Long-running chamber music festival returns next week

A long-running chamber music festival led by violinist Kang Dong-suk is set to return next week with a focus on cello. Titled “Cellissimo!,” the 17th edition of the festival will delve into the beauty of the four-string instrument that originated in Italy in the 1600s. This is the third time the festival is focusing on a particular instrument: In 2011, the piano took center stage followed by the violin in 2012. “Cello is one of the most popular instruments and cellists

PerformanceApril 13, 2022

Dior set to ink Ewha University partnership before 1st runway show

French luxury fashion house Christian Dior and Ewha Womans University in Seoul will sign a partnership agreement at the end of April to jointly foster the next generation of women leaders, according to officials. “The detailed content of the partnership was set in March. But the ceremony is likely to take place sometime this month ahead of the (Dior) show,” an official at Ewha Womans University told The Korea Herald. The fashion company approached the university, expressing intere

Arts & DesignApril 13, 2022

Tiger JK, Yoon Mi-rae to perform on Grammys ‘Global Spin Live’

Korea‘s hip-hop power couple Tiger JK and Yoon Mi-rae are to perform on “The Grammy Museum: Global Spin Live” this month. The icons of Korean hip-hop will perform at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles at 7:30 p.m. on April 27. They will be the only K-pop musicians to appear at the concert venue. Tiger JK and Yoon will discuss their music career, creative process and musical influences before taking to the stage separately and together, according to Grammy. “Global Spi

PerformanceApril 13, 2022

Lee Kun-hee collection exhibition extended to June

The exhibition of art bequeathed to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea by the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee will run for another two months, the museum announced Tuesday. This is the second extension of the special exhibition “MMCA Lee Kun-hee Collection: Masterpieces of Korean Art,” which opened July 21, 2021. The exhibition will now come to a close on June 6. Some of the most outstanding and best-known works by Korea’s modern and contempora

Arts & DesignApril 13, 2022

S. Korea to participate in this year's Bogota book fair as honorary guest

South Korea will take part as a guest of honor in the Bogota International Book Fair (FILBO) set to open in Colombia's capital this month to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, the South Korean culture ministry said Wednesday. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the country will hold various exhibitions, seminars as well as literary and cultural events under the theme of "togetherness, convivencia" at the fair. Launched in 1988, FILBO is

BooksApril 13, 2022

Enjoy magic of moonlit Changdeokgung

The first of the biannual Moonlight Tour at Changdeokgung Palace series will kick off April 21, welcoming guests to a warm spring night at the royal palace. The tour, which takes around an hour and 40 minutes, is organized by the Cultural Heritage Administration’s Royal Palaces and Tombs Center and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation. Visitors can enjoy a nighttime view of downtown Seoul while listening to the sounds of daegeum, a traditional Korean woodwind instrument, at the garden

CultureApril 13, 2022

Tving's ‘Seoul Check-In’ sets new records

It only took the first episode of Tving’s new reality show “Seoul Check-In” to make a major impact for the local streaming service. After a successful pilot run in January, “Seoul Check-In” set new records at Tving with the first episode released Friday. According to Tving, “Seoul Check-In” contributed the most to its increase in paid subscribers and unique visitors in the three days following its release. “The number of unique visitors who wat

TelevisionApril 12, 2022

Chun Woo-hee returns as successful news presenter in thriller ‘Anchor’

Actor Chun Woo-hee is returning to the big screen as a successful news presenter in the thriller “Anchor,” directed by Jeong Ji-yeon. “My job was to convince audiences that I am a professional news presenter with 9 years of experience,” Chun said during a press conference held Monday at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University. “I did my best. The director, staff and news presenter Kim Min-jung gave me positive feedback during the shooting. I wonder what the audience will

FilmApril 12, 2022

Charles H. head bartender wins award at Asia’s 50 Best Bars

Keith Motsi, the head bartender at Charles H., a speakeasy-style bar at Four Seasons Seoul, won the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2022 on Tuesday. The award given to personalities who have made significant impact on Asia’s bar sector over the voting period is the only peer-judged award for Asia’s 50 Best Bars. “I am extremely honored and humbled to be recognized by my peers for whom I have the utmost respect,“ Keith Motsi said through a press release. “

PeopleApril 12, 2022

Korea Opera Festival chief wants more government funding

While the 13th edition of the Korea Opera Festival is gearing up to kick off this month, the festival’s chief hoped the incoming government would support the annual event with ample financing to offer a wider spectrum of high-quality operas. “We sincerely hope to introduce more great original Korean-language pieces, as well as classic operas,” said Cho Jang-nam, chairman of the Korea Opera Company Association, at a press conference held at the Seoul Arts Center on Tuesday, blam

PerformanceApril 12, 2022

Culture minister nominee rebuffs accusations of inexperience

A longtime journalist covering politics and now a culture minister nominee in the incoming Yoon Suk-yeol administration, Park Bo-gyoon said he has ample experience and deep-seated interest in cultural matters. “I was mainly a journalist at the political news desk, but I wrote a lot of articles about culture, art, content, history, sports and tourism. When I traveled around the world, I visited cultural and artistic sites such as museums and archives first. So this field is by no means un

CultureApril 12, 2022

National museum showcases massive painting to mark Buddha’s birthday

National Museum of Korea is marking Buddha’s birthday with a special exhibition, “Feast of Light,” which opens Wednesday. This year, Buddha’s birthday falls on May 8. The highlight of the exhibition is a large-scale 17th-century scroll painting featuring Rocana Buddha from Sudeoksa, a Buddhist temple in Yesan, South Chungcheong Province, and a 14th-century Goryeo-era wooden lotus pedestal. Both are state-designated treasures. Gwaebul refers to very large Buddhist banne

Arts & DesignApril 12, 2022

Six-day tribute to Schubert to take place in June

Top Korean musicians ranging from pianist Sunwoo Yekwon to the Novus Quartet and soprano Im Sun-hae will join forces for a six-day all-Schubert concert series in June, event organizer Sejong Center for the Performing Arts said Tuesday. Titled “Dear Schubert,” the series is part of the annual Sejong Chamber Series that was launched in 2015. The concert series will open on June 21 with a piano solo recital by Sunwoo Yekwon who will play Four Impromptus D.899, Six Moments Musicaux, D

PerformanceApril 12, 2022

Seoul Metropolitan Opera to present gala concert next month

Seoul Metropolitan Opera will stage Opera Gala Concert next month at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts featuring popular opera arias and vocal ensembles from Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” and “The Magic Flute,” and Verdi’s “Rigoletto” and “La Traviata.” Gunpo Prime Philharmonic Orchestra led by Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra conductor Jang Yun-seung will accompany the singers. Comedian-television host Shin Dong-yup will provid

PerformanceApril 12, 2022

New wedding photos of Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin released

New wedding photos of the newlyweds Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin have been revealed to the public. Hyun's management agency, VAST Entertainment, on Monday released four new photos of the couple taken at their private wedding held on March 31 via social media. In the photos, dressed in a black tuxedo and wedding dress, respectively, Hyun and Son held hands and smiled brightly alongside the altar decorated with colorful flowers. Meanwhile, the pair was spotted at Incheon International Airport, west of

TelevisionApril 12, 2022

[International Galleries in Seoul] Tang Contemporary Art takes Seoul as bridge to wider international market

The following is part of a series that explores international galleries that have opened a location in Seoul, as a new art hub in Asia. --Ed. Tang Contemporary Art started engaging with South Korea five years ago, after joining the annual Art Busan. One of Asia’s major art galleries, the Beijing-based institution solidified ties with the fast-rising art market last year, presenting works both at Kiaf SEOUL and Art Busan. “Art fairs in South Korea in the past five years got us t

Arts & DesignApril 11, 2022

[Herald Interview] John Cho explores Korean American identity in ‘Troublemaker’

John Cho’s recently released “Troublemaker,” co-written with Sarah Suk, is a coming-of-age story that takes place on the single, infamous night of “Sa-I-Gu,” or April 29, 1992. As the world is changing around him on the first night of the Los Angeles riots that followed the acquittal of four police officers who had brutally beat Rodney King, a Black man, in an incident caught on video, Korean American boy Jordan’s own world -- his central identity -- is expe

BooksApril 11, 2022

Local streamers look to unique originals to survive fierce competition

With HBO Max set to add to the competition provided by global platforms in the second half of the year, local streaming services are looking to original series to give them a unique selling point. Korean service Watcha began to stake out a position in the streaming market with new romance series “Semantic Error.” Adapted from an R-rated web novel of the same title, “Semantic Error” revolves around a gay couple on campus. The adaptation is a PG series that aims to pres

FilmApril 11, 2022

Two young Korean musicians win Carl Nielsen prizes

Two young emerging Korean musicians took home prizes from the 2022 Carl Nielsen International Competition, the Kumho Culture Foundation announced Monday. Flutist Kim Seo-hyeon and violinist Kim Eun-che placed second and third in their respective categories at the competition that took place in Denmark on Sunday. Kim, received 10,000 euros ($10,900) in prize money and two special prizes -- the Odense Symphony Orchestra Prize and Junior Jury Prize. Italian flutist Alberto Mavarra snatched t

PerformanceApril 11, 2022

Hirokazu Koreeda’s first film with Korean superstars set for June release

Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda’s film ”Broker,“ starring several Korean actors including Song Kang-ho, Bae Doo-na, Gang Dong-won and IU, is set to hit local theaters in June, according to film distributor CJ ENM. Koreeda wrote and directed the film and also worked with CJ ENM, the entertainment unit of South Korean conglomerate CJ Group, which financed and produced the project. It is the first Korean movie directed by Koreeda, the Palme d’Or winner at the Cannes F

FilmApril 11, 2022