[Herald Interview] Pianist Kim Sunwook at turning point

South Korean pianist Kim Sunwook is swapping out his usual repertoire of Beethoven and Brahms for the upcoming recitals to play pieces that were formative in his youth. “For this recital, I wanted to take a break from Beethoven and Brahms, which I played numerous time in the 14 years of my career,” the 34-year-old pianist said, adding that he is facing a turning point as a musician.  Kim's history with these pieces is highlighted by a performance of Brahms’

CultureMay 12, 2022

‘Life’s golden age starts at 60’

Learning, working and contributing to society -- these are the three steps that one should take every three decades in order to live a responsible and fulfilling life, according to Kim Hyung-seok, a 103-year-old professor emeritus at Yonsei University. At The Korea Herald’s Global Business Forum held Wednesday evening in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, the esteemed scholar spoke of his own contemplations on the true meaning of life. Born in North Korea’s South Pyongan Province in 1920

PeopleMay 12, 2022

Over 70 years old and fangirling: Lim Young-woong leads evolution of trot fandom

At age 71, Kim Im-kyung is learning how to be a fangirl. At her three-room apartment in Seoul, Kim turned one whole room into a shrine dedicated to her idol -- Korean trot singer Lim Young-woong -- decorating it with his posters and a collection of fan merchandise like a light stick. To help Lim’s songs rank high on music charts, she plays his latest album through an online music streaming service all day long, despite personally owning five physical copies of it. She watches al

PerformanceMay 12, 2022

Don Lee returns with crime film sequel ‘The Roundup’

Korean American actor Don Lee, better known as Ma Dong-seok in Korea, is returning as a beast-like cop called Ma Seok-do in “The Roundup,” a sequel to the hit crime film “The Outlaws” (2017). “What differentiates the film (from the first movie) is that it has a different villain. Also, the scale of the crime differs, as well as the process of how the cops catch them. The jokes and action in the film were also upgraded,” Lee said during a global press confer

FilmMay 12, 2022

Fashion houses collaborate with popular characters to stir up youth nostalgia

As Y2K-era fashion trends -- characterized by vivid, primary-colored outfits popular in the late 1990s and the early 2000s -- have crept their way into the closets of today’s young people, an increasing number of fashion houses are rushing to feature vintage characters on special items. Local golf wear brand Waac has launched a collaboration project with Japan’s icon of cuteness, Hello Kitty, as part of its summer collection. With the recent move, the company will open the Hello Kitt

Arts & DesignMay 12, 2022

Seoul Intl. Book Fair to open next month

This year's Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF) will kick off next month to guide book lovers through the latest news and trends in the publishing industry at home and abroad, its organizers said Thursday. The SIBF 2022, the country's biggest annual book fair, is set to run from June 1-5 at the Convention and Exhibition Center in southern Seoul under the theme of "One Small Step," according to the Korean Publishers Association. Colombia will participate in this year's event as the gue

CultureMay 12, 2022

Ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk recommends political film ‘The Red Herring’ to conservatives

Ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk made a surprise appearance via video to ask conservative Korean moviegoers to watch “The Red Herring” during a press conference held at CGV Yongsan on President Yoon Suk-yeol’s inauguration day, Tuesday. “What I want the people to know is that there are different perspectives on the situation and that there are different experiences and different testimonies,” Cho said in the video. “I hope this documentary will be watched by man

FilmMay 11, 2022

'He’s like the sun’: Director Koreeda praises veteran actor Song Kang-ho

Even for veteran director Hirokazu Koreeda, who won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018 for “Shoplifters,” directing a movie in a foreign country was a challenge. During a press conference at CGV Yongsan in Seoul on Tuesday, the Japanese director said he got a lot of help from “Parasite” star Song Kang-ho while filming his movie, “Broker.” “Before shooting the film, I had a meeting with director Bong Joon-ho. We talked over a mea

FilmMay 11, 2022

[From the Scene] 2022 Mid-Season Invitational lights up esports arena in Busan

BUSAN -- The Mid-Season Invitational, one of the most important international League of Legends tournaments, kicked off at Esports Busan Arean in Busan on Tuesday. Coming from competitive League of Legends regional leagues including South Korea, China, Europe, and North America, the 11 spring season champions are set to clash for the prestigious MSI Championship. Starting with the congratulatory speech from the legendary Korean esports caster Jun, the opening video introduced the tournament p

esportsMay 11, 2022

Royal Culture Festival kicks off with modernized rites, music performances

The 2022 Royal Culture Festival’s opening performance was held at Heungnyemun Square in Gyeongbokgung, on Tuesday evening, after having gone virtual for two years due to the pandemic.　 Jointly hosted by the Cultural Heritage Administration’s Royal Palace and Tombs Center and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, the spring edition of the biannual festival is being held under the theme of “Narye and Yeonhui“ through May 22. The festival centers around royal court ritua

CultureMay 11, 2022

Global pop artists to visit Korea as distancing rules drop

With South Korea’s COVID-19 social distancing rules lifted, big-name global pop artists are returning to the country. Norwegian singer-songwriter Jakob Ogawa will be the first pop artist to hold a concert after the government scrapped distancing restrictions. The musician will hold his solo concert “Jakob (fka Jakob Ogawa) Live in Seoul” at Rolling Hall in Mapo-gu, western Seoul on May 20. It will mark the artist’s first meeting with local fans. Icelandic iconic post-r

PerformanceMay 11, 2022

Paramount+, HBO Max set to launch services in S. Korea

As new American players like Paramount+ and HBO Max are set to start their services in South Korea later this year, competition is expected to intensify in the local streaming service market. US media giant Paramount Global said earlier this month that Paramount+, its subscription-based video streaming service, will land in South Korea next month in partnership with Tving, a local online video-on-demand platform run by CJ ENM. Its original and library content from Paramount Pictures and CBS like

TelevisionMay 11, 2022

Korea Quiz (2) Squid Man

　Test your knowledge of Korea with our weekly quiz on the language, culture, history or anything K-related.    Answer: b 　 　Netflix’s megahit series “Squid Game” didn’t just happen to have the ocean creature in its name. 　In South Korea, the invertebrate makes frequent appearances at school cafeterias, pubs and on dinner tables at home as a dish loved by people of all ages. 　In recent years, people use the word to jokingly describe one’s facial f

CultureMay 11, 2022

Tving’s ‘House of Lies’ a mystery thriller to satisfy your inner detective

Amid the flood of sci-fi, rom-com and period dramas, director Chang hopes to draw viewers’ attention with a bizarre mystery thriller, “House of Lies.” “I recognize that many Korean content creators produced terrific TV series in different genres, allowing viewers to see occult creatures and zombies. Our series is dealing with a rather realistic story in South Korea, the rising price of old apartments that are being redeveloped, director Chang said in an online press con

TelevisionMay 10, 2022

Cheong Wa Dae hosts grand opening party

Cheong Wa Dae opened its doors to the public on Tuesday soon after Yoon Suk-yeol, a former prosecutor general, was sworn in as South Korea’s 20th president.  　The opening of the gates to Cheong Wa Dae was broadcast live as part of the presidential inauguration ceremony, bringing an end to its function as the office and residence of 12 Korean presidents, from President Syngman Rhee to President Moon Jae-in, since the establishment of the Republic of Korea in 1948. 　Jongmyo Jerye

CultureMay 10, 2022

Two Grammy-winning string soloists to perform with orchestras in Seoul

Two Grammy-winning artists, violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill and violinist Hilary Hahn, are scheduled to perform in South Korea in the coming weeks. O’Neill will join the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra for two concerts on May 19 and 20 at the Lotte Concert Hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul, marking the first time in 15 years for the US-based violist to perform with the orchestra.  During the 90-minute concert, O’Neill will premiere Paul Chihara’s “Concerto for Viola an

PerformanceMay 10, 2022

Sculptures of motherhood donated to Ukrainian Embassy

Artist Yang Soon-yeal‘s two sculptures called “Mother Ottogi” have been donated to the Embassy of Ukraine in Seoul, as a wish for peace and an expression of respect to motherhood in war-torn Ukraine. The newly created works, funded by D.K.KIM Foundation, show "indomitable and fearless" mothers in Korea and Ukraine, according to the artist who has explored motherhood, which she believes to be a fundamental value of humanity. “I heard about a Ukraine mother

Arts & DesignMay 10, 2022

World DJ Festival to return to physical stage in August

As South Korea scrapped most COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, the World DJ Festival, an annual outdoor electronic music festival, will return to the physical stage in August at Auxiliary Stadium in Jamsil Sports Complex in Seoul. This year’s festival will be held for three consecutive days starting Aug. 11 and is expected to be the biggest in-person event since the pandemic, accommodating around 70,000 to 80,000 people, according to festival organizer BEPCTangent Creative on Tues

PerformanceMay 10, 2022

[Herald Interview] Nomadic soprano Park Hye-sang finds sanctuary in music

For the last four years, Park Hye-sang, an emerging South Korean soprano, has lived as a cultural nomad, bouncing between New York, Berlin and Seoul to further her career as an opera singer. The first four months of this year alone were a whirlwind of concerts and long-haul flights for Park. In January, she was in New York to perform Pamina in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” with the Metropolitan Opera and in Prague for an Opera Gala with Prague Philharmonia. From there, she hop

PerformanceMay 9, 2022

'The Sound of Magic' lands at No. 4 on global Netflix chart

Netflix’s new Korean fantasy series, “The Sound of Magic,” made a successful debut on the platform, soaring to No. 4 on the service’s global top 10 chart. The musical drama ranked seventh on Netflix’s global chart as of Saturday, a day after its release, before climbing up to land at the fourth slot on Sunday, according to data released by streaming analytics firm FlixPatrol. “The Sound of Magic,” helmed by director Kim Seong-yoon who was behind hit w

TelevisionMay 9, 2022