Krystal plays pregnant university student in debut feature ‘More Than Family’

Jung Soo-jung, more widely known as Krystal of K-pop girl band f(x), plays a confident university student, Toe-il, who becomes pregnant at a young age, in her debut feature “More Than Family.” “At first, I was hesitant to play this role. But after reading the script I said I will take the role,” Jung said during a press conference at CGV Yongsan on Tuesday. “Toe-il is confident and she believes in herself. I think she is representative of women today. She is relat

FilmNov. 4, 2020

Korea’s first panda cub named Fu Bao

The first panda cub born in South Korea has been named Fu Bao 100 days after her birth, according to Everland, a theme park under Samsung C&T, Wednesday. The female panda cub was born July 20 at Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Fu Bao is a Chinese name, meaning a treasure that brings happiness. The name was selected by 50,000 people who voted both online and offline. It is an international custom to give a panda cub a Chinese name some 100 days after birth. According to Everland, p

TravelNov. 4, 2020

Art Sonje Center exhibitions ask how to live together in times of nationalism, racism, pandemic

In recent years, the terms “nationalism,” “refugee crisis” and “racism” have appeared often in media around the world, reflecting the growing indifference to others. It may be argued that this tendency has only grown stronger as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to keep a distance from each other. The question of “How to live together at this time” is presented at three different exhibitions at Art Sonje Center in central Seoul through the wor

Arts & DesignNov. 4, 2020

Korea, ASEAN music festival Round 2020 announces additional lineup

Round 2020, a music festival held by Korea and 10 ASEAN countries, on Tuesday announced additional artists who will be performing at the Dec. 6 show. Four additional Korean solo artists -- Sunwoojunga, Bol4, George and Elaine-- were announced Tuesday. Nine-member folk-pop band Ben &Ben of the Philippines, which was recently nominated for the 2020 MTV Europe Music Awards, will also join the virtual festival, as well as Cambodian band SmallWorld SmallBand and Brunei singer Dinshe. This yea

PerformanceNov. 3, 2020

[Video] Gliding down the facades of Seoul’s royal grounds

The coexistence of the past and present tunes Seoul into its beautiful history while serving as the nation’s economic and political hub. Glassy skyscrapers and various institutions interweave the metropolis, catering to all walks of life. At night, majestic palaces turn into splendors for visitors. The harmony has been seen for decades -- buildings nestled next to each other cuddle the city palaces Deoksugung and Gyeongbokgung. Sejongno -- dubbed the “Street of Six Ministries&rd

CultureNov. 3, 2020

Watcha to stream works by film academy’s graduating class

Local OTT platform Watcha is holding an online film festival Nov. 1-25 that will showcase the works of the Korean Academy of Film Arts’ graduating class. “Eye Contact,” co-hosted by the platform and the school, will consist of 24 short films created by the KAFA’s 36th batch of graduates. The movies will include “Doong-ji,” Jo Kyoung-won’s film about a teenage girl who wants to avoid bringing friends home to work on a school project; “Help Me!&rd

FilmNov. 2, 2020

‘Baby Shark Dance’ becomes most viewed video on YouTube

The English version of the “Baby Shark Dance” video became the most viewed video on YouTube, with more than 7.03 billion views as of 1:20 p.m. on Monday. The video overtook Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito” on YouTube and is now the first children’s content ever to become the most viewed video on YouTube. Released in 2015, the song featured in the video is a remake of an American folk song. The video was recorded by Pinkfong, a content creator un

PerformanceNov. 2, 2020

Artworks revive painful memories of democracy movement in Gwangju

GWANGJU - A dingy building that once served as the Armed Forces’ Gwangju Hospital had remained closed for years. It had treated the people of Gwangju wounded during the May 18 Democratization Movement in the city, but at the same time was also covertly used to conduct investigations and torture those involved in the movement.  After the Army hospital moved to a different location in Gwangju as the city began to develop, the building was left vacant for more than 10 years, gradually

Arts & DesignNov. 2, 2020

Middle seat vacancy rule to be lifted for performance venues, cinemas when new Level-1 distancing goes into effect

Under the new five-tier social distancing system announced by the authorities on Sunday, performing arts theaters and cinemas will not be required to leave an empty seat between every audience member when Level 1 social distancing is in effect. 　 When South Korea eased the social distancing scheme to the lowest level of the three-tier system on Oct 12, major performing arts theaters and cinemas, both public and private, continued to leave an empty seat between every audience member in concern

PerformanceNov. 2, 2020

Big-name screenwriters returning to small screen with provocative melodramas

Famous TV screenwriters have been returning to small screens with sensational melodramas that have stirred up controversy over their provocative storylines but guarantee high viewership ratings. As viewers increasingly prefer binge-watching streaming services like Netflix, only a few of the new TV series have been successful this year. Local television channels, terrestrial and cable alike, are now pinning their hopes on masters of typical Korean hit melodramas -- Kim Soon-ok, Im Sung-han and M

TelevisionNov. 2, 2020

Popular MBC content to be released in HD

The worldwide hit drama “Jewel in the Palace” will be now be available in high definition, using artificial intelligence-based technology, according to broadcaster MBC on Monday. MBC announced that it has succeeded in turning standard-definition videos with a resolution of around 340,000 pixels into HD format, with a resolution of 2 million pixels, in collaboration with SK Telecom. Low resolution was one of the problems in exporting old South Korean content abroad. MBC announced t

TelevisionNov. 2, 2020

Korean movies choose Netflix over big-screen release

Highly anticipated local thriller “The Call” chose to follow the steps of crime thriller “Time to Hunt,” which skipped its theatrical release and went straight to Netflix in April. “Since many movie fans have been waiting for the release of ‘The Call,’ we considered many different options for quite a long time, and finally came up with the decision to release it on Netflix. We see that it is the best way to present our movie to a wide variety of audie

FilmNov. 1, 2020

[Photo News] Autumn covers Seoul Grand Park in colorful leaves

Autumn arrives in South Korea as the colorful leaves cover the ground Wednesday at Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. People breathe in the crisp air while strolling along the path carpeted with red leaves, with some of a yellow hue. The leaves flutter in the wind before collecting into a vibrant walkway for pedestrians. (Photos: Yonhap) By Song Donna (donnadsong@heraldcorp.com)

CultureOct. 31, 2020

[Weekender] Red, white and rose chase coronavirus blues away

In South Korea, wine has long been largely considered a drink for the well-off, with Korean distilled alcohol soju and beer being more popular choices for dinner. But with the nationwide stay-at-home policies this year, combined with the coronavirus blues, more people are seeking the kind of excitement that the fruity alcoholic drinks can offer. With the growing popularity of imported wine -- mostly affordable wines from ever-diversifying regions, including Eastern Europe -- a major shift in K

FoodOct. 31, 2020

[Photo News] Joseon DIY glass lamp attracts the public

The National Palace Museum of Korea is offering a do-it-yourself kit for making glass lamps in the style of the Joseon era. The DIY kit, which was previously distributed free of charge, has returned for sale due to the enthusiastic response from the public. During the Joseon period, the square glass lamps were used to brighten banquets held at night. The photo above displays the finished products hanging under the eaves of a royal palace. (Photos: National Palace Museum of Korea) By Lee Jae

CultureOct. 31, 2020

Lee Je-hoon returns to big screen as witty royal tomb raider

Lee Je-hoon is returning to the big screen as a witty tomb raider in the upcoming comedy-crime “Collectors.” “Looking back at how I have been selecting my characters, I tried to choose movies with social messages or ones with a unique genre. But we all have experiences of having a truly good time after watching a movie that is not thought-provoking, don’t’ we? I do too and I’ve been wishing to do that kind of movie,” Lee said during the press conference

FilmOct. 31, 2020

Next year’s architecture biennale in Seoul will discuss resiliency through five ‘crossroads’

Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2021 -- which is scheduled to be held in September next year in Seoul -- will discuss how the city of Seoul can be more resilient, accommodating a population of some 10 million people. “Today, ‘resiliency’ is not a pointless word. The current situation forces us to build resilient cities,” said Dominique Perrault, the general director of the biennale, at a “pre-biennale” event Thursday. Its purpose was to declare t

Arts & DesignOct. 30, 2020

Regulator orders 6-month suspension of cable channel MBN for accounting fraud

South Korea's telecommunications regulator on Friday ordered a six-month suspension of services for cable TV channel MBN for accounting fraud in an unprecedented heavy punishment of a broadcaster in the country. The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) said MBN manipulated its balance sheet in 2011 to conceal a portion of the capital raised under borrowed names of its employees. MBN's move was part of its plans to raise 300 billion won, the minimum requirement to acquire a license to operate

TelevisionOct. 30, 2020

Film fest in COVID-19 times: BIFF wraps up with hope

The 25th Busan International Film Festival wrapped up its 10-day run Friday with an online press conference. The acclaimed film fest kicked off Oct. 21 with “Septet: The Story of Hong Kong,” an omnibus work by seven renowned Hong Kong directors, at the Busan Cinema Center in the southern coastal city of Busan. It was a hybrid event, going both online and offline due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  “During the festival, 192 films from 68 countries were screened, gathe

FilmOct. 30, 2020

MMCA to share Jung Jae-hyung’s piano performance

Singer-songwriter and pianist Jung Jae-hyung, known for his appearances on various TV shows, will present a piano ensemble performance at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Gwacheon on Friday. The MMCA’s Gwacheon venue, located south of Seoul, will release a new video titled “MMCA Live x Jung Jae-hyung” on its YouTube channel at 4 p.m. Friday as part of its MMCA Live series. The video will show Jung playing the piano against the backdrop of an outdoor ins

PerformanceOct. 30, 2020