Park Seo-bo first Korean artist to collaborate with Louis Vuitton

  A red painting by Korean contemporary artist Park Seo-bo has been turned into one of Louis Vuitton’s iconic Capucines bags, making Park the first Korean artist to collaborate with the French luxury brand for the Artycapucines collection. Park began the Ecriture series -- also called "Myobop” in Korean -- in the late 1960s working with pencil before creating the color Ecriture series in the 2000s, inspired by a variety of colors found in nature. The red painting, which w

Arts & DesignNov. 10, 2022

Hottest Restaurants in Seoul 2022

1. Gordon Ramsay Burger Gordon Ramsay Burger launched its first restaurant in Asia. The Michelin-starred restaurant serves from classic to premium burgers for those who want to enjoy the burger’s powerful flavor along with french fries and a shake. Reservations can be made for Gordon Ramsay Burger via CATCH TABLE 2. Low and Slow A traditional Texas BBQ for meat lovers. The restaurant has its core customers who enjoy the sizzling visuals and tender taste of the meat served with a feel-g

FoodNov. 10, 2022

[Feature] Called out for cultural insensitivity: Can Korean entertainment finally reform?

When Korean dramas first became popular outside of Korea in the early 2000s -- “Winter Sonata” (2002) and MBC’s “Jewel in the Palace” (2003) are prime examples -- the viewership was mostly Asian. It was at this time that the term hallyu, or Korean Wave, began to be used to describe the popularity of Korean entertainment overseas. While Korean films, such as “Oldboy” (2003), “Train to Busan” (2016) and “Parasite” (2019), have recei

TelevisionNov. 9, 2022

‘Ditto’ presents new image of first love

Instead of the pure and innocent-looking girl with long black hair that is often featured in Korean mainstream media as a first love icon, romance film “Ditto” features a different character. The new image of first love is shown by featuring the story of an amateur first crush of university student Yong, portrayed by former child actor Yeo Jin-goo, 25, alongside Kim Hye-yoon. “Before we started shooting, I also thought of a typical image of someone’s first love -- a pur

CultureNov. 9, 2022

Russian pianist Elisso Virsaladze to perform Mozart and Chopin in Seoul

Elisso Virsaladze, an 80-year-old Russian pianist, is set to bring her favorite Mozart and Chopin pieces to Seoul later this month, according to Kumho Art Hall on Wednesday. On Nov. 24, she will perform Mozart’s Fantasia for Piano in C minor, K. 396, 9 Variations on “Lison dormait” for Piano in C Major, K. 264 and Rondo for Piano No. 3 in A minor, K.511 as well as Chopin’s Waltz for Piano in A minor, B. 150, Op.posth. After the intermission, she will return with Mozart&rs

CultureNov. 9, 2022

[Herald Review] Grammy-winning Jack White’s 1st concert in Korea, rock-fueled blast of music

While the sky in Korea was graced by a mesmerizing total lunar eclipse, the 12-time Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter and guitarist Jack White flooded a Seoul concert hall on Tuesday night with a light haze and shades of blue with rock ‘n’ roll energy. The concert, held at Yes24 Live Hall in eastern Seoul, was part of the American rock musician’s global "Supply Chain Issues Tour” and his first show in the country. Although the event was scheduled late on a weekd

PerformanceNov. 9, 2022

Gucci to fund Gyeongbokgung’s conservation projects for three years

Italian luxury brand Gucci has announced a three-year commitment to supporting the conservation and restoration of the Gyeongbokgung Palace. Gucci President and CEO Marco Bizzarri and Cultural Heritage Administration Administrator Choi Eung-chon signed an agreement Nov. 1 on cooperating on future improvement projects of multiple sites within Gyeongbokgung, said Gucci Korea in a press release issued by its PR agency. "Beauty is a constant source of inspiration for Gucci, but it also needs co

CultureNov. 9, 2022

Pianist Sohn Min-soo to join New England Conservatory

Sohn Min-soo, a professor and pianist, will join his alma mater, the New England Conservatory, as part of its piano faculty starting in fall 2023, the Boston-based music school announced last week. That means he will leave his current post at Korea National University of Arts, known as K-Arts, where the 45-year-old has been teaching pupils since March 2015. One of his students, Lim Yun-chan, at K-Arts became the youngest winner in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition’s history i

CultureNov. 9, 2022

CHA seeks to lower barriers on heritage location development

Developers may soon find obtaining permission to build in historic and cultural conservation areas easier, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration. At the government’s second regulatory reform strategy meeting held Wednesday, the CHA laid out plans to relax regulations concerning developments in areas designated for conservation and give greater authority to local governments in making decisions. Among the measures aimed at improving cultural heritage regulations are relaxing reg

CultureNov. 9, 2022

Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick recieves archiepiscopal pallium

A ceremony of investiture of a metropolitan archbishop with the pallium, a symbol of a special relationship with the pope, took place on Monday for the first time in South Korea. Peter Chung Soon-taick, the Archbishop of Seoul, received the archiepiscopal pallium from Apostolic Nuncio to South Korea Alfred Xuereb during a mass at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul. The pallium is a symbol of the metropolitan archbishop’s jurisdiction in his own diocese and in the other dioceses of his ecclesi

PeopleNov. 8, 2022

ASEAN Week 2022 highlights beauty of traditional textiles

An annual cultural event exploring the histories and cultures of the ASEAN countries is scheduled to kick off on Thursday, following an opening ceremony Wednesday. This year, ASEAN Week 2022, organized by the ASEAN-Korea Center, is held with the theme of “Ancient Futures -- Treasures of ASEAN Fabric” at Cociety, located in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. Textiles and fabric items from ASEAN member states will be on display at the exhibition, along with introductions to their places of origin as

Arts & DesignNov. 8, 2022

No stunt double for Kim Rae-won in ‘Decibel’

Korean actor Kim Rae-won said he performed all the action scenes in the action thriller film “Decibel” directed by Hwang In-ho, during a press conference held at CGV Yongsan on Monday. “I knew from reading the script that there was going to be diverse action scenes. I talked with the director and we agreed that action scenes including car chases would be performed by a stunt double. But we had the discussion again on the set and I decided to perform the scenes myself to create

FilmNov. 8, 2022

Ryan Reynolds recalls ‘horrible’ memories of ‘Masked Singer’ appearance in Korea

Actor Ryan Reynolds described his experience of appearing in the Korean TV show “The King of Masked Singer” back in 2018 as “being in actual hell,” during a recent interview. Reynolds appeared on NBC's Today show on Monday to promote his upcoming movie “Spirited” with Will Ferrell and Octavia Spencer, during which he talked about why he appeared on the Korean show. "Masked Singer," which is still airing on South Korea's MBC TV, has masked c

TelevisionNov. 8, 2022

tvN's ‘Behind Every Star’ shows little-known world of management agents

Depicting the lives of the people behind celebrities, cable channel tvN’s “Behind Every Star” presents celebrity managers' drama-filled lives with their clients, who are real Korean celebrities playing themselves. According to director Paek Seung-lyong, the 12-part series will be a magical TV drama featuring a star-studded stream of cameos, including Cho Yeo-jeong from 2019's Oscar-winning movie “Parasite.” “To make our series more realistic, we tr

TelevisionNov. 8, 2022

Lee Jung-jae confirmed to join new ‘Star Wars’ series

Disney+, the flagship streaming service of US media giant Walt Disney Co., announced that top South Korean actor Lee Jung-jae will be among the star-studded lineup of its new “Star Wars" series “The Acolyte.” US actor Amandla Stenberg of “The Hate U Give” (2018), British and Spanish actor Dafne Keen of “His Dark Materials” (2019) and the Philippines-born Canadian actor Manny Jacinto of “Nine Perfect Strangers” (2021) have also been confi

TelevisionNov. 8, 2022

Traditional sounds to fill autumn in Jeonju

A series of traditional Korean music performances will take place every Saturday until Nov. 26 at the National Intangible Heritage Center's Grand Performance Stage in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. Titled "Myeongin Homage," the performance series is being held to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the master musicians who dedicated their lives to Korean traditional sounds. Each master's successor will perform some of the best known pieces, while talks between performances w

CultureNov. 8, 2022

Seoul galleries bring together various works by artists from the world

With international galleries opening in Seoul in recent years, the city has become an art destination where ones can appreciate works by artists from around the world. A number of must-see exhibitions at international galleries that have opened in the city’s affluent neighborhoods -- Cheongdam-dong and Hannam-dong -- are in full swing this week. American contemporary artist Mathew Barney's second solo exhibition in Seoul is currently running at Gladstone Gallery. Known for the restraint

Arts & DesignNov. 8, 2022

Filmmaker Park Chan-wook honored with LACMA Art+Film Gala

Renowned director Park Chan-wook was honored for his film “Decision to Leave” at the 11th annual LACMA Art+Film Gala held Saturday at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles, California. The director was selected for the honor along with American artist Helen Pashgian. The LACMA Art+Film Gala was established in 2011 by the annual event’s co-chairman Eva Chow and actor Leonardo DiCaprio. Every year, it selects winners who contributed to cultural development in are

FilmNov. 7, 2022

[Herald Interview] Park Ha-sun on harsh reality of motherhood

Park Ha-sun, the star of hit shows such as "Birthcare Center" and "No, Thank You," is now a proud mother to a three-year-old daughter whom she had with fellow actor Ryu Soo-young. She had always dreamed of a marriage and family life but her familial bliss was impacted by the harsh realities of giving birth and raising a child in her industry. Recalling her experience of becoming a mother, Park said that South Korean female actors are faced with a unique set of hurdles. &qu

FilmNov. 7, 2022

First Ukrainian film festival in Korea to kick off next week

A Ukrainian film festival exploring the country’s history and culture will be held for the first time in Korea next week. Cinema Aid Ukraine, a film marathon, is scheduled to kick off Nov. 15 at the Korean Film Archive, located in Mapo-gu, western Seoul. The film marathon project was initiated by the Ukrainian State Film Agency in May with the Ukrainian Film Academy, the Watch Ukrainian! Association, the Ukrainian Motion Picture Association, the nongovernmental organization UkrKinoFest, th

FilmNov. 7, 2022