Four Netflix films invited to Busan Int'l Film Festival

Four Netflix original movies have been invited to this year's Busan International Film Festival in an apparent move to keep up with rapidly changing trends in the industry.Last week, the festival announced this year's lineup of 303 films from 85 countries. The list included four Netflix films -- "The King" by David Michod, "The Two Popes" by Fernando Meirelles, "Marriage Story" by Noah Baumbach and "I Lost My Body" by Jeremy Clapin.The 24th edition of BIFF

FilmSept. 10, 2019

Tune in for peace on the peninsula ... hopefully

PAJU, Gyeonggi Province -- “Tracks: To Pyeongyang” inscribed on signs at Dorasan Station was both a symbol of hope for peace on the Korean Peninsula and a reminder that it has yet to come.Just a stone’s throw away from the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, the station currently serves merely as an arrival spot for peace-themed tourism to the de facto border between the two Koreas. But its facilities and location means it could potentially serve as an international train sto

CultureSept. 9, 2019

Korea Art Week seeks to reach out to public

Korea Art Week 2019 aims to reach a broader audience this year, with a larger number of participants from both the private and public art sectors. Organized by the Culture Ministry’s Korea Arts Management Service, the weeklong event from Sept. 25 to Oct. 9 promotes local exhibitions and art markets.  Marking its fifth edition, Korea Art Week will involve some 250 public and private art museums and nonprofit exhibition spaces around the country, a large increase from the 180 that parti

Arts & DesignSept. 9, 2019

[Announcement] Herald Design Forum 2019

Herald Design Forum 2019 will be held on Oct. 10 at Grand Hyatt Seoul, under the theme “Do We Need Another Planet?”The forum, which celebrates its ninth anniversary this year, has invited internationally recognized designers, artists and scientists to discuss issues related to ecology and the environment, as well as future prospects. A keynote speech by actress Gong Hyo-jin, an environmental activist who leads a local upcycling project, “Super Magic Factory,” will op

Arts & DesignSept. 9, 2019

[Herald Review] Yo-Yo Ma ‘saves’ Korea with Bach’s cello suites

On Sunday, Chinese American cellist Yo-Yo Ma delivered his message of “I want Bach to save the world” to the Seoul audience. Ma, 64, performed J.S. Bach’s six cello suites for solo cello as part of the Credia Park Concert at Jamsil in eastern Seoul, playing all 36 movements without an intermission in a 150-minute concert.The Bach Project began in August 2018 and has spread across 36 cities on six continents over a period of two years. “I want Bach to save the world,&rdquo

PerformanceSept. 9, 2019

Scent of mugwort fills Andaz Seoul

Global hotel chain Hyatt’s luxury lifestyle hotel brand Andaz opened its first property, Andaz Seoul Gangnam, in Apgujeong-dong, southern Seoul, Friday. According to the hotel, Andaz, meaning “personal style” in Hindi, hopes to overcome the stereotypes of a luxury hotel and respect the individuality of each guest and service staff member.  The 241-room hotel is Andaz’s 21st in the world and its fourth in Asia -- the others are in Tokyo, Shanghai and Singapore. The h

TravelSept. 9, 2019

Short films to be produced to promote S. Korea’s image

Three young directors will create short films that will depict unique aspects of South Korea, in a bid by the government to provide a fresh new image of the country to the outside world.According to the Korean Culture and Information Service, an affiliate of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, directors Oh Seung-yoon, Lee Dong-eun and Shin Su-won will participate in the joint project of creating a three-part omnibus.  Oh, whose most notable works include 2018 animation film “

CultureSept. 9, 2019

Dark ‘Joker’ wins top Venice Film Festival prize

VENICE (AP) -- Todd Phillips’ dark comic book film “Joker” won the Golden Lion Award at the 76th Venice International Film Festival on Saturday and cemented its place as a legitimate contender for the rest of the awards season.Jury president Lucretia Martel announced the winners of the prestigious award during a ceremony on the Lido. The Golden Lion previously put a spotlight on films that went on to be major awards season players, such as “Roma” and the film academ

FilmSept. 8, 2019

'The Phantom of the Opera’ to visit Korea in Dec.

The world tour of the beloved musical “The Phantom of the Opera” will land in Korea this winter.The South Korean leg of the world tour will kick off at Dream Theater in Busan, with its first performance in December. It will then move to Blue Square in Seoul, before winding up at Kyeimyung Art Center in Daegu.The cast and the schedule for the performance has not been confirmed. Based on the French novel of the same title by Gaston Leroux, the musical featuring music by Andrew Llo

PerformanceSept. 8, 2019

2019 SPAF to bring 19 international productions onstage

The 2019 Seoul Performing Art Festival (SPAF) is set to kick off its 18-day run, bringing 19 international productions onstage.The festival, organized by the Korea Arts Management Service, is slated to take place Oct. 3-20 in central Seoul, spread out across Arko Arts Theater, Deahakro Arts Theater, Sejong Center and Arts Theater at Korea National University of Arts.This year’s SPAF puts 19 performing arts productions from 10 countries onstage, featuring nine plays, nine dances, and one ge

PerformanceSept. 8, 2019

‘Arthdal Chronicles’ begins final run, hopes for rebound

The final third part of the “Arthdal Chronicles” began its run on tvN last weekend.Following the end of the fantasy-romance drama “Hotel Del Luna,” “Arthdal Chronicles,” divided into three parts, has started to air its last segment. Billed to be a blockbuster fantasy drama, the series features big-name stars, such as Song Joong-ki, Jang Dong-gun, Kim Ji-won and Kim Ok-bin, as the main cast.Set in a mythical land called Arth in the early Bronze Age, more t

TelevisionSept. 8, 2019

South Korea's only mountain-themed film festival opens in Ulju

This year's Ulju Mountain Film Festival kicked off on Friday for a five-day run in the southeastern county of Ulju, with 31 movies from 20 countries set to be screened.Under the slogan of "The Road Together," the fourth edition of the mountain-themed film fest runs from Sept. 6-10 in the county near the eastern coastal city of Ulsan."Piano to Zanskar," a British documentary film by Michal Sulima, will open the festival, according to organizers. It depicts an attempt by a reti

FilmSept. 6, 2019

DAC to stage ‘Egalia’s Daughters: A Satire of the Sexes’ in October

The Doosan Art Center will stage Kim Su-jung’s “Egalia’s Daughters: A Satire of the Sexes” from Oct. 1-19 at the center’s Space111 theater in Seoul.Kim is an up-and-coming theater director whose works aim to increase awareness of social and political issues. She currently leads the New Universe Theatre Company and is a DAC artist. Kim’s latest work is a contemporary reimagining of the 1977 feminist classic “Egalia’s Daughters” by Norwegi

PerformanceSept. 6, 2019

[Eye Plus] Culture flourishes in old oil depot

Seoul’s new cultural hot spot, the Oil Bank Culture Park, has a fascinating history behind its unusual name. For more than four decades, the giant oil tanks that now function as exotic cultural venues stored 69 million liters of oil as part of resource-poor South Korea’s national fuel reserves. The site was off limits to the public. Its fashionable rebirth into an artsy space came about in 2017, long after its official closure in 2000, as the result of a public idea contest. Now

TravelSept. 6, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland’s ‘Blood City’ Halloween festival (1)Everland theme park will hold the latest edition of its zombie-themed Halloween festival “Blood City” until Nov. 17.Parts of the park will be decorated in a horror theme, with around 100 actors dressed as zombies, clowns and other monsters. Performances will be available and various photo spots will be arranged, including at the recently unveiled “Raptor Ranger” attraction. Some of the most popular attraction

TravelSept. 6, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Tune in for Love(Korea)Opened Aug. 28Romance, DramaDirected by Jung Ji-wooIn 1994, when singer Yoo Yeol appears on the air for the first time as host of the radio show “Yoo Yeol’s Music Album,” Hyeon-woo (Jung Hae-in) happens to run across Mi-su (Kim Go-eun) at the bakery where she works. Throughout the next decade, fate keeps pulling Hyeon-woo and Mi-su together and pushing them apart again as they try to figure out life on their own, and with each other.Metamorphosis(Korea)Op

FilmSept. 6, 2019

[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions

Savory afternoon tea at Park Hyatt SeoulPark Hyatt Seoul’s The Lounge presents the Plentifall afternoon tea set.The afternoon tea, served on a three-tier porcelain tea tray customized for the hotel, includes pumpkin soup, mushroom crepe, salmon sandwich, ham, chocolate roll cake, persimmon mousse cake and a variety of chocolates, along with in-house scones and fresh fruit. Guests can choose coffee or tea, or add a glass of champagne at an additional cost of 18,000 won. Priced at 39,000 won

FoodSept. 6, 2019

[Herald Interview] ‘The city of Seoul belongs to us’

Though dwellings are important, cities matter a great deal in determining people’s lifestyles. Delving into the notion, the 2019 Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism will take place from Saturday to Nov. 10 across Seoul. The second edition of the biennale is led by directors Lim Jae-yong and Francisco Sanin, with the participation of more than 180 institutions from 80 cities, including Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.  According to 58-year-old Lim, the 2019 e

PeopleSept. 6, 2019

[Weekender] Mala, mouth-numbing sauce from China, captures spicy food fans

While gochujang -- Korean red chili paste -- is captivating the taste buds of many overseas, a Chinese sauce known for its tongue-numbing heat is the latest obsession among spicy food lovers here. Mala, a fiery, oily sauce that originates from China’s southwestern region of Sichuan, is the flavor behind this year’s popular malatang hot pot and the stir-fried version, mala xiang guo. As fans can’t seem to get enough of these fiery dishes, Korean food companies and eatery fr

FoodSept. 6, 2019

[Weekender] Like it hot!

Late last month, two giant chili statues occupied a corner of Seoul Plaza, in front of City Hall, drawing interest from foreign tourists and passers-by. The air carried the unmistakable scent of the fiery spice. Farmers’ booths nearby had loads of freshly harvested, sun-dried red chilies, ready to be ground into gochu-garu -- chili powder -- or to be aged into thick, fermented chili paste, gochujang. The Aug. 27-29 Yeongyang H.O.T. Festival led to on-the-spot sales and delivery orders

FoodSept. 6, 2019