[Well-curated] Discover classical music haven, hearty gukbap and film cameras

Classical music lovers will find a haven for music listening in Revedell, a music and gallery cafe located in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. Fully equipped with state of the art sound systems, including a classic Klangfilm model from Germany with horn-type revedyn baffle, visitors are greeted by a majestic sound upon entering the café.  A small tin bucket is placed at the right side of the main music hall for the visitors drop their music requests. The owner, who also plays the DJ,

TravelJan. 14, 2022

K Auction raises more than 5 trillion won at public offering before Kosdaq listing

The competition ratio for K Auction’s public offering recorded 1408.33:1 during the two-day public offering session, raising more than 5 trillion won ($4.2 billion) in subscription deposit, according to IR Kudos on Thursday. South Korea’s second-largest auction house conducted a two-day public offering starting Wednesday, aiming to become the second auction house in the country to be traded on the junior Kosdaq exchange. The auction house is planning for a Kosdaq listing on Jan. 2

Arts & DesignJan. 13, 2022

Yoo Ah-in, Ahn Eun-jin to star in Netflix’s ‘Goodbye Earth’

Global streaming service Netflix has confirmed the casting for its original series “Goodbye Earth,” Thursday. Actors Yoo Ah-in, Ahn Eun-jin, Kim Yoon-hye and Jeon Seong-woo will star in Netflix’s new apocalypse movie, according to the company. “Goodbye Earth” revolves around the stories of individuals who are left with only 200 days to live before an asteroid hits Earth. The series is a highly anticipated project. It is director Kim Jin-min’s third Netflix

FilmJan. 13, 2022

Chung Myung-whun appointed KBS orchestra’s first honorary conductor

The KBS Symphony Orchestra appointed renowned South Korean conductor Chung Myung-whun as its first-ever conductor laureate, according to the orchestra on Thursdsay. Chung’s tenure began this month. Conductor laureate is an honorary position given to a conductor who has international repuation or contributed to the development of the orchestra. This is the first the KBS Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1956, has awarded the title. The news came days after Chung saved the orchestra&rsquo

PerformanceJan. 13, 2022

K-pop album sales surge 37% on-year in 2021 despite pandemic

The K-pop music industry saw a surge in accumulated album sales last year despite the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to top-tier artists such as BTS, EXO and aespa. According to a year-end report from the South Korean music chart tracker Gaon Chart on Wednesday, the nation’s top 400 albums sold 57.09 million copies in and out of the country in 2021, up by 36.9 percent from the previous year’s 41.71 million. After exceeding the 20 million mark for the first time in 2018, the

PerformanceJan. 13, 2022

‘Squid Game’ director Hwang Dong-hyuk planning story set in near future

Director Hwang Dong-hyuk, the mastermind behind South Korea’s global phenomenon “Squid Game,” had said that he plans to make a story set in the near future. “I am planning something that is futuristic. I’ve done stories of the past and eccentric things that can happen in the present. I would like to make a social drama, which talks about the problems that we might face within the next 20-30 years,” Hwang said in a pretaped interview with Corea Image Communica

CultureJan. 13, 2022

'Squid Game' creator Hwang Dong-hyuk says he still believes in humanity

"Squid Game" creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has said he still believes in a humanity that moves people to put confidence in a better and more just society even under the life-and-death pressure of social survival games. "We are living in a society where people dare to tread on other people to survive," he said Wednesday in a pretaped interview by the Seoul-based Corea Image Communication Institute. "But I still believe that this society doesn't have to be one where we need to

TelevisionJan. 13, 2022

'Squid Game' nabs four nominations at SAG Awards

South Korea's global phenomenon "Squid Game" has earned four nominations, including the top prize of best ensemble, from the US Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards. SAG on Wednesday (US time) unveiled its final list of nominations for its 28th edition of the awards ceremony slated for Feb. 27. "Squid Game," a Korean-language Netflix original, is up for outstanding performances by an ensemble cast in a drama series, by a male actor in a leading role, by a female actor in a supp

TelevisionJan. 13, 2022

Hwang Dong-hyuk, Netflix, Sumi Jo, Kim Je-deok bag trophies at Korea Image Award

“Squid Game” director Hwang Dong-hyuk on the global streaming platform Netflix, celebrated Korean soprano Sumi Jo and Tokyo Olympics gold medal archer Kim Je-deok were named as the winners of the Korea Image Award on Wednesday. The 18th edition of the annual awards took place at the InterContinental Seoul Coex in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul. “Though we are experiencing a challenging time with the COVID-19 pandemic, I am grateful that we are able to have the chance to hold

CultureJan. 12, 2022

Who can lay claim to title of ‘national orchestra?’

As the Korean Symphony Orchestra, which is often mistaken as a private orchestra, is set to change its name to include “national,” the KBS Symphony Orchestra, which was once the National Symphony Orchestra, stands in opposition to the move, which was decided without consultation with them. After making the decision to change its name last year, the Korean Symphony Orchestra is considering several options for its new name, including simply “National Orchestra,” and wil

CultureJan. 12, 2022

‘Pyeongsaengdo,’ Joseon artwork depicting ideal life, goes digital

An 8-panel folding screen depicting scenes from an ideal life as conceived by Joseon-era people is now available in a digital format. The National Museum of Korea revealed “Pyeongsaengdo,” thought to have been completed in the late 19th to early 20th century, in a digitally restored eight-panel folding screen format on its website on Wednesday. The paintings depict in detail the major celebratory occasions that arise from the life of a scholar-official. They include such private

Arts & DesignJan. 12, 2022

Kakao Entertainment to expand its webtoon NFTs

Having released its first webtoon NFTs of “Solo Leveling” Wednesday, Kakao Entertainment said it is seeking to expand its NFT business with “The Soulless Duchess.” According to the company, the upcoming NFT is a joint project between Kakao Entertainment’s IP “The Soulless Duchess” and the generative art project company Treasures Club, making the country’s first ever generative webtoon NFT. Generative art is a form of digital art in which the art

CartoonJan. 12, 2022

AfreecaTV looks to expand global communication through esports

AfreecaTV will aim to expand communication with global users through esports content, the Korean video streaming service said Wednesday. According to the company, AfreecaTV currently operates a total of six firms in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the US, Thailand and Hong Kong to provide various streaming content in different languages so that overseas users can watch it without any communication barriers. The Korean video streaming service has held a number of esports competitions abroad, with

esportsJan. 12, 2022

[Herald Interview] ‘Street Dance Girls Fighter’ producers to show more talented, passionate dancers

After creating a dance boom in South Korea with the hit dance competition show “Street Woman Fighter,” local cable channel Mnet continued to keep the momentum going by transplanting the premise of the show in a spinoff titled “Street Dance Girls Fighter.” Premiering in November last year, the six-episode “Street Dance Girls Fighter” wrapped up with a record-high nationwide viewership rating of 2.3 percent, according to Nielsen Korea. The show captivated view

TelevisionJan. 12, 2022

‘My Jubilee ist Unverhemmet’ : Paik Nam-june’s wish realized at Nam June Paik Art Center

Korean-born video art pioneer Paik Nam-june will be remembered at the Nam June Paik Art Center that is commemorating the 90th anniversary of the artist’s birth this year with a number of special projects throughout the year. The artist died Jan. 29, 2006, leaving a legacy that continues to influence media artists today. The museum, which the artist described as a “house where the spirit of Nam June Paik lives on,” will kick-start the yearlong celebration of Paik‘s legac

Arts & DesignJan. 12, 2022

Ulsan Art Museum brings wealth of culture to industrial city

ULSAN -- Located in southeastern South Korea, Ulsan is synonymous with the country‘s industrialization. The city is home to the world’s largest automobile plant and driving through the port of Ulsan, Hyundai cars preparing to be exported on ships are hard to miss. Some 307 kilometers from Seoul, the city has opened its first art museum in the eastern part of the city -- a museum that specializes in media art. Five inaugural exhibitions are currently running, including the main exh

Arts & DesignJan. 11, 2022

Korean drama soundtracks booming as major medium of ‘Hallyu’

Although most countries have COVID-19-related travel restrictions, the worldwide popularity of Korean pop culture has continuously crossed borders, reaching new heights. Taking the baton from K-pop, songs featured in local dramas have newly become a major medium for the spread of “Hallyu,” or the Korean Wave. Korean soundtracks have recently been made with an eye on the charts with the soaring popularity of dramas. The use of mainstream popular singers like BTS members Jin and V, an

PerformanceJan. 11, 2022

[Feature] Female film leads still out of sight in 2022

The Korean film industry as a whole weathered a tough year in 2021, with only a few movies opening in theaters amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Looking at the list of films that did get a cinematic release, once again, it is hard to ignore the conspicuous absence of female actors. On the list of 20 highest grossing films in Korea last year are five Korean films --“Escape from Mogadishu, “Sinkhole,” “Hostage: Missing Celebrity,” “Hard Hit” and &ldq

FilmJan. 11, 2022

‘Sewing Sisters,’ a documentary that moved Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook

The upcoming documentary “Sewing Sisters” is a film recommended by the nation’s top filmmakers Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook. “Sewing Sisters,” co-directed by Kim Jung-young and Lee Hyuk-rae centers around three women who used to work for textile companies at Peace Market in the 1970s. “Parasite” director Bong appeared on stage before the film’s pre-screening event held on Jan. 4 and said, “I came here as a supporter and fan of the movie

FilmJan. 11, 2022

Where is Netflix's 'Single's Inferno' filmed?

In Netflix’s reality dating show “Single’s Inferno,” 12 attractive men and women try to escape a deserted island by becoming a couple.  The Korean show portrays the island as an “inferno,” where only successfully-matched couples can be heliported out of to “paradise,” a luxurious hotel. However, the location drew curiosity among global viewers for its beauty.  It is Saseungbongdo, an uninhabited island off the west coast of South Korea,

TelevisionJan. 11, 2022