[Photo News] Beauty beams in the South Sea

Hallyeohaesang National Marine Park, located in South Gyeongsang Province, is known as one of the most beautiful places in Korea for its captivating scenery.  Along the trail, the ocean water shines like an emerald and various small islands scattered all around are visible to the naked eye.　 Hikers, relieved to finally reach the top of Mount Geumsan, admire the beauty of the South Sea from afar. Vibrant colors fill the scene as the sun sets, making the landscape look even more like a pai

CultureMarch 20, 2021

Fragrant, multifaceted eats at Esto

At Esto, a wine bar which opened in Sinsa-dong, Seoul, in October, owner-chef Park Joon-beom tinkers with fragrant lavender and smoky romesco to create flavorful, eclectic eats. “Instead of sticking to a single cuisine, I like to take inspiration from a diverse range of cuisines,” Park, 32, said in an email interview. Park, who studied at the Culinary Institute of America and racked up experience at Spanish and French restaurants, draws from his experiences to take classics and r

FoodMarch 20, 2021

Online Korea-UAE Festival to kick off on March 31

South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Culture and Youth will hold the online Korea-UAE Festival from March 31 to April 2. In November 2019, South Korea’s Culture Ministry and the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth held a special meeting during the UNESCO Forum of Ministers of Culture to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. During this meeting, the two countries’ Culture Ministries a

CultureMarch 20, 2021

More than half of Koreans traveled domestically since pandemic

A survey by the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute survey showed that Koreans are becoming more relaxed about domestic travel as the COVID-19 situation continues. KCTI conducted online survey about traveling amid the COVID-19 pandemic in May last year on 2,000 Koreans over 15 and did a follow up survey last November on the same subjects, to which 1,079 responded. The results showed that Koreans became more willing to travel in the six-month period. While only 22.8 percent responded in May t

TravelMarch 20, 2021

Lee Joon-ik chose to focus on life of scholar-poet in upcoming film ‘Book of Fish’

Director Lee Joon-ik, a master of period films, chose to focus on the life of Joseon scholar Jeong Yak-jeon in his upcoming movie “Book of Fish.” “I think there is an error in looking into and defining certain periods only by historical events and wars,” Lee said during a press conference at the Megabox Coex theater in Samseong-dong, Seoul, Thursday. He added that audiences are simply used to this because many existing period films approach stories this way. “By

FilmMarch 19, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Enjoy spring at Novotel Ambassador Doksan Novotel Ambassador Doksan offers a spring picnic package until the end of May, allowing guests to enjoy both a staycation and a picnic. The package comes with a one-night stay, a picnic set consisting of two Americanos and one sandwich, and complementary use of the fitness club with its sauna, indoor swimming pool and gym. Those reserving online with a Novotel Ambassador account will be provided with a picnic mat and two picnic chairs on a first-come,

FoodMarch 19, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Hadong Tea Festival The 24th Hadong Tea Festival will be held online from May 15 to 23. The organizers of the festival discussed canceling the annual event due to concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they decided to hold the festival to promote the 2022 Handong World Tea Expo. To prevent spread of the virus, this year‘s festival will mainly feature contactless online programs with limited offline activities held across Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province. To hel

TravelMarch 19, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Mauritanian (US) Opened March 17 Drama Directed by Kevin Macdonald Attorney Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster ) and her associate Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley) decide to take on the case of Mohamedou Ould Salahi (Tahar Rahim), who has been held for years at Guantanamo Bay Prison Camp by the US Government without a single charge or the possibility of a trial. Nobody was willing to take his case because Slahi was captured on the suspicion that he was involved in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist atta

FilmMarch 19, 2021

S. Korean box office hits record low in Feb.

The number of moviegoers plunged to a record low for February amid the prolonged novel coronavirus pandemic, box office data showed Thursday. A total of 3.1 million people went to theaters last month, down 57.8 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). The figure marked the lowest among all February numbers since KOFIC started to compile box office data in 2004. The box office revenue also tumbled 53.9 percent on-year to 28.7 billion won (US$25.5

FilmMarch 18, 2021

Upcoming virtual Seoul Fashion Week takes it up a notch

The upcoming 2021 fall-winter Seoul Fashion Week, Korea’s largest fashion event, will feature 43 designer brands showcasing their collections at museums alongside artworks and national treasures. “The runways at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, could be considered as an artistic interaction between two artists,” said Seoul Fashion Week Director Jeon Mi-kyung during a press conference held on Wednesday in Seoul. “The runways are filmed quite c

Arts & DesignMarch 17, 2021

Culture Station Seoul 284 explores 2 border towns

Exhibition “Border-less.site,” co-hosted by the Korea Craft & Design Foundation and Junglim Foundation, opened to the public Wednesday at Culture Station Seoul 284, which is the old Seoul Station building. 　 The “Border-less.site” exhibition was developed as part of Culture Station Seoul 284’s regional research and exhibition initiative, following the “DMZ” and “Kaesong Industrial Complex” exhibitions in 2019 and 2018, respectively. T

Arts & DesignMarch 17, 2021

Rain to star in upcoming drama ‘Ghost Doctor’

Actor and singer Jung Ji-hoon, also known as Rain, confirmed on Wednesday that he will play the lead role of Cha Young-min in upcoming fantasy medical drama “Ghost Doctor.” The drama is about two doctors with polar opposite backgrounds, medical skills and personalities fusing together in body and soul. Cha is a selfish and proud doctor with unparalleled medical expertise. After being involved in a series of unexpected events, he works hard as a character that enters the body of ot

TelevisionMarch 17, 2021

'Minari' tops S. Korean box office, expected to get Oscar bump

"Minari," the drama film about a Korean American immigrant family, continued its rally at the South Korean box office and is expected to get a major boost thanks to its six Oscar nominations, including best picture, data showed Wednesday. The US movie garnered nearly 20,000 moviegoers the previous day, with a total of 531,000, according to the data from the Korean Film Council. Since its release on March 3, it has not missed the top position for the past 14 days at the local box offi

FilmMarch 17, 2021

'Minari' director says grandma's minari blesses him with Oscar nominations

Director Lee Isaac Chung of "Minari" said his six Oscar nominations, including best picture, are a blessing of his grandmother's minari, the watery plant that gives the film its title. "I couldn't imagine this happening as we struggled on the journey to make this film, and now I understand why Oscar moments are filled with endless thank yous," he said through Pancinema, the South Korean distributor of "Minari," on Wednesday. "I feel incredibly grateful to th

FilmMarch 17, 2021

JTBC’s one-act play continues with ‘Off the Course’

Broadcasting company JTBC continued its annual one-act play TV series “JTBC Drama Festa” with “Off the Course” which aired Monday and Tuesday. JTBC Drama Festa, which kicked off in 2017, gives rookie directors and screenwriters a chance to make a debut. Similar programs include KBS’ “Drama Special” and tvN’s “Drama Stage.” Although viewership rating remained low at less than 2 percent in previous years, actors, directors and screenwri

TelevisionMarch 17, 2021

Contemporary masters from Taiwan, China, offer hope

Frustration comes easily in challenging times -- especially amid a pandemic that continues on for more than a year, disrupting our lives and causing a global economic downturn. The first major solo exhibitions of two influential contemporary artists -- Chen Chieh-jen of Taiwan and Yue Minjun of China -- offer comfort and help to relieve depressed feelings in their own ways, presenting either dismal atmospheres or ironic images. Chen’s “Traumatized Body and Transformed Self,&rdqu

Arts & DesignMarch 16, 2021

S. Korean actress Han Yeri contributes to Oscar-nominated original score of 'Minari'

Behind the original soundtrack of the drama film "Minari," nominated for best score at the upcoming Oscars and five other awards including best picture, is South Korean actress Han Yeri. "Minari" is Korean American director Lee Isaac Chung's semiautobiographical film about a family of Korean immigrants who start a farm in 1980s Arkansas in pursuit of the American dream from the point of view of David (Alan Kim) and his parents, Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica (Han Yeri). Alo

FilmMarch 16, 2021

[Newsmaker] Oscar nomination caps Youn’s five-decade career

On Monday night, Youn Yuh-jung became the first South Korean actor to be nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actress. She is being recognized at the 93rd Academy Awards for her performance in the US film “Minari,” directed by Lee Isaac Chung. “I am actually honored just to be nominated,” Yoon said in a statement released through her management agency after the announcement on Monday. “I am not a big fan of competition. I cannot even watch TV programs that r

FilmMarch 16, 2021

French original ‘Les Miserables’ musical concert to come to Korea

The original French concert version of the musical “Les Miserables” will go onstage in South Korea on April 30 and run for about a month. The concert is inspired by the musical “Les Miserables,” adapted from Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel of the same name. Since its French premiere in 1980, the musical has been performed in 44 countries before 70 million audience members. The concert version was staged in Seoul and Busan in 2019, and tickets were sold out for all per

PerformanceMarch 16, 2021

[#WeFACE] Eco-friendly materials become popular in fashion

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles on eco-friendly fashion highlighting new fabrics, manufacturing processes and trends that aim to improve environmental sustainability. - Ed.  Roanna Tan from Singapore found out about Korean vegan fashion brand Marhen J from an advertisement on social media Instagram and decided to make a purchase. The fact that it was made with vegan leather initially drew Tan’s interest but she was also happy with the design and quality. &ldq

Arts & DesignMarch 16, 2021