[Herald Interview] Jason Kim dedicates ‘My Heart Puppy’ to his beloved dog

Anyone who has a dog will experience heartbreak at least once -- letting your beloved companion go. But it’s not so easy to make a film dedicated to your dear dog. Jason Kim, the filmmaker behind the 2017 action comedy hit “Midnight Runners,” is releasing “My Heart Puppy,” a canine-themed film based on his own personal experiences of separation from his 10-year-old Yorkshire Terrier. “I raised two dogs called Rooney and Ray, small Yorkshire Terriers less tha

FilmFeb. 21, 2023

Disney+’s ‘Call It Love’ presents realistic love story

Disney+, the flagship streaming service of US media giant Walt Disney Co., presents a calm, soothing romance of ordinary people in its upcoming series “Call It Love.” The slice-of-life series follows the lead characters who fall in love at first sight, a departure from the big, sweeping romances featuring estranged childhood sweethearts or dramatic plot twists. Director Lee Kwang-young said the stories of her romance series will be told at a slow pace, allowing viewers to slowly imme

TelevisionFeb. 21, 2023

KTO releases Hallyu-themed travel guides

The Korea Tourism Organization announced a list of 51 Hallyu-themed tourism courses on Tuesday, aimed at assisting global fans of Korean culture in visiting the country. The routes fall under six themes: K-pop, Hallyu stars, drama, variety shows, films and K-content. The full list and detailed explanation of the 51 courses can be found at Visit Korea's content lab website. Under the films category, the filming locations of last year's award-winning "Broker" in Busan are intro

CultureFeb. 21, 2023

Barakat Contemporary to introduce leading artists at Art Dubai

Seoul-based gallery Barakat Contemporary will participate in Art Dubai 2023 next month, showing leading artists the gallery represents from home and abroad. The five-day event in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which launches on March 1, will display works of art from more than 400 artists in 40 countries across four sections: Contemporary, Modern, Bawwaba -- meaning "gateway" in Arabic -- and Digital. It is open to the public from March 3 to 5. Among the 72 galleries participating in the

Arts & DesignFeb. 21, 2023

[Herald Interview] Na Tae-joo publishes 50th poetry collection

GONGJU, South Chungcheong Province -- Walking around the small garden surrounding the Gongju Pulkkot Literary House, poet Na Tae-joo delights in the sight of tiny buds sprouting through the soil. Sitting in the back garden of the Literary House, basking in the February sunlight, Na talks about language and poetry with The Korea Herald. “The word ‘sunshine’ (byeot, in Korean) sounds as if it came from afar and stopped here, whereas the word ‘star’ (byeol) has a flowi

BooksFeb. 20, 2023

[Herald Interview] Yim Si-wan seeks balance between singing, acting

Yim Si-wan’s latest thriller film, “Unlocked,” depicts the 34-year-old actor as psychopathic killer Jun-young, who hacks into Na-mi's (Chun Woo-hee) smartphone and later threatens to kill her. It’s hard to imagine the actor, who started out in entertainment as part of idol boy band ZE:A and usually exudes a prince charming image, as a ruthless villain. But Yim said it was not difficult to get into character. It is Yim’s second time playing the villain after &ld

FilmFeb. 20, 2023

Kim Yun-seok, Yoon Kye-sang to star in Netflix’s ‘Alone in the Woods’

Global streaming service Netflix announced a star-studded lineup for its new mystery series “Alone in the Woods” on Monday. “Alone in the Woods” will mark South Korean movie star Kim Yun-seok’s first drama series in 16 years. His last television role was in MBC’s human drama “Do Well” (2006-2007). Since then Kim has worked exclusively on big-screen projects as a lead actor, including in heist movie “The Thieves” (2012) and action film &

TelevisionFeb. 20, 2023

[Subway Stories] Seoul’s central bus terminal is high-end and glossy, but some miss humble past

With the introduction of bullet trains in the mid-2000s, the usage of intercity charter buses began to decline rapidly in South Korea. Several bus terminals across the country have gone out of business since. The Seoul Express Bus Terminal is an exception. The terminal, which opened in 1981 in what is now one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Seoul, still teems with visitors. The terminal itself is a testament to Seoul’s rapid economic growth. Starting as a bus terminal in the middl

CultureFeb. 19, 2023

Korean variety show ‘Jinny’s Kitchen’ to debut in Amazon Prime

South Korean movie stars Lee Seo-jin, Park Seo-joon and K-pop boy band BTS’ V are scheduled to make their variety show debut on Amazon Prime Video with its much-anticipated travel series, “Jinny’s Kitchen.” Amazon Prime Video is a subscription-based video streaming service run by Amazon. As the first Korean reality program available on Amazon’s streaming service, “Jinny’s Kitchen” features the cast members’ journey to present popular on-the-g

TelevisionFeb. 19, 2023

Writer Lee Geum-yi, illustrator Kwon Yoon-duck nominated for Andersen Award

Children’s book author Lee Geum-yi and illustrator Kwon Yoon-duck have been selected as the Korean candidates for the 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award. The Korean Board on Books for Young People, the Korean branch of the International Board on Books for Young People, announced the nominees for the prestigious literary award during a general meeting held at the Suwon Convention Center on Saturday. Lee, 61, debuted in 1984 with the short story “With Younggu and Heukgu.” Her wor

BooksFeb. 19, 2023

Jeonju culture center's staff uniform raises controversy over 'Japanese-style' design

A newly designed official hanbok uniform for employees at the Korea Traditional Culture Center, a foundation operated by the city of Jeonju in North Jeolla Province, has been embroiled in controversy over its design some say are similar to that of a Japanese kimono. After members of the public and the center's staffers criticized the uniform for "looking Japanese," the designer argued that the piece was designed as a hanbok based on historical research. The new uniform was unveile

CultureFeb. 19, 2023

[Photo News] ‘I.Seoul.U’ goes down in history

“I.Seoul.U,” an installation featuring Seoul city’s eight-year-old slogan, at Nodeul Island -- a small artificial island on the Han River near Yoeuido -- is being removed on Saturday. The city government under Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced that a new slogan is needed to rebrand South Korea’s most populous city. A total of 29 “I.Seoul.U” installations are scheduled to be removed by the end of this month.

CultureFeb. 18, 2023

[Weekender] Taking the hotel experience home

Having guests over at home has become less common in Seoul over the past two decades, with restaurants and cafes on almost every neighborhood corner making it easy to dine out at any time of the day. But the COVID-19 pandemic has driven people to spend more time in their own spaces. The phenomenon has naturally led to the public's interest in home furnishing, interior design, and home-cooked meals. Capitalizing on the trend, high-end hotels are creating their own brands or working with vend

CultureFeb. 18, 2023

Chung Zu-young's 'meteorology' shows contemporary Korean landscape paintings

Gallery Hyundai presents a solo exhibition of Korean painter Chung Zu-young, unveiling the artist’s new painting series inspired by mountains and meteorology. The artist had long been enamored by mountains, but now turns her eye higher to the sky. “Last summer the weather changed dramatically, and it was extremely hot and rainy. I saw a big storm cloud, or maybe a pillar of clouds after it stop raining. It just seemed like a symbolic huge storm cloud with a unique form. I wanted to

Arts & DesignFeb. 18, 2023

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” (US) Opened Feb. 15 Action Directed by Peyton Reed In this sequel to "Ant-Man" (2015) and "Ant-Man and the Wasp" (2018) and the 31st film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ant-Man and the Wasp explore the Quantum Realm and interact with strange new creatures. “Titanic” (US) Opened Feb. 8 Romance Directed by James Cameron Celebrating the 25th anniversary of James Cameron’s box office phenomenon “Titani

FilmFeb. 18, 2023

Bong Joon-ho returns to Florence Korean Film Fest after 12 years

South Korean star director Bong Joon-ho will attend the Florence Korean Film Fest for the first time in 12 years. Bong will participate in a master class on April 6 at the festival, which introduces Korean films throughout Europe and particularly in Italy, according to festival organizer Taegeukgi Cultural Association. His last visit to the fest, which has been held annually for the past 21 years, was in 2011. “We are pleased to have director Bong, one of the most widely acclaimed filmmake

FilmFeb. 18, 2023

[Herald Interview] Tei now relishes performing old Beethoven

When Tei, a singer who is also pursuing an acting career in musicals, was offered the role of an aging Beethoven, his initial response was a firm "no." Tei was in his mid-30s at the time, and covetous of the younger Beethoven role in the show. He was eventually persuaded to take on the challenge of playing the older manifestation of the composer in “Ludwig: Beethoven the Piano” and he is now happy with the role and has grown to resonate with the role. “Up until the th

CultureFeb. 17, 2023

Art libraries for families, art lovers open in Seoul, Gwacheon

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea and Buk-Seoul Museum of Art have reopened their art libraries after renovating and expanding their facilities to invite museum-goers to stay and enjoy the reading spaces. MMCA Gwachon in Gyeonggi Province has run its art library since 1986 with over 6,000 books and archival sources. Resuming its operation on Feb. 13, the museum’s library now holds some 52,800 books and documents on art, with the aim of growing as a library special

Arts & DesignFeb. 17, 2023

Three Korean films head to 73rd Berlin Film Festival

Three Korean films have been invited to the 73rd Berlin Film Festival, which kicked off Thursday and runs until Feb. 26. The festival picked director Hong Sang-soo’s “In Water” to compete in the newly established Encounters sidebar competition category. It is the 62-year-old auteur’s 29th project. Hong is competing at Berlinale for the fourth consecutive year, following “The Novelist's Film” (2022), “Introduction” (2021) and “The Wom

FilmFeb. 17, 2023

K-pop singer Eric Nam to headline Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art’s centennial show

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art has announced South Korean singer-songwriter Eric Nam will take the stage as the headline performer at the museum’s centennial celebration in May. The museum was established in 1923 with an initial collection by its founder Charles Lang Freer, of which the collection has grown to some 46,000 artworks. The museum became the first fine art museum to be part of a Smithsonian institution in Washington, DC in 1923. In celebration of the museu

Arts & DesignFeb. 17, 2023