Seoul Jazz Festa at Nodeul Island to add to spring vibe in the city with in-person concerts

A six-day music festival bringing together Korean jazz musicians will be held next month, organizers announced Tuesday. The 2022 Seoul Jazz Festa will take place on Nodeul Island, Seoul, starting April 26, according to the Korea Jazz Association. The in-person festival aims to celebrate the UNESCO-designated International Jazz Day, highlighting jazz and its role in uniting people around the globe. It has been selected as one of the seven leading festivals in Seoul this year. Admission is fre

PerformanceApril 5, 2022

Artist Woosung to release all-English EP ‘Moth’ next month

Korean American singer-songwriter Woosung will release an all-English language EP titled “Moth” next month, according to Transparent Arts. The upcoming EP will include four tracks written and produced by the artist that encapsulate the theme of moth. “Moth” will be released May 13 via global music streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music. The music video will be available on Woosung’s official YouTube channel. “This album is for the people t

PerformanceApril 5, 2022

New theme parks, thrill rides debut in Korea

Just in time for spring and the downward slope of the omicron variant peak, two new theme parks opened in South Korea offering a bunch of new thrill rides and attractions. One in Busan is a Lotte World franchise and the other in Chuncheon, a city in the mountainous Gangwon Province, is part of the global Legoland chain. Here’s a quick look at the new amusement parks and their most anticipated attractions. 1. Lotte World Magic Forest (Busan) Lotte World Magic Forest opened to the publ

TravelApril 5, 2022

[International Galleries in Seoul] Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery open to working with Korean artists

The following is part of a series that explores international galleries that have opened in Seoul, a new art hub in Asia. --Ed. Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul opened in October 2021 at the heart of Hannam-dong as Korea and the world were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The move may have seemed foolhardy, but Thaddaeus Ropac, the Austrian gallerist who has run the gallery for almost 40 years, did not hesitate to expand its presence in Asian market. “Though the pandemic was unprecedented in

Arts & DesignApril 4, 2022

‘Twenty-Five Twenty-One’ ends on a questionable note

TvN coming-of-age romance drama “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” came to an end Sunday, landing top ratings for its time slot. Featuring the strong friendship of teen fencers Na Hee-do (played by Kim Tae-ri) and Ko Yu-rim (Bona) along with high school friends Ji Seung-wan (Lee Ju-myoung) and Moon Ji-woong (Choi Hyun-wook), “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” caught drama fans’ hearts with stories of teenagers pursuing their dreams. Viewers shared their thoughts about the series in

TelevisionApril 4, 2022

Webtoon make jump to animation

After supplying storylines for hard hitting dramas to local broadcasters and global streaming services, webtoons are poised to be turned into TV animations. Content production company BY4M Studio announced Monday that it would be reproducing Naver Webtoon’s romance series “A Daytime Moon.” Serialized from 2013 to 2017, the webtoon centers on the romance between a couple who transcend the flow of time by traveling between Daegaya, a nation that inhabited southern parts of the

CartoonApril 4, 2022

BTS lights up Grammys with first in-person showcase

BTS brightened up the Grammy Awards with its megahit “Butter,” marking the K-pop phenomenon’s first live stand-alone performance on music’s biggest night. The septet -- Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook -- was the fourth act to go onstage at the awards, held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday. BTS transformed themselves into undercover agents for a performance that began with Jin operating computers straight out of a spy movie, while Jungko

PerformanceApril 4, 2022

Blue Man Group returns to Korea

Blue Man Group, a nonverbal stage show that blends art, technology, music and comedy, is coming back to meet Korean audiences after a pandemic-induced delay, its Korean distribution company Mast Entertainment said Monday. The Blue Man Group features three bald and blue characters, who “explore the world and discover music, comedy and surprises at every turn.” Since its debut in 1991 in New York, the show has been performed in front of more than 35 million people around the world.

PerformanceApril 4, 2022

Kim Tae-ri makes extra efforts for teen character in 'Twenty Five Twenty One'

Star actress Kim Tae-ri said she made extra efforts to look as young as she could to play the part of a teenager in her latest TV series "Twenty Five Twenty One." In the tvN's rom-com, which released its final 16th episode Sunday, Kim, 31, plays Hee-do, a member of a high school fencing team that is about to be disbanded due to financial issues stemming from the Asianwide financial crisis that affected the country in the late 1990s. In an online media interview held Wednesday last week

TelevisionApril 4, 2022

Kansong Art Museum to open for first time in seven years

Kansong Art Museum -- South Korea’s first private museum and home to some 5,000 artifacts including 10 state-designated national treasures -- will open its doors for the first time in seven years on April 16. A new exhibition at Bohwagak, the museum’s original building, coincides with the recent completion of a new storage facility on the museum grounds. The exhibition will showcase 44 artifacts from the museum’s collection at Bohwagak, which was listed as a state-registere

Arts & DesignApril 3, 2022

BTS’ military exemption not discussed ‘yet’: Presidential transition team

Saturday’s meeting between officials of the agency of boy band BTS, Hybe, and President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s transition committee went without discussing the K-pop sensation’s possible military service exemption, a high-ranking official said, while hinting it could be discussed in the new administration. There was “no mention about the military service at all,” Ahn Cheol-soo, chief of Yoon’s presidential transition committee, told reporters after his visit t

PerformanceApril 3, 2022

Actor Kong Hyo-jin, singer-songwriter Kevin Oh confirm relationship

Actor Kong Hyo-jin and Korean American singer-songwriter Kevin Oh are in a relationship, Kong’s agency Management Soop and Oh confirmed. The couple was responding to marriage rumors after Kong caught the bouquet at top actors Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin’s wedding on Thursday. While confirming the relationship on Friday, Management Soop did not elaborate further on the marriage speculations. Oh, who is not represented by an agency, later on the same day posted a letter on his official

TelevisionApril 3, 2022

Palaces and royal tombs celebrate arrival of spring, flowers with special programs

As flowers herald the arrival of spring, palaces and royal tombs are hosting special events that highlight the beauty of the space and their history. At Changdeokgung, a Joseon palace that is inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list, Nakseonjae is open to public viewing through Wednesday. A special tour will be held daily at 10:20 a.m., taking visitors through the royal quarters that was built by King Heonjong in 1847. Its last inhabitant was Lee Bang-ja, also known as Masako, the Japan

TravelApril 3, 2022

‘Squid Game’ star Jung Ho-yeon to appear in The Weeknd’s new music video

South Korean model and actor Jung Ho-yeon, who rose to global stardom in the Netflix hit series “Squid Game,” will appear in the music video of Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. The Weeknd posted a photo of the two holding hands in an elevator on his social media, Friday, hinting that the music video for “Out of Time” is set to be released Tuesday. “Out of Time” is a track from the pop singer’s fifth studio album titled “Dawn FM,” whic

PerformanceApril 3, 2022

Exhibition featuring sexual slavery statue kicks off in Tokyo

TOKYO -- An exhibition featuring art works on victims of the Japanese military sexual slavery kicked off in Tokyo on Saturday despite protests from Japanese right-wing activists. "Non-Freedom of Expression Exhibition" opened for a four-day run at a public gallery in Kunitachi, Tokyo Prefecture, to showcase works by 16 artist collectives, including a statue symbolizing victims of the Japanese military sexual slavery during the World War II. "The Statue of Peace" symbolizes w

Arts & DesignApril 2, 2022

[Eye Plus] Once industrial hub Mullae-dong transformed into trendy go-to spot

Boisterous sounds from machinery and the clash of folded steel in Mullae-dong, southwestern Seoul, welcome visitors who pass by the vicinity. Mullae-dong was once home to steel foundries during the 1970s. Also dubbed as the “place that can make everything,” the area housed around 1,700 iron plants to manufacture South Korea’s components. But the nondescript neighborhood was left empty as factories started to close their doors.  But the emptiness didn’t last long.

CultureApril 2, 2022

[Visual History of Korea] The ‘Tea Bowl War’ and Korean potters’ impact on history

During the Japanese invasion of Korea from 1592 to 1598, many Korean potters and blacksmiths were forcibly taken to Japan, taking with them new pottery styles and cutting-edge technology to Japan. Many Korean potters, who worked as lowly tradesmen back home, found Japan a better home than Joseon, as they enjoyed upward social mobility, with some even entering the samurai class, which eventually became the highest ranking social caste of the Edo period (1603-1867) in Japan. When news of a bette

CultureApril 2, 2022

[Herald Interview] Actor Son Ho-jun shows off chemistry with ‘Stellar’ co-star -- a car

Actor Son Ho-jun, who rose to stardom after appearing in tvN’s hit drama “Reply 1994,” said his latest project challenged him to build on-screen chemistry with an unlikely co-star -- a car. Son, who was cast as the main lead in the movie “Stellar” directed by Kwon Soo-kyung, said it was much harder than working with human actors. “Performing with a car was not easy since there was no reaction from it,” Son said during an interview with a group of repo

FilmApril 2, 2022

[Temple to Table] Temple food captures the spring within: Vegetable jangajji

I live at Baengnyeonsa Temple in Gangjin, located on the southernmost coast of South Jeolla Province. Baengnyeonsa is renowned for its “Baengnyeon Practice Movement” and is also known as the “beautiful temple of tea and camellias.” The path from the temple’s main entrance gate to the temple compound is bordered on both sides by a grove of camellia trees. Camellias begin to flower sparsely in early November, flower all through the winter, and come to full bloom in

FoodApril 2, 2022

Violinist E.S. Kim to play through 300 years of violin history

Violinist Edwin E.S. Kim is embarking on an unprecedented journey with 30 concerts, collectively titled “Dots and Lines,” aiming to explore 300 years of violin history. “By mathematical definition, a point is a place in space; a line is a set of points, and a surface is a set of lines,” Kim said during a press conference Tuesday. “I thought it would be intriguing to showcase how the works of great composers throughout history are connected. Each work is a formulat

PerformanceApril 2, 2022