Kakao Entertainment to hold webtoon competition

Kakao Entertainment on Thursday announced the hosting of the webtoon competition “Global Raid Kakao Webtoon Contest.” The webtoon showdown, which will receive applications from Aug. 1-7, is aimed at discovering popular webtoon-IP targeting both local and global readers. The upcoming contest seeks to find creative projects in action fantasy, school action, noir, sports and martial arts genres. Both rookie and veteran creators can participate the contest individually or as a team.

CartoonJune 2, 2022

CL to star in EBS ‘Baby Shark’s Big Show!’

Pinkfong, the company behind the hit YouTube “Baby Shark Dance,” is teaming up with Korean singer and rap superstar CL. The company announced Thursday that CL will voice the character of Sharki L, the Korean version of Sharki B who originally starred in a Nickelodeon “Baby Shark’s Big Show!” episode in April. “Considering her fearless character and splendid performances as an artist, we decided CL is the perfect voice actor for Sharki L when we scheduled to

TelevisionJune 2, 2022

Korean audiences’ feedbacks are more important than winning Cannes: Park Chan-wook

Feedback from Korean audiences for his new thriller-romance film “Decision to Leave” is more important than winning a trophy at Cannes Film Festival, director Park Chan-wook said during a press conference held at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul on Thursday. Park won the best director award for his new film on May 28 at the 75th Cannes Film Festival in southern France. “This film, in particular, is different from my previous work in that it has many elements that only Ko

FilmJune 2, 2022

'Jurassic World Dominion' sets new opening day score in pandemic era

The sci-fi action adventure film "Jurassic World Dominion" has set the best opening-day record in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic, box office data showed Thursday. The latest installment of the "Jurassic Park" franchise garnered 763,000 viewers upon its debut Wednesday, accounting for 52.9 percent of the tickets sold on the day, according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). It marked the largest first-day score for any release since the new coronavirus broke out in e

FilmJune 2, 2022

Director Kore-eda says Song Kang-ho inspired him to make ’Broker‘

Actor Song Kang-ho recalled what it was like to receive the best actor award at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, a first for a Korean male, during a press conference for the film held Tuesday, just a day after returning from France. “Very few get to receive awards at Cannes. Only seven out of 21 movies (in competition) get awards. Before midnight, those seven films get a notice that they will receive awards. So I was really nervous before midnight,” Song said during the press confere

FilmJune 1, 2022

[Herald Interview] ‘Look out for K-crafts’

From K-pop to K-dramas, Korean cultural products are gaining popularity worldwide -- but little is yet known about Korean craft arts outside of the country. Kim Eun-bi, 35, founder and CEO of Middle Studio, believes that the field of traditional crafts has the potential to gain as much spotlight as other already popular cultural products. Kim founded Middle Studio in 2017, and launched the Chi brand of everyday items and fashionwear inspired by traditional Korean crafts and culture. Working wi

CultureJune 1, 2022

Cannes-winning actor Song Kang-ho talks about historic award receiving moments

Song Kang-ho recalled what it was like to receive the country’s first best actor award at the 75th Cannes Film Festival during the first press conference for the film held after he returned from France on Tuesday. “Very few get to receive awards at Cannes. Only seven out of 21 movies (in competition) get awards. Before midnight those seven films get a notice that they will receive awards. So I was really nervous before midnight,” Song said during the press conference held at

FilmMay 31, 2022

2022 Seoul International Book Fair returns in full force

The Seoul International Book Fair, the country‘s largest book event, kicks off Wednesday at Coex in southeastern Seoul. The annual book fair will run from Wednesday to Sunday, with a total of 196 companies including 18 foreign companies and 214 speakers expected to join the event. This year’s event takes place after two years of scaled-down editions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the theme of “One Small Step,” talks, exhibitions and events will take place to gauge

BooksMay 31, 2022

Director Yang Jeong-woong on PyeongChang Winter Games’ successful opening ceremony

When the grand opening of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games unfolded, it wowed viewers with various spectacular scenes, including 1,217 drones in the air and hundreds of South Korean snowboarders in light-emitting jumpsuits who slid down the slopes with the drones flashing above them. There was also a controversial feature: Inmyeonjo, a mythological bird with a human face that often appears in ancient tomb murals of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Some viewers were disappointed when watching

CultureMay 31, 2022

Don’t miss out on TikTok opportunities: SOON ENT CEO

Park Chang-woo, founder and CEO of multichannel networking firm Soon Ent, said businesses should not misunderstand TikTok and must grab opportunities the platform presents. Speaking at The Korea Herald’s Global Business Forum on Wednesday, Park emphasized that TikTok, a short-form video hosting service owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is more than an alternative to video-streaming juggernaut YouTube. YouTube focuses on creating intellectual property, while TikTok is more like a soci

CultureMay 31, 2022

Webtoons, animations emerge for business promotions

Television celebrities and movie stars may not only be competing with virtual social media influencers like Rozy, but also with other 2D characters for advertising gigs as a growing number of businesses show interest in webtoons and animations to target millennials and Generation Z, locally known as the MZ generation. Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai Motor Group’s auto parts maker, revealed a racing animation titled “Dead or Arrive” on the company’s official YouTube channel &ldqu

CartoonMay 31, 2022

Naver Webtoon looks for next big webtoon star

Naver Webtoon, South Korean tech giant Naver’s web-based cartoon platform, announced that it is receiving applications for “The Greatest Webtoon Contest 2022” starting Wednesday. The contest will be held twice this year, with the goal of promoting the creative content industry and local webtoons as well as finding webtoon creators to lead the company, Naver Webtoon said. Applicants are required to submit a maximum of three episodes and may present additional documents, inclu

CartoonMay 31, 2022

Residents move into controversial high-rises near UNESCO-listed royal tombs

Despite an ongoing lawsuit, residents of apartments near the UNESCO-listed Jangneung royal tombs in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, began moving into their new homes on Tuesday. The Seo-gu Incheon Metropolitan City Office on Monday approved Daekwang Construction’s high-rises for occupancy. Some 735 households are expected to move in. “We have given permits according to procedures and on-site inspections of Daekwang Construction’s apartments,” an official from the Incheon ci

CultureMay 31, 2022

[Photo News] ALL CLEANED UP

A 19th century folding screen painting from Korea, “The Joyous Banquet of Guo Ziyi,” owned by the Art Institute of Chicago, is revealed to the press Monday after extensive conservation work. Jung-jae Conservation Center began work on the Joseon period work last August, funded by the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation.  Regarded by experts as being on par with royal court paintings, the restored folding screen will be available for public viewing at the Art Institute o

CultureMay 31, 2022

Korea-Italy collaborations to be featured at Milan Design Week

Craftworks made in collaboration between Korean artisans and Italian designers will be on display at Korean Craft 2022, which will be held during Milan Design Week 2022, a major design art fair due to take place June 6 to 12. The 10th edition of Korean Craft will showcase works that feature different beauty ideals realized by Korean artisans and Italian designers. Among the works on display will be the “Altar for offering to the gods” series created by Korean brassware artisans L

Arts & DesignMay 30, 2022

CJ ENM anticipated to hit jackpot with ‘Decision to Leave,’ ‘Broker’: experts

CJ ENM is likely to hit the box office jackpot as an investment distributor of two films -- “Decision to Leave” and “Broker” -- which won major titles at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, film critics said. Park Chan-wook won best director for “Decision to Leave” and Song Kang-ho won best actor for “Broker” at Cannes on Saturday. Some local film critics predicted that CJ ENM could sell as many tickets as it did pre-pandemic in 2019 with the two fi

FilmMay 30, 2022

[Herald Interview] Yun Ji-on says he does not want to let go of Lim Ryung-gu, not just yet

Yun Ji-on, who has successfully carried out his role as a grim reaper Lim Ryung-gu in MBC’s fantasy drama “Tomorrow,” believes that it will be difficult to meet such a meaningful drama series and interesting character again. “The synergy, created by the staff and fellow actors, was splendid. I was able to work in a comfortable environment always surrounded by positive energy. I think I still live in the world of ‘Tomorrow,’” Yun said in a recent interv

TelevisionMay 30, 2022

Legendary band Songgolmae returns to rock on stage after 38 years

Iconic South Korean hard rock band Songgolmae is embarking on a nationwide tour this fall, Dream Maker Entertainment announced on Monday. Titled, “Yeolmang,” meaning “aspiration,” the tour will kick off in Seoul with two days of concerts, starting Sept. 11, at the Songpa Olympic Stadium in southern Seoul. The upcoming tour will be the long-awaited reunion of the band‘s two best-known members -- Bae Cheol-soo and Koo Chang-mo -- after some 38 years. The band, p

PerformanceMay 30, 2022

Pioneering artists of the time at Gallery Hyundai, Page Gallery

Artists are constantly expanding their own artistic world. Some defy conventional art to differentiate themselves, like South Korea’s avant-garde pioneer Lee Seung-taek and British pop artist Philip Colbert, who are both currently showcasing new works in Seoul. 　While Lee is known as a progenitor of Korea’s conceptual art from the 1950s, Colbert is an emerging British pop artist who has been expanding the realm of pop art to virtual reality. 　Born in 1932, Lee began working in i

Arts & DesignMay 30, 2022

Violinist Yang In-mo becomes first Korean to win Sibelius competition

Violinist Yang In-mo became the first South Korean to win the top prize at the International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition on Sunday, yet another crowning achievement for the Paganini competition winner. The top honor came with a cash prize of 30,000 euros ($32,000) and a loan of a Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin made in 1772. In addition, the Sibelius family awarded Yang a prize of 2,000 euros for the best performance of Magnus Lindberg’s “Caprice.” “I’m

PerformanceMay 30, 2022