[Herald Interview] Oh Ji-ho, director discuss fantasy-thriller ‘The Nightmare’

Actor Oh Ji-ho said he accepted the offer to star in the fantasy-thriller “The Nightmare” because he wanted answers to the many questions that popped into his head as he read the script. “It’s difficult to put it into words, but I was grasped by a mysterious and incomprehensible feeling,” Oh said Wednesday in an email interview conducted ahead of the film’s release on Thursday. “The Nightmare” is a mystery-thriller packed with fantastical elemen

FilmMarch 11, 2020

Show must go on, even if it’s online

While coronavirus cases continue to climb around the world, the performing arts scene in Korea is turning to a different stage: online platforms. According to the Korea Performing Arts Box Office Information System, managed by the Korea Arts Management Service affiliated with the Culture Ministry, performing arts theaters’ ticket sales in February recorded 20.9 billion won ($18.6 million), nearly down to half of the previous month’s 40.3 billion won. Since mid-February -- when Ko

PerformanceMarch 11, 2020

Paik Nam-june retrospective to open in Amsterdam

Video art pioneer Paik Nam-june’s retrospective exhibition will open Friday at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam in the Netherlands, the second stop of the exhibition’s international tour. Titled “The Future is Now,” the show will feature more than 200 works by the artist, including those in the museum’s collection. The exhibition will run through Aug. 23. The major retrospective exhibition of Paik is on a two-year international tour, starting at the Tate Modern i

Arts & DesignMarch 11, 2020

Korean Cultural Centre UK shows ‘Rendered Reality’

Korean Cultural Centre UK announced Wednesday that it is holding its UK Residency Report Showcase, in an exhibition titled “Rendered Reality” that features multimedia works by Min Joon-hong and Suh Shin-uk, running from Wednesday to April 18. This marks the first UK Residency Report Showcase exhibition, held with artists who have completed KCCUK’s residency program to support emerging artists. The opening reception of the exhibition held Monday at the KCCUK in London featu

Arts & DesignMarch 11, 2020

Jeonju film fest postponed due to coronavirus

The Jeonju International Film Festival has been postponed, as the novel coronavirus outbreak continues. The organizing committee of the Jeonju IFF announced on Wednesday the decision to move the event to May 28-June 6. The 10-day event was originally slated to kick off April 30. “We made the decision considering the possibility that COVID-19 may be of a grave threat to the health and safety of our guests,” the board of directors said in a statement. “Although we are postpon

FilmMarch 11, 2020

Star screenwriters return to small screen

Big-name screenwriters are returning to the small screen this year, raising high expectations for well-made blockbuster TV series. Park Ji-eun, who wrote popular romantic comedies "My Love from the Star (2013) and "Legend of the Blue Sea" (2016), was the first runner in the 2020 lineup of star playwrights. The last episode of her latest drama, "Crash Landing On You," which aired from December last year to February, earned the highest viewership for any drama series fr

TelevisionMarch 11, 2020

Coachella postponed until October over coronavirus fears

NEW YORK (AFP) -- Organizers on Tuesday rescheduled the Coachella music festival until October over coronavirus concerns, following advice from local health authorities. "While this decision comes at a time of universal uncertainty, we take the safety and health of our guests, staff and community very seriously," Goldenvoice, the company that puts on the event in the California desert, said in a statement. The two-weekend festival set for April will now take place over the weekend

PerformanceMarch 11, 2020

Star producer of ‘Reply’ series returns with ‘Hospital Playlist’

Maverick producer Shin Won-ho is returning with tvN drama “Hospital Playlist,” set to air Thursdays starting this week. While most popular South Korean television dramas are aired twice weekly, Shin, the creator of the smash-hit “Reply” series, says it is time for Korean dramas to attempt new formats. “The drama industry is becoming increasingly competitive, and I’m not sure if all shows would be able to continue like this. We wanted to set a new model,&rdq

TelevisionMarch 10, 2020

[Obituary] Korean American entertainer Johnny Yune dies at 84

Comedian Johnny Yune, born as Yoon Jong-seung, died in Los Angeles at the age of 84 on Sunday. Born in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, in 1936, Yune graduated from Sungdong High School in central Seoul, before attending Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. He became a US citizen in 1978. Yune made his film debut in 1979’s “Meteor” under the stage name of Jon Yune, and built up his career as a standup comedian in the 1980s. The Korean American star rose to st

TelevisionMarch 10, 2020

[Feature] Are Korea’s drama-focused studios ready for film industry’s growth?

In February, the Korean Film Council announced that the biggest and oldest film set in the country, Namyangju Studio Complex, would resume operations following its closure last October by the new owner Booyoung Group. The Namyangju set’s reopening is welcomed by Korean cineastes as the studio complex -- located in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, just northeast of Seoul -- is the one of the few large-scale studios in close proximity to Seoul. Since its opening in 1997, 786 films, or more t

FilmMarch 10, 2020

Coronavirus wipes out spring fests in southern regions

With COVID-19 cases continuing to climb, spring festivals hosted in the southern regions of Korea have taken a major blow, affecting local economies heavily dependent on the festivals. As Korea has implemented a “social distancing” policy to prevent community spread of the novel coronavirus, festivals and events that attract a large number of people have been canceled or postponed indefinitely, threatening the livelihoods of people who make a living on the festival circuit. 

TravelMarch 10, 2020

Art world comes up with creative ways to survive virus

With the spread of COVID-19 continuing for more than 50 days, museums and galleries have begun to seek ways to provide cultural experiences for people who are isolating themselves at home and minimizing social activities. The National Museum of Korea, which is temporarily closed due to the spread of the new coronavirus, said Monday that it would stream its special exhibition, “10,000 Years of Design - Man, Matter, Metamorphosis” at 7 p.m. on Friday through Naver TV, at https://tv.

Arts & DesignMarch 10, 2020

Faithful flock to screens for Sunday service

Changes to how the faithful worship were inevitable as many churches went online for Sunday services due to the spread of the novel coronavirus. Churchgoers sat in front of laptops and TV screens to watch the service, some alone, others with their families. According to Sarang Church in Seoul, one of the several megachurches in South Korea, over 40,000 people viewed the online stream last Sunday through its website and YouTube channel. “Having Sunday service online reminds us how preci

CultureMarch 10, 2020

Sokcho City aims to attract tourists from around the globe

Sokcho, a city of about 81,000 residents located in the eastern part of Gangwon Province along the east coast of South Korea, is getting very popular as a tourist destination with millions of visitors every year. Although small in size, its splendors and fun-packed tourist sights are more than enough reasons to fall in love with the city. Many also visit the place in hopes for reunification since it is closer to the heavily fortified border with North Korea. This did not just happen overnig

TravelMarch 10, 2020

E-book service provider Millie’s Library provides free service for coronavirus patients

Millie’s Library, a subscription-based e-book service provider, on Tuesday announced that it was offering two months of free service to COVID-19 patients and those in home quarantine in conjunction with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. “We hope that reading can be of some comfort for everyone who is struggling with COVID-19 until they get better and return to their daily life,” Millie’s Library CEO Seo Young-taek said in a statement. According to the startup,

CultureMarch 10, 2020

Chart-smashing rookie band ITZY returns with new album 'IT'z ME'

Roaring rookie girl band ITZY on Monday returned with its new album "IT'z ME," a seven-track record led by the main song "Wannabe." The lead track has a fusion groove, mixing EDM with other trendy music genres. The song is another collaboration between the five-piece girl band and Galactika, the music production team that produced the band's breakout 2019 debut single "Dalla Dalla."    "The title song, 'Wannabe,' is a track that best represent

PerformanceMarch 9, 2020

Anxiety grows after COVID-19 infection of dog reported in Hong Kong

Chung Min-su, who has three bichon frise dogs at home, began to worry about the possibility of her pets catching COVID-19 after hearing news last week that a dog had tested positive for the new coronavirus in Hong Kong. The outbreak has now affected more than 7,000 people in South Korea. “I am more cautious when I am with my dogs in an enclosed space with other people, like in an elevator,” Chung said. “When I walk my dogs outside, they sniff around everywhere, and I freak ou

CultureMarch 9, 2020

Coronavirus takes big toll on tourism

As the entire nation struggles with the ongoing spread of COVID-19, the tourism industry -- both inbound and outbound -- has been one of the hardest hit by the virus outbreak. More than 100 countries around the world are restricting the entry of all travelers from Korea, as of Monday, pushing outbound travel agencies to the brink. Hana Tour and Modu Tour, Korea’s top two outbound travel agencies, have reported major losses in sales due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Hana Tour sent 49,000

TravelMarch 9, 2020

Women of ‘Parasite,’ Lee Mie-kyung make Variety’s International Women’s Impact Report 2020

Women of ‘Parasite,’ Lee Mie-kyung make Variety’s International Women’s Impact Report 2020 The actresses who starred in the Academy Award-winning “Parasite” made Variety’s annual International Women’s Impact Report on Friday, along with CJ Group Vice Chairwoman Lee Mie-kyung. The list, which includes accomplished women in showbiz from around the globe, was released prior to International Women’s Day on March 8. The five “Parasite&rd

FilmMarch 9, 2020

Coronavirus spread delays film fests

The COVID-19 spread continues to cast a pall over the Korean film scene, forcing upcoming film festivals to reschedule. The organizers of the Chunsa Film Art Awards on Monday announced that the festival, originally scheduled to take place in April, will now be held in June. The Ulju Mountain Film Fest, which had moved up the event’s date from September to April starting this year, was forced to reschedule the dates back to the fall season. The unique film event taking place in the southe

FilmMarch 9, 2020