'Minari' leads 77.5% jump at S. Korean box office in March

The South Korean box office jumped nearly 78 percent in March from a year earlier on the back of the strong performance of Oscar-nominated "Minari," data showed Friday. The number of moviegoers reached 3.26 million last month, up 77.5 percent from 1.83 million tallied in the same month last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the film industry at its early stage, according to the data compiled by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). From a month earlier, the March figure gained 4.7 perc

FilmApril 16, 2021

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Gallery 7 at Fairmont Ambassador Seoul presents ‘Taste of Spring’  Fairmont Ambassador Seoul presents “Taste of Spring,” a seasonal promotion offering private dining experiences in the elegant event spaces of Gallery 7, through the end of May. Located on the seventh floor of the hotel, Gallery 7 is home to a portfolio of small and medium-scale meeting spaces with interior designs evoking an art gallery. The venues offer customization for events, while a business din

FoodApril 16, 2021

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Haman Watermelon Festival The county of Haman, South Gyeongsang Province, will host the 2021 Haman Watermelon Festival online from April 23 to May 2. More than 14 percent of watermelons produced in Korea come from Haman. Though the festival is being held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be kits to help people make watermelon-inspired dishes and diverse activities related to the summer fruit. During the festival period, watermelons from the area will be sold at live commerce ev

TravelApril 16, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Seobok (Korea) Opened April 15 Science fiction Directed by Lee Yong-joo Ki-hun (Gong Yoo) is a former intelligence agent. One day, he receives his last mission from the director of the intelligence agency (Cho Woo-jin), to move Seo-bok (Park Bo-gum) -- the first-ever human clone, who possesses the secret to eternal life -- to a safe location. Seo-bok has never known life outside of the laboratory and was raised by Lim Se-eun (Jang Young-nam). Nobody (US) Opened April 7 Comedy Directed by Ilya

FilmApril 16, 2021

[Herald Interview] Eom Tae-goo curious about global audience’s response to ‘Night in Paradise’

Many local movies since last year have decided to skip theaters to release on Netflix due to the spread of COVID-19, which has kept moviegoers away from theaters. “Night in Paradise”also took this path, being released in 190 countries through Netflix on April 9. Five days after its release, lead actor Eom Tae-goo said he is curious about the response from global viewers, during a joint media interview held via Zoom on Wednesday. “To me, it is amazing that the movie is bein

FilmApril 15, 2021

[#WeFace] Breathing fashion into trash

Fashion often comes at a cost to our Earth. Massive amounts of clothing and textiles are wasted each year, as brands launch new looks and collections each season and are unable to more efficiently control inventory. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s report in 2018, nearly 20 percent of global wastewater is produced by the fashion industry. The industry also accounts for 10 percent of global carbon emissions. To grow a kilogram of cotton, for example, 7,5

Arts & DesignApril 15, 2021

Avignon Festival to screen in Seoul

The LG Arts Center is to hold the Avignon Festival Cinema event from April 28 to May 2, screening some works from the famed performing arts festival based in the southern city of France. The festival, featuring innovative and experimental performing arts shows, garners some 500,000 attendees every summer. It is a prestigious performing arts event, considered alongside the Edinburgh Festival. The center will screen four signature pieces presented at the Avignon Festival, along with a work r

PerformanceApril 14, 2021

[Newsmaker] Seo Yea-ji stares down controversy yet again

Controversy surrounding actor Seo Yea-ji has continued to mount, as more allegations of bullying have surfaced, despite denials from her agency in an official statement. An alleged staffer that used to work with the actress posted on an online portal early Wednesday morning that Seo had regularly mistreated her staff members in her agency, Gold Medalist. “As a staff member going around in the same car with her for several years, verbal abuse was nothing. She smoked in the car, so I suff

TelevisionApril 14, 2021

[Herald Interview] Gong Yoo says ‘Seobok’ is thought-provoking film about purpose of life

When actor Gong Yoo first read the script for his upcoming film “Seobok,” he felt like it was asking him a question. “I felt like it was asking me ‘So, what is the purpose of your life?’,” Gong Yoo told local reporters during a joint media interview Tuesday via Zoom. “I could not give an answer to that question. This experience stunned and interested me.” He explained that he decided to perform for “Seobok” because it was not only wri

FilmApril 14, 2021

MMCA unveils shortlist for Korea Artist Prize 2021

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea has announced a shortlist of four Korean artists for the Korea Artist Prize 2021 who will be sponsored to produce works for an upcoming exhibition. Bang Jeong-a, Kim Sang-jin, Oh Min and Choi Chan-sook -- were selected by a committee consisting of art experts from Korea and abroad appointed every year for the national museum’s annual award.  The exhibition of the four artists will be unveiled on Oct. 20 at MMCA Seoul title

Arts & DesignApril 14, 2021

Hit romance film director returns with sci-fi flick about first human clone ‘Seobok’

Director Lee Yong-joo, who is known for “Architecture 101,” a hit romance film that came out in 2012, has returned with a science fiction film about the first human clone “Seobok.” “I changed the genre of movie that I make, and this was not done on purpose,” Lee said during a press conference held at CGV Yongsan in central Seoul. “My first film was the horror film ‘Living Death,’ and it was about human fears. After that, I have always wante

FilmApril 13, 2021

Osmo Vanska’s 2021 SPO season to begin with Sibelius

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra’s music director, Osmo Vanska, will deliver his first performance of the 2021 season Thursday and Friday at the Lotte Concert Hall in eastern Seoul. At this week’s performances, the orchestra will present Bartok’s “Dance Suite,” Sibelius’ Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39, and Eotvos’ “Speaking Drums” for percussion solo and orchestra, featuring percussionist Bak Hye-ji, under the baton of Vanska. After p

PerformanceApril 13, 2021

[Newsmaker] Korean entertainment companies wary of Chinese money

The entertainment industry is on high alert for Chinese money in South Korean dramas after the SBS historical drama “Joseon Exorcist” was canceled after just two episodes last month. One of the criticisms leveled at “Joseon Exorcist” was that Chinese foods -- such as moon cakes and Chinese-style dumplings -- as well as Chinese-style sets and props were used in the drama, which was set in Korea’s Joseon Kingdom. Although the drama was made with 100 percent Korean

TelevisionApril 13, 2021

[After COVID-19] How Korea became ‘Republic of Apartments'

Following is the first article in a three-part series that explores housing in the post-pandemic era. - ed. The pandemic has suspended our everyday life, giving us a chance to think about how we are living. The impact of COVID-19 has permeated in our residential environment more over in the urban environment. South Korea has seen rapid development since the 1960s, but this has led to a monotonous residential environment -- rows and rows of apartments. In Korea, about 6 people out of 10 liv

Arts & DesignApril 13, 2021

[Newsmaker] 'Parasite' director Bong Joon-ho to present at upcoming Oscars

Bong Joon-ho, the Oscar-winning director of South Korean black comedy "Parasite," will be part of a 15-member "ensemble cast" that will present at the Academy Awards later this month. Bong, who directed the 2019 film that fetched four Oscars, including best picture and best director, will join former winners and nominees to present at the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony slated for April 25 (US time). The list of the first round of presenters, released on the Academy of Motion

FilmApril 13, 2021

‘Snowdrop’ Cheong Wa Dae petition gets 200,000-plus signatures

An online petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website demanding a halt to the production of the upcoming JTBC drama “Snowdrop” awaits an official response from the presidential office, having gathered more than 200,000 petitioners as of Monday. The Cheong Wa Dae website states that a Cheong Wa Dae representative will respond to any online petition signed by more than 200,000 people within 30 days of its posting. As of 2 p.m. on Monday, 205,812 people had signed the petition. “Sno

TelevisionApril 12, 2021

[Newsmaker] Youn Yuh-jung bags another trophy at BAFTAs

In the film “Minari,” Korean grandmother Soon-ja, played by Youn Yuh-jung, arrives in the US with her luggage packed with seeds for Korean vegetables and other home goods for her daughter. Youn’s own bag has been overflowing with trophies from the US for her acting in “Minari” alone, and on Monday, she added another feather to her cap with one from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards. At the BAFTA ceremony at London’s Royal Albert Hall, Yo

FilmApril 12, 2021

Busan holds first art fair of the year on a grand scale

The 10th Busan Annual Market of Art, the largest since the event’s inception in 2012, closed Sunday having attracted a huge number of visitors and a record number of participating galleries.  Also known as BAMA, the art fair kicked off Thursday with 176 galleries from South Korea and abroad and showcased nearly 4,000 artworks -- more than ever before in the fair’s history.  “We are still aggregating the number of visitors but we saw a lot of visitors despite the

Arts & DesignApril 12, 2021

Retro looks, Korean beauty set trends at Seoul Fashion Week

The virtual Seoul Fashion Week fall-winter 2021 wrapped up last week, bringing together unique designs from 43 fashion brands based in Seoul. Retro style and Korean traditional beauty stood out on the runway.  Rookie design brand SETSETSET invited audiences into a “Sarang bang,” the guestroom in a hanok, a Korean traditional house. Its fall-winter collection featured baggy jeans as well as kitsch and lovely dresses in bright colors. The woman’s fashion brand was launched

Arts & DesignApril 10, 2021

[Eye Plus] Train station-turned music complex: Music Village 1939

Music Village 1939 is a music complex built on 38,000 square meters of land where the former Gapyeong station was located, connecting Seoul and the small town of Gapyeong in Gyeonggi Province.  The complex, which is designed to host musical and other cultural performances, is also widely known for hosting the country’s biggest annual jazz festival, Jarasum International Jazz Festival. The complex comprises of several buildings that house concert halls, a cinema, guest residences,

TravelApril 10, 2021