been showing off their friendship on and off the screen. At a press conference to introduce his upcoming “Hunt” at Megabox Seongsu in Seoul on Tuesday, Lee said

FilmJuly 5, 2022

Oh Eun-young, Kang Hyeong-uk, Paik Jong-won: Three most sought-after TV mentors

The three most sought-after experts for many Koreans nowadays may be child psychiatrist Oh Eun-young, dog trainer Kang Hyeong-uk and star chef, food researcher and businessman Paik Jong-won. The three, at the pinnacle of their respective fields, have captivated both online and offline viewers with their insights, sense of wit and strong charisma, making consulting programs a mainstay of TV programming in Korea. Kang Hyeong-uk, ‘president of dogs’ The rising pet ownership in the c

TelevisionJuly 5, 2022

Montreal Symphony Orchestra to present passionate repertoire

The Montreal Symphony Orchestra will present a “passionate repertoire” during its visit to South Korea this week, the orchestra’s new conductor and musical director Rafael Payare said Tuesday.　 The orchestra’s first overseas tour under the direction of the 42-year-old Venezuelan conductor consists of four concerts: Tuesday’s concert with South Korean concert pianist Sunwoo Yekwon, the winner of the 15th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, at Lotte Conce

PerformanceJuly 5, 2022

Local tourist visits to Jeju hit all-time high in H1

Jeju tourism did not just bounce back to pre-pandemic levels -- it has reached a new high thanks to high travel demand from domestic tourists, suggests new data released Tuesday. According to tentative data compiled by the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Tourism Association, the number of domestic tourists to the southern resort island hit an all-time high of 6.8 million during the first half of this year. Compared to a year earlier, this is a 24 percent jump. The six-month visitor

TravelJuly 5, 2022

[Herald Interview] Bang Ui-geol brings ink wash paintings to immersive digital museum

An ink wash painting shows rain coming down through a mostly black-and-white forest. Though a still image, 84-year-old painter Bang Ui-geol’s “Showers I,” seems to bring the misty scene to life, evoking the sounds of heavy raindrops hitting trees and a gurgling valley stream. Bang has devoted his whole life to ink wash paintings, known as “sumukhwa,” that are created with black ink and brush. The different concentrations of black ink create distances and a profoun

Arts & DesignJuly 5, 2022

BTS military service depends on public opinion, Cheong Wa Dae could be turned into cultural complex: Culture Minister

Park Bo-gyoon, the new minister of culture, tourism and sports, said BTS‘s military service depends on public opinion and Cheong Wa Dae, the former presidential office, could be turned into a cultural complex. Park, who came into office 50 days ago, met with reporters for the first time and shared his position on current issues such as a possible military exemption for K-pop stars and Cheong Wa Dae’s future. 　 Calling military service a solemn obligation, he acknowledged BTS&lsquo

CultureJuly 4, 2022

Kang Ji-young reveals teaser image for her new single ‘Lucid Dream’

The teaser image for singer and actress Kang Ji-young‘s new single, “Lucid Dream,” was released on Monday. Kang, who co-wrote the lyrics of the melodic blues-inspired song about missing a loved one, expressed excitement about her first release in four years. She also launched the YouTube channel “My Name is Jiyoung Kang ” last Tuesday and released a video about her new single. “Lucid Dream” is a collaborative project between Kang and Unda, a shampoo

PeopleJuly 4, 2022

Seoul Stage 11 returns with concerts across Seoul

Ten concerts will start at 11 a.m. at various spots in Seoul on Thursday as the Seoul Cultural Foundation‘s concert series Seoul Stage 11 returns for the month of July. Launched in April, the concert series is held on the first Thursday of every month at venues across the city that are operated by the foundation. Under the theme of "musical heat shelter," this month’s performances have been organized to offer a bit of cool relaxation in the midday heat. Seoul Arts Edu

CultureJuly 4, 2022

Kakao Entertainment’s webtoon ‘Solo Leveling’ to make jump to animation

Kakao Entertainment announced the animated adaptation of its popular webtoon series “Solo Leveling” on Monday. According to the company, the action-fantasy will be co-produced by Kakao Entertainment and Japan’s renowned animation studio A-1 Pictures, the company behind many successful animated adaptations such as “Sword Art Online,” “The Seven Deadly Sins,” “Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, Erased” and “Your Lie in April.”

CartoonJuly 4, 2022

‘Next Sohee’ starring Bae Doo-na to screen at Fantasia International Film Festival

Korean director July Jung’s second feature film, “Next Sohee” starring movie star Bae Doo-na, has been invited to the 26th Fantasia International Film Festival, which will be held from July 14 to Aug. 3 in Montreal. Jung’s feminist police thriller will get its North American premiere on Fantasia’s closing night. The Korean director is known for creating movies that realistically portray social issues in Korea. The Canadian film festival organizer announced t

FilmJuly 4, 2022

Future of Blue House remains unclear

Nearly two months since the opening of Cheong Wa Dae to the public, the fate of the former presidential compound remains unclear, leading to concerns among experts and the public alike. One of the key pledges by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, “to return Cheong Wa Dae to the public,” was implemented on the day of the inauguration. But little preparation was made for the opening itself, and even less thought appears to have been given to the future of the grounds. The large influ

CultureJuly 4, 2022

Maroon 5 accused of using Rising Sun flag in world tour poster

Rock band Maroon 5 has been embroiled in controversy for using the design of a disputed Japanese Rising Sun flag in its world tour poster. The band recently announced through its official website that it will kick off the tour in Quebec City on Saturday and travel to Asia to perform in Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Manila and Bangkok. The five-piece act’s Seoul concert is scheduled for Nov. 30 at Gocheok Sky Dome.　 While the upcoming visit to Korea marks a return for Maroon 5 after ne

PerformanceJuly 4, 2022

S. Korea box office tops 15m admissions in June

South Korea's box office reported 15 million admissions for June, marking the largest monthly tally for over two years, data showed Monday. A total of 15.5 million people went to theaters last month, up 6.3 percent from 14.6 million a month earlier, according to the data compiled by the Korean Film Council. It is the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that the monthly audience numbers topped the 10 million level for two straight months. And the June figure marked the highest since 16.84 mill

FilmJuly 4, 2022

[Herald Interview] K-Arts President Kim Dae-jin hails role of devoted teachers

Kim Dae-jin, 58, took the reins of the Korea National University of Arts, known as K-Arts, only 10 months ago, but his history with the school goes back to 1994, when he became a professor two years after the school opened. K-Arts, the country’s top arts school, was founded in 1992 with a mission to provide high-quality education so that students would not have to go abroad seeking great teachers and top-class training. Fast forward to 2022, the school is seeing the fruits of its labor

PerformanceJuly 4, 2022

Music in PyeongChang opens with masks in focus

PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- The 19th edition of Music in Pyeongchang, an orchestral event in Gangwon Province, finally kicked off Saturday with an opening concert that mixes modern and classical music pieces. The first half of the opening concert began with Frederic Rzewski’s “To The Earth,” performed by percussionist Matthew Ernster. The percussion session that accompanied a poem recitation was followed by George Crumb’s “Voice of the Whale” for Th

PerformanceJuly 3, 2022

‘Broker’ wins top prize at Munich International Film Festival

“Broker,” the first Korean-language film project by Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda, on Sunday won the top award at the 39th Munich International Film Festival. According to the festival organizer, the ARRI award, established in 2008, is given to the filmmakers of the best international film in the CineMasters competition section. An independent three-member jury decides who shall receive the award, worth 50,000 euros ($52,000). Kore-eda’s “Broker” centers

FilmJuly 3, 2022