'The Roundup' off to record-setting start at box office

The action comedy "The Roundup" has set the best opening-day record among Korean films released during the COVID-19 pandemic, box-office data showed Thursday. The sequel to the 2017 hit comedy "The Outlaws" garnered about 467,000 viewers upon its debut Wednesday, accounting for 89 percent of the tickets sold on the day, according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). It marked the largest first-day score for a homegrown film since the new coronavirus broke out in early 2020, ou

FilmMay 19, 2022

Song Hae, veteran presenter of ‘National Singing Contest,’ mulls retirement from show

Veteran television presenter Song Hae is considering stepping down as the host of KBS’ “National Singing Contest” after 34 years, following reports of his latest hospitalization for an unspecified illness, a KBS official said Wednesday. The 95-year-old, the longest-running presenter of a local television program, told the show’s production team that “now is a good time to leave the show due to health issues,” according to the official. The broadcaster however

TelevisionMay 18, 2022

‘Cassiopeia’ director focuses on father-daughter dynamic

Although “Cassiopeia” might seem like a woeful movie about a young lawyer in her 30s suffering from Alzheimer’s, the film’s director Shin Youn-shick said he focused more on portraying the father and daughter dynamic. “When I was working on the script. I watched the movie ‘The Intern’ to cool my head. That was also when I had a desire to work with (the actor) Ahn Sung-ki again,” the director said during a press conference held at Megabox theaters

FilmMay 18, 2022

[Herald Review] ‘Death Note’ offers a glimpse at future of musicals

Ever since “Death Note,” a Japanese manga series was first introduced to the world in 2003, it has been adapted for various mediums, including animation, film and TV drama. The story of a teenage genius, Light, with superpowers that allow him to kill with a notebook, was released as a musical in Japan in 2015 and soon thereafter a Korean version featuring K-pop superstar Kim Junsu, a former member of boy band TVXQ, became a huge hit in Korea. For the show’s third local re

PerformanceMay 18, 2022

Korean-style Buddhist temple to open in Buddhism’s holy site in India

Bunhwangsa, a Korean Buddhist temple, will open in Bodh Gaya, India on Saturday with a delegation of 150 Korean Buddhists from the Jogye Order – South Korea’s largest Buddhist sect -- attending the opening ceremony. Bodh Gaya in northeastern India’s Bihar state is one of Buddhism’s four holiest sites. It is where Sakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment under a Bodhi tree according to Buddhist texts. The project to build a Korean-style temple in Bodh Gaya was launched

CultureMay 18, 2022

Quirks of Korean dating explained (3) Crazy for love milestones

They say love is universal, but when it comes to dating culture, Korea has a different love language, according to five international couples that The Korea Herald interviewed. From love ‘confessions’ to matching outfits, here are some dating norms that set Korea apart. – Ed.  Crazy for love milestones On KakaoTalk, the almost-ubiquitous messaging app for Koreans, it is not difficult to find users who display the number of days they have been together with someone on

CultureMay 18, 2022

Lee Soo-young says making comeback after 13 years feels like ‘redebuting’

Veteran ballad singer Lee Soo-young is back with her 10th full-length album “Sory,” marking her new studio album release in nearly 13 years following “Dazzle,” which dropped in October 2009. In a press conference held in Seoul on Tuesday, ahead of the online release of the album at 6 p.m., the singer described her grand comeback as “making a debut for the second time,” with a quivering voice while shedding tears. “When I debuted at the age of 20, I w

PerformanceMay 17, 2022

[Unveil] Rising indie group SURL wants to take rock back to the masses

Rock music is seen as a cult genre in Korea, according to SURL, with the wider public not knowing much about it. But as one of the groups scheduled to participate in Mnet’s next music survival program “Great Seoul Invasion,” a program aimed to discover Korea’s next generation of band groups, indie band Surl hopes to bridge the gap. “We want to break down that barrier. Hopefully, our next full-length album and Mnet’s upcoming band survival show will become an o

PerformanceMay 17, 2022

[Reporter’s Notebook] Why desire to be ‘revered’ resonates with many Koreans?

JTBC’s drama “My Liberation Notes” does not conform to the typical K-drama mold. There’s no handsome chaebol prince; there’s no crazy mother-in-law. What you see in it are three siblings who live in a small and humble house on the outskirts of Seoul. Although it takes one and a half hours to their workplaces in Seoul, none of them have a car because their conservative father -- who despises unnecessary spending and believes in the dignity of labor -- won&rsquo

TelevisionMay 17, 2022

[Feature] Major movie projects link foreign directors, Korean actors to draw global audiences

Famous Korean stars Song Kang-ho, Kang Dong-won, IU and Lee Joo-young entered the theater to take part in a press event held at Yongsan CGV on May 10. Just like every other press event with Korean reporters, the stars introduced their roles in the new film, shared their experiences from the set and posed for photos. However, there was one difference. Director Hirokazu Koreeda joined the event via video conference from Japan. There was also an interpreter for the director. The situation was s

FilmMay 17, 2022

Music in PyeongChang returns bigger and earlier

The 19th edition of Music in PyeongChang is set to take place earlier and will be bigger than before, the festival’s artistic director Son Yeol-eum said Monday. The iconic music festival will be held for 22 days from July 2 to 23 at various places in Gangwon Province under the theme of “Mask.” “Because of the masks during the pandemic, we were able to stay connected during a time of disconnection,” Son said. In ancient Greece, masks were synonymous with perso

PerformanceMay 17, 2022

Korean broadcasters start to release overseas projects, film abroad

South Korean broadcasters are beginning to air TV programs filmed abroad as they resume long-suspended plans for shootings overseas. With the easing of travel restrictions, including mandatory quarantine for international arrivals and the reopening of international routes, broadcasters are keen to resume filming TV programs in exotic locations. Cable channel tvN recently released the new entertainment show “Unexpected Journey,” a series starring Oscar-winning Youn Yuh-jung. The sh

TelevisionMay 17, 2022

Nine forest paths at royal tombs open to public

Nine major forest trails near Joseon royal tombs opened to the public Tuesday, and will stay open through June 30. In northern Seoul, there is a 1.8-kilometer path from Gangneung, the royal tombs of Joseon King Myeongjong and his Queen Consort Insun, that leads to Taereung. A 970-meter forest path from Uireung, the royal tomb of Joseon King Gyeongjong, starts at the foot of Cheonjangsan. In the eastern part of Gyeonggi Province, trails of Donggureung in Guri, Gwangneung and Sareung in Namya

TravelMay 17, 2022

S. Korean cinema chains still in red in Q1 but optimistic about possible rebound

South Korea's major cinema chains remained in the red in the first quarter of this year amid the protracted COVID-19 pandemic, but the lifting of distancing rules will likely provide them fresh momentum for a possible turnaround in the coming quarters, data showed Tuesday. CJ CGV, the No. 1 multiplex operator under the wing of entertainment giant CJ Group, said its operating loss reached 54.9 billion won ($42.9 million) for the first three months of 2022, narrowing from an operating deficit of 6

FilmMay 17, 2022

'Doctor Strange 2' tops 5m admissions

Hollywood blockbuster "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" surpassed 5 million admissions Tuesday, data showed. The latest Marvel Studios' flick hit the milestone at 7:20 a.m., on the 13th day of its theatrical release in South Korea, according to the official box-office data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). It became the fastest movie to top 5 million in the past three years, outmatching the country's biggest pandemic-era hit "Spider-Man: No Way Home," the film

FilmMay 17, 2022

Terracotta sculptor Kwon Jin-kyu’s spirit lives on at Seoul Museum of Art

When Kwon Jin-kyu (1922-1973) returned to his homeland of Korea in 1959, he was already an acclaimed sculptor in Japan. At age 37, he left behind many opportunities and headed home to take care of his elderly mother in Korea. He also harbored a strong desire to explore his own art in his homeland. Kwon pursed the archaic medium of terracotta and lacquer, which were not commonly used for sculptures at the time in Korea. Terracotta is a durable material naturally resistant to mold and bacter

Arts & DesignMay 17, 2022

[Land of Squid Game] We’re gganbu!

In one of the episodes of the Netflix series “Squid Game,” an old man hands over his last marble to the lead character, Gi Hun, saying, “We are gganbu. Gganbu always share everything with each other, no matter what.” By handing over his last marble, he lets Gi Hun win. The term “gganbu” in the story means close companions, like blood brothers who share everything without expecting anything in return and who help each other in difficult situations. While g

CultureMay 16, 2022

Cho Kuk documentary ‘The Red Herring’ raises over W2b

“The Red Herring,” a documentary directed by Yi Seung-jun about the embattled ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk, has raised a total of over 2.6 billion won ($2 million) from over 51,000 people on the crowdfunding platform Tumblbug as of Sunday, far exceeding its original goal of 50 million won. “I was very surprised by the Tumblbug funding result. I am moved by the support. Thank you,” Cho said in a video clip released on Tumblbug Monday. “I want to have a talk with t

FilmMay 16, 2022

Local broadcasters MBC, JTBC continue forays into NFTs

South Korean broadcasters are seeking to expand their platforms with non-fungible tokens. Attempting to turn the highly popular “Infinite Challenge” intellectual property into NFT artwork, terrestrial broadcaster MBC is holding a special exhibition to showcase its NFT project. Inspired by popular “Infinite Challenge” episodes, South Korea’s longest running and most successful variety show, the artworks present well-known scenes from the show. Drawn by artist Seo

TelevisionMay 16, 2022

BTS extends winning streak with three Billboard Music Awards

K-pop sensation BTS took home three prizes at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs), marking the group‘s sixth consecutive year winning a trophy at the event. The septet’s wins -- top duo or group, top song sales artist and top selling song -- were announced by Billboard on social media on Sunday, ahead of the awards show that took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Since becoming the first-ever K-pop act to win a BBMA award in 2017 by snagging the top social arti

PerformanceMay 16, 2022