[New in Korean] Past, present intersect at ‘The Bookstore of Illusion’

“The Bookstore of Illusion” (working title) By So Seo-rim Happy Books To You In So Seo-rim’s debut novel “The Bookstore of Illusion,” a mystical world is introduced where a mysterious bookstore can only be found by those who are lost. Here, there is no need to buy a book, plus the owner offers stories to listen to. After a rejection from a publisher while pursuing her dream of becoming an author, Yeon-seo climbs up a mountain to clear her head. Lost in her thoughts,

BooksMarch 31, 2023

Director Lee Byeong-heon says ‘Dream’ brings both social message and joy

Director Lee Byeong-heon behind 2019 hit comedy “Extreme Job” has returned with “Dream,” a sports comedy, which is being released eight years after the film was initially set up. The film tells the story of a Yoon Hong-dae (Park Seo-joon), a professional football player-turned-coach who is put on disciplinary probation after becoming involved in an unexpected incident and tasked with coaching the South Korean national soccer team for the Homeless World Cup. “There w

FilmMarch 30, 2023

More green, less distractions

"When the world wearies and society fails to satisfy, there is always the garden." A quote from Minnie Aumonier, a 19th-century poet, still seems valid today, as can be seen at the Suncheon International Garden Expo, which opens Friday evening. With the pandemic finally nearing its end, the Suncheonman International Garden Expo, which runs through Oct. 31, aims to attract 8 million visitors. Launched in 2013, the initial plan of the exposition was to preserve the Suncheon Bay wetland

CultureMarch 30, 2023

Culture Ministry launches investigation into 'Black Rubber Shoes' contract

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Thursday announced that it has launched a special investigation team that will look into a complaint filed about the contract for the comic and cartoon series “Black Rubber Shoes.” On Wednesday, the Korean Cartoonists Association filed a petition with the ministry to investigate the contract between the original creators of “Black Rubber Shoes” and publishing house Hyungseol that is alleged to have led to the death of Lee

CultureMarch 30, 2023

Brisbane Writers Festival to kick off focusing on Korean writers

South Korea will receive the spot light as the Country of Focus at the 2023 Brisbane Writers Festival, scheduled to take place May 10-14, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Wednesday. Founded in 1962, the literary festival is held every May in Brisbane, Australia. The Country of Focus program, initiated in 2022 with Aotearoa/New Zealand and Pasifika, celebrates a particular country or region within the Indo-Pacific region. Bora Chung, the author of “Cursed Bunny,” who w

BooksMarch 29, 2023

Korean gardens to be showcased in 2025 exhibition in Paris

The beauty and ecological value of Korean gardens will be featured in Paris in 2025 in a major exhibition with an estimated cost of 15 billion won ($11.5 million), the Korean-French duo in charge of the project told The Korea Herald. Park Jung-wook and Regis Juvigny, co-presidents of K-Garden Association, said in Seoul last week that they are currently in the process of bringing their plan of showcasing the best aspects of Korean gardens in the Luxembourg Gardens in the heart of Paris. “Ja

CultureMarch 29, 2023

[Herald Review] ‘Rebound’: a basketball film about overcoming setbacks

“Rebound” doesn’t just tell the real-life story of an underdog basketball team making it all the way to the championships – the film itself overcame real setbacks to make it into local theaters. The film, director Jang Hang-jun’s first project in 6 years, will finally open in local theaters after 11 years of setbacks. The film tells the moving story of passionate youths based on a real-life 2012 national high school basketball championship through tense, dynamic sce

FilmMarch 29, 2023

Tving’s ‘Yonder’ to be streamed on Paramount Plus

Tving, the South Korean online streaming service provider run by entertainment giant CJ ENM, announced that its 2022 sci-fi series “Yonder” is scheduled to premiere globally via Paramount Plus in April. “Yonder,” which was adapted from the 2011 novel “Good-bye Yonder,” written by author Kim Jang-hwan, is the first joint production of Korean content between Tving and Paramount Plus. The series is set to be released in 27 countries, including the US, the UK, Can

TelevisionMarch 29, 2023

‘Bargain’ invited to Canneseries competition

Korean streamer Tving’s crime-thriller “Bargain,” directed by Jeon Woo-sung, has been invited to this year’s Cannes International Series Festival, widely known as Canneseries Canneseries is an international television festival that promotes TV series from around the world. In the official selection for this year’s Canneseries announced Tuesday, “Bargain” was listed in the competition section along with nine other projects, including Israel’s 2022 s

TelevisionMarch 29, 2023

Foreigners under 19 to get free admission to royal palaces, tombs in S. Korea

Foreigners under the age of 19 can visit major royal palaces and tombs without paying admission fees starting next month, the cultural heritage authority said Wednesday. The Cultural Heritage Administration said it has recently revised its rules on visits to royal palaces and tombs to include free admission for foreign minors. The rules will come into force Saturday, it added. Currently, all foreigners are required to pay admission fees when they visit those sites, while admission is free for Ko

CultureMarch 29, 2023

[Herald Interview] We are 'extremely committed' to continuing Art Basel Hong Kong: Art Basel CEO

HONG KONG -- All eyes were on Art Basel Hong Kong last week, which made its first full return since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the first year of the pandemic, Asia's largest art fair went online and the following two years saw the event running at a much reduced scale. “One of the beautiful things about fairs is the spillover that the fair has into the cultural fabric of the city itself. The gallery scene in Hong Kong has accelerated tremendously in the years since A

Arts & DesignMarch 29, 2023

[Feature] Commercial, academic collaboration revives Hong Kong art scene

HONG KONG -- Hong Kong's art scene got back into full gear last week, drawing international visitors back to Asia’s premier art fair -- Art Basel Hong Kong -- as well as to the city’s West Kowloon Cultural District, anchored by the recently opened contemporary art museum, the M+. The Hong Kong Palace Museum, also part of the district, completed its renovation and opened to the public in 2022 to show more than 900 pieces of treasure from mainland China. The West Kowloon Cultura

Arts & DesignMarch 29, 2023

New performances from Arko Selection available online

New performances created with support from the Arts Council Korea will be released through Naver’s TV Live through July. A total of 20 works to be streamed include plays, musicals, dance, music, opera and traditional performances from the 28 works that were selected for the Arko Selection and staged at Arko Arts Theater and Daehakro Arts Theater in Jongno-gu. “The Designer of the Labyrinth,” a play available on April 25, centers on three different characters whose lives intertw

PerformanceMarch 28, 2023

AfreecaTV draws LoL fans across globe

South Korean livestreaming platform AfreecaTV is attracting fans of the globally popular esports game League of Legends by providing various ways to connect with their favorite players and teams. LoL boasts over 150 million monthly active players worldwide. AfreecaTV has signed a contract with the organizers of League of Legends Champions Korea to broadcast its games. The LCK Spring regular season began in January this year and will continue through April. According to AfreecaTV, the livestreami

esportsMarch 28, 2023

Netflix film starring Yoo Ah-in put on hold

Netflix will put on hold the release of an original film featuring Yoo Ah-in, after the 36-year-old actor was questioned by police over allegations that he habitually used illicit drugs. Netflix was slated to release director Kim Hyoung-joo’s “The Match,” which stars Lee Byung-hun and Yoo Ah-in, in the first half of this year. All decisions regarding the film, including the release date, will be “temporarily put off,” a Netflix official was quoted as saying to loc

FilmMarch 28, 2023

[Herald Interview] 'Actors are drawn to exciting stories'

While many drama fans felt “Oldboy” star Choi Min-sik’s return to the small screen with “Big Bet” represented the big-name movie star’s acceptance of video streaming services, the 60-year-old actor revealed that he simply felt the need to tell a fascinating story to the world. “I said in a press conference that I decided to star in ‘Big Bet’ because I really missed TV dramas, but what I actually meant was (I missed) the long, epic stories of

TelevisionMarch 28, 2023

Shamans, curses and superstitions in contemporary South Korea

In episode 15 of Netflix's "The Glory," the shaman character, who is involved in the antagonist Park Yeon-jin's shady family business, suddenly drops dead in the middle of performing a ritual, leaving viewers bewildered by the sudden plot twist involving a supernatural scene. Shamanism may appear out of place in a modern-day revenge thriller, but superstitions and shamanistic practices are not far removed from the daily lives of many Koreans, even in their tech-savvy and fast

CultureMarch 28, 2023

[Herald Interview] Korean literature gaining global momentum, says US literary agent

As Korean entertainment and culture continue to captivate audiences worldwide, Korean literature is also gaining momentum in the English publishing market. Major international publishing house Bloomsbury recently bought the rights to Hwang Bo-reum's bestseller "Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop," while HarperCollins bought the rights to Kim Ho-yeon's "Uncanny Convenience Store," which sold over a million copies in Korea. In April, English editions of bestselling K

BooksMarch 28, 2023

Literary agent recounts her journey in new travel memoir

A travel memoir, "The Korean Book of Happiness," by a New York-based literary agent who has represented big-name Korean writers such as Han Kang and Shin Kyung-sook overseas, hit the shelves on March 2, published by Short Books, an imprint of the Octopus Publishing Group. Barbara Zitwer shares her insights and experiences with Korea -- which boasts a flourishing culture while also upholding the ages-old principles of “han” (resilience) “heung” (joy) and “j

BooksMarch 28, 2023

'Protect creators before exulting in K-culture boom'

A committee set up in the aftermath of the death of cartoonist Lee Yoo-young, the original creator of hit cartoon and animation series “Black Rubber Shoes,” on Monday urged the fair treatment of creators. “It’s not the time to celebrate the popularity of K-culture. The most important thing is to protect the lives of creators and their self-esteem,” the committee said in a statement read during a press conference held at the National Assembly on Monday, adding th

CultureMarch 27, 2023