‘Phantom of the Opera’ tour in Korea suspended after cast member infected with coronavirus

The international tour production of “The Phantom of the Opera” has decided to temporarily halt its Seoul run after one of its ensemble cast members tested positive for the new coronavirus. The cast member was confirmed with COVID-19 infection Tuesday and the show decided to cancel shows from Wednesday.   According to the organizers, the cast member was in self-quarantine with some symptoms of COVID-19 infection despite a normal body temperature. The production team, includin

PerformanceApril 1, 2020

Relaxing games offer sanctuary in times of coronavirus

As COVID-19 continues to keep people apart, games that are less stressful are gaining attention and bringing people together. While most games usually have a final boss to beat, a mission to complete or a competition, driving the players to reach the end, games that have no specific goals or endings are helping people enjoy the time indoors and remain positive by simulating a virus-free virtual reality. Animal Crossing: New Horizons, for Nintendo Switch, released in Korea on March 20, is one

CultureApril 1, 2020

Filming suspended indefinitely as COVID-19 spreads

The impact of the novel coronavirus on the film industry may continue into early next year, as films not only postpone imminent releases, but suspend shootings and push back entire production schedules. Filming of blockbuster aviation disaster flick “Emergency Declaration,” originally scheduled to start last month, has been postponed, according to the film’s distributor and investor Showbox. “As the film is set inside a plane, it’s a big project in itself and req

FilmApril 1, 2020

South Korea applies for Korean mask dance drama talchum’s UNESCO listing

The Cultural Heritage Administration on Wednesday announced that it had applied for the addition of Talchum, Mask Dance Drama in the Republic of Korea to the list of UNESCO intangible cultural heritage on Tuesday. The decision on the listing will be made in December 2022, after UNESCO reviews and evaluates the application’s technical completeness and the value of the heritage. Talchum is a performing art that encompasses dance, music, and theater. There are 18 different kinds of Kor

CultureApril 1, 2020

Cinemas get movie development fund reprieve as coronavirus decimates industry

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki on Wednesday announced that the government would exempt cinemas from paying into the movie development fund to help theaters weather the impact of COVID-19. The exemption will apply retroactively from February. The government expects the total amount that will be exempted to reach 54 billion won ($44.28 million), the average amount collected annually as movie development fund since 2016. Under the law, movie theaters are required to cont

FilmApril 1, 2020

TV stations cancel variety shows this week after producer tests positive for coronavirus

The South Korean entertainment circle has faced another major setback after a staff member of a variety show was confirmed to have the novel coronavirus. A producer of the food variety show "Bob Bless You" on Olive, a cable channel run by entertainment giant CJ ENM, tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday. She developed symptoms after returning from vacation in the United States on March 18. The junior producer, whose name has been withheld, participated in production of the progra

TelevisionApril 1, 2020

Number of moviegoers falls to record low in March

The number of moviegoers in South Korea dropped to a record low last month as more people stayed home over growing fears of the novel coronavirus, data showed Wednesday. According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), just over 1.83 million people went to the movies in March, the lowest for the month since the KOFIC started to compile box-office data in 2004. A year ago, 14.67 million tickets were sold across the nation, while 7.37 million people saw films in February. Moreover, the KOFIC data

FilmApril 1, 2020

New AI thriller to be launched exclusively on YouTube

With more videos being launched through various over-the-top platforms, Korean content creator Newplus Original is releasing the new series on artificial intelligence “AI Her,” exclusively through YouTube, starting Tuesday. “AI Her” is a six-episode science fiction thriller about a future where human experiences can be shared through computers, eroding the boundaries between mankind and artificial intelligence. According to Newplus Original, the YouTube series is a spi

TelevisionMarch 31, 2020

Culture Ministry rolls out financial aid amid coronavirus spread

Since the coronavirus outbreak, Culture Minister Park Yang-woo has been busy visiting different facilities to hear rising concerns and difficulties that artists are facing. Following this, the Culture Ministry has announced several plans for financial assistance. On Feb. 20, it decided to inject 3 billion won ($2.5 million) to provide loans for artists who are experiencing financial difficulties following the outbreak. From March 1 to 10, the government received applications for the loan and

CultureMarch 31, 2020

Art of drawing letters: Beauty of calligraphy unveiled at MMCA for first time

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) is hosting a calligraphy exhibition for the first time in its history, titled “The Modern and Contemporary Korean Writing,” aiming to show the beauty of calligraphy through the masterpieces from 1920s to modern era. The exhibition was unveiled online Monday through livestreaming on MMCA YouTube channel with curator Bae Won-jung guiding through the artworks for 90 minutes. The exhibition was scheduled to open in March, but w

Arts & DesignMarch 31, 2020

Halsey cancels Seoul concert over COVID-19

American singer-songwriter Halsey called off her Seoul concert due the novel coronavirus spread. “‘Halsey - Manic World Tour Live in Seoul,’ originally slated to be held on May 9 at the Olympic Hall in the Olympic Park, has been canceled,” said the concert’s local organizer Live Nation Korea in a statement issued Monday. The organizer stated that all tickets will be automatically refunded without any charges. Those who canceled their tickets after 5:30 p.m. on

PerformanceMarch 30, 2020

Film directors make inroads into small screens

In recent years, film directors have been making inroads into the small screen, creating serial productions, “Kingdom” -- the smash-hit Korean zombie thriller produced and distributed by Netflix -- being one of the successful examples. The first season of the Netflix series was helmed by director Kim Seong-hoon of films “A Hard Day” and “Tunnel,” who made the small screen debut with “Kingdom.” For the second season of “Kingdom,” Kim di

TelevisionMarch 30, 2020

Challenged by social distancing? Join online challenges to stay connected

Though social distancing has become the status quo amid the COVID-19 crisis, people are trying to stay connected with others via various online platforms. As people are ordered or advised to stay home, the sense of isolation has led to the coining of such expressions as “corona blues,” referring to constant anxiety stemming from the fear of the highly contagious virus and depression from prolonged isolation. Looking for a way to feel connected, people are increasingly turning to

CultureMarch 30, 2020

[Herald Review] Doomed but eternal love of ‘Dracula’

Despite the COVID-19 outbreak shutting down most performing arts shows, the house was nearly full at Friday’s performance of “Dracula: The Musical,” with fans eager to see singer Kim Jun-su’s portrayal of the lonely yet romantic vampire. The musical began its run on Feb. 11 at Charlotte Theater in eastern Seoul. While the performing art scene suffers badly due to the health crisis, the hit musical show has been recording an average admission rate of 95 percent.   T

PerformanceMarch 30, 2020

Four notable Korean authors to be published in foreign languages this year

From Korean TV dramas and K-pop to the nation’s cinematic output, Korean content has taken the world by storm. This year, it may be Korean novels’ turn to engage global readers. According to the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, a state-run institute that promotes Korean literature abroad, at least 91 Korean books are being published in 19 countries this year. “There might be more books that will be published overseas, this is the number that we have for now,&rdquo

PeopleMarch 30, 2020

Eleventh group of ‘Friends of Korea’ starts spotting errors about Korea

The Korean Culture and Information Service, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, announced that its 11th group of “Friends of Korea” began activities from Friday. Friends of Korea is a group of people whose main task is to report erroneous information about Korea in foreign media to the Korea Culture and Information Service’s online platform, “Fact:Korea.” Over the next four months, the group will also promote Korean culture to foreigners

CultureMarch 29, 2020

Korean broadcasters brace for coronavirus spread

The Korean broadcasting industry is bracing for more cases of the novel coronavirus, after a reality TV producer tested positive Saturday. The producer of season two of “Bob Bless You,” a food-oriented program on Olive TV, returned to Korea on March 18 after a vacation in New York and began showing symptoms of COVID-19 on Friday, according to CJ ENM. As soon as the producer went for a test, all staff members who had direct contact with the producer went into self-quarantine. &ld

TelevisionMarch 29, 2020

Eric returns with rom-com “Eccentric! Chef Moon”

Singer-actor Eric Mun is returning to the small screen in four years to feature in Channel A’s new miniseries “Eccentric! Chef Moon,” with actress Koh Won-hee. The new series, set to air Friday night, will feature the 43-year-old as star chef Moon Seung-mo who falls in love with a reckless fashion designer Yoo Yoo-jin. Taking place in the rural and fictional Seoha Village in the northern Chungcheong Province, the drama will unfold a warm story as the two characters develop

TelevisionMarch 27, 2020

Traditional Korean zombie series creates global sensation on Netflix

Two weeks since its release, the next season of Netflix’s original series “Kingdom” continues to garner more fans worldwide, firmly maintaining its place in the global streaming site’s top 10 list in numerous countries.　 “Kindgom” tells the story of how Crown Prince Lee Chang and his followers try to save the Joseon era kingdom (1392-1910) from falling apart due to the sudden outbreak of a zombie virus. The second season continues to follow Lee Chang and h

TelevisionMarch 27, 2020

Art auction markets perform well despite COVID-19 threat

The two main art auction houses in Korea saw better performance than expected in March despite the COVID-19 outbreak clouding the art market. Seoul Auction, the nation’s largest auction house, saw its auction success rate at 60 percent at the first auction of the year, held Tuesday. The total sales amounted to 5 billion won ($4.1 million), according to the company. “We worried about the auction result because the viral infection has frozen the art market, but it turned out to be

Arts & DesignMarch 27, 2020