'Squid Game' watched by 111m households on Netflix

The smash-hit Korean-language drama series "Squid Game" has been watched by 111 million households around the world on Netflix, becoming its most successful original content, the US streaming giant said Wednesday. Since its first release on Sept. 17, the nine-part survival drama has topped the popular Netflix TV show charts in 94 countries, including the United States, Britain and France, according to Netflix. In the US, in particular, "Squid Game" has become the first non-

TelevisionOct. 13, 2021

‘Blue Bayou’ director aims to spotlight US policies on adoptees

Director Justin Chon says he created his new film, “Blue Bayou,” to bring attention to “unfair” policies regarding adoptees in the US. “I saw an issue that was happening in the United States that I felt was very unfair,” Chon said at an online press conference held as part of the 26th Busan International Film Festival on Tuesday. As well as directing, Chon appears in the film as protagonist Antonio LeBlanc, an ethnic Korean adoptee raised in a small town i

FilmOct. 12, 2021

‘Perhaps Love’ promises to be a heartwarming rom-com

The upcoming comedy-drama “Perhaps Love,” directed by Cho Eun-ji, revolves around a bestselling author whose life changes dramatically when he falls in love. “The cast and the crew, including myself, were always laughing while shooting. I actually got a note of warning from the sound recording director because I giggled too much even in a serious scene,” Cho said in an online press conference Tuesday. “We were able to finish our project with a lot of laughs. I am c

FilmOct. 12, 2021

Andy Warhol’s many personas revealed at Espace Louis Vuitton Seoul show

The Espace Louis Vuitton Seoul has opened its third collection exhibition “Andy Warhol: Looking for Andy” showcasing self-portraits by the American pop artist selected from the Fondation Louis Vuitton’s collection. The works range from Warhol’s early self-portrait photos to his late pieces that reveal various facets of the artist. The highlight of the exhibition is Warhol’s iconic self-portrait that he created before his sudden death in 1987. With his ghostly pal

Arts & DesignOct. 12, 2021

Sculptor Kim Gyoung-min’s witty works offer life lessons

  The Haeden Museum of Art in Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, is running a solo exhibition of Korean sculptor Kim Gyoung-min who takes inspiration from ordinary lives and humorously reflects the moments in her sculptures. The exhibition features the theme of happiness, which is prominent thread in her artistic portfolio. Kim showcases some 50 artworks at the exhibition which runs through March 27, 2022, inside and outside of the museum. “I seek for ordinary subjects from our lives so that

PeopleOct. 11, 2021

KIAF Seoul 2021 returns to a booming art market

As competition in the Korean art market become more heated than ever, The Korea International Art Fair will kick off on Wednesday at Coex in southern Seoul, ahead of its joint shows next year with Frieze, a leading contemporary art fair. The country’s largest international art fair has been highly anticipated among art collectors excited to see artworks in person as the fair is being held physically for the first time in two years. Around 170 galleries from home and abroad are expected

Arts & DesignOct. 11, 2021

London Korean Film Festival to be held in November

Korean Cultural Centre UK announced that it will hold the 16th London Korean Film Festival for two weeks from Nov. 4 to 19. The festival organizer said it will screen 35 Korean films of diverse genres including independent films, classic films, animation and shorts. Last year, the annual event was held as an online-offline hybrid festival due to the pandemic, but this year all of the films will be screened at nine local theaters in London. “Escape from Mogadishu” directed by Ryoo

FilmOct. 11, 2021

Actor Ha Jung-woo holds solo art show in Busan

Actor and painter Ha Jung-woo is holding his 15th solo art exhibition titled “Next Room,” at Grand Josun Busan until the end of the month, gallery Gana Art Busan announced Thursday. With the 26th Busan International Film Festival being held from Oct. 6 - 15, the exhibition, also located in Haeundae area, is expected to garner attention from cinema fans and across the arts scene. A total of 50 pieces, including 24 new works have been unveiled, including Ha’s signature style

Arts & DesignOct. 11, 2021

[Newsmaker] ‘Squid Game’ pokes at the far side of Korea

　Everyone from the “Squid Game” has good reasons to win it all: 45.6 billion reasons to be exact. But some have problems that are mirrored from real-life version of the society they are in. 　Part of why Netflix’ record smashing hit drama has resonated with so many people is that it is also a social commentary on the actual incidents that had occurred in Korea, and perhaps the problems prevalent in the modern society. 　Young, smart, broke and from N.K. 　Jung Ho-yeon portraye

FilmOct. 10, 2021

[Eye Plus] Fall flowers blooming at Seoul Olympic Park

Seoul Olympic Park in Songpa District, southern Seoul, was built in preparation for the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Olympic Games. Korea hosting its first summer Olympics in 1988 was seen as a culmination of the nation’s rapid growth over a few short decades.  When construction work started, a massive Baekje Dynasty earth fortification, called Monchontoseong, was excavated and then restored to allow visitors to enjoy a historic stroll in harmony with the newly-built park.   Now

TravelOct. 9, 2021

Baekban: The taste of home

In an era when one-person households or double-income families are increasingly becoming the norm, families gathering around the dining table for a warm home-cooked meal can be considered a special occasion. Finding the right type of meal at the right moment can make one’s day and Koreans turn to “baekban” for the comforting taste of home. Baekban’s literal definition is “white rice,” but is generally understood in Korea as home-cooked style meals that cons

FoodOct. 9, 2021

[Visual History of Korea] Hangeul alphabet, the most scientific writing system

The Korean language has evolved over the millennia amassing an extensive lexicon. The Korean language is comprised of words indigenous to Korean people, original Korean characters, Hanja-rooted words, and foreign words which have taken root in modern Korean culture. Currently, the Korean online dictionary has more than 1.1 million words, the largest number of all languages. For reference, the total number of words in English is about half that. No wonder, the US State Department, which rates

CultureOct. 9, 2021

[Holly’s Korean Kitchen] Dalgona, the Korean sugar candy

Ppopgi vs dalgona Any Korean who grew up in 1970s Korea (like myself) will have a memory of two special Korean candy treats - ppopgi and dalgona. They were slightly different; while ppopgi is made with plain sugar, dalgona was made with glucose solid. These two candies were popular among Korean children in the ‘70s through early ’80s. Interestingly, over the past few decades people have confused the names. What most people now call “dalgona” should really be called ppo

FoodOct. 9, 2021

Actress Jeon Jong-seo visits Busan fest with her Hollywood debut film

South Korean actress Jeon Jong-seo said Friday it was a fresh experience to play a wordless character with supernatural powers as a foreign actor in her first English-language film "Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon." "This was my first American project, and it required all actors go through audition," Jeon said during a special talk session at the 26th Busan International Film Festival that kicked off Wednesday. "I also joined the cast through audition. I sent my clips to

FilmOct. 8, 2021

French director Denis Dercourt says creating thriller film, composing music were similar experiences

BUSAN -- For French director Denis Dercourt, who is also a musician, creating his new thriller, “Vanishing,” was similar to the experience of composing music. “You have to write a story with tension and then release the tension, exactly like composing music,” Dercourt said during a press conference organized by the 26th Busan International Film Festival at the Busan Cinema Center on Friday. From 1988 to 1993, he was a viola player with the French Symphony Orchestra and

FilmOct. 8, 2021

Hamaguchi planned to film Cannes-winning 'Drive My Car' in Busan

Award-winning Japanese film director Ryusuke Hamaguchi said Friday he had planned to shoot his latest project in South Korea to learn from the neighboring country's thriving cinema industry. He was in Busan, as his two films, "Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy" and "Drive My Car," were invited to the Gala Presentation section for introducing new projects of the world's renowned filmmakers at the ongoing 26th Busan International Film Festival. (Yonhap)

FilmOct. 8, 2021

More Korean words make it into Oxford English Dictionary

Thanks to the soaring popularity of Korean culture, 26 words and phrases of Korean origin have been included in the latest update to the Oxford English Dictionary. The dictionary was first published in 1884, and the word “Korean” was first added in a 1933 supplement. Food features prominently in the recent update: Banchan are small side dishes served along with rice as part of a typical Korean meal. Bulgogi is a dish consisting of thin slices of beef or pork, which are marinated a

CultureOct. 8, 2021

KNB to present Van Cleef & Arpels-inspired ballet

The Korea National Ballet is to present “Jewels,” choreographed by George Balanchine. The state ballet company will take to the stage with the 1967 ballet for the first time at the Seoul Arts Center from Oct. 20-24. Ballet legend Balanchine, recognized for his neoclassical style, created the work for the New York City Ballet of which he was the artistic director, inspired by the artistry of luxury jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels. The three acts of the plotless ballet depict

PerformanceOct. 8, 2021

[Herald Interview] Conductor ready for new chapter on podium

Conductor Sung Shi-yeon is looking forward to exciting debuts in the European classical music scene during the 2021-22 season. On Nov. 5, Sung is to make her debut with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra based in Amsterdam with a world premiere by Tan Dun and works by Bartok, Verbey and Yun I-sang. Initially, Oscar- and Grammy-winning Chinese composer Tan Dun was to hoist the baton for the premiere of his new work with the RCO. However, the orchestra has replaced him with Sung as Tan Dun is

PerformanceOct. 8, 2021

[Newsmaker] ‘Squid Game’ sensation spreads to Korean content creators

International craze aside, the Netflix original series “Squid Game” is inspiring parodies and send-ups throughout the South Korean entertainment industry. Cable channel Channel A was one of the first to air a parody of the global megahit. “The Fisherman and the City,” a show featuring five Korean TV celebrities who are obsessed with fishing, introduced its cast as if they were “Squid Game” contestants, with tags like those used in the Netflix series. &ldquo

TelevisionOct. 8, 2021