S. Korea's lantern lighting fest likely to be listed as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage

South Korea's lantern lighting festival, an event held to celebrate Buddha's birthday, is expected to be inscribed as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, the government said Tuesday. The festival of lights, also called the Lotus Lantern Festival or "Yeon Deung Hoe" in Korean, was among the 25 successful applicants that were recommended by an intergovernmental assessment panel to be listed, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration. The annual event, held in line with B

CultureNov. 17, 2020

Seoul Design Festival to present sustainable designs for pandemic times

Seoul Design Festival 2020 -- one of Korea’s major design fairs -- will start on Dec. 9 at Coex in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, with the theme “New Normal.” This year’s festival will provide an opportunity to explore sustainable designs that are expected to be used widely after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. During the five-day festival, approximately 200 design brands from home and abroad will set up 400 booths. The participating brands will present a varie

Arts & DesignNov. 16, 2020

Pianist Cho Seung-jin to have finale recital in Seoul

Concert pianist Cho Seung-jin, 26, will wrap up his much-appreciated nationwide tour across Korea with an encore recital in Seoul on Nov. 28. The nationwide tour kicked off in Gwangju on Oct. 28 and was followed by more recitals in Daegu, Busan, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, and Seoul. It was to wrap up at Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, on Nov. 9. However, as tickets sold out within a few minutes of their release, the organizers added more recitals in Seongnam and Suwon in Gyeonggi Prov

PerformanceNov. 16, 2020

JTBC ‘Sing Again’ to give singers another shot

While audition shows are a dime a dozen on Korean television, JTBC’s newest program “Sing Again” promises to be a new type of singing program that will touch the hearts of viewers. “Sing Again” features actor and singer Lee Seung-gi as its host and eight judges who will evaluate 71 singers auditioning for the program. As opposed to previous audition programs that tried to find new talent, each “Sing Again” contestant has released an album before. Singe

TelevisionNov. 16, 2020

[Newsmaker] Ven. Haemin ceases all public activities following real estate controversy

Bestselling author and popular Zen Buddhist teacher the Ven. Haemin announced late Sunday night that he was ceasing all activities and returning to a meditation center. The announcement came upon criticisms concerning his lifestyle and alleged profiteering from a real estate transaction. The Harvard- and Princeton-educated author of “The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down” and “Love for Imperfect Things” appeared on Nov. 7 on tvN entertainment show “On &am

PeopleNov. 16, 2020

[Herald Review] ‘Notre Dame de Paris’ performs to packed theater

The whole world watched the beloved Notre Dame Cathedral burn down last year, but the iconic cathedral is resurrected onstage in Korea every evening to the sound of music. The original French production of musical “Notre Dame de Paris” kicked off its Seoul run Tuesday at the Blue Square Interpark Hall near Itaewon, central Seoul.   The production got off to a bumpy start when 14 of its 30 staff members were confirmed with the COVID-19 infection upon their arrival in Korea in

PerformanceNov. 16, 2020

RCEP trade pact expected to support Hallyu expansion

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism expects the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which South Korean President Moon Jae-in signed Sunday with his counterparts from 14 partner countries, to set the stage for the expansion of Hallyu. “We expect this deal to improve the environment for the expansion of Hallyu content in member countries and also provide legal grounds for (cultural content) exporters,” Culture Minister Park Yang-woo said in a statement. Park also ad

CultureNov. 15, 2020

Netflix turns console games into visual content

With the recent releases of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, Netflix is gearing up to capture video gamers with visual content based on popular game universes. The easy access to Netflix offered by the new XSX and PS5 released this month makes the visual content on Netflix more appealing to gamers and makes the consoles all-round multi-entertainment tools. The PS5 media remote is equipped with a Netflix button, giving users instant access to Netflix, and Xbox users can easily download Netfli

FilmNov. 15, 2020

Youn Yuh-jung nominated for Gotham Independent Film Awards 2020

Gotham Independent Film Awards 2020 announced that veteran actor Youn Yuh-jung was among the nominees for its best actress award. Youn was nominated for her role in “Minari,” directed by Korean American Lee Isaac Chung. The other nominees are Nicole Beharie for “Miss Juneteenth,” Jessie Buckley for “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” Carrie Coon for “The Nest” and Oscar-winning actor Frances McDormand for “Nomadland,” the US indep

FilmNov. 15, 2020

The Moomins from Finland visit Seoul to provide comfort amid pandemic

The Moomins, a family of trolls from Finland, known for their white fur coats and large snouts, live in their house in the Moomin valley and go on adventures with friends. They learn to understand each other with empathy and overcome struggles together. The story of the Moomins, which marks its 75th anniversary this year, is comforting people around the world who are exhausted from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has forced us apart. An exhibition “Moomin Original” -- which op

Arts & DesignNov. 14, 2020

Visualizing Beethoven’s music through brain waves

Art Center Nabi and Goethe-Institute Korea will present “Neuro-knitting Beethoven“ on Nov. 27, a telematics performance connecting music and technology in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth. The performance will feature kinetic art combined with telematics data produced by the European media artist duo Varvara & Mar. They will select a listener of Beethoven’s music and the listener’s brain data will turn in to fabric art. B

Arts & DesignNov. 14, 2020

[Eye plus] A visit to Joseon-era cottage in chestnut village

  Located near Jeongbalsan, in the middle of Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, a thatch house built of chestnut wood has been preserved to give a glimpse into a traditional farm house of the late Joseon Period.  The house is thought to have been built in the 19th-century in the village in Ilsan area where members of the Danyang Yi clan settled. With an abundance of chestnut trees in the village, the house used chestnut wood as its main building material, and came to be known as Bamgasi Cho

CultureNov. 14, 2020

Bunker Company brings its brews to Seoul

Anaerobic fermentation, a fairly new form of coffee processing, can truly wow with its bold and memorable flavor profile when well executed from farm to cup. Bunker Company’s Costa Rica Cordillera de Fuego is one such example. There is that initial, irresistible funk characteristic of fermented coffee followed by fragrant and rich notes of cinnamon and cacao nibs. “Usually there are three types of coffee processing -- washed, pulped and natural,” Bunker Company CEO Park

FoodNov. 14, 2020

[Photo News] Camellia blossoms in the bleak season

Camellia flowers stand out splendidly in Hueree Natural Park in Seogwipo on Jeju Island.  The bright and stunning colors of camellia captivate the visitors as they walk around the park.  Camellia flowers are also referred to as the “friends of winter” in the winter days.  (Photos: Yonhap) By Lee Jae-Eun (leeje16@heraldcorp.com)

CultureNov. 14, 2020

Addictive ‘Baby Shark’ child song recognized with RIAA’s diamond status

The catchiest children’s song of all time, “Baby Shark,” which went viral for years with its addictive tune, recorded another milestone with Diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. "(Baby Shark) is the only diamond awarded children’s single in RIAA Gold & Platinum Program history,” the association noted in its social media. For 60 years, the association has issued the Gold & Platinum certifications which has become a b

Arts & DesignNov. 14, 2020

Actor Oh Dal-su returns to big screen two years after sexual assault allegations

Oh Dal-su, who dropped out of acting in 2018 following allegations of sexual assault, is returning to the big screen in “Good Neighbor.” The sexual assault claims surfaced in February 2018 amid the spread of the #MeToo movement in Korea, and scenes featuring Oh were subsequently removed from tvN series “My Mister” and hit film “Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days” in the same year. Filming for “Good Neighbor” was likewise completed in February 2

FilmNov. 14, 2020

Michelin Guide Seoul shares Bib Gourmand Seoul list

Ahead of the official release of the Michelin Guide Seoul’s fifth edition on Nov. 19, the arbiter of culinary taste shared a list of 60 Bib Gourmand restaurants in Seoul. According to the company, Bib Gourmand highlights restaurants offering “exceptionally good food at moderate prices.” The price range depends on local economic standards. The maximum price for the Bib Gourmand Seoul edition is 45,000 won ($40.34) this year. There are four new entries this year: vegetarian

FoodNov. 13, 2020

S. Korean moviegoers jump 55% on-month in Oct.

The number of moviegoers in South Korea jumped 55 percent in October from a month earlier thanks to sleeper hits and eased virus fears, a report showed Friday. A total of 4.63 million went to theaters last month, up 1.64 million, or 55 percent, from 2.99 million tallied in September, according to the monthly report by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). The on-month gain was led by the releases of mid-sized films, including the human drama "Pawn," which has attracted nearly 1.5 million

PerformanceNov. 13, 2020

Blue chips rush into Netflix-led S. Korean streaming service market

The landscape of the South Korean streaming service market is facing seismic change as new players have been jumping into the booming sector in diversified forms. As the protracted novel coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the trend toward mobile-based binge-watching of content, e-commerce firms, like Coupang and online portal operators, including Naver, have revealed plans to break into the highly competitive market. Netflix, which launched its service in South Korea in 2016, got a head star

TelevisionNov. 13, 2020

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

  Enjoy ‘One Suite Day’ at Seoul Dragon City Hotel multiplex Seoul Dragon City in Yongsan, Seoul, offers the One Suite Day package for those who want to have a private party. The package, accommodating up to three people, comes with a one-night stay in a suite decorated with balloons, a bottle of sparkling wine, whipped cream cake and diverse choice of foods, like macarons and smoked salmon to complement the wine. Complimentary use of the hotel facilities such as the swimming

FoodNov. 13, 2020