[Eye Plus] ‘Age of Light’ showcases immersive media project in Gwanghwamun

Located in the heart of Seoul, Gwanghwamun has been an essential hub for Korea’s history, culture and art. A new project there offers a glimpse of what the future might look like, with the help of cutting-edge 5G and artificial intelligence technologies. 　 The immersive media art project “Age of Light,” or “Gwanghwa Sidae” in Korean, was unveiled by the Korea Creative Content Agency and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.  The project provides eight dif

CultureFeb. 26, 2022

[Herald Interview] Korean chef’s French restaurant in London wins Michelin star

A rising star chef from Korea recently awarded a Michelin star for his French restaurant in London. Park Woong-chul, 38, who opened Sollip, a French restaurant with a Korean touch in the heart of London, is the first Korean chef to receive a Michelin star in the UK. There are currently 194 Michelin-starred restaurants in Britain, including 19 which were newly awarded this year. “I still remember us (my wife and I) being devastated when the UK government issued a COVID-19 lockdown just

FoodFeb. 26, 2022

[Visual History of Korea] Jeju citrus fruit variety delivers juicy, sweet and sour oranges

Jeju Island has been known for its citrus fruits since its days as the Tamna Kingdom -- its identity before it was taken over by the Goryeo Kingdom in 1105. When residents of Jeju Island, who were forced to send citrus fruits to the Joseon king in the capital Seoul during the Joseon period (1392-1910), were not always able to meet growing demand, the issue was elevated to the Kingdom's policy. “The Joseon government nationalized citrus farms to secure harvests and managed 36 citrus orcha

CultureFeb. 26, 2022

Korean-Finnish artist duo Nana & Felix tells lesser-known sides of Seoul

Korean-Finnish artist duo Nana & Felix have picked up photographs of families, someone’s childhood or Christianity quotes kept in a frame from urban detritus. Once considered cherished memories, they were left behind for some reason, probably when people move out of cities. The artists found nearly 200 frames over the past several years in South Korea. At the center of the exhibition hall at Posco Art Museum in Seoul is the photography installation “Camera, Cigarette, Whiskey,

Arts & DesignFeb. 26, 2022

[Holly’s Korean Kitchen] Korean honey garlic chicken wings

If you like sticky party wings to munch on, you need to try my recipe for pan-fried Korean honey garlic chicken wings. These wings not only taste great, but they are so simple and quick to make. You will love the combination of soy sauce, garlic, and honey. As a Korean, I couldn’t resist adding some fresh chilies to give a spicy kick to the chicken wings. However, you can omit the chilies and enjoy the mild honey garlic chicken as is. If you love Korean chicken wings, this is perhaps th

FoodFeb. 26, 2022

Youn Bum-mo reappointed as director of MMCA

Youn Bum-mo, former director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Korea, has been appointed to carry on at his post at the MMCA, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Friday. Youn’s second three-year term starts Friday and runs until 2025, according to the announcement. With an attempt to promote Korean arts in the global scene, Youn has been working with various domestic and global projects. During his previous term, the director published “K

Arts & DesignFeb. 25, 2022

Classic meets gypsy jazz for duet guitar performance

Two leading Korean guitarists from the genres of classical and Latin jazz will meet for a live duet performance this spring. Titled as “Two Guitars,” classical guitarist Park Kyu-hee and Spanish jazz guitarist Park Ju-won will perform together at the Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul’s Songpa-gu on March 17, performance agency MusicandArtCompany announced Friday. This will be the duo’s second appearance on stage together, following their first in June last year. Park Kyu-hee

PerformanceFeb. 25, 2022

Two Korean children’s books receive Bologna Ragazzi Award

Two Korean illustrated books, by Lee Su-zy and Choi Deok-kyu, respectively, won recognition in this year’s Bologna Ragazzi Awards for children’s literature The prestigious annual international awards identify the best products in terms of graphic and editorial quality, innovation and communication with young readers. Evaluated by an international jury of experts, the categories are divided into four genres: fiction, nonfiction, opera prima (debut work) and comics. Lee Su-zy&rsquo

BooksFeb. 25, 2022

Dynamic Duo’s Choiza to make solo debut in 20-year music career with ‘Jaeho’

South Korea’s hip-hop artist Choiza of Dynamic Duo is set to make a solo debut with his first EP, “Jaeho,” at 6 p.m. on Friday, according to the artist’s agency Amoeba Culture. It will mark the rapper’s first step as a solo musician, about 20 years after his debut as a member of hip-hop trio CB Mass in 2000. The title of the album “Jaeho” is Choiza’s first name. The upcoming EP will talk about the hardships that he had to face as an artist and J

PerformanceFeb. 25, 2022

Jin Seon-kyu, Jun Jong-seo to star in Tving’s original series ‘Bargain’

Jin Seon-kyu and Jun Jong-seo have been confirmed as lead actors in the upcoming Tving original series “Bargain.” The local streaming service announced Thursday that its upcoming series will be available in the second half of the year, but an official release date is yet to be revealed. The series, which revolves around a middle-aged man and a young woman encountering an unexpected natural disaster while bargaining the price for sex, is an adaptation of a 14-minute short film of t

TelevisionFeb. 25, 2022

[Video] Why do South Korean presidential election candidates love to dance?

By Team Konnect Kim Min-jung (minjung.kim@heraldcorp.com) Jung Ji-eun (jungje@heraldcorp.com) Choi Jeong-yoon (jychoi@heraldcorp.com) Kim Jeong-ryul (ryul@heraldcorp.com)

EntertainmentFeb. 25, 2022

Number of bookstores in S. Korea marks first rise on record

The number of bookstores in South Korea exceeded 2,500 at the end of last year, increasing by more than 200 from two years prior. The yearly increase in bookstores was the first recorded since 2003, when the tally began. According to the Handbook of Korean Bookstores, a biyearly publication by the Korea Federation of Bookstore Association released Thursday, the number of bookstores recorded 2,528 as of December last year. That number was a 0.9 percent increase from 2,320 in 2019. The initial fi

CultureFeb. 25, 2022

[Herald Interview] Director Park Moon-chil connects ‘comfort woman’ with #MeToo victims in ‘Comfort’

In his new documentary film “Comfort,” director Park Moon-chil has set up a special “meeting” between the late Kim Soon-ak, a former wartime sex slave of the Japanese military, and victims of sexual misconduct that have been taking part in the #MeToo movement. Park said he read Kim’s autobiography with the #MeToo victims before filming. The young women victims in their 20s and 30s also read Kim’s testimony out loud in the movie. “Her oral records also

FilmFeb. 25, 2022

[Well-curated] Discover all things hanji, Yongsan Park

For those wondering how hanji, traditional Korean paper made from mulberry trees, is used in everyday life, a visit to the Hanji Culture and Industry Center is a one-stop place to learn all there is to know. Different types of hanji are on display at the center located in Bukchon, showing how the traditional material has been developed to meet modern design applications. Hanji feels coarse but lustrous to the touch, revealing the nature of the raw ingredient used to make hanji – the in

CultureFeb. 25, 2022

The road less traveled: Exploring Korea solo

Kwon Jeong-hyun, 37, an office worker in Seoul, is planning a series of weekend road trips alone starting this spring with her diary as her companion. “In my early 20s, traveling was like an assignment because deciding on whom to go with and coping with their schedules was not an easy task,” said Kwon, an avid solo traveler since her late 20s. In the past decade, Kwon has traveled to major cities alone, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, New York and London. She took her first

TravelFeb. 25, 2022

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Pinocchio and Little Prince Starlight Festival The 1st Pinocchio and the Little Prince Starlight Festival will run through March 13 at Italian Village and Petite France in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province. The event allows visitors to experience a bit of overseas travel via the flea market lined with European antiques, traditional Italian houses and more. The splendid lighting aside, the festival allows various cultural programs, including music box performances, puppet show, a circus with mimes,

TravelFeb. 25, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Grand Hyatt Seoul unveils Spring Breeze in Namsan Grand Hyatt Seoul Hotel’s signature restaurant Teppan opens its new lunch and dinner menu event, Spring Breeze in Namsan. Starting with baekhap pot as an appetizer, a great variety of meat and fish dishes using ingredients fresh from Jeju Island are served at the table. This season’s hanwoo beef sirloin is a specialty created by the hotels‘ executive chef, Dallas Cuddy. The sour and saltiness of turnip and the seasonal Jeju

FoodFeb. 25, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Serve the People (Korea) Opened Feb. 23 Romance Directed by Jang Cheol-soo Mu-gwang (Yeon Woo-jin), who is a soldier hungry for success, sees an opportunity for a promotion in the army when he starts working at the house of his commander (Jo Sung-ha). There he meets his boss’s wife, Soo-ryun (Ji An). When his commander is away, Mu-gwang and Soo-ryun engage in a dangerous and forbidden love affair. Uncharted (US) Opened Feb. 16 Action Directed by Ruben Fleischer Nathan Drake (Tom Holland

FilmFeb. 25, 2022

[Book Review] In ‘Future of Silence,’ Korean women’s voices resound across generations

We turn to literature to understand ourselves and others, across boundaries of time, space, and culture. When fictional characters reveal the whole, unvarnished truth of their lives, it can be a mirror to our own. Readers may experience such moments of recognition while reading “The Future of Silence: Fiction by Korean Women,” a collection of nine short stories spanning five decades from the 1970s to 2010s. In them, women find themselves in situations ranging from the Kafkaesque t

BooksFeb. 24, 2022

[From the Scene] Latest in home furnishings, decorations at Seoul Living Design Fair

With the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, life for many has come to a standstill. As people spend more time at home, a growing number of them have turned their eyes to home furnishings and decorations. When South Korea’s daily coronavirus cases hit an all-time high of 171,452 on Wednesday, hundreds visited the Seoul Living Design Fair, the country’s largest annual exhibition for interior and household-related brands, which kicked off its five-day run on the same day at Coex in southern

Arts & DesignFeb. 24, 2022