Classical music to be performed at Deoksugung

Deoksugung’s Seokjojeon, the first European-style stone building built during King Gojong’s reign (1863-1907), will be filled with classical tunes on the evening of June 29, the Cultural Heritage Administration’s Deoksugung Palace Management Office said Monday. Since 2015, several concerts have been performed at the venue. Historical records show that Korean pianist Kim Yeong-hwan performed recitals for King Gojong at the Seokjojeon main hall in the early 1910s. Hosted and o

PerformanceJune 20, 2022

'Chun Tae-il,' 'Persona' win at Annecy animation film fest

Two South Korean animated films, "Chun Tae-il: A Flame That Lives On" and "Persona," have been awarded at this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival. According to the winner's list Monday (Korean time), "Chun Tae-il," a biopic on the Korean workers' rights activist directed by Hong Jun-pyo, received the Contrechamp Jury Distinction prize at the 46th edition of the festival that kicked off June 13 and ran through Saturday. The 109-minute

FilmJune 20, 2022

Seoul Fashion Week to be held fully in person in Oct. for 1st time in 3 yrs

Seoul Fashion Week, South Korea's biggest biannual fashion show, will be held fully in person in October, following two years of scaled-down events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Seoul city government said Monday. Seoul Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2023 will kick off on Oct. 11 at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in central Seoul for a five-day run, the city announced. As the upcoming event will be held fully in person for the first time since the onset of the pandemic, the city will also

Arts & DesignJune 20, 2022

NFT Art 101 Conference discusses copyright issues

It is a tough time for blockchain technologies like nonfungible tokens, as the volatile cryptocurrency market has upended the outlook for NFT art, which has enjoyed explosive growth in recent years. However, even though NFTs are going through a maturing period, experts say they still offer great potential for the art industry in the future. NFT is a financial security consisting of digital data stored in a blockchain. Each NFT is unique and acts as a digital certificate attesting to a work&rsq

Arts & DesignJune 19, 2022

[Newsmaker] South Korean pianist Lim Yun-chan becomes the youngest winner of Van Cliburn Int'l Piano Competition

Lim Yun-chan, an 18-year-old South Korean pianist, became the winner of the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas, the organizer announced Saturday. Lim, the youngest to win the competition’s gold medal, also took home two additional awards: the audience award and the best performance of a new work. Lim also won a cash prize of $100,000 for the gold medal and $7,500 for the special awards. For the next three years, he will also get substantial man

PerformanceJune 19, 2022

‘My Perfect Roommate’ director inspired by cohousing experiment, homeless grandma

An idea of two total strangers -- a grandmother with a spare room and a college student -- becoming a “family” might be as novel as it sounds, but it is an actual experimental room-sharing program that inspired director Lee Soon-sung for his upcoming film “My Perfect Roommate.” The room-sharing project has been running since 2013 in the northwest district of Nowon in Seoul and connects university students that are looking for a place to stay with elderly people who li

FilmJune 19, 2022

Walk historical paths by day, sail under starlight

BUSAN -- “Oiso, boiso, saiso!” merchants call out at the alleys of Jagalchi Market, the port city’s largest fish market, as they have for decades. The boisterous shouts that mean “Come, look around, and buy,” attract visitors with a friendliness that is increasingly difficult to find in large metropolises. The city’s dynamic and diverse culture dates back to when Korean War refugees flocked to the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula. The distinctive charact

TravelJune 18, 2022

Taste of Italy’s Chianti for wine lovers in Seoul

The 2022 Chianti lovers Asian Tour was held Tuesday at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, bringing together wine experts of Italy and Korea. Representatives from 14 different wineries showcased their masterpieces to domestic wine importers and managers from bars and restaurants. Hosted by Wine 21.com, a South Korean wine portal established in 1998, the wine tasting and trade event focused on Chianti, wine produced in central Tuscany in Italy. Visiting each winery booth, participants started out by tast

FoodJune 18, 2022

[Holly’s Korean Kitchen] Kimchijjigae with pork

Kimchi and pork are a match made in heaven. And this kimchijjigae recipe is a must if you have a ton of fermented kimchi that you need to use up. The diverse tastes in this stew — warm, comforting, hearty, savory, and almost tangy — really bring out the love in all who try it. Kimchijjigae with pork is a classic. For all Koreans, it brings a nostalgia of childhood. It is a staple of Korean home cooked meals and people make this stew on a regular basis. Considering how much kimchi

FoodJune 18, 2022

[Scholars and their Spaces] Dongchundang -- House vibrant with life, like spring

Although he was born in Jeongneung-dong in Seoul in 1606, Song Jun-gil came from an old Song family based in Eunjin-myeon in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, famous for its Eunjin Mireuk statues of Maitreya. He built the Dongchundang house in his clan village of Hoedeok, which has been called “the land of virtuous scholars” since the time of King Taejo of the Goryeo Kingdom, and devoted himself to learning rather than entering the government, and died there. Song has been reco

BooksJune 18, 2022

Super Junior to drop new LP next month

Long-running K-pop group Super Junior will release the first volume of its 11th full-length album next month, the group's agency said Saturday. Label SJ said the five-track "The Road: Keep on Going" will be out July 12, and will be followed by the second volume and the complete combined version later in the year. "This is a comeback album where you can feel both of Super Junior's own mature feelings and absolute charisma," the agency said in a release. Super Junior plans t

PerformanceJune 18, 2022

'Broker' tops 1 mln admissions

"Broker," the first Korean-language film project by Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda, surpassed 1 million admissions Saturday, the movie's local distributor said. The film hit the milestone at 8:30 a.m., becoming Kore-eda's first film to reach 1 million in South Korea, CJ ENM said. Released June 8, the flick was at No. 3 after "The Witch: Part 2. The Other One" and "The Roundup" at the daily box office in the country Friday. Starring Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won

FilmJune 18, 2022

Director Lee Joon-ik to make small screen debut through Tving, Paramount+

In response to the increasing popularity of streaming platforms, numerous top movie stars have crossed over to streaming services. Big-name film directors, including Lee Joon-ik, are no exception. “I am feeling a mixed bag of emotions,” director Lee said during a Paramount+ press conference held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, central Soul, on Thursday. “I am excited and nervous to present my series to viewers on a streaming platform for the first time.” Lee, 6

TelevisionJune 17, 2022

Works by North Korean artists on exhibition in Gwangju

Works by some 20 North Korean artists are being presented at the Jinhan Art Museum in Gwangju through June 30. Hosted by the city of Gwangju and the Gwangju headquarters of the Central Association for National Unification of Korea, also known Mintong, the exhibition aims to foster inter-Korean cultural exchange. “We are not displaying any art that conveys propaganda, but only works of fine arts, such as landscape paintings and embroidery artworks,” a Jinhan Art Museum official tol

Arts & DesignJune 17, 2022

Seoul’s parks, plaza become stage for sculptures

Major outdoor public areas across Seoul – including Seoul Plaza, Nodeul Island and Hangang Park -- have been turned into exhibition spaces for sculptures. The outdoor sculpture festival is jointly organized by the city of Seoul and K-Sculpture, an organization promoting Korean sculptors and their works, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Friday. Some 10 works will be on display at Seoul Plaza, including Kim Woo-jin’s “Deer,” Kim Tae-soo’s “Ec

CultureJune 17, 2022

Netflix orders new seasons of hit Korean originals including 'Squid Game'

Global streaming giant Netflix has recently announced its plans to renew a slew of its hit Korean-language originals, like the smash-hit survival drama "Squid Game," for more seasons in an apparent bid to gain fresh momentum as the pandemic winds down. Earlier this week, Netflix confirmed that "Squid Game" (2021) will return for a second season. It was the official announcement by the streamer of the continuation of the nine-part series that grabbed headlines in the West, alt

TelevisionJune 17, 2022

Singer Lee Mu-jin to drop first EP next week

Up-and-coming star Lee Mu-jin will put out his first EP since his debut four years ago, his agency said Friday. The album titled "Room Vol. 1" will hit music services next Thursday, Big Planet Made Entertainment said. The 21-year-old singer debuted in 2018 with "Sanchaek" but rose to fame only after appearing on the cable channel JTBC's music audition show "Sing Again" and finishing in third place in 2021. He later swept music charts around the country with &qu

PerformanceJune 17, 2022

[Well-curated] Mom-daughter movie night, bagel run or coffee with a ‘90s throwback

Just by looking at the Korean title of the movie “Missing Yoon Si-nae,” your mother might be interested in watching this film with you. Yoon Si-nae is the name of a popular ‘80s Korean singer. If you’re looking to spend some quality time at the cinema, the 107-minute-long film, which deals with a mother-daughter relationship while also looking at the two as individual human beings, is a solid choice. The protagonists in the new independent film “Missing Yoon&rdquo

CultureJune 17, 2022

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Jeju Folk Village’s Hydrangea Festival　 The Hydrangea Festival, which started in June 1, is scheduled to run through June 30 at Jeju Folk Village in Seogwipo, Jeju Island. With the traditional Korean straw-thatched houses, the festival welcomes the visitors to enjoy the colorful hydrangea while strolling around the tourist site. Visitors can enjoy both the traditional games and have a chance to make your own hydrangea flowerpot. Jeju Folk Village’s admission fees cost 11,000 won

TravelJune 17, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents summer signature cocktails Mobo Bar, located on the seventh floor at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul, serves creative cocktails mixed using house-made and homegrown ingredients. The bar, which has an outdoor terrace, presents two signature cocktails paired with small bites. The Mobo is a gin-based cocktail crafted by brewing gin with fresh basil, green cardamom and lemon grass in a siphon coffee maker. Smoked Rocks is a Korean-style cocktail created from a rum-based

FoodJune 17, 2022