Song couple’s marriage dominates Chinese media

Stars of “Descendants of the Sun” Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo’s private wedding on Tuesday grabbed the attention of many, but especially their fans in China, where the TV drama was a big hit, with the event dominating headlines of various Chinese media outlets. On Tuesday evening, the event headlined Chinese online media outlets including Baidu, ifeng and Tencent, while the couple’s wedding trended as the No.1 real-time topic on Weibo. On Weibo, the wedding had been searched for about 160 mil

PeopleNov. 1, 2017

BTS partners with UNICEF’s anti-violence campaign

Several weeks have passed since the worldwide craze over “Love Yourself Seung Her,” the latest project from K-pop global stars BTS, reached its fever pitch. But the act is set to resonate the slogan “Love Yourself” all over the world once again, this time by embarking on a global anti-violence project in collaboration with the United Nations Children‘s Fund. On Wednesday, the Korean Committee for UNICEF said that it will partner with the K-pop act to launch a global campaign dubbed “Love Myself,

PerformanceNov. 1, 2017

[Herald Interview] Finding humanity in design

In an age where design permeates all industries and all aspects of life, this year’s Herald Design Forum questions the role humanity plays in it.At the forum’s first session, set to take place Tuesday at 9:20 a.m. at The Shilla Seoul’s Dynasty Hall, three global designers will expound on their approach to design. (Herald Design Forum)The designers spoke with The Korea Herald prior to the event to answer questions on the fundamental meaning of design and its lasting value. -- Ed.Experimenting wit

Arts & DesignNov. 1, 2017

Foreigners invited to promote Korea

Visit Korea Committee on Wednesday launched a three-week-long campaign inviting foreigners to create content to describe Korea to international audiences. It is part of the VSK’s effort to promote Korea, as the country counts down to hosting the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in February 2018. The online advertisement providing details about Visit Korea Committee’s promotional campaign. (Visit Korea Committee)The event, which runs until Nov. 22, encourages foreigners to cre

TravelNov. 1, 2017

[Newsmaker] Michelin Guide Seoul unveils Bib Gourmand Seoul 2018

Michelin Guide Seoul announced the recipients of the Seoul Bib Gourmand awards on Wednesday, a week ahead of the official launch of the full guidebook set to be released on Nov. 8. Bib Gourmand highlights restaurants offering “exceptionally good food at moderate prices.” The selected restaurants offer items priced below a specific price range determined by the local economic standards. The maximum price for the Bib Gourmand Seoul edition is 35,000 won ($31).The cover of The Michelin Guide Seoul

FoodNov. 1, 2017

Official wedding photos of Song couple released

Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo tied the knot in a tightly guarded private ceremony that nevertheless was the target of heated media attention Tuesday.Their agencies Blossom Entertainment and UAA Entertainment released official wedding photos Monday night after the celebrations. The photos show the newlywed couple during Tuesday’s outdoor ceremony at The Shilla Seoul’s Yeong Bin Gwan. Some black-and-white shots were also taken in San Francisco in September, ahead of the wedding.(doo@heraldcorp.co

PeopleNov. 1, 2017

[PyeongChang 2018] Concerts commemorate countdown to PyeongChang Olympics

As Korea counts down to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, local authorities are hosting concerts to commemorate the event.Pride of Korea, a music festival marking 100 days to the Winter Games, will take place Friday to Sunday at Yes 24 Live Hall in Gwangjin-gu and Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul.Hosted by the Culture Ministry and organized by Arts Council Korea, the three-day event will bring together traditional Korean musicians, classical musicians and jazz artists. Artists perform a tradition

CultureOct. 31, 2017

Actor-singer Lee Seung-gi discharged from military

South Korean actor-singer Lee Seung-gi finished his mandatory military conscription Tuesday. Meeting with media and fans in front of the special operations command in Jeungpyeong, North Chungcheong Province, he thanked his fans and his comrades for helping him finish his duty successfully.“For the past one year and nine months, I‘ve received so much support that I’ve been able to leave the military well and healthy,” Lee, 30, said. “I will use the positive energy I‘ve got from the command to foc

PerformanceOct. 31, 2017

Choi Si-won not to be part of Super Junior’s comeback

Choi Si-won, member of K-pop group Super Junior, will not be participating in the promotional activities for its eighth studio album “Play,” his agency Label SJ announced on Tuesday. The announcement came as Choi and his family are under fire for a recent fatal accident in which a restaurateur died of sepsis on Oct. 6 after being attacked by Choi‘s family pet dog. Choi’s agency apologized for disappointing many fans who held high expectations for Super Junior‘s comeback. Choi is said to have par

PerformanceOct. 31, 2017

[Video] Big day: Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo wed in private ceremony

Shot by Lim Jeong-yeo / Edited by Lim Jeong-yeo Life imitated art as actors Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo, who starred as romantic leads in the hit drama series “Descendants of the Sun,” married in a private ceremony in Seoul on Tuesday. 　Drone camera photos taken by Chinese media outlets showed groom Song Joong-ki in a black tuxedo and bride Song Hye-kyo in a white dress with a squared neckline.  　The ceremony took place with some 300 invited guests, consisting of family and friends, amid stri

PeopleOct. 31, 2017

Chonbuk National University in Jeonju to build ‘hanok’ gate

A South Korean university is building its front gate in traditional style. Chonbuk National University started the construction of its new front gate. The cost, 7 billion won ($6.2 million), will be covered by state subsidies and donations.  (Chonbuk National University)The front gate, which is to be a two-story “hanok” (a traditional housing of Korea), will also be used as a venue for liberal arts classes. The state-run university said on Monday that the gate will work as a bridge between the u

CultureOct. 31, 2017

[Video] Actor Kim Joo-hyuk dies in car crash

Actor Kim Joo-hyuk, 45, died in a car crash Monday that occurred around 4:30 p.m. in Samseong-dong, Seoul, police said. Kim’s Mercedes-Benz SUV was driving along Yeongdong Daero when it hit a car and then fell down a staircase leading to an apartment building entrance.(Yonhap)Kim was rescued by firefighters and transferred to the Konkuk University Medical Center where he died around 6:30 p.m. Kim most recently played a reporter in the miniseries “Argon” in September. The second son of the late a

PeopleOct. 30, 2017

K-pop darlings Twice return with Instagram-inspired ‘Twicetagram’

Fresh from its impressive success in Japan with its first Japanese album, the nine-piece K-pop darlings Twice returned with their first full-length album “Twicetagram” Monday. Having celebrated its second anniversary recently, Twice members expressed excitement over the first full-length album, for which many of them wrote lyrics. “My biggest goal for this year was to release our first full-length album, and I’m really grateful that we finally made it,” said band leader Jihyo during a press show

PerformanceOct. 30, 2017

Song-Song couple to tie knot in tightly guarded ceremony

It may be the wedding of the year, but little is known about Tuesday’s much-anticipated wedding of Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo, as the pair remain tight-lipped on the details.The couple’s wedding is set to take place at 4 p.m. at The Shilla Seoul’s Yeong Bin Gwan, a Korean-style banquet annex that can accommodate about 300 guests. Only family and close friends will be in attendance, with the media being kept out. There will be no press conference or photo op for the media. While a few details

PeopleOct. 30, 2017

‘Flash mob’ in Sao Paulo to celebrate PyeongChang Olympics

A ‘flash mob’ event was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Sunday to mark the 100 days left until the Winter Games get underway in Pyeongchang, South Korea. A ‘flash mob’ event was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Sunday to mark the 100 days left until the Winter Games get underway in Pyeongchang, South Korea. (Yonhap)The event, organized by the Korean Culture Center in Brazil, was attended by some 100 people, most of whom were K-pop fans. They staged coordinated dance moves to a K-pop song, drawing loud

CultureOct. 30, 2017

Old guard, politicians floated as BIFF leaders

With the conclusion of Busan International Film Festival, speculation now abounds as to who will take over the leadership roles at Asia’s biggest film festival, with politicians, BIFF founding partners and actors being floated. BIFF spokesperson Kim Jung-yun told The Korea Herald on Monday that the festival itself had not yet selected any official candidates. Festival cofounder Kim Dong-ho and actress Kang Soo-youn stepped down as BIFF chairman and executive director, respectively, on Oct. 22 af

FilmOct. 30, 2017

Kim Yong-hwa likely to team up with Stan Lee's production company for ‘Prodigal’

Korean film director Kim Yong-hwa will likely team up with POW! Entertainment, cofounded by legendary comic book writer and Marvel Universe creator Stan Lee, for his first Hollywood feature. Kim is in final discussions on helming “Prodigal,” a superhero film about fatherhood, set to be produced by POW! Entertainment, Luka Productions and Korean visual effects company Dexter Studios.A launching show for the film was held at Los Angeles Comic Con Sunday.　The script for “Prodigal” has been written

FilmOct. 30, 2017

'Thor: Ragnarok' tops box office on first weekend

"Thor: Ragnarok" had an outstanding opening weekend at the South Korean box office, topping the chart in terms of the number of tickets sold, data showed Monday.According to real-time box office figures from the Korean Film Council, the Disney-Marvel superhero film sold 1.58 million tickets for 1,639 screens around the country over the Oct. 27-29 weekend.The film, starring such Hollywood A-listers as Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett and Idris Elba, broke the 2 million attendance m

FilmOct. 30, 2017

Kim Ki-duk's 'The Net' wins Grand Prix at Festival Du Film Politique

South Korean director Kim Ki-duk has won the Grand Prix at the French Festival Du Film Politique for his film "The Net," the organizing committee said Sunday. "The Net" depicts a hapless North Korean fisherman's struggle to return to his communist country after straying into South Korean waters due to engine failure. A promotional poster for "The Net"In March, "The Net" won the best Asian film award at Oporto International Film Festival, one of the world's three largest fantasy genre film festiv

FilmOct. 30, 2017

BTS' 'Blood Sweat & Tears' tops 200 mln YouTube views

K-pop group BTS' "Blood Sweat & Tears" music video has garnered over 200 million views on YouTube, its management agency said Monday.The video for the lead song on "Wings," the group's second full-length album released in October 2016, reached 200 million views on the global video site Sunday evening, according to Big Hit Entertainment. BTS has two other songs -- "Dope" and "Fire" -- that have reached the same milestone on YouTube. (Big Hit Entertainment)BTS last month released its latest EP alb

PerformanceOct. 30, 2017