BTS' new album 'BE' tops iTunes charts in 90 countries

K-pop sensation BTS has topped 90 regional iTunes charts with its latest album titled "Be," the band's agency said Saturday. Released the previous day, the band's fifth Korean-language studio album debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes Top Albums charts in 90 countries, including the United States and Britain, according to Bit Hit Entertainment. At the same time, the title track, "Life Goes On," ranked first on the iTunes Top Songs chart in 90 countries. Sales of the eight-track

PerformanceNov. 21, 2020

Hanbok-inspired school uniforms worn at two schools

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Crafts & Design Foundation announced Friday that two local middle schools -- Jakcheon Middle School and Daechang Middle School -- had adopted hanbok-inspired school uniforms on Nov. 16. This is the first uptake of hanbok-inspired school uniforms, which were created as part of a project, led jointly by the Culture Ministry and the Ministry of Education, which began in February last year.   “Along with 53 uniform designs th

CultureNov. 20, 2020

‘King of Mask Singer’ expands reach to 31 countries

With two new European versions starting up this month, broadcaster MBC’s entertainment show, “The King of Mask Singer,” is capping a successful year, with localized shows in more than 30 countries. “The King of Mask Singer,” which began airing in 2015, is a program where singers and celebrities compete with one another wearing a mask to hide their identity. The singers they take off their masks to reveal their identities once they lose. The show has been a major

TelevisionNov. 20, 2020

[Eye interview] ‘Peace and love is the best vaccine!’

At 72, Hahn Dae-soo is as exuberant as ever, his throaty laughter and irrepressible energy filling the studio. The “halbae,” a term of endearment for grandfathers in Korean, as he calls himself, is back in Korea after four years in New York. But he is no ordinary halbae: He came to record his 15th album, “Blue Skies, White Clouds,” which was released Nov. 14. “It is the pandemic, the desire to spread the word that it is not the time to sing about togetherness, t

PerformanceNov. 20, 2020

[Around the Hotels] Promotion and Packages

Shinsegae Chosun Hotel X L’Escape Hotel offer ‘Romantic Mood’ package Shinsegae Chosun Hotel in central Seoul’s Jung-gu has collaborated with L’Escape Hotel to offer the Romantic Mood package for guests who want to spend a romantic night during the holiday season. Guests using the package will be offered a special dim sum meal, depending on the room type, at the Palais de Chine in L’Escape Hotel. The package also comes with complimentary use of the library

FoodNov. 20, 2020

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Sunchang Fermented Sauce Festival The Sunchang Fermented Sauce Festival is an annual event held in Sunchang, South Jeolla Province. The festival celebrates the many different sauces and pastes made from fermented soybeans. This year’s event runs until Nov. 29 and involves a photo contest, a talent show and more. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event is being held online; festivalgoers at home can upload photos of their sauce pots. Also, the festival organizers are looking for suggest

TravelNov. 20, 2020

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

More Than Family (Korea) Opened Nov. 12 Drama, Comedy Directed by Choi Ha-na Toe-il (Jung Soo-jung) finds out she is pregnant. The father of the baby is Ho-hoon (Shin Jae-hwi), a student she has been tutoring. She plans to marry Ho-hoon, who is younger than her, and while preparing for the wedding she suddenly decides to look for her own biological father, who abandoned her and her mother many years ago. But she cannot remember much about her father -- not even his face or his first name. 

FilmNov. 20, 2020

Despite pandemic, lights are on at Korea’s stages

In a year that has witnessed the COVID-19 pandemic disrupt lives and devastate economies around the world, Korea has sought innovations to meet the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The following is the first article of a four-part series on how Korea is creating a new normal during the pandemic, produced in partnership with The Korea Foundation -- Ed. While the performing arts scene is one of many industries hit by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in Korea, the stage lights are still

PerformanceNov. 19, 2020

Global press photo exhibition illustrates life during COVID-19

An exhibition of press photos zooming in on life during the new coronavirus is set to begin at a Seoul museum next week, offering visitors a chance to see how the world is coping with the unprecedented pandemic, organizers said Thursday. The exhibition, titled "At the Scenes of the Pandemic," features 120 photos taken by photographers at 47 news agencies around the world. It is scheduled to open at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History in central Seoul on Tuesday, accordi

Arts & DesignNov. 19, 2020

Upcoming Gwangju Biennale will blur boundaries between online, offline platforms

The 13th Gwangju Biennale -- South Korea’s largest art biennale, which has become a major art event in Asia -- will kick off Feb. 26, having been pushed back due to the spread of COVID-19. The theme of the 73-day biennale will be “Minds Rising, Spirits Tuning,” with 69 artists participating and 41 new commissions. The artworks will be on display across the city of Gwangju -- at Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall, Gwangju National Museum, Gwangju Theater and Horanggasy Artpolyg

Arts & DesignNov. 18, 2020

Angbuilgu sundial from Joseon era goes on display

Angbuilgu, a hemispherical metal sundial from the Joseon era (1392-1910), has been brought back to Korea from the US and is now on display at the National Palace Museum of Korea. The exhibition of the sundial will run until Dec. 20. The Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation under the Cultural Heritage Administration said it first found out about the sundial in January. “Our staff in the US conducted a close research and investigation of the item, which came up for auction”

CultureNov. 18, 2020

Gyeongju city plans to sue driver of SUV parked atop ancient tomb

The city government of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, plans to sue the driver of the vehicle that was photographed parked atop a Silla Kingdom tomb, a city official said Wednesday. The official added while there was no visible damage to the tomb, a thorough examination will be conducted to determine any harm done to it. Even if no damages are discovered, the city will sue for illegal parking, the official told The Korea Herald. “It appears the driver drove through the fence surro

CultureNov. 18, 2020

[Video] Offbeat products fizz with upsurge in popularity in Korea

South Korean food makers are reaching out for unique collaborations by adding a little twist to their original products. Convenience store GS25 has teamed up with Miwon Group and launched Miwon Matsogeum Popcorn, touching on the “newtro” trend of blending established, sometimes unfashionable brands with new products they are not usually associated with. Matsogeum is a kind of seasoning and in Korea, Miwon is a household name associated with it. And while the Buldak brand, more

CultureNov. 18, 2020

Kakao TV’s ‘No, Thank You’ brings popular Instatoon to life

Mobile content streaming platform Kakao TV will kick off its latest original drama “No, Thank You” on Saturday at 10 a.m. through its mobile app, KakaoTalk. “No, Thank You” is based on popular webtoon “Myeoneuragi” by Soo Shin-ji, serialized on Instagram in 2016 with 600,000 followers. “Myeoneuragi” is a term coined by Soo to describe the period when a daughter-in-law, or “myeoneuri,” is new to the family and wants to be liked and com

TelevisionNov. 17, 2020

Level 1.5 social distancing impacts culture sector

As South Korea decided Tuesday to tighten the social distancing rules to Level 1.5 in the Greater Seoul area from the current Level 1, the cultural sectors will have to make adjustments to comply with restrictions for state-run and public facilities, performance halls, religious facilities and movie theaters. The stricter social distancing rules will go into effect Thursday in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, and Monday in Incheon. The announcement came after the region began to see a coronavir

CultureNov. 17, 2020

Beauty of reality captured by photography master Min Byung-hun

The black and white photographs of birds in nature -- some flying over a lake, while others rest amid falling snow -- are quiet and comforting. The longer you look, the more visually complex they become, with small stories and textures scattered throughout each artwork. Photographer Min Byung-hun -- who has been practicing film photography for decades -- is showing his recent bird series at an exhibition titled “Bird” at Gallery NoW in southern Seoul. His photographs feature faint,

Arts & DesignNov. 17, 2020

Han Ji-min, Nam Joo-hyuk team up again in romance remake ‘Josee’

After the trailer of the romance film “Josee” was presented during an online press conference Tuesday, the two lead actors -- Han Ji-min and Nam Joo-hyuk -- began crying. “Watching the trailer brought back all the emotions that I felt when filming,” Nam said. After fixing their makeup, Han and Nam shared their experiences of teaming up again in “Josee” after working together on the 2019 TV drama “The Light in Your Eyes.” “Even when we w

FilmNov. 17, 2020

South Korea’s lotus lantern lighting festival at final stage before UNESCO world heritage inscription

Yeondeunghoe, a lantern lighting festival in South Korea, reached the final stage before being inscribed on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural assets at 2 a.m., Tuesday, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration. In March 2018, the CHA applied for the listing of Yeondeunghoe to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In its application, the agency explained that the lantern lighting festival‘s value lays in being a cultural festival for

CultureNov. 17, 2020

Tech-savvy musical offers ride on DMZ ‘peace travel’

A new high-tech musical is to promote “peace travel” in the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas, according to the Korea Tourism Organization. “Wonder Ticket,” organized by the KTO, will stream online from Nov. 28 to Dec. 31, promoting the travel industry in the DMZ. The story of the musical takes off at an abandoned steam locomotive -- which currently sits at Jangdan Station in Imjingak, located on the banks of Imjin River in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. The trai

PerformanceNov. 17, 2020

Bowl-shaped sundial of Joseon Dynasty returns home

A cauldron-shaped sundial made during the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty has returned home from the United States, South Korea's state heritage foundation said Tuesday. The Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation said it bought the sundial, one of the Angbuilgu public clocks, at a US auction in June and brought it back to South Korea two months later. Anbuilgu was first invented during the reign of King Sejong in the 15th century in order to tell the 24 solar seasonal terms as well as the hours

CultureNov. 17, 2020