BTS dazzles 25,000 fans in Busan

Throwing its first-ever concert in the second-biggest South Korean city of Busan on Saturday, K-pop band BTS dazzled some 25,000 fans in this bustling port city.The area around Busan Asiad Auxiliary Stadium, close to the southeastern coastline, was buzzing with BTS fans, famously known as "ARMY," from early in the morning as excited fans arrived at the concert venue far ahead of the first day of the septet's "5th Muster [Magic Shop]" tour performances in Busan.The two-day fan

PerformanceJune 16, 2019

CGV Arthouse kicks off ‘Cinema Adult Vacation’ in July

CGV, the country’s largest multiplex operator, will kick off an event featuring films exclusively for adult viewers from July 11-24 at CGV Arthouse branches, which focus on arthouse and indie films.  “Cinema Adult Vacation” will introduce 17 films, ranging from classic horror movies, such as “The Exorcist” and “The Omen,” to zombie film “28 Days later.” Some of the films will be screened here for the first time, including Jim Jarmus

FilmJune 14, 2019

[Newsmaker] Court dismisses filmmaker Hong Sang-soo's divorce suit

A Seoul court rejected award-winning director Hong Sang-soo's request for divorce at a verdict hearing on Friday.The Seoul Family Court handed down the sentence after Hong applied for a divorce settlement in November 2016 and filed a divorce suit in December that year."Hong and his wife's marriage is on the rocks, and yet the primary responsibility goes to Hong. Supreme Court precedent does not allow those who are responsible for a marriage's breakdown to seek divorce," judge Kim Seong

FilmJune 14, 2019

Busan buzzing with excitement over BTS concerts

The second-largest South Korean city of Busan is bustling with excitement and preparations Friday as tens of thousands of fans are set to visit the city to see K-pop world stars BTS over the weekend.The septet will arrive in Busan on Saturday to throw the Busan leg of the band's "5th Muster [Magic Shop]" fan meeting/concert events at Busan Asiad Auxiliary Stadium on Saturday and Sunday.City officials expect the concerts will bring in about 45,000 ticket holders or more to the southern

PerformanceJune 14, 2019

[Weekender] Perfect your summer look

Summer is here, which means it is time to update your wardrobe to match the warmer weather. From neon colors to tie-dye, summer 2019 is going to be a season of bright colors and playful fun. Here are some style tips, from runways, concept stores and local brands’ catalogs, for you to perfect your look this summer. Tie-dye The retro megatrend has brought the hippie era’s tie-dye prints back to life this season. From Prada to R13 and Stella McCartney, 2019 spring-summer runways ma

Arts & DesignJune 14, 2019

[Herald interview] Behind making of Baek Hee-na’s latest picture book

“I am a dog. Humans call me ‘Guseul.’” That is the opening line in the latest picture book of beloved children’s book writer and illustrator Baek Hee-na, released in mid-April. A tale of a not-so-special, stay-at-home dog whose life is pretty much all about waiting for the two-legged housemates to return and take it for a walk, “I Am a Dog” is a typical Baek book: witty, fun-to-read and visually enthralling. And as in her previous books, it does not fail

BooksJune 14, 2019

[Weekender] Beat the heat with cool apparel

In the world of menswear, mesh, seersucker and linen have long been traditional summer fabrics. But the latest trends show innovative, new cooling fabrics and technologies at the forefront of men’s fashion, from performance wear all the way to formal business attire.With the summer heat swooshing in earlier than expected, outdoor brand K2 is seeing an early pickup in sales of its Ossak line of cool apparel, the company said. “Sales of cooling shirts have increased since May, and our

Arts & DesignJune 14, 2019

[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions

Going vegan at Grand Hyatt Seoul Grand Hyatt Seoul introduces the how, new vegan burger at its poolside barbecue station.The Beyond Burger vegan patty that is nearly indistinguishable from meat comes with vegan cheddar cheese, vegan mayo and a variety of fresh vegetables. It is made from 100 percent plant-based ingredients.Listed on the Grab & Go menu offered at the poolside barbecue station, the burger can be ordered alongside other salads, sandwiches and low-calorie options. There are also

FoodJune 14, 2019

Sanuki udon by way of Osaka at Hyun Udon

Hyun Udon owner-chef Park Sang-hyun takes noodle making very seriously. To ensure their freshness, Park and his team make the noodles twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. His udon noodles are crafted with flour, sun-dried salt, vinegar and water. The acidic nature of vinegar, according to Park, interacts with the gluten in the dough in a manner that helps him achieve the noodles he wants -- which are incredibly chewy and smooth. After resting the dough twice, once for t

FoodJune 14, 2019

[Graphic News] Rihanna declared world’s richest female musician

　Singer, makeup entrepreneur, lingerie designer and now the first black woman to head a top luxury fashion house - Rihanna has racked up a $600 million fortune to become the world’s richest female musician, Forbes said.　The 31-year-old - born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in Barbados - has amassed wealth exceeding that of Madonna ($570 million), Celine Dion ($450 million) and Beyonce ($400 million), whose husband Jay-Z was just named the world’s first billionaire rap star. (AFP)　

PerformanceJune 13, 2019

Trekking across backbone of Korean Peninsula

Bukhansan presents beautiful scenery a hop, skip and a jump away from SeoulThe Korean Peninsula is a land where myriad of mountain ridges decorate its bumpy surface. In ancient times, this presented a challenge to agricultural communities, but it also provided natural barricades.Today, the country’s mountains are a place to enjoy hiking, a sanctuary from hectic city life and a source of beautiful scenery.The Korea Herald recently visited three mountains within driving distance of Seoul --

TravelJune 13, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Parasite(Korea)Opened May 30Drama, Black ComedyDirected by Bong Joon-hoThe Kims, a poor, jobless family of four, work their way into the wealthy glamorous Park family by landing jobs via deceitful means. They earn the affection of the Parks, who are worlds apart from them and yet somewhat alike. Their new way of life is turned upside down when an unexpected visitor comes knocking on the door, kicking off a series of unexpected events.Aladdin(US)Opened May 23Adventure, Comedy, Family Directed by

FilmJune 13, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland Rose Festival Launched in 1985, the long-running Everland Rose Festival opens every year in May. This year it continues until Sunday. At a 20,000-square-meter rose garden, visitors can see various kinds of flowers while enjoying the amusement park.It is held inside Everland, South Korea’s largest theme park, in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and is open to visitors of all ages.To find out more, including admission fees and how to get there, visit everland.com for information in Korean

TravelJune 13, 2019

[Herald Interview] Young composer-conductor excited about Seoul-Paris premiere

For composer-conductor Choi Jae-hyuck, this June is a time of anticipation. The winner of the 72nd Concours de Geneve Composition Prize, Choi grabbed the attention of the classical music scene for conducting Stockhausen’s “Gruppen” at the 2018 Lucerne Festival with maestros Simon Rattle and Ducan Ward. June 28 will be a big day for the 24-year-old musician. His works will be put onstage across continents, in Paris and Seoul. Ensemble InterContemporain, a renowned cont

PerformanceJune 13, 2019

[Seoul Food Alley] Tender, sweet spareribs at Seongsu-dong

Seoul’s alleys are filled with eateries specializing in particular dishes. The Korea Herald takes you on a foodie trip to narrow alleys where decades-old establishments beckon diners with their secret recipes, often handed down through generations. -- Ed.Going out for grilled meat is always a treat, especially if you can sit outside in the nice early summer weather.Seongsu-dong Galbi Alley, situated near Seoul Forest in eastern Seoul, allows diners to grill meat outside. Tables and chairs

FoodJune 13, 2019

MMCA sheds new light on late Korean artist Quac In-sik

Fractured pieces of a glass pane are put together in artist Quac In-sik’s works. The broken glass bears impressions of the heavy metal ball that fell on it, dramatically revealing the materiality of the fragile object.Quac’s experimental works have greatly influenced many artists who came after him, but his works have been unheralded. The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Gwacheon branch is holding a Quac retrospective, part of its attempt to reassess the artist&

Arts & DesignJune 12, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Men in Black: International,’ not-so exciting spinoff to beloved series

The “Men in Black” series was absurd, bombastic, outrageous and a whole lot of fun. Sure, the trilogy may have been uneven in terms of quality, but the unlikely duo of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones have always managed to provide laughs with their fun-packed adventures.Aside from aliens, a few familiar faces, a good joke here and there and admittedly-good action, “Men in Black: International” didn’t really feel like an MIB movie, though that doesn’t mean the s

FilmJune 12, 2019

Thriller ‘The Culprit’ a story about trust

A man’s life is shattered when his wife is murdered and his best friend is a key suspect. He now must work with that suspect’s wife to piece together the truth, despite the lack of trust between them.The complexity of the relationship between Yeong-hun and Da-yeon, played by Song Sae-byeok and Yoo Sun, is what director Go Jung-wook said he was trying to depict in his upcoming mystery thriller “The Culprit.”“(The movie) is a film that tries to tell a tale about havin

FilmJune 12, 2019

Ultra Korea 2019 wraps up, troubled with hiccups

Ultra Korea 2019 wrapped up three days of festivities on Sunday, but the Korean leg of the annual electronic dance music festival was troubled with hiccups that included last-second cancellations by headliners and controversy over its operations.Misfortune crept up on the event last Wednesday when organizers notified fans that Martin Garrix, one of the main headliners whose act was supposed to be the main stage finale for Friday’s event, had to cancel due to an ankle injury he sustained in

PerformanceJune 11, 2019

Jean-Christophe Maillot says his ‘Cinderella’ is relatable to just about anyone

Born and raised in a small town in France, Jean-Christophe Maillot rose to the top: Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, one of the world’s most famous ballet companies, founded by Monaco’s royal family. Maillot described himself as a “Cinderella” during a press conference held Monday at Ode Port in Sinsa-dong, Seoul.The longtime director of the renowned ballet company added that making the timeless story real had been his initial focus. According to the director, the reinvention

PerformanceJune 11, 2019