After 18 months of preparation, ‘Billy Elliot’ ready for stage

Four Billies are ready to take to the stage after a 1 1/2 years of training in ballet, tap dance, acrobatics, acting and more. 　 The musical, based on a hit 2000 film of the same name, is set in northern England during the 1984-85 miner’s strike. Working-class boy Billy discovers his passion and talent for ballet and pursues his dream. Elton John composed the score and Lee Hall, who wrote the film’s screenplay, wrote the book and lyrics. 　 A licensed version of the musical &ldquo

PerformanceAug. 23, 2021

Action thriller 'Hostage' tops S. Korean box office over weekend

The South Korean action thriller "Hostage: Missing Celebrity" topped the local weekend box office in its first week of release, data showed Monday. The movie about the kidnapping of star Hwang Jung-min garnered a combined 454,000 ticket sales over the Friday to Saturday period, bringing its combined total to over 638,000 since its release last Wednesday, according to data from the Korean Film Council. The disaster comedy film "Sinkhole" dropped to second place with 326,000

FilmAug. 23, 2021

Rock star Yoon Do-hyun looks back on life through musical

Rock musician Yoon Do-hyun has been able to reminisce about the old days while starring in the musical “Gwanghwamun Sonata.” The musical, produced by CJ ENM, tells the story of middle-aged musician Myungwoo. In a coma on his deathbed, Myungwoo travels back to his past in the ‘80s and ‘90s, guided by Weolha. Yoon plays the title role of Myungwoo along with stage actors Um Ki-joon and Kang Pil-seok. “Myungwoo is a composer who is crazy about music. I can relate

PerformanceAug. 22, 2021

KBS orchestra to go onstage with Chung Myung-whun, Garrick Ohlsson

The KBS Symphony Orchestra is to hold the concert, “Pictures at an Exhibition,” at the Seoul Arts Center on Thursday, joined by maestro Chung Myung-whun and pianist Garrick Ohlsson.   At the upcoming concert, the orchestra will present Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54 and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.   Ohlsson, the winner of the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition, went onstage with the KBS Symphony Orchestra in September 2019,

PerformanceAug. 22, 2021

[Eye Plus] Nostalgic walk along Gyeongchun Line Forest Park

Once serving as the first South Korean-made railway, the Gyeongchun Line delivered cargo, people and memories between Seoul and Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, for more than seven decades beginning 1939. The line terminated operations in 2010, but was reborn into a forest park a few years later.  Gyeongchun Line Forest Park is located in Nowon-gu, northern Seoul. The 6-kilometer-long park is divided into three sections. In the first section, visitors are welcomed with eye-catching murals, c

TravelAug. 21, 2021

Expeller-pressed perilla oil from Happy Jungeun

Perilla oil or “deulgireum” is a staple of many kitchens in Korea. The traditional oil adds a layer of nutty, aromatic warmth to bibimbap and namul, Korean vegetable dishes, and is known for its high content of omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids, which help support a healthy immune system. For schoolteacher-turned-CEO Chung Jung-eun, it was the health benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids present in perilla seeds that played a huge role in her decision to harvest perilla and p

FoodAug. 21, 2021

Country’s first craft museum shows off beauty of Korean craftsmanship

As soon as the Seoul Museum of Craft Art opened in late July near Insa-dong, a popular tourist destination in central Seoul, visitor slots filled up quickly. That was an indication of how long people had waited for a museum dedicated to Korean crafts. The country’s first craft museum occupies the former site of Poongmoon Girls’ High School in Jongno-gu, which relocated to Gangnam-gu in 2017 and became a coed school.  Some of the school buildings have been renovated and turned

Arts & DesignAug. 21, 2021

[Photo News] Water pheasants in Wupo swamp

A family of water pheasants rest in Wupo swamp, located in South Gyeongsang Province. In the middle of the swamp full of lotus leaves, an adult pheasant swims with ducklings. The swamp is the biggest of its kind in the nation, and is well-known as the habitat of more than 300 types of plants and animals.  The water pheasants live near lakes or freshwater swamps, and insects are their main diet. They are known as a polyandrous species, generally reproducing from March to July. Photos: (Y

CultureAug. 21, 2021

New Vatican prefect to celebrate Mass marking 200th anniversary of birth of Korea’s first Catholic priest

Archbishop Lazarus You Heung-sik, the new Vatican prefect, will celebrate a Mass on Saturday to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Korea’s first Roman Catholic priest. The Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican commemorates Andrew Kim Tae-gon, who died in 1846, and will be the first Korean-language Mass at the basilica in six years. The last one was in March 2015, when Korean bishops visited the Vatican to reciprocate Pope Francis’ five-day visit to South Korea i

CultureAug. 21, 2021

British Council Korea, Korea Foundation announce winning climate change project

The British Council Korea and Korea Foundation announced on Friday the winning project on climate change after reviewing projects proposed by cross-border teams from South Korea and the UK. The winning project, “The Greenverse,” was jointly suggested by the Art Center Nabi in Seoul, Watershed, a digital media center in the UK, and Bang and Lee, a Seoul-based artistic duo that explores various aspects of contemporary life such as effects of technology and networked societies. Twen

Arts & DesignAug. 21, 2021

[Herald Interview] ‘Sinkhole,’ disaster movie with comedy twist: Cha Seung-won

Veteran actor Cha Seung-won, 51, is not afraid of challenges. When choosing movies, he tries to pick something out of the ordinary. “I don’t like films that have a single genre. I am into stories with twists. I liked ‘Sinkhole’ because it is a movie about the disaster, but there are comedy elements to it. I love how humor is being used in an extreme situation,” Cha emphasized during an interview via Zoom with a group of local reporters. “It was really funny

FilmAug. 20, 2021

Politically censored S. Korean films to be released online

The Korean Film Archive announced that it will sequentially post a collection of South Korea’s earlier films censored by the state through the Korean Movie Database online history archive center, starting Thursday. The KOFA received donations and preserved some 10,000 materials regarding censorship from the Korea Council for Performing Arts Promotion, the predecessor of the current Korea Media Rating Board, from the mid-1950s to the mid-1990s. In the past, the materials had only been avai

FilmAug. 20, 2021

Former culture minister Park Yang-woo takes presidency of Gwangju Biennale Foundation

Former Culture Minister Park Yang-woo was appointed as the new president of the Gwangju Biennale Foundation which will become his second time to lead the organization, according to the foundation. “Park will start his new position as early as this month. The presidency term is three years and allows consecutive terms,” an official from the foundation told The Korea Herald on Friday. The announcement of the new president was made after the committee meeting held Tuesday. Park pre

Arts & DesignAug. 20, 2021

KTO sets goal to attract a million visitors to Ulleungdo

With the aim of boosting the presence of Ulleungdo as a global tourist destination for both local and global visitors in the next five years, the Korea Tourism Organization has joined hands with Ulleung County and Kolon Glotech, Inc., the KTO announced Friday. Ulleungdo, an island east of South Korea is 72.86 square kilometers in size, and has a population of about 10,153. The island is known for its well preserved natural environment along the coast and its geographic significance, overlookin

TravelAug. 20, 2021

TV queens set to return to small screen in fall

The South Korean entertainment scene is expected to experience a heated-up competition this fall among breakout A-list celebrities who will return to the small screen after years of absence. JTBC will open up the "star wars" with the melodrama "Lost," starring Cannes-winning Jeon Do-yeon, premiering on Sept. 4. Choosing the show for her return to TV five years after "The Good Wife" (2016), Jeon will play a ghostwriter who has done her best but suddenly realizes he

TelevisionAug. 20, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Sinkhole (Korea) Opened Aug. 11 Comedy Directed by Kim Ji-hoon Although he has an annoying neighbor (Cha Seung-won), office worker Dong-won (Kim Sung-kyun) is very happy that he finally has become a homeowner after saving up for more than 10 years. Dong-won invites his co-workers over to his new place for a housewarming party, but the next morning the building falls into a giant sinkhole. The Suicide Squad (US) Opened Aug. 4 Action Directed by James Gunn Intelligence officer Amanda Waller (Vi

FilmAug. 20, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

JW Marriott Hotel offers ‘Truly Flavors’ promotion Flavors, the luxury buffet dining establishment at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul, is offering the “Truly Flavors” promotion, with a special selection of pass-around dishes that celebrate the restaurant’s variety of cuisines. 　 The promotion began Monday and runs to Sept. 30, featuring freshly cooked dishes served by the chefs. Dishes are decided daily, chosen from among filo pastry lamb chops, macaroni with a three-chee

FoodAug. 20, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Festival The Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Festival is taking place at the Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Center in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, from Sept. 24-27. The festival celebrates Korea’s unique celadon, “buncheongsagi.” Programs promoting buncheongsagi, including cooking with buncheong ceramic pots and pottery making, will be available. 　　　 The event is free to visitors of all ages. More information can be found at festival.buncheong.net. Ro

TravelAug. 20, 2021

Virtual comics fest to be held next month

Comics and web-based cartoons will be virtually screened at the 24th Bucheon International Comics Festival from Sept. 4, the festival’s organizers said in a press release Thursday. The annual festival, hosted by the Korea Manhwa Contents Agency, is being held online for the second consecutive year via its YouTube channel. The theme of this year’s festival is “new normal, new connection,” highlighting the change in lifestyle as a result from the extended social distancin

CartoonAug. 19, 2021

Violinist searches for ‘Spiritual Reflections’

Violinist Stephen Kim is to hold a recital on Sunday at the Seoul Arts Center, opening the 2021 Hic et Nunc! music festival organized by the string ensemble Sejong Soloists. The Korean American violinist, 26, won the third prize at the 2019 Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition. It is his first solo recital in Korea. 　 “The title of the recital is ‘Spiritual Reflection.’ I wanted to create a program consisting of -- of course something that I enjoy playing -- but

PerformanceAug. 19, 2021