2022 Punggi expo to bring new insights on ginseng

The upcoming 2022 World Punggi Ginseng Expo in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, aims to showcase a fresh aspect of the traditional Korean ginseng, the expo organizing committee said Wednesday. Under the theme, “Ginseng, embracing the world and opening the future,” the expo will take place from Sept. 30 to Oct. 23., at the Punggi Ginseng Culture Pop-up Park in Yeongju. Records of ginseng in Punggi date back to 1541 when Joo Se-boong, then governor of Punggi, after studying soil

TravelJune 30, 2022

Inaugural Frieze Seoul’s gallery lineup, programs unveiled

The inaugural Frieze Seoul will kick off in early September, bringing together some 110 galleries from 20 countries with special programs amid growing excitement about Seoul’s rise as an Asian art hub. Frieze Seoul is the first Frieze art fair to be held in Asia and the fifth to be launched by the global contemporary art platform. It will take place from Sept. 2 to 5 at Coex in Gangnam, southern Seoul, alongside KIAF, an art fair operated by the Galleries Association of Korea. Some 9

Arts & DesignJune 30, 2022

BTS’ RM hints at opening gallery for his art collection on Art Basel podcast

Art collector Kim Nam-joon, better known as RM from K-pop band BTS, hinted at opening a space to show his art collection in South Korea during an interview streamed on the Art Basel podcast. “This is my first time actually saying this. But seriously, I am planning to make a small space of my own private collection,” Kim said in an English-language interview on “Intersections: The Art Basel Podcast” released on Tuesday. He was responding to a question about whether the

Arts & DesignJune 30, 2022

Coupang Play offers 1,000 episodes of hit TV series, new movies

Video streaming service Coupang Play is expanding its offerings with the addition of hit titles from NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery. Coupang Play, which ranked third in the domestic streaming market in terms of the number of users, a standing achieved primarily through broadcasts of sporting events, is diversifying is offerings by securing foreign TV and film content. With this expansion, about 1,000 episodes will be available to users, according to the company on Tuesday. NBCUniversa

TelevisionJune 29, 2022

[Herald Interview] No Brain says rock ‘n’ roll keeps them going

In the 1990s, when Korea’s punk rock scene was a barren land, there was one group causing a sensation across the country. Since its debut in 1996, the legendary band No Brain has been one of the first generation of acts to play a major role in spreading the sound of rock ‘n’ roll in Korea. Even long-running K-pop groups seldom survive past seven years, so it is rare to see a band that continues to make music for over two decades. Although they have faced challenges, like the

PerformanceJune 29, 2022

[Herald Interview] Park Chan-wook creates romance film ‘Decision to Leave’ without those three little words

Cannes-winner Park Chan-wook’s movie “Decision to Leave” is a romance film. However, the protagonists never utter those three little words: I love you. “I wanted to create a quiet movie. I don’t mean that there are few lines. In fact, the lines are quite long. They just don’t directly say ‘I love you’ and express their feelings,” Park said during an interview with a group of reporters via Zoom on Monday. Although we live in an era where pe

FilmJune 29, 2022

Charity group, audio brand join forces to provide music education for underprivileged

Beautiful Mind, a cultural and diplomatic charity organization, and audio equipment brand KEF last week signed an agreement to promote culture and arts for people with disabilities. The agreement covers cooperation in music education for children with disabilities and adolescents from low-income families as well as their orchestra activities, Beautiful Mind said in a statement. The agreement includes KEF’s sponsorship of wireless hi-fi speakers and wireless earphones to Beautiful Mind.

PerformanceJune 29, 2022

'Money Heist: Korea' ranks No. 2 on global Netflix chart

Netflix's new South Korean series "Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area" rose to No. 2 on a global popularity chart for TV series available on the streaming service. According to data released by streaming analytics company FlixPatrol on Tuesday (US time), the Korean remake of the streamer's smash-hit series "Money Heist" placed second on its daily global chart for TV programs on Netflix, four days after it was released. The ranking was up one notch from third p

TelevisionJune 29, 2022

‘Super Band’ season 2 winner CraXilver debuts with ‘Make A Dash’

Rock band CraXilver, the winner of the second season of JTBC‘s band audition program, “Super Band,” made its official debut on Tuesday evening with the release of its first EP, “Make A Dash.” The five-piece band composed of guitarist Willy.K, drummer Danny Lee, vocalist Vincent, bass guitarist Cyan and keyboardist Oh Eun-chul held a press event in Seoul, ahead of the EP’s online release at 6 p.m. the same day. “We would like to be the only band of ou

PerformanceJune 28, 2022

Kim Han-min to return with another Adm. Yi Sun-sin film, ‘Hansan’

Kim Han-min, who directed the 2014 box office megahit about Adm. Yi Sun-sin “Roaring Currents,” is returning with another movie about the historic figure titled “Hansan.” The new film is the second in the Adm. Yi trilogy that the director aims to complete. The plan is to present three different battles led by Yi during the Japanese invasions of Korea in the late 16th century. “Roaring Currents,” the first in the planned trilogy, holds the record for the mos

FilmJune 28, 2022

[Herald Interview] Yoo Ji-tae studies hard for new ‘Money Heist’ role

Top actor Yoo Ji-tae said that it’s time to be remembered for something new, viewing the Korean remake of “Money Heist” as the “perfect opportunity.” “I think many viewers, especially foreign audiences, will remember me as an actor from ‘Oldboy’ (2003),” Yoo said during an online interview Monday. Recounting how he read the script via his agency BH Entertainment, a co-production company on “Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic

TelevisionJune 28, 2022

[Feature] Korea’s forgotten polychrome paintings rediscovered

A 3-meter-long folding screen shows a variety of books, fruits and other assorted items on bookshelves. The bright colors -- mainly blue, green and yellow -- are used to depict the items that symbolize prosperity. An old plum tree stretches across the panels of the folding screen. The 19th-century folding screen painting “Chaekgeorido with Plum Blossoms” is on display at National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, as part of the exhibition

Arts & DesignJune 28, 2022

[Herald Interview] ‘Money Heist’ director contemplates series remake

Director Kim Hong-sun of “Money Heist: Korea -- Joint Economic Area” was a little surprised to hear that some viewers were disappointed that the Korean version bared too much resemblance to the hit Spanish crime drama on Netflix. “Our series was a remake of the hit Spanish drama. I believe the process of making a remake involves keeping the characteristics of the original, retelling the story of the previous production, but using a different cast and setting,” Kim said

TelevisionJune 28, 2022

Cheong Wa Dae to hold nighttime tours

Cheong Wa Dae will stay open to the public during the evening hours from July 20 to Aug. 1, the Cultural Heritage Administration’s Cheong Wa Dae operations team announced Tuesday. Nighttime tours will be held twice a day, at 7:30 p.m. and 8:10 p.m., except on Tuesdays. The 90-minute tour will be led by a guide, who will explain about the Cheong Wa Dae’s buildings and compound. Cold drinks will be served, along with a live performance of fusion gugak at the former presidential res

CultureJune 28, 2022

Van Cliburn winner Lim Yun-chan to perform with maestro Chung Myung-whun

Lim Yun-chan, an 18-year-old pianist who just became the youngest winner of the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, will join the KBS Orchestra led by renowned conductor Chung Myung-whun in a concert at the Namhansanseong Art Hall in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, on Aug. 26. Lim will perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3, which he played in the first stage of the Van Cliburn Competition finals. The KBS Symphony Orchestra will perform Dvorak Symphony No. 7 in the sec

PerformanceJune 28, 2022

Loewe Craft Prize to hold 2022 exhibition in Seoul in July

Craft artworks nominated for one of the world's most prestigious craft awards will be exhibited at the Seoul Museum of Craft Art next month, officials said Tuesday. The Loewe Foundation Craft Prize, launched in 2016 by Spanish luxury label Loewe, is the world's most lucrative award for crafts people with a 50,000-euro prize. The works by this year's shortlist of 30 finalists will be displayed in the museum, the country's first museum dedicated to craft works, from July 1 to J

Arts & DesignJune 28, 2022

[Herald Interview] Musical composer Frank Wildhorn on South Korea's musical industry, his favorite actors

There was one common element at four different theaters across South Korea on Thursday night. They all staged the music of American composer Frank Wildhorn, the great mind behind musicals “The Man Who Laughs,” “Death Note,” “Mata Hari” and “Jekyll & Hyde.” “That’s 7,000-8,000 people every single night listening to my music … all I can say is that I’m the luckiest guy,” Wildhorn said in an interview with local re

PerformanceJune 28, 2022

Thai soldiers in the Korean war remembered in Kakao Entertainment webtoon

Kakao Entertainment and the Korean Cultural Center Thailand will present a webtoon about Thai veterans who participated in the Korean War. The webtoon has been created to inform the younger generation about the history of the Korean War. Titled “One Day, My Beloved Idol Group‘s Leader Disappeared!” it will be launched in September in Thailand. The story begins when the leader of the famous K-pop boy band Little Tiger disappears, even from people’s memory. The main charac

CultureJune 28, 2022

‘Crash Landing on You’ couple confirms pregnancy

Star couple Son Ye-jin, 40, and Hyun Bin, 39, on Monday, confirmed that Son is pregnant three months after their March wedding. “New life has arrived,” Son announced on her Instagram account with a picture of wildflowers on Monday. “We are still bewildered, but with concerns and excitement, I‘m going through the daily feeling of the changes in my body.” “We will protect the precious life that has arrived,” Son added. Last month, Son posted a photo o

TelevisionJune 27, 2022

Resilience learned from nature informs Kwon Chi-gyu’s New York show

Kwon Chi-gyu delves into the concept of resilience with the belief that as humans, we all have the power to overcome, which is deeply embedded in ourselves. After the yearslong pandemic, people are incrementally returning to normal life, slowly overcoming the unprecedented challenge of a lifetime. Kwon has created sculptures inspired by nature -- more specifically nature in springtime, when the whole world seems to get its vitality back and earn new strength. The inspiration came naturally to

Arts & DesignJune 27, 2022