[Herald Interview] Cho Yi-hyun looks forward to more action in possible season 2 of ’All of Us Are Dead‘

While enjoying the global popularity of zombie thriller “All of Us Are Dead,” actor Cho Yi-hyun, who stars as the cool-headed Choi Nam-ra, did not hide her excitement for a possible season 2. “Amid the zombie apocalypse, new races of zombies -- immune and the immortal -- were born. … I think there can be a collision within the zombie races and maybe a more intense battle with the humans,” Cho said during an online press interview with the group of reporters on Thu

FilmFeb. 11, 2022

JYP to strengthen partnership with Republic Records

K-pop powerhouse JYP Entertainment is looking to extend the global reach of label’s artists Stray Kids and Itzy through a stronger partnership with Republic Records. Republic Records, a major American music label owned by Universal Music Group, on Thursday (US time) announced its expanded partnership with JYP that kicked off in 2020 with K-pop girl group Twice. Under the expanded partnership, the US music agency will support activities of JYP’s artists, including Stray Kids and Itz

PerformanceFeb. 11, 2022

‘Crash Landing on You’ stars Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin to wed in March

Star actors Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin are tying the knot after a two-year relationship. The actors’ agencies confirmed Hyun and Son’s upcoming marriage with a press release Thursday night, announcing the wedding will take place in March in Seoul. Son announced the upcoming wedding first in an Instagram post earlier Thursday night. In the post with a picture of a miniature white wedding gown, she wrote that she “found someone to spend the rest of my life with.” Hyun sha

PeopleFeb. 11, 2022

Sprinkling new flavors on classic deep-fried doughnut

In street corners and market alleys of 1970s and ’80s Seoul, kkwabaegi, or twisted doughnuts, were an unmissable sight. Before an ever-growing variety of pastries became available even in neighborhood bakeries, children and adults could rely on kkwabaegi as a sweet, chewy treat that was light on the pocket. The texture and taste of the twisted Korean doughnut is unique. A well-made crispy, sugary kkwabaegi is crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Kkwabaegi is traditional

FoodFeb. 11, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Death on the Nile (US) Opened Feb. 9 Crime Directed by Kenneth Branagh While on a honeymoon cruise down the Nile River, enviably rich socialite Linnet Doyle (Gal Gadot) is found shot to death in her stateroom. Detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) looks into the case, but murders keep on happening, shocking and confusing everyone on the cruise. The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure (Korea) Opened Jan. 26 Action, Comedy Directed by Kim Jung-hoon Set in the Joseon era, pirate captain Hye-ra

FilmFeb. 11, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul unveils ‘Be My Valentine Afternoon Tea Set’ The Lounge at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents the “Be My Valentine Afternoon Tea Set,” with handcrafted desserts featuring romantic pink hues from four days starting Friday. The limited-edition tea set includes an exclusive gift of Manolo Blahnik Chocolate Shoes, dubbed the “Dream Wedding Shoes” for their appearance in “Sex and the City.” Strawberry Mont Blancs, Chocolate Mill

FoodFeb. 11, 2022

[Well-curated] Trip down memory lane begins with piping hot bowl of sujebi

To make “sujebi,” a humble winter dish to warm the heart and the stomach, bite size flour dough pieces roughly torn and pulled thin by hand are added to boiling savory broth and served at the table in a clay pot. Records show that the dish originated in the royal kitchen of Joseon. However, the hearty one-pot meal is better known today as a poor man’s fare -- a stripped-down version might just require some flour and dried anchovies. Indeed, it is now seen as nostalgic food amo

CultureFeb. 11, 2022

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Ganghwa Smelt Festival The Ganghwa Smelt Festival runs through Feb. 13 at the Sinsun outdoor fishing site in Incheon. Hoping to provide a memorable winter experience, the festival features various programs, including smelt fishing, ice sledding, electric scooter for children and more. Though it was originally planned to end on Feb. 15, the festival moved up its schedule due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and spread of omicron variant. Admission costs 30,000 won for adults and 20,000 won fo

TravelFeb. 11, 2022

How our ancestors asked, ‘Will you be my Valentine?’

Heart-shaped chocolate gifts, flower bouquets and cute stuffed toys are prominently displayed at brick-and-mortar retail stores and online shopping malls. Restaurants and hotels are decked out with romantic decorations, enticing couples with special promotions. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.  An apparent foreign import, the annual Feb. 14 festivity has now firmly taken root in Korea as one of the most romantic days on the calendar.   “Valentine’s

CultureFeb. 10, 2022

Comedy film ‘Idol Recipe’ may be too maverick for its own good

Featuring many current and former K-pop bandmates, such as Woohee from Dal Shabet Bae, Jongup of B.A.P and Ryu Ho-yeon of Noir, upcoming comedy “Idol Recipe” is chock-full of musical performances. What the film does not have are such things as the five elements of a coherent plot: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. Instead, it tells its story shuttling back and forth between scenes of the present and the past based on characters’ seemingly rand

FilmFeb. 10, 2022

‘Twenty Five Twenty One’ aims to warm up cold winter nights with romance

Actor Kim Tae-ri returns to the small screen with tvN’s new romance series “Twenty Five Twenty One” following her performance in 2018 period drama “Mr. Sunshine.” “Many mystery, horror, sci-fi and thriller series seem to have become the cultural mainstream, but I felt really happy when I read the script of ‘Twenty Five Twenty One.’ I was drawn to the bright, energetic nature of my character Na Hee-do as well,” Kim said during an online press

TelevisionFeb. 10, 2022

Not only for special occasions: Exhibition highlights daily use of hanbok, Korean traditional attire

An exhibition that underlines the daily use of Korea traditional clothing, hanbok, launched on Wednesday in Seoul. The exhibition, co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports and Korea Craft & Design Foundation, introduces uniforms created by hanbok designers Kwon Hye-jin of Hyeon, Kim Nan-hee of Dolsilnai, Baek Dahami of Daham Hanbok, Hwang Sun-tae of Hanbok Moon, Shin Sang-hwa as well as You Eun-chae, a college student whose hanbok design received an award last year. &ldqu

Arts & DesignFeb. 10, 2022

KBS adopts animal filming guideline following fatal horse incident during production

KBS TV said Wednesday it has adopted a guideline to ensure the welfare of animals used in television production, following public outrage over revelations that a horse used during filming died due to apparent abuse. The public network has come under fire after it was learned last month that showrunners of the TV series "The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won" intentionally tripped a running horse and caused the creature to fall violently to the ground for filming purposes. The horse died

TelevisionFeb. 9, 2022

‘All of Us Are Dead’ and the baffling versatility of ‘ssibal’

For Pramesti, a 23-year-old Indonesian, Korean films and TV dramas have been a useful source of learning how native Koreans speak. Then the latest Netflix hit, “All of Us Are Dead,” made her question her knowledge about some Korean curse words.  “I heard a lot of Korean swear words from the lead characters, especially ‘ssibal.’ ... Many also said the word ‘saekki,’ which I know to be an insult, but it didn’t really seem like a curse as it w

CultureFeb. 9, 2022

‘Oldboy’ Choi Min-sik to return to big screen as genius mathematician

Korean actor Choi Min-sik is returning to the big screen for the first time in three years as a genius mathematician in “In Our Prime” directed by Park Dong-hoon. The historical drama “Forbidden Dream” which was released in 2019 was actor Choi’s most recent work. Director Park’s new film started shooting in March 2020 and was originally set to be released during the first quarter last year. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it had had to delay its openi

FilmFeb. 9, 2022

Kim Tae-ri set to return to small screen with 'Twenty Five Twenty One'

South Korean star actress Kim Tae-ri will return to the small screen after more than three years off as a teenage fencer in the new coming-of-age romance drama "Twenty Five Twenty One." Rising to stardom for her role in Park Chan-wook's period thriller "The Handmaiden" (2016), she chose the tvN's weekend primetime series for her first TV project since the historical romance "Mr. Sunshine" (2018). "I know there are many popular genre movies and TV series now, bu

TelevisionFeb. 9, 2022

Can political satires rise again in Korea?

As the March presidential election race heats up, political TV series and made-for-television political satires are grabbing attention. “Saturday Night Live Korea,” a reboot of tvN’s “SNL Korea” (2011-17), returned through local video streaming platform Coupang Play. The show’s comedy sketches, including the infamous cold opening, have regularly been offering parodies of contemporary politics and widely known controversies surrounding the presidential candi

TelevisionFeb. 9, 2022

Korean celebs under attack by Chinese social media users for supporting Korean athletes

Korean celebrities who showed their support online for South Korean athletes at the 2022 Beijing Olympics have been bombarded by Chinese social media users. RM, the leader of K-pop group BTS, uploaded an Instagram story on his personal account expressing support for a South Korean short track speedskater who was disqualified during the men‘s 1,000-meter semifinal held Monday. The singer posted a photo with a thumbs-up and clapping emoji after the event, during which Hwang Dae-heon overt

CultureFeb. 9, 2022

Actor Lee Byung-hun tests positive for COVID-19

Actor Lee Byung-hun has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, his management agency said Wednesday. "Lee got tested for COVID-19 since he didn't feel well and received a positive result on Monday," BH Entertainment said. "He currently has no serious health problems." He is fully vaccinated and boosted, according to the agency. The infection immediately halted the filming of the new tvN drama "Our Blues," starring Lee. All other members of the cast and the crew

PeopleFeb. 9, 2022

Architect Kim Won donates artworks to help NGO

Architect Kim Won has put up for sale some significant pieces from his collection of art to help raise funds for an NGO for which he serves as a chief director. Among the 50 works donated by Kim that are on sale at Gallery Now in Seoul are ink paintings by architect Kim Swoo-guen (1931-1986), a prominent contemporary architect. The architect gave the paintings to Kim Won as a gift a year before his death. Kim Won was Kim Swoo-guen’s protege.  “Kim Swoo-guen began contempor

Arts & DesignFeb. 8, 2022