[Herald Interview] Park Ji-hu believes ‘All of Us Are Dead’ is pivotal moment

Starring in Netflix‘s latest zombie thriller “All of Us Are Dead” has impacted actor Park Ji-hu, 18, in many ways. “‘All of Us Are Dead’ was my first long-series project. It was an experience that I did not have before, but with the help of my colleagues, I have learned about being a lead character both on and off the camera,“ Park said during an online interview with a group of reporters Tuesday. “While shooting the series, I was preparing for t

FilmFeb. 8, 2022

IP-based games to expand into drama and film

Korean game developers are seeking to follow webtoons’ successful jump to films and global streaming platforms. According to South Korean game developer Krafton, “Bystanders,” a short film based on the company’s renowned battle royale game, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, recorded over 1 million views on the “PUBG: Battlegrounds” YouTube channel as of Monday. The two-part project surprised both local and global viewers when its first short film, &ldquo

esportsFeb. 8, 2022

Pianist Krystian Zimerman to perform in four cities despite omicron surge

Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman is set to perform in Korea in the coming weeks after a couple of delays in ticketing. The celebrated pianist will visit Korea later this month with some changes in the schedule, according to Mast Media, the organizer of Zimerman‘s recitals. Previously, it was unclear whether Zimmerman, who travels with his own instrument, would be able to make it to the country as the recent surge in COVID-19 cases got in the way of transporting his piano. Amid the uncer

PerformanceFeb. 8, 2022

‘Love and Leashes,’ Girls’ Generation Seohyun’s debut film is about sex

Seohyun of K-pop girl group Girls’ Generation has shed her image as a girl-next-door in her debut film “Love and Leashes,” a rom-com directed by Park Hyun-jin. “When I first read the script, it was fresh and shocking. It was a role that made me want to take up the challenge as an actor,” Seohyun said during an online press conference held on Tuesday. “Not only did it (the script) have a unique topic, it also showed how a man and a woman come to understand the

FilmFeb. 8, 2022

Moon Sung-sic scratches simplicity into oil canvases

Painter Moon Sung-sic sticks with using pencils in creating his art. Inspired by daily life, he represents the mundaneness of everyday by scratching the thick oil paint surface with pencils as if striving to show his perseverance as an artist. “Pencils are the most basic materials in painting, spontaneous and simple. I think this resembles my unexaggerated and unpretentious personality,“ Moon told reporters at Kukje Gallery’s Busan venue on Jan. 21. He said he felt that his

Arts & DesignFeb. 8, 2022

Gwangju Biennale Park Seo-bo Art Prize established

The Gwangju Biennale Foundation and GIZI Foundation will launch the “Gwangju Biennale Park Seo-bo Art Prize” at the 14th Gwangju Biennale scheduled to open in April next year to recognize a promising artist participating at the biennale. GIZI Foundation, established by Korean contemporary artist Park Seo-bo, has committed $1 million to the prize, with $100,000 in prize money to winning artists or collectives through 2042. The winner will be selected among those who participate in t

Arts & DesignFeb. 8, 2022

Big-budget Korean films likely to be out of sight in local theaters, for now

It will be difficult to find big-budget Korean films in the coming month or so as many of them have delayed their opening dates. No films with a budget of more than 10 billion won will open before April, as they delayed their release dates. This is partially due to a surge of COVID-19 cases here. The number of moviegoers hit a new low over the Seollal holiday, usually one of the busiest times of the year for movie theaters in Korea. According to the Korean Film Council’s data, during

EntertainmentFeb. 7, 2022

[Herald Interview] ‘All of Us Are Dead’ director Lee Jae-kyoo hopes to return with season 2

The international attention and excitement for the latest Korean zombie series “All of Us Are Dead” took director Lee Jae-kyoo by surprise, but also filled Lee’s heart with anticipation for a possible season two. “Many directions, settings and scenes were intentionally produced to expand the story into an additional season, including the introduction of the new races of zombies -- immune and immortal. If the first season can be seen as having presented humanity‘s s

FilmFeb. 7, 2022

Korean content is rising to cultural mainstream: HFPA president

Korean media content will continue to grow in popularity and become a staple in the global market, according to Helen Hoehne, chief of the organization running the Golden Globes.  In an exclusive interview with The Korea Herald, the president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association congratulated Korean veteran actor Oh Yeong-soo for winning the best supporting actor in television trophy at the 2022 Golden Globes Awards for his role in the smash-hit drama series “Squid Game.”

FilmFeb. 7, 2022

All eyes on fate of Kansong Art Museum’s two national treasures

After the much-anticipated auction of Kansong Art Museum’s two state-designated national treasures last week ended up failing to find bidders, eyes are now on what Korea’s oldest private museum will do with the national treasures. During the auction held by K Auction on Jan. 27, no one bid for the two national treasures -- National Treasure No. 73, Portable Shrine of Gilt-bronze Buddha Triad, and National Treasure No. 72, Gilt-bronze Standing Buddha Triad with Inscription of Gyemi

Arts & DesignFeb. 7, 2022

[Herald Interview] Netflix’s ‘Midnight Asia’ director brings Asian nightlife to light with personal stories

For Joe Evans, 34, the creator and director of Netflix’s travel documentary series “Midnight Asia: Eat. Dance. Dream.,” anyone with an inspiring story was welcome in his six-part series presenting the vibrant nightlife of Asia’s metropolises. “We were able to tell stories across the series from various social strata, ages from 18 to late 80s. It was a very inclusive cast and we were open to anyone as long as they had a great story,” Evans said in a Zoom

FilmFeb. 6, 2022

[Newsmaker] Koreans take umbrage at presence of hanbok at Beijing Winter Olympics ceremony

Hanbok has become the latest focal point in the decades-long row between Korea and China over many aspects of Korean culture that China claims as their own. A new controversy erupted when a performer wearing hanbok, or traditional Korean costume, was seen participating in the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics Friday night. As people representing 56 ethnic groups in China carried the Chinese national flag into Beijing’s National Stadium, a woman in a white and pale pink hanb

CultureFeb. 6, 2022

[Eye Plus] Yongyangbongjeojong the resting place for king, night scenery for people today

Yongyangbongjeojong is a pavilion in southern Seoul that Jeongjo -- who ruled in the Joseon era from 1776 to 1800 -- used for respite when he visited Hyollyungwon in Suwon, where the tomb of his father Crown Prince Sado is located.  Designated as Seoul Tangible Cultural Property No. 6, it was named for the unique scenery of the mountain and river that surrounds the pavilion. King Jeongjo once said, “The high mountain in the north and the running Han River look like a wriggling dragon

CultureFeb. 5, 2022

[Visual History of Korea] Ancient Koreans and their most vivid rock carvings of whaling

The Neolithic Age in Korean history and civilization refers to the period from about 8,000 to 1,500 BC, when ancient Koreans used comb-patterned pottery. Hence it is also called the comb-patterned pottery period, in reference to the combware, the main pottery type of the Korean Neolithic Period. People have been whaling since the Neolithic Age in Korea, according to the most vivid rock carvings of whaling left by ancient Koreans. Of the 90 species of whales in the world, some 40 species of whal

CultureFeb. 5, 2022

[Temple to Table] Giving warmth to the body, wormwood lotus root pancakes

Once in the past I went to the countryside, picked a full bag of wormwood, and returned to Seoul to make ssukgaetteok (mugwort rice cake). I arrived home late at night so I left the bag in the kitchen. The next day, I opened it and found they had all turned yellow, and I had to throw them away. Because wormwood has lots of heat energy, it tends to go bad unless you blanch or dry it right away. When you buy wormwood at a market, select plump ones of a proper length that have a whitish part an

FoodFeb. 5, 2022

Dance troupes get creative with audience collaboration, online game

Two of Korea’s leading dance troupes are adopting creative ways to become a more familiar face to the public. Ambiguous Dance Company, a contemporary dance group known for its collaborative works with bands Coldplay and Leenalchi, has joined forces with the audience for its latest performance while Ahn Eun-Me Company, led by iconic contemporary dancer and choreographer Ahn Eun-me, unveiled an online dance game. Ambiguous Dance Company’s “Whole Like Dankeschon,” which

Arts & DesignFeb. 5, 2022

Hong Sang-soo, Kim Min-hee to attend Berlinale together

Filmmaker Hong Sang-soo and actor Kim Min-hee will participate in the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival, which will take place from Feb. 10 to 20 as an in-person event. In January, the auteur’s 27th feature, “The Novelist’s Film,” was listed along with 17 other movies that will vie for the Gold and Silver Bear awards at the Berlinale. Kim, who is in a relationship with Hong and also considered his muse, is a lead actor and co-producer for “The Novelist&rsqu

FilmFeb. 5, 2022

Florence Korea Film Fest to kick off in April

Taegukgi Toscana Korea Association on Thursday announced that this year’s Florence Korea Film Fest will take place at Cinema La Compagnia in Florence, Italy, from April 7 to 15. Some of the movies also will be screened online on the platform Piu Compagnia during the festival. Although the event organizer has not revealed the full list, it said 12 Korean actors, directors and producers will attend the film festival to mark its 20th anniversary. During the last 20 years, over 2,000 Korea

FilmFeb. 4, 2022

Korean Chamber Orchestra to resume Mozart Project

The Korean Chamber Orchestra on Friday said it is set to resume hosting eight all-Mozart concerts next month after the project was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the Mozart Project, the KCO aims to perform all 46 symphonies by the Austrian composer. Led by Finnish-German pianist and conductor Ralf Gothoni and music director Kim Min, the KCO will take the composer’s masterpieces on stage in eight concerts from March 13 to Feb. 8, 2023. The orchestra kicked off the 10-conce

PerformanceFeb. 4, 2022

[Well-curated] When you just can’t get enough of zombie flicks

If you finished watching Netflix’s “All of Us Are Dead” and still feel like you need more, drop by the series’ pop-up zone at Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam in Banpo-dong this weekend. The pop-up zone, which runs until Sunday, is inspired by the 12-part series that was released on Jan. 28. The zone is open from noon to 9 p.m.  Since most of the Netflix show is filmed in a high school, the zone has many photo spots that feature a school theme. One of the most po

CultureFeb. 4, 2022