Kukje Gallery wins Wallpaper* Design Awards 2021

Kukje Gallery‘s newly renovated K1 building has been chosen as the winner of the Best Cultural Draw at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2021. Design magazine Wallpaper* annually announces the winners of the awards in its February issue, publishing the list of outstanding places and products across the world from the past 12 months. The gallery’s K1 building is a multiuse arts complex featuring an expanded gallery space, cafe, restaurant, yoga studio and private gym where works by the

Arts & DesignJan. 13, 2021

Packed meals’ salt levels need to be cut, consumer watchdog says

Packed meals sold at convenience stores contain 68 percent of the recommended daily sodium intake, the Korea Consumer Agency said Wednesday. The agency’s report showed that the average amount of sodium found in 25 types of different packed meals -- also known as “dosirak” in Korean -- at major convenience store chains was measured at 1,361 milligrams. South Korea’s recommended daily sodium intake for adults is 2,000 milligrams. One of the packed meals had 2,433 milli

FoodJan. 13, 2021

Kim Young-jin selected as new head of KOFIC

Kim Young-jin selected new head of KOFIC Kim Young-jin, former vice director of the Korean Film Council, has been selected as the new chairman of the state-funded film organization. Kim was chosen through a vote by the nine KOFIC committee members during the committee‘s first regular meeting Monday. His term of office runs through Jan. 3, 2022. “We will seek a practical support plan to overcome the difficult times of COVID-19, and also focus on presenting a blueprint for respon

FilmJan. 13, 2021

Youn Yuh-jung continues to capture US film critics’ heart

Veteran actor Youn Yuh-jung won three more best supporting actress trophies from US film critic circles -- the San Diego Film Critics Society, Music City Film Critics Association and the DiscussingFilm Critic Awards -- for her role in “Minari.” So far, Youn has won a total of 11 best supporting actress awards given by US film critics circles and festivals, including the Columbus Film Critics, Oklahoma Film Critics Circle and the North Carolina Film Critics. Drama film’s dire

FilmJan. 13, 2021

[Video] ‘Working from home’ to stay in 2021

South Korea’s stringent social distancing rules has emptied many offices as the nation tries to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Among confirmed cases, many of the infections are linked to densely populated metropolitan areas. In 2020, a shift toward working from home quickly became the norm among many workplaces. Along with worries and challenges, remote working introduced several changes -- the tools employees use to work, shortened commuting, what we wear to work, being able to wo

CultureJan. 13, 2021

Pianists make their way to podium

After months of perseverance, pianist Sunwook Kim finally made his formal debut as a conductor Tuesday, following in the footsteps of the great maestros before him. Amid a heavy snowfall that hit the greater Seoul area, Kim took the baton at Lotte Concert Hall, leading the KBS Symphony Orchestra. Kim’s concert with the KBS Symphony Orchestra was initially set to be held in December, but was postponed to January due to the spike in the number of coronavirus cases across Korea. The postp

PerformanceJan. 13, 2021

Chang Uc-chin remembered at Hyundai Hwarang

Hyundai Hwarang (Gallery Hyundai) hosts a special exhibition in memory of South Korean artist Chang Uc-chin, whose works of modern art are loved by many Koreans for their unique warm-hearted simplicity, reflecting the artist’s own painting style. Born in 1918, the artist loved folksy subjects such as Korea’s rural scenery, family, magpies and hanok, or traditional Korean houses. Due to his pursuit of simplicity, some say his paintings look like the work of a child. But that simple

Arts & DesignJan. 12, 2021

Men only: Band audition show reignites discrimination furor

When JTBC’s band audition program, “Super Band,” announced the opening of registration for the second season, the application requirements reignited the gender discrimination controversy the first season of the program faced. “Any male musician in fields such as practical music, K-pop, classical music, traditional Korean music, rock, EDM, hip-hop, musical, jazz, world music among others can apply regardless of age /nationality / academic background!” said the app

TelevisionJan. 12, 2021

Chinese YouTuber Li Ziqi’s kimchi-making video sparks controversy

Popular Chinese Youtuber Li Ziqi, who has over 14 million subscribers, drew controversy in Korea after she uploaded a video of herself making what appears to be kimchi with the hashtag #ChineseCuisine and #ChineseFood. The 19-minute video “The last episode of the ‘Life Series’: The life of white radish!” shows Li going through every step of kimchi-making, from harvesting cabbage from the ground to pickling the cabbage in a large jar and later applying spicy seasoning to

CultureJan. 12, 2021

Korea Musical Awards recognizes ‘Marie Curie’ with four awards

Musical “Marie Curie” won four awards at the Korea Musical Awards held Monday, recognized as an outstanding original Korean musical production. 　 Presented by the Korea Musical Theater Association, the annual awards ceremony, the largest of its kind in Korea, was held at the Blue Square culture complex in Seoul. Featuring star stage actor Ock Ju-hyun, “Marie Curie” won the grand prize, as well as awards for best director, best script, and best music composition. It had

PerformanceJan. 12, 2021

Gamut of classical music in store for 2021

Though the COVID-19 pandemic crisis is yet to be resolved, the classical music scene is filled with high hopes for 2021, waiting to welcome audiences back to concert halls.　 Pianist Kim Sun-wook kicked the year off with a solo recital Monday. Initially slated for March 2020, the recital had been postponed three times due to surges of COVID-19 cases. On Tuesday, Kim will go on the stage with the KBS Symphony Orchestra, making his conducting debut, followed by a recital with celebrated veteran

PerformanceJan. 11, 2021

Korea’s CHA presents mural conservation manuals to Myanmar

South Korea’s Cultural Heritage Administration in Myanmar held a ceremony on Monday to present four booklets on Korea’s mural conservation and management to Myanmar’s cultural authorities. Minister of Religious Affairs and Culture of Myanmar Aung Ko, the director of the Department of Archaeology and National Museum, South Korea’s ambassador to Myanmar Lee Sang-hwa and Head of the Bagan Office of the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation Kim Dong-min attended the event at

CultureJan. 11, 2021

‘Wonder Woman’ fails to save Korean movie theaters

  The number of moviegoers over the weekend dropped to a new record low last week, according to data from the Korean Film Council. A total of 80,735 people went to theaters from Friday to Sunday last week, a deep plunge from 149,000 a week earlier. Over the three days, “Wonder Woman 1984,” directed by Patty Jenkins, topped the local box office with attendance of just 26,000. The Hollywood superhero movie has been dominating the local box office, with the accumulated number

FilmJan. 11, 2021

BTS grabs 4th album of the year trophy at Golden Disc Awards

BTS won album of the year at the 35th Golden Disc Awards on Sunday, grabbing the trophy for the fourth consecutive year, further cementing its position as the most popular boy band in the country. The boy band won the honor for its fourth full album, “Map of the Soul:7,” which was released in February 2020. The album consists of 19 tracks that deliver stories of BTS members discovering their true selves. The video for the album’s main track, “On,” received more th

Arts & DesignJan. 11, 2021

Korean director Im Sang-soo to make Hollywood debut

South Korean director Im Sang-soo, whose latest feature "Heaven: To The Land of Happiness" was selected by Cannes last year, will make his directorial debut in Hollywood, a production company here said Monday. He will take the helm of "Soho Sins," co-produced by US production studio 2W Network Entertainment, according to Yeolmae Entertainment. The film is based on the novel of the same title written by Richard Vine, the managing editor of the magazine Art in America. It fea

FilmJan. 11, 2021

Hakgojae Gallery seeks humanity in pandemic

Hakgojae Gallery kicked off the year with an exhibition looking into the meaning of humanity after the devastating COVID-19 pandemic has changed many things. The exhibition, “Hakgojae Collection, 38˚C,” takes place both offline and online. “People are focusing on their body now. They isolate themselves to protect it from the pandemic and react sensitively to symptoms. Thirty-eight degrees Celsius is widely considered a high fever for humans, which became a criteria for banni

Arts & DesignJan. 10, 2021

TvN’s ‘Youn’s Stay’ off to good start

“Youn’s Stay” -- a spin-off of the popular Korean reality TV show “Youn’s Restaurant” -- got off to a good start Friday with a rating of 8.2 percent. The show features foreign guests staying at a hanok guesthouse in Korea run by a group of celebrities. It began with the production team expressing concerns about airing a program during the pandemic. It was noted that all celebrities and guests on the show had tested negative for the coronavirus. “Youn

TelevisionJan. 10, 2021

Taboo no more: Divorce becomes more common on Korean TV shows

Although a significant number of married couples decide to go their separate ways each year in Korea, divorce is not a topic that Koreans talk about casually, largely because it is still a taboo subject. The divorce rate in Korea has increased for two consecutive years since 2018, according to Statistics Korea. Although the divorce rate decreased by 4.3 percent year-on-year from January to October 2020, the number of couples that got divorced stands at 88,455. “I have a close friend fro

TelevisionJan. 10, 2021

Exhibition sheds light on foreign researchers who studied Korean art

An exhibition highlighting foreign critics and historians who have explored and documented Korean art is under way at a museum in central Seoul. "Homebound Journey: Non-Korean Researchers' Study of Korean Arts" is taking place at the Kimdaljin Art Archives and Museum in the central Seoul neighborhood of Jongno. The museum has curated an archive of foreigners who have studied Korean Art from the late Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) to modern day. The 100 items on display include books, exh

Arts & DesignJan. 10, 2021

Bolognese meets Burgundy at Hugo Dosan

At Hugo Dosan, a new addition to Seoul’s dining scene, chef Hugo Won serves up his take on pasta. After learning the ropes at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, Won racked up experience at two Michelin-starred restaurants before striking out on his own. Fast-track to Nov. 12, when Won and his friend soft-opened Hugo in Sinsa-dong. We wanted to create “a comfortable space where one could enjoy food and wine,” Won, 29, explained in an email interview. Won added that he and his friend

FoodJan. 9, 2021