[New on the Scene] Kim Si-eun, who transparently becomes her character

When actor Kim Si-eun made her Cannes and commercial film debut in July Jung’s “Next Sohee,” many paid attention to how realistically Kim portrayed So-hee, a high school student exploited as an intern at a call center. “I’m sure any actor at my age must have been interested in playing So-hee, because it was a project helmed by July Jung and co-starring veteran actor Bae Doo-na. But besides that, for me, So-hee expressed a message that resonated deeply inside me, mak

FilmApril 3, 2023

[One with Nature] Lesser-known cherry blossom streets in Seoul

As cherry blossoms paint South Korea’s capital city pink and white, Seoulites are flocking to flower-filled Yunjung-ro in Yeouido or Seokchon Lake in Jamsil, southern Seoul. While Yunjung-ro’s 1.7-kilometer road lined with cherry trees is a spectacular sight that welcomes springtime visitors across the nation, some feel that it has become too crowded, noting that there seem to be more people than flowers. For those who wish to enjoy the pink clouds of cherry blossoms in a less-crowde

TravelApril 3, 2023

[Herald Interview] S. Korea’s creative content looks to international market from get go

The Netflix original drama series "Squid Game" was the spark which changed everything. While Jo Hyun-rae, president of the Korea Creative Content Agency, was confident about the power of Korean pop culture and recognized its potential when the KBS drama series "Winter Sonata" and its lead actor Bae Yong-joon achieved popularity in Asian markets outside of Korea in 2002, it was not too long ago that he began to feel Korea could play a more active role in the highly competitive

CultureApril 2, 2023

Disney+ to release new BTS Suga doc series

Disney+, the flagship streaming service of US media giant Walt Disney Co., has announced the release of music documentary “Suga: Road to D-Day.” The upcoming series features Suga, the 30-year-old artist and one part of K-pop sensation BTS, traveling through different cities, including Seoul, Las Vegas, Tokyo, Malibu in California, San Francisco and more, sharing his innermost stories and offering a glimpse into his work behind the scenes. This is not the first time the global streame

TelevisionApril 2, 2023

[From the scene] Tongyeong International Music Festival 2023: Back in full bloom

TONGYEONG, South Gyeongsang Province -- As the audience awaits the 21st Tongyeong Festival Orchestra’s first performance to kick off Friday evening, a sudden burst of applause erupts from one side of the audience. Stealing the thunder was former President Moon Jae-in, in attendance at the controversial music festival founded to commemorate the late composer Yun I-sang. In his first time visiting the festival, Moon paid respects to Yun at his tomb, located right next to the Tongyeong concer

PerformanceApril 2, 2023

[Photo News] Green Apple

  GREEN APPLE -- An outdoor sculpture named "Youth" by Japanese architect Tadao Ando is on display at Museum SAN in Wonju, Gangwon Province, on Friday. The green apple sculpture was inspired by American poet Samuel Ullman's poem that reads "youth is not a time of life, but a state of mind." On Friday, Ando delivered a lecture at the museum on the theme of "Run with your dreams on the line." "Youth," an exhibition which explores the works of the archit

Arts & DesignApril 2, 2023

Museum of Korean art archives to open early April

A museum dedicated to archives of contemporary Korean art will open Tuesday in Pyeongchang-dong, Seoul as a place where one can look up a variety of art archives as well as see exhibitions. Art Archives, Seoul Museum of Art aims to collect and conduct research of archival material on Korea’s contemporary art, housing some 57,000 archives. Run by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the archives at the museum can be accessed both online and offline. The building consists of six entities based

Arts & DesignApril 2, 2023

Director Na Hong-jin to helm star-studded thriller ‘Hope’

Award-winning director Na Hong-jin will take the helm for “Hope,” assembling a veteran cast from around the world. The thriller will mark Na's first film since his commercially and critically acclaimed success “The Wailing,” released in 2016. Hwang Jung-min and Zo In-sung will appear as a police officer Beom-seok and a young hunter Sung-ki, respectively. Hollywood power couple Michael Fassbender from “X-men” and his wife Alicia Vikander from “The Da

FilmApril 2, 2023

‘Decoy’ to return with part 2 in April

Local video streaming service Coupang Play’s crime thriller “Decoy” is scheduled to release part 2 of the 12-episode series in April. “Decoy” focuses on the story of a man behind South Korea’s biggest financial fraud case, who dies while in hiding from the police. The story develops as the deceased criminal is named as a suspect in a new murder case, eight years after his death. The first half of the series came to an end in early February as the two lead char

TelevisionApril 1, 2023

[New in Korean] Yale professor guides readers through error of thinking in ‘Thinking 101’

“Thinking 101: How to Reason Better to Live Better” By Ahn Woo-kyoung, translated by Kim Bo-ram Next Wave Media Step one: Watch a dance clip of BTS’ 2019 megahit “Boy with Luv” -- just six seconds of the easiest choreography moves over and over again. You can watch a slowed down version if you want. Step two: Now it’s your turn to do it. Do you think you have the dance down to do it yourself? In one of her classes at Yale, psychology professor Ahn Woo-kyoung c

BooksApril 1, 2023

‘The Glory’ stars Lim Ji-yeon, Lee Do-hyun dating

It has been revealed that actor Lim Ji-yeon and her on-screen enemy in the hit drama series “The Glory,” Lee Do-hyun, have been a couple, their agencies confirmed Saturday. “The two have become intimate as co-stars and developed such intimacy into a romantic one as a couple. We understand that their relationship has just started and the two are in the beginning stages of getting to know each other. The two have been taking things slowly so please congratulate them,” Lim&r

TelevisionApril 1, 2023

[Herald Interview] Art Central to grow larger, mulls return to Harbourfront site next year: fair director

Hong Kong -- Art Central, a global art fair in Hong Kong for distinguished galleries based in the Asia-Pacific region, held its eighth edition last week during Hong Kong Art Week. With over 40,000 visitors, this year's event marked the strongest turnout in the fair's history, after having to scale down due to the pandemic for three years. “There is certainly a lot of synergy of the art market here in Hong Kong, especially with the auction sector and internal growth of Hong Kong g

Arts & DesignApril 1, 2023

Transcending boundaries, Tongyeong's leading musical festival returns

TONGYEONG, South Gyeongsang Province -- South Korea’s leading classical music event, the “Tongyeong International Music Festival,” kicked off Friday with the theme “Beyond Borders.” The festival's 21st installment, led by Korean composer Chin Unsuk as the music director for the second year, runs until April 9, featuring renowned domestic and international musicians and unique programs. “Beyond Borders” embodies Chin’s intentions to transcend

PerformanceMarch 31, 2023

NMK to host outdoor music performances

The National Museum of Korea in Seoul's Yongsan-gu is hosting a series of live music performances from April to October. Titled "The Cultural Feast of the Museum," the series will showcase a variety of music genres including gugak, classical music, jazz and martial music for free at the museum's performance venues, the Open Plaza and Eutteum Hall. Launched in 2014, this year’s series will feature a total of 16 performances. At the Open Plaza at 3 p.m. on April 8, well-k

CultureMarch 31, 2023

24th Jeonju International Film Festival aims to achieve both authenticity, mass appeal

The 24th Jeonju International Film Festival aims grab the public’s attention by representing both the authenticity and mass appeal of South Korea’s indie film scene, according to the organizing committee. This year’s JIFF will be held from April 27th to May 6 in Jeonju, showcasing 247 films from 42 countries. A total of 11 Korean films, 25 Korean indie films and 10 international films have been invited to the festival. “JIFF has become one of the most representative cultu

FilmMarch 31, 2023

Dive into the wonder of New South Wales

The shining city of Sydney may get all the attention, but look further along the New South Wales coastline and there is a whole world of seafood, nature and stunning scenery to become immersed in. And you don’t get much more immersed than literally up to your waist in the Hawkesbury estuary, where we were learning how to shell oysters, with bream circling around us waiting to snaffle up any leftovers. Sydney Oyster Farm Tours shows guests how the region’s rock oysters are reared, as

TravelMarch 31, 2023

[Well-curated] Enjoy cherry blossoms and veggie food; watch Korean stew series at home

Cherry blossoms at Jamsil Cherry blossoms are in full bloom earlier than usual to welcome spring. This weekend is the perfect time of the year to enjoy cherry blossoms with your beloved ones across the country. One of the most popular spots is Seokchon Lake in Jamsil, southeastern Seoul, which was once shut down during the pandemic. The lake is surrounded by beautiful cherry blossoms during the springtime, visited by people strolling around the 2.5-kilometer road round the lake with their belove

CultureMarch 31, 2023

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Jinhae Gunhangje Festival The Jinhae Gunhangje Festival is being held in areas near Jinhae Jungwon Rotary Intersection in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, from March 25 to April 3. Celebrating the beautiful display of 360,000 cherry trees in downtown Jinhae, various programs, including cultural performances, a military parade and maritime firework show are set to entertain the visitors. The highly anticipated cherry blossoms festival makes a return after a three-year break as most of the C

TravelMarch 31, 2023

[New in Korean] Making of 65-year-old female assassin in 'The Old Woman with the Knife' prequel

“Shatter” By Gu Byeong-mo Wisdom House In Gu Byeong-mo’s bestseller “The Old Woman with the Knife,” a 65-year-old female assassin named Hornclaw struggles to accept that she is past her prime -- she remains a ruthless and efficient killer. But everyone must have a beginning. In this short story, “Shatter,” a prequel to the thriller-action, readers get a glimpse of Hornclaw’s past and how she was trained in her teens by an unnamed man to become the

BooksMarch 31, 2023

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

JW Marriott Jeju Resort and Spa opens in Seogwipo JW Marriott Jeju Resort and Spa celebrates its grand opening on March. The hotel’s signature BBQ and rotisserie restaurant, The Flying Hog, serves Jeju black pork and beef cooked in a wood-fired oven. For guests who wish to explore the local cuisine, yeoumul is a Jeju-style omakase restaurant featuring seasonal ingredients and fresh seafood harvested by the island’s female divers. The Lounge, with its resident coffee master, offers s

FoodMarch 31, 2023