Fortunetelling meets art at Ilmin Museum of Art

When uncertainty looms, some resort to fortunetelling or shamanism to uncover clues about their future. The desire to know what fate has in store has escalated during the pandemic times. The exhibition “Fortune Telling” at the Ilmin Museum of Art in Seoul explores this desire through artworks and interactive performances, offering comfort and fun to people who are exhausted after the prolonged pandemic. A special audio guide recorded by a Korean shaman is offered throughout the fir

Arts & DesignMay 31, 2021

CJ ENM hopes to become ‘Asia’s Marvel’ in streaming wars

Media giant CJ ENM has earmarked 5 trillion won ($4.49 billion) for content creation over the next five years to boost growth of its streaming platform Tving. The Korean company has also set its sights on becoming a worldwide leader in the entertainment industry, it said Monday. “We will establish a sound IP creating system and infrastructure, so we have decided to inject more money into creating content,” CJ ENM CEO Kang Ho-Sung said during a press event held in Sangam-dong, Seou

TelevisionMay 31, 2021

Korea Tourism Organization targets Japanese under-40s

With travel restrictions being gradually lifted in different countries and vaccination roll-out gaining momentum in Korea, the tourism sector hit hard by the more than yearlong pandemic is gearing up to attract foreign travelers. The Korea Tourism Organization hosted a two-day online travel promotion event on May. 28, specifically targeting Japanese under-40s -- Millennials and Generation Z – who are interested in Korean culture. A series of live streaming events were aired on Nikoniko Li

CultureMay 31, 2021

Dream Concert to be held online

The Dream Concert, one of the world’s biggest K-pop events, will be held online in June amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Korea Entertainment Producer’s Association, the 27th Dream Concert will take place June 26 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, western Seoul. Last year, the concert was held online for the first time due to the virus crisis. Called “Dream Concert Connect:D,” the event made use of the latest media technologies such as virtual reali

PerformanceMay 31, 2021

Star ballet dancers to put on gala show

Korean ballet dancers with overseas dance companies will join a gala show for the 2021 Ballet Festival Korea at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul, June 24-25. More than 100 prominent ballet stars who perform on the international ballet scene have participated in the annual gala since its inception in 2001. This year, organizers have invited dancers such as Lee Choong-hoon from the Dance Theater of Harlem in New York, Kim Seok-ju of the Boston Ballet, Lee Ju-ho of the Estonia Vanemuine O

PerformanceMay 30, 2021

When Batman faces gangsters in Jongno

The iconic superhero Batman will be created by a Korean writer and cartoonists, this time against the backdrop of Seoul. DC Comics is to publish a series set in 14 countries around the globe -- Korea, China, Japan, US, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, Poland, Turkey, Mexico, and Brazil -- working with writers from the respective countries. Spurred by the Dark Knight’s realization that his fight for justice should not be limited to Gotham city, the global collaborati

BooksMay 30, 2021

[Eye Plus] Day trip to other side of Earth

Without having to fly 12,000 kilometers away from Seoul, a private park in Goyang, just 30 minutes’ drive from the capital city, offers unique taste of Latin America. A two-hour leisurely stroll inside the 11,500-square-meter wide cultural park will be enough to take a tour through a museum, an art exhibition hall, a sculpture park, a replica of a chapel, and a Mayan-style mural, housing a total of over 3,000 items.  The museum exhibits artifacts from the Maya, Aztec, Inca and To

CultureMay 29, 2021

Artisanal gelato at Gelateria Dodo

It was Gelateria Dodo owner Shin Ye-ha’s penchant for the Italian dessert that prompted her to open her own gelato spot. “I have always liked gelato and there was this gelateria I frequented,” Shin, 30, explained in an email interview. “One day the owner told me the shop would be closing.” After hearing she would no longer be able to get her regular gelato fix, Shin decided to learn how to make it herself and tapped the owner of her favorite gelateria for knowle

FoodMay 29, 2021

Gugak center to release 30 music videos of traditional performances

The National Gugak Center is to release a music video online every Wednesday, featuring traditional Korean music and dance. The Gugak In project, led by the state-run institution, kicked off last year, to help traditional performing artists who have been experiencing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, a total of 20 acts were selected for the project. The center produced a series of music videos featuring the artists’ performances at scenic spots across the greater Se

PerformanceMay 29, 2021

[#WeFACE] Dutch architect says local architectural projects reusing old materials should go global

Dutch architect Jos de Krieger, who has been a partner at architecture firm Superuse Studios since 2013, stressed the importance of going global with local architectural projects that reuse old and used materials. “The building industry is one of the biggest polluters and the reuse of building material can help to bring down the ecological footprint on the environment,” De Krieger said in a recent email interview with The Korea Herald. He explained how projects that reuse old and

Arts & DesignMay 29, 2021

Korean Diaspora Literature Essay Contest calls for submissions

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea) is calling for submissions for this year’s Korean Diaspora Literature Essay Contest to expand the base of literary exchange through discovering and supporting writers of Korean diaspora literature. The writing contest will be based on 25 essays, novels, and poems written by people of Korean ancestry living in Central Asia, Europe, Japan, the US and North Korean defectors chosen by LTI Korea. “Diaspora literature exists than

BooksMay 29, 2021

Paik Nam-june’s first NFT-based artwork offered by Christie’s

Video art pioneer Paik Nam-june’s well-known video work, “Global Groove” was turned into an NFT-based artwork for the first time and put up for auction online at Christie’s, the global art auction house, Tuesday. The online auction, “Proof of Sovereignty,” runs through June 3 in collaboration with Lady PheOnix, a curator of contemporary digital art. NFTs, or nonfungible tokens, are a unique form of cryptocurrency that is becoming popular when selling digita

Arts & DesignMay 28, 2021

Musical ‘Good Morning Dokdo’ returns to Seoul Arts Center

“Good Morning Dokdo,” a musical about South Korea’s easternmost islets and the territorial dispute with Japan, is coming back to the Seoul Arts Center from June 10-13. The show, which first opened in May 2020, has been upgraded with new cast members and visual effects, said the Seoul Arts Center, which held open auditions. “Good Morning Dokdo” follows the Dokdo Lovers, a group that shares an interest in protecting the islets’ sovereignty, as they travel the

PerformanceMay 28, 2021

[Herald Interview] Director of black comedy ‘Pipeline’ has nomadic mindset

  Veteran director Yoo Ha’s new film, “Pipeline,” has a completely different vibe from his previous hits. While he’s best known for serious crime films such as “Little Odessa,” “Gangnam Blues” and “Spirit of Jeet Keun Do -- Once Upon a Time in High School,” this time he has come out with a black comedy. “I have the mindset of a nomad. I like challenging myself by directing new genres that I haven’t done before,”

FilmMay 28, 2021

Smartstudy drops animated version of NCT Dream’s ‘Hot Sauce’

Global content company Smartstudy announced that it will release an animated version of “Hot Sauce,” from K-pop boy band NCT Dream, Friday at 7 p.m. The video will be on the official YouTube channels of both NCT Dream and Smartstudy’s education brand Pinkfong. “Hot Sauce” is the title song of the group’s first studio album, which sold over 1 million copies last week. The track consists of up-tempo hip-hop beats and Afro-beats. According to the content cr

PerformanceMay 28, 2021

Korean indie musicians team up to support democratization in Myanmar

South Korean indie musicians have teamed up to support activists struggling against the military junta in Myanmar, an association of Korean indie musicians for democratization in Myanmar said Thursday.　 On Monday they plan to release a rock version of “March for the Beloved,” originally a tribute to the victims of the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising. Thirteen vocalists from 10 indie bands, including Tacopy, ABTB, Shingaram Band, Fishingirls and Walking After U, collaborated on th

PerformanceMay 28, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Sheraton Grand Incheon Hotel offers ‘Famcation in the Park’ package The Sheraton Grand Incheon Hotel in Songdo, Incheon, is offering the “Famcation in the Park” package at Songdo Central Park for families staying there. Guests can enjoy kayaking at Central Park from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and kids can ride in a small wagon for three hours. The package starts at 209,000 won. For more information and reservations, call the Sheraton Grand Incheon Hotel at (032) 835-1000. G

FoodMay 28, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Seoul Salon du Chocolat Since its inception in France in 1994, Salon du Chocolat has taken place in 32 cities in 11 countries. In Seoul this year, it will be a three-day event from Aug. 20 to Aug. 22 at Coex, where visitors can taste and purchase a wide range of chocolate products, dessert ingredients and paraphernalia related to chocolate and desserts. Unique events such as the Chocolate Fashion Show, Chocoland and Choco Art will entertain visitors. A variety of hands-on activities, inc

TravelMay 28, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Pipeline (Korea) Opened May 26 Crime Directed by Yoo Ha Pindol (Seo In-guk), the best pipeline-drilling technician in South Korea, decides to take up an offer from Gun-woo (Lee Soo-hyuk), heir to a large conglomerate, to be part of a dangerous oil heist. For the job, Gun-woo rounds up a team of four thieves -- Jeobsae (Eum Moon-suk), Manager Na (Yoo Seung-mok), Keunsab (Tae Hang-ho) and Counter (Bae Da-bin). Voyagers (US) Opened May 26 Science Fiction Directed by Neil Burger In 2063, the fut

FilmMay 28, 2021

When travel meets wellness

The 19th-century American self-help author Napoleon Hill was referring to the deep connection between body and mind when he said, “The body achieves what the mind believes.” The mind plays an important role in wellness, but it is not easy to achieve wellness while living in a crowded city, venturing out each day and maintaining a hectic schedule. To help the pandemic weary, the Korea Tourism Organization has recommended seven “wellness travel” destinations. “We

TravelMay 27, 2021