[Latest Read] Invitation to 'Dallergut Dream Department Store,' where dreams are for sale

We all have that experience of waking up from a delightful dream, only to find it slipping away after a few hours, or suddenly waking up in a cold sweat from a nightmare. What if there was a store where dreams could be bought? Which would you buy? Enter a mysterious shopping village that you can only visit when asleep. And here at Dallergut Dream Department Store, dreams are for sale. Day and night, visitors shuffle in to purchase their latest adventures. Each floor specializes in a specific typ

BooksJuly 16, 2024

Trot singer Hyun Cheol of ‘Garden Balsam Love’ dies at 82

Legendary trot singer Hyun Cheol who enjoyed remarkable popularity in the 1980s and 1990s with hit songs such as “Garden Balsam Love” and “Not Anymore,” passed away at the age of 82 on Monday. According to industry sources, Hyun Cheol died of a chronic illness at a hospital in Seoul. Born in Busan, Hyun Cheol was enrolled in Dong-a University when he debuted in 1969 with “My Heartless Love." In 1970, he joined a band -- Hyun Chul & Bees -- but failed to mak

PeopleJuly 16, 2024

'K-story & Comics in America' to hold interactive events for general public

"K-story & Comics in America" will hold its first public interactive event in the US this month. "K-story & Comics in America" is an annual business-to-business event organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to help Korean content companies export their works to the overseas market. This year's "K-story & Comics in America" will feature the first-ever business-to-consumer event, inviting the publ

CultureJuly 16, 2024

Collapsed subway passenger saved by nearby firefighter, paramedic

A stroke of luck saved a woman who had collapsed in a Seoul Metro station during busy rush hour, when a firefighter and paramedic happened to be nearby and came to her rescue, local media outlets reported Tuesday. The woman in her 20s collapsed at 8:02 a.m. inside Wangsimni Station in Seoul on Monday, according to local media outlet Edaily. Officials at the station had found and laid her on the floor, while she was showing signs of hyperventilation, when a man and a woman approached them. The

PeopleJuly 16, 2024

Chef Yoshida’s summer kaiseki blends seasonality of Korean ingredients

“Kaiseki” dinner, referring to a style of traditional Japanese cuisine that comes with a series of intricate, small dishes, is a perfect way to get immersed in the savory and exquisite flavors of Japanese dishes. Chef Nobuhiro Yoshida, a veteran chef or a chef de cuisine at Japanese restaurant Kozue located on the 40th floor of Park Hyatt Tokyo, is in Seoul this week for a Park Hyatt Seoul’s guest chef promotion event – Tokyo Night in Seoul. Yoshida, with 30 years of expe

FoodJuly 15, 2024

Baritone Li Zihao wins top prize at 1st Sumi Jo International Singing Competition

Chinese baritone Li Zihao, 22, was announced as the overall winner of the inaugural Sumi Jo International Singing Competition, launched by renowned South Korean soprano Sumi Jo. Out of the 500 participants aged 18-32, 24 vocalists advanced to the main competition that took place for a week at the Chateau de la Ferte-Imbault in France's Loire Valley. The winners announced Saturday also included Romanian tenor George Ionut Virban, 29, and Korean tenor Lee Ki-up, 31. First place awards a prize

CultureJuly 15, 2024

[Herald Interview] Bass Youn Kwang-chul to show career highlight in vocal master series

Since his debut at the Deutsche Oper Berlin in 1993, renowned bass singer Youn Kwang-chul has performed over 150 times at the Bayreuth Festival and been awarded the title of "Kammersanger,” which is given to distinguished singers of opera and classical music in German-speaking countries. Even with a mountain of achievements and awards, the past 30 years as a bass singer feel like the blink of an eye, Youn told reporters during an interview last week. “Thirty years was just three

CultureJuly 15, 2024

[Herald Interview] UK surgeon recalls how school shaped path to success

David Rew, a UK surgeon and academic publishing adviser, recently shared his journey from his school days at Christ College Brecon, to his esteemed career in medicine. In an interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul, Rew recounted how his experiences at the historic Welsh school were instrumental in shaping his determination, compassion and leadership skills. David Rew has built his career as a surgeon in the UK since 1981. Despite partially retiring from surgery in 2023, Rew remains active in th

PeopleJuly 15, 2024

Everland presents perks on rainy days

Everland, the largest theme park and zoo in South Korea, located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, offers its visitors an opportunity to enjoy the theme park regardless of unexpected downpours. For those who visit the theme park when more than 20 mm of rain hits the region, Everland presents a free ticket to visit the theme park again, according to Samsung C&T, the theme park operator. The tickets are distributed through Everland’s smartphone application, and visitors must sign up for the

TravelJuly 15, 2024

[Herald Review] 'The Whirlwind' is heavy watch, yet fast-paced, cathartic

Netflix's original political drama series "The Whirlwind" starts strong with the sitting prime minister, Park Dong-ho (played by Sul Kyung-gu), killing the president by lacing the president's e-cigarette with poison. The plot quickly accelerates as Park, aiming to consolidate power in the president's absence, encounters opposition from Finance Minister Jung Soo-jin (played by Kim Hee-ae), who endeavors to dismantle his authority and ascend to the presidency herself. As

TelevisionJuly 15, 2024

[New in Korean] Collection explores society's ethical dilemmas

"International Between the Two" By Kim Ki-tae Munhakdongne Publishing Writer Kim Ki-tae, who debuted in 2022, has quickly garnered attention in the literary scene, earning many recognitions such as the Young Writer Award and the Yi Sang Literary Award. In a field dominated by female writers, Kim stands out as a rare male voice among those with less than a decade-long writing career. (All recipients of the 2023 and 2024 Young Writer Awards were female, except Kim in 2024.) His debut col

BooksJuly 15, 2024

[Graphic News] Foreign tourists spend average of 6 days, W2.84m in Seoul

Foreign tourists in Seoul spend an average of 2.84 million won during a six-day stay, according to a recent survey conducted by the city government and the Seoul Tourism Organization. These figures show an increase of 958,000 won and nearly one additional day compared to 2019. The survey attributes the rise in tourist spending and extended stays to a greater number of visitors from Europe and the Americas. In 2023, tourists from the Americas accounted for 12.4 percent of visitors, up from 7.7

TravelJuly 15, 2024

[Better Together] Orchestra made of the cello, by the cello and for the cello

As this Seoul orchestra gathered in the practice room for a rehearsal, something unusual about the instruments became apparent -- all but one of them was a cello. The Dodo Cello Orchestra, composed of amateur players ranging from their 20s to their 60s, was founded in 2013 by professional cellist Park Song-yi, who wanted to create a bigger "playground" for her students. “Playing the cello is not an easy choice to make. A cellist, for example, has certain limits when playing in an

CultureJuly 14, 2024

Korean media art to be featured in Paris during summer Olympics

Korean media art will be presented in Paris in July to coincide with the 2024 Summer Olympics featuring video art founder Paik Nam-june and leading Korean contemporary media artists. The exhibition “Decoding Korea, La Coree Decodee” will be held from July 26 to Aug. 25 at the Grand Palais Immersif, an art center dedicated to digital art in Paris, hosted by the South Korean Culture Ministry and organized by the Korea Arts Management Service. A total of 18 media artworks by 11 artist

Arts & DesignJuly 14, 2024

‘The Last Stop in Yuma County’ and ‘Esper’s Light’ given top awards at 28th BIFAN

The 28th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, Asia’s largest genre film festival that showcases an array of films, including thrillers and fantasy movies, officially concluded Friday, announcing “The Last Stop in Yuma County” and “Esper’s Light” as the best films at the closing ceremony. The closing ceremony followed the screening of the festival’s closing film “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” by Hong Kong martial arts master S

FilmJuly 14, 2024

Korea Travel Card collaborates with Reserve with Google for medical tourism

Overseas tourists, who acquire Korea Travel Card, will be able to easily spot and make reservations at Korean hospitals via Reserve with Google starting from July. Korea Travel Card is a transport and payment card for foreign visitors accepted at almost 5 million locations nationwide. According to Redtable, the provider of this inbound traveler-friendly card, international patients can review Korean hospital ratings, photos, videos and look up and other detailed profiles of the medical facilitie

CultureJuly 14, 2024

"Inside Out 2" becomes most-watched Pixar film in Korea

"Inside Out 2" is the most-viewed Pixar film to open in Korean theaters. According to the Korean Film Council, as of Sunday at 9:30 a.m., the total number of admissions sold for "Inside Out 2" logged 7.45 million. This surpasses the 7.24 million tickets sold for the US animation studio's "Elemental" (2023), which previously held the record as the most-watched Pixar movie in Korean theaters. "Inside Out 2" is currently the third most-watched film in

FilmJuly 14, 2024

'Exhuma' to open in Japanese theaters

South Korean occult flick "Exhuma," which set a record as this year's first film to hit 10 million admissions, will be released in Japanese theaters this October. According to Kadokawa, the Japanese distributor of "Exhuma," the film will hit local theaters across Japan on Oct. 18. Directed by Jang Jae-hyun, known for his success with occult films such as "The Priests" (2015) and "Svaha: The Sixth Finger" (2019), and featuring veteran actors Choi Min-s

FilmJuly 14, 2024

[New in Korean] 'See You Again' invites readers to heartwarming conversation over hearty meal

"See You Again" By Kim Ji-yun Clayhouse Embark on a heartwarming journey with a hearty meal through “See You Again,” a new novel by bestselling author Kim Ji-yun, centered around a small "dosirak" eatery in Hyehwa-dong. (Dosirak is a meal packed in a box for school, work or a picnic.) The story revolves around the owner, Madam Jeong Geum-nam, affectionately known as “Hyehwa-dong Grandma,” who brings together a group of people with her wholesome dosirak

BooksJuly 14, 2024

Shelter for comfort women may become museum

Operators of the House of Sharing, the residential building for surviving victims of Japan's sexual slavery before and during World War II, are mulling turning it into a museum dedicated to the women euphemistically called "comfort women." According to local media outlets Friday, all previous occupants of the house have left due to their deteriorating health from old age. Three women, 97-year-old Lee Ok-seon -- not to be confused with confused with another victim of the same nam

PeopleJuly 13, 2024