[Newsmaker] Netflix promises to invest more into Korean content, doubles down on network fee issue

Netflix Vice President of Public Policy Dean Garfield, decked in a green tracksuit costume from the hit Netflix show “Squid Game,” entered the press conference room at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul on Thursday, accompanied by the theme song from the drama series. Garfield began his speech by talking about how Netflix is willing to invest more into creating Korean content. However, when addressing the most heated issue on paying internet service providers bandwidth usage fees,

TelevisionNov. 4, 2021

[Video] No need to look too far: Leaf peeping spots in Seoul

The change of season has brought about bright reds, oranges, yellows and browns to the city, while some remaining greens bid a final farewell to the summer.  Indeed, Seoulites do not have to leave the city to enjoy the colors of the season. To enjoy the deepening autumn atmosphere and the crunch of fallen leaves under your feet, look out for Seoul Metropolitan Government’s “96 Fall Foliage Roads,” released last week. The list includes areas with spectacular colors of map

TravelNov. 4, 2021

‘Running Man’ spinoff to be first original Korean content on Disney+

A spinoff of the popular SBS variety show “Running Man” will be the first original content from South Korea on Disney+, the streaming platform said Thursday. The Walt Disney Company announced that “Outrun by Running Man” will star three members of the original cast -- Jee Seok-jin, Kim Jong-kook and Haha. While the original show’s main producer, director Im Hyung-taek, is behind the spinoff, its main star, Yoo Jae-suk, is not part of the upcoming series. “

TelevisionNov. 4, 2021

[From the Scene] ‘Living with COVID-19’ rules only followed halfway at Hongdae clubs

The South Korean government aimed for a gradual return to normal with its “living with COVID-19” policy, but the remaining restrictions are not being followed strictly at clubs and movie theaters. The clubs on the streets of Hongdae, a party neighborhood in Mapo-gu, western Seoul, welcomed the long-awaited return of music lovers for the first time in nearly four months and made great efforts to comply with the government’s social distancing guidelines. A notice at the entran

CultureNov. 4, 2021

[Newsmaker] Marvel's 'Eternals' tops S. Korean box office on its first day

Marvel Studios' latest blockbuster "Eternals" has topped the South Korean box office on its opening day, data showed Thursday. The film posted 296,000 attendees on Wednesday, accounting for 88.9 percent of the day's total ticket sales, according to the data from the Korean Film Council. It marked the second-highest first-day record this year to date, following 400,000 visitors set by "F9," the latest chapter in the "Fast and Furious" series, in May. The new film

FilmNov. 4, 2021

Daesan Literary Awards announces four winners

The Daesan Foundation announced the four winners of the 29th annual Daesan Literary Awards on Wednesday. The organization founded by Kyobo Life Insurance awards winners in four categories, recognizing the best poetry, novel, drama or literature review and translated work. The award for best translated work is given to English, French, German and Spain translations, one for each year in sequential order. Poet Kim Eon won the award for “Dear Blank Paper,” which describes the self-con

BooksNov. 3, 2021

Films created during pandemic the mainstay of 47th SIFF

The 47th Seoul Independent Film Festival will be screening films mostly created since the beginning of COVID-19 last year. “The largest number of films ever were submitted this year. A total of 1,550 films were submitted,” said SIFF director Kim Dong-hyun during a press conference Wednesday. “We had the largest number of submitters last year so I thought the number would decrease this year. Especially since last year was not an easy time to make films,” Kim said. &ldq

FilmNov. 3, 2021

Vienna Philharmonic, ‘Nutcracker’ performances signal return to normal at Sejong Center

With the local performing arts scene excited for a return to normalcy under South Korea’s “living with COVID-19” strategy, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts announced its winter lineup, from a Vienna Philharmonic concert to “The Nutcracker” ballet. One of the most anticipated highlights of the center’s winter schedule is a concert by the Vienna Philharmonic and maestro Riccardo Muti on Nov. 14. The prestigious orchestra will perform Mozart’s S

PerformanceNov. 3, 2021

Director hopes viewers see ‘Melancholia’ as beautiful story about math

The upcoming tvN romance drama “Melancholia,” directed by Kim Sang-hyub, revolves around a math teacher and a gifted pupil at a private school, where corruption and favoritism runs rampant. “A drama involving mathematical formulas may sound odd and strange at first, but I am certain that the viewers will be drawn by how the two characters communicate through math,” Kim said in an online press conference Tuesday. The director, who is known for the hit series “True

TelevisionNov. 3, 2021

SPO gears up for new 2022 season

While Korea is taking the first step toward normalcy with its “living with COVID” strategy, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is also planning for an exciting 2022. Music Director Osmo Vanska shared snippets of plans for the upcoming season at an event held for the supporters of the SPO at Lotte Concert Hall in Jamsil, Seoul, on Sunday. Just as the orchestra began the year 2021 with a requiem, with conductor Sung Shi-yeon taking the baton for Lutoslawski’s Musique funebre, t

PerformanceNov. 3, 2021

[Herald Interview] Dominique Perrault calls on architects to be conductors

French architect Donique Perrault has been advocating for more important roles for architects over the past several years. As the general director of the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2021, he brought together 190 architects and artists from across the world under the theme of the “Crossroads, Building the Resilient City.” “In my opinion, many people consider architects less important today, while they demand engineers, landscape experts and environmentalists

Arts & DesignNov. 3, 2021

Palace Museum exhibition lifts lid on Insa-dong excavation site

An exhibition that aims to bring the Insa-dong excavation site to visitors opens at the National Palace Museum of Korea in Seoul on Wednesday. The exhibition, titled “Encounter with the Brilliant Scientific Technology of the Joseon Dynasty,” displays 1,775 artifacts excavated from a site in Insa-dong, central Seoul, in June. It is organized jointly by the National Palace Museum of Korea and the Sudo Institute of Cultural Heritage, also based in Seoul. “Since many people sho

CultureNov. 2, 2021

NCSoft to present Lineage W with global ambitions

South Korean major game developer NCSoft has global ambitions for its new massively multiplayer online role playing game Lineage W, set for launch Thursday at midnight. Lineage W will first be available in 12 languages for users in South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. NCSoft then plans to expand its service to North America, Europe and South America. Instead of operating separate servers for each country, NCSoft has created the Global One Build service that allows

esportsNov. 2, 2021

Royal palaces offer glimpse of court life with special programs

Two of Seoul’s royal palaces, Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, are offering a glimpse into court life during the Joseon era with a number of hands-on programs. Programs at Gyeongbokgung, the main royal palace of the Joseon era, will be held from Friday to Nov. 15, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Tuesday. At Gyeongbokgung, Saenggwabang, a royal kitchen where snacks and desserts for the royal family were prepared, visitors can take part in a traditional tea ceremony and enjoy de

CultureNov. 2, 2021

Han Hyo-joo, Park Hyung-sik make highly anticipated return with tvN’s ‘Happiness’

For director Ahn Gil-ho, a desire to portray the life of ordinary people was the reason to film “Happiness.” “When I read the script, the scenario was really interesting and had the power to draw a viewer‘s attention. But the biggest reason for me to choose this drama was my plan to make a series that focuses on the stories and feelings of common individuals,” the director said in an online press conference on Monday. The upcoming tvN Friday-Saturday series revolv

TelevisionNov. 2, 2021

TV series about K-pop singers set to premier next week

Two TV series about the lives and struggles of K-pop singers will hit small screens in South Korea next week, their broadcasters said Tuesday. "Let Me Be Your Knight" will premier this Sunday on SBS, depicting a romance between a popular idol singer suffering from sleepwalking and a live-in doctor who has to cure his condition secretly. Former and active K-pop singers take part in the 12-episode drama, with Lee Jun-young, a former member of boy band U-Kiss, playing Yoon Tae-in who is

TelevisionNov. 2, 2021

‘Tomb of the River’ director says he was inspired by PyeongChang Winter Olympics

The director of the upcoming Korean action film “Tomb of the River” Yoon Young-bin said he got the idea for the film’s script from the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The movie’s Korean title, “Gangneung,” is the name of a city in Gangwon Province, on South Korea’s east coast. The city is also adjacent to PyeongChang. “After Korea was liberated, Gangneung never received any development assistance,” Yoon said during a brief press confere

FilmNov. 1, 2021

Painter-poet Choi Wook-kyung invites us to her art ‘wonderland’

Korean abstract artist Choi Wook-kyung pioneered an abstract art of her own from the 1960s to the 1980s when female artists did not receive much attention in Korea. Traveling back and forth between Korea and the US, Choi established her own painting style without being involved in any of the art movements of the times. Born in 1940, Choi studied painting at Seoul National University and went to the US in 1963 in pursuit of expanding her art world.  The exhibition “Wook-kyung Cho

Arts & DesignNov. 1, 2021

[Video] Tteok-making is now National Intangible Cultural Heritage

The making of tteok, or Korean rice cakes, has been designated as the 145th National Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced Monday. The designation recognizes the making and sharing of Korean rice cakes as Korea‘s traditional culture and way of life. Tteok-making’s long history, a wealth of historical documents and archives about tteok, the unique regional variations and continued efforts to keep the tradition alive were some of the reasons behi

CultureNov. 1, 2021

‘Neighbours’ wins Best Picture at Gangneung International Film Festival

“Neighbours,” a film by Kurdish Swiss director Mano Khalil, won the Best Picture Award at the Gangneung International Film Festival, which ended Sunday. During the 10-day festival, which kicked off Oct. 22 with Albert Birney’s “Strawberry Mansion,” 116 films from 42 countries were screened at five theaters in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, on South Korea’s east coast.   The winners of the International Narrative Competition Awards, created last year, wer

FilmNov. 1, 2021