[Newsmaker] [Feature] A week of YouTuber chaos leaves Ansan residents angry

As the winter cold wave hit Tuesday, the many YouTubers surrounding the residence of child rapist Cho Doo-soon left one by one, leaving behind worried and weary residents. On Friday, the alleys around Cho’s house were quiet and empty, according to residents and police. While YouTubers left with their mission of grabbing online interest successfully completed, the residents were left angered by the YouTubers on top of their worries about Cho. Cho was convicted of raping an 8-year-old gir

CultureDec. 20, 2020

[Eye Plus] Hwangudan Altar, remains in the city but unfamiliar to many

Hwangudan Altar, located next to the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, is an artifact in the middle of the city, but not many people know it. The altar, which was designated as Historical Site No. 157 on July 15, 1967, was where an emperor performed sacrifices to heaven. King Gojong performed sacrifices to heaven at the end of the Joseon Dynasty when he proclaimed the Korean Empire in 1897 after the First Sino-Japanese War.  King Gojong’s declaration of the Korean Empire and

CultureDec. 19, 2020

[Diana’s Table] Galbijjim, Korean braised short ribs

Galbijjim, or braised beef short ribs, is a very popular dish for special family dinners or holiday celebrations in Korea. It usually takes a long time to properly prepare this dish but it is an exceptional addition to the table to make for an abundant and special meal. My mother made this especially for my birthdays and I used to look forward to eating galbijjim more than the birthday cake. I first learned to make galbijjim as a newlywed and it took a lot of trial and error over the years to

FoodDec. 19, 2020

Online shopping at National Museum of Korea yields surprise finds

On Monday, a tweet about a traditional Korean painting-inspired calendar sold on the National Museum of Korea’s website went viral. “The calendar is so pretty and the garden painting on it becomes more and more complete by flipping through each month. It is like enjoying a different piece of art every month,” the Twitter post said, accompanied by a few pictures of the calendar. Designed based on paintings of Aechun Shin Myeong-yeon, a literati painter of the Joseon era, &ldq

CultureDec. 19, 2020

[Photo News] Sunset at Sky Bridge in Seoul

A vibrant sunset reveals the rich colors of the sky from the tallest observatory in Jamsil, Sky Bridge in Seoul.   Sky Bridge is a short bridge at the roof of Lotte World Tower. It offers a chance for tourists to enjoy a clear view of Seoul from the sky.   A couple waves hello from the Sky Bridge, as they admire the captivating scenery of the sunset. (Photos: Yonhap) By Gha Hee-sun (lizka98@heraldcorp.com)

CultureDec. 19, 2020

Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho praises 'Minari'

Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho on Friday praised “Minari” in his talk with the film’s director Lee Isaac Chung, held during Variety’s inaugural FYC Fest. “I think it takes a lot of courage to shoot a film about yourself or your family, since it’s autobiographical,” Bong was quoted as saying in Variety. “But what I appreciated more about this film is that it doesn’t wallow in nostalgia. It follows the perspective of multiple characters

FilmDec. 18, 2020

State cultural institutions in Seoul to remain closed

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Friday that its affiliated institutions in Seoul-- museums, art galleries, libraries and performance venues -- will remain closed due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19 in the capital area. The shutdown of state-run cultural institutions began on Dec. 8 and was set to end Friday. The facilities, including the National Museum of Korea, the National Folk Museum of Korea, the National Museum of Contemporary Art, the National Library of K

CultureDec. 18, 2020

Spotify to launch in Korea in first half of 2021

The world’s largest music streaming platform Spotify on Friday announced that it would officially launch its service in South Korea in the first half of 2021. “We are excited about our upcoming launch in South Korea, a market recognized as an epicenter for music, culture and tech innovation,” Alex Norstrom, chief freemium business officer of Spotify, said in a statement. According to Spotify, South Korea -- the sixth-largest music market globally -- is an important market

PerformanceDec. 18, 2020

Korea Travel Online Expo 2020 prepares travel for post-COVID era

The annual Korea Travel Expo is being held online for the first time due to the pandemic situation until Tuesday. Around 120 organizations, including Korea Tourism Organization and local governments, are participating in the online expo hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and run by Tourism and Korea Tourism Association aimed at providing information on travel after the pandemic has gone away or become less severe in the future. The theme for the expo is “safe travel.” Durin

TravelDec. 18, 2020

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Park Hyatt Seoul unlocks staycation with ‘Winter at Park’ Park Hyatt Seoul presents the Winter at the Park package, a seasonal getaway. The package, available for stays until the end of February, combines one night in a Park Hyatt guestroom with 100,000 won in dining credits for use with room service and at all hotel restaurants, a gift of Aesop hand balm (75 milliliters) and use of the hotel swimming pool and fitness center. Guests choosing a suite are also presented with a comp

FoodDec. 18, 2020

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Wanju Gotgam Fesitval The annual Wanju Gotgam Fesitval is being held virtually this year, due to the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wanju, a county in North Jeolla Province, is famous for gotgam, or dried persimmon. Wanju gotgam was presented to the royal court during the Joseon era. The county produces about 9,300 tons of gotgam every year. The annual festival draws about 30,000 visitors. This year, it is held online, selling gotgam produced by local farmers. The online festival, whic

TravelDec. 18, 2020

S. Korean box office plunges more than 80% on-year in Nov.

The number of South Korean moviegoers nose-dived more than 80 percent on-year in November as the third wave of the novel coronavirus pandemic hit the country, data showed Thursday. A total of 3.59 million people went to theaters last month, down 80.7 percent from 18.6 million tallied a year ago, according to the monthly data by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). From a month earlier, the November tally fell 22.4 percent from 4.63 million. The revenue plunged 79.3 percent on-year to 32.1 billion

FilmDec. 17, 2020

South Korea’s lotus lantern lighting festival inscribed as UNESCO world heritage

Yeondeunghoe, a lantern lighting festival in South Korea, was inscribed on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural assets on Wednesday. The final decision on the lantern festival’s listing was made during the 15th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which runs Monday to Saturday. The meetings are being held virtually due to the global pandemic. “Unfortunately, we could not celebrate the listing on site together with K

CultureDec. 17, 2020

When will we travel internationally again?

It is a question that we have been asking ourselves for almost a year now. With the COVID-19 pandemic, traveling overseas has been out of the question for months for most people. So, will we ever travel again? If so, when? 　 Though the authorities are still advising against nonessential international travel, the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines is lifting spirits in the travel industry and among the public. Travel agencies -- already pushed to the brink -- are launching overseas tour package deals

TravelDec. 16, 2020

CICI announces 2021 award winners

The top six contestants on TV Chosun’s hit talent audition show “Mr. Trot” will be honored by the Corea Image Communication Institute for their contributions to building a positive image of South Korea at home and overseas. The other winners at CICI’s 2021 award ceremony are the Generation Equality Forum’s Ambassador and Secretary-General Delphine O and Korean content creator Pinkfong’s song “Baby Shark.” The institute’s 17th annual award

CultureDec. 16, 2020

Jenny Holzer returns as painter with new watercolor series in Korea

American conceptual artist Jenny Holzer is widely known for her large-scale flashing LED signs that display the artist’s ideas, arguments and sorrows in public spaces. “A great function of the signs is their capacity to move, which I love because it’s so much like the spoken word. You can emphasize, you can roll and pause, which is the kinetic equivalent to inflection in the voice,” the artist once said, according to Kukje Gallery in Seoul. Kukje Gallery, the major c

Arts & DesignDec. 16, 2020

Star K-drama director Lee Eung-bok brings ‘Sweet Home’ to life

The highly anticipated Netflix original series “Sweet Home” will kick off its first season Friday, bringing the celebrated webtoon to life. “Sweet Home” is about teenager Hyun-soo, played by Song Kang, who moves into a new apartment after losing his family. In the apartment, monsters that reflect human desires appear, which Hyun-soo and his neighbors have to fight off as they solve the mystery behind the apartment. The original webtoon that was serialized on portal site

TelevisionDec. 16, 2020

Celebrate New Year with Europe’s finest orchestras at local cinemas

Though the COVID-19 pandemic limits us from going to New Year celebration concerts, local cinema franchise Megabox will screen the recordings of the New Year celebration concerts by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, according to its announcement Tuesday. The 90-minute recording of the Berlin Philarmonicker, one of the most prestigious orchestras in the world, holding its New Year’s Eve concert under the baton of chief conductor Kirill Petrenko, will be

PerformanceDec. 15, 2020

Will ‘Minari’ make it to Oscars?

Veteran actor Youn Yuh-jung and her movie “Minari,” directed by Lee Isaac Chung, appear set for smooth sailing to the 2021 Academy Awards. Local movie distributor Pan Cinema announced Monday that Youn won an award for best supporting actress from the Boston Society of Film Critics for her role in “Minari.” Composer Emile Mosseri also won an award for best original score for his music in Lee’s movie. Since the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in Ja

FilmDec. 15, 2020

Pandemic brings low-key fashion to work

  After all the year-end gatherings were taken off the calendar due to the COVID-19 resurgence, Kim, a 31-year-old office worker based south of Seoul, showed up to work wearing a hooded sweatshirt. Though a hooded sweatshirt might not even count as a minor rebellion for some, for Kim it was the first time she’d gone to work in anything that could be considered less than businesslike. She felt awkward and self-conscious about her casual fashion statement at first, but soon found her

Arts & DesignDec. 15, 2020