[Eye Plus] Gwanghalluwon, old garden bearing love story of Chunhyang

Well known as the setting of the popular classical Korean love story “Chunhyangjeon,” Gwanghalluwon Garden is a home to beautiful architecture and natural landscape with lake, trees, and an iconic stone bridge. Located in Namwon, North Jeolla Province, the garden was built by Hwang Hui, a famous politician during the reign of King Sejong of Joseon Dynasty.  Hwang Hui first set up a pavilion, which was originally named as Gwangtongnu Pavilion in 1419. Later, in 1444, Gov. Jeong

TravelAug. 14, 2021

[Anniversary Special] Korean museums betting its future on metaverse

Beginning with the National Museum of Korea’s decision to shut down in February last year due to COVID-19, museums around the country have been going back and forth between opening and closing in response to the ongoing virus situation. This has led museums to come up with new ways of presenting their exhibitions to the public virtually. A notable alternative that many museums have recently come up with for the COVID-19 era is the use of metaverse. A combination of “meta”

CultureAug. 14, 2021

[Anniversary Special] Stage lights stay lit, but flicker now and then

It has been a year and a half since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Though we are still struggling to find our way out of this global crisis, the local performing arts industry has learned to cope through trial and error. Unlike the situation early last year, when South Korea’s performing arts community was pushed to the brink, theaters and performing arts companies are finding ways to keep the arts going in trying times.  The show must go on The performing arts sector has been one

PerformanceAug. 14, 2021

Classic Revolution 2021 offers ‘light of hope’

Though the fourth wave of the pandemic is yet to be contained, Classic Revolution 2021 wants to offer a light of hope to audiences in these trying times. Following the first run last year, the Lotte Concert Hall in eastern Seoul is holding the second edition of the summer music festival from Friday to Aug. 22, highlighting celebrated German composer Brahms and Piazzolla, whose 100th anniversary of birth is celebrated this year. 　 The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will kick off the 10-day fest

PerformanceAug. 13, 2021

[Eye interview] Documenting Korean history, culture for future generations

His penname “Gamro,” given to him by a Buddhist monk, means “spreading a valuable message to the people.” Korean-American photojournalist Kang Hyung-won is trying to live up to that name. Kang is a man on a mission. The winner of two Pulitzer Prizes – one in 1993 for coverage of the 1992 LA riots with the Los Angeles Times and the other in 1999 for coverage of the Bill Clinton impeachment and the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal for the Associated Press -- aims to highlig

CultureAug. 13, 2021

Documentary ‘Assassins’ focuses on aftermath of murder of N. Korean leader’s half-brother

Ryan White’s documentary “Assassins” tells the story of Siti Aisyah from Indonesia and Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam -- the two women who killed Kim Jong-un’s half-brother Kim Jong-nam -- and what happened to them afterward. The documentary features surveillance footage of the murder of Kim Jong-nam and shows how the two women were arrested. It also shows how they were duped into smearing the lethal chemical agent VX on Kim Jong-nam’s face at Kuala Lumpur Internatio

FilmAug. 12, 2021

DMZ Docs aims to be leading documentary film festival in Asia

The 13th DMZ International Documentary Film Festival will kick off in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Sept. 9 under the theme of “peace, communication and life.” DMZ Docs, which uses images taken by Korean documentary photographers every year for its poster, unveiled this year’s poster, titled “Baek Gi-wan’s fist.” The image, taken by photographer Noh Sun-tag, shows the clenched fist of social activist Baek Gi-wan who passed away in February. “The fist r

FilmAug. 12, 2021

Ballet pays tribute to revered Korean independence fighter

“Ahn Jung-geun, a Dance in the Heaven” will take the stage at the Seoul Arts Center from Friday to Sunday, in celebration of South Korea’s Liberation Day on Aug. 15. The ballet, which premiered in 2015, tells the story of Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910). This year marks the 111st anniversary of his death. Ahn is one of Korea’s most honored independence fighters. He assassinated Ito Hirobumi, Korean’s first Japanese Resident-General during t

PerformanceAug. 12, 2021

Disaster-comedy 'Sinkhole' sets opening-day record for S. Korean movie this year

Disaster-comedy film "Sinkhole" has attracted over 147,000 moviegoers on the first day of its release, marking this year's highest opening-day attendance for a South Korean movie, data showed Thursday. The film drew 147,304 viewers upon its debut on Wednesday, pushing two-week box office leader "Escape from Mogadishu" to No. 2, according to data compiled by the Korean Film Council. "Sinkhole" logged the third-highest first-day score among all movies released this

FilmAug. 12, 2021

[Herald interview] Former ambassador recalls harrowing escape from Mogadishu in 1991

The blockbuster film “Escape From Mogadishu,” released July 28, has drawn more than 1.85 million theatergoers, becoming the biggest box office hit so far in a year that is seeing many of the films originally set for release last year finally make it to screens despite the continued pandemic. The harrowing escape scene and the exotic location -- the film was shot in Morocco for three months last year before the pandemic halted virtually all international travel -- are certainly rivet

FilmAug. 12, 2021

Kim Tae-ho makes Netflix debut with ‘The Hungry and the Hairy’

Television director Kim Tae-ho is producing a Netflix original entertainment series titled “The Hungry and the Hairy,” starring the artist Rain and comedian Ro Hong-chul, Netflix said in a press release Monday. According to the global streaming giant, while the release date has yet to be decided the program will be another variety show. Kim previously produced two of South Korea’s longest-running and most successful variety shows, “Infinite Challenge” and “H

TelevisionAug. 11, 2021

Beauty of Korean craft to be presented at Milan Design Week 2021

The beauty of Korean craftsmanship will be showcased during the Milan Design Week 2021, the world’s largest design and craftwork fair, which will take place from Sept. 5 to 10 across Milan, Italy. The Korean exhibition will be held under the theme of “All About Attitude,” directed by Kang Jae-young, presenting 126 craftwork pieces by 21 Korean artisans. The craftwork will encompass those created with glass, metals, ceramics, wood, and Korean lacquer.  The theme explore

Arts & DesignAug. 11, 2021

Musical ‘Hades Town’ postpones opening due to coronavirus cluster

The musical “Hades Town” has postponed its opening for a week after 23 members of its cast and crew tested positive for COVID-19. S&Co, the producer of the licensed Broadway show, announced Tuesday that the opening would be postponed from Aug. 24 to Sept. 7. On Thursday Xiumin of EXO, who plays Orpheus in the show, tested positive, which put a halt to rehearsals. Staffers and actors then went into self-quarantine and were tested from Saturday to Monday. A total of 23 peopl

PerformanceAug. 11, 2021

Brave Girls appointed Korea tourism ambassadors

The Brave Girls, a South Korean band that went on to make K-pop history after five years of anonymity, will be promoting Korea as a tourism destination as part of a campaign titled “Level Up Your Rhythm of Korea.” As honorary cultural ambassadors, the band members have made five new promotional videos to attract tourists with an interest in Hallyu, or the Korean wave, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization said Wednesday a press release. In

TravelAug. 11, 2021

National museum to livestream show featuring Lee Kun-hee’s art collection

The late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee’s art collection, now on display at the National Museum of Korea, will be the subject of a Naver TV livestream Thursday at 7 p.m. The museum decided to stream its exhibition “A Great Cultural Legacy: Masterpieces From the Bequest of the Late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee” because the pandemic situation in Seoul has made it difficult for people to visit in person over the past month. As soon as the exhibition opened July 21, the public s

Arts & DesignAug. 11, 2021

Finding peace in mountains of Pyeongchang

Finding a summer vacation destination amid the prolonged virus crisis and unrelenting heat is not easy. But Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, may provide an answer. Pyeongchang, a three-hour drive east of Seoul, is a highland county. More than 60 percent of its region is situated more than 700 meters above sea level. Though the sun still burns, the wind is cool and inviting. The Winter Olympic city becomes packed with skiers and snowboarders in the colder months, as multiple ski resorts are si

TravelAug. 10, 2021

Prosecution seeks 10 mln-won fine for actor Ha Jung-woo over illegal propofol use

Prosecutors on Tuesday demanded a 10 million-won ($8,700) fine for actor Ha Jung-woo, who admitted to illegal use of propofol in 2019. The 43-year-old screen star has been indicted on charges of taking shots of the anesthesia-inducing medication for non-medical purposes between January and September in 2019. The prosecution requested the Seoul Central District Court impose a monetary penalty as the actor has no previous record of drug abuse and admitted to his crime. Earlier in the hearing, H

TelevisionAug. 10, 2021

CCF 2021 to discuss culture, fairness and communication in pandemic

The Corea Image Communication Institute will jointly host the 2021 Culture Communication Forum with the Culture Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in aims to bolster communication on culture and fairness amidst the pandemic era. The two-day session starting Aug. 31 will hold live online presentations of cultural leaders across the globe, followed by discussion sessions with on-site guests expected to gather at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in Yongsan, central Seoul. Under the theme, &ldqu

CultureAug. 10, 2021

MBC seeks to regain viewers’ trust after Tokyo Games

Terrestrial network MBC plans to retrieve the viewer’s trust by installing a new committee, the company said in a press release on Monday. According to the public broadcaster, MBC seeks to make sure all of its content respects universal values, which the company lacked in its coverage of Tokyo Olympics. “The broadcasting fiasco was from all members’ callousness and insensitivity. We will recover our trust and reputation by initiating a new organization, the Public Interest R

TelevisionAug. 10, 2021

Movie about K-pop to be created with Hollywood producer

Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM on Tuesday announced that a movie about k-pop titled “K-Pop: Lost in America (working title)” will be created jointly with Hollywood producer Lynda Obst. Obst is known for collaborating with director Christopher Nolan to co-produce the science fiction film “Interstellar.” She also produced many hit movies including “Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging” directed by Gurinder Chadha and “Sleepless in Seattle “ direct

FilmAug. 10, 2021