'Squid Game' gets two nominations at Gotham Awards

South Korea's sensational survival drama "Squid Game" has been nominated in two categories at an annual US awards ceremony for lower-budget indie movies and TV series. According to the nominations of the 2021 Gotham Awards released Thursday (US time), "Squid Game," a Netflix original, was listed in the section of Breakthrough Series – Long Format (over 40 minutes), along with five other TV series, including Amazon Studios' "Small Axe" and HBO Max's "It's

FilmOct. 22, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Jinju Namgang Lantern Festival The 2021 Jinju Namgang Lantern Festival is scheduled to take place at the Jinju Namgang River and fortress of Jinjuseong in South Gyeongsang Province from Dec. 4-31. Originating from the floating lanterns that were used during the 1592-1598 Imjin War as a military strategy to prevent Japanese troops from wading across the Namgang River, the 21-year-old festival welcomes visitors to enjoy the parade of glittering lanterns created by local students. Various progra

TravelOct. 22, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas presents desserts for Halloween Day Special Grand InterContinental Parnas in Samseong-dong is offering Halloween special desserts and beverages for the upcoming spooky holiday. Treats are offered at the hotel’s bakery from Oct. 22 through the end of the month. The desserts and beverages are prepared by the Grand Deli’s head pastry chef Eric Kalaboke from New York. A total of six items uniquely designed by the chef are available during the limit

FoodOct. 22, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Venom: Let There Be Carnage (US) Opened Oct. 13 Action Directed by Andy Serkis Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) struggles to adjust to life as the host of the alien Venom. One day, serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson) escapes from prison after becoming the host of Carnage, a chaotic spawn of Venom. With Kasady and Carnage on the loose, the city turns to chaos. Stillwater (US) Opened Oct. 6 Thriller Directed by Tom McCarthy  Bill (Matt Damon) visits France to meet his daughter Allison (A

FilmOct. 22, 2021

[Herald Interview] ‘My Name’ gave me a chance to improve as an actor: Han So-hee

For Han So-hee, 26, taking a role in the Netflix series “My Name” made her improve as an actor with a wide range. “I thought the audience, including my fans, wanted to see the sides of Han So-hee that are already very familiar to them with the previous dramas like ‘The World of the Married’ and ‘Nevertheless’. But I wanted to find and show different sides of Han So-hee,” the actor said during an online interview with a group of reporters Wednesday

FilmOct. 21, 2021

[Well-Curated] Palace grounds, beach in Busan turned into exhibition venues

For those who were disappointed by the cancellation of regional festivals amid COVID-19, this weekend will be a great opportunity to experience South Korea’s regional specialties while walking through Seoul’s Gyeongbokgung. As part of the Royal Culture Festival, an exhibition consisting of seven special zones on the palace grounds showcases products from different regions of the country. Visitors can take Instagramable photos while enjoying 2,142 art pieces from 27 teams of artists

TravelOct. 21, 2021

Lee Hyuk fails to win at Chopin Competition

Korean pianist Lee Hyuk failed to win a trophy at the 18th Chopin International Piano Competition. Lee, 21, who was one of 12 finalists, did not make the list of awardees announced by the Polish Chopin Institute on Thursday. The competition, held every five years, was postponed from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, more than 500 pianists signed up for the competition and some 87 contenders made it to the main competition. Lee was the only Korean contender among the 12 finalists

PerformanceOct. 21, 2021

[Herald Interview] Capturing mundane routine in colorful illustrations

While using Seoul’s bustling subway, most passengers keep their eyes glued to their smartphones. But while riding Line 2, the country’s busiest subway line, author and illustrator Kim Hyo-eun decided to look up from her screen and appreciate the view. Absorbed in what she saw, she captured the moments of daily passengers hopping on and off at their destinations, from head to toe, not missing their facial emotions -- excited at times and exhausted at others. Kim’s “I

BooksOct. 21, 2021

Lawyer for Kim Seon-ho's ex vows legal action against malicious comments

Kim Seon-ho’s ex-girlfriend has engaged a lawyer, who vowed legal action against malicious media coverage and online comments. “All possible legal actions will be taken against articles, posts and comments with ill-intended content,” said Best Way, the law firm representing Kim‘s ex-girlfriend, in a statement released Wednesday. The statement said their client was suffering from the hateful comments made by local media and online posts as her personal information had b

TelevisionOct. 21, 2021

Actor Kim Seon-ho's alleged ex-girlfriend says he apologized after abortion allegations

Actor Kim Seon-ho's alleged former girlfriend has said she received an apology from him and there was an unspecified "misunderstanding" between them, after her claim that he had coerced her into having an abortion suddenly derailed the actor's career. "I received an apology from him, and it seems like there were some misunderstanding between us," an anonymous person who claimed to be Kim's ex-girlfriend said Wednesday in an addition to her previous posting to an online commu

TelevisionOct. 21, 2021

Kim Seon-ho to step down from TV show, film

Actor Kim Seon-ho is to step down from the KBS variety show “2 Days & 1 Night” and a film titled “2 O’Clock Date” (unofficial translation). Though Kim and his agency, Salt Entertainment, issued official apologies Wednesday morning regarding a controversy surrounding his personal life -- allegations emerged that he pressured an ex-girlfriend to have an abortion -- producers are announcing Kim’s withdrawal from ongoing and scheduled productions. Public br

TelevisionOct. 20, 2021

Before Lee Kun-hee collection, there was Lee Hong-kun collection

A special exhibition “Remembering Lee Hong-kun in the Autumn of 2021” is being held at the Lee Hong-kun Gallery of the National Museum of Korea. The exhibition, which will run through the end of this year, is being held to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of donator Lee Hong-kun’s exhibition hall at NMK back in 1981. “At the time, 4,941 artworks were thought to have been donated,” NMK curator Lee Su-kyung said. After receiving them, the museum sort

Arts & DesignOct. 20, 2021

Korea Ginseng Corp. publishes book on ginseng industry in English

“A History of the Korean Ginseng Industry,” a book that unravels the history of Korean ginseng from an industrial perspective, has been published in English. According to Korea Ginseng Corp., the publisher of the book, it is an English version of the original that was written in Korean and published in 2019, with updates to reflect changes over the past years. Different from the Korean version that comes in two volumes, the English one is one volume divided into seven parts. It

BooksOct. 20, 2021

LG Arts Center set for new chapter in Magok

The LG Arts Center is gearing up to begin a new chapter in the district of Magok, western Seoul. The art center, managed by LG’s nonprofit organization the LG Yonam Cultural Foundation, is to move to the Magok area in October 2022, joining the LG Group’s R&D complex LG Science Park. In July, the center wrapped up its era in Yeoksam, Gangnam -- where it had been situated for some 20 years since its opening -- with its last production at the theater. “We focused on the p

PerformanceOct. 20, 2021

Local governments seek to promote tourism with ‘Squid Game’ contents

In response to the worldwide sensation of “Squid Game,” local governments aim to promote the cities as appealing tourist attractions using the hit Netflix show. Locations that appeared or were mentioned in the series are turning into new tourist sites, and childhood games are being developed as hands-on experiences to boost Korean tourism, which has suffered greatly from the pandemic-caused slump. Incheon Tourism Organization made an online post Friday to introduce some filming loc

TravelOct. 20, 2021

As borders reopen, honeymooners are ready to flock overseas

With South Korea soon to embrace a return to normal by “living with COVID-19,” many newlyweds are ready to go abroad for their honeymoons. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began early last year, honeymooners in Korea have been flocking to the southern holiday destination Jeju Island or the southern coastal region of Namhae in South Gyeongsang Province, taking advantage of package deals at luxury hotels. With the global vaccination rate on the rise and with some travel destination countr

TravelOct. 20, 2021

Actor Kim Seon-ho apologizes after rumor he pressured ex into abortion

Four days after an online post put actor Kim Seon-ho’s reputation in jeopardy, the actor and his agency issued an official apology Wednesday morning. On Sunday afternoon, an online post by someone claiming to be the ex-girlfriend of “actor K” alleged that she had been pregnant with his child and had had an abortion at his urging. Reporter-turned-YouTuber Lee Jin-ho identified “actor K” as Kim the next day, but did not provide proof. “The company sincerely ap

TelevisionOct. 20, 2021

‘Beethoven is a revolution himself’

Pianist Rudolf Buchbinder says he always finds new joy in Beethoven, who is a revolution unto himself. Beethoven specialist Buchbinder, 74, went onstage at the Seoul Arts Center on Tuesday, presenting five beloved Beethoven sonata pieces, including No. 8 “Pathetique,” No. 14 “Moonlight” and No. 21 “Waldstein.” He will have more recitals here throughout the week. “I never get tired of Beethoven. I always find new joy. He has been the center of my life

PerformanceOct. 19, 2021

[Herald Interview] ‘My Name’ director excited by show’s global popularity

The director of Netflix’s “My Name,” Kim Jin-min, was surprised to hear about the growing popularity of the mystery crime series. “While I expected some questions and comments, I was surprised that the viewers interpreted my work in very creative ways, speculating on the reasons for a character’s behavior. One way or the other, all of these are a way of showing interest in the series. For that, I would like to thank all the ‘My Name’ fans,” the di

FilmOct. 19, 2021

Actor Kim Seon-ho ads taken down amid controversy

Advertisements starring actor Kim Seon-ho have begun to be taken down following allegation that the star had demanded his girlfriend terminate her pregnancy. The controversy erupted Sunday afternoon when an online post surfaced in which the author, claiming to be an actor‘s girlfriend, alleged that “actor K” had urged her to have an abortion. The writer further claimed that the actor’s behavior toward her changed after the abortion. On Monday, reporter-turned-YouTuber L

TelevisionOct. 19, 2021