[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Collectors (Korea) Opened Nov. 4 Crime, Comedy Directed by Park Jung-bae Kang Dong-goo (Lee Je-hoon) is a genius thief of ancient treasures and works with an expert in ancient tomb murals, Dr. Jones (Cho Woo-jin), and legendary shoveling expert Sabdari (Lim Won-hee). One day, Kang meets an ancient art expert, Ms. Yoon (Shin Hye-sun), and puts together a team for the dangerous job of stealing the Korean version of Excalibur in the royal tomb Seolleung in Seoul for Ms. Yoon’s boss. The No

FilmNov. 13, 2020

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

  Winter lights at E-World Theme park E-World in Daegu will host its signature Christmas Fantasy festival from Nov. 21.  Earlier this month, the amusement park turned on the lights on its 9-meter-tall Miracle Tree. During the festival period, Lighting Balloon Road will be on display, along with other photo zones themed around Christmas and winter. The Miracle Rose Garden with 100,000 blue light roses will light up, too. On the opening day, Santa Claus will welcome visitors.  T

TravelNov. 13, 2020

Foreign correspondents rank KDCA highest in satisfaction survey

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency scored the highest satisfaction among foreign correspondents based in South Korea in a survey conducted by the Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club. The SFCC, which has a registered membership of 286 correspondents from around 100 international media organizations, conducted the “Satisfaction survey on newsgathering conditions of government agencies” with the aim to address difficulties foreign journalists face in covering key gov

CultureNov. 12, 2020

Pandemic brings end to Netflix vs. theater struggle on theatrical release practice

As the latest Netflix original film, "Hillbilly Elegy," has hit screens of South Korea's two biggest multiplex chains of CJ CGV and Lotte Cinema, the yearslong conflict between major theaters and the global streaming giant has apparently come to an end amid the COVID-19 pandemic. CGV and Lotte Cinema decided to screen the Netflix-made film from Wednesday for two weeks before Oscar-winning director Ron Howard's drama is released on Netflix on Nov. 24. It is the first time that a Netfl

FilmNov. 12, 2020

Japanese artist Sugito overturns common sense with wooden frames

A series of geometrical semi-abstract paintings “wrapped up” inside antique wooden frames is on display, each one appearing to show a fragment of an old memory. Japanese painter Hiroshi Sugito’s recent paintings are showcased at his first solo exhibition in South Korea, featuring a series of small oil paintings. The works are reminiscent of dream scenes with objects such as trees, fruits, small houses and clouds. Some paintings are based on the artist’s sketches of rur

Arts & DesignNov. 11, 2020

[Video] Art expressed through glass, light and color

Red flames trickle down from a furnace while viscous glass tubes glide down a long iron rod, dancing. This harmonious dance to shape hot molten glass takes place at around 700 degrees Celsius. Next, a professional craftsperson moves the rod from the scorching hot stove, takes it out again, and cuts and stretches the glass to form different shapes. The art practice resembles a glowing beam of light from Iron Man’s artificial heart. Together, the various techniques and processes are c

CultureNov. 11, 2020

Soprano says 20th century Korean songs best way to express her ‘free spirit’

Korean-language songs sung by a South Korean soprano will be presented around the world by the German classical music label Deutsche Grammophon. Soprano Park Hye-sang, also known as Hera Park, made her Deutsche Grammophon debut with the release of her new album, “I Am Hera,” Nov. 6. The album consists of 18 pieces hand-picked by Park. The album features two works of “gagok,” a traditional Korean music genre: “Like the Wind That Met With Lotus,” a poem by t

PerformanceNov. 11, 2020

Soprano Park Hyesang records Korean-language songs for her first DG album

Soprano Park Hyesang said Tuesday that she has picked two Korean-language songs for her new album to show her own process of self-discovery as a Korean vocalist. Her latest album "I Am Hera," named after her English name, was released last Friday, with the German classical music record label Deutsche Grammophon (DG). It was DG's first official recording since the COVID-19 outbreak. "Many people had advised me to come up with a stereotypical repertoire that would never fail for

PerformanceNov. 10, 2020

Banksy’s artworks to be unveiled at urban art show in Seoul

Two artworks by British artist Banksy will be unveiled for the first time in South Korea at 2020 Global Break Art Asia, which opens Thursday at Coex in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul. The third edition of the annual art fair, which runs through Sunday and focuses on urban contemporary art, will showcase Banksy’s “Queen Victoria” and “Love Is in the Air.” Urban art, which encompasses diverse forms of visual art arising in urban areas, such as graffiti, flourished in t

Arts & DesignNov. 10, 2020

‘No Limits in Seoul’ aims to shatter prejudices about artists with disabilities

Korea Disability Arts and Culture Center kicked off “No Limits in Seoul,” an international art show that introduces artists with disabilities who perform to break perceptions about people with disabilities and global art groups that integrate disabled and nondisabled artists. “No Limits in Seoul,” which runs from Monday to Nov. 19 online, explores diverse performing art groups from around the world and how contemporary art can be interpreted from diverse perspectives.

CultureNov. 10, 2020

Ha Seong-nan’s short story collection makes Publishers Weekly top 10 list

Ha Seong-nan’s collection of five short stories translated into English, “Bluebeard’s First Wife,” was selected as one of the Publishers Weekly Top Ten Books of 2020. This is the second time that a South Korean literary work has made the list. The first was in 2016, when Publishers Weekly recognized the English translation of “The Vegetarian” by Han Kang. “Ha’s nitro-fueled collection captures the dark side of South Korean society in mischievou

BooksNov. 10, 2020

‘Contactless’ musical ‘Killer Party’ set for debut

A new original musical created to be presented online rather than put on stage is set for release later this month. While it has become the norm for performing arts production companies to stream their shows online during the pandemic, musicals created for the screen remain a novel idea. Produced by EMK Entertainment, affiliated with major musical production company EMK Musical Company, the musical “A Killer Party” consists of nine episodes, with each running about 10 minutes.

PerformanceNov. 10, 2020

Rolling Stone to launch Korean edition starting Nov.

American music publication Rolling Stone is set to roll out a Korean edition starting this month in the latest addition to its international edition series. Rolling Stone Korea, the 12th international edition by Rolling Stone, will be produced in partnership with e.L.e Media, under a license agreement with Penske Media Corp., according to the publication. The Korean edition, which the magazine said will be a mix of local content and syndicated articles, will be available in a bi-monthly print

PerformanceNov. 10, 2020

All things Korean Wave come together during Hallyu festival

The Culture Ministry is hosting a Hallyu festival, titled “On: Hallyu Festival,” Nov. 16-23. “This event will provide comfort to people around the world who are exhausted from COVID-19 while providing helpful opportunities to local businesses through the power of hallyu,” Culture Minister Park Yang-woo said in a statement. Most of this year’s events will take place online and the festival is organized jointly with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the K

CultureNov. 9, 2020

‘Korean Architecture Tour: Past to Present’ walks you through buildings of note

A guidebook that introduces South Korea’s representative architectural works has been published by the Korea Tourism Organization for foreigners interested in exploring the country. Published in English, Japanese and Chinese, “Korean Architecture Tour: Past to Present” introduces 56 architectural works, from traditional buildings with historical significance to award-winning contemporary buildings. The traditional buildings highlighted in the book include the shrine Jongmyo

Arts & DesignNov. 9, 2020

BTS’ ‘See You in Seoul’ video reaches 400 million hits

Seoul city’s promotional video featuring BTS topped 400 million views two months after its release, announced the Seoul Tourism Organization on Monday. The video “See You in Seoul,” featuring each member of the hit seven-member act introducing the city of Seoul, was released on Sept. 11 on the city‘s tourism platform (www.visitseoul.net) and social media channels.   The promotional video racked up more than 100 million views 10 days after the release, and generat

TravelNov. 9, 2020

Number of TV dramas likely to decrease next year amid coronavirus pandemic

The number of South Korean TV drama series is expected to decrease next year due to the fallout of the protracted novel coronavirus pandemic, experts said Monday. In the summer, when the country was struggling with a resurgence in novel coronavirus infections, TV studios and broadcasters halted productions of dramas and shows. Entertainment giant CJ ENM and its drama production affiliate Studio Dragon suspended drama filming for a week in August, with several shows on tvN and OCN affected by t

TelevisionNov. 9, 2020

Sentimental waterdrop painting artist showcases new portrait drawing series

Painter Nam Hea-kyoung, who is known for sentimental paintings of water drops streaming down windows featuring different themes, has opened up a solo exhibition “The Story of Rain and You” in Gangnam-gu, central Seoul. The exhibition, which runs through Nov. 17 at I Have A Dream, a multicultural space, showcases 10 recent oil paintings and 30 pencil drawings. Along with Nam’s signature water drop paintings, the exhibition is special because it also features her portrait pe

Arts & DesignNov. 8, 2020

Palace architectures harmonized with artworks at Deoksugung palace

When you pass by the palace Deoksugung at the center of Seoul, you might notice the sign “Art Plant Asia 2020: Hare Way Object,” the title of the exhibition that offers a chance to appreciate the beauty of the architecture in the palace complex as well as the works of art from established artists across Asia. The exhibition features the works of 33 artists installed inside and outside the palace complex in harmony with the beauty of its architecture. The palace had served the long

Arts & DesignNov. 8, 2020

[Diana’s Table] Fried chicken wings with ginger soy sauce

I start this series with my favorite fried chicken recipe because people of all ages love it. Anything fried just tastes better, but it is more than that. Fried chicken is arguably one of the most popular comfort foods around the world and it brings back childhood memories of good times shared with close friends and family. There are many different ways to fry chicken and I am sure that everyone has their own favorite family recipes. You may like it hot and spicy or you may prefer it sweet a

FoodNov. 8, 2020