Erick Oh’s ‘Opera’ nominated for Oscar in best animated short film category

South Korean director Erick Oh’s short animation “Opera” made the final list of nominees Monday for the Oscar for best animated short film. “It is such an incredible honor to have ‘Opera’ nominated for an Oscar!” said Oh from California. “I hope this recognition will bring a very positive impact on all the creators and audiences out there because ‘Opera’ presents a different way to view and enjoy the medium of animation.” The u

FilmMarch 16, 2021

'Minari' celebrates 'history-making' Oscar nominations

Producers of "Minari" have celebrated its six Oscar nominations, including best picture, highlighting the "history-making" achievement of the drama film about a Korean American immigrant family. "'Minari' makes history," said a post on the official Twitter account of the film, directed by Korean American Lee Isaac Chung, on Monday (US time). "Congratulations to Isaac, Steven (Yeun), YJ (Youn Yuh-jung), Emile (Mosseri) and the whole 'Minari' family on their six

FilmMarch 16, 2021

[Video] Unique designs save the planet

The burning of leftover inventory to preserve brand value is still a common practice in the fashion industry. Other items end up in landfills. But brands are coming up with new ideas to minimize waste and hopefully save the environment. RE;CODE is a South Korean fashion brand launched in 2012 by Kolon Industries. Under the slogan “This is not just fashion,” the brand aims to encourage conscientious purchasing by upcycling deadstock. Choi Young-jin, a senior designer at RE;CODE, dis

Arts & DesignMarch 16, 2021

Oscar-nominee Youn Yuh-jung reaches career peak at age of 73

Youn Yuh-jung has a career that spans over half a century, with a number of hit films and TV series under her belt. At the age of 73, the veteran actress has made South Korean film history by being nominated for best supporting actress at the 93rd Academy Awards for her performance in the US immigration film "Minari." No other Korean actor, even stars from the Oscar-winning "Parasite," has received an Oscar nomination. Born in 1947, Youn rose to fame in South Korea with her

PeopleMarch 15, 2021

S. Korean Youn Yuh-jung of 'Minari' nominated for best supporting actress at Academy Awards

Youn Yuh-jung was nominated for best supporting actress at this year's Academy Awards for her role in "Minari," becoming the first South Korean actress to achieve the feat. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled its final list of nominations for the 2021 Oscars Awards. The awards ceremony will take place next month. Youn, who plays an eccentric grandmother in "Minari," will vie for the prize of best actress in a supporting role with Maria Bakalova for &quo

FilmMarch 15, 2021

BTS fails to win Grammy, but achieves K-pop milestone

Though K-pop superstar band BTS failed to secure a Grammy with its latest single, “Dynamite,” the septet delivered an epic performance as the first South Korean act to perform at the music event. The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards were held Sunday night in Los Angeles in a hybrid format that featured pretaped performances. The septet’s single “Dynamite” -- the first single the group has performed entirely in English -- was nominated in the Pop Duo/Group Performance

PerformanceMarch 15, 2021

Richard Yongjae O’Neill wins Grammy with concerto recording

Third time’s the charm for violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill. The three-time Grammy nominee took home the award for the best classical instrumental solo for his recording of Christopher Theofanidis’ “Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra” in the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards held on Sunday, local time. The recording was made under the baton of conductor David Alan Miller and the Albany Symphony Orchestra. “This is a great day for the viola,” O’N

PerformanceMarch 15, 2021

Two animated films set milestones at S. Korean box office

With the award-winning drama "Minari" topping the South Korean box office for about 10 days, two animated films from Japan and the United States have set milestones in the virus-hit film industry, data showed Monday. "Minari," a story about a Korean immigrant family who settles in rural Arkansas to pursue its American dream, garnered 130,000 people over the Friday-Sunday period, according to the data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). The semiautobiographical film of Kor

FilmMarch 15, 2021

Niche magazines thrive while industry shrinks

Are paper magazines dying out, or are they seeing a renaissance? The magazine market has shrunk steadily since 2012. According to the Korea Press Foundation’s “2020 Magazine Industry Market Research” report published in January, the magazine market was worth 777.5 billion won ($681 million) last year, a 24.9 percent decrease from 2017. Magazines’ average annual revenue stood at 438 million won, compared with 1.26 billion won in 2012. With the decline of the magazine mar

BooksMarch 15, 2021

Experts urge law change to let people pay inheritance tax with art

A number of art experts and associations suggested revising the tax law to allow donations of artwork as a form of tax payment during a seminar held on Thursday at the Cheondogyo Central Temple in central Seoul. Under the current law, only real estate and securities are recognized as alternative means of paying inheritance taxes. “Korea has become a culturally advanced country, and the culture industry has the potential to play a central role in the future, even more so than the manuf

Arts & DesignMarch 14, 2021

Megabox to look for startups’ ideas to attract more moviegoers

Megabox, a South Korean multiplex operator, on Sunday announced that it would join hands with the Korea International Trade Association to hold a startup meet up event to find a partner with fresh ideas in May. “We joined hands to respond to the industrial ecosystem, which changed after COVID-19 broke out, as well as look for a new growth engine together,” Megabox official said in a statement. The Korean multiplex operator said it will mainly look for startups with new business i

FilmMarch 14, 2021

[Diana’s Table] Baby back ribs Korean style

Baby back ribs bring back fond memories of our backyard BBQ parties with family and friends when we lived in the US. We first lived in the Washington, DC area when my husband and I got married. We were both graduate students and we had to live on a very limited budget. As such, BBQ ribs were the most cost effective menu choice for our restaurant outings. So we tried many types of BBQs and we came to love the tender yet finger licking taste of BBQ baby back ribs the most. So when we moved to Cali

FoodMarch 13, 2021

Kakao TV’s original content gets 400 million views

Original content from Kakao TV has attracted 400 million views, entertainment company Kakao M said Friday. Streaming platform Kakao TV, which was launched in September, attained 100 million net views in November and 200 million views in January. The number of views per week quadrupled to 33 million from 8.3 million in September. Popular Kakao TV original series include the webtoon-based drama “No, Thank You,” which focuses on the lives of South Korean women and their in-laws, and

TelevisionMarch 12, 2021

Spring flowers expected to bloom at Joseon royal palaces and tombs starting Sunday

Spring flowers at the royal palaces and tombs are expected to bloom starting Sunday and continue to bloom until the end of May, the Cultural Heritage Administration’s Royal Palaces and Tomb Center said Friday. The expected start date is two to seven days earlier than last year, with the yellow flowers of the blunt-lobed spice bushes at Changgyeonggung and Changdeokgung expected to start blooming Sunday and stay in bloom for two weeks. From mid-March to May, the four palaces of the Jose

TravelMarch 12, 2021

[Herald Interview] Erick Oh hopes for Oscar nomination for short animation ‘Opera’

The highly anticipated “Minari” isn’t the only film to watch out for as the announcement of Oscar nominations draws near. Korean director Erick Oh’s “Opera” could also be in the running for best short animation. As Oh awaits the announcement of Oscar nominations on Monday, he shared the creation story behind the film and his journey as an animation director. His unconventional film “Opera,” which won him the Minister’s Award at the 2020 Ko

CultureMarch 12, 2021

LUXURY TRENDS POST-PANDEMIC

Chairman of Bluebell Korea Daniel Mayran gives a presentation titled “Future of luxury: Post-covid retail trends” during a forum held by the Corea Image Communication Institute on Tuesday at the residence of the Kuwaiti Ambassador Bader Mohammad al-Awadi. Some 20 foreign envoys and opinion leaders, including French Ambassador Philippe Lefort, Egyptian Ambassador Hazem Fahmy, Moroccan Ambassador Chafik Rachadi, Smart Study co-founder Ryan Lee, L‘Oreal Korea President Christian M

CultureMarch 12, 2021

[Eye interview] ‘There are 50 million cooks in Korea’

Koreans take their food seriously. So much so that a typical greeting includes “Have you had your meal?” and phone calls more often than not end with a promise of a meal together sometime soon. Television and the internet are inundated with restaurant reviews and cook-offs between celebrities, and cooking shows in general have evolved into entertainment shows. Korea is a nation of foodies, judging by the great lengths, literally, that people will go to in order to check out the lat

FoodMarch 12, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Raya and the Last Dragon (US) Opened March 4 Animation Directed by Carlos Lopez Estrada, Donald Hall In the world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. As villainous monsters known as the Druun started attacking the land, magical dragons united their forces and sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Five hundred years later, the monsters have returned and it‘s now up to warrior Raya (Kelly Marie Tran) to save Kumandra. Minari (US) Opened March 3 Drama Directed by L

FilmMarch 12, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival The Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival will be held online from April 1 to 16. The festival celebrates the legendary scholar Wang In from the Baekje Kingdom (18 BC-AD 668). An envoy to Japan, it is said that Wang introduced the Chinese writing system to the Japanese. Online lectures, quizzes and trot music shows will take place as part of the festival. For more information, check the website at wanginfesta.com. Okcheon Seedling Festival The Okcheon Seedling

TravelMarch 12, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Sheraton Grand Incheon Hotel offers ‘Spring, Rejuvenate You’ promotion Sheraton Grand Incheon Hotel, located in Songdo, Incheon, offers its “Spring, Rejuvenate You” promotion at the Feast buffet on the first floor. Dishes prepared with ingredients found in spring to help boost immunity will be the main dishes on the buffet until the end of April. The special spring cuisine includes fresh spring greens, eel perilla soup and boiled duck, among others. Lunch at Feast is a

FoodMarch 12, 2021