[Video] A guide through South Korean's favorite tipple: Makgeolli

Fancying a glass of craft beer and wine in the hippest vicinity was the vogue among the younger generations in recent years. Yet, traditional Korean liquors are permeating through the market, as makgeolli has become the latest taste. The nation's oldest spirit has been brewed with tradition, history and local ingredients for nearly 2,000 years. Traditional Korean drinks are made from rice, a staple food for Koreans. The liquor is also cooked with water, yeast and nuruk, an old-fashioned Korea

CultureDec. 14, 2020

SPO comes up with 4-month plan for 2021

Though it is customary for an orchestra to release the upcoming year’s program in December, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra shared its schedule for only the first four months of 2021 in concern of possible interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The SPO, which went through a difficult year like many other art troupes and institutions around the world, is looking forward to a better 2021 with a total of 13 performances, consisting of 11 orchestral music presentations and two chamb

PerformanceDec. 14, 2020

Third wave of coronavirus sweeps stages

Though the performing arts scene is at its year-end peak season, the outlook is gloomy as the third and so far worst wave of COVID-19 is underway. Local authorities have announced the Level 2.5 social distancing measures here, requiring performing arts venues to leave two-thirds of their seats empty. State- and city-funded art troupes based in Seoul have completely halted their operations under governmental orders. The Korea National Ballet canceled its year-end signature performances of &l

PerformanceDec. 14, 2020

Dismissal of KNB’s ballet dancer caught in legal dispute

The Korea National Ballet’s firing of a member earlier this year for traveling abroad during the home-quarantine period has come to the center of a legal dispute, as the state labor committee viewed it to be an “unfair dismissal.” According to the performing arts scene on Monday, the National Labor Relations Commission officially acknowledged that the national ballet troupe’s dismissal of Na in March was unfair. The labor committee viewed that Na had the responsibili

PerformanceDec. 14, 2020

Dreamy landscape painter Park Jong-sook opens solo exhibition

Painter Park Jong-sook, known for her dreamy landscapes, has opened up a solo exhibition “Part of Memory” in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. The exhibition, which runs through April 11 at Glass Island Museum in Ansan, showcases her painting series under the theme “Part of Memory.” The artist’s semi-abstract paintings feature portraits of her mindscape derived from her childhood, a mixture of elements from nature including winding roads in rural areas, trees, farms and

Arts & DesignDec. 14, 2020

[Herald Interview] Woman who saved Statue of Peace in Berlin

The Statue of Peace, which symbolizes the victims of Japanese military sexual slavery during World War II, stands in a central district in Berlin known as Mitte. It was the first of three such statues to be installed in a public place in Germany. But in October, it was on the verge of being removed due to strong opposition from the Japanese government. Many activists and nongovernmental organizations in Germany gathered around the statue and raised their voices about the importance of keeping i

PeopleDec. 14, 2020

Box office sales expected to drop 73.3% in 2020: KOFIC

The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) said Monday that cinema ticket sales this year are expected to drop 73.3 percent on-year to 510 billion won ($467.54 million), influenced by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Local movie theaters’ sales tumbled by 71.2 percent to 498 billion won for the January to November period, from 1.72 trillion won during the same period last year. It is unlikely that sales will pick up in December, KOFIC said, as the COVID-19 crisis is worsening here with 7,0

FilmDec. 14, 2020

Korean movie industry stays quiet after filmmaker Kim Ki-duk’s death

The South Korean movie industry did not have much to say about director Kim Ki-duk’s death on Friday in Latvia from COVID-19 complications. None of the local movie associations released an official statement about the matter, and only a few of Kim’s acquaintances from the local film industry sent short social media messages mourning his loss. “You left lonely. We had makgeolli in Insadong and it became the last time we met. Goodbye, Ki-duk,” Won Dong-yeon, CEO of Rea

FilmDec. 13, 2020

Sex dolls at MMCA stir up controversy

Some of the exhibited works for Korea Artist Prize 2020 at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, are under fire for including sex dolls. Works by visual artist Jung Yoon-suk are part of the exhibition for Korea Artist Prize 2020, co-organized by the MMCA and SBS Foundation. Four visual artists were selected earlier this year, and their works were unveiled at the MMCA Seoul venue on Dec. 4. At the center of the controversy is the two-hour documentary film “Tomorrow&

Arts & DesignDec. 13, 2020

Fake painting scandal of Lee Ufan continues: report

The forgery scandal surrounding painting master Lee Ufan is opening yet another chapter, according to KBS investigative reporting TV show “Chang.” The TV newsmagazine, scheduled to air at 8:05 p.m. Saturday on KBS1, will look into alleged cases of fake paintings of Lee, South Korea’s leading Dansaekhwa artist and the pioneer of the Japanese Mono-Ha Movement. The investigative program claimed it has captured scenes where the artist’s forged works are traded in art circl

Arts & DesignDec. 12, 2020

[Eye Plus] Peace Gondola, a place to reflect on division

Imjingak Pyeonghwanuri Park in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, is located about 7 kilometers south of the cease-fire line.  Developed right after the South-North joint communique of 1972, the park has become a tourist spot.  Relics with sorrow and pain from the Korean War that broke out on June 25, 1950 and confrontation between the two Koreas still exist there.  A steam locomotive preserved and exhibited as a cultural heritage in the park is one of the symbols of the tragic history o

TravelDec. 12, 2020

New York-based Lots O Bagels opens in Seoul

One bite of Lots O Bagels‘ sinfully chewy everything bagel swaddled around a thick schmear of feather-light cream cheese, smoked salmon, iceberg lettuce, tomato, onion and capers will confirm this spot knows how to make bagels. What started as a stand-alone bagel nook in New York’s Astoria in 1997 has branched out into a second location, right here in Korea. “My husband loves bagels so much and wanted to enjoy the bagels from our New York store in Korea,” said Lots O

FoodDec. 12, 2020

[Photo News] Winter arrives in Galsan Park of Yangpyeong

Leaves remain in vibrant red and orange colors on Thursday, as the cold hits Galsan Park in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province. People take walks along the waterside with the clear winter sky painted across the background. The air looks to be free of fine dust, with buildings afar easily visible. Mulsorigil is covered in long reeds with hints of white snow covering the tips. Mallards fly through the sky, with some swiftly dipping into the water. (Photos: Yonhap) By Song Donna (donnadsong@heraldco

CultureDec. 12, 2020

Kim Sun-wook’s performances rescheduled for January

Concert pianist Kim Sun-wook’s duet recital with violinist Chung Kyung-wha in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, will take place as scheduled Dec. 20, although Kim’s other engagements for December were postponed due to the resurgence of COVID-19. According to classical music show agency Vincero on Wednesday, three of Kim’s December performances have been rescheduled for January, after stricter social distancing measures came into force for Seoul. Under the revised schedule, Kim&r

PerformanceDec. 12, 2020

[Photo News] Isolated Christmas holds out in Myeong-dong

A luminous Christmas tree with various decorations stands in solitude in the streets of Myeong-dong, central Seoul.  Under the tightened Level 2.5 social distancing rules in Seoul, indoor activities have a curfew of 9 p.m., which traces the views of empty streets.  In an effort to curb further spread of the new coronavirus, the year-end season is expected to present unprecedented sights of Christmas. (Photos: Yonhap) By Lee Jae-Eun (leeje16@heraldcorp.com)

CultureDec. 12, 2020

‘The Miracles of the Namiya General Store’ unfolds in real world

The heartwarming Japanese novel “The Miracles of the Namiya General Store,” written by mystery writer Keigo Higashino, is coming to life in the real world. The novel, which centers on general store owner Namiya who communicates with neighbors through handwritten letters and offers sincere advice, has been a steady seller in South Korea since its 2012 release. In commemoration of the 100th printing, publisher Hyundae Munhak kicked off a project inspired by the story in collaborati

Arts & DesignDec. 12, 2020

Body of S. Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk likely to be cremated in Latvia

The body of South Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk, who died from COVID-19 complications in Latvia, is likely to be cremated in the Baltic country, a diplomatic source familiar with the matter said Saturday. Kim's family has asked the South Korean Embassy in Latvia to take care of the funeral process, the source said, citing difficulties in travel over the COVID-19 pandemic. The South Korean Embassy is in talks with the family over the funeral process. The 59-year-old director died early Friday (l

PeopleDec. 12, 2020

Renowned Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk fell from grace after MeToo allegations

Filmmaker Kim Ki-duk, who is known to have died from COVID-19 complications in Latvia, was one of South Korea's most decorated film directors, especially on the international stage. He rose to global fame after winning best director and best film awards at two of the three major international film festivals. But he left his home country after becoming embroiled in the #MeToo movement, facing accusations of sexual and physical abuse from an actress in 2017. Born to an impoverished family in th

PeopleDec. 12, 2020

Movie director Kim Ki-duk dies of coronavirus

South Korean movie director Kim Ki-duk died of complications from COVID-19 in Latvia on Friday.  News reports from Russia said the director died in the hospital from complications associated with COVID-19. Kim Ki-duk's family confirmed to multiple Korean media that the news was correct and that they had received a call on the day.  According to the sources, Kim arrived in Latvia in the middle of last month. He reportedly lived there with the help of film industry figures in L

FilmDec. 11, 2020

KNB cancels plans for ‘Nutcracker’

The Korea National Ballet canceled its “The Nutcracker” show slated for the Christmas holidays, following the recent resurgence of COVID-19 infection cases here. The national ballet troupe announced Friday that the iconic performance of “The Nutcracker” in December would have to be fully canceled due to the rapid spread of COVID-19. The ballet troupe was to hold the performances at the Seoul Arts Center from Dec. 19-30, leaving two-thirds of seats empty under the gov

PerformanceDec. 11, 2020