Culture Ministry orders ‘Black Rubber Shoes’ publisher to pay original creators

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Monday ordered a local publishing firm to pay a valid share of the profits of the cartoon series “Black Rubber Shoes" to the original cartoon artists. According to the ministry's corrective order, publisher Hyungseul should pay a fair amount of the profits the publisher earned to "Black Rubber Shoes" cartoonist Lee Yoo-young and his brother and co-creator Lee Woo-jin. “While reviewing the contract between the two copy

CultureJuly 18, 2023

Jung Woo-sung’s ‘A Man of Reason’ sells to 153 countries

Actor Jung Woo-sung’s directorial debut film, “A Man of Reason,” will be available at cinemas in 153 countries around the world, according to the distributor Acemaker Movieworks. Jung directed and acted in the film, playing the role of protagonist Soo-hyuk. The movie is slated for release on Aug. 15 in South Korea. “A Man of Reason” follows the story of Soo-hyuk, who has spent 10 years in prison in place of his gangster boss, Eung-gook (Park Sung-woong). After he is

FilmJuly 18, 2023

Pentaport Rock Festival to hit Incheon in August

Incheon is in for a wave of rock nostalgia in August with the annual Pentaport festival bringing in some legendary names this year. Slated to take place on Aug. 4-6 at Moonlight Festival Park in Songdo district, 2023 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival is set to be headlined by several long-celebrated bands over its three-day run. The first day will be led by Japanese punk rockers Ellegarden, which recently ended its 16-year hiatus with a reunion album and a national tour in Japan. Ellegarden will b

PerformanceJuly 18, 2023

Director says ‘D.P. 2’ focuses on narratives of individual soldiers

While many viewers showed their support for “D.P.” series launched in 2021 for its realistic depictions of South Korean Army life and its controversial sides, the director explained that the upcoming "D.P. 2" focuses more on the narratives of the individuals. Short for “Deserter Pursuit,” the series centers on the lives of Private Jun-ho (played by Jung Hae-in) and Sergeant Ho-yeol (played by Koo Kyo-hwan), to uncover the motivations behind soldiers' attemp

TelevisionJuly 18, 2023

K-Diaspora exhibition to kick off in New York

The K-Diaspora Worldwide Network is to hold an art event, “Everyone Knows: K-Diaspora Art Exhibition & Panel Talk” in New York on Friday and Saturday. The event takes place at LUME Studios (393 Broadway) in New York during the Lincoln Center's Korean Arts Week, scheduled from Wednesday to Saturday. A range of engaging activities, including panel discussions, media art displays and community engagement initiatives, will be showcased during the event. The event will feature di

CultureJuly 18, 2023

Woodstock Korea postponed due to rain safety concerns

The Woodstock festival initially scheduled to take place for the first time in Korea from July 28-30 has been postponed to October, the festival's main organizer SGC Entertainment announced Friday. The company addressed safety concerns arising from the rainy season, while adding that it plans to enhance the festival lineup in light of the delay, according to local media reports. “Due to safety concerns and to improve the overall quality of the program, we have decided to postpone the

PerformanceJuly 17, 2023

Iconic cartoonist’s comics to be recreated with AI technology

Local creative content company Jaedam Media Corp. is scheduled to showcase a series of artificial intelligence-generated comics in December. Since October last year, the company has collaborated with renowned cartoonist and webtoon creator Lee Hyun-se, training AI software on more than 4,000 of Lee's comics, including some of the artist's most beloved comic projects, “Untouchables” (1986), “Armageddon” (1988), “Mythology of the Heavens” (1997) and mo

BooksJuly 17, 2023

Seo Hyun-jin, Gong Yoo to star in Netflix's 'The Trunk'

Seo Hyun-jin and Gong Yoo were confirmed as lead actors in Netflix’s Korean original series “The Trunk” on Monday. Seo Hyun-jin, 38, will make her Netflix debut with “The Trunk” as In-ji, an employee in a matchmaking company called New Marriage. “Train to Busan” star Gong Yoo, who mesmerized viewers in Netflix’s “Squid Game” (2021) and “The Silent Sea” (2021), will co-star in the series, playing the role of Jeong-won, a musi

TelevisionJuly 17, 2023

Landslides, flooding damage 39 cultural heritage properties

Continued heavy rainfall has left 39 cultural heritage properties damaged across the nation as of Monday morning, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration. Among the 39 damaged sites and artifacts reported by the CHA are one national treasure and two treasures. Josadang Shrine at Buseoksa, located in Bonghwangsan in Yeongju, South Gyeongsang Province, saw soil erosion damage at the temple's main entrance caused by the heavy rain. The shrine has been designated a national treasure i

CultureJuly 17, 2023

[New on the Scene] Director delves into 12-year-old’s complex world

We have all experienced a time when we wanted to keep a secret from our school friends -- especially if it pertained to feelings of embarrassment about our parents’ work. Director Lee Ji-eun, who made her feature film debut with “The Hill of the Secrets” which opened Wednesday, remembers her time at elementary school when teachers would conduct surveys about the jobs of students’ parents. “It’s a single piece of paper but it contains a complex world of social

FilmJuly 17, 2023

KTO to showcase K-tourism roadshow in New York

The K-tourism Roadshow event showcasing Korea's traditional and contemporary culture will be hosted in New York from Wednesday to Saturday, the Korea Tourism Organization announced Monday. The event has been strategically organized in New York with the aim to generate interest among global travelers to visit the peninsula, while also commemorating the 70th anniversary of the South Korea-US alliance, the KTO said. As part of the event, the tourism agency will hold a session dubbed “Cel

CultureJuly 17, 2023

Italian masterpieces collected by Italian government on show at Sonje

Masterpieces of Italian art from the 20th and 21st centuries are being presented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Rome at the Art Sonje Center in Seoul. The exhibition “The Grand Italian Vision: The Farnesina Collection” displays 71 works by 63 artists held by the Italian ministry for the first time in Korea. The exhibition has been curated by Italian art critic Achille Bonito Oliva and comprises sculptures, paintings, video art and photography. The

Arts & DesignJuly 17, 2023

[Herald Interview] Singing together changes lives, says founder of diverse children's choir

The Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC), a renowned multicultural youth chorus known for its exceptional talent and pioneering diversity model, embarked on its first journey to South Korea this month. A delegation of 100 choristers, aged between 11 and 18, set foot in Gangneung, a coastal city in Gangwon Province, to participate in the 12th World Choir Games from July 3 to 13. Over the course of the 11-day event, the choir showcased its virtuosity and brilliance, earning five go

CultureJuly 17, 2023

Top film distributors compete with summer blockbusters

Four new blockbusters are set to hit local cinemas this summer, complete with large production budgets and star-studded lineups. Film distributors hope to attract large audiences in the aftermath of the pandemic, but moviegoers' expectations remain low. With the abundance of high quality content available on streaming platforms and soaring ticket prices, Korean audiences have shown a growing trend of consuming content at home, only venturing to cinemas if the ticket is truly worth the price

FilmJuly 16, 2023

Dramas depicting dark side of social media gain popularity

Two recent Korean dramas presenting an intimate look into social media-driven lives are enjoying local popularity with unique stories that are easily relatable to many viewers. Though a lot of creative content such as dramas, films and variety shows have included brief scenes depicting social media usage, Netflix’s latest suspense series “Celebrity” and cable channel ENA’s “Battle for Happiness” put the spotlight on characters’ social media interaction

TelevisionJuly 16, 2023

Classical music lovers to get their fill come October, November

In October and November, a number of orchestras from around the world will be performing back-to-back in South Korea. These performances will feature collaborations with top Korean and international musicians like pianists Cho Seong-jin and Lim Yun-chan. They will also be an opportunity to compare different renditions of the same piece by different orchestras. A concert by the London Philharmonic Orchestra on Oct. 7 at the Seoul Arts Center will launch the string of concerts. Led by Edward Gardn

PerformanceJuly 15, 2023

Indulge in fresh fruit your way

As the summer season sets in, there's nothing quite like the simple pleasure of savoring fresh fruit under the warm sun. Whether you are immersing yourself in vibrant city life, hopping to festivals and cultural events, or simply enjoying a relaxing time at the beach, fruit can quench your thirst and save you from reaching for sugary snacks between meals. Not only are summer fruits tasty delights, they also provide essential nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and powerful antioxidants. T

FoodJuly 15, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” (US) Opened July 12 Adventure/Action Directed by Christopher McQuarrie The seventh installment of this “Mission” series follows Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the Impossible Mission Force team as they try to prevent a new weapon falling into the wrong hands in order to save all of humanity. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (US) Opened June 21 Animation Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos The Multiverse opens

FilmJuly 15, 2023

‘Father’s Heart’ shows journey of dad who lost son meeting son who lost dad

Director Kim Sang-cheol, an established filmmaker here focusing on Christian films, returns with new documentary film “The Father’s Heart,” which shows the journey of Hwang Tae-hwan, an influencer also known as Hajun Papa on YouTube and Instagram, through the Philippines, South Korea, Rwanda and the US. Hwang, whose followers on YouTube and Instagram surpass 500,000, lost his second son at just 6 months old in 2020. He died of sudden cardiac arrest. The film starts with Hwang v

FilmJuly 15, 2023

CHA aims to enshrine petroglyphs of Ulsan Bangucheon as UNESCO World Heritage Site

Efforts to register petroglyphs at the stream Bangucheon in Ulsan, considered the pinnacle of prehistoric culture on the Korean Peninsula, have officially commenced, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced Thursday. The decision, made Thursday at the meeting of Cultural Heritage Committee, comes 13 years after it was placed on the CHA's provisional candidates list for UNESCO World Heritage Site registration in January 2010. The final decision had been delayed due to insufficient pres

CultureJuly 14, 2023