No longer nameless, Lee Mu-jin shows stories before he made it big through first EP

  Leaving behind the glitz and the glamour of a contestant who finished in third place on JTBC’s audition program “Sing Again” in 2020, singer-songwriter Lee Mu-jin is back with his first EP, “Room Vol. 1,” which released Thursday evening. As the title suggests, the aptly named “Room Vol. 1” marks the start of his “Room” series, and it’s music that best shows the stories of “musician Lee Mu-jin” and who he was before

PerformanceJune 23, 2022

KBS doc ‘Oops! We Forgot Your Order 2’ to meet local, global viewers in Asia

Public broadcaster KBS is scheduled to release a new documentary series, “Oops! We Forgot Your Order 2,” featuring four mild dementia patients challenged to cook and sell their own food. Located on the beautiful island of Jeju, a small restaurant is run by four seniors with star chef Lee Yeon-bok, comedian Song Eun-i, actor Jin Ji-hee, and television celebrity and chef Hong Seok-cheon. A second season was commissioned after the huge success of its first, which explored issues such

TelevisionJune 23, 2022

Billie Eilish to return for one-day concert in Seoul in August

American pop star Billie Eilish will hold a one-day concert in Seoul in August, the concert's organizer said Thursday. The show will take place at 8 p.m. at Gocheok Sky Dome on Korean Liberation Day on Aug. 15, a holiday that commemorates the Korean liberation from Japanese colonial rule 77 years ago, Hyundai Card said. It will be her second concert in South Korea since the first one held on Aug. 15, 2018, at the 2,000-seat Yes24 Live Hall in eastern Seoul. She originally planned to hold a

PerformanceJune 23, 2022

Singer-turned-actor Ivy to hold solo concert for first time in 15 years

Singer-turned-actor Ivy will hold a solo concert for the first time in 15 years in August, her management agency, Creative i, said on Thursday. The upcoming concert, titled “Next Page,” will take place at Nodeul Live House on Nodeul Island, central Seoul, on Aug. 13-14, the agency said in a statement. “Ivy will deliver a heartfelt performance on stage with her beloved fans for the first time in a long while,” the statement read. “She is preparing a variety of so

PerformanceJune 23, 2022

Songs of BTS brought to life by Army through ‘Beyond the Scene’

Art by 22 fans of K-pop sensation BTS will be presented at the Total Museum of Contemporary Art in Jongno-gu, Seoul, from July 1 through July 30. The museum said Monday that it would hold a special exhibition titled “Beyond the Scene” to coincide with the third BTS Global Interdisciplinary Conference, bringing the septet’s songs and messages to life. The art gallery added that the band’s lyrics, album titles and excerpts from members’ speeches are the main insp

Arts & DesignJune 22, 2022

PyeongChang International Peace Film Fest to open with film on Ukraine

The PyeongChang International Peace Film Festival is to begin its six-day run on Thursday in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province. It is the fourth iteration of the annual film festival since being founded in 2019, based on the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics’ primary aim of building world peace. “Olga,” by French director Elie Grappe, will open the film festival. The story revolves around a Ukrainian gymnast after the 2014 Maidan Uprising, a series of protests in Ukraine that e

FilmJune 22, 2022

Korean version of 'Money Heist' adds twists to Spanish original

Netflix’s upcoming series “Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area” hopes to set itself apart from the original Spanish drama with a new setting, new storyline and masks. “Watching the original series back in 2018, I was mesmerized by the fascinating characters. I was certain that bringing them to another time and space, like South Korea, would definitely catch the viewers’ attention,” director Kim Hong-sun said during a press conference held at the Grand B

TelevisionJune 22, 2022

Leeum Museum of Art puts young artists forefront with new project

Leeum Museum of Art has made another move to promote young and promising artists with their new exhibition, “ROOM Project.” This exhibition will take place in the museum‘s lobby, a newly installed space dedicated to up-and-coming artists. The project offers an opportunity for artists in their 20s and 30s to showcase their work and introduce their artistic vision. The museum plans to permanently run the exhibition space for emerging artists looking for a chance to present th

Arts & DesignJune 22, 2022

[Herald Interview] Music, beauty, fashion … video maestros say videos offer the full K-pop package

The popularity of K-pop has skyrocketed in recent years, becoming one of the major influences on global culture, and the powerful dance performances and magnificent visuals shown in the music videos are two hallmarks of the scene. While an ever-growing number of artists have come and gone over the past two decades, two veteran creators behind some 1,500 music videos have remained strong through it all. And they are not shy about proclaiming the massive role music videos have played in K-pop&rsqu

PerformanceJune 22, 2022

Joseon painting brought home after 490 years

One of three paintings from Joseon era’s “Dokseodanggyehoedo (Gathering of Officials at Dokseodang Study)” was unveiled to the press at the National Palace Museum of Korea on Wednesday. The painting, known as the oldest among the three, was acquired by the Cultural Heritage Administration through the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, at an auction held in the US in March. The work was produced during King Jungjong’s reign (1506–1544) to commemorate a

CultureJune 22, 2022

'Decision to Leave,' Cannes-winner Park Chan-wook‘s version of mature love

Cannes-winning director Park Chan-wook said his new film “Decision to Love” shows what he considers to be mature love between two adults. “I started the movie thinking I would like to tell a story that only experienced people will understand,” the director said during a press conference at Yongsan CGV on Tuesday. “When we are young, we show all our emotions and express them, but as we get older, due to different situations and circumstances, it is difficult to b

FilmJune 22, 2022

Nation's longest walking trail opens along west coast

South Korea's longest walking trail, stretching 1,800 kilometers along the west coast, opened to the public Wednesday, the culture ministry said. The Seohaerang Trail links an area near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) bisecting the two Koreas in Ganghwa of Incheon to Haenam on the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and its affiliated Korea Tourism Organization said in a release. The trail consists of 109 courses featuring beautiful scenery, such a

TravelJune 22, 2022

LG Arts Center Seoul to open Oct. 13 with LSO, Cho Seong-jin concert

  LG Arts Center Seoul is set to open Oct. 13 with a special concert by the London Symphony Orchestra, led by Simon Rattle and Korean pianist Cho Seong-jin. The 41,631-square-meter complex in southwestern Seoul, which cost 255.6 billion won ($198 million), has taken 4 1/2 years to complete. Designed by celebrated Japanese architect Tadao Ando, it is the second large performing arts center by the architect, after the Shanghai Poly Grand Theatre. “I wanted to create one-of-a-kin

CultureJune 21, 2022

Gangneung film fest’s Kim Dong-ho to receive Lifetime Achievement Award from Malaysian International Film Festival

Kim Dong-ho, the chairperson of the Gangneung International Film Festival, is to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Malaysia International Film Festival. Kim and co-recipient Hou Hsiao-hsien, a China-born director, will receive the award at the Malaysia Golden Global Awards 2022 ceremony to be held July 16. The award is given to members of the international film community with significant contributions to film festivals and the film industry. Kim has been the honorary president

FilmJune 21, 2022

TV director Na Young-seok takes chance with new partners in tvN reality show 'Earth Arcade'

Star television director Na Young-seok returns with tvN’s new reality show “Earth Arcade,” featuring stars with whom he has not worked previously on television. “I have worked on many projects with television celebrities who I felt very comfortable with and spent a lot of time with, like comedian Kang Ho-dong, actor Lee Seo-jin and more. And I wanted to do something new for the upcoming series,” director Na said in an online press conference held on Monday. &ldqu

TelevisionJune 21, 2022

‘Top Gun’ Tom Cruise tells long-waiting Korean fans ‘it is OK to cry’

Hollywood star Tom Cruise on Monday said he hopes long-waiting Korean fans of “Top Gun” who watched the action film as kids back in 1986 will fully enjoy the new sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick.” “Grown-up man, you can enjoy that film, and you can cry  in that movie, and that‘s OK. It’s for you and it’s for everybody, so enjoy,” Cruise said during a press conference held at Lotte Hotel in Seoul on Monday. Along with Cruise, four of the sta

FilmJune 20, 2022

Painter Yoo Young-kuk's colors, nature come to light

Where a person was born and raised can have a huge impact on them as an artist. Pioneering painter Yoo Young-kuk (1916-2002) was born in Uljin County, North Gyeongsang Province, which borders the East Sea off the Korean Peninsula. Among the first generation of Korean abstract artists, many of the paintings he created since the 1960s feature radiant colors and geometric forms with a strong, warm atmosphere. This bold combination likely came about because he was inspired by the nature of his h

Arts & DesignJune 20, 2022

[Herald Interview] Yerin Ha stays humble amid Hollywood blockbuster debut

Korean Australian actor Yerin Ha is thrilled that her project “Halo” is being premiered on two major streaming platforms -- Korean streaming platform Tving and US-based Paramount+. Hoping to be judged for her acting in Paramount+‘s military action series before being recognized as a granddaughter of Korea’s acclaimed stage actor Son Sook, Ha shared her thoughts on starring in the series. “I was honored and thrilled to be part of an amazing project, surrounded by m

TelevisionJune 20, 2022

Soprano Im Sun-hae releases surprising, yet not-so-surprising musical album

The latest album by South Korean soprano Im Sun-hae is unlike most of her previous releases. Betraying her love for musicals, “The Man I Love” is a pleasant picnic away from her career as a soprano, according to the performer. “I‘ve always loved all genres of musical performance. I will always be a classical singer at heart because once you fall in love with classical music, you never give it up completely. But I often felt a need to explore different genres and diver

PerformanceJune 20, 2022

Cannes-winning stars return with air disaster film ‘Emergency Declaration’

Two Cannes-winning movie stars -- Song Kang-ho and Jeon Do-yeon -- are returning to the big screen in the highly anticipated aviation disaster flick “Emergency Declaration,” directed by Han Jae-rim. Song became the first Korean male actor to win an acting prize at the 75th Cannes Film Festival this year for his role in “Broker,” directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. In 2007, Jeon won the award for best actress at Cannes for her performance in “Secret Sunshine,” d

FilmJune 20, 2022