Lee Jung-jae, Kim Yuna to receive CICI awards for boosting Korea's image

Emmy-winning actor Lee Jung-jae from Netflix’s global phenomenon “Squid Game” will be honored by the Corea Image Communication Institute for his contribution to building a positive image of Korea at home and overseas. Lee will be presented with the Korea Image Stepping Stone Award at CICI’s annual award ceremony which will take place at the InterContinental Seoul Coex on Jan. 11, marking the institute’s 20th anniversary next year. “Lee won the Emmy Award for h

CultureDec. 12, 2022

Song Joong-ki’s ‘Reborn Rich’ dominates year-end ratings

Cable channel JTBC’s hit drama “Reborn Rich” is on track to becoming one of the most-watched TV shows in South Korea, according to ratings firm Nielsen Korea, Monday. The latest episode, which aired Sunday, recorded a 21.1 percent viewership, becoming the first TV series this year to reach over a 20 percent viewership rating among terrestrial broadcast and cable channels. The highest viewership ratings for cable channel ENA’s megahit legal drama “Extraordinary Attor

TelevisionDec. 12, 2022

Korean period thriller tops S. Korea box office for 3rd week

The South Korean period thriller "The Night Owl" has stayed atop the weekend box office for the third time in a row, data showed Monday. The movie topped the box office chart for last weekend beginning Friday, selling about 468,000 tickets, according to the data from the Korean Film Council. The flick has been on top of the weekend chart as well as the daily chart since it opened in South Korean theaters on Nov. 23, amassing 2.52 million viewers. Set in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910),

FilmDec. 12, 2022

[Subway Stories] Rice shops, tteokbokki and hipsters at Sindang Station

  The following is part of Seoul Subway Stories, a Korea Herald series exploring the subway stations and surrounding areas across the city. -- Ed.   In the ’70s and ’80s, before the proliferation of cafes and clubs in Seoul, the area near Sindang Station led a peculiar youth culture here -- hipsters hanging out at trendy tteokbokki restaurants where DJs play pop music. Nearly half a century later, the Sindang-dong neighborhood’s then-revolutionary tteokbokki scene may

CultureDec. 12, 2022

TikTok creators front 58th Daejong Awards

Star TikTok creators brought a fresh new wave to the Daejong International Film Awards as honorary ambassadors of the traditional film fest. The 58th Daejong Awards, also known as the Grand Bell Awards, took place at the New Millennium Grand Theater at Konkuk University in Seoul on Friday night. The night kicked off with a red carpet ceremony where prominent actors and directors including Park Hae-il, Park So-dam and director Kim Han-min were in attendance. Alongside the cineastes were four TikT

FilmDec. 11, 2022

NGO publishes English map of Korea and world cultural heritage

The Voluntary Agency Network of Korea has unveiled a world map showing 21 UNESCO-listed intangible cultural heritage of Korea. Talchum, Korean mask dance-drama which was added to the UNESCO list on Nov. 30, is not show on the map. The cultural heritage map is part of the civic group's "New Hayllu" project, aimed at encouraging some 150 million hallyu fans to expand their interest in Korea beyond Korean pop culture, according to the civic group. "In the midst of Japan's

CultureDec. 11, 2022

All members of parliament sign declaration against hate speech

All members of the South Korean parliament have pledged to take part in a campaign to get rid of hate speech, bullying and human rights violations in cyberspace, the Sunfull Foundation said Sunday. “All 299 lawmakers have signed a pledge to support using good language during their political activities,” announced the organization’s founder Min Byoung-chul during an award ceremony held Dec. 7 to commend 35 parliamentarians for using what they perceive as a respectful language, a

PeopleDec. 11, 2022

[Herald Interview] LTI winners say they see 'sisterhood' between Korean and Korean American poets

Acclaimed poet and translator Choi Don-mee connected two Korean American translators with Korean poet Yi Won for the English translation of Yi's poems, seeing the "sisterhood" between Korean poets and Korean-American poets, said the two recipients of a translation award. “(Choi Don-mee) had a vision of connecting Korean women poets and Korean American women poets to translate their poems,” poet-translator Marci Calabretta Cancia-Bello said during a press conference hel

BooksDec. 10, 2022

Bowl of hot beef soup to warm your day

While Koreans enjoy many different types of soup at each meal, seolleongtang, a hearty bone broth soup, easily tops the list during the winter months. Seolleongtang is made by simmering ox bones, specifically leg bones, with brisket and other cuts of beef for hours. The density of the smooth, milky soup depends on the quantity and types of the beef cuts that go into the broth making. Those who love this hearty Korean beef soup cannot help but wonder, “What is the difference between seolleo

FoodDec. 10, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul Launches ‘Joyful Winter Memory at JW’ package JW Marriott Hotel Seoul's new winter package features one night in a JW Marriott guest room offering panoramic views of the Han River and downtown Seoul through floor-to-ceiling windows and a selection of exclusive gifts, from wines to new year diaries, diffusers and more. Package guests also receive one bottle of choice between two varieties of special wine produced in collaboration with Roc de Saint Jean (es

FoodDec. 10, 2022

[Temple to Table] Temple food staple: Siraegi bokkeum

“Food is important for life! Physical health should be maintained by food first and then by medicine. That’s why we need to prepare food with great sincerity because it gives us life. What are the three components of temple food?” To this question from the Ven. Gyeho, all present became immersed in thought. “They are purity, pliability and accord with the Dharma. Of these three, the foremost is purity. The cook must have a pure mind without the three poisons of greed, hat

FoodDec. 10, 2022

‘Decision To Leave’ snatches 3 awards at 58th Daejong Film Awards

In an attempt to bring it back to its former glory, the 58th Daejong Film Awards was held Friday in Seoul in a smaller scale with only a few actors in attendance. Film director Park Chan-wook’s Cannes-winning romance-thriller “Decision to Leave” won the most coveted best picture and scenario award at this year’s Daejong Film Awards, also known as the Grand Bell Awards. Park, who is currently working on his next project abroad, delivered his acceptance speech via a voice

FilmDec. 9, 2022

Yeol, Chanel support Korean craftsmanship heritage for five years

The Yeol Korean Heritage Preservation Society, a private foundation dedicated to Korean craftsmanship, has forged a five-year partnership with French luxury fashion house Chanel to support Korean traditional artisans and their craftsmanship. The partnership aims to host the annual “The Artisan of the Year and Young Craftsman of the Year” together, a project that Yeol has held since 2013 to raise awareness of traditional Korean artisan techniques. As the first collaboration, the t

Arts & DesignDec. 9, 2022

Pianist, conductor Kim Sun-wook takes baton for injured SPO artistic director

The outgoing music director and conductor of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Osmo Vanska, is unable to lead his last concert as music director due to a fall injury, the orchestra said on Friday. Vanska was originally scheduled to take the stage for the orchestra's year-end repertoire of Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 ‘Choral’ on Dec. 14, 15 and 16. He suffered a fall, rendering him unable to travel, SPO said. It was supposed to be his first and last chance to

CultureDec. 9, 2022

No passive tourists: Making travel meaningful

Kim Yeon-mee, 35, an office worker from northern Seoul, visits a bookstore specializing in travel and tourism books every other weekend. The bookstore, Trip, Book and Space: Traveling Library, in Seongsu-dong, has some 1,000 titles on all things travel, from essays and photo books to magazines, cartoons and more. "Upon reaching 30, I did not want to travel like I used to, following routes planned by big travel agencies," Kim said. Even as she visited popular sites, Kim felt her travels

TravelDec. 9, 2022

[Well-curated weekend] Write letters, make art with kids and learn about Almaty

A handwritten letter is always special. There's a certain emotional resonance that digital technology cannot replicate. A climb up the winding alleys and slopes of Haebangchon, near Haebang Church, vegan cafe Nuldam Space offers visitors a unique experience to write a letter to your future self. The letter, which you can also opt to send to friends and family, will be delivered next year at a date of your choice. The 4,000 won letter set includes one postcard, one envelope and three pieces

CultureDec. 9, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Even If This Love Disappears Tonight (Japan) Opened Nov. 30 Romance Directed by Takahiro Miki The movie, based on the novel by the same title by the Japanese author Misaki Ichijo, tells a story of high school students Toru Kamiya (Shunsuke Michieda) and Maori Hino (Riko Fukumoto) who go on a date despite Maori suffering from a condition in which she loses all memory of the previous day upon waking up the next morning. Overcoming such a hurdle, Toru promises Maori as many happy memories as possib

FilmDec. 9, 2022

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Coex Winter Festival, Seoul Ahead of the new year, the Coex Winter Festival will present artworks featuring rabbits to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit, the fourth animal of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs. The seven-day festival, starting on Dec. 19, presents various programs, including brick arts, digital arts, paintings, balloon arts and more. This year’s festival will be held at Coex’s K-pop Square, Coex Square and indoor lobbies in Gangnam, southern Seoul. The event is free. More in

TravelDec. 9, 2022

Army retires scout dog Dalgwan famed for finding missing girl in 2019

The Army retired a scout dog, famed for his role in locating a missing teenager in 2019, from surveillance duty due to old age on Thursday, officials said, concluding his storied decadelong career. The armed service held a retirement ceremony for Dalgwan at the 32nd Infantry Division's maneuver battalion unit in Sejong, about 120 km south of Seoul. The 10-year-old German Shepherd rose to national prominence in 2019 when he played a pivotal role in the search mission for then-14-year-old Cho

CultureDec. 8, 2022

Craft art enjoy a boom in pandemic times

Craft art usually requires a sophisticated touch by artists, an understanding of traditional craftsmanship and, of course, hours of labor. It did not come as a surprise to artistic director Yang Teo when the country’s largest craft art fair gained unprecedented popularity this year. The 17th edition of the Craft Trend Fair -- which kicked off Thursday and runs through Sunday at Coex in southern Seoul -- saw a 40 percent increase in applications by craft artists, galleries and craft brand

Arts & DesignDec. 8, 2022