[Herald Review] Theater turns into barbecue eatery in ‘Table for One’

The sound, smell and sight of sizzling meat on grill had the audience’s stomach growling during the play “Table for One” at the Doosan Art Center. The play features main character O In-yong who is left to eat by herself, unable to get along with her colleagues. In order to eat alone well, she takes lessons on how to eat alone at a private institute.  Plastic bags where diners place their coats and jackets at barbecue restaurants to prevent the odor of grilled meat fro

PerformanceMay 11, 2020

COVID-19 seating guidelines stand in way of musicals

Some musical productions are finding it difficult to reopen as performance venues comply strictly with government guidelines requiring a seat between audience members to be left vacant so that they can be seated in a zigzag configuration. This seating arrangement was emphasized after the government on April 19 announced guidelines for relaxed social distancing. Although such a seating configuration is only recommended, performing arts centers, including Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul,

PerformanceMay 10, 2020

LCK and LPL top teams to clash online later this month

The top four teams of Korean League of Legends league LCK and Chinese LoL league LPL are to clash online on May 28, according to reports, but Riot Games has yet to make an official statement regarding the event. The top four teams of LoL Championship Korea -- T1, GenG, DRX and Damwon Gaming -- and the top four teams of the LoL Pro League -- JD Gaming, Top Esports, FunPlus Phoenix and Invictus Gaming -- will determine which region is on top. The Korean teams will play in LoL Park in Jongno, cen

FilmMay 10, 2020

More than just colors

A moon jar sits in the middle of the exhibition “Empty Fullness: Materiality and Spirituality in Contemporary Korean Art” at Park Ryu Sook Gallery in Seoul. From a distance, it looks like an ordinary piece of porcelain ware. But walking around it, you will find that it looks different from different angles because of the way it was made: The upper and lower parts of the jar were shaped separately and then put together, causing some dents in the firing process. But ultimately, it is

Arts & DesignMay 10, 2020

Netflix’s ‘Time to Hunt,’ ‘Kingdom’ nominated for Baeksang Arts Awards

A Korean film and series released via streaming service Netflix -- “Time to Hunt” and season two of “Kingdom,” respectively -- have been nominated for the Baeksang Arts Awards, set to take place in June. This is the first time that Netflix releases have been nominated for the annual Baeksang Arts Awards. This year’s nominees were chosen among TV programs, films and plays presented between April 1, 2019 and April 30 this year. On Friday, the second season of &ld

FilmMay 10, 2020

[Eye Plus] Fishy business in Noryangjin

Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market in eastern Seoul is the largest seafood market in the city.  The market, both a wholesale outlet and a retail market, is always bustling with merchants, vendors and customers, all in search of the freshest seafood. The market was founded in 1927. Following daily auctions -- shell fish at 1 a.m. fresh fish at 1:30 a.m. and live fish at 3 a.m. -- seafood is transported to markets and restaurants across Korea.  Seafood stalls line up shoulder-t

FoodMay 9, 2020

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Changdeokgung Palace Moonlight Tour As part of the Creation of Living Palaces project, the Changdeokgung Palace Moonlight Tour offers a unique opportunity to witness and experience the beauty of a traditional Korean palace at night. Admission is 30,000 won per person. Tours run May 21 to June 14 and are open to visitors of elementary school age and above. For more information in Korean or English, visit www.chf.or.kr. To make reservations, call (02) 1566-1369 or book tickets online at Aucti

TravelMay 9, 2020

’90s music is back, across generational divide

Young artists are repopularizing songs from the ’90s as part of a newtro trend that has hit the music scene, along with a wide range of other industries in South Korea, influencing tastes in beverages, fashion and games. Spearheading the newtro music trend is the soundtrack from the popular tvN drama series “Hospital Playlist,” which has released songs from each of its episodes. “Hospital Playlist” centers on five doctors in their 40s who have been friends since

PerformanceMay 9, 2020

People flock to mountains for respite from virus

Earlier this week, during the “golden holiday,” mountains across South Korea were teeming with hikers and campers, eager for an outdoor getaway while taking precautions against the coronavirus. With the novel coronavirus apparently on the wane in Korea, and the weather mild and pleasant, Koreans are heading to the mountains for “coronavirus-free” activities.   Camping -- an outdoor activity that virtually guarantees some distance and a tangible canvas or nylon barr

TravelMay 9, 2020

Art of the caffeinated pour

While the city transitions to a state of relaxed social distancing, T.o.ch Coffee CEO Lee Min-kyu shares his hand-drip know-how for caffeine aficionados looking to use time at home to perfecting their pour-over brew game. Lee, a one-time consultant-turned-green bean seller, launched his business in Samseong-dong, Seoul a year ago. He started out by selling beans from farms he visited and then roasting those beans in a way that reminded him of how it tasted when he first tried the coffee at

FoodMay 9, 2020

Dalgona craze makes way to department stores

A social trend spreading across the world amid the new coronavirus pandemic crisis, the dalgona fever has now made its way to local department stores. The operator of Lotte Department Store, Lotte Shopping, on Wednesday said it has launched Cafe Cha, a cafe brand famous for its dalgona-inspired dessert products, at its flagship store in central Seoul, on April 29. Dalgona refers to the Korean street food made from brown sugar and baking soda. According to the Lotte Shopping, Cafe Cha, a c

FoodMay 8, 2020

YouTuber vet student denies abusing animals

A veterinary student and prominent YouTuber denied allegations that he abused and starved animals for his videos to get more traffic. According to a news report by local broadcaster Channel A on Thursday, an animal rights group filed a police complaint against Park Gab-su, the owner of the YouTube channel Gabsupasture, accusing him of abusing animals for his videos. Gabsupasture has more than 500,000 subscribers, having gained popularity for its videos on cats and dogs. The animal rights

TelevisionMay 8, 2020

MMCA Seoul opens first-ever permanent exhibition with collection pieces

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, opened its first-ever permanent exhibition Thursday. “MMCA Collection Highlights 2020 Plus” showcases 54 of the gallery’s collection pieces -- paintings, video installations and other works that represent Korea’s modern and contemporary eras. Park Mi-hwa, senior curator at the MMCA, walks viewers through the exhibition on the museum’s YouTube channel. English subtitles are in the works and will be added

Arts & DesignMay 8, 2020

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Spring dinner set at Grand Hyatt Seoul Grand Hyatt Seoul’s Japanese grill restaurant Teppan presents its spring dinner set until June 30. The meal begins with beef tartare followed by fried tomato, bacon salad, scallops, snapper noodles, beef steak and finally cod fish paired with garlic fried rice. Dessert is yuzu ganache, white chocolate cake and green tea ice cream. The dinner set is priced at 180,000 won per person. For more information, call Teppan at (02) 799-8899.  Fam

FoodMay 8, 2020

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Escape From Pretoria (Australia) Opened May 6 Thriller, Drama Directed by Francis Annan In 1978, white South African anti-apartheid activists Tim Jenkin (Daniel Radcliffe) and Stephen Lee (Daniel Webber) are incarcerated in the notorious Pretoria Central Prison for helping the African National Congress. Facing malicious brutality from the guards, the two young prisoners hatch a plot to break out. Denis Goldberg (Ian Hart), an associate of Nelson Mandela, helps them plan their escape. A Rainy

FilmMay 8, 2020

Onstage shows set to resume as quarantine rules ease

The South Korean performing arts scene is joining the nationwide return to normal life after a monthslong battle with the novel coronavirus. Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul said it will stage the special concert "Dear My Parents" at its main Concert Hall on Saturday to celebrate Parents' Day, which falls on Friday, and to express gratitude to those who have dedicated themselves to the fight against COVID-19. The center said it will invite medical workers and their families to th

CultureMay 8, 2020

[Photo News] Hanbok-inspired school uniforms on display

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Education have announced plans for hanbok-inspired school uniforms, and samples are on display at the KCDF Gallery in central Seoul. The 53 samples were selected through a contest held in April 2019. Schools can view them and meet with consultants from the Culture Ministry’s Hanbok Advancement Center at a booth in the gallery. A total of 20 middle and high schools are to adopt the uniforms with government assistance. The tw

Arts & DesignMay 8, 2020

[Herald Interview] EBS producer Chung Hyun-sook seeks common values in Asia

Over the past five years, Chung Hyun-sook, senior executive producer at the Educational Broadcasting System, has been producing international documentaries in collaboration with other Asian countries. Her ultimate goal as a producer is to make a cultural community for Asian countries. Chung, who has also been chair of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Kids since 2004, has focused on drama and documentaries mainly on kids. But her new fifth documentary, “Family Asia,” which aired Mon

TelevisionMay 8, 2020

Bat flipping and fancy cheerleading: How Korean baseball culture differs from US

While Americans take to watching Korean baseball as ESPN started streaming KBO starting with Tuesday’s long-delayed Opening Day, the unique baseball fan culture in Korea has yet to be shown, as the games are being played without spectators. The baseball fan culture in Korea is unlike anything that fans would find in the MLB. The first major difference is the cheering. All 10 Korean baseball teams have songs to support the teams, which are sung multiple times by the fans at each game.

CultureMay 7, 2020

Korea to relax regulations on game industry to lead global market

Culture Minister Park Yang-woo on Thursday announced a plan to support the Korean gaming industry with the aim of leading the future global market. “We will lead innovative growth of the game industry by actively revising the regulatory system,” Park said during a press briefing held in Seoul on Thursday. “Large global conglomerates such as Google and Facebook are expanding in the global gaming market with new technologies. However, there is criticism that our regulations

CultureMay 7, 2020