Actor Son Suk-ku’s ‘Night Fishing’ wins award at Fantasia International Film Festival

South Korean actor Son Suk-ku’s 13-minute-long experimental film “Night Fishing” received the Best Editing Award at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival, which kicked off on July 18 and continues through Aug. 4 in Montreal, Canada. The “Night Fishing” story, which unfolds from the perspective of a car’s cameras, revolves around an anonymous agent (Son) on a mission to track down an unidentified creature flying in the sky. As the sun sets, he lies in a

FilmJuly 29, 2024

[Herald Interview] Jo Jung-suk says his comical acting is instinctive, result of teamwork

Jo Jung-suk, whose scene-stealing acting entertains viewers on the silver screen, said his realistic, natural and even sly comical acting is based on instinct. In upcoming comedy film “Pilot,” he plays pilot Han Jung-woo, successfully performing the comical role of a man disguising himself as a woman in a way that is neither excessive nor dull. “It’s really important to get a sense (of comical acting.) It’s hard to explain. I think (my acting) is instinctive. &helli

FilmJuly 29, 2024

[Herald Interview] Two Korean violinists named Ji-yoon on being concertmasters overseas

One of the most anticipated concerts at the annual festival Music in PyeongChang was the PyeongChang Dream Team concert. The PyeongChang Dream Team, consisting of emerging and established musicians from world-renowned orchestras, performed Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581 and Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115 on Thursday at the Alpensia Concert Hall and again at PyeongChang Woljeongsa Museum on Sunday as part of the festival's outreach program. In addition

CultureJuly 28, 2024

Enjoy cool, pleasant museum tours in summer

If you can't beat the heat, it might be best to surrender. But for those seeking sanctuary indoors, Korea still has a lot to offer tourists. For the month of August, the Korea Tourism Organization recommends a selection of spots that not only offer a cool, pleasant environment to spend your vacation, but also cultural experiences that reveal different sides of South Korea. Korean Stone Art Museum Korean Stone Art Museum, the world’s only museum specializing in stone art, is home to

TravelJuly 28, 2024

Law to promote transparency in Korean art scene takes effect

Those who purchase art in South Korea can ask for a certificate that guarantees the authenticity of the work, while artists will be guaranteed royalties every time their work is resold in the art market, according to the newly enacted Art Promotion Act. The Art Promotion Act and its enforcement decree partly went into effect Friday, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. While people could ask for a type of document that identify that the artwork is authentic when purchasing

Arts & DesignJuly 28, 2024

Music festival Boiler Room Seoul halted due to overcrowding

The music festival "Boiler Room Seoul 2024," where DJ Peggy Gou was scheduled to perform, was abruptly halted due to excessive crowding. The festival was held at the Sfactory, a multipurpose cultural venue in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, but was stopped three hours earlier than scheduled for safety reasons as the venue became overcrowded. It was set to run from 9 p.m. Saturday to 4 a.m. Sunday, but the festival was forced to end around 1 a.m., just before Peggy Gou's performance. Festival

PerformanceJuly 28, 2024

[Weekender] What we are reading at Korea Herald

The weather has been nothing short of erratic in Seoul, swinging from torrential rain to searing heat. Amid such atmospheric unpredictability, there’s no better moment to retreat indoors with a stack of books. Here are some summer reading recommendations from The Korea Herald. Lee Joo-hee Managing editor, The Korea Herald "American Diplomacy" by George F. Kennan "American Diplomacy" by the late diplomat and historian George F. Kennan is a compilation of his lectures a

BooksJuly 27, 2024

[What to watch] 3 Korean box office flops with cult followings for unpredictable laughs

While it’s certainly harder to call Korea’s box office flops “great” movies to watch, some have gained cult followings similar to B-movies, due to being “so bad they’re good.” Korean movies in this vein don’t fall into a particular genre or follow a typical storyline. They are unpredictable and elicit uncontrollable laughs, rather than forced ones. How good these movies actually are is a tricky question to answer. But if you have any love for black

FilmJuly 27, 2024

[Weekender] Summer reads: Suggestions for books to take with you on vacation or staycation

The weather has been nothing short of erratic in Seoul, swinging from torrential rain to searing heat. Amid such atmospheric unpredictability, there’s no better moment to retreat indoors with a stack of books. To help you do just that, The Korea Herald asked around for some summer reading recommendations. The responses of the following figures, arranged alphabetically, have been edited for length and clarity. Cha In-pyo Author/actor "Questions and Answers on Trees" by Hwang Kyu

BooksJuly 27, 2024

Vacationers headed for East Coast should expect substantial traffic: agency

Traffic between Seoul and Gangwon Province is expected to surge considerably during the summer vacation season, with trips from Seoul to the eastern coast taking as long as five hours and 50 minutes. According to the Gangwon Provincial headquarters of the Korea Expressway Corporation, an estimated 433,000 cars a day were expected to be on the expressways of the province between July 25 and Aug.11, the peak of the vacation season in South Korea. This is up 11.6 percent from the daily 386,000 ca

TravelJuly 27, 2024

Klook makes Everland priority passes foreigner-friendly

Travel and leisure e-commerce platform Klook announced on Thursday that two types of foreigner-friendly tickets that offer priority access to Everland attractions are now available. Everland is the largest theme park and zoo in South Korea, located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Everland’s priority boarding ticket Q-Pass is available exclusively on Klook. The two Q-Passes -- Plan-it 2 and Plan-it 3 -- allow ticket holders to make reservations for the theme park's popular attractions, i

TravelJuly 27, 2024

What ultraluxury hanok looks like, if built right

YEONGWOL, Gangwon Province -- Luxury travel is incomplete without a stay at a high-end hotel, where the pampering includes exquisite food, decor and seclusion, while sessions for restoring mental and emotional wellness enrich the experience. All that is available at the Hanok Heritage House in Yeongwol County, Gangwon Province -- the latest example of how far entrepreneurs are willing to go when refashioning “hanok,” the traditional Korean house. The architect behind the $130 million

TravelJuly 27, 2024

National Theater Company's 'Hamlet' delves into political drama

Three distinct interpretations of the Shakespearean tragedy "Hamlet" are coming to Korea's stages in the coming months, showing that a timeless classic can still be made new. Prince Hamlet is Princess Hamlet in the production by the National Theater Company of Korea, whereas Seensee's production directed by Sohn Jin-chaek and currently running at the Hongik Art Center turns to contemporary mise-en-scene for new inspiration. October will see yet another "Hamlet," dir

PerformanceJuly 26, 2024

Seoul Summer Beach invites people to splash in Seoul’s center

Seoul City’s signature summer festival “Seoul Summer Beach” has returned to Gwanghwamun Plaza in central Seoul, with a larger swimming zone than last year and new facilities to help beat the heat. The second edition of the festival began its 17-day operation Friday afternoon with an opening ceremony, according to its operator the Seoul Tourism Organization. Seoul Summer Beach consists of a water zone, Gwanghwa Waterpark, and a zone in front of the Statue of King Sejong the Grea

TravelJuly 26, 2024

Liberation Day eve concert with Song Ga-in at Gwanghwamun

A concert titled "8.15 Seoul My Soul" will be held at Gwanghwamun Square at 7 p.m. on Aug. 14, to celebrate Liberation Day, with "queen of trot" Song Ga-in performing the finale. The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, in collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, is organizing the event to commemorate the 79th anniversary of Liberation Day. The concert will begin with a performance by male percussion group Tago. Also performing will be Seodo Band, who describe

PerformanceJuly 26, 2024

Match made in temple

Buddhist monks in South Korea are increasingly embracing a new role -- matchmaking. “To us, monks helping singles match up isn’t all that new. We launched a templestay program for singles in early 2012. It just hadn’t made headlines like today,” an official of the Korean Buddhist Foundation for Social Welfare said Friday. The official at the foundation, run by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, was referring to a long-running program where participants learn about tradit

CultureJuly 26, 2024

Letters by Korean independence fighter to go on exhibit

Seven letters written by Korean independence fighter Na Seok-ju that shed light on his plans to destroy Japan-run companies in protest of Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule are on display at the National Museum of Korea, from Friday to Oct. 9. Shown to the public for the first time, the letters, written to fellow activists in 1925, discussed how Na found it more viable to bomb Joseon Siksan Bank and the Oriental Development Company in central Seoul among other Japanese state-run businesses. On

Arts & DesignJuly 26, 2024

[Well-curated] Seoul's specialty cafes: tailored drinks, peaceful teahouses, and iconic bingsu

A sip of poetic cocktail, coffee Near Mangwon Station, among small buildings, restaurants, and shops, a secret bar lies tucked away in the basement. Dada Lab transforms from a coffee shop by day to a cocktail bar by night, offering a full range of typical bar menu items. What sets this bar apart are the unique “Text Blending” drinks. “Text Blending” allows customers to write down any phrase or text, from which the bartender draws inspiration to create a personalized drin

CultureJuly 26, 2024

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Quench your thirst at Park Hyatt Seoul The Park Hyatt Seoul, located in Gangnam, southern Seoul, presents an opportunity to enjoy refreshing, premium Champagne at its top floor The Lounge. The hotel offers a total of five bottles of Champagne -- Krug Grande Cuvee, Dom Ruinart 2010, Dom Perignon 2013, Ruinart Blanc de Blancs and Ruinart Rose Brut -- paired with a menu of smoked salmon, sliced ham, Blini, chives and 30 grams of Osetra caviar. The Lounge’s chef, Jung Sang-hyup, recommends eit

TravelJuly 26, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Petite France in Gapyeong Petite France is a village in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, mirroring a typical French countryside landscape. Next to it is Pinocchio & DaVinci, an Italian village. Through August, visitors can watch a puppet show and a performance on a 19th-century European organ. Admission for adults is 12,000 won for the French village and 16,000 won for the Italian village. A pass for both attractions costs 19,500 won. Find out more at pfcamp.com. Sandulsori Botanical Gar

TravelJuly 26, 2024