[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Project Silence” (South Korea) Opened July 12 Thriller/action Directed by Kim Tae-gon Trapped on a collapsing bridge shrouded in fog, national security officer Jung-won (the late Lee Sun-kyun), his daughter and other survivors find themselves in a fight for their lives against a mysterious creature. “Escape” (South Korea) Opened July 3 Action Directed by Lee Jong-pil North Korean soldier Gyu-nam (Lee Je-hoon) is about to be discharged after 10 years of service. Faced w

FilmJuly 19, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Water festival in Busan Water gun battles, slides and fully air-conditioned shelters -- perfect for parents to unwind while their children splash about -- are summertime attractions found at LetsRun Park in Busan. Every Saturday and Sunday through Aug. 25, performances such as magic shows will take place at the water festival. Visitors can enter at two time slots, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Check the latest at park.kra.co.kr. Petite France in Gapyeong Petite Franc

TravelJuly 19, 2024

Robert Downey Jr. nominated for Emmy for Park Chan-wook's 'The Sympathizer'

"Iron Man" star Robert Downey Jr. has been nominated for an Emmy for his performance in South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook's HBO miniseries "The Sympathizer," as the 76th Emmy nominations were announced Thursday. Downey portrays four characters in the seven-part black comedy miniseries: a CIA agent, film director, congressman and professor. For his performance as multiple antagonists in the series, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences said that Downey has been

TelevisionJuly 18, 2024

South Korean recognized as person with world's highest IQ

South Korean Kim Young-hoon was recognized as the person with the highest IQ in history, scoring 276 at the World Memory Championships, according to the organizer of the competition, the World Mind Sports Council, on Thursday. “The World Mind Sports Council hereby recognizes YoungHoon Kim from South Korea as the person with the highest IQ in the world and congratulates him,” the event organizer said. Before Kim, Chinese-Australian professor Terence Tao held the title of the person wi

PeopleJuly 18, 2024

Smithsonian's Asian art museum appoints Hwang Sun-woo as Korea art curator

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art has appointed Hwang Sun-woo as its inaugural Korea Foundation Curator of Korean Art and Culture. Hwang will shape a major Korean art loan exhibition scheduled for 2025–2026 with the National Museum of Korea, featuring masterworks recently donated by the family of former Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee. Hwang was selected for the position in April, which was made possible by a matching gift from the Korea Foundation to promote Korean a

Arts & DesignJuly 18, 2024

Etoile Park Sae-eun says childbirth was turning point

Ballerina Park Sae-eun, the first Asian etoile (or principal dancer) of the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet, returns to the Korean stage for "Paris Opera Ballet Etoile Gala 2024” performance alongside French colleagues. This performance, taking place Saturday to Wednesday at the Seoul Arts Center's Opera Theater in Seoul, will be her first time meeting Korean audiences since giving birth. When Paris Opera Ballet performed "Giselle" in Korea in March last year, Park was u

PerformanceJuly 18, 2024

[Media Art Now] Sanghee’s gameplay revisits idea of interactivity and connectivity

Everything seems synchronized today, happening at the same time and at the same speed. You can connect yourself with the world, whenever you want and even when you do not want to. It is an age where a sense of being together is more easily obtained than a sense of being separated. But is this really true? Is the synchronicity a prerequisite or a preference when you seek to generate interactive togetherness? Sanghee (capitalized as SANGHEE by the artist), who came to distinguish herself with he

Arts & DesignJuly 18, 2024

[What to See] Summer gallery hopping in Gangnam, Hannam, Samcheong

Exhibitions are in full swing for the summer. Koenig Seoul is presenting a group exhibition of female Asian artists. Gallery Hyundai is hosting a solo exhibition of Korean artist Lee Seul-gi for the first time in six years. And British artist Billy Childish's unique brush strokes and color use shown at Lehmann Maupin is another must-see exhibition this month. Female Asian artists at Koenig Seoul A group exhibition of 12 female Asian artists is on view at Koenig Seoul in Cheongdam-dong, ma

Arts & DesignJuly 18, 2024

Asia’s largest experimental film and video fest kicks off in Seoul

Seoul’s Experimental Film and Video Festival (EXiS), the largest of its kind in Asia, kicked off Thursday for eight days of experimental films, documentaries and moving images from around the world. Under its competition program EX-Now, a total of 21 experimental films will be screened in the international section, selected from 2,008 films from 79 countries, while 11 Korean experimental films will compete in the Korean section. From the 32 films, a jury will select three films for awards.

FilmJuly 18, 2024

Director of 'Sweet Home 3' hopes fun will return in series finale

The director of "Sweet Home 3" shared that he listened attentively to all feedback given to "Sweet Home 2" and hoped the final season would, once again, be fun. Netflix's monster horror series "Sweet Home," was a huge success in 2020, becoming the first Korean series to enter Netflix's top 10 list in the US. However, "Sweet Home 2" flopped, criticized for its expansive setting and limited screen time for fan-favorites such as Hyun-soo (played by

TelevisionJuly 18, 2024

Stargazing tours in August

With this year’s monsoon season expected to end in the last week of July, star-themed night tours are set to entertain holidaymakers with the clear skies that follow heavy rains. Hongseong Culture and Tourism Foundation is scheduled to hold two separate nighttime tours on Aug. 9 and 10. The tour on Aug. 9 will take place at Hoengseong National Soop Che Won in Hoengseong, Gangwon Province, in which participants till take a light stroll and make ambient lights. The tour on Aug. 10 is set to

TravelJuly 18, 2024

Frieze, Kiaf mark third collaboration in September

Frieze Seoul and Kiaf Seoul mark their third collaboration in early September as they bring together a variety of art programs across the city, with some 320 galleries from around the world participating. Internationally renowned art fair Frieze Seoul and the home-grown international art fair Kiaf Seoul will kick off at Coex in southern Seoul on Sept. 4. Frieze Seoul will run through Sept. 7 and Kiaf Seoul through Sept. 8. The two art fairs will co-host a talk program in collaboration with the K

Arts & DesignJuly 17, 2024

Cattle bones found near Jongmyo

A pile of cattle bones presumed to date back to the Joseon era (1392-1910) has been discovered at an area near Jongmyo -- a special shrine for the deceased kings and queens of Joseon -- in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, according to a research institute Wednesday. A Han Ul Research Institute of Cultural Heritage official explained that this is not the first time that the organization has found cattle bones within Hanyangdoseong -- also known as the Seoul City Wall -- area, but that the bones found in

CultureJuly 17, 2024

National Theater Company’s new director outlines vision for global and domestic expansion

National Theater Company of Korea’s newly appointed director and artistic director Park Jeong-hee has an ambitious vision to create a Korean repertoire for performances overseas. Park began her three-year term in April. She held her first press conference Tuesday at the Myeongdong Theater in Seoul, where she talked about her vision and blueprint for the state theater company. “While foreign directors have often worked with NTCK, our company has rarely showcased its own productions ab

PerformanceJuly 17, 2024

Byeon Woo-seok embroiled in controversy for overzealous security team

South Korean actor Byeon Woo-seok has become embroiled in controversy over excessive measures taken by his security team against fans and other travelers at Incheon Airport. Police have said they are considering an investigation into whether the measures undertaken by the actor’s private security were violent or constituted obstruction of business. The incident surfaced online following Byeon’s departure for Hong Kong on Friday for his final Asian fan meeting slated for Sunday. A lar

TelevisionJuly 17, 2024

Nile Rodgers to hold first Seoul concert

Legendary guitarist and singer-songwriter Nile Rodgers will be performing his first solo concert in Korea this September. Concert organizer Live Nation Korea announced that Nile Rodgers & CHIC will hold a concert on Sept. 24 at the Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Seoul. CHIC, formed by Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards, is an iconic 1970s funk and disco band. The band has released numerous hits including "Dance, Dance, Dance," "Everybody Dance" and "I Want Your

PerformanceJuly 17, 2024

Jannabi to hold concerts in Seoul, Busan

Jannabi, known for its emotional, lyrical songs, will be back on stage with standalone concerts. Jannabi announced through its official social media that it will hold four performances of “Fantastic Old Fashioned 2024: Movie Star Rising” at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul Aug. 31, Sept. 1, Sept. 7 and Sept. 8. The band will then travel to Busan where it will perform at the Bexco Auditorium on Sept. 14 and Sept. 15. This is Jannabi’s first concert series since its nationwide

PerformanceJuly 17, 2024

Daniel Arsham gives glimpse of thousand years from now

One rarely imagines how the present world would be remembered and seen a thousand years later. American artist Daniel Arsham’s solo exhibition at Lotte Museum of Art in Seoul does just that. Arsham has shown works based on the concept of “fictional archaeology” that he created inspired by archaeologists. The artist imagines everyday objects of today as artifacts excavated in the future, creating an ambiguity about the period we inhabit. The exhibition titled “Daniel Arsha

Arts & DesignJuly 16, 2024

Lee Hye-ri of ‘Victory’ receives Rising Star Award at NY Asian Film Festival

Singer-actor Lee Hye-ri won the Rising Star Award with the coming-of-age film “Victory” at the 2024 New York Asian Film Festival which kicked off Friday. The festival runs until July 28. “Victory” had its world premiere at the 23rd NYAFF by opening the festival held at New York Lincoln Center. In the movie set in 1999, Lee plays a high-school student Pil-sun who creates a cheerleading group to gain access to the school's dance room. The film marks Lee’s first r

FilmJuly 16, 2024

Orchestra offers unique concerts to attract younger audience

The Korea National Symphony Orchestra is broadening its reach by sending young members of the Korea National Symphony Orchestra to perform in innovative spaces. KNSO's new quartet consisting of violinists Kim Jeong, Kim A-hyun, violist Yoon Jee-hyun and cellist Choi Jung-woo took the stage Saturday at Concino Concrete, a popular place for listening to vinyl music in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. The quartet, still unnamed, performed Czech composer Bedrich Smetana’s String Quartet No. 1 i

CultureJuly 16, 2024