From Ethiopia to Colombia: On a quest for ethnic jewelry

Director of the World Jewelry Museum Lee Kang-won remembers vividly an Ethiopian woman she saw 37 years ago in the corner of a local market in Addis Ababa. The woman, dressed in a white cotton dress, was wearing a meticulously detailed, “ultramodern looking” silver necklace. Her necklace captivated Lee, who had just arrived in the country. “Her necklace was breathtaking,” said Lee, in an interview last month at the museum in Hwa-dong near Samcheong-dong.The handcrafted silver necklace was the wo

CultureJan. 8, 2016

Korea’s culinary zeitgeist

Korean food and the city of Seoul are having a culinary moment. Globally Korean cuisine has reached the heights of popularity and here, in Korea, a new style enveloping local and foreign flavors has gained strong foothold. Mingles Restaurant in Gangnam, Seoul, is representative of all that is cutting edge about eating in the capital. Its chef patron, Kang Min-goo, is one of the most talked about chefs in Seoul today, taking top spots on restaurant rankings with his beautifully modern take on Kor

FoodJan. 8, 2016

Lotte opens 7th premium business hotel in Seoul

Near the shopping district of Myeong-dong, cultural street of Insa-dong and Gwanghwamun in downtown Seoul, Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong seeks to “kill two birds with one stone.”Launched as Lotte Hotels & Resorts’ biggest Lotte City Hotel brand hotel in Myeong-dong Jan. 6, the “premium business hotel” aims to attract both business travelers and foreign tourists to Seoul’s well-known travel sites.With 430 rooms, including 140 Superior Double-Bed rooms and 70 Standard Double-Bed rooms, the hotel is

CultureJan. 8, 2016

[Weekender] TV depicts life of and around ‘child prodigy‘

Screengrab from the SBS show “Finding Genius.”A toddler, a little over 2-years-old, waddles in front of the camera and onlookers to look for a Chinese character on the screen. Still in diapers, the boy identifies the word.The screen changes to flash “I touch my eye” in English, which 27-month-old I-jun also reads out.The scene is from the 37th episode of “Finding Genius” from local broadcaster SBS, a weekly show dedicated to shining a spotlight on children with unusual talents or skills. In Kore

CultureJan. 8, 2016

From Ethiopia to Colombia: On a quest for ethnic jewelry

Director of the World Jewelry Museum Lee Kang-won remembers vividly an Ethiopian woman she saw 37 years ago in the corner of a local market in Addis Ababa. The woman, dressed in a white cotton dress, was wearing a meticulously detailed, “ultramodern looking” silver necklace. Her necklace captivated Lee, who had just arrived in the country. “Her necklace was breathtaking,” said Lee, in an interview last month at the museum in Hwa-dong near Samcheong-dong.Lee Kang-won, director of the World Jewelr

CultureJan. 8, 2016

[Album Review] EXO packs winter album with catchy pop

EXO“Sing For You - Winter Special Album, 2015”KT Music　The best thing about EXO’s “Winter Special Album” for 2015 is that it doesn’t feel like a winter album. There are no thinly veiled Christmas carol rip-offs or songs about being giddy about the holidays. Thank goodness.Instead, the five-track EP brings catchy tunes and pop beats that would have made the songs hits at any time of the year. With the double lead tracks “Unfair” and “Sing for You,” the members of EXO show that they can handle bot

PerformanceJan. 8, 2016

[Album Review] Dope’Doug solidifies style on EP

Dope’Doug“Feelin‘MySelf”Luminant Entertainment　Although hip-hop’s been steadily gaining ground in the Korean music scene, it’s hard to deny that many of the new rappers coming out have a similar style -- teetering between their underground roots and a more pop-friendly style. The difference between the two sides is not only in the lyrics, as rapper Dope’Doug shows in his seven-track EP “Feelin’MySelf.”The first five tracks of the EP are about different topics -- staying true to yourself, believi

PerformanceJan. 8, 2016

[Album Review] Quartet Dalshabet achieves ‘Naturalness’

　　　Dalshabet“Naturalness”Loen Entertainment　When girl group Dalshabet downsized two members to become a quartet before releasing their ninth EP “Naturalness,” there was some concern among fans about how the remaining members would rearrange the parts. For example, Serri was suddenly named a rapper to replace the former rapper Gaeun. But those concerns seem to have been misplaced; Dalshabet’s music remains intact and balanced, and the rap section is arguably the highlight of the Brave Brothers-pr

PerformanceJan. 8, 2016

Weekend Box Office Guide: Jan. 9-10

Heading to theaters this weekend? The Korea Herald offers a guide of what's playing on the big screen.The Good Dinosaur (U.S.)Animation. Directed by Peter SohnOpened Dec. 7The latest release from Disney-Pixar follows the story of Arlo, a young apatosaurus, who must find his way home after he becomes separated from his family. The timid and clumsy Arlo tries to muster up the courage to overcome obstacles along the way, and finds an unlikely friend in a small human boy that he names Spot.　　Remembe

FilmJan. 8, 2016

Goryeo Buddhist artifacts named national treasures

Buddhist paintings from the Goryeo Dynasty and scriptures with outstanding historical and artistic values have been named National Treasures, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Thursday. The state-run cultural heritage agency designated three rare Buddhist paintings and two Buddhist scriptures made during the heyday of Buddhism during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) as National Treasures. Buddhist painting from the Goryeo (918-1392) period (Cultural Heritage Administration)It also elevated

CultureJan. 7, 2016

[Herald Interview] Pixar’s Peter Sohn on making ‘The Good Dinosaur’

Any new film coming from animated film powerhouse Pixar is bound to drum up expectations. So it was no easy task for Peter Sohn, the first Korean-American feature director at Pixar, to work on “The Good Dinosaur” -- his first feature film after 15 years at Pixar as an artist and working on storyboards. Adding to the pressure, it was timed to celebrate the anniversary of the Disney-Pixar partnership that revolutionized computer-animated films with “Toy Story.” Peter Sohn (Disney/Pixar)“I feel hon

EntertainmentJan. 7, 2016

Baekhyun and Suzy’s ‘Dream’ tops charts

Baekhyun and Suzy’s new collaboration song, “Dream,” has skyrocketed to No. 1 on eight music charts following its Jan. 7 release. Baekhyun and Suzy (JYP Entertainment)　“Dream” has been garnering attention as a collaboration between EXO’s Baekhyun and Miss A’s Suzy, rising stars of two powerful agencies, SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment, respectively. Such label crossover collaborations are rare in K-pop, but the two agencies were immediately sold on the idea by producer Park Geun-tae when

PerformanceJan. 7, 2016

EXID to sign with Chinese agency Banana Project

Korean girl group EXID will sign a memorandum of understanding with Chinese agency Banana Project in Shanghai on Jan. 11, according to Yedang Entertainment, the management agency of EXID. EXID (Official Facebook)　Banana Project is owned by Wang Sicong, son of Wang Jianlin, chairman of China’s largest real estate developer Dalian Wanda Group. 　Under the memo, Banana Project will manage EXID’s activities in China, although the specifics have yet to be negotiated, Yedang Entertainment said. The age

PerformanceJan. 7, 2016

Anticipated art shows to excite in 2016

Museums and galleries in Seoul are getting ready to excite art audiences with an impressive lineup of artists this year. Some of the most anticipated names include Korean art masters Lee Jung-seob, Yoo Young-guk, Chung Chang-sub and Nam June Paik, while international artists to be featured include Anish Kapoor and Olafur Eliasson.   “Work” by Yoo Young-guk. (MMCA)This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of two giants of Korean art -- Lee Jung-seob and Yoo Young-guk. The National Museum

PerformanceJan. 6, 2016

CJ E&M acquires hip-hop label AOMG

CJ E&M announced Wednesday that it has acquired hip-hop label AOMG, continuing to strengthen its presence in the music genre.AOMG is famously headed by two artists -- Jay Park, a former member of JYP Entertainment boy group 2PM, and Simon Dominic. The label, formed in August 2013, is the home of trendy artists who perform both in mainstream music and in the underground scene, such as Gray, Loco and Ugly Duck.  AOMG (CJ E&M)Ahn Seok-joon, the head of CJ E&M’s music division, said in a statement t

PerformanceJan. 6, 2016

‘Descendants’ first K-drama to air simultaneously in Korea, China

A local broadcaster said Tuesday that its new television series would premiere simultaneously in Korea and China in February.Titled “Descendants of the Sun,” the drama features top hallyu stars Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo in the lead roles. Set in a fictional Asian country that suffered a major disaster, the story follows the romance between a young soldier named Yoo Si-jin (Song Joong-ki) and a doctor named Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo). The series was written by Kim Eun-sook, who also wrote a

TelevisionJan. 6, 2016

Seohyun joins star-studded lineup for ‘Moon Lovers’

Girls’ Generation’s Seohyun became the latest star to add her name to the cast of upcoming fantasy period drama “Bobogyeongsim: Ryeo (Moon Lovers)” which has already created much buzz with its A-list lineup.The TV drama, based on the 2005 Chinese novel “Bu Bu Jing Xin (Scarlet Heart)” by Tong Hua and its adaptation that aired in 2011, will tell the story of a woman in Seoul who goes back in time to the Goryeo Dynasty.  Seohyun (Herald File Photo)Singer-actress IU has been cast in the role of the

TelevisionJan. 6, 2016

Epik High to be first K-pop act at Coachella

Korean hip-hop trio Epik High was confirmed Tuesday to perform at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, making them the first K-pop act to be invited to the festival.Epik High will perform April 17 and April 24.  Epik High (YG Entertainment)The annual two-weekend Coachella Festival is one of the largest music festivals in the United States, drawing fans to Indio, California, to enjoy music by top artists of all genres.This year’s Coachella is particularly notable because it will

PerformanceJan. 6, 2016

Striking the right balance in modern hansik

Chef Kwon Woo-joong has been losing sleep recently, contemplating how to best prepare and present Korean seafood cuisine in front of hundreds of global star chefs and business executives at the upcoming Madrid Fusion in Spain.Kwon Woo-joong (Kwon Woo-joong)Together with the Korean Food Foundation, Kwon will lead a team of five chefs from his Korean restaurant Kwon Sooksoo to represent Korea and introduce three seafood dishes at the global food congress on Jan. 25-27. The Korean Food Foundation i

FoodJan. 6, 2016