Wonju Hanji Theme Park to build new hanji experience center by next year

Wonju Hanji Theme Park in Gangwon Province will build a new experience center centered on Korean papercraft by next year, investing 5.8 billion won ($4.73 million). Wonju Hanji Theme Park -- located in Wonju, Gangwon Province -- is dedicated to introducing the art of hanji. Hanji, which literally means “paper of Korea” is hand-made paper produced by soaking the bark of mulberry trees.  The paper, which has been made in Korea since the Three Kingdoms period, when the Korean P

Arts & DesignMay 4, 2020

[Herald Interview] ‘Four musketeers’ of ‘Time to Hunt’

Actors Lee Je-hoon and Choi Woo-shik teamed up for director Yoon Sung-hyun’s recently launched action thriller, “Time to Hunt.” The film takes place in a dystopian near future. The nation has turned into a slum in the aftermath of a catastrophic financial crisis, and four youths decide to flee this living hell. To escape, they knock off a casino run by mobsters. The gangsters hire an assassin to retrieve what they have lost, and from there begins the cat-and-mouse game betwe

FilmMay 3, 2020

Theaters prepare to raise curtains again

After an involuntary two-month break, the performing arts scene is gearing up to get back on track while taking precautions against the new coronavirus. A total of 24 national cultural institutions have closed since late February. Private institutions were shut down in past weeks, too.  Now that the number of new cases has dropped and South Korea is on the verge of going back to its normal routines, performing arts institutions and troupes are planning to resume their activities Wednesd

PerformanceMay 3, 2020

Tzuyang eats her way to top on YouTube

As the camera zooms into the Korean ramen, YouTuber Tzuyang digs into the dish in front of her. The curly ramen noodles dressed in scorching red gradually glide down her throat. She opens her eyes with amazement and continuously praises the taste. Behind the screen, millions of her fans enjoy the vicarious pleasure of a spoonful of tasty cuisine. Yet unlike her cultivated cute appearance, her palate in food is difficult to follow. Tzuyang started her eating career on AfreecaTV in October 20

CultureMay 3, 2020

'The World of the Married' sets ratings record for cable drama

The smash-hit series "The World of the Married" has become the most-watched drama on Korean cable TV, data showed Sunday. The 12th episode of the JTBC series, which airs every Friday and Saturday, logged a record viewership of 24.3 percent on Saturday, outrunning the previous record of 23.8 percent set by another JTBC hit, "SKY Castle," according to Nielsen Korea. This marks the highest viewership by a drama episode aired on local cable networks and the second-highest for

TelevisionMay 3, 2020

Belgians asked to 'eat more potatoes'

Belgians are well known for their love of french fries, or "pommes frites," topped with plenty of mayonnaise. In March, the Belgian government spared french fry vendors from its order to lockdown schools, bars and all cultural and sporting facilities. However, potato farmers hit by the COVID-19 crisis have claimed that their livelihoods are at stake despite the state’s efforts. Belgapom, the association for the Belgian potato trade and processing industry, noted that some 75

CultureMay 3, 2020

'Dalgona' treats gain popularity

Convenience stores are enjoying a sharp rise in dessert sales as consumers try to soothe the COVID-19 blues with sweet treats. In line with the trend, Korea’s leading convenience store chain CU has introduced dalgona-inspired products. "Dalgona" refers to a Korean street snack made from brown sugar and baking soda. The "dalgona coffee" challenge -- making a DIY latte with a coffee foam on top -- went viral online recently, with people showing interest in the drink wi

FoodMay 3, 2020

Disney Plus service in Korea likely to face delay

Walt Disney’s plans to launch its over-the-top video streaming service Disney Plus in service outside of the US have been disrupted by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Industry watchers expected Disney Plus to enter the Korean market toward the end of this year, but the outlook seems rather bleak. Earlier this month, it was reported that the US entertainment giant has furloughed more than 100,000 employees, nearly half of the company’s workforce. Production of Disney Plus origina

TelevisionMay 3, 2020

Not your everyday masks

In South Korea and other countries, face masks play a vital role in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Face masks, which cost around 900 won (74 cents) before the crisis, now cost 1,500 won if purchased at pharmacies under the government’s rationing policy. If not, they can cost up to 4,000 won a piece. Though there are complaints that even the rationed masks are expensive, there are also those who are willing to spend more on a face mask. The term “coronavirus couture” h

Arts & DesignMay 2, 2020

[Weekender] New social norms emerge in the age of COVID-19

As the number of new COVID-19 infection cases continued to fall, the government began applying a relaxed social distancing advisory starting April 20. Despite the eased guideline, many Koreans are still following “rules” that emerged following the virus spread. “While taking our lecture using ‘Zoom,’ we have to wear earphones,” Kim Ki-wook, a graduate school student told The Korea Herald. He explained that if the online livestreaming lecture participants d

CultureMay 2, 2020

Jeonju film fest to open in late May without audience

Jeonju International Film Festival will take place next month behind closed doors, a month after its scheduled opening. A scaled-down 21st edition of Jeonju IFF will run May 28-June 6, with only a limited number of judges and filmmakers from each competition section -- international competition, Korean competition and Korean shorts -- attending the event. “As the upcoming long holiday period in May is raising the alarm for public health officials, Jeonju IFF had no choice but to think

FilmMay 2, 2020

How to speak, look better for video meetings

Although the number of new COVID-19 infections has decreased sharply in South Korea, fears of a resurgence persist. As the coronavirus crisis has gripped the country for more than three months, life as we know it has changed. The prevalence of video meetings and interviews is one of the changes that seem likely to stay even as the pandemic situation subsides. The Busan branch of the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement conducted its first-ever online conference on Saturday with 100

CultureMay 2, 2020

CHA to designate 17th century Buddhist sculpture as treasure

The Cultural Heritage Administration on Wednesday announced that it will designate the Ven. Hyunjin’s earliest sculpture from the 17th century as treasure. The piece is called “Jangseong Baekyangsa Mokjoamitayeoraejwasang,” or “Wooden Seated Amitabha Buddha” from the temple Baekyangsa in Jangseong, South Jeolla Province. The sculpture is a 208-centimeter-tall statue that the Ven. Hyunjin created with the Ven. Hueil and the Ven. Moonseub in 1607. The Ven. Hyunjin

CultureMay 2, 2020

[Photo News] Train to Kumgangsan

An electronic sign at Jejin Station reads, “Train to Kumgangsan.”  The station had been abandoned since 1967, but Transportation Minister Kim Hyun-mee and Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul signed a rail tie this week at a ceremony where they promised to reconnect the inter-Korean railway. (Photos: Yonhap) (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

TravelMay 1, 2020

‘Untact’ tourist sites gain attention amid pandemic

“Untact” tourism has become a new trend amid the protracted spread of the novel coronavirus. The new style of traveling -- the name being a Korean contraction of “undoing contact” -- refers to avoiding crowded places or indoor activities, and instead turning to outdoor attractions with plenty of space. Targeting forthcoming holidays, operators of several tourist sites popular among South Koreans, including Busan and South Gyeongsang Province, have been promoting a li

TravelMay 1, 2020

[Eye Plus] Lighting up Buddha’s Birthday

Buddha’s Birthday, the largest Buddhist holiday, is celeberated with lotus lanterns of all shapes and colors. Every year, the lanterns cover the yard of Jogyesa, the Buddhist temple in central Seoul, and the surrounding areas.   While this year’s events have been scaled down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Buddhist faithful gather to celebrate the holiday, offering prayers and taking part in rites that have developed within Korean Buddhism over the centuries.  While lotus

CultureMay 1, 2020

[Photo News] Endangered oriental stork

A pair of oriental storks, endangered species designated as South Korea’s natural treasure No. 199, laid eggs in a nest they had built on top of a transmission tower standing in the middle of a farmland in southern Taean, South Chungcheong Province on Tuesday.  The storks inhibited in the wild after being artificially fecundated at Yesan Stork Park in South Chungcheong Province. It is rare for wild storks to find their mate and build a nest on an ordinary structure like a transmissi

CultureMay 1, 2020

Key film event Daejong Awards rescheduled for June with smaller audience

The Daejong Film Awards, a major South Korean film festival and award event, will be held in June with a smaller audience than usual after the event was postponed in February due to the coronavirus outbreak, its organizers said Thursday. The event's organizing committee announced that this year's 56th Daejong Film Awards, known as the Grand Bell Awards in English, has been scheduled for June 3 at a hotel in Seoul. "For the safety of visitors and artists who will attend the festival, we

FilmApril 30, 2020

[Photo News] Cultural exchange with Fiji

International Youth Fellowship founder and pastor Park Ock-soo (right) and Fijian Ambassador Peniana Lalabalavu sign a memorandum of understanding in Seoul on Tuesday to promote educational exchange activities for young people and to cooperate in cultural and economic areas.  IYF established a Fiji branch in January 2013 and since then it has carried out various educational activities for young people such as overseas volunteering, character education, cultural exchange and character camp

CultureApril 29, 2020

‘Extracurricular’ raises questions about teenage crimes

Are teenagers responsible for their deliquency and are adults free of culpability for the teenagers’ crimes? Upcoming Netflix original series “Extracurricular” deviates from most Korean TV dramas about teenagers in exploring the dark reality of juvenile crimes. Yoon Sin-ae, CEO of the series’ production company Studio 329, said that when she received the script from budding writer Jin Han-sae, she knew she had to do it. “The series tells the story of teenagers w

TelevisionApril 29, 2020