[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Witch: Part 2. The Other One (Korea) Opened June 15 Action Directed by Park Hoon-jung So-nyeo (Shin Shi-a), who possesses special powers, is the lone survivor of a secret laboratory that was attacked by intruders. After she escapes from the lab, So-nyeo meets Kyung-hee (Park Eun-bin) and saves her life. Guided by her new friend, So-nyeo learns about life outside of the lab. Meanwhile, the chase is on to capture So-nyeon. Among those hunting her are Dr. Baek (Jo Min-soo), who returns to

FilmJune 17, 2022

French artist awakens the senses of pandemic-weary people

A shimmering blue river runs along the floor of the museum and droplets in the form of knots float above the stream. The combination of works by French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel is overwhelming, stimulating the visual senses. The tranquil blue river, measuring 26 meters long and 7 meters wide, consists of bricks of blue glasses created in collaboration with glassblowers in Firozabad, a famous glassblowing center in India. The blue color, referred to as “Firozi” blue, embraces mu

Arts & DesignJune 16, 2022

Paramount+ launches in S. Korea on Tving with high hopes, goals

Paramount+ landed in South Korea Thursday as a free-to-view addition to Tving, local entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM‘s subscription-based streaming platform. “It is no secret that Korean-made content is becoming one of the most important things in the world. CJ ENM and Tving are playing a crucial part,” Mark Specht, managing director for Central & Northern Europe and Asia in Paramount Global, said in a press conference held at Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, central Seou

TelevisionJune 16, 2022

The Blue Man Group actors invite Korean audiences for fun ride

The Blue Man Group, a nonverbal stage show that blends art, technology, music and comedy, finally returns to South Korea after a pandemic-induced delay, marking their first time back since 2008. The show “that is not meant to be taken too seriously” will provide a pleasure and fun to Korean audiences as the three bald and blue characters with a special vision explore the world without words. The Blue Man Group features three bald and blue characters, a result of an hourlong make

PerformanceJune 16, 2022

Pianist Chang Hyoung-joon appointed new president of Seoul Arts Center

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Wednesday said that it has appointed pianist and professor Chang Hyoung-joon as the new president of the Seoul Arts Center. Starting Friday, Chang will lead the country’s top art complex for the next three years. Born in 1962, Chang received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the Manhattan School of Music. He has been teaching piano at Seoul National University since 1995. He has collaborated with world-reno

PeopleJune 16, 2022

[Photo News]GOLD LEAF OF BIRDS, FLOWERS

An 8th-century gold leaf artifact from the Unified Silla Period found at the Na Zone of the Gyeongju Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, was unveiled by the Gyeongju National Research Institute of Culture Heritage, Thursday.  Discovered in November 2016, the artifact is an example of the finest metal craftsmanship of that time, with engraved bird and flower patterns carved at a thickness of 0.05 millimeters, thinner than a strand of human hair.  The artifact is available for public viewi

CultureJune 16, 2022

MBC's 'Hey! First Time in KOREA?' to return to pre-pandemic format

Terrestrial broadcaster, MBC, announced that their hit reality telivision-travel show “Hey! First Time in KOREA?” would return to its original broadcast format of a foreigner living in South Korea who invites friends from their home country to visit. Since its premiere in mid-2017, the program has invited visitors from more than 35 countries, including Germany, the US, South Africa, Finland and Nepal. In response to the travel restrictions and social distancing rules imposed during

TelevisionJune 16, 2022

[Eye] ‘Kids need values, not grades’

Behind the shining successes in economy, education, public security and the health care system, Korea is a country with an extremely low birth rate and the highest suicide rate among OECD member nations. Now, the country stands at a crossroad to choose its path forward. “It is between whether we place a high value on mental state or continue to focus on extrinsic values,” said Ji Na-young, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Extrinsic

PeopleJune 16, 2022

Our goal is to remove ‘K’ from ‘K- content’: MCG founder Brian Koo

Showbox CEO Kim Do-soo held a media day event at Seoul Dragon City in Yongsan-gu, Seoul to share the company’s vision for global expansion with Silicon Valley-based investment company Maum Capital Group on Wednesday. The event came after Showbox -- one of the “big four” Korean film investment distributors -- in April announced that it had secured a 140 billion won ($108 million) in funding from MCG. The US investment firm was established last year by Koo Bon-woong, also know

FilmJune 16, 2022

Nonverbal hit show “Nanta” to return this summer

The nonverbal show “Nanta” is returning after two and a half painful years of hiatus, according to Song Seung-hwan, the creator of the long-running hit on Tuesday. “After 22 years of a great run, we surrendered to the impact of COVID-19. But we‘re coming back this summer,” Song, CEO & artistic director of PMC Production. “Nanta” will be back on stage in July in South Korea at the exclusive Nanta Theaters in Myeongdong in Seoul and Jeju. Song s

CultureJune 15, 2022

‘Alchemy of Souls’ promises to entertain with hybrid genre, unique setting

The cast and staff of tvN‘s upcoming historical fantasy romance “Alchemy of Souls” are confident that their work has everything viewers look for in a drama. “We have put great effort into this drama, with things like computer graphics, costumes, hair, makeup, special visual effects, filming locations and more. The viewers will definitely enjoy the series,” television director Park Joon-hwa said during an online press conference Tuesday. Jung So-min, 33, who plays

TelevisionJune 15, 2022

[Herald Interview] Seensee CEO Park Myung-sung on his 40 years of theatrical productions

It's summer of 2022 and South Korea is finally emerging from two years of social distancing restrictions and the performing arts are coming back to life.  At a musical theater at Blue Square, the seventh revival of “Aida” is now running. Meanwhile, nine household names whose combined acting careers amount to more than 422 years are gearing up for a monthlong performance of “Hamlet,” a large theater play set to kick off July 13 at the National Theater of Korea.

PerformanceJune 15, 2022

‘Please Make Me Look Pretty’ shows bright side of woman with Down syndrome

Some viewers may criticize documentary film “Please Make Me Look Pretty” for failing to give the whole picture, but that was the intention of the film’s director and Seo Dong-il. Seo, the father of the protagonist Jung Eun-hye, said he intended to only feature the bright side of his daughter’s life. Jung has Down syndrome. “There are many documentary films about people with disabilities. They usually feature them with their parents and describe them as people who

FilmJune 15, 2022

G-Dragon, Hong Kyung-pyo share creative vision in ‘Chanel Connects’ podcast

South Korean musician G-Dragon and cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo are among the celebrities and artists from diverse genres featured on the second season of Chanel’s arts and culture podcast “Chanel Connects.” Moderated by model Park Soo-joo, one of the ambassadors for the fashion house, the episode titled “The Power of Sound and Vision” was the first-ever Korean language podcast for ”Chanel Connects.“ In the episode, G-Dragon and Hong talked about wh

Arts & DesignJune 14, 2022

Korean Heritage Campaign kicks off third year at Blue House

With aims to rediscover the value of the country‘s cultural heritage amid the soaring popularity of K-content around the world, the 2022 Visit Korean Heritage Campaign kicked off on Tuesday with a press conference held at Cheong Wa Dae’s Yeongbingwan, central Seoul. Marking the campaign‘s third year, the Cultural Heritage Administration and Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation jointly introduced 10 routes that go through 75 destinations, which center around UNESCO World Heritag

CultureJune 14, 2022

Riot Games, Incheon Airport to create esports lounge

Riot Games Korea announced that it has signed an agreement with Incheon International Airport Corp. to set up an esports lounge at the airport’s Terminal 1. According to Riot Games Korea, the company will offer an offline-online esports experience at the gaming zone, with the aim of introducing Riot Games’ intellectual property as well as esports culture. The gamers’ lounge will be set up at Incheon Airport Terminal 1’s duty-free zone near Gate 30. The space will be d

esportsJune 14, 2022

'Visit Korean Heritage' campaign returns for third year

An annual government-led campaign to lure more local and foreign tourists to Korean cultural heritage sites will return this month, with the former presidential complex of Cheong Wa Dae included in the popular heritage sites recommended for tourists, organizers said Tuesday. The Cultural Heritage Administration and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation have held the Visit Korean Heritage campaign since 2020 as the global boom of Korean pop music, films and TV dramas raises worldwide interest in

CultureJune 14, 2022

Catalog to introduce Cheong Wa Dae art collection

The government is going through the works of art stored and displayed at Cheong Wa Dae, aiming to publish an art catalog and introduce works that have been collected since the Republic of Korea was established in 1948. “We are sorting through the artwork collected at Cheong Wa Dae. The results will be published as an art catalog, which is expected to come out this year,” an official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism told The Korea Herald. Whether an exhibition of th

Arts & DesignJune 13, 2022

[Herald Interview] Shin Si-a competed against more than 1,400 actors for role in ‘The Witch: Part 2’

Ordinary Hanyang University student Shin Si-a’s world was turned upside down when she was selected out of 1,408 actors to play protagonist So-nyeo in “The Witch: Part 2. The Other One.” The film is the sequel to Park Hoon-jung’s hit “The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion,” released in 2018. In her very first group interview with local reporters, the 25-year-old actor recalled the moment she heard from director Park after the audition. “I knew that if I go

FilmJune 13, 2022

Choi Min-sik, Son Suk-ku to star in Disney+ series ‘Casino’

Disney+ on Monday announced that “Oldboy” actor Choi Min-sik and rising star Son Suk-ku will star in the upcoming drama “Casino.” According to Disney+, this is Choi’s first performance in a drama series in 24 years, when he appeared on MBC‘s “Love and Farewell” (1997-1998). Since then he has only worked on big-screen projects, including “Oldboy” directed by Park Chan-wook, “Nameless Gangster” directed by Yoon Jong-bin and &

FilmJune 13, 2022