Dictator’s assassination, volcanic eruptions at Paektusan coming to big screens soon

While South Korea’s box office is dominated by Disney’s “Frozen 2” at the moment, the competition is expected to get fierce later this month and early next month, when a number of local tent-pole films hit the theater.The producers of “The Man Standing Next” confirmed Tuesday that the film -- inspired by the true story of the assassination of a former Korean president -- will open next month.Starring Lee Byung-hun, Lee Sung-min and Kwak Do-won, the film is bas

FilmDec. 3, 2019

[Herald interview] Women’s colleges relevant in world where men enjoy privileges

What is the relevance of a women’s college today? “The world is still a place where males have tremendous privileges. Smith is an intervention,” said Kathleen McCartney, president of Smith College, a private women’s liberal arts college in Massachusetts, in an interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul on Nov. 22.“What I hear from alumnae is that they found their voice at Smith,” said McCartney, who was in Seoul as part of an Asian tour, meeting with alumnae and

PeopleDec. 3, 2019

US video art pioneer’s show opens in Korea

Suwon IPark Museum of Art is holding a solo exhibition dedicated to Gary Hill, a US-based artist considered one of the pioneers of video art, titled “Gary Hill: Momentombs.” The exhibition in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, features 24 works from the 1970s to date.Hill gained recognition in the art scene in the 1970s and 1980s, when he began to produce video installations that incorporated sound and text. The artist, who often explores issues connected with the physicality of language, the

Arts & DesignDec. 2, 2019

Zion.T will unveil new song on his YouTube channel

South Korean singer-songwriter Zion.T will unveil his new song “Nothing Today” on Tuesday by uploading the piece on his YouTube channel, without distributing it on major music streaming services. The reason for his unprecedented decision is not known. However, in a response to an online comment asking whether the song would be distributed on music sites, he replied, “in the manner that has no winners or losers” -- implying that he wanted to avoid the ranking system of the

PerformanceDec. 2, 2019

‘Frozen 2’ accused of monopoly, fueling screen-quota controversy

A Korean civic group on Monday filed a complaint against Walt Disney Company Korea with prosecutors, claiming the film “Frozen 2” violated anti-monopoly law here.The Public Welfare Committee said the screening of the hit Disney animation film at over 88 percent of screens throughout the country on Nov. 23 violates the country’s anti-monopoly law.It claimed the film falls under the clause that defines any individual that has over 50 percent of market share as a market-dominant e

FilmDec. 2, 2019

TWICE to close world tour in Seoul next year

K-pop girl group TWICE will close its almost one-year-long concert journey in Seoul next year, the band's agency said Monday.The two-day concert, titled "TWICE World Tour 2019 Twicelights," will be held at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in southeastern Seoul from March 7, according to JYP Entertainment.That will put an end to the nine-member team's world tour that kicked off in May at the same venue. By March next year, TWICE will have traveled to 16 cities, including Tokyo, Los Angeles

PerformanceDec. 2, 2019

Ryan Reynolds says ‘6 Undergrounds’ shows how times are changing

For decades, big-budget Hollywood blockbusters have been linked to the silver screen.But the upcoming release of Michael Bay’s “6 Underground” by global streaming giant Netflix is a reminder that the movie distribution industry is changing fast. “I’ve been lucky enough to work in this business for 25 years now, and I don’t think I’ve worked on a movie of this scale and scope. Just the fact that they’re bringing this to Netflix is a real sign of the

FilmDec. 2, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Fukuoka’ tells multilayered story in dreamlike narrative

Watching a Zhang Lu film is like being led through a labyrinth, with each of the director’s choices sparking thoughts, and ending up with more questions than answers.“Fukuoka,” the story of a pair of estranged friends, two middle-aged men journeying both physically and metaphysically, looks at various aspects of life and the world itself in a new context.The story begins when used-book seller Je-moon (Yoon Je-moon) from Seoul is talked into traveling to Fukuoka by So-dam (Park

PerformanceDec. 1, 2019

K-pop stars to walk fans through major Korean tourist spots

Three K-pop idols, including members from boy band NU‘EST, have joined a tourism promotion campaign to walk fans and YouTube users through major Korean tourist spots.Two NU’EST members, Hwang Min-hyun and Ren, as well as the soloist Ha Sung-woon joined the video campaign operated by Seo Kyung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women‘s University in Seoul, and sponsored by the state-run Korea Tourism Organization.The three stars are the first Korean TV entertainers who have joined the

PerformanceNov. 30, 2019

Rhii Jew-yo wins MMCA Korea Artist Prize 2019

Rhii Jew-yo was announced the winner of the Korea Artist Prize 2019 Thursday evening. Rhii was one of four finalists for the prize, organized by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. The others included Kim A-young, Park Hye-soo and Hong Young-in.  Rhii won for her work “Love Your Depot,” a storage system that consists of a broadcasting station, media lab, and a five-story tower.Rhii’s work is an alternative art storage space conceived after the artist

Arts & DesignNov. 29, 2019

Box-office hit 'Frozen 2' reignites debate over anti-monopoly regulations

As Walt Disney's ambitious film "Frozen 2" smashes the South Korean box office, the local cinema market is again engulfed in a long-running debate over anti-monopoly regulations. "Frozen 2," the sequel to 2013's "Frozen," exceeded 6 million admissions on the ninth day of its release as of Friday, according to the latest data compiled by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).In particular, about 1.66 million people saw the animated film on Saturday alone, on par with the a

FilmNov. 29, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals and sights across Korea

Little Prince Starlight Festival of Petite FranceThe sixth Little Prince Starlight Festival of Petite France will be held throughout the Petite France Park in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, from Dec. 1 to Feb. 29. The annual festival is inspired by the southern French town of Montpellier. In addition to lighting decorations at night, one highlight is the 30-meter-long light tunnel installed next to a round structure modeled after asteroid B 612, home of the Little Prince from Antoine de Saint-Exup

TravelNov. 29, 2019

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Delight X-mas Buffet at Courtyard Seoul Times SquareThe hotel offers the “Delight X-mas Buffet” for upcoming Christmas season from Dec. 21-25 at prices of 89,000 won for adults and 40,000 won for kids. Grilled lobster tail will be served to each table while carving stations for roasted turkeys, grilled ribs and pork ribs will be prepared along with a variety of seafood. For those seeking to stay one night at the hotel along with the buffet, the hotel has prepared the “Very Merr

FoodNov. 29, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Frozen 2(US)Opened Nov. 27Animation, Adventure, Comedy Directed by Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee Anna (Kristen Bell), Elsa (Idina Menzel), Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), Olaf (Josh Gad) and Sven leave Arendelle to travel to an ancient forest in an enchanted land. They set out to find the origin of Elsa’s powers in order to save their kingdom. Bring Me Home(Korea)Opened Nov. 27ThrillerDirected by Kim Seung-wooJeong-yeon (Lee Yeong-ae) heads to a village after receiving a tipoff that her son, wh

FilmNov. 29, 2019

[Weekender] [Herald Interview] Unraveling the mystery of kimchi

GWANGJU -- The unmistakable smell of spicy cabbage greets visitors at Gwangju’s Kimchi Town, where everything exudes Koreans’ love for that fermented dish ubiquitous on dining tables in the country. The grandiosely named World Institute of Kimchi occupies a building next to the kimchi museum in a corner of the complex. There, scientists and experts from various disciplines of research have gathered for a national mission: unraveling the science behind kimchi.  “We study ev

FoodNov. 29, 2019

[Eye Plus] Beauty of silver threads

Ipsa is the traditional Korean art of inlaying thin threads of silver or gold onto harder surfaces such as iron to create exquisite decorative patterns or images. The craft reached its pinnacle in the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392) and expanded under the ensuing Joseon Kingdom, when it was widely used for everyday objects such as incense burners, metal jars and candlesticks. In ipsa art, everything is done by hand. From preparing thin wires to hammering them onto the finely chiseled and engraved surf

Arts & DesignNov. 29, 2019

[Weekender] Kimchi season

Korea is in the midst of the kimchi-making season. In early winter, when temperatures just start to fall below zero, Koreans go through the annual ritual of gimjang -- making large quantities of the spicy, fermented cabbage dish to last the coming year. It is such an important family event that “have you done this year’s gimjang already?” becomes a typical icebreaker among housewives during this time of year. Added to UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage in

CultureNov. 29, 2019

[Weekender] Kimchi fridges evolve with new designs, technology and functionality

Wine aficionados have wine coolers and cabinets at home. Fish-loving Japanese have fridges with special features for raw fish storage. Koreans, likewise, have a refrigerator for their beloved kimchi. Although Korea’s very first kimchi refrigerator dates back to 1984 (Gold Star, now LG Electronics, was its inventor), the market only began to take shape in the late 1990s, with the rise of apartment complexes as the norm of urban dwelling. Traditionally, kimchi was stored in earthenware burie

FoodNov. 29, 2019

Lee Ja-ram transforms ‘Old Man and the Sea’ into pansori

Pansori artist Lee Ja-ram is known for her success in taking the audience to places that are utterly new. Her latest work, “The Old Man and the Sea” at Doosan Art Center, does a perfect job of bringing Ernest Hemingway’s story of a Cuban fisherman to the stage. Lee’s “The Old Man and the Sea” takes the form of pansori, or traditional Korean narrative singing. Except for a few changes, Lee’s pansori production follows the original storyline of Santiago, H

PerformanceNov. 28, 2019

TWICE tops Japan's Oricon weekly chart for 5th time

A new Japanese album by South Korean girl group TWICE has risen to the top of Japan's leading music chart soon after its release, its management agency said Thursday.According to JYP Entertainment, "&TWICE," the second full Japanese album by TWICE, topped the Oricon weekly albums chart for the third week of this month.With the feat, TWICE has climbed to the top of the Oricon weekly chart for the fifth time. Earlier, the girl group's first Japanese album "BDZ," sixth Korea

PerformanceNov. 28, 2019