Jeonju film fest’s int’l competition explores humans in social context

JEONJU, North Jeolla Province -- Women’s ties to social institutions and the anxiety of modern society are two of the themes that stand out among films in the international competition category at the Jeonju International Film Festival’s 18th edition, which kicked off Thursday.Compared to works in the Korean competition which took a more personal, microscopic approach, according to JIFF’s programmers, the international competition films explored human beings in a broader social context.  “In Bet

FilmApril 30, 2017

Park Bo-gum tops ad model reputation ranking in April

Actor Park Bo-gum ranked No. 1 in spokesmodel brand reputation in April, according to research.The Korea Reputation Center collected and analyzed more than 41 million pieces of data on 47 advertisement models between March 27 and Friday. Actor Park Bo-gum (Blossom Entertainment)The result showed that Park, who recently appeared on the MBC variety show “Infinite Challenge” as a guest for an episode titled “2018 PyeongChang Olympics,” received the highest brand reputation rate, rising from No. 4 i

TelevisionApril 30, 2017

[Herald Interview] Chefs ferment chemistry between Korean, Western cuisines

Chef Federico Heinzmann each day cherry-picks nature’s best ingredients, cooks them using ingenious recipes and delivers his creations on the table in ways uniquely Korean and earthly at the same time. Working with Korea’s renowned Buddhist monks, the Argentine executive chef at Park Hyatt Seoul’s The Lounge has dug deep into the country’s culinary roots in search of innovations, which would satiate even the trickiest bon vivants worldwide.Heinzmann came to Korea seven years ago from his multicu

FoodApril 28, 2017

[Eye] Young restaurateur on top of a cloud

Located on the 81st floor of Seoul’s new landmark Lotte World Tower Signiel Hotel Seoul, Michelin one-starred Bicena is the highest situated Korean restaurant in the city.For most restaurateurs, moving locations soon after winning the coveted Michelin star would be a challenge that they would rather avoid. Lucia Cho, 35, CEO of Bicena and the Michelin three-starred Gaon, however, embraced the challenge with open arms. “It presented a new opportunity for us,” Cho said about the decision to move t

FoodApril 28, 2017

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Gwangju Royal Ceramic Fest The Gwangju Royal Ceramic Festival is held annually in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, where royal ceramic ware was first created during the Joseon era. Launched in 1998, the festival comprises of programs such as performances, exhibitions and hands-on activities. The festival is being held until May 7. It is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. There is no admission fee, though a separate admission fee is required for the Gyeonggi Ceramic Museum. Call the travel hotline at 1330 fo

TravelApril 28, 2017

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Mayor(Korea)Opened April 26Political drama. Directed by Park In-jeIn the turbulent world of politics, where elections are about fishing for a pearl in a pool of dirt, beloved Seoul mayor Byeon Jong-gu (Choi Min-sik) will stop at nothing to win a third term and gear up for the presidency. His right hand man Shim Hyeok-su (Kwak Do-won) harbors ambitions of his own. Byeon’s eager supporter Park Kyung (Shim Eun-kyung) joins his camp as a public relations official and witnesses the lengths Byeon

FilmApril 28, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Chinese buffet at Sheraton Seoul D Cube CityThe Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel is offering a Chinese buffet promotion from Monday to May 16 at the restaurant Feast on the 41st floor. The dishes are prepared by guest chefs from Le Meridien Zhengzhou in China. They include various congees, such as rice congee with preserved eggs and pork, congee with fish fillet and congee with beef and egg. Also included are regional dishes: deep-fried shrimp with spicy salt; baked chicken with shallots and gin

FoodApril 28, 2017

[Weekender] Cafes go beyond coffee

The growth of coffee addicts is explosive, manifested in the rapid spread of coffee shops, big and small, across the nation. Latest data showed that Koreans consumed more than 25 billion cups of coffee last year, translating into a whopping 500 cups per person. The stakes couldn’t be higher for both franchise coffee chains and smaller self-owned businesses. They are now rushing to diversify themes, offer special brews and explore new concepts. 　 Daelim Warehouse Cafe in Seongsu-dong, Seoul (Park

CultureApril 28, 2017

[Weekender] Get space for the price of a coffee

Park Ji-min, 23, carries out most of her daily tasks at cafes. The senior college student works on her assignments, reads books and watches movies on her laptop at the cafes, which are located right in front of her house.  (Park Ju-young/ The Korea Herald)“Even though I’m far from a coffee enthusiast, I drink at least three cups of coffee every day so I can stay in a cafe,” Park said in an interview with The Korea Herald. Park is one of many Korean students who frequent cafes not only to quench

CultureApril 28, 2017

[Weekender] Franchises experiment with high-end coffee and tea

Cafe franchises in South Korea are going upscale by brewing premium drinks including specialty coffee and high-end tea. Tea cafe franchises offer high-end tea (Chloris Tea & Coffee)It took time, money and effort just to try such premium beverages in the past, but franchises are clearing the barriers to beverages made by veteran professionals with top-end ingredients. Even major coffee shop chains have got in on the act, with Tom N Toms Black, Twosome Place Roastery Cafe and Starbucks Reserve. St

CultureApril 28, 2017

[Weekender] Cafes provide solace for sleep-deprived Koreans

Many people turn to coffee to wake themselves up. But that’s the last thing on the minds of customers of a new breed of cafes devoted to helping people relax and, if possible, take a nap. “The (regular) cafes are inconvenient,” said Shin Jeong-sik, a regular customer at a sleeping cafe. “They’re crowded and the chairs are stiff. I like it here because I can rest on a bed.”Shin is not alone in needing a good lie-down. Data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development suggests th

CultureApril 28, 2017

[Herald Interview] Sechs Kies back with ’90s memories

The legendary K-pop group Sechs Kies has returned with a new album to celebrate its 20th anniversary as a group. Called a “first-generation” boy band here, the group had sensational popularity in the late 1990s, with fans waiting in lines to buy its cassette tapes and camping out at its concert venues all night. Catering to those who have nostalgic memories of the band, the five members -- most of them in their late 30s now -- released the album “The 20th Anniversary” on Friday.  Sechs Kies memb

PerformanceApril 28, 2017

Woman in actor's alleged rape case gets jail term for false accusation

A district court sentenced a woman to two and a half years in prison Friday for falsely accusing a South Korean actor of raping her last year.The Seongnam branch of Suwon District Court convicted the woman, identified only by her last name Kwon, of false accusation and blackmail for the charges she pressed against Uhm Tae-woong in July.  (Yonhap)Kwon, 36, claimed that Uhm raped her at a massage parlor where she worked in Seongnam, south of Seoul, in January.Prosecutors, however, concluded that K

TelevisionApril 28, 2017

Cannes-bound Korean film to open in France in June

The domestic crime-action flick "The Merciless" will open in French theaters on June 28, the film's production company said on Friday.The film starring Seol Kyung-gu and Im Si-wan is to premiere in the Midnight Screening, an out-of-competition slot in the 70th Cannes Film Festival set to open on May 17."The international attention for 'The Merciless' has increased explosively since it received an invitation from Cannes," a CJ E&M official said. (CJ E&M)The French distributor ARP that has previou

FilmApril 28, 2017

Super Junior's Kyuhyun to meet with fans before military service

Kyuhyun, a member of South Korean idol group Super Junior, will hold a fan meeting next month ahead of his scheduled military enlistment, his agency said Friday.S.M. Entertainment said the singer will hold a meet-and-greet event on May 20 at Kyunghee University in northeastern Seoul. (Yonhap)Kyuhyun is scheduled to join the military on May 25. The 29-year-old singer debuted in 2006 through idol group Super Junior. Outside of music, he's also become a well-known TV celebrity by appearing in sever

PerformanceApril 28, 2017

EXO’s Tao loses lawsuit against management agency

Tao, a former Chinese member of the popular boy band EXO, on Friday lost the lawsuit he filed against the group’s management agency to nullify his exclusive contract.The Seoul Central District Court turned down the 24-year-old singer‘s request to nullify his management contract with S.M. Entertainment. Former EXO member Tao (Yonhap)Tao filed the lawsuit in August 2015 after leaving the group without approval with two other Chinese members, Kris and Luhan.He claimed in his written opinion to the

PerformanceApril 28, 2017

'Queen of Mystery' leads mid-week TV drama race: data

"Queen of Mystery," KBS 2TV's comic detective series, maintained its lead in the mid-week drama race, becoming the only late-night show with a double-digit rating amongst its competitors, data showed Friday.Episode eight of the Wednesday-Thursday series "Queen of Mystery" recorded a 10.5 percent nationwide viewership Thursday night, according to Nielsen Korea.  (KBS)SBS TV's "Saimdang, Memoir of Colors" stood at 8.4 percent and MBC TV's office series "Radiant Office" came in at 6.8 percent. "Que

TelevisionApril 28, 2017

Park Bo-gum, Irene to emcee Singapore tour of 'Music Bank'

Popular music show "Music Bank" will hold its first overseas concert in two years in Singapore in August, KBS said Friday.The music show on KBS 2TV will take place at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Center on Aug. 4, the latest date of its global tour of countries including France, Chile, Turkey and Mexico that started in 2011. (KBS)Actor Park Bo-gum and Irene from girl group Red Velvet, former hosts, will get together once again to emcee the special show.The upcoming Singapore sh

PerformanceApril 28, 2017

Korean Competition at Jeonju film fest goes dark

JEONJU, North Jeolla Province -- Eleven films were selected from among the initial 128 Korean features submitted for this year’s Korean Competition at the Jeonju International Film Festival, in a contest highlighting Korea’s flourishing independent film scene. The features submitted “were filmed with dramatically microscopic views compared to previous years,” according to festival organizers. The respective directors this year seem to have each taken an issue and focused on it with laser-like in

FilmApril 27, 2017

Enyedi explains meaning of dreams, deer in ‘On Body and Soul’

JEONJU, North Jeolla Province -- Ildiko Enyedi’s ethereal tale of romance “On Body and Soul” begins with a stag and a doe rubbing against each other in a snow-covered forest. The stag advances, and the doe steps away.The scene is later revealed to be the collective dream of Maria and Endre, the romantic leads in the Hungarian film invited to open this year’s Jeonju International Film Festival.“We were looking for birch trees, like pillars of a cathedral, very high above eye level, no bushes,” sa

FilmApril 27, 2017