Educational talk shows, a new trend in Korean TV

Talk shows that incorporate storytelling in exploring topics in the humanities and other areas are gaining popularity on Korean television. While global streaming services focus on big budget shows featuring top TV celebrities, like “Take 1” and “The Zone: Survival Mission,” local broadcasters and cable channels are offering programs that aim to satisfy intellectual curiosity. These shows are notable for the absence of jokes or entertainment elements that are often employ

TelevisionNov. 7, 2022

Disabled musicians in limelight at Soliall Philharmonic US concerts

Under the theme “Visual Music, Musical Art,” two concerts featuring an orchestra and disabled guest musicians, were held in the US last weekend. The Soliall Philharmonic Orchestra from Korea performed with eight guest musicians -- including pianist Son Eun-young, blind violinist Kim Ji-sun, blind clarinetist Lee Sang-jae and blind cellist Kim Min-joo -- first at the Davis Theater for the Performing Arts in Alabama on Saturday, and then at the Gas South Theater in Georgia on Sunday. S

PerformanceNov. 7, 2022

Violinist Edwin E.S. Kim pays tribute to Vienna in third solo album

Violinist Edwin E. S. Kim pays tribute to his second hometown Vienna, where the 45-year-old violinist spent almost half of his life, in his third solo album, “Mein Niener Herz.” The album, which translates to “My Vienna Heart,” includes 10 pieces by Fritz Kreisler, Ede Poldini, Franz Lehar and Franz Schubert, composers all associated with the Austrian capital. Kim arranged the track list, which starts with Kreisler’s Rondino on a theme by Beethoven and ends with Sch

PerformanceNov. 7, 2022

[Herald Interview] Reddy leaves bitter experiences behind for new beginning

Reddy knows the cheat code to be an august solo artist: being comfortable in his own skin. That’s when he finds himself cultivating creativity, and when his music is at its finest. Unlike the chic and mellow rap beats the artist is known for, Reddy is beguiling. Sitting in his studio in Mapo-gu, western Seoul, he exudes a distinct friendliness -- it’s his way of relaxing into his confidence. “I newly joined 131 (ONE THREE ONE), so I’m starting fresh after moving out of my

PerformanceNov. 7, 2022

16-year-old cellist Han Jae-min takes first prize from Isang Yun Competition

Han Jae-min, a 16-year-old cellist, took home first prize from the International Isang Yun Competition on Saturday at the Tongyeong Concert Hall, South Gyeongsang Province. Earlier last week, the four finalists, including three South Korean cellists -- Han Jae-min, Joeng Woo-chan, Kim Deok-yong -- and Florian Pons from France, were announced. The finalists were required to perform one concerto with the Tongyeong Festival Orchestra led by Venezuelan conductor Christian Vasquez. Han performed Is

CultureNov. 6, 2022

Project Hashtag 2022 shows collective works by two young artist groups

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea on Sunday kicked off exhibition "Project Hashtag 2022" which showcases interdisciplinary collaboration among young artists. "Project Hastage 2022," co-hosted by the NMMC and Hyundai Motor, will exhibit the new works of the two winners -- Cyrpton and Lost Air -- selected from106 participants who applied in the open call contest in May. This year's winners' works highlight artworks integrated with virtual spaces.  

Arts & DesignNov. 6, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Andaz Seoul Gangnam holds happy hour promotion Andaz Seoul Gangnam's restaurant Jogakbo presents the "Aperitivo Paradisio - Happy Hour," which offers Mediterranean-style cuisine, along with its signature bar snacks and liquor services. The happy hour operates Monday to Friday, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Complimentary snacks include the parma ham or salmon rillettes bruschetta, while Mediterranean hummus will be served with crispy cooked squid, teppan chicken flat bread, and truffle fr

CultureNov. 5, 2022

Red bean dishes to soothe the soul

Autumn is in full swing, with chilly mornings and evenings, prompting people to seek nourishing food that rejuvenates and warms the body in preparation for the fast-approaching winter season. Red beans, or pat in Korean, are a popular ingredient that Koreans think of when picturing warm comfort staples. On Dongji, the day with the shortest daylight hours, Koreans traditionally eat patjuk, or red beans porridge. According to Korean folklore, the long night on Dongji awakens evil spirits and the r

FoodNov. 5, 2022

[Eye Plus] Splendid Dancheong, the beauty of Korean art

In the old days, Koreans were known for revering the color white. They enjoyed wearing white clothes that they thought symbolize peace. But when it came to paintings and crafts, they were all for variety. Cho Sun-hwa, a student of traditional art, is mesmerized by the use of bright, bold colors and patterns found on traditional artifacts. She sees unique beauty in Dancheong -- the traditional Korean decorative coloring on wooden buildings and artifacts for the purpose of style. A fourth-year stu

CultureNov. 5, 2022

[Herald Interview] Singapore's Grand Park City Hall manager foresees more automation in hotel operations

Grand Park City Hall, the flagship property of Park Hotel Group located at the heart of Singapore just a few minutes from the Central Business District, opened in 2018 after a full renovation. The hotel was one of the first hotels in Singapore to launch a mobile application that offers a seamless check-in process using facial recognition before the pandemic hit. "Travel and tourism was one of the worst-hit industries, and we are still recovering from the effects even though borders have reo

TravelNov. 5, 2022

Paramount+ to present Tving’s ‘Bargain’ in 2023

Tving's latest original series “Bargain” is scheduled to premiere globally via Paramount+ in 2023, the local streaming service announced Friday. The six-part thriller will be Tving and Paramount+’s second shared series, following director Lee Joon-ik’s sci-fi series “Beyond the Memory,” widely known by its Korean title “Yonder.” Paramount+ landed in South Korea as a free-to-view addition to Tving in June. As to why the series is being released

TelevisionNov. 4, 2022

Yang Hae-gue listed as one of world's most important contemporary artists

Korean installation artist Yang Hae-gue was listed as one of the world’s most important contemporary artists in the “Art Compass” ranking. Yang ranked 93rd among living artists, up six places from 99th last year, according to the November issue of the German-based magazine “Capital.” The Kunstkompass, meaning “art compass” in English, has been publishing the annual list of the top 100 artists since 1970. The list analyzes more than 30,000 artists around

Arts & DesignNov. 4, 2022

'Music can also help us mourn'

Following the deadly crowd crush that occurred during Halloween celebrations, President Yoon Suk-yeol announced a weeklong national mourning period through Saturday. In response, concerts, festivals and various events have been canceled, while sports events took place as scheduled, albeit in a somewhat subdued manner. Some Korean musicians have offered a reason for why music -- especially pop music -- is halted in times of grief and mourning. "In the eyes of state institutions, art must be

CultureNov. 3, 2022

Gangneung art fest highlights coastal city's cultural narrative

Gangneung, Gangwon Province, is a popular year-round travel destination, facing out to the East Sea with the Taebaeksan mountains in the hinterland. It is little known, however, that the coastal city historically has long been home to literature and the arts. Korea’s great literati, Shin Saimdang, Yi Yul-gok, Heo Nanseolheon and Heo Gyun from Joseon era (1392-1910), were born in the city and some of their houses still stand there. The inaugural Gangneung International Art Festival kick

Arts & DesignNov. 3, 2022

Academics to gather in US for Korean Art Week

While the global attention on the Korean art scene in the last few years has focused on the commercial side of things, 2022 Korean Art Week is to be held from Thursday to Sunday in the US with hopes to elicit interest in Korean art among academia and arts institutions. The four-day Korean Art Week, jointly held by the Korea Foundation, National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea and Dartmouth College, will be a gathering of curators from US museums, academics and researchers who stu

Arts & DesignNov. 3, 2022

Director Im Sang-soo to create film on N. Korea’s Kim Jong-nam

Award-winning director Im Sang-soo is preparing a film based on the assassination of Kim Jong-nam. The auteur known for low-budget indie films said during a master class session of the 17th Korean Film Festival in Paris on Tuesday that he is getting ready to film an international film based on the killing of Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and half brother of the country’s current leader, Kim Jong-un,. Jong-nam fell out of favor with the regime a

FilmNov. 2, 2022

[Herald Interview] Hornist Klieser champions music, life without limits

German hornist Felix Klieser is returning to South Korea this month for the fourth time, for his first ever solo recital here. In 2015, he was in Seoul to perform in a series of concerts celebrating the opening of the Kumho Art Hall Yonsei. He attended the Jeju International Wind Ensemble Festival in 2018 and 2019. And now his upcoming concert on Nov. 9 at Seoul Arts Center will be his first solo recital in the country. Klieser is often described as a musician who has overcome disability. He was

PerformanceNov. 2, 2022

'Apartment With Two Women’ director on Korean, foreign audiences' reactions

Kim Se-in, director of the film “The Apartment With Two Women” which has screened at local and overseas film festivals, talked about the difference in reactions between Korean and foreign audiences during a press conference held at Lotte Cinema Konkuk University on Tuesday. Kim’s debut feature, which was created for a feature film production program organized by the Korean Academy of Film Arts, was screened as part of the 2022 Berlin International Film Festival’s Panora

FilmNov. 2, 2022

KOMCA ranks 9th in world in music royalty collections

The Korea Music Copyright Association, the biggest music copyright manager in the country, with some 46,000 songwriters and composers’ music works trusted to the association, said Wednesday that it ranked ninth in terms of music royalty collections among 142 societies in the same sector around the globe. Citing data from the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers, the France-based world’s largest network in the creative sectors with 228 member societies i

PerformanceNov. 2, 2022

What Itaewon means to foreigners

Itaewon has long been a neighborhood where people can experience and enjoy a variety of international cultures. International visitors and foreign residents could feel at home in the community, while many Koreans would visit in search of an international vibe. “I don’t feel homesick very often, but when I do, there is usually something I can feel comfort in there. In Itaewon, I am just one of hundreds of foreigners and no one will pay particular attention to me. So it feels a bit

CultureNov. 1, 2022