New Sushiya bucks tradition

Rubbing shoulders with some of the most established, elite sushiya in Seoul, newcomer Sushi Sakau bucks tradition on many levels. In a neighborhood where an omakase lunch generally clocks in at over 70,000 won and dinner usually starts at 100,000 won, Sakau has whittled their prices down to 50,000 won for lunch and 88,000 won for dinner.  “It is just me, my wife and my friend,” owner-chef You Jong-tea, 32, said in explaining how keeping staff to a bare minimum and trekking out t

FoodDec. 27, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Ashfall(Korea)Opened Dec. 19Drama, ActionDirected by Lee Hae-jun, Kim Byeong-seoPaektusan, the highest mountain on the Korean Peninsula and a dormant volcano, comes out of its slumber and undergoes the biggest eruption in recorded history. South Korean operative Capt. Jo In-chang (Ha Jung-woo) and North Korean spy Lee Jun-pyeong (Lee Byung-hun) are sent on a covert operation to save the peninsula.Cats(US)Opened Dec. 24Comedy, Drama, Family Directed by Tom HooperA tribe of cats called the Jellicl

FilmDec. 26, 2019

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Winter Berry Afternoon Tea Set at Grand Hyatt Grand Hyatt Seoul Hotel’s lounge cafe Gallery will launch the Winter Berry Afternoon Tea Set starting Jan. 1, featuring fresh strawberries and canapes. Served in a three-layered dessert tray, the set will include fresh-baked wild berry scones, homemade strawberry jams, winter berry tarts and more. A buffet station, as well as a ruby chocolate fountain, will be offered as well. The tea set will be offered from Jan. 1 to Jan. 31, and the price is

FoodDec. 26, 2019

People sought comfort from books in past decade

Inspirational nonfiction and heartwarming novels swept bestseller lists in the 2010s, an indication that people sought solace from books over the past decade, according to the Kyobo Book Center. “The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down,” written by Ven. Haenim, a renowned Buddhist monk in South Korea, was the bestselling book of the decade. After its release in 2012, it remained a bestseller for two years.  Translated into English by Kim Chi-young, the illustrated book of

BooksDec. 26, 2019

Watch a show, have a drink, too

Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in central Seoul took a step this week to make year-end concerts more festive and fun, allowing people to bring drinks, including alcohol, into the shows.On Tuesday, before the start of “Introduction to Indie Music” at the Sejong Center’s S Theater, several people stood around the lobby with plastic cups of beer in their hands. A temporary bar was set up in one corner of the lobby where patrons could grab a cup at 8,000 won ($6.90) apiece.

CultureDec. 26, 2019

Red Velvet member injured during rehearsal for TV show

A member of the girl group Red Velvet sustained serious injuries in a fall during a rehearsal for an awards show on Wednesday, her agency announced.SM Entertainment said Wendy was diagnosed with broken pelvis and right wrist after falling from the stage at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, while preparing for the K-pop show to be hosted and aired by broadcaster SBS later Wednesday.SM said Wendy, who also suffered a facial injury, received emergency treatment and will undergo further tests at a nearby h

PerformanceDec. 26, 2019

Places to reflect on 2019, make New Year’s wishes for 2020

Making wishes while watching the first sunrise of the new year is considered a special event for many Koreans, who believe the practice will bring them luck in the year ahead. Rising before dawn on New Year’s Day is difficult, but watching the beautiful sunrise is worth the effort. Similarly, some people enjoy watching the sunset on the last day of the year, reflecting on the passing year. Here are some of the best spots for catching the sunset or sunrise in Seoul, and around the country.H

TravelDec. 25, 2019

Boston Symphony Orchestra to make Korean debut in February

The Boston Symphony Orchestra is to visit South Korea for the first time, gracing the stage at the Seoul Arts Center Feb. 6-7.It will be the time-honored orchestra’s first visit to the country. A concert scheduled in 1960 as part of its Asian tour had to be canceled due to the April 19 Revolution.  On the first day, the orchestra will present Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra Sz. 116 BB. 123; Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24, K. 491; and Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloe Suite No

PerformanceDec. 25, 2019

Three months in, House of BTS pop-up store in Seoul bustles with fans

Hirari Yamauchi, a 48-year-old Japanese housewife, and her teenage daughter flew to South Korea for a two-day trip this week, solely for a highly anticipated visit to a pop-up store themed around K-pop boy band BTS currently open in Seoul. The mother and daughter discovered BTS a year ago and have since been avid fans, and they were unable to miss a chance to see the first major BTS pop-up store in the band's home country.The pop-up store, House of BTS, kicked off its three-month run on Oct. 18

PerformanceDec. 25, 2019

Screenwriter says ‘Big Fish’ is a ‘very small human story’

Though the musical “Big Fish” may seem to be from far away -- it is, after all, a story from the American South -- it is a tale of fatherhood with which audiences around the world can relate, the show’s scriptwriter said.The family musical is based on a 1998 novel of the same name written by Daniel Wallace. The novel was adapted into a film in 2003 starring Ewan McGregor. Screenwriter John August is the mastermind behind the film and the musical productions, having written the

PerformanceDec. 24, 2019

Red Velvet's new album tops iTunes album charts in 42 countries

Girl group Red Velvet's latest "repackage album," "The ReVe Festival: Finale," has topped the iTunes album charts in 42 countries, its agency said Tuesday.The third of the five-member band's "The ReVe Festival" trilogy, the 16-track album was released on Monday (Korean time) and includes four new songs -- "Psycho," "In & Out," "Remember Forever" and "La Rouge." It took the top position on the iTunes album charts in the Uni

PerformanceDec. 24, 2019

[Video] The magic and romance of Christmas

The magical morning of Dec. 25 is a time of great excitement and anticipation, as you get to spend time with your beloved family and make more memories to cherish. One of the essential parts of celebrating Christmas is exchanging good vibes and spreading the holiday’s goodwill. It’s exactly around that time of year where the whole world turns boisterous and people are drawn to the festive spirit. The noise of bells jingling, colorful seasonal decorations and Christmas trees embellish

CultureDec. 24, 2019

US museum acquires 14th century Goryeo Buddhist painting

The Cleveland Museum of Art recently acquired a rare Buddhist painting from the Goryeo Kingdom period in the 14th century, depicting the afterlife.“The Fourth King of Hell” is from a series of paintings depicting the 10 Buddhist kings of hell, according to the museum’s press release dated Dec. 19. The practice of painting the 10 kings of hell developed in China during the Tang dynasty (618-907) and this practice was subsequently adopted in Korea and perfected during the Goryeo

CultureDec. 24, 2019

Art brings attention to history of oppression, disconnected cultural inheritance

Kukje Gallery’s Busan venue is holding a solo exhibition of Daniel Boyd, featuring 11 convex-dot paintings based on historical photos that Boyd has come across in different sources, from family photo albums to the photo collection of the British Museum. Boyd is an Australian artist who transforms photos of the colonial and postcolonial periods into paintings that raise questions about the colonial history of Australia and the power dynamic in the historical narrative.Boyd began his artisti

Arts & DesignDec. 23, 2019

[Herald Interview] Han Suk-kyu discusses finding the man within the great monarch

“Forbidden Dream” is a period piece about King Sejong of Joseon and his inventor Jang Yeong-sil that focuses on the personal relationship between the two that share a dream.Han Suk-kyu, playing King Sejong for the second time in his career, said he approached the role by looking at how he was brought up.“I thought a lot about how his mother would have been, because parents have immense influence over how someone turns out,” Han said during a joint interview in Seoul on Mo

FilmDec. 23, 2019

Actor Jung Woo-sung to produce new Netflix original series

Top actor Jung Woo-sung is set to produce a new Netflix series. Netflix on Monday announced Jung will be producing “The Sea of Tranquility,” Jung’s first production with the global media platform.Jung, a high-profile screen actor, has been showing keen interest in producing and directing. In 2016, he debuted as a film producer with “Remembering You,” in which he also starred as the male lead.Jung, who was recently awarded the grand prize in the film category at the

TelevisionDec. 23, 2019

BTS' latest three concerts in Seoul had economic effect of W1tr: report

K-pop boy band BTS created an economic effect worth 1 trillion won ($860.7 million) with its latest three concerts in Seoul, an academic report showed Monday.The septet finished off its latest world tour, "Love Yourself:Speak Yourself," with the final leg in Seoul where three evening concerts at Olympic Stadium on Oct. 26, 27 and 29 drew a total of some 130,000 fans.According to a report by a research team led by Pyun Ju-hyun, a business professor at Seoul's Korea University, the conce

PerformanceDec. 23, 2019

Same-sex kiss cut from Star Wars Singapore release: reports

SINGAPORE (AFP) -- A brief kiss between two women in the new "Star Wars" movie was cut from the version released in Singapore, local media said."The Rise of Skywalker", the conclusion to the nine "Star Wars" films that stars Daisy Ridley, was released in the Asian city-state on Thursday.The film contains a brief scene where two minor female characters share a kiss -- but the moment is omitted in the version screened in Singapore, according to Yahoo Lifestyle SEA. Th

FilmDec. 22, 2019

Overnight sensation, 30 years in the making

Of all the retro K-pop stars of the 1990s reemerging in recent years, Yang Joon-il is perhaps the least expected. For one thing, not many people liked him even back then.But the 50-year-old Korean-American returned to the country Friday after a decades-long hiatus, set to hold his first fan meeting event over 30 years after debuting in 1991. The event “A gift by Yang Joon-il” will be held on Dec. 31 at Sejong University in Seoul.“After a flurry of requests by the fans for Yang&

PerformanceDec. 22, 2019

Dongdaemun Design Plaza brightens Seoul

With the Seoul Light Festival underway at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, the Seoul Design Foundation hosted a forum Friday, discussing how art should evolve in the era of artificial intelligence. The state-funded design foundation is hosting the festival from Friday to Jan. 3, turning the outer walls of the DDP into a gigantic media facade. The projected media art is themed “Seoul Haemong,” inspired by the past, present and future of Seoul City and South Korea. “The DDP has

Arts & DesignDec. 20, 2019