Earth Hour campaign in Seoul to heighten awareness for environment

The World Wide Fund for Nature, an international nongovernmental organization dedicated to conservation activities, is set to hold its annual Earth Hour event in Seoul on Saturday evening to spread awareness of global warming.Held collectively in major cities around the globe, Earth Hour is a worldwide event during which participants turn off the lights for an hour starting at 8:30 p.m. The event in Seoul is to be held at Cheonggye Plaza starting at 5 p.m. Saturday under the theme “Candle Night,

PeopleMarch 23, 2018

[Photo News] Abandoned theme park finds ‘second life’ as photo venue

Yongma Land, a closed down theme park in the northern corner of Seoul, has lately seen an influx of visitors coming around to take photos with the battered vintage amusement rides in the background.The place can be eerie on first impression, with deserted rides standing still as if frozen in time. But since the park began to appear in K-pop videos and dramas, it has gained popularity even among foreign travelers. Perhaps the biggest boost the park received was through K-pop group Crayon Pop’s mu

CultureMarch 23, 2018

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Herb Island Lighting & Illumination FestivalHerb Island in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, will be hosting the annual Lighting & Illumination Festival until Oct. 31.With its 300-meter wish tunnel, a lavender field lit up in various colors and more, Herb Island aims to get visitors in the holiday spirit. Inspired by European Christmas markets, the festival offers various events, including Christmas-themed soap, tree and candle-making, a Christmas cookie market and roasted turkey.Admission to the Herb

TravelMarch 23, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Pacific Rim: Uprising(US)Opened March 21Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Directed by Steven S. DeKnightBe With You(Korea)Opened March 14Romance, DramaDirected by Lee Jang-hoonWoo-jin (So Ji-sub) and his son Ji-ho (Kim Ji-hwan) struggle to cope with the loss of Woo-jin’s wife Soo-ah (Son Ye-jin). Ji-ho believes that his mother will return during the rainy season, just like in his favorite fairy tale. One day, Soo-ah miraculously comes back without her memory.The Vanished(Korea)Opened March 7ThrillerDire

FilmMarch 23, 2018

[Weekender] Portrait photographs imbued with tradition, history

Photographs have the power to bring back memories associated with subjects presented within their four-sided frames. They can also arouse emotional responses in the viewers.Emotions and memories become -- perhaps -- much stronger when photographs deal with individuals with whom the viewers can relate. That may be why many people take photographs of themselves and of others. Portrait photographs, however, sometimes go beyond a mere representation of people, capturing moments and persona that elic

CultureMarch 23, 2018

[Weekender] Reading diseases in Joseon portraits

Gazing at portraits created during the Joseon era, one is struck by the extreme delicacy with which the models’ facial features are depicted, from the fine wrinkle lines to tiny spots and faint scars.Lee Sung-nack, a board member at the Kansong Art and Culture Foundation, spotted such sophistication in the centuries-old portrait paintings and suggested that the portraits reflect signs of medical conditions that the subjects may have suffered. A dermatologist and professor who earned a doctoral d

CultureMarch 23, 2018

[Herald Interview] Rookie director Lee Chang-hee shows potential in toying with human psychology

Despite the disadvantage of not being distributed by powerhouses like CJ E&M, crime thriller “The Vanished” managed to stay afloat in the Korean box officer for nearly three weeks. This is thanks to a strong story and good acting, along with solid directing by Lee Chang-hee. The first feature-length film of the young director knows how to depict the tumultuous state of men pushed to the edge, and use a plot twist effectively. Lee Chang-hee is seen during a press conference after the premiere of

FilmMarch 23, 2018

Wanna One clears name through audio analysis

Fans of Wanna One attempted to clear the band’s name by requesting a digital forensic audio analysis.Wanna One became embroiled in controversy Monday, when some of its members allegedly made vulgar comments during a live broadcast.  Wanna One poses during a press conference for its new EP “0+1=0 (I Promise You)” in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap)The members allegedly used inappropriate language, including slang and a sexual term, unaware of the fact that they were being aired live on cable channel Mne

PerformanceMarch 23, 2018

[Weekender] Perfect selfie requires more than just luck

A decade ago, the word “selfie” did not even exist, but almost everyone with a smartphone takes such photos these days. In Korea, there is even a word for a person who looks very different in selfies in a good way: “selgikkun.” For instance, Yura of Girls’ Day, who takes excellent photos of herself. “Taking a good selfie takes enormous effort,” Yura said multiple times while starring in the MBC show “We Got Married.” She explained how she takes more than a hundred snaps for one perfect photo. Yu

CultureMarch 23, 2018

Big Bang’s ‘Bang Bang Bang’ tops 300m views on YouTube

The official music video for Big Bang’s “Bang Bang Bang” surpassed 300 million views on YouTube as of Thursday afternoon.According to YG Entertainment, the video topped 300 million at around 6:30 p.m. The agency released a poster on its YG Life website celebrating the record number of views.The music video was released on June 1, 2015, along with the single which was released as part of the group’s album, “MADE” in December 2016. (YG Entertainment)This is the second music video by Big Bang to br

PerformanceMarch 23, 2018

[Video] ‘What A Man Wants,’ romantic comedy of affairs

The upcoming romantic comedy film “What A Man Wants” features the tempestuous affairs of four middle-aged characters.“Why is it that we are constantly lonely, even if we fall in love, even if we get married?” reads the film’s tagline.Shin Ha-kyun stars as Bong-soo, who once dreamt of being a top chef but is now the meek husband of Mi-young, played by Song Ji-hyo.Bong-soo is led into the world of social media dating through his friend Seok-geun, played by Lee Sung-min. Shin Ha-kyun (left) and Son

FilmMarch 23, 2018

Around the Hotels

Gourmet weekend at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton offers multicourse specials at its Chinese and Japanese restaurants, Taipan and Genji, only on the weekends. Taipan, the hotel’s Chinese restaurant, offers a gourmet meal comprising six dishes, at 65,000 won per person. The menu features abalones, crab meat, prawns, beef and pine mushrooms as its main ingredients.Genji, the hotel’s Japanese restaurant, also offers a weekend special at 86,000 won. The weekend special set-course men

FoodMarch 23, 2018

[Home Cooking] Gyeran mari (rolled omelette)

Gyeran mari is Korean-style rolled omelette typically made with one or two types of chopped vegetables. Here, it’s simply made with scallions and carrots. Gyeran mari is not hard to make once you have the basics down. Cook the eggs over gentle heat until set, then tightly roll or fold in layers, and cut into slices. That’s it!You’ll be rewarded with a delicious side dish that can be whipped up quickly. Gyeran mari is great as a lunch box item as well.  Gyeran mari (Korean Bapsang)Ingredients:3 l

FoodMarch 23, 2018

What is Korea’s fashion scene like to an Italian buyer?

At the 2018 HERA fall-winter Seoul Fashion Week, there is a distinctive crowd that fills the front rows of fashion shows other than fashion industry insiders, models and celebrities -- buyers. They work for high-end department stores, boutiques and online shopping websites, who decide on what items will be stocked in their stores. It is basically business-to-business shopping. Mario Dell’Oglio speaks during an interview with The Korea Herald at Dongdaemun Design Plaza on Thursday. (Seoul Design

Arts & DesignMarch 23, 2018

Day 3 of Seoul Fashion Week

Dongdaemun Design Plaza was filled Thursday afternoon with crowds attending the third day of the 2018 fall-winter HERA Seoul Fashion Week at the peak of its hype. Dressed in bold, creative and unique outfits, they gathered to watch the innovative shows staged by local brands. Following are three highlights of the day.Blindness (Seoul Collection)  (Seoul Design Foundation)Blindness’ show managed to fully express the designer’s artistry, featuring garments that maximized the creativeness of the br

Arts & DesignMarch 23, 2018

Choi Soo-young to star in ‘Memories of a Dead End’

Choi Soo-young, better known as Sooyoung of Girls’ Generation, is to take a leading role in a Korean-and-Japanese-made film. Choi will play a leading role in the film “Memories of a Dead End,” based on a novel written by Japanese writer Banana Yoshimoto. It depicts how a female character faces a life-changing moment. The film will start shooting in April in Japan.  Choi Soo-young (Echo Global Group)Choi debuted as a member of Girls’ Generation in 2007. She did not renew her contract with the age

FilmMarch 22, 2018

[Trending] #My Mister #IU

A romance between a 45-year-old man and 21-year-old woman? It can’t be certain yet, but it seems drama series “My Mister” has drawn enough attention to kick off a good start.(tvN)The first episode of tvN’s new series “My Mister” premiered Wednesday night to a high viewership rating of 3.9 percent, but viewers showed mixed reactions on the drama. The rating was the second highest of tvN’s Wednesday-Thursday lineup, following “Prison Playbook.”The series received massive attention from the public

TelevisionMarch 22, 2018

[Epicurean challenge] Another Korean obsession with fermentation: hongeo

Koreans are known for their love of fermented dishes -- for instance, the ever-present kimchi. And Koreans also consume fermented sauces on a daily base. Adding one more to the list is, hongeo, a fermented skate dish, is a delicacy for many. A whole skate is placed in a pile of hay for days for the fermentation that results in its pungent odor -- such that some compare it to a public toilet. Even after the meal, one cannot escape the pungent smell that attaches itself to clothes and hair for day

FoodMarch 22, 2018

Seoul Players to stage ‘Imaginary Invalid’

Seoul Players will stage Moliere’s “Imaginary Invalid” from this weekend.The play is a comedy centered on Argan, a hypochondriac who plans to marry off his daughter to a doctor who can treat him. His daughter has other ideas. The plot unfolds as the other characters busy themselves around the attention-seeking Argan, in attempts to further their own interests.The play was written in the 17th century, but Seoul Players’ production will be based on a version of the play that has been adapted for t

Expat LivingMarch 22, 2018

[Herald Review] Story behind ‘the evil’

Director Choo Chang-ho said he wanted to explore the evil within people, which is exactly what he did in the “Seven Years of Night.” But he does more than depict someone who does the unforgiveable; he points his camera at the human elements that lurk inside what is told to be evil.The thriller, based on a novel of the same name, centers on two men. Choi Hyun-soo -- played by Ryu Seung-ryong -- is an average, middle-aged man who unintentionally commits the heinous crime of killing a young girl, t

FilmMarch 22, 2018