Culture Station Seoul 284 to unveil ‘New Discovery of Travel’ exhibition online

Culture Station Seoul 284 will unveil the “New Discovery of Travel” exhibition online on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Audiences can enjoy the online content during the “2020 Special Travel Week” which runs from July 1 through July 19 on Culture Station Seoul 284’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/seoul284official). The exhibition is themed around the question of “Why do we travel?” It was originally scheduled to run from June 23 to Aug. 8, but the opening wa

Arts & DesignJuly 7, 2020

[Herald Review] ‘Broadway 42nd’ shows glamour of musical

Though New York’s Broadway will remain closed this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, musical “Broadway 42nd Street” takes its audiences straight to the 1930s of the iconic musical district. The Korean-language version of musical “Broadway 42nd Street” opened June 20 at the Charlotte Theater in eastern Seoul. With its premiere in New York in 1980, the musical is regarded as one of the earliest big-budget musical productions, often represented by “Cats,&rdq

PerformanceJuly 7, 2020

SPO conductor wins 3rd place at Mahler Competition

The associate conductor of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra Wilson Ng has won the third place at the 2020 Mahler Competition. The Mahler Competition is a triennial competition for conductors under 35 organized by the Bamberg Symphony. This year’s competition was held from June 29 to July 5 in Bamberg, Germany. It was the first in-person international music competition to be held amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was live streamed via Facebook and YouTube. A total of 334 contenders

PerformanceJuly 7, 2020

K-dramas walk a fine line with controversial scenes

While the SBS drama series “Backstreet Rookie” has not responded to viewers’ complaints about its sexual objectification of women, the drama has been embroiled in yet more controversy, this time over the racist portrayal of a foreign character. During the show’s fifth episode that aired Friday, a man who introduces himself as Nigerian encounters a Korean man with a similar dreadlocked hairstyle to his own in a convenience store and the two suddenly embrace each other as

TelevisionJuly 7, 2020

KTO promotes Korea through eyes of Netflix

The Korea Tourism Organization released a promotional video titled “Explore Korea,” made in collaboration with Netflix, using a compilation of clips of Korea shown in films and dramas on the global online streaming platform. The approximately 90-second clip was released Monday through the KTO’s YouTube channel. The clip, a compilation of scenes from Netflix original programming, shows the history, food and tourist attractions of Korea, along with local lifestyles. Tradition

TravelJuly 7, 2020

[Museum of One’s Own] At age of 90, Park Seo-bo pioneers new phase of life

The following is part of a series that explores museums dedicated to Korea’s well-known contemporary artists that bear their name. --Ed. A white porcelain moon jar, which resembles a full moon with its bluish hue, sits alone at the entrance hall at the Gizi Art Base in western Seoul, a place dedicated to contemporary art master Park Seo-bo. “I do love the Korean moon jars. The jars are created through a repetitive movement on a pottery wheel, and the clay is the only ingredient. T

Arts & DesignJuly 6, 2020

[Photo News] KH layout editor awarded from FNA

  The Korea Herald publisher and CEO Kwon Chung-won (left) and layout editor Lee Yoon-joo attend an event to mark the 5th anniversary of the Foreign Language Newspapers Association of Korea at Dalgaebi restaurant in central Seoul on Monday. Editor Lee received a plaque for her contribution to enhancing The Korea Herald’s brand with outstanding page layouts and designs. Editor Lee (second from right) poses for the camera along with other awardees from Korea Times, Korea JoonAang Da

PeopleJuly 6, 2020

Hwang Jung-eum returns through fantasy rom-com ‘Men are Men’

Hwang Jung-eum who has enjoyed success with romantic-comedy dramas is returning to the small screen through another lovey-dovey drama show. In the new drama “Men are Men” on KBS2, Hwang will play Seo Hyun-joo, a workaholic web comic platform coordinator who vows marriage to herself, only to find herself challenged to rethink the value of love by two suitors. Hwang, along with the series’ producer Choi Yoon-suk and lead cast members Yoon Hyun-min, Seo Ji-hoon, Choi Myung-gil

TelevisionJuly 6, 2020

Lacquer artist Kim Deok-han finds self through repeated process

Kim Deok-han applies lacquer to his art. It is not just a simple craft, but spiritual work to look into himself. After repeatedly applying lacquer layers mixed with colored powder on an object such as a wood panel or aluminum that he has covered with linen, he rubs the surface with sandpaper. He explains the rubbing process is a spiritual action to look into himself. This artwork also reflects his belief that the current self is from the accumulated times of his past. “The whole proc

Arts & DesignJuly 6, 2020

Son Ye-jin to make Hollywood debut in Andrew Niccol’s ‘The Cross’

South Korean actress Son Ye-jin is set to make her debut in Hollywood with an upcoming film tentatively titled “The Cross.” According to an official from Son’s agency MS Team Entertainment on Monday, the actress has given consideration to the film and is undergoing negotiations over details. While stating the actress will likely star in the film, the official was cautious to confirm the decision as of now. The official also stated Son will play the film’s lead female r

TelevisionJuly 6, 2020

Actor Lee Soon-jae apologizes for unfairly treating former manager

Veteran actor Lee Soon-jae released a personal statement Sunday through his agency apologizing for unfairly treating his former manager and asked the public to stop any criticism towards the manager. The statement came out after the manager, who worked for Lee for two months starting March, claimed that he had to work long hours without signing a proper contract during his interview with SBS on June 29. He also added that he was unfairly dismissed after he requested insurance coverage. &ldq

TelevisionJuly 6, 2020

Ups and downs of K-dramas in first half 2020

The first half of this year was an especially bumpy road for Korean television. Although the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 halted some productions for a while, small-screen content came into a new limelight as a source of joy and comfort for people stuck at home in the period of quarantine. JTBC becomes big name JTBC ran strong last year with “Sky Castle,” which set a record viewership rating for the cable channel. And the broadcaster has further built on its success this year.

TelevisionJuly 6, 2020

Colorful face masks gain popularity in Korea

Face masks featuring diverse colors and designs are gaining ground in Korea, as protective equipment is increasingly perceived as a fashion item. A growing number of social media users here are posting photos with fashionable face masks. More than 20,000 posts have been uploaded on Naver, Korea’s biggest portal, and similar mask-related photos are piling up on Instagram as well.  Last month, a fashion show was held in Gangnam, southern Seoul, showcasing various facial protection p

Arts & DesignJuly 5, 2020

[Eye Plus] Daejanggeum Park, birthplace of K-drama

Daejanggeum Park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, is one of the largest open sets in South Korea, where period dramas, movies and commercials are filmed.  It is a semipermanent set that has been modeled after the architectural styles and traditional Korean houses of the Three Kingdoms period, Goryeo kingdom and Joseon era.  Starting with the production of the drama “Shindon” in 2005, numerous dramas and movies, including “Daejanggeum,” “Jumong” and

CultureJuly 4, 2020

[The Arts Amid COVID-19] With venues closed, performing arts look for new outlets

During the COVID-19 pandemic, paid subscription models such as Netflix and YouTube Premium may be an answer for the performing arts scene, according to the CEO of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. While it has become the norm for performing art troupes to reach out to audiences at home online in recent months, the Sejong Center’s CEO Kim Sung-kyu believes a sustainable business model must be built soon. As of now, most performances are streamed online free of charge. “Vi

PerformanceJuly 4, 2020

Taking the road less traveled

While many Koreans dream of working for major corporations, they may not be as grand as they sound. People can pursue career goals and earn high salaries at big companies, but the heavy workload and frequent get-togethers can lead many workers to poor health. While the cultures of large companies have been changing recently, many workers are often left to choose between their careers and their personal health. Two startup CEOs, Lee Hyung-jin and Lim Ji-young, who experienced deteriorating h

FoodJuly 4, 2020

VR gugak experience stretches out from palace to hanok

The National Gugak Center has released a second series of virtual reality performances, following the previous release in March. In March, the state-funded music institution released a series of videos made with virtual reality technology, introducing various gugak instruments.  It released 20 more VR videos Wednesday, recorded at venues that show the beauty of traditional Korean architecture. A total of eight court music and court dance videos were filmed in Changdeokgung, a Joseon-era

PerformanceJuly 4, 2020

Goryeo mother-of-pearl lacquerware purchased from Japanese collector unveiled

The Cultural Heritage Administration on Thursday unveiled the “Goryeo Lacquered Box Inlaid with Mother-of-pearl Chrysanthemum and Scroll Design” previously held in Japan at the National Palace Museum of Korea. The artifact was returned to Korea in December last year. “Mother-of-pearl lacquerware with our 1,000-year history has returned. This artifact is our cultural heritage that contains our DNA,” head of CHA Chung Jae-suk said during a press conference held Thursday.

Arts & DesignJuly 4, 2020

Jang Sung-kyu releases song ‘Workman’ to support job seekers

Celebrity Jang Sung-kyu released his latest song “Workman” featuring Jay Park and Sik-K on Wednesday. The making of the song was shown through a video that was uploaded on his popular YouTube channel Workman on June 24. In his channel that has over 3 million subscribers, Jang introduces and shares his experience with different jobs, ranging from working in an aquarium to a construction site. “All the proceeds will be donated to financially support industrial accident workers

PerformanceJuly 4, 2020

Yeowoorak Festival to open online

The 2020 Yeowoorak Festival, a gugak-themed festival organized by the National Theater of Korea, will kick off online a day later than its original schedule. As the government suspended operation of state-run museums and theaters in the Seoul metropolitan area on June 12 until further notice, the National Theater of Korea must remain closed. Although it is shut down, the theater will continue with its annual festival, streaming two of the shows online via its channels on Naver TV and YouTub

PerformanceJuly 3, 2020