[Scholars and their spaces] Reading, a way of soothing wounded hearts

“When sadness strikes me, I look around, but I am still at a loss. I just want to dig myself into the ground, no longer having the desire to live. My broken heart will steady if, fortunately, I have a book in my hand.” Yi Deok-mu (1741-1793), a Silhak scholar and poet of the late Joseon era (1392-1910), is said to have read almost 20,000 books in his lifetime. He had a nickname -- "ganseochi," meaning "a fool who only reads books." He said he was able to forget hu

CultureApril 14, 2023

More webtoons coming to TV

After proving themselves as major TV hits, more popular webtoon series are being adapted into TV dramas in Korea and around the world. The Grimm Entertainment announced Wednesday that the webtoon studio had signed copyright contracts related to its beloved series “Manager Kim” and “Hannamdong K-House” (unofficial translation) for their drama adaptations. “Manager Kim,” an action webtoon series illustrated by Jeong Jong-taek, revolves around Kim, a single fathe

TelevisionApril 14, 2023

[New in Korean] ‘Hello Baby’ on overlooked struggles of infertility

"Hello Baby" By Kim Eui-kyung EunHaengNaMu Publishing Korea had the lowest birth rate among the OECD member states with a total fertility rate of 0.78 births in 2022, marking the lowest rate since 1970 when it was 4.53. The country continues to report more deaths than births due to its aging population in January. The government has allocated a large budget to address the issue but there is little attention given to infertile couples who desperately want children. “Hello Baby,&rd

BooksApril 14, 2023

[New in Korean] 'Takoyaki in the Undersea City': Surviving in flooded, dystopian world

"Takoyaki in the Undersea City" By Kim Chung-gyul Rabbit Hole What will happen when all the glaciers melt and lands are submerged? Will we be able to survive on water, or in water? A series of six short stories, titled “Takoyaki in the Undersea City,” depicts mankind who survive on water or underwater in a future dystopian world where all the lands have submerged and disappeared. “Adults were afraid of the sea,” the book says in the second story “A Dance w

BooksApril 14, 2023

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Four Seasons Hotel Seoul launches new cocktails symbolizing iconic cities Four Seasons Hotel Seoul's speakeasy bar Charles H. offers four new cocktail creations inspired by different cities -- London, Havana, New Orleans and Hong Kong. The reimagined menu is a visionary collaboration between head bartender, Odd Strandbakken, and beverage creative director, Alyssa Heidt. The dynamic duo have crafted twenty distinct cocktails inspired by the world travels of Charles H. Baker Jr. Alongside eac

FoodApril 14, 2023

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Gochang Green Barley Festival The Gochang Green Barley Field Festival will be held from April 15 to May 7 in the Hakwon Farm area amid the green barley fields of Gochang-gun, North Jeolla Province. The festival celebrates the region’s plentiful barley. Visitors can take part in activities such as making flutes out of barley leaves, searching for hidden treasures in the barley fields and making essential oils. Other programs, including a concert by local artists, a magic show, a puppet sh

TravelApril 14, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“John Wick: Chapter 4” (US) Opened April 12 Action Directed by Charles F. Stahelski Legendary hit man John Wick embarks on a journey to defeat the High Table. He goes to New York, Paris, Berlin and Japan to seek out the most powerful players in the underworld, fighting against old friends who turned into foes. “Lonely Castle in the Mirror” (Japan) Opened April 12 Animation/Fantasy Directed by Hara Keiichi Based on the Japanese novel of same title by Mizuki Tsujimura,

FilmApril 14, 2023

3 Korean drama series to be screened at Canneseries in non-competition section

Three South Korean drama series – “Pale Moon,” “Midnight Horror: 6 Different Nights” and “Island” -- will be screened in the non-competition Rendezvous section of the sixth Cannes International Series Festival, widely known as Canneseries, which runs from Thursday until April 19 in the French city. This free screening program will hold conversation sessions for international drama fans with invited directors and actors. The program starts at 2 p.m. local

TelevisionApril 13, 2023

Largest-ever Galleries Art Fair bets on continued interest in art investment

The Galleries Art Fair, South Korea’s oldest art fair, kicked off Wednesday in its largest scale ever at Coex in southern Seoul, joined by 156 homegrown galleries. The 41st edition of the fair that began with a VIP preview Wednesday runs through Sunday in Coex halls B and D with the largest number of Korean galleries participating since its establishment in 1979. The Galleries Art Fair and KIAF SEOUL, founded in 2002, are run by the 160-member Galleries Association of Korea. The Galleries

Arts & DesignApril 13, 2023

MMCA Director Youn Bum-mo offers to resign: reports

Youn Bum-mo, the director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea recently offered to resign from his post during a meeting with Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Bo-gyoon, local media reported Thursday. Youn, whose term expires in early 2025, came under criticism last year when the Culture Ministry unprecedentedly revealed the result of a special audit which showed 16 cases of illegal and inappropriate actions at the museum, including purchasing artworks at auc

Arts & DesignApril 13, 2023

[Herald Interview] Mephisto is an irresistible role for versatile actor Park Hae-soo

South Korean actor Park Hae-soo emerged as an international star with his unforgettable performances in "The Squid Game" in 2021 and "The Accidental Narcos" last year. Park is a familiar face on TV now but he’s currently taking the stage at LG Art Center every night in front of some 1,300 people in the audience as Mephisto, the devil, in “Faust.” Park said the role of Mephisto was too tempting an opportunity to pass up and so he returned to the stage for the

CultureApril 12, 2023

[Herald Interview] Nothing fazes Byun Joong-hee, who began acting at 64

For Byun Joong-hee, who taught science at a Seoul boys’ middle school for 39 years, November is an especially nostalgic time. It was when her teachers’ drama troupe would put on its annual performance. “I began acting by joining a small group of teachers who performed in plays for fun. But after my first performance, my lips were dry and I felt like my mouth was full of sand, even after drinking water. I came back home and the thought came to me while doing the dishes -- I ne

FilmApril 12, 2023

Joo Won excited to star in antihero drama 'Stealer: The Treasure Keeper'

Actor Joo Won is returning to the small screen for the first time in three years with action-packed comic series “Stealer: The Treasure Keeper.” The 12-part action drama revolves around Hwang Dae-myung, who lives his life as a Cultural Heritage Administration official during the day and becomes a cultural artifact thief named Skunk at night. Aware that Skunk steals illegally owned national treasures, the members of Team Karma -- an unofficial heritage repatriation team -- approach Da

TelevisionApril 12, 2023

Genesis BBQ chairman receives award from New Jersey

Genesis BBQ Group Chairman Yoon Hong-geun has won a certificate of achievement from the US state of New Jersey for the South Korean fried chicken franchise operator's successful investment in the American market for 20 years, the company announced Wednesday. According to Genesis BBQ Group, the operator of the BBQ chain, Chairman Yoon was granted the certificate in recognition of New Jersey's economic development and job creation from New Jersey Sen. Gordon Johnson during his visit to S

PeopleApril 12, 2023

[Herald Interview] Shezad Dawood transports modernist architecture to the present

The vivid colors of the walls match the paintings of modernist architecture by London-based interdisciplinary artist Shezad Dawood at Barakat Contemporary in Seoul, where his second show at the gallery is running. Color is music to the artist who loves colors and calls himself a “real colorist.” When he stages an exhibition, he sees it as a musical score, in which different colors create both consonances and dissonances, he said. “For me, it is probably the first time ever doin

Arts & DesignApril 12, 2023

Culture Ministry plan emphasizes Hangeul, traditional culture

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Tuesday unveiled its second five-year plan, which emphasizes Korean language and traditional culture. The announcement of the plan, which follows the first plan, which ended in 2019, had been postponed as the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. The new plan includes support for business activities related to traditional culture and Hangeul. To this end, the ministry will conduct research on traditional materials including Hanji, or traditional mulberry

CultureApril 12, 2023

Joseon pavilion burned to the ground in Gangneung wildfire

A wildfire in Gangneung that has raged for more than eight hours Tuesday damaged a number of important cultural heritage sites in the eastern coastal city. Sangyeongjeong, a Joseon-era pavilion located by the scenic Gyeongpoho Lake, was burned to the ground while another Joseon-era pavilion, Banghaejeong, built in 1859 by Yi Bong-gu, a retired official, was partially burned. Parts of Inwolsa Temple, located near the two pavilions, were also damaged in the fire. Meanwhile, seven old signboards

CultureApril 11, 2023

Black Hawk Village, an American town in the middle of Seoul

On a recent Tuesday morning, a sense of calm pervaded Black Hawk Village, a remnant of the Yongsan Garrison, the old headquarters of the US Forces Korea. Once home to American soldiers and their families, the village of 18 buildings is a relic from a time when the foreign military had its headquarters right in the heart of Seoul. For Hwang, a bride-to-be in her 20s, however, it is the perfect backdrop for her pre-wedding photo shoot. “The hues of the brownish-red buildings, green lawns and

TravelApril 11, 2023

[Herald Interview] Ahn Jae-hong, Jeong Jin-woon say actors bonded as one team in ‘Rebound’

“Rebound,” a basketball film by director Jang Hang-joon that opened in local theaters on April 5, is based on the real-life event of a national high school basketball championship that was held in 2012. The Busan Chung Ang High School team, the Underdogs, makes it to the finals for the first time ever with only six members. “When I first heard that it was a film about basketball, I thought basketball is an old sport liked by some fans here who have a special attachment to the S

FilmApril 11, 2023

World's oldest movable metal print book 'Jikji' to be shown in Paris

"Jikji," acknowledged by UNESCO as the world's oldest book printed in movable metal type, will be presented to the public for the first time in 50 years at a major exhibition in France. The book will be on display at the National Library of France from Wednesday until July 16, at an exhibition that focuses on the history of printing technology. "Jikji" is the shortened title of "Jikjisimcheyojeol," a text written by Baegun Gyeonghan, a Buddhist monk, in 1372.

CultureApril 11, 2023