[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Westin Josun Seoul launches Fall in Record package The Westin Josun Seoul‘s Fall in Record package offers unforgettable memories to take home with film cameras and quality music this fall. Black-and-white film brand Ilford Photo’s camera will be provided to guests staying in executive rooms, and up to 27 images can be taken. Junior suites will be equipped with turntables and a collection of records, and guests will be given two complimentary glasses of a Macallan whisky cocktail.

FoodAug. 27, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Yangyang Salmon Festival The Yangyang Salmon Festival is taking place at the Yangyang Namdae Stream in Yangyang, Gangwon Province, from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31. The festival celebrates one of the city‘s famed specialties of the sea. The annual event is held in mid-October when the salmon return to spawn. The festival offers activities including salmon tasting, salmon rubbing and salmon ecology exhibitions. Visitors of all ages are welcome and admission is free. More information can be foun

TravelAug. 27, 2021

Korean paella chef competes in world tournament with ‘Samgye-paella’

A nation’s renowned traditional dish does not always have to be cooked and served by the locals to be the best-tasting version. Chefs from around the world today often discover their own mix of recipes, adding unique flavors while still maintaining the essence of the original. An online preliminary round of the 2021 World Paella Day Cup hosted by the Tourist Office of Spain is currently under way to decide on the eight chefs who will compete in the final round on Sept. 20, to be held i

FoodAug. 27, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Hostage: Missing Celebrity (Korea) Opened Aug. 18 Thriller, Action Directed by Pil Gam-seong Famous actor Hwang Jung-min, played by himself, is kidnapped in Seoul without any witnesses or evidence left behind. At first, the actor thinks it is a prank, but he soon realizes the seriousness of the situation. He tries to escape from the kidnappers who demand a huge ransom within 24 hours. Sinkhole (Korea) Opened Aug. 11 Comedy Directed by Kim Ji-hoon Although he has an annoying neighbor (Cha Se

FilmAug. 27, 2021

‘D.P.’ to present unfamiliar side of Korean Army

“D.P.,” directed by Han Jun-hee, will be released Aug. 27 starring Jung Hae-in as a young private assigned to capture Army deserters. Short for “Deserter Pursuit,” the upcoming Netflix original series shows the life of Pvt. Jun-ho (played by Jung) and Cpl. Ho-yeol (played by Koo Kyo-hwan) and reveals the reasons some soldiers try to escape the Army. “For Koreans, the Army is a place with a lot of meaning, so I was focused on making the audience feel empathy while

FilmAug. 26, 2021

Stage musicals embrace Korean traditional music to meet diversified demand

South Korea's stage musicals have joined hands with gukak, or Korean traditional music, to meet the rising demand of Korean people for diversified cross-genre shows. Musical "Pan" has been gaining more-than-expected popularity since it premiered in July at Jeongdong Theater, a state-run venue that stages traditional performing arts. Set in the late 19th century of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), the show tells the story of Dalsu, a nobleman who wants to become the best storyteller in

PerformanceAug. 26, 2021

Banksy Seoul show embroiled in replica controversy

When the news spread that Banksy’s works would be shown in Seoul at the exhibition “The Art of Banksy - Without Limits,” it became one of the most anticipated shows. The exhibition kicked off Friday at Seouliteum in eastern Seoul after touring 11 countries since 2016. A total of 25,000 tickets were sold in preorders before the opening, reflecting the popularity of the works and curiosity about the mysterious artist. Soon after the show’s opening, visitors began postin

Arts & DesignAug. 26, 2021

Bang Min-ah wins rising star award at NY film fest

Actor Bang Min-ah, widely known as Minah of K-pop girl group Girl’s Day, has won an award at the New York Asian Film Festival 2021. The 20th edition of NYAFF was held virtually and in-person at the Lincoln Center, New York, from Aug. 6-22. Bang won the Rising Star Asia Award for her role as Kang-yi in the Korean film “Snowball,” directed by Lee Woo-jung. The film, an adaptation of the award-winning novel “The Best Life” by Lim Sol-ah, revolves around three teena

FilmAug. 25, 2021

Movie stars to return to small screen

South Korean movie stars are turning up on TV dramas in the second half of the year, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing number of streaming platforms. Many household names who have been mostly working in film are returning to the small screen after years of absence. Lee Ha-nee and Cannes winner Jeon Do-yeon will kick off a season full of dramas starring big-screen actors. Jeon is returning to TV for the first time since her 2015 hit tvN drama “The Good Wife.” The a

TelevisionAug. 25, 2021

Netflix released films to be screened in local CGV theaters

Due to the COVID-19 situation, some Korean movies have chosen to skip their theatrical release and gone straight to Netflix. But now, these movies will be screened in local CGV theaters, according to Netflix on Wednesday. Last year amid the pandemic, the number of people who visited local theaters plunged 74 percent from the previous year. It was the greatest decline since the Korean Film Council started compiling box office data in 2004. This drop led thriller “Time to Hunt,” direc

FilmAug. 25, 2021

Korea to ax games curfew

　The South Korean government is to abolish the controversial “shutdown law,” lifting the curfew that blocks access to online games by underage users late at night 10 years after the law came into force. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced the decision Wednesday, saying they will scrap the shutdown law out of respect for the rights of youths and encourage education at home. Underage gamers will be protected from ex

CultureAug. 25, 2021

Ballet dancers to present own works

Korean National Ballet dancers are to present their own choreographed works through the “KNB Movement Series 6” show this weekend. The KNB is to go onstage on Saturday and Sunday at the Seoul Arts Center, presenting original works choreographed by its members, including principal dancer Park Seul-ki’s “Imagine,” principal dancer Shin Seung-won’s “Harmonia,” soloist Kang Hyo-hyung’s “Mannequin’s Story,” soloist Bae Min-so

PerformanceAug. 24, 2021

Country’s leading museums step forward to find breakthrough amid pandemic

Three museums in Korea have come together to find a way to persevere amid the pandemic through a new online platform aimed at audiences from home and abroad. ARKO Art Center, Art Sonje Center and Nam June Paik Art Center have launched the website “Kind Neighbors,” which will operate as an online common place for three months. Artists, curators and experts from both inside and outside the art world will join the new platform.  “Amid the urgent priorities of the social

Arts & DesignAug. 24, 2021

EBS doc festival showcases daily life around the world

Selected documentaries from around the world are being presented at the 18th EBS International Documentary Festival 2021 until Sunday on public broadcaster EBS. EBS International Documentary Festival, which began Monday, is Korea’s only documentary festival that combines TV broadcasting with online and theater screenings. Under the slogan “normal is now special,” the EIDF seeks to send a hopeful message of overcoming the pandemic and documenting the slowly vanishing moments o

FilmAug. 24, 2021

Selections from 22nd Jeonju International Film Festival to be rescreened

The Jeonju International Film Festival will hold a special event, “ Falling in Jeonju,” from Sept. 9 to 12 to screen a selection of films that drew great attention during the film festival that was held from April 29 to May 8. Thirty movies -- 16 features and 14 short films -- that were screened during this year’s film fest will be presented. The opening film of the 22nd Jeonju IFF, “Father” directed by Srdan Golubovic, is included in the list of films to be scr

FilmAug. 24, 2021

English translations of Korean poems published in US

Two books of Korean poetry have recently been published in the US, one by a veteran poet and another by an emerging young talent. The Daesan Foundation announced Monday the publication of “Monarch Butterfly,” with selected poems by poet and literary critic Choi Dong-ho, and “Catcalling,” another collection by Lee Soho, in English by Mudus Artium Press and OpenLetterBooks, respectively. “Monarch Butterfly” is a selection of 51 of Choi’s poems from his 5

BooksAug. 24, 2021

Expanded platforms call big-name film directors to small screen

As the entertainment horizon has been widened thanks to the advent of global streaming platforms, not only silver screen stars but also big-name film directors are making the switch to television or even smaller devices like mobile phones. Director Lee Joon-ik of the historical dramas "The King and the Clown" (2005) and "The Throne" (2015) will make his small screen debut with "Beyond The Memory," an original series by Korean streamer Tving and a TV adaptation of a

TelevisionAug. 24, 2021

Korean paper collage series a nod toward shaman rituals

Installation artist Yang Hae-gue will unveil her paper collage series titled “Mesmerizing Mesh” on Tuesday at Kukje Gallery in central Seoul, a year after she showed a glimpse of her paper artwork at her solo exhibition held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. The “Mesmerizing Mesh” collage series is created with hanji, Korean mulberry paper, and inspired by “kkasugi,” or sacred paper cutting, which refers to shaman paper objects o

Arts & DesignAug. 23, 2021

Artist collaborations are latest web entertainment

Web-based entertainment programs featuring the inner workings of collaboration projects between artists have emerged as a new trend in the Korean music industry. 　 In early August, KQ Entertainment announced that its K-pop boy band Ateez was working with veteran singer Kim Jong-kook on a duet summer song. The agency also hinted that the collaboration would not be limited to music. “Starting Aug. 11, fans can see how Ateez’s new song with Kim Jong-kook is being produced in the real

PerformanceAug. 23, 2021

[Herald Interview] Film on film: ‘The Rain Comes Soon’ is comedy about releasing movie during pandemic

It was a hot summer day last year when director Ko Bong-soo decided to start making his new comedy film, “The Rain Comes Soon,” about a director who releases a film during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Since the virus outbreak, many people had been saying that they felt depressed. As a filmmaker, I thought about what I could do to make the situation better. Since my specialty is making comedy films, I decided to make people laugh,” Ko said during an interview with The Korea H

FilmAug. 23, 2021