[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Spiritwalker (Korea) Opened Nov. 24 Action Directed by Yoon Jae-keun I-an (Yoon Kye-sang) is an intelligence agent. One day he gets into a car accident. When he wakes up he is in a different body and also finds out that he cannot remember anything. After that day, he keeps losing his memory regularly and also wakes up in a different body every 12 hours. I-an figures out that he has to find his original body to solve this situation and starts looking for it. Nothing Serious (US) Opened Nov. 24 Ro

FilmDec. 3, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Grand InterContinental Seoul presents ‘Christmas Cake’ Grand Deli, located on the ground floor of Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in southern Seoul, offers holiday cakes made by three master patissiers, including Kim Dong-woo, in charge of the hotel’s bakery team. Kim recommends three cakes for this year-end season -- chocolate tree mugwort cake with delicate mugwort cream on top of chocolate sheet cake; pine tree cake decorated with a Christmas tree made from Chantilly cr

FoodDec. 3, 2021

Friend for hire

“You look stunning! Your dress looks so much prettier than the pictures you showed me,” I told the glowing bride as I walked into a wedding chapel waiting room covered in white flowers. “The other girls are on their way.” She smiled, thanked me for being there and gave me a hug which was surprisingly natural given that it was the first time we had met.  At 15,000 won ($12.60) for an hour and a half, I was hired to be her friend for her wedding day. My first job as

CultureDec. 2, 2021

Murals take shots at presidential candidates in ‘Art Battle’

The wall of a secondhand bookstore that enjoyed brief media attention in July for its politically provocative murals has generated yet more controversy this week, when a new painting by the artist Tanksy appeared, depicting the various scandals of the Democratic Party of Korea’s presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung. In what has been described by organizers as an “art battle,” Tanksy’s participation lifted a wooden panel covering a mural by graffiti artist Ninbolt, whic

CultureDec. 2, 2021

Gallery Hyundai presents Korea's experimental art at Art Basel Miami

After 15 years of trying, Gallery Hyundai has finally made it to the prestigious Art Basel, where it is presenting works by Korea’s prominent experimental artists who emerged in the late 1960s, including Lee Seung-taek, Quac In-sik, Park Hyun-ki and Lee Kun-yong. Art Basel Miami Beach kicked off Monday (US time) with 253 of the world’s leading galleries from 36 countries showcasing works by some 4,000 artists. The art fair, which is being held in person, used to draw nearly a

Arts & DesignDec. 2, 2021

Youn Yuh-jung, BTS and aespa named visionaries of Korean entertainment

South Korean cultural icons including Oscar-winning actor Youn Yuh-jung, top comedian Yoo Jae-suk and K-pop bands BTS and aespa were among the six winners recognized at the 2021 Visionary Awards on Wednesday. The second edition of the annual awards, presented by South Korean media and entertainment giant CJ ENM, recognizes individuals who created new trends in the entertainment business and contributed to the spread of Korean Wave. The six winners -- Youn, Yoo, BTS, aespa, “Squid Game&r

CultureDec. 2, 2021

Historical romance dramas catch eyes of S. Korean TV viewers

South Korean historical romance series starring young and up-and-coming actors are creating a fresh buzz at home and abroad for their dramatic settings and resonating love stories. KBS' "The King's Affection," based on the popular webtoon "Yeonmo," is a story of a fictional princess of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), who has been raised as her deceased twin brother and becomes a king. Starring Park Eun-bin, the 20-episode series airing every Monday and Tuesday saw its viewe

TelevisionDec. 2, 2021

Buddhist sect threatens legal action against Culture Ministry’s carol campaign

A campaign to promote carols in the holiday season launched jointly by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and major Protestant and Catholic organizations was met by strong opposition from the country’s largest Buddhist sect on Wednesday, which said it could take legal action to stop it. The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism on Wednesday told The Korea Herald that it is “deeply shocked” by the campaign to promote carols by the government and public organizations and is

CultureDec. 1, 2021

Photographer Ahn Hong-beom’s solo exhibition to take us to snowy winter

Seoi Gallery, a commercial gallery in Seoul dedicated to photography exhibitions, will showcase photographer Ahn Hong-beom’s solo exhibition starting Tuesday, featuring snowy sceneries across the country from Jeju Island and Gangwon Province to the North and South Jeolla provinces and Gyeonggi Province. The upcoming exhibition “One Moment in Past” will present some 25 monochrome photography works by Ahn. He portrays moments of snow fluttering down from a tree, snow gently fa

Arts & DesignDec. 1, 2021

Some 140 sculptors on show International Sculpture Festa 2021

The International Sculpture Festa 2021 is back after a hiatus last yearm wuth a special focus on Chinese artists. The event, which opened Tuesday at the Hangaram Arts Center in Seoul, brings together 140 sculptors. The annual sculpture exhibition was launched in 2011 to introduce sculptors from home and abroad and showcase sculptures created with different materials. The 10th edition of the show presents the main exhibition “Sculpture the World” and the special exhibition &ldquo

Arts & DesignDec. 1, 2021

South African who stopped Han River suicide wins Seoul honorary citizenship

One September day, a South Africa-born resident of Seoul, Harvey Justin John was walking along the Han River with his parents, who were visiting him, when he saw what appeared to be a suicide attempt. He immediately threw himself into the water and rescued the drowning person. His act of bravery was officially recognized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday, which conferred honorary citizenship upon him and eight other foreigners here. During a ceremony held at City Hall, th

PeopleDec. 1, 2021

New CEO takes helm at LG Arts Center

LG Arts Center’s new CEO Lee Hyun-jung officially took the reins of the cultural institution Wednesday. The 50-year-old Lee replaces Sim Woo-seob. Her appointment was announced in the annual reshuffling of conglomerate LG Group’s executives last week. Lee joined LG Arts Center, operated by LG’s nonprofit organization LG Yonam Cultural Foundation, in 1996 as the group was gearing up to launch the cultural complex and served as the head of programming for 22 years. Lee play

PeopleDec. 1, 2021

From ‘Hellbound’ to ‘Squid Game,’ churches fret over religious zealot characters

During a recent Sunday service at a church in the suburbs of Seoul, a pastor cautioned churchgoers to not watch a new Netflix series. The messages and symbols in the show are “anti-Christ,” he warned. The sermon was about the six-part dark fantasy series “Hellbound,” directed by Yeon Sang-ho, a churchgoer himself whose previous works include the megahit zombie thriller “Train to Busan.” The dystopian show, which centers on a religious group that cultivates i

TelevisionDec. 1, 2021

COVID-19 resurgence halts local filmmaking industry

The COVID-19 pandemic is once again shaking the Korean filmmaking industry, as two star actors -- Jung Woo-sung and Go Kyung-pyo -- tested positive for the COVID-19 virus on Tuesday. Other actors and crew who worked with Jung and Go now find themselves in a situation in which they have to halt their current projects and undergo COVID-19 PCR tests. According to Jung’s agency Artist Company, the actor went into self-quarantine after being confirmed as a COVID-19 patient on Monday night.

FilmDec. 1, 2021

Master of romance returns with ‘Happy New Year’ starring 14 actors

Korean director Kwak Jae-yong, a master of the romance genre, is releasing “Happy New Year,” a romantic film with an ensemble cast of 14 actors. Kwak, 62, has created many hit romance films, including “My Sassy Girl” and “The Classic.” The film’s format is similar to UK film “Love Actually,” which presents a large cast and tells intertwined love stories between characters. Kwak’s film includes young big-name actors like Han Ji-min

FilmDec. 1, 2021

[Herald Interview] Park Jeong-min is puzzled by global attention to ‘Hellbound’

For actor Park Jeong-min, the global popularity of “Hellbound” was unexpected. “Because I was simply a huge fan of the original webtoon, I was excited to play the television producer Bae Young-jae. Though I never took the role lightly, I did not have the pressure of turning the project into a smash hit series. I enjoyed working with amazing colleagues and director Yeon Sang-ho,” Park said in an online interview with a group of reporters on Tuesday. “Hearing the n

FilmDec. 1, 2021

R&B singer Bumkey makes official debut in Japan with ‘Attraction’

R&B singer Bumkey made his Japan debut Wednesday with the release of the single “Attraction (Japanese Remix),” a collaboration with popular Japanese rapper Miyachi as a featured artist. The musician’s single was released on Japanese music streaming platforms at midnight, while it became available on local online music sites at noon. The new single is a remix version of “Attraction,” featuring Korean hip-hop act Dynamic Duo, which was released in August 2013. I

PerformanceDec. 1, 2021

'Hellbound' drops to 2nd on Netflix's official chart in its 2nd week

South Korean fantasy horror "Hellbound" has dropped to second place on Netflix's weekly official viewership chart for non-English TV programs in its second week of release, the global video streaming service said Wednesday. Yeon Sang-ho's dystopian horror ranked No. 2 on the chart for the week from Nov. 22-28, posting 67.5 million hours of viewing. It was closely followed by the Colombian telenovela "The Queen of Flow: Season 2" with 69 million hours. The Korean-language

TelevisionDec. 1, 2021

Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism to go global next year, commemorate 20th anniversary of Templestay

The Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism will expand its international projects next year in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Templestay program, which next year is expected to have welcomed an accumulated 6 million guests since launching in 2002. “Next year will be a year to look back on what we have done over the past 20 years with the Templestay programs, which have received a lot of love and attention at home and abroad. We are in the process of undertaking international pr

Arts & DesignNov. 30, 2021

[Video] When foreigners and Koreans try Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi & Heinz vs. Ottogi ketchup blindfolded

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) Special thanks to Jordan, Jean, Michelle and Hyunbin for making this video happen.

CultureNov. 30, 2021