[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Yellow Forest in Kimcheon Kimcheon City in North Gyeongsang Province has set up a forest decorated with yellow furniture pieces and objects, named the “Yellow Forest.” The project was inspired by the Purple Island in Sinan. Two islands in the Sinan area in South Jeolla Province are blanketed in a hue of purple, with all the roofs and streets painted purple. Kimcheon City hopes to attract tourists with its new Yellow Forest. It will feature hands-on activities such as woodcraft cl

TravelApril 23, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Recalled (Korea) Opened April 21 Thriller Directed by Seo You-min Soo-jin(Seo Yea-ji) wakes up after an accident but she lost part of her memory. Fortunately, her husband Ji-hoon (Kim Kang-woo) is there to take care of her. After returning home, Soo-Jin realized that she now has a special power to see the future of people, the moments when they are about to face dangerous situations. 　 Seobok (Korea) Opened April 15 Science fiction Directed by Lee Yong-joo Ki-hun (Gong Yoo) is a former intell

FilmApril 23, 2021

Artworks held by late Samsung chairman likely to be donated to MMCA, National Museum of Korea

Several modern and contemporary artworks in the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee’s collection may be headed to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. “The discussion about Lee’s art collection donation to the museum is continuing. Details are yet to be disclosed, but we will announce the result when the matter is settled,” a public relations official from the MMCA told The Korea Herald. “We can’t say how many works are under discus

Arts & DesignApril 21, 2021

[Video] Pet funeral: Offering farewell to companion animals in Korea

South Korea’s pet scene is steadily growing, with pets in 1 in 4 households, adding up to some 10.5 million companion animals, according to data gathered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. In proportion to the growing number, a proper farewell to the animals’ last moments has become part of the culture. Various types of pet funeral homes have been grabbing the attention of pet guardians, with 21gram among them. 21gram manages the funeral process of not only cat

CultureApril 21, 2021

Korean Buddhist monks denied special entry permit to Myanmar

The Social and Labor Affairs Committee of the Jogye Order, the nation’s largest Buddhist sect, was denied special entry permits into Myanmar for three Korean monks. The Ven. Jimong, chairperson of the committee of the Jogye Order, submitted documents to the Myanmar Embassy to Korea on April 1, requesting special permits to visit the beleaguered country. The permit request was for three monks -- the Ven. Jimong, Hyedo and Jongsu. “This morning, we officially heard from the Minis

CultureApril 21, 2021

Kang Ha-neul, Chun Woo-hee team up in romance film ‘Rain and Your Story’

Kang Ha-neul is returning to the big screen for the first time in three years, teaming up with actor Chun Woo-hee in the romance film “Rain and Your Story,” directed by Jo Jin-mo. The movie begins with a narration by Young-ho (Kang Ha-neul): ”This is a story about waiting.” Set mostly in 2003, “Rain and Your Story” introduces Young-ho who is studying for his third Suneung, the national college entrance exam, in Seoul. One day, he suddenly decides to write a

FilmApril 21, 2021

[Newsmaker] Were they ever gone?

As the movie “Seobok” hit the top of South Korean box office, lead actor Gong Yoo conducted interviews and promoted the movie. However, co-star Park Bo-gum was nowhere to be seen – he is serving his mandatory military service. Still, with last year’s tvN drama series “Record of Youth” featuring Park, “Seobok” currently in theaters and upcoming movie “Wonderland” scheduled for release later this year, Park’s absence from the ente

CultureApril 21, 2021

Youn Yuh-jung from 'Minari' predicted to win best supporting actress in 2021 Oscars: poll

South Korean screen veteran Youn Yuh-jung has risen to become a safe front-runner in the race for the 2021 Oscars' best supporting actress for her role in the immigration film "Minari," a poll by an American awards prediction website showed Wednesday. As of 10 a.m., the 74-year-old actress garnered 4,583 votes from experts, editors and internet users to rank No. 1 in Gold Derby's Oscars race poll, greatly outpacing four other nominees in the category. Maria Bakalova from "Borat

FilmApril 21, 2021

Chamber music to celebrate Beethoven’s belated birthday

The Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music will sing “Ode to Joy” to celebrate a belated 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, after the program was postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The spring festival last year was pushed back to the fall where they presented a non-Beethoven repertoire, as well as to observe the required social distancing measures. “This year, we will do what we could not do last year,” Kang Dong-suk, violinist and artistic

PerformanceApril 20, 2021

[After COVID-19] Exodus from standardized apartments as people seek interaction, nature

Following is the second article in a three-part series that explores housing in the post-pandemic era. -- Ed. Although many architects have voiced the need to diversify the residential environment in South Korea, where standardized large-scale apartment complexes are the dominant form of housing, change has been slow as apartments are considered investments. Yet the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the need for discussions on the residential environment in Korea and has accelerated some chan

CultureApril 19, 2021

Daniel Barenboim cancels recital, citing quarantine rules

In the pandemic era, the mandatory two-week quarantine remains a great obstacle for the performing arts scene. Acclaimed conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim was slated to hold a recital at the Seoul Arts Center on May 19 to mark the release of his Deutsche Grammophon Beethoven piano sonata album. It was to have been his first piano recital in South Korea. But production agency Inarts Production announced Friday that the recital was canceled as Barenboim was not granted exemption from the

PerformanceApril 19, 2021

Korean lawyer’s webtoon about copyright published jointly with WIPO

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the World Intellectual Property Organization on Monday announced the joint publication of webtoon “Let’s draw a dream” about the importance of copyrights, created by Korean lawyer Lee Young-wook. “We are glad that we could work with a professional from our country to create a webtoon that can increase the understanding of the importance of copyrights,” a Culture Ministry official said in a statement. Lee is currentl

BooksApril 19, 2021

Weverse expands further with addition of Jeremy Zucker

Rising pop star Jeremy Zucker became the fourth foreign label artist to join Weverse, the fan community platform run by Hybe, on Monday. Zucker gained worldwide fame in 2018 with his song “comethru.” Thereafter, acoustic melodies and honest lyrics in his collaborations with American singer-songwriter Chelsea Cutler that included “You were Good to Me,” “All the Kids are Depressed,” “Always, I’ll Care,“ among others, helped him build up a sol

PerformanceApril 19, 2021

Sci-fi blockbuster 'Seobok' tops weekend box office upon release

The homegrown blockbuster "Seobok" topped the South Korean box office over the weekend upon its release, data showed Monday. Released Thursday, "Seobok" garnered 163,000 viewers from Friday to Sunday to rank No. 1, according to the data compiled by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). As of Sunday, over 210,000 people in total visited theaters to watch the sci-fi film, directed by Lee Yong-joo and starring two of the country's heartthrobs -- Gong Yoo and Park Bo-gum. The movie

FilmApril 19, 2021

[Newsmaker] With Mayor Oh in office, eyes are on Kim Ou-joon of TBS’ ‘News Factory’

Left-wing radio host Kim Ou-joon of Traffic Broadcasting System’s “News Factory” is under fire from right-wing party members as they challenge Kim’s outspoken political partisan views on a public-funded traffic news radio station, as well as his pay. TBS’ “News Factory” has been the most popular radio program in Korea since 2018, according to Hankook Research. Kim, who has been the show’s host since 2016, was listed as the second most influential

CultureApril 18, 2021

[Eye Plus] Ancient martial arts resurrected

Tourists watch in awe as warriors in colorful armor swing their crescent moon swords and cut through thick bamboo and bundles of straw.  Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and also the stage for the revival of the Joseon-period’s 24 Martial Arts. The 24 Martial Arts refer to 24 martial art techniques of the Muyedobotongji, a comprehensive illustrated manual comprised of four volumes complied in 1790 by King Jeongjo, the 22nd king of

Arts & DesignApril 17, 2021

[Photo News] Jeju horses in green grassland

Staff of the Jeju Stockbreeding Promotion Institute release Jeju horses at Jeju Horse Pastureland, located on the side of Hallasan. Before being set free in the pastures of Hallasan, 83 Jeju horses spent the last winter in pastureland inside the institute.  The horses, designated as National Treasure No. 347, enjoy their freedom in Yonggang-dong of Jeju City. (Photos: Yonhap) By Yoon Chae-won (choenayoon@heraldcorp.com)

CultureApril 17, 2021

Korean Pavilion at Venice Architecture Biennale to shed light on global challenges, offer online lectures

The Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale’s 17th International Architecture Exhibition will present “Future School,” curated by architect Shin Hae-won, at the national pavilion and virtual platform of “Future School Online.” The upcoming Venice Architecture Biennale will run May 22 to Nov. 21 in Venice, Italy under the theme of “How will we live together?” curated by Lebanese architect and scholar Hashim Sarkis. The Korean Pavilion at this year&rsqu

Arts & DesignApril 17, 2021

Millennials, Gen Z set latest travel trends

Millennials and Gen Z are trend leaders in tourism amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Korea Tourism Organization. The KTO, which analyzed data from local mobile carrier KT from January 2019 to December 2020, said that different generations travel in a different manner. In 2020, the total movement rate for tourism decreased by 7.1 percent compared to the previous year, while movement in one’s own residential area increased by 3.4 percent. Generation Z, or the Zoomers, visit

TravelApril 17, 2021

Upcoming Art Busan to feature renowned international galleries

  Art Busan is gearing up for its 10th edition, scheduled to kick off May 13 at the Bexco Exhibition Center in Busan with 110 galleries. Among them are some renowned international galleries, joining for the first time amid rapidly growing interest in the art market in South Korea. Participating galleries from abroad include Neugerriemschneider and Esther Schipper from Berlin, Commonwealth and Council from Los Angeles and Pilar Corrias from London. A total of 4,000 artworks will be on dis

Arts & DesignApril 16, 2021