GIC Day to return to Gwangju

With food, performances and activities to get stuck into, GIC Day is returning to Gwangju on Sunday.On the main stage performances from traditional Korean music to Irish folk, belly dancing and a joint Zumba workout.Finger food from 15 countries, from Rwanda and Indonesia to China and Canada, will be available at booths in the main area. Alongside them, culture booths will share traditional games and crafts from around the world.Those who bring their own tumblers will get 50 percent off drinks.C

Expat LivingOct. 26, 2017

'A Taxi Driver' wins best picture at Daejong Film Awards

"A Taxi Driver," a local box office hit about a pro-democracy uprising in the country, won best picture at the 54th annual Daejong Film Awards on Wednesday.The movie, directed by Jang Hoon, is inspired by the real-life story of a Seoul taxi driver who takes the late German correspondent Jurgen Hinzpeter to the southwestern provincial city of Gwangju for a large offer of money and witnesses the horrors of the bloody military crackdown on the pro-democracy people's uprising of May 1980. Hinzpeter,

FilmOct. 26, 2017

Marvel Experience to open in Busan

The Marvel Experience will open in Busan on Thursday, marking the first Marvel heroes-themed interactive attraction in Asia.The attraction’s operator WoW Planet said on Wednesday that Marvel Experience will begin to operate from 10 a.m. Thursday without an opening ceremony.The attraction was originally scheduled to launch on Oct. 12, coinciding with the opening of the Busan Film Festival. WoW Planet said the delay was due to make extra preparations to beef up the safety and convenience features

CultureOct. 25, 2017

Yet another idol competition show ‘The Unit’ unveiled

Fueled by the explosive popularity of Mnet’s competition show “Produce 101,” -- which has produced sensational project K-pop acts I.O.I and Wanna -- major TV stations have been rushing to roll out similar programs. KBS2, an entertainment channel of one of the country’s largest state-owned terrestrial networks KBS, is preparing to launch a new competition show “The Unit,” which is scheduled to premiere on Saturday.  Following in the footsteps of Mnet’s “Stray Kids” and JTBC’s “Mix Nine,” “The Uni

TelevisionOct. 25, 2017

PyeongChang Olympics 100-day countdown celebration to feature BTS, EXO

Seoul will celebrate 100 days to the start of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games with a large-scale concert at Gwanghwamun Square on Nov. 1.The most popular acts in K-pop at the moment, including EXO, BTS and Twice, will perform at the massive countdown leading up to the Winter Games.The event will also mark the beginning of the torch relay in Korea, which will travel across the country until it reaches PyeongChang for the opening ceremony on Feb. 9.A concert in Incheon will be held simultaneousl

PerformanceOct. 25, 2017

Showbox expands to North America, Indonesia

Korean film distributor and producer Showbox is branching out into the North American and Indonesian markets. 　Showbox will be co-producing and investing in the Hollywood thriller “The Widow” and the Indonesian rom-com “Forever Holiday in Bali,” the company announced Wednesday.Through direct investment in the films, Showbox also aims to gain footing as a global content investment company, it said. “The Widow,” a thriller featuring a young woman living in New York named Frances, and her chance en

FilmOct. 25, 2017

Kangnam apologizes for ‘senseless’ remarks on Ghana

TV personality Kangnam apologized for his recent remarks about Ghana made during a TV variety show.  Sunday‘s episode of SBS’ “My Ugly Duckling” featured Kangnam and singer Tony An visiting the home of Sam Okyere, a celebrity in Korea who hails from Ghana. During the visit Kangnam asked Okyere questions about Ghana, such as “Do they have TVs in Ghana?” and “Do you guys have subways?” Kangnam’s remarks immediately sparked criticism among netizens who claimed that the Korean-Japanese celeb was ext

TelevisionOct. 25, 2017

Singles with jobs invited to Halloween matchmaking

Employed singles are invited to spend a “romantic Halloween” at Gran Seoul in Gwanghwamun, downtown Seoul on Saturday. Hosted by GS Engineering & Construction Corp., a total of 300 male and female singles aged between 25 and 35 are eligible to sign up for the matchmaking event at saemip.com. The ticket price of 29,000 won ($25) for women and 39,000 won for men includes food and free-flowing beverage during the event time which runs from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.With the ticket, participants can freely ro

CultureOct. 25, 2017

Top 1% enjoys oligopoly in music royalties

Top 1 percent of the Korean music performers’ society are appropriating more than 78 percent of the music royalties incurred by the collective group.Data submitted for audit at the National Assembly showed that 97 percent of the members at the Korea Music Copyright Association, over 131,000 people, received an annual dividend of 130,000 won ($115), while some 1,400 who account for about 1.1 percent of the group, took 78 percent of the total royalty fee amounting to 112 billion won. Stock photo o

PerformanceOct. 25, 2017

BTS holds onto Billboard 200 spot for fifth week

K-pop group BTS' album "Love Yourself: Her" has landed on Billboard magazine's main album chart for the fifth straight week, according to the U.S. music publication Wednesday."Love Yourself: Her" clocked in at 86th on the Billboard 200 chart for the week of Nov. 4, according to the company's website.The record first appeared on the chart at seventh place late last month. The album's lead song "DNA," however, fell off the Hot 100 chart, which measures the popularity of individual songs.  (Big Hit

PerformanceOct. 25, 2017

Choi Min-sik, Lee Ha-nee play lovers in ‘Heart Blackened’

In the upcoming crime drama “Heart Blackened,” veteran actor Choi Min-sik plays the wealthy, elderly fiance of a young celebrity singer, played by Lee Ha-nee. Choi, who most recently starred in “The Mayor,” plays the unfathomable conglomerate owner Im Tae-san who at once values wealth above all and is deeply infatuated with the singer. “(That character) truly believes in the value of money, that it is everything. That is how the world actually works, and he is a character who has succeeded in th

FilmOct. 25, 2017

Chinese magazine features actor Park Hae-jin on its cover

South Korean actor Park Hae-jin has been chosen as a cover model for a popular Chinese style magazine, his agency said Wednesday.The monthly magazine Xiaozi Chic picked Park for its November issue's cover model despite an industrywide atmosphere against using Korean celebrities because of the frosty relations between Seoul and Beijing over the deployment of an anti-missile battery known as THAAD.Mountain Movement said the magazine had requested the 34-year-old actor appear on its cover since las

TelevisionOct. 25, 2017

[Photo News] Globe amaranth denotes unfading love

Full-blown globe amaranth drew people to Nari Park in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Globe amaranth is originally from South America. Their meaning, in the language of flowers, is of unfading love.By Park Hyun-koo (phko@heraldcorp.com)

TravelOct. 24, 2017

Song Kang-ho says ‘Drug King’ is unique film

Actor Song Kang-ho called his upcoming project “Drug King” unprecedented in Korean cinema.　“I think (people) will discover a unique aspect that hasn’t been seen in any genre of Korean cinema,” Song said in a press release Tuesday.　In the crime thriller, Song will star as Lee Doo-sam, a character based on a real-life infamous drug kingpin in the 1970s. The film is helmed by Woo Min-ho, who previously directed the hit 2015 political thriller “Inside Men.” Song most recently starred in director Jan

FilmOct. 24, 2017

Song couple completes wedding preparations

Song Hye-kyo and Song Joong-ki have wrapped up their wedding preparations, including wedding photographs and meeting with acquaintances, reports said Tuesday.The wedding photos, which were not revealed to the public, were taken on Oct. 3 in Los Angeles, according to reports. Close friends accompanied the couple on the trip.The wedding will take place Tuesday at The Shilla Seoul’s Yeong Bin Gwan at 4 p.m.  Song Joong-ki (left) and Song Hye-kyo (Bliss Media)Last month, the couple met with friends

TelevisionOct. 24, 2017

Choi Si-won to sit out Japan Super Junior fan event

Super Junior’s Choi Si-won will not take part in the group’s fan event in Japan, its official Japanese fan club E.L.F. Japan announced Monday. According to the announcement, Choi will not attend “E.L.F-Japan Festival 2017 -- Super Sports Day” event which is scheduled to be held today and tomorrow at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan.The announcement did not give a reason for his absence. “We are very sorry for the fans who have been looking forward to the event. We ask for your kind understandin

PerformanceOct. 24, 2017

[Herald Interview] After 3 years, Epik High raps as if it’s their last

Whether it’s a student studying in a library or an office worker surrounded by piles of paper, the dark vibe of Epik High’s music has long functioned as a remedy for many people struggling with their daily lives. The hip-hop trio’s music dives deep into subjects like desperation, remorse and anger -- everyday emotions that people would rather avoid discussing -- and consoles people in its own way. Three years after topping the charts with “Shoebox,” Epik High, which consists of Tablo, Mithra Jin

PerformanceOct. 24, 2017

[Video] ‘Fashionistas’ gather at 2018 S/S HERA Seoul Fashion Week

Shot by Lim Jeong-yeo / Edited by Lim Jeong-yeo The 2018 S/S HERA Seoul Fashion Week successfully wrapped up the weeklong shows at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Saturday. A total of 184 brands participated this year, showing off 75 spring and summer collections. The events kicked off on Oct. 16 with the opening of the exhibition ‘Endless journey’ of Rubina, which encapsulates the honorary designer’s 37 years of career.Fashionistas from Taiwan captured at the 2018 S/S HERA Seoul Fashion Week (Lim Jeon

Arts & DesignOct. 24, 2017

‘Legs-hiding curtain’ gains popularity among female students

Some female students in Korea are resorting to “desk curtains” in a bid to hide their legs during classes. Photos of female students at a high school were updated on a website Sunday. In the photos, the lower part of the students’ desks were covered with curtains.  (Online community website)Most female middle and high school students in Korea wear skirts for school uniforms. Many have been complaining that it’s uncomfortable to sit on chairs for long time, while wearing skirts. The “desk curtain

CultureOct. 24, 2017

Mnet to air popular reality show 'Wanna One Go' Season 2 next month

A reality show "Wanna One Go" Season 2 will be broadcast next month, cable music channel Mnet said Tuesday.Following up on the 2-episode program aired in August, the show features the ordinary life of the 11 winners of the popular audition program "Produce 101." (Mnet)The upcoming "Wanna One Go: Zero Base," consisting of 8 episodes, will have more interesting content and behind-the-scene stories about the project boy group, the channel said.The group is set to release a repackaged version of its

TelevisionOct. 24, 2017