[Museum of One’s Own] Park Soo Keun Museum, place that feels like mother’s warm embrace

The following is part of a series that explores museums dedicated to the well-known Korean contemporary artists that bear their name. --Ed. Driving through a winding road in Yanggu County in Gangwon Province, the Park Soo Keun Museum slowly comes into sight. Surrounded by granite, the museum lies low to the ground as if representing the humble personality of Korea’s representative modern artist Park Soo-keun. The granite pieces that surround the museum are familiar objects here as the

Arts & DesignJune 30, 2020

Zombie thriller ‘Peninsula’ to screen in 185 countries

With “Train to Busan” having scored as a major global success in 2016, the film’s sequel “Peninsula” has already been sold to 185 countries ahead of its official release in Seoul set for July 15. Film distributor Next Entertainment World on Tuesday announced it has secured distribution deals for zombie flick “Peninsula” in 185 countries, including North and South American territories, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Russia. In Taiwan and Ho

FilmJune 30, 2020

Indie cinemas launch #SaveOurCinema campaign

Local indie and art house cinemas are teaming up to save the low-budget film industry struggling from the impact of the prolonged coronavirus pandemic. Korean Arthouse Cinema Association on Monday announced that 22 indie and art house cinemas will participate in the #SaveOurCinema campaign, which aims to raise public awareness of indie films and encourage moviegoers to return to smaller cinemas from July 1. While the campaign will include a wide range of marketing events conducted by individua

FilmJune 29, 2020

[Video] Subtle, ordinary moments of Seoul captured through lens

  James Lucian is a daytime kindergarten English teacher who wanders around the streets of Seoul, taking pictures of people and places. His work has gained attention from both amateur and professional photographers interested in Korea. James has close to 20,000 followers on his social media account where he posts stories. After his high school experience visiting the darkroom doing photography, James discovered his lifetime interest and decided to major in Fine Art Photography at the Univ

PeopleJune 29, 2020

'#Alive' posts highest weekend box office in 5 months amid pandemic

The new zombie thriller "#Alive" posted the highest weekend box office total in five months since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic, data showed Monday. According to the data by the Korean Film Council, "#Alive" attracted 702,000 moviegoers over the Friday Sunday period, far outnumbering runner-up "Innocence" with 98,000 and No. 3 "Onward" with 87,000. It is the highest box office recorded by a single flick during a weekend since the drama

FilmJune 29, 2020

Exhibition examines role of National Museum of Korea during Korean War

National Museum of Korea on Thursday opened a special exhibition marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean War titled “The Museum & The War.” “Through this exhibition, visitors can find out the role of the National Museum of Korea and how some of the cultural heritage were damaged during the wartime,” said Choi Seon-ju, head of curatorial affairs office at the National Museum of Korea, during a press conference Friday held ahead of its opening. The exhibition is la

CultureJune 29, 2020

Overseas-based Korean dancers put on gala shows

Overseas-based Korean dancers wrapped up the 10th Ballet Festival Korea with gala shows over weekends at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul. A total of 10 prominent overseas Korean dancers gathered for the gala shows. Most of them were initially unable to participate in the shows due to the tight schedules of their ballet troupes. After the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, however, the seasons were canceled, allowing them to return to Korea and perform onstage. “I wrote about going

PerformanceJune 28, 2020

Arario Gallery presents exhibition with two different themes

An artist presents two different ideas through the single exhibition “I Have No Idea, Because I Have No Idea,” which runs through Aug. 15 in Jongno, central Seoul. Insane Park borrowed the title from a popular internet meme. “The phrase is fundamentally ironic, and within that irony there is humor and a sense of vitality which has led to its mass consumption as a meme,” Park said. “I skim through memes and comments (on the internet) before going to bed,”

Arts & DesignJune 28, 2020

Cinemas gear up for reboot as daily number of moviegoers exceed 400,000

A total of 409,544 people visited local cinemas on Saturday, surpassing 400,000 for the first time in over four months since the COVID-19 outbreak earlier this year. With new summer releases and state-funded discount coupons towing the recovery, the film industry has seen audience numbers climb this month. The Korean Film Council provided discount vouchers for tickets from Thursday through Sunday in the first three weeks of this month. As the number of moviegoers during the three-week event p

FilmJune 28, 2020

[Eye Plus] At Mugero, used books go for 300 won per 100 grams

Unlike tech-savvy readers who have jumped over to e-books in the mobile era, there are people who still feel nostalgia for paper books, and some still love going to secondhand bookstores. One of the biggest draws of visiting a secondhand bookstore is probably the joy of accidentally discovering a rare treasure in the piles of dusty, faded old books, especially one that is out of print.  At a secondhand bookstore in Gaebong-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul, books are priced by weight. That’

CultureJune 27, 2020

[Weekender] Jeju Island is a sanctuary in virus times

JEJU ISLAND -- Jeju Island is a popular travel destination this summer. As overseas travel is almost impossible due to concerns about COVID-19, more people are flocking to the southern island from the mainland. The island boasts vast natural areas, from oceans to mountains and fields, where tourists can avoid close contact with others. Travelers often stay at private villas and get around in rental cars -- good holiday options in the time of the coronavirus pandemic. But tourists need to b

TravelJune 27, 2020

Preparing school lunch in coronavirus era

As students returned to schools wearing masks, changes to the school lunch system were inevitable to ensure the safety of students from COVID-19. Since the coronavirus can be transmitted through saliva, students were considered most vulnerable during lunch when they took off masks to eat. As such, many measures have been taken by schools under the central government’s instructions. Many schools have installed individual partitions in classrooms and cafeterias. Doors to dining halls are

FoodJune 27, 2020

[Photo News] Song after the rain

A reed warbler is seen sitting on top of a lotus leaf in Seongho Lake, located in Icheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, shortly after rain on Thursday. (Photos: Yonhap) By Lee Sae-byul (nstelle@heraldcorp.com)

CultureJune 27, 2020

Pianist Kim Kwang-min to hold solo recital in August

Pianist Kim Kwang-min is to hold a solo recital for the first time in three years. According to production agency Credia’s announcement Thursday, Kim will perform Aug. 15 at the Lotte Concert Hall in Jamsil, eastern Seoul.  Kim, whose repertoire encompasses jazz, new age and classical music and whose work is often featured in films and dramas, graduated from the Berklee College of Music and has worked with numerous K-pop musicians such as Yoon Jong-shin and IU. The upcoming show

PerformanceJune 27, 2020

Koreana explores K-pop before BTS

The summer 2020 issue of quarterly magazine Koreana: Korean Culture & Arts presents a series of special features under the theme of “Before K-pop: Popular Music since the Korean War.” “This year is the 70th the anniversary of the Korean War and since Koreana is about culture and art we wanted to cover a related topic,” Koreana Editor-in-Chief Lee Kyong-hee told The Korea Herald. Lee added that Koreana did not want to do a feature series about topics that have been

BooksJune 27, 2020

Blackpink's new song tops iTunes charts in 60 nations

K-pop girl group Blackpink's latest song ranked No. 1 on iTunes charts in 60 nations, its management agency said Saturday, a day after the release of "How You Like That." The number of countries where the song topped the charts represents an all-time high for a South Korean girl group. The song also dominated two major Asian music streaming services -- Line Music of Japan and QQ Music of China -- according to YG Entertainment. Blackpink's fresh music video has also drawn explosive

PerformanceJune 27, 2020

[Video] Why Seongsu-dong is called ‘Brooklyn of Seoul’?

Seongsu-dong in eastern Seoul was once filled with rugged warehouses and shops specializing in handmade shoes. The once-industrial district has turned into an Instagrammable spot. Trendy cafes and restaurants have replaced old storage spaces, infusing fresh energy into the district. Unique signboards, tables and chairs lying outside the cafes sit in contrast with the remnants of old buildings. Cafes and restaurants exhibit stylish sensibilities, inviting people to experience a newly emergin

CultureJune 26, 2020

Korea’s UNESCO envoy speaks out against Japan for breaking promise to honor forced labor victims

Kim Dong-gi, ambassador and permanent delegate of the Republic of Korea to UNESCO, criticized Japan on Thursday for not keeping its promise to honor the victims of wartime forced labor at its historic industrial sites, including Hashima Island. “Japan is not living up to the pledge that it made and also is disregarding the authority of the World Heritage Committee,” Kim said during a press conference in Paris. Kim added that Japan’s actions were harming its national image.

CultureJune 26, 2020

[Newsmaker] Chex green onion springs to life after 16 years

Kellogg Korea’s latest release, Chex Green Onion is stirring up the Internet even before hitting the shelves. Kellogg Korea uploaded a 6-second-long video on June 17 on its YouTube channel, recruiting 50 people to try its newest product before its release. The video showed chopped green onion being sprinkled on chocolate flavored Korean cereal Chex with milk with background music with the lyrics “sorry, sorry, sorry” by trot singer Tae Jin-ah. The video reached ove

FoodJune 26, 2020

Riot Games starts fundraising for COVID-19 relief

Riot Games will donate proceeds from the sale of certain in-game items to help people suffering from the spread of COVID-19. Starting Friday at 5 a.m. until July 24, proceeds from three in-game champion skins, or character decorations, as well as other accessory items, such as limited icons and emoticons, will be donated to the Riot Games Social Impact Fund. The three champion skins for the event, which are Nurse Akali, Kennen M.D. and Surgeon Shen, are all medical-staff-related skins in orde

CultureJune 26, 2020