Classic and laugencroissants in Bukchon

At Artisan Croissant Bukchon, a small bakery located in Seoul’s Gye-dong, one will find various riffs off the popular buttery pastry, including the shop’s scrumptious laugencroissants and classic plain croissants. The bakery, which opened in 2017, is a sister shop to the prominent Artisan Bakers, which opened in Hannam-dong in 2012 and currently has four locations throughout Korea. Unlike Artisan Bakers, which specializes in everything from sourdough to pastries, Artisan Croissant

FoodJuly 31, 2021

[Weekender] A smart, safe plan B for virus-ridden summer: Vacance-at-home

Kang Seol-ah, 31, was supposed to be on Jeju Island for summer vacation this week, but instead, she chose to buy a small tent and decorative light bulbs to set the camping mood at home. The resurgence of the coronavirus has scared her, as it has forced restaurants and tourist sites to close early, even on the southern resort island known as the cleanest region in South Korea. Her plan B was camping at home, lounging on a camping chair and drinking ice cold beer in her new linen dress from H&am

TravelJuly 31, 2021

[Photo News] Goldfinch enjoys sunflower seeds amid summer heat

A goldfinch is sitting on the stem of a sunflower planted in a garden near the Danwon district office in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, on Aug. 29. A goldfinch eats a sunflower seed in a garden near the Danwon district office in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, on Aug. 29. (Photos: Yonhap)

CultureJuly 31, 2021

[Eye Plus] Hwaeomsa, a treasure trove hidden in Jirisan

Jirisan has long been revered by many South Koreans as one of three holy mountains alongside Geumgangsan and Hallasan. Hwaeomsa, the head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, is located at the southern foot of the mountain in South Jeolla Province. The temple is home to an array of national treasures, and visitors can also enjoy scenic views of the mountain.  Records say Yeongi, an Indian monk, established the temple in the 5th century, but the construction was not completed unti

CultureJuly 31, 2021

Ahn Ye-eun returns with new horror song

A Korean artist is making a comeback with a horror song that will send a chill down fans’ spines this summer. Singer-songwriter Ahn Ye-eun released a highlight teaser of her third single, “Changgwi” on Friday, according to the artist’s agency JMG. The 21-second video, considered a short horror movie by some, shows Ahn sitting alone surrounded by mysterious shadows, creating an eerie atmosphere. “Changgwi” -- a soul from the dead bitten by a tiger -- stems

PerformanceJuly 30, 2021

KCC Brazil holds virtual Korean culture fest

The most famous Korean cultural festival in Latin America, K-Expo 2021 kicked off in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Thursday, according to Korean Cultural Center Brazil. The annual festival is being held online for the second consecutive year via two popular streaming services, Youtube and Twitch. A special studio in Bom Retiro, Sao Paulo, was set up for viewing the virtual event.　 The first day of the show started with a virtual tour around Seoul’s hip Ikseon-dong followed by an online fan meeti

CultureJuly 30, 2021

[Herald Review] Pianist Kim Sun-wook shines in conductor role

Following his debut as a conductor in January, concert pianist Kim Sun-wook took the baton once again Thursday evening. The program for Thursday’s concert with the KBS Symphony Orchestra at the Seoul Arts Center included Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat major and Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 in C major, D. 944 “The Great.” The Seoul Arts Center’s concert hall, which has some 2,500 seats, was only half full because of the government’s social dist

PerformanceJuly 30, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas offers meals for private gatherings Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas has launched a special lunchbox “Grab & Go Surf and Turf” promotion of meals prepared by hotel chefs with top-quality ingredients for small private gatherings. The “Grab & Go Surf and Turf” includes lobster, steak, abalone, dried yellow corvine, salad and dessert. The prepared meals will be served until Sept. 30 and priced at 110,000 won for four and 180

FoodJuly 30, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Eumseong Pumba Festival The Eumseong Pumba Festival will take place in Eumseong-gun, North Chungcheong Province, running for four days starting Oct. 21 at Seolseong Park. The origin of the festival is connected to the songs of street singers when strolling around the marketplaces to look out for anything they could get. Performers here do not beg for food and money, but they will sing at the event. The event features various programs, including the Pumba street parade and National Pumba King

TravelJuly 30, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Escape from Mogadishu (Korea) Opened July 28 Action, Drama Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan Set in 1991 Somalia, South Korean Ambassador to Somalia Han Shin-sung (Kim Yoon-seok) and National Security Planning Agency agent Kang Dae-jin (Jo In-sung) are competing against North Korean Ambassador (Heo Jun-ho) for South Korea’s membership in the United Nations. When a civil war breaks out in the African country, South and North Korean diplomats have to cooperate to escape the country together. Th

FilmJuly 30, 2021

[Herald Interview] Global zombie sensation ‘Kingdom’ director hopes to quench fans’ thirst

A single 92-minute episode of historical zombie thriller “Kingdom” was not meant to be a hit, according to director Kim Seong-hun, who has headed the series since 2019. “‘Kingdom: Ashin of the North’ is more like a prequel or a stepping stone for the next season,” Kim said during an online interview with a group of reporters on Wednesday. “I was very focused on expanding the “Kingdom” universe and explaining the story of Ashin, I was glad t

FilmJuly 29, 2021

[Herald Interview] ‘Escape from Mogadishu’ took burden off my shoulders: Jo In-sung

For top actor Jo In-sung, “Escape from Mogadishu” was the movie that he could enjoy filming, as the burden of playing the sole lead role was lifted off his shoulders. “In previous films, nobody told me that I should feel pressured but I felt responsible,” Jo said during an interview via Zoom with a group of reporters. “When filming a movie, there are things that the leading actors should take care of. They have to make sure that the staff is doing okay. They also

FilmJuly 29, 2021

Asia’s largest contemporary urban art fair to kick off in Seoul

Urban Break 2021 -- Asia’s largest art fair focused on contemporary urban art -- will kick off Thursday at Coex in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul showcasing a variety of urban artworks and programs that feature VR. Some 300 artists from around the world are presenting about 25,000 creations at this year’s annual fair. Following the VIP opening Wednesday, the event will open to the general public Thursday and run through Sunday. Participating artists include a New York-based doodle a

Arts & DesignJuly 28, 2021

Korean contents promoted to global buyers

Korean contents are being virtually screened at “2021 K-Format Virtual Screenings in the US,” which kicked off July 26. The event is aimed at promoting Korean television programs and creative formats to international buyers, according to the Korea Creative Content Agency which organized the virtual event. Major US networks, including Warner Brothers, HBO Max and Lionsgate, as well as Hollywood producers and directors, Mexican broadcaster TV Azteca and other Latin American buyers h

TelevisionJuly 28, 2021

[Herald Interview] Kim Yoon-seok returns as ordinary man in ‘Escape from Mogadishu’

For veteran actor Kim Yoon-seok, the absence of a hero in the action-drama movie “Escape from Mogadishu” directed by Ryoo Seung-wan was the reason he decided to join the cast. “It is easy for war movies to have a single hero that saves everyone. This movie did not take that road,” Kim said during an interview with a group of reporters via Zoom. “Escape from Mogadishu” is based on a real-life event involving South and North Korean diplomats in Somalia who

FilmJuly 28, 2021

[Feature] 'Lee Kun-hee Donation Hall' to come, but details still unknown

When online reservations for the exhibitions of art donated by the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee at the National Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea opened last week, the slots filled up quickly, reflecting the public’s keen interest in the single-largest art donation ever in Korea. The family of the late Lee donated more than 23,000 works of art in April that Lee had collected, most of them going to the National Museum of Korea and Na

Arts & DesignJuly 28, 2021

KNO to depict ‘han’ through opera ‘Nabucco’

The Korea National Opera will present Verdi’s celebrated opera “Nabucco” at the Haeoreum Grand Theater at the National Theater of Korea from Aug. 12-15. It will be the first time for the troupe to present the full-act opera in 16 years, since the last production in 2005. The 1842 opera portrays the Babylonian invasion of Judah and the forced detention of Jews as they are exiled from their homeland by the Babylonian King Nabucco. The best-known number from the opera is the

PerformanceJuly 28, 2021

Red alert for showbiz industry as confirmed COVID-19 cases escalate

While the nation hunkers down for its worst wave of the pandemic, a flare-up in COVID-19 infections among actors and film crew members have forced major drama and movie productions to cancel their schedules. “The Sound of Magic,” an original Netflix drama series based on the popular webtoon “Annarasumanara,” immediately halted operations after starring actor Ji Chang-wook and one of the staff members tested positive for the virus. An official from Netflix Korea told Th

TelevisionJuly 27, 2021

South Korea’s tidal flats inscribed as UNESCO world heritage

South Korea’s “gaetbeol,” or Korean tidal flats, were inscribed onto UNESCO’s world heritage list on Monday. The final decision on the tidal flats’ listing was made during the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee which took place in Fuzhou, China. The meeting was held online due to the global pandemic. A total of four tidal flats across the country’s coastal areas -- Seocheon in South Chungcheong Province, Gochang in North Jeolla Province, Sinan, Bo

CultureJuly 27, 2021

Legends to bring back old melodies through ‘Sound Project’

Legendary Korean pop music singers from the late 20th century will go onstage for a series of concerts, hoping to encourage the diversity of the local music scene. With an aim of supporting the older adult contemporary music genre in Korea, music contents company Sound Friends is to run “Sound Project,” a series of concerts featuring big-name singers from the 1960s to 1990s such as Kim Chang-ki, An Chi-hwan, Han Young-ae, Kim Hyun-chul and more. Kim Chang-ki and An Chi-hwan were

PerformanceJuly 27, 2021