[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul offers spring season’s signature menu The Margaux Grill at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul will offer a new signature menu starting April 15. The new menu features a variety of wood fire-grilled steaks, served with a selection of appetizers, salads and seafood dishes. The Margaux Grill’s central open kitchen serves handpicked beef cuts including strip loin, rib eye and tenderloin of Woorungchan Hanwoo (Korea’s highest grade of beef), prime US beef porterhou

FoodApril 8, 2022

[Well-curated] Discover new artists, peruse film magazines and view flowers at palace greenhouse

Tired of waiting in a line to view art in packed big-name galleries? At the HoHo Art Festival, you will have ample space to enjoy art, coffee and music.  Contemporary artwork and installations by some 78 emerging artists are on display at Collabo Haus Dosan, a 10-minute walk from Apgujeong Station Exit No. 3. Hosted by Art Blending, an artists’ agency, the festival is self-directed by the participating artists. Guests can vote for the three best pieces. Upon voting, they are eligibl

CultureApril 8, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Vanishing (France) Opened March 30 Crime Directed by Denis Dercourt Alice (Olga Kurylenko) is a forensics scientist, widely known for inventing a revolutionary technique that can restore the damaged skin of corpses. She receives a request from the Korean police to apply her technique to an unidentified corpse found in a river. With help from Alice, Jin-ho (Yoo Yeon-seok), a detective, learns the case is connected to an organ trafficking syndicate. Hot Blooded (Korea) Opened March 23 Cri

FilmApril 8, 2022

Bora Chung’s ‘Cursed Bunny’ short-listed for 2022 International Booker Prize

South Korean novelist Bora Chung’s “Cursed Bunny,” translated by Anton Hur, has been selected as one of six books for the prestigious 2022 International Booker Prize short list, organizers said Thursday.  　“It’s getting even more unrealistic, but I’m thrilled to even witness that Korean genre literature is recognized this much and loved worldwide,” Chung told The Korea Herald after the announcement.  “And personally, I’m very hon

BooksApril 7, 2022

‘Disturbing, but important’: ‘I Want to See Your Parent’s Face’ deals with school bullying

Director Kim Ji-hoon’s new film, “I Want to See Your Parent’s Face,” tells a deeply uncomfortable story about school bullying. The cast, who have come to realize the weight of the subject matter, pleaded with moviegoers to come to the theater to watch the film during an online press conference held Thursday. “Since the movie is about school bullying, audiences might feel uncomfortable watching it. Even though it can be uncomfortable, I think it is a topic that w

FilmApril 7, 2022

Watching YouTube, cooking become habits during pandemic: survey

During the COVID-19 pandemic, watching videos on YouTube, cooking and regularly washing hands became part of a new routine to Koreans and foreigners alike, according to a recent survey by the Corea Image Communication Institute. The CICI’s survey titled “Effects of COVID in our daily lives” involved 417 participants -- 214 Koreans and 203 foreigners who have visited or resided in Korea, with more than 57 percent of the participants in their 30s. On the question of newly deve

CultureApril 7, 2022

Naver Webtoon, Munpia hold 1 billion won web novel contest

  Naver Webtoon and Munpia, a web novel platform, are on the hunt for the next big web novels, or novels published online, boasting 1 billion won in prize money.   The two companies said Thursday that their web novel contest will open May 11 with two rounds: the first round for fantasy, action, modern, sports and alternative history via Munpia and the second round for romance and fantasy romance works via Naver Webtoon.  The organizers said the prize money is the largest

CartoonApril 7, 2022

Kim Tae-ho shares his excitement for ‘Seoul Check-In’

Star TV director Kim Tae-ho, 46, is all confidence in presenting his upcoming reality show “Seoul Check-In,” the first project that Kim directed after leaving terrestrial broadcaster MBC in 2021. “Lee Hyo-ri is an amazing source for producing a show. Everything about her becomes a story when the camera is shooting her. I believe Lee’s straightforward gestures and frank attitude are the charms that electrify viewers,” director Kim said in an online press conference

TelevisionApril 7, 2022

YG Entertainment vocal trainer to release ‘Where Would We Go’

Lee Dong-soo, a vocal trainer to K-pop musicians at YG Entertainment, will release her new single “Where Would We Go” on Friday at noon via music streaming platforms, according to Local High Records on Thursday. The teaser video for the upcoming single, a 16-second video clip showing an animated whale swimming in the night sky, was released on Local High Records’ official social media channels on Wednesday. “Where Would We Go” is a jazz pop-style song about longin

PerformanceApril 7, 2022

MMCA to build Daejeon venue, host joint shows with world’s renowned museums

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea will build its fifth venue in Daejeon and cement ties with internationally renowned museums to promote Korean art as part of its new plan to reach local and international audiences. The museum’s venue in Daejeon -- the country’s fifth-largest city -- will open in early 2026, occupying the building of the former South Chungcheong provincial government office. Renovation of the modernist building first built in 1932 will sta

Arts & DesignApril 6, 2022

YouTube’s top five Korean teachers for English-speaking viewers

Buoyed by the popularity of Korean cultural products, a Korean language learning frenzy is spreading around the world. Unlike in the past, when most Korean learners studied for practical reasons like for academic research or jobs, more people now seem to do so out of interest in the country itself. As of 2020, some 1,669 elementary, junior high and high schools in 39 countries have opened and operated Korean classes, with about 160,000 students enrolled, according to Education Ministry data. I

PeopleApril 6, 2022

[Herald Interview] ‘Time for K-pop to diversify’

Korean popular music, often abbreviated as “K-pop,” has become one of the most popular music genres around the world. In the span of a few decades, K-pop has grown from a regional sensation to a cultural powerhouse, fueled by the local agencies and artists’ endeavors to tap into the global music scene. While the first generation of K-pop groups got their start in the early 1990s to 2000s backed by major entertainment firms, a mover and shaker behind K-pop’s global rise

PerformanceApril 6, 2022

[Video] What is the ‘Pokemon Bread’ that BTS' RM can’t get enough of?!

Have you noticed BTS' RM posting Pokemon stickers on his instagram lately and wondered what it’s all about? Check out our video!  By Team Konnect Kim Min-Jung(minjung.kim@heraldcorp.com) Choi Jeong-yoon(jychoi@heraldcorp.com) Kim Jeong-ryul(ryul@heraldcorp.com) Park Sun-Yeong(psyworld0710@heraldcorp.com)

EntertainmentApril 6, 2022

Netflix movie ‘Yaksha: Ruthless Operations’ director aims to show Asian spy film‘s power

There has been no shortage of Hollywood spy movies, but we have not seen many well-made Asian spy films, Na Hyeon who directed the Netflix movie “Yaksha: Ruthless Operations,” said during an online press conference held Tuesday. “Through Netflix, I think we can show the world that an Asian spy movie also can be entertaining,” Na added. Na’s film introduces Kang-in (Sol Kyung-gu), a ruthless leader of a secret National Intelligence Service team who is also known a

FilmApril 6, 2022

So Ji-sub to lead MBC series ‘Doctor Lawyer’

Top actor So Ji-sub is set to return to the small screen in MBC medical-thriller “Doctor Lawyer,” premiering May 27. His last drama series, “My Secret Terrius” was back in 2018. In 2020, he married TV celebrity Jo Eun-jung. Helmed by Lee Yong-suk, the TV director behind SBS hit historical dramas “Iljimae” (2008) and “Daepungsu” (2013), “Doctor Lawyer” is one of the most anticipated MBC series in the first half of the year for its sta

TelevisionApril 6, 2022

'Business Proposal' stays atop Netflix non-English TV show chart for 3rd week

South Korean romantic comedy "Business Proposal" retained the No. 1 position on Netflix's latest weekly viewership chart of non-English TV shows for the third consecutive week, the global video streaming service said Wednesday. The TV series, which has aired every Monday and Tuesday on SBS from Feb. 28, marked 32.5 million hours of viewing for the week of March 28-April 3 to lead Netflix's official top 10 list for non-English TV programs available on the service, according to the compa

TelevisionApril 6, 2022

Busan to become popular art destination with easing of pandemic restrictions

The southern port city of Busan expects to draw art lovers from home and abroad with two major art events that will kick off in May and September -- Art Busan and Busan Biennale -- as the government eases restrictions against the pandemic. Art Busan, scheduled to open on May 12 for VVIPs and run from May 13 to 15 for the general public, will be joined by 134 galleries from 21 countries at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center. The number of international galleries from abroad jumped to 3

Arts & DesignApril 5, 2022

Retired sports stars start new life in television

More Olympic medalists and sports icons are showing up on television, starring in a variety of shows. Though many retired athletes have returned as broadcast commentators or coaching staff in the past, sports stars today are making small-screen appearances in a wide range of shows, from sports-related shows to comedy and reality TV. Cable channel MBN’s sports show “Back to the Ground,” which aired its first episode on Tuesday, centers around retired baseball players who form

TelevisionApril 5, 2022

Director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s new project ‘more violent’ than ‘Squid Game’

“Squid Game” director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s next film will ”surely be another controversial film,“ according to the director. Hwang revealed the working title for his new project, “K.O Club,” also known as “Killing Old People Club,” during a panel session on Monday at MipTV, an international trade fair for TV and media that takes place in parallel with the Cannes International Series Festival from April 4 to 6. “It will be more violent t

FilmApril 5, 2022

National Orchestra of Metz to tour Korea

France’s National Orchestra of Metz will embark on a Korean tour later this month, the first foreign orchestra to perform in the country this year, signaling a return to normalcy in international music tours. The orchestra, led by music and artistic director David Reiland since 2018, will perform in five Korean cities from April 29 to May 3. Reiland, the Belgium conductor who has also been leading the Korean National Symphony Orchestra since January, will take the baton for the five pe

PerformanceApril 5, 2022