Lee You-mi to lead tvN’s upcoming series ‘Mental Coach Je Gal Gil’

Actor Lee You-mi, who shot to stardom in Netflix’s “Squid Game” and “All of Us Are Dead,” has been cast in a new sports drama called “Mental Coach Je Gal Gil.” In the upcoming tvN series, Lee plays the female lead for the first time, her agency Varo Entertainment said Saturday. The series presents the stories of former world short track medalist Cha Ga-eul (played by Lee), who is especially hard on herself. Cha Ga-eul, once a short track prospect, is

TelevisionMarch 20, 2022

Jung Ho-yeon to star in new Cuaron thriller series alongside Cate Blanchett

Jung Ho-yeon, 28, the rising actor from Netflix’s global sensation “Squid Game,” is officially on board to star in “Disclaimer,” a new Apple TV+ series by Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuaron, according to US entertainment magazine Variety on Friday. The upcoming series is based on the thriller novel “Disclaimer” by Renee Knight, published in 2015. Cate Blanchett plays Catherine Ravenscroft, a popular television documentary journalist who uncovers wr

TelevisionMarch 20, 2022

Taste of spring with every bite of namul

As the saying “The March winds are the morning yawn” goes, a fresh spring breeze not only awakens our souls, but imbues renewed energy in nature. During this season, one of the side dishes almost always present on Korean dining tables is namul, or seasoned vegetables and herbs. Although now available year round, many wild plants, herbs and vegetables are in their best condition during the spring season. Most namul varieties are bathed in shades of green, but not all have to be

FoodMarch 19, 2022

[Eye Plus] 100 years of pure water flows from Seoul’s fountain of life

Where water flows, life flourishes, and around a century back, the history of South Korea’s clean water began with Ttukdo Reservoir Water Purification Plant.  In 1903, two American businessmen, Henry Collbran and Harry Bostwick, were granted the rights to set up the water supply system by Emperor Gojong. The two men were also behind the nation’s first electricity supply. They transferred their patent right to Korea Waterworks Co., which started construction in August 1906. T

CultureMarch 19, 2022

[Visual History of Korea] Unmunsa Buddhist Nunnery University continues tradition of women’s role in Korean Buddhism

Women’s prominent role in Korean Buddhism goes way back in history. Becoming a Buddhist nun or monk was a common life options for the ruling elites of the Silla Kingdom and Goryeo Empire which lasted more than 14 centuries from 57 BC to AD 1392. Even kings and queens jettisoned their throne to become Buddhist monks and nuns during the Silla period, just as the Siddhartha Shakyamuni Buddha gave up his kingdom to become an enlightened one, some 2,600 years ago. The oldest surviving book

CultureMarch 19, 2022

[Temple to Table] Flavor studies in harmony: Monastic potato pizza

There is one essential practice all aspiring monastics must perform -- to be a “haengja,” or postulant. A haengja is someone who is undergoing a trial period before becoming a monastic. The process of entering a temple as a haengja and becoming a monastic takes from six months to a year. However, one cannot become a monastic just because one has completed this probationary period. One must also learn proper monastic etiquette and Buddhist ceremonies during this period, and must p

FoodMarch 19, 2022

Jung Woo returns to big screen as gangster in noir film ‘Hot Blooded’

Jung Woo, who rose to stardom with tvN drama “Reply 1994,” is returning to the big screen as third-rate gangster Hee-su in the noir film “Hot Blooded,” directed by Cheon Myoung-kwan. “‘Hot Blooded’ has its own unique mood. When I read the script -- it is difficult to describe it in words -- but I felt some sort of attraction,” Jung said at a press conference held at Yongsan CGV in Seoul on Wednesday. He explained that what set this new movie apar

FilmMarch 19, 2022

[From the Scene] Seoul Fashion Week kicks off with in-person catwalk shows

Seoul Fashion Week, South Korea’s biggest fashion event held every March and October, kicked off Friday with physical catwalk shows and offline events for the first time in three years. The opening ceremony of 2022 fall-winter Seoul Fashion Week took place at the Seoul Museum of Craft Art in central Seoul and about 150 people -- including Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, big-name celebrities and buyers – were in attendance. The six-day fashion extravaganza marked opened up with a performa

Arts & DesignMarch 18, 2022

The Korean Symphony Orchestra officially adds ‘national’ lable to its name

  The Korean Symphony Orchestra on Friday is officially adding “national” into its name following the culture minister’s approval earlier this month. The name change for the orchestra, which is under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, has been pushed for several years, but faced opposition from the KBS Symphony Orchestra, which was once the National Symphony Orchestra. Despite being an organization supported by a national budget, the orchestra has been long

PerformanceMarch 18, 2022

Apple TV+ series ‘Pachinko’ to present Korean-specific, but also universal, story

Although the story of Apple TV+ series “Pachinko” appears to be specific to Korean history, the series’ co-director Kogonada said it is more than just that. “I think this story is specific to Korean history but also deeply universal,” Kogonada said during an online event with Korean media from Los Angeles on Friday. “Even today, we know that people are being displaced, and families are having to make choices on how to survive. And this is a common story thro

TelevisionMarch 18, 2022

'Pachinko' tells universal story of immigrants through Korean family: director

A co-director of the upcoming period drama "Pachinko" said Friday the show is specifically about a Korean family moving to Japan in the 20th century, but it also tells a timelessly universal story of immigrants throughout the world. Based on the namesake novel written by Korean American author Min Jin Lee, the latest Apple TV+ original series depicts the life of Sunja, born to a poor family in Busan in the early 1900s. The 1910-1945 Japanese colonial rule forces her to move to Japan, a

TelevisionMarch 18, 2022

[Well-curated] Learn about hanok, dabble in painting this weekend

The Bukchon Traditional Culture Center, located within the Buckchon Hanok Village in Seoul, will resume its series of Saturday cultural events. Under the theme, “Bukchon’s New Spring, New Hopes,” the program for March focuses on making and sharing New Year’s resolutions. Events will consist of a mix of online and on-site exhibitions and programs. Kang Yong-hoon, a pen drawing artist specializing in calligraphy works of urban landscapes, will hold seminars on designing

CultureMarch 18, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Fairmont Ambassador Seoul showcases Fairmont Yeoui Blossom tea set Fairmont Ambassador Seoul is offering a spring-inspired afternoon tea set served at the hotel’s first-floor Atrium Lounge. This season’s high tea set features a collection of cherry blossom-themed desserts and beverages, complemented by a menu of irresistible savory items. The selection of seven desserts is served on an elegant three-tier tray, and is accompanied by various savory items. Guests choosing the packa

FoodMarch 18, 2022

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Jeju Fire Festival The Jeju Fire Festival will be held at Saebyeol Oreum in Aewol-eup on Jeju Island from March 18 to March 20. The annual festival is a reinterpretation of “bangae,” the oldest nomadic culture in Jeju, where people pray for richness and health by burning off old grass and, in the process, kill vermin in the fields. Lighting up the night sky, the fire show puts on a stupendous display for visitors. For safety reasons, all programs at the Jeju Fire Festival -- the

TravelMarch 18, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

In Our Prime (Korea) Opened March 9 Drama Directed by Park Dong-hoon Lee Hak-sung (Choi Min-sik) works as a school security guard, but is actually a mathematical genius who has defected from North Korea. Hak-sung meets Ji-woo (Kim Dong-hwi), a student who is having a hard time fitting in at school due to his different social background. After finding out about Hak-sung’s talent, Ji-woo asks Hak-sung to tutor him. 　 Blacklight (US) Opened March 9 Action Directed by Mark Williams

FilmMarch 18, 2022

Rebecca Solnit: ‘Rise of anti-feminism in Korea smacks of Trump-era racism’

Feminist author Rebecca Solnit has said the anti-feminism sentiments amplified by president elect Yoon Suk-yeol is similar to racism under the presidency of Donald Trump in the United States. “In a way this almost seems more analogous to racism in the United States,” Solnit said of the current political climate in South Korea during an interview on Tuesday. “Trump was elected because of his racism by racists and part of the racism is to claim that there is no racism: Black peo

CultureMarch 17, 2022

LCK Spring finals to celebrate 10th anniversary in Kintex

The League of Legends Champions Korea 2022 Spring final returns to esports fans and spectators face-to-face at the country’s largest convention center, Kintex in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, just northwest of Seoul. In compliance with social distancing guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the last five final matches have been livestreamed. LCK announced it would close this year’s spring season at the No. 1 exhibition center in Kintex on April 2, where the first LCK final was

esportsMarch 17, 2022

Seoul Fashion Week to return with first in-person shows since pandemic

Undeterred by the raging spread of the omicron variant, Seoul Fashion Week, South Korea’s biggest fashion event held every March and October, is set to kick off Friday with in-person shows and events for the first time in three years. Seoul Metropolitan Government, which organizes the biannual fashion event, said the 2022 fall-winter Seoul Fashion Week will run from March 18 to 23 in an online-offline hybrid format. On account of the limited number of on-site participants due to antivirus

Arts & DesignMarch 17, 2022

Global K-pop festival KCON to return to live concerts in May

The annual overseas K-pop concert series organized by entertainment giant CJ ENM will resume in-person this year after a two-year hiatus. This year’s KCON will be the first on-site festival since the coronavirus crisis began three years ago. CJ ENM held the festival as online events in 2020 and last year. The upcoming K-pop concert series will hit five cities around the world this year, including Seoul, Chiba, Chicago, Tokyo and Los Angeles. The lineups for the concerts have yet to be

PerformanceMarch 17, 2022

Popularity of Korean TV series drives sales of original web comics

The rising global popularity of Korean TV adaptations of web comics has brought in increasing demand for their originals across the world, data showed Thursday. Starring Ahn Hyo-seop and Kim Se-jeong, the romantic comedy "Business Proposal," broadcast on SBS and available on Netflix, is currently one of the most talked about TV series at home and abroad. Starting on Feb. 28, the Monday-Tuesday weekly drama hit 10.1 percent in viewership ratings for its sixth episode aired Monday. From

CartoonMarch 17, 2022