[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Nature Park A zoo for those curious about how animals survive winter has opened in Daegu. Visitors can feed the animals and enjoy the nearby flower garden and playground. Through early January, guests will receive presents if they buy a “Lucky Bag” sold on the spot. Admission is priced at 20,000 won for adults and 18,000 won for elementary school students and younger. The zoo is open Wednesday to Monday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with last admissions at 5 p.m. More details are avail

TravelDec. 15, 2023

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Moxy Seoul Myeongdong presents holiday season promotion Moxy Seoul Myeongdong, located in one of Seoul’s main tourist districts Myeong-dong, is offering a special holiday food promotion featuring a chop steak with Champagne. The juicy chop steak topped with the chef’s special sauce and a bottle of Beaumont Des Crayeres will be available during the holiday season. Two specialty cocktails -- the snow red velvet cocktail and the ruby mojito – are available as well. The promotional

CultureDec. 15, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“12.12: The Day” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 22 Drama/Action Directed by Kim Seong-su Over the course of nine hours on Dec. 12, 1979, Gen. Chun Doo-gwang (Hwang Jung-min) attempts a coup, while another commander, Lee Tae-shin (Jung Woo-sung), tries to stop the secret plan from unfolding. “Our Season” (South Korea) Opened Dec. 6 Drama Directed by Yuk Sang-hyo Bok-ja (Kim Hae-sook) visits her daughter Jin-joo (Shin Min-a) as part of her “vacation from heaven” af

FilmDec. 15, 2023

Daesan Foundation to support translation of five foreign literary gems for Korean readers

Bulgarian writer Ivan Vozov's "Under the Yoke," one of the best-known works of classic Bulgarian literature, is among five foreign literary works selected for the 2023 Grants for Translation of World Classics, the Dasan Foundation said Wednesday. The works selected have yet to be released in Korean due to difficulty in translation or lack of commercial interest. “The Torch in My Ear” by Elias Canetti, “Virgin Soil” by Ivan Turgenev, an essay collection from

BooksDec. 14, 2023

Naver's US webtoon subsidiary appoints new top brass ahead of listing

Naver Webtoon on Thursday said that Webtoon Entertainment, Naver's subsidiary in the United States responsible for the webtoon service's North American business, has made a new addition to its top brass. David J. Lee has been appointed chief financial officer and chief operating officer at Webtoon Entertainment, according to Naver Webtoon. Upon taking the new role, Lee will be in charge of unifying and overseeing global corporate, financial and operations teams at Webtoon Entertainment

CultureDec. 14, 2023

Pinkfong, Baby Shark explore Korea in new English booklet

The Korea Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) and Pinkfong Company have jointly created an English booklet titled, “Let’s Explore Korea with Pinkfong and Baby Shark,” introducing South Korea and Korean culture to children worldwide. The creator behind “Baby Shark” and other children's songs, which feature animated animal characters, takes a playful approach as Baby Shark hears from Grandma Shark about a treasure box she obtained during her trip to Korea. Pi

CultureDec. 14, 2023

Musical resurrects tragic love story of Joseon court dancer and French envoy

Inspired by the true story of a Joseon court lady and a French diplomat who fell in love with her, the musical "Lee Jin: The Woman of Light" brings to life the poignant love story set in the dramatic final years of the Korean Empire. Yi Jin (also spelled Lee Jin) is a court dancer who meets a newly arrived French envoy, Victor Collin de Plancy. As they teach each other their languages and waltz together, Yi yearns for freedom and dreams of a new life. Playwright Jung Ho-yoon said he dr

PerformanceDec. 13, 2023

[Herald Review] ‘Goodbye, Yi Sang’: A theatrical exploration of literary icon's ambiguity, identity

"An apple has fallen. The Earth felt excruciating pain as it was breaking apart. The final." Thirteen actors chant the poem “The Final” by writer-poet Yi Sang over and over at Yi’s funeral. Meanwhile, Yi's eyes pop open at the altar. He senses someone touching his face to create his death mask. He is bewildered by everything around him, as the actors chant: "Why am I lying here? Why are these people crying by my side? What does my face look like?" Yi Sa

PerformanceDec. 13, 2023

[Herald Review] ‘Noryang,’ a grand finale to trilogy on Adm. Yi Sun-sin

Director Kim Han-min returned to the silver screen after 1 1/2 years to bring to a close his decadelong project on Admiral Yi Sun-sin, this time with the epic finale “Noryang: Deadly Sea.” A lot larger in scale, “Noryang" features epic characters and more sophisticated computer graphics than its first installment “The Admiral: Roaring Currents,” South Korea’s biggest hit of all time with 17 million admissions, and its prequel “Hansan: Rising Dragon.

FilmDec. 13, 2023

National Museum sets attendance record

A record 4 million people have visited the National Museum of Korea this year, the highest annual number since the state-run institution relocated to central Seoul’s Yongsan-gu in 2005, the museum said Wednesday. The museum, which is the largest museum in the country housing more than 1.5 million artifacts and showcasing about 10,000 pieces in regular exhibitions, marked the occasion by presenting the 4 millionth visitor with gifts. “One of my friends told me to go visit the museum

CultureDec. 13, 2023

'The Glory' third-most watched title on Netflix globally

The first season of South Korean Netflix original drama series "The Glory" was the third-most watched title on Netflix globally in the first half of this year, according to Netflix. On Wednesday, Netflix released its first biannual report titled "What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report," covering some 18,000 titles ranked based on the hours viewed during the January to June period. The report shows "The Glory: Season 1," which includes parts 1 and 2, ranked as

TelevisionDec. 13, 2023

Bibimbap, 'Cupid,' 'King the Land' among the most searched on Google

Korea's traditional dish bibimbap was the most-searched recipe on Google in 2023, while several other Korean content-related keywords, including K-dramas and K-pop song titles, were included in the global search engine’s top search list for this year. Google announced its “Year in Search 2023,” a roundup of words most frequently searched by its users across the globe. Search words were sorted into 18 categories that included news, recipes and songs. Topping the list for re

CultureDec. 13, 2023

ARKO unveils 28 new promising projects to support

Arts Council Korea, an organization that supports diverse arts and cultural activities in the country, has unveiled 28 repertories through ARKO Selection. ARKO Selection is an effort to discovers outstanding creative repertoires of drama, musicals, choreography, opera and traditional arts that the organization launched 15 years ago. The art productions are selected through a three-step evaluation process of document review, interview and on-site assessment. Selected groups are provided with su

CultureDec. 13, 2023

Revel in Christmas atmosphere outside of Seoul

Bonghwa, a remote county in North Gyeongsang Province, plans to create a memorable Christmas experience for visitors to the area, with a special opportunity to meet Santa Claus from Rovaniemi, Finland -- known as the official hometown of Santa Claus. The provincial government of North Gyeongsang Province on Monday confirmed the opening of its iconic Buncheon Santa Village on Saturday. The opening ceremony will feature dance performances, a concert by artists Lee Bo-ram and Woody, a marching

TravelDec. 12, 2023

Talks resume ahead of S. Korea-ASEAN culture exchange projects

South Korea will discuss coordinating joint projects to promote Seoul’s cultural heritage, during a two-day dialogue that started Tuesday with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Chiang Rai, Thailand. The working-level talks, attended for the third time by officials in charge of cultural ties, will discuss how Asian nations can advance cultural traditions, particularly those involving the cultivation of rice, a staple in South Korea. “The meeting this time will be

CultureDec. 12, 2023

[News Analysis] What CJ ENM gains from uniting US, Japanese content firms

Japanese film and TV studio Toho International's $225 million investment in the US studio of South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM is seen by industry experts as CJ ENM's move to strategically assemble a content powerhouse as it readies to battle streaming giants Netflix and Disney+. Toho International is the American branch of the Japanese production firm behind the current box office hit, “Godzilla Minus One.” The Korean release of the film has not yet been confirmed. S

FilmDec. 12, 2023

Lucid Fall returns as musical explorer

Back with a new ambient record, singer-songwriter Lucid Fall returns as a diligent explorer who collects, combines, and twists sounds around us. “After some transition period, I feel like my identity has split into two parts: Lucid Fall who makes songs, and Lucid Fall who explores through sounds,” the artist said in a group interview Thursday. The album "Being-with," his second ambient music album after “Dancing With Water” in 2020, is a collection of five piece

PerformanceDec. 12, 2023

Original foreign animations, budget films outshine blockbusters in 2023

This year saw Korean cinemas slowly coming back to life from the damage of the pandemic, bringing more moviegoers to theaters than last year. However, ticket sales show that it's not blockbusters or sequels that satisfy audiences, but original storytelling and unique foreign animated and budget films. According to Korea Film Council data, a total of 111.6 million moviegoers visited theaters from Jan. 1 to Dec. 7 this year. Considering that a total of 112.8 million people visited theaters fr

FilmDec. 11, 2023

‘The Nature Man’ wins grand prize at 49th Seoul Independent Film Festival

Director Noh Young-seok’s “The Nature Man” won the grand prize at the 49th Seoul Independent Film Festival, the organizer announced Monday. “The Nature Man,” starring Shin Un-seop, Byun Jae-sin and Jeong Yong-hoon, tells the story of two ghost-seeking YouTubers who happen to meet a bizarre man who lives in a forest by himself. The director wrote, shot and edited the film. He also did the art and music direction for the film. Judges for the film fest said “The

FilmDec. 11, 2023

Hanwha Classic continues with decade-long promotion of Baroque music

When the Hanwha Classic, a 10-year-old concert series that highlights Baroque music, returns this year with a top Italian ensemble and star mandolinist, it will be offering a rare chance not only for period music fans but also for the musicians who continue to evolve to enjoy Baroque music. Titled “Unity: Il Giardino Armonico and Avi Avital,” the concerts will take place Tuesday and Wednesday at the Concert Hall of the Seoul Arts Center. For the 10th anniversary of the Hanwha Classic

CultureDec. 11, 2023