[Herald Interview] Korea culture promotion agency seeks bigger role in elevating national branding

Despite being founded 50 years ago to promote Korea’s national brand, Korean Culture and Information Service is far from a household name within Korea, though it intends to change that this year. The organization plans to push for greater cultural exchange with Korea‘s partner nations, according to Park Jung-youl, the director of the KOCIS, who took the helm in September 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of Hallyu. A veteran government official, Park told the Korea He

PeopleJan. 7, 2022

[Well-curated] Ready to wolf down a 31,000 won burger?

The Gordon Ramsay Burger is finally here. The Michelin-starred chef’s first burger chain in Asia officially opens on Friday at Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, southern Seoul. The news of the premium burger chain landing in Korea a few months ago created a buzz concerning its high price. Its iconic Hell’s Kitchen Burger is priced at 31,000 won ($25.91) here, which is much pricier than other so-called premium burger chains like Shake Shack. Shake Shack burgers‘ prices range from

CultureJan. 7, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Fairmont Ambassador Seoul presents High Tea at Fairmont Very Berry Fairmont Ambassador Seoul presents High Tea at Fairmont Very Berry, inspired by winter strawberries and other seasonal fruit served at the Atrium Lounge until March 13. The high tea set features a selection of desserts crafted to celebrate the aromas of strawberries, a choice of sweet beverages and a menu of savory items. The dessert menu features seven desserts presented on a three-tier tray, including miniature pistachio spo

FoodJan. 7, 2022

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Yangju Snow Festival The Yangju Snow Festival kicked off Jan. 1 and runs through Feb. 13 at Jangheung Recreational Forest in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province. With an attempt to share and appreciate the beauty of snow, the festival features various programs, including ice sledding, a snow mountain, a sleigh train, an augmented reality snow experience zone, ice sculptures and more. While admission costs 12,000 won and 15,000 won on weekdays and weekends, respectively, separate fees apply for hands-on

TravelJan. 7, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

A Year-End Medley (Korea) Opened Dec. 29 Romance Directed by Kwak Jae-yong  Emros Hotel manager So-jin (Han Ji-min) secretly loves her best friend Seung-hyo (Kim Young-kwang). However, So-jin dares not tell him about her feelings and Seung-hyo drops the news that he is marrying Young-joo (Go Sung-hee). Meanwhile, Hotel Emros is full of guests who came to stay for diverse reasons. The King’s Man (UK) Opened Dec. 22 Action Directed by Matthew Vaughn In the early years of the 20th cen

FilmJan. 7, 2022

Birdwatching near Demilitarized Zone

With the new year signaling the season of migratory birds, the DMZ Migratory Bird Watching Tour offering visits to vantage points in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, will available through the end of February. Cheorwon is a popular sanctuary for migratory birds, such as cranes, wild geese and eagles, owing to the county’s vast plains that are rich in food and water. Along with water reservoirs and the Hantangang River, the region is close to the Demilitarized Zone, which remains relatively un

TravelJan. 7, 2022

2022 LCK Spring to return with fans

Attempting to excite fans and elevate the level of play in League of Legends Champions Korea, one of the changes for this year’s upcoming season is the reopening of LOL Park for fans, audience and spectators, said the secretary general of LCK Aiden Lee in a press conference at CGV Yongsan, central Seoul, Wednesday. “A total of 10 teams -- T1, Gen.G, Damwon Kia, Liiv Sandbox, Nongshim RedForce, Hanwha Life Esports, DRX, KT Rolster, Fredit Brion and Kwangdong Freecs -- are scheduled

esportsJan. 6, 2022

‘Squid Game’ team to be absent from Golden Globes

Actors Lee Jung-jae, Oh Young-soo and director Hwang Dong-hyuk will not be attending the 79th Golden Globe Awards. According to Lee’s agency, Artist Company, the actor decided not to participate in the awards ceremony after careful consideration. “Though it is a great honor to be nominated for the Golden Globes, Lee will be absent from the awards ceremony after considering the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, self-quarantine regulations and Netflix’s decision to not submit

TelevisionJan. 6, 2022

Kakao Entertainment to release four webtoon series

Kakao Entertainment on Wednesday revealed four webtoons -- “Call Sign,” “Strange Neighbor” (unofficial translation), “Return of the Disastrous Hero” (working title) and “The Unwelcome Guests of House Fildette” -- as some of the most anticipated projects to be released in the first half of the year. “Call Sign,” written by the Kakao Page’s best-known author Cho Seok-ho, revolves around a rookie firefighter who has the ability to

CartoonJan. 5, 2022

‘Tracer’ won’t tax viewers: director

Television director Lee Seung-young, who was behind popular crime thriller “Missing Noir M” (2015) and “Voice Season 2” (2018), said that his upcoming Wavve series “Tracer” is a family-oriented drama. “Many viewers might consider the drama to be serious, because we will be talking about government officials working on taxes. But all characters have unique charms that will exceed the viewers’ expectations,“ Lee said during an online press co

TelevisionJan. 5, 2022

Presidential candidate Yoon’s wife's work experience at a gallery claimed as false

Kim Kun-hee, wife of the main opposition People Power Party’s presidential candidate Yoon Seok-youl, is accused of falsifying her work experience at Alternative Space Loop, a nonprofit cultural center in Seoul, amid continued criticism over Kim’s exaggeration of her past career in applying for jobs at colleges. Loop was founded in 1999 as a nonprofit organization to share contemporary art and cultural experience with the public as well as promoting experimental artists who have b

CultureJan. 5, 2022

National Contemporary Dance Company to offer 8 programs for 2022

The Korea National Contemporary Dance Company will offer eight programs, ranging from new creations to its signature repertoire, this year. KNCDC’s first performance is set to kick off in April with “Writing Using,” which is created by renowned choreographer Ahn Ae-soon, KNCDC’s second artistic director, according to the state dance company Tuesday. The production will show the story of the feelings of the dancers’ bodies through dance. “Tiny, Round, Clu

PerformanceJan. 5, 2022

Chung Myung-whun to be named honorary music director of the KBS Symphony Orchestra

Renowned South Korean conductor Chung Myung-whun will reportedly be appointed as honorary music director of the KBS Symphony Orchestra, according to media reports on Wednesday. The news came days after Chung saved the orchestra’s Christmas Eve concert by leading the concert on behalf of Pietari Inkinen, the orchestra‘s music director who was unable to enter the country because of toughened self-quarantine rules. He also held the baton at concerts in December 2020 and August 2021 fo

PerformanceJan. 5, 2022

[From the scene] Conservation or development?

GIMPO -- Twelve years after the Joseon royal tombs Jangneung in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, were made UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2009, it is faced with the possibility of having the designation removed, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration.　 In August, the CHA ordered its committee of experts to review 19 of the 44 apartment buildings undergoing construction by three developers for breach of the cultural property protection law as they were located within 500 meters of the royal

CultureJan. 5, 2022

Singapore ambassador, Herald Corp. chairman discuss emerging areas in post-pandemic

South Korea and Singapore should use the pandemic as an opportunity to plan and prepare for the future, the Singaporean ambassador and Herald Corp. chairman said in a meeting on Wednesday. Singapore Ambassador to Korea Eric Teo paid a courtesy visit to Herald Corp. headquarters in central Seoul where he, The Korea Herald CEO Choi Jin-young and Herald Corp. Chairman Jung Won-ju exchanged views on the emerging trends amid the COVID-19 pandemic, such as education trends, carbon neutrality, d

PeopleJan. 5, 2022

Is Korean media silencing LGBT voices?

A rendition of Lady Gaga’s LGBT anthem “Born This Way” with a missing lyric by a South Korean group on New Year’s Eve has caused controversy, with experts calling it “LGBT erasure.” The controversy comes after a local TV broadcaster faced criticism last year for editing out kissing scenes between two men in the Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody.” During an annual year-end bell ringing ceremony held by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, w

TelevisionJan. 5, 2022

Dance crew Turns wins Mnet ‘Street Dance Girls Fighter’

Five-member dance crew Turns became the final winner of Mnet’s dance competition “Street Dance Girls Fighter” on Tuesday, taking home the top honor along with 10 million won ($8,350) in prize money. “Street Dance Girls Fighter,” which premiered in November as a spinoff from the cable network’s hit “Street Woman Fighter,” captured viewers by introducing passionate and talented high schoolers’ dance moves. The six finalists -- Newnion, Floo

TelevisionJan. 5, 2022

Choi Woo-shik learns to value process through ‘The Policeman’s Lineage’

Through the story of two very different police officers, the Korean film “The Policeman’s Lineage” by director Lee Kyu-man asks an ethical question: Is it OK to do bad to achieve a greater good? Kang-yoon (Cho Jin-woong) is a cop who is not afraid of conducting illegal investigations or even joining hands with criminals to make an arrest. On the other hand, there is Min-jae (Choi Woo-shik), a cop with strict ethics. Min-jae is sent to Kang-yoon’s team to secretly keep a

FilmJan. 5, 2022

'The Silent Sea' tops Netflix's official weekly chart

South Korean sci-fi horror "The Silent Sea" was the most-viewed non-English TV show over a recent one-week period among those on Netflix, the global video streaming service said Wednesday. The drama topped Netflix's official weekly chart for non-English TV programs with 47.8 million hours of viewing for the week from Dec. 27-Jan. 2, far outnumbering "The Queen of Flow: Season 2" with 29.5 million hours and "Money Heist: Part 5" with 26.3 million hours. It marked a

TelevisionJan. 5, 2022

'Spider-Man: No Way Home' becomes 1st foreign film to top Korean annual box office in 10 yrs

"Spider-Man: No Way Home" topped the annual South Korean box office last year to become the first foreign film to achieve the feat in 10 years, data showed Wednesday. The latest Marvel Studios superhero film garnered a combined 5.56 million people for 17 days since its official release on Dec. 15, according to the data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). It became the No. 1 hit movie of the year, far outnumbering the homegrown disaster film "Escape from Mogadishu," which

FilmJan. 5, 2022