[Herald Interview] Artist Kim Byung-jong tells how precious life is, respects for life on canvas

Artist Kim Byung-jong's paintings are a homage to life. He might have explored various themes throughout paintings over the past 40 years, but what he has expressed in the brushstrokes boils down to one thing: the preciousness of life. The 69-year-old artist looks back on his artistic career at the exhibition "40 Years of Kim Byung-jong's Drawing Life: His Brushes Don't Know How to Fall Asleep" at the Namwon City Kim Byungjong Art Museum founded in 2018 in Namwon, home to 81,000 peop

Life&CultureNov. 1, 2022

Tourism industry remains cautious after Itaewon tragedy

South Korea's tourism industry remains cautious on the impact of the Itaewon tragedy, after the country saw its on-year increases in the number of inbound tourists in recent months. Around 337,000 tourists from abroad visited Korea in September, which is a 276 percent increase from the same month a year prior, according to data released by the Korea Tourism Organization on Monday. An outlook by UN World Tourism Organization in June this year showed that the gradual recovery was expected to conti

TravelNov. 1, 2022

EBS to present sci-fi show “The Dreamer”

Public educational TV channel EBS delves into the mysteries of the future with its upcoming talk show “The Dreamer,” featuring the latest computing technologies including extended reality, motion capture and deep fake. Extended reality is an umbrella term that covers virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality. The computing technology can merge physical and virtual worlds, bringing digital elements to the viewers. “The Dreamer,” the first Korean XR talk show,

TelevisionNov. 1, 2022

Broadcasters, streaming services to halt shows and dramas

Terrestrial broadcasters, cable channels and streaming services have cancelled or postponed airing weekly programs and upcoming series which were scheduled to be released this week, as South Korea enters a weeklong national mourning period that ends on Nov. 5. In an attempt to offer their condolences to the victims and their families of the unfortunate accident that occurred in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Saturday night, references to Halloween were removed from Korean creative content. Pub

TelevisionNov. 1, 2022

UNESCO heritage list expected to add Korean mask dance drama

Talchum, the traditional Korean mask dance, has been recommended by the UNESCO Evaluation Body to be inscribed into the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, according to a nomination review report from the Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee. Of the 46 applications received, the body has recommended 31, including talchum. The final decision for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity will be made at the 17th session of the Intergovernmental Commi

CultureNov. 1, 2022

Korea's entertainment industry mourns Halloween tragedy

As Korea entered a weeklong national mourning period after a tragic Halloween crowd surge that killed at least 154 people in Itaewon, central Seoul, on Saturday night, the Korean entertainment industry is offering its condolences. Korean film distributors have called off events following the deadly crush. Lotte Entertainment on Monday said it canceled all stage greeting events that were planned on Sunday for the film “Confession.” Stage greetings are promotional events organized by

FilmOct. 31, 2022

Actor Lee Ji-han, cheerleader Kim Yu-na among 154 dead in Itaewon disaster

Actor Lee Ji-han, who appeared on the second season of Mnet’s male K-pop competition “Produce 101,” and Kim Yu-na, who worked as a cheerleader for the LG Twins and Kia Tigers, were among the 154 victims who died during the Itaewon disaster on Saturday night. Lee and Kim were both 24 years old. Lee’s agency 935 Entertainment on Sunday released a statement confirming that Lee died amid the crowd crush in Itaewon, central Seoul. “We offer our deepest condolences to L

FilmOct. 31, 2022

[Herald Interview] Striking a chord: TRADE L on ‘Love Maze’

TRADE L’s voice destined him for center stage from a young age. Born Lee Seung-hoon, the 18-year-old realized his passion for music in grade nine. His blossoming talent caught the attention of Jay Park, who at the time helmed hip-hop label H1ghr Music, and who now remains an adviser for the company. The artist rose to prominence through the fourth season of TV rap competition "High School Rapper" last year, where he beat out 17,000 other contestants to take the crown. Little by l

PerformanceOct. 31, 2022

'Lore Olympus' grabs another win at Ringo Awards

A contemporary retelling of Greek mythology, “Lore Olympus” has notched another win with the Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards on Saturday. During the fifth annual edition of the awards, held at Baltimore Comic-Con, “Lore Olympus” was selected as the winner of the best web comic, according to the awards’ official Twitter account Sunday. Known colloquially as the Ringo Awards, the annual prizes were created in honor of Mike Wieringo, a cartoonist known for his

CartoonOct. 31, 2022

Religious organizations grieve and offer condolences after Halloween tragedy

Religious communities in the country expressed sadness and condolences over the tragic crowd surge that occurred in Seoul’s Itaewon district on Saturday night. On Monday, religious leaders visited the memorial space to pay respect to the victims of the stampede that took 154 lives. Ten monks from the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism visited the memorial space near an exit of Itaewon Subway Station and chanted a Buddhist prayer. Peter Chung Soon-taick, the archbishop of Seoul, led a group of

CultureOct. 31, 2022

Exhibition shares 10 years of research on Joseon state rituals

A special exhibition at the National Museum of Korea will shed light on Oegyujanggak Uigwe, the records of state rituals at the royal depository annex, which were returned to South Korea from the National Library of France in 2011. Starting Tuesday, the exhibition “Pinnacle of Propriety: The Uigwe, Records of the State Rites of the Joseon Dynasty” will demonstrate the results of the past 10 years of research on Uigwe, which was inscribed into UNESCO's Memory of the World Registe

CultureOct. 31, 2022

[Video] Everything about Anupam Tripathi from Squid Game

We sat down with Anupam Tripathi from Squid Game and got the full story behind his journey to the screen. From how Korea became his second home and exclusive behind-the-scenes stories, to his hopes for the future, we get the full scoop! Lee Ji-min, Lim Su-mi, Park Seo-hee and Park Ju-min contributed to this report. By Kim Min-jung (minjung.kim@heraldcorp.com) Choi Jeong-yoon (jychoi@heraldcorp.com)

FilmOct. 31, 2022

Celebrities and stars express condolences over Itaewon tragedy

Celebrities have expressed their condolences to the victims and their families over the recent tragedy at Itaewon on Sunday. Soccer star Son Heung-min uploaded a photo in black-and-white expressing his condolences over the deaths in Itaewon after a match in Bournemouth, England. “All my thoughts are with you all back home in Korea. I am heartbroken to be reading this news... I want you to all know I am thinking of you and sending all of my strength from here,” Son wrote on his Instag

CultureOct. 30, 2022

Festivals, parties canceled in aftermath of Itaewon tragedy

A series of cultural events and concerts scheduled for the remaining Halloween weekend and into early November have been canceled following Saturday’s deadly crowd crush in Itaewon. The Culture Ministry announced that the first two sessions of the four-part classical concert series scheduled to be held at Cheong Wa Dae’s Yeongbingwan on Tuesday and Friday have been canceled. A Gucci fashion show expected to be held with some 500 guests visiting from in and outside the country on Tues

CultureOct. 30, 2022

[Herald Interview] Yang In-mo’s journey to his own violin concerto

Yang In-mo, the winner of this year’s International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition, never thought he would be competing in a competition again. After all, he had already taken home the top prize from the prestigious Paganini Competition in 2015, at the age of 19, which was the first time the jury awarded that prize since 2006. Last December, the violinist decided to take part in the competition held in Helsinki in a desperate search for a change and a more active career and he surprise

CultureOct. 29, 2022

Secret collector of Korea’s most expensive painting revealed

For three years, rumors swirled around who was the mysterious winning bidder of Korean artist Kim Whan-ki’s dot painting “05-IV-71 #200 (Universe). The painting sold for 88 million Hong Kong dollars ($11 million) at a Christie’s auction in 2019, and remains the most expensive painting by a Korean artist to date. The collector was recently revealed when Korean clothing manufacturer Global Sae-A Group announced the opening of an art gallery, S2A, in southern Seoul in July. The bi

Arts & DesignOct. 29, 2022

[Interview] ‘It’s just a job’: Actor-turned-shaman speaks against prejudice toward shamanism

Many Koreans have a love-hate relationship with traditional shamans, or “mudangs” as they are called here. While it is not unusual to find a practitioner around the block, they are still widely frowned upon by the majority of the public. Jeong Ho-geun, a 58-year-old veteran actor better known as a shaman nowadays, has experienced such prejudice firsthand since he decided to become a shaman in 2014. His friends started dodging his calls and people left him “like the parting of t

PeopleOct. 29, 2022

Endless temptations of sweet and spicy in Singapore

SINGAPORE -- Traveling takes courage, especially when it comes to trying out new food in a foreign country. Although basic ingredients such as meat or vegetables in popular dishes are universal, the differences in seasoning and the resulting aroma of each dish can take a traveler by surprise. But in Singapore, those with even the most fastidious tastes have nothing to fear. Known as a melting pot of Asia for its mix of history, culture and arts, Singapore's food options also delight epicure

FoodOct. 29, 2022

[Temple to Table] Fried lotus roots and nuts in omija sauce

Ven. Kyungwoon spends most of her time in Seosan interacting with Buddhists over temple food, but she heads to Seoul once a week to teach at Hyangjeok Segye, the official culinary institute for Korean temple food. While teaching the recipes, she often cites the Buddha’s teachings from the sutras as well, to let her students know about the spirit embodied in temple food. To do that, she has to spend more time preparing for class. However, she does not mind. “The mindset one has before

FoodOct. 29, 2022

[Visual History of Korea] Jeungdoga book may be oldest movable metal type print book

Early movable metal type printing from the period of the Goryeo Kingdom shows surface tension of the ink, which is a common tendency of liquid on metal surface at rest to shrink into circular liquid drops. An 87-page book from 1239 is full of Hanja characters printed on hanji, traditional Korean paper made from mulberry tree bark, showing the characteristics of movable metal type printing. Might was always right in the Goryeo Kingdom. The political elite in the 13th century were military leaders

CultureOct. 29, 2022