‘My Name’ drums up excitement with tense action scenes

Director Kim Jin-min is certain viewers who watch the first episode of his upcoming Netflix series, “My Name,” won’t be able to stop until they finish the rest of the show. “Most of the action scenes are done without a stuntman or stuntwoman. I avoided using computer graphics as well. I am sure that the viewers will be fascinated by the brutal raw action moves by the cast,” Kim said in an online press conference on Tuesday. Director Kim’s second Netflix ser

FilmOct. 5, 2021

CHA head responds to controversy over apartments near UNESCO-listed royal tomb in Gimpo in parliamentary hearing

Kim Hyun-mo, head of the Cultural Heritage Administration, answered lawmakers‘ questions about the controversy surrounding apartments near an UNESCO-listed royal tomb in Gimpo during the parliamentary inspection Tuesday. The Joseon-era royal tomb Jangneung in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, houses the parents of King Injo, the 16th ruler of Joseon, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009, along with several other Joseon royal tombs around the country. According to the CHA, it

CultureOct. 5, 2021

Exhibition about Hangeul held in Paris

An exhibition about the Korean alphabet titled “Hangeul: The Korean Alphabet Meets Design” is being held at the Korean Cultural Center in Paris. The exhibition, organized jointly by the National Hangeul Museum and the Korean Cultural Center in Paris, will go on until Nov. 12. The museum explained that the exhibition is held as part of its Hangeul experience project, which aims to promote the Korean language globally. Also, the exhibition is held to reflect the recent Korean lang

Arts & DesignOct. 5, 2021

Vienna Philharmonic, Riccardo Muti to go onstage in Korea

The Vienna Philharmonic and maestro Riccardo Muti are to take the stage in Korea as part of the orchestra’s Asian tour, which includes Japan and China. The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts announced Tuesday the orchestra is to go onstage at the theater on Nov. 14, led by the Italian maestro Muti. Prior to the concerts in Korea, the orchestra will tour across Japan from Nov. 3 to 12. After the engagements here, the orchestra continues on in China with concerts scheduled from Nov. 1

PerformanceOct. 5, 2021

Taking ‘Samson and Delilah’ to 1938 Nazi Germany

The biblical story of Samson and Delilah will get a major reinterpretation at the upcoming performance presented by the Korea National Opera in October, as the set moves from Biblical Gaza to 1938 Nazi Germany. The KNO is to stage opera “Samson and Delilah,” Oct. 7-10, at the Seoul Arts Center, commemorating the 100th anniversary since the death of Saint-Saens. It will be the first time in 40 years that the state opera company has gone onstage with the opera work. This time, the

PerformanceOct. 5, 2021

[Herald Design Forum 2021] Hermes art director Sang Jeon builds bridges with customers during pandemic

Closing the distance between French luxury brand Hermes and its customers while the pandemic has kept them physically apart has been the goal of Sang Jeon, Hermes’ art director for digital platforms. “I provide some whimsical and humorous contents on social media to people who cannot visit the store during the pandemic and keep them familiar with the brand, narrowing the physical distance between the two, which grew due to the pandemic,” Jeon said in a recent email interview

Arts & DesignOct. 5, 2021

‘Squid Game’ cast to appear on Jimmy Fallon show

Actors of “Squid Game” are scheduled to appear on popular US late-night show “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” in a special interview with the show‘s host. According to Netflix, the four actors -- Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Jung Ho-yeon and Wi Ha-joon -- will join the late-night show online for an episode that will be recorded Tuesday. The show is set to air the following day in the US. The nine-part thriller has topped global Netflix charts since its re

TelevisionOct. 4, 2021

Director Im Kwon-taek honored at Busan International Film Festival

The 26th Busan International Film Festival has selected director Im Kwon-taek as Asian filmmaker of the year. The award is presented to the Asian filmmaker or organization that has made the most significant contributions to the advancement of the Asian film industry. The iconic South Korean director was selected in recognition of a prolific career that spans six decades and has helped promote Asian film around the world, BIFF said in announcing the decision. Through films such as “Seopye

FilmOct. 4, 2021

[Herald Interview] Actor Jung Ho-yeon stays humble amid ‘Squid Game’ craze

For Jung Ho-yeon, 27, playing the role of Sae-byeok in “Squid Game,” directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, was an unreal experience as she was able to study and learn acting at a new level. “I am honored and feel thankful (to the viewers) for loving my performance in the series. But I am well-aware of how much work I have to do and learn to become a better actor,” Jung said during an online interview with a group of reporters on Friday. “I try not to dwell too much on the

FilmOct. 4, 2021

'Squid Game' all the rage in Paris

PARIS -- A pop-up store for Netflix's original Korean series "Squid Game" opened up in France over the weekend, attracting fans in Europe. The pop-up store, set up at a cafe in Paris' 2nd arrondissement, ran from Saturday to Sunday and allowed visitors to take photos with the staff dressed up as red-suit guards as in the show. The store also showcased a childhood game featured in the series known as "dalgona bbobgi." Visitors at the pop-up store took on the challenge, in wh

TelevisionOct. 4, 2021

[Visual History of Korea] Gakgung, the Korean composite bow which saved Koreans throughout history

To say that Korea wouldn’t be here today without Korean Gakgung Bow would be an understatement! Since ancient times, Gakgung, which means “bow made with animal horn,” was the weapon of choice for hunting and for protection of Koreans from invaders. The fact that the majority of Korean land is mountainous makes the bow and arrow a perfect weapon to defend fortresses from invaders. Koreans have always been known to be excellent archers. Neighboring kingdoms were even afraid to

CultureOct. 2, 2021

[Photo News] Harvesting tangerines on Jeju Island

Tangerines are one of the many reasons Jeju Island is well loved by visitors. Approximately 500,000 metric tons of the citrus fruit are produced on the island every year, accounting for a majority of the tangerine production in Korea.  Historical records show Jeju Island has a long history with the fruit. “Koryosa,” the 135-volume annals of the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392), records that people of Jeju Island have offered tangerines to the nation’s kings as gifts since AD 105

TravelOct. 2, 2021

[Photo News] Disney World’s 50th Anniversary

On Sept. 29, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida released a sneak peek of what’s to come for its 50th anniversary celebration.  The celebration will take place at all four Disney World theme parks and it will be an 18-month long event.  “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” is exciting for Disney fans as it will change Disney World as we know it. New attractions, an elevated dining experience, specialty food items, upgraded nighttime entertainment, limited-e

TravelOct. 2, 2021

[Eye Plus] A Night Stroll to Namhansanseong Fortress

One of the best places in Seoul to catch a glimpse of the beautiful city is Namhansanseong Fortress.  A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Namhansanseong Fortress is located in the small city of Gwangju in Gyeonggi Province.  It was built during the Unified Silla period to protect Hanyang, the capital in the Joseon era.  Today, the fortress remains as one of the most significant heritage sites containing the history of Korea. There are multiple courses that allow sightseers to observe

TravelOct. 2, 2021

[Herald Design Forum 2021] Jeffrey Ludlow takes on sustainability of signage 　

Jeffrey Ludlow -- a creative director at the Point of Reference studio in Madrid -- has been pondering issues related to sustainability, which are easily overlooked in the design industry. He came to think critically about signage as a major contributor to environmental issues. “Signage is everywhere and it comprises a large component of our urban life. It speaks to us about brands and it gives us directions and labels our world,” Ludlow said in an email interview with The Korea

Arts & DesignOct. 2, 2021

Fusion tunes light up London for K-Music Fest

London’s Festival of Korean Music, known as the K-Music Festival, which serves as a bridge for exchange and the promotion of traditional Korean music, is returning with live performances this fall. This year marks the eighth anniversary of the festival, organized by the Korean Cultural Center UK, along with Serious, which also serves as the main organizer for the EFG London Jazz Festival. A total of eight performances will be held across five different stages from Oct. 6 to Nov. 17, thr

PerformanceOct. 1, 2021

MMCA saves session for elderly for Lee Kun-hee collection exhibition

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea’s exhibition of 54 modern art masterpieces bequeathed by the Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee has become the most popular exhibition in the museum’s history, with reservations filling fast as soon as time slots open each day. In efforts to consider older visitors, the museum reserves the 10 a.m. slot on Tuesdays for the over-65s. The museum provides a total of eight sessions each day, each allowing 20 visitors for an hour

Arts & DesignOct. 1, 2021

OTT service content rating evaluation lags behind schedule

As the web-based and OTT (over-the-top) content market enjoys unprecedented popularity due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, a so-called stagnation effect has hit the industry, causing frequent delays in the rating evaluating process for new releases. The number of requests for video content ratings jumped by 1,300 in a single year, from 6,626 in 2019 to 7,957 in 2020, according to Rep. Park Jeong of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism C

TelevisionOct. 1, 2021

Universal Ballet to go onstage with ‘Giselle’

The Universal Ballet Company is to stage “Giselle” at the Seoul Arts Center from Oct. 29-31. The classic ballet is one of the most well-known and widely performed works of the Romantic era. Adolphe Adam wrote the music. Most performances of “Giselle” use the choreography staged by ballet legend Marius Petipa. It tells the story of a young peasant girl named Giselle. She falls in love with Albrecht, a nobleman in disguise. After learning that Albrecht has betrayed he

PerformanceOct. 1, 2021

Rom-com 'Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha' hits top 10 on world's popular TV show rankings

South Korean TV series "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" is gaining popularity on global online streaming platform Netflix, adding to a recent bullish run worldwide of Korea-made content led by the survival drama "Squid Game." The romantic comedy, aired on local cable channel tvN and simultaneously available for international streaming on Netflix, placed ninth on the most-viewed TV show rankings, according to streaming analytics firm FlixPatrol on Friday. It is the second South Korean s

TelevisionOct. 1, 2021