[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Andaz Seoul Gangnam launches ‘Guy’s Night Out’ package Andaz Seoul Gangnam is offering a safe stay-in package until Feb. 28 called Guy’s Night Out. The Guy’s Night Out package offers a one-night stay in an Andaz Suite, a Drink Basket and Hangover Room Service. The Drink Basket comes with French vodka Grey Goose, four bottles of beer, four bottles of a hangover-helper drink and french fries. Hangover Room Service consists of seafood ramen with fresh abalone, Andaz

FoodOct. 30, 2020

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

  Seoul International Cafe Show The 2020 Seoul Cafe Show will take place Nov. 4-7 at the Coex Convention and Exhibition Center in southern Seoul.  The annual event was launched in 2002 to promote the coffee, tea, bakery and dessert culture and related industries. The event aims to introduce the latest trends in the cafe scene. This year the organizers have set up a COVID-19 Free Zone to ensure everyone’s safety.  Tickets cost 18,000 won per person for a one-day admission

TravelOct. 30, 2020

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Samjin Company English Class (Korea) Opened Oct. 21 Drama Directed by Lee Jong-pil 　 In 1995, three women -- Lee Ja-young (Ko Ah-sung), Jung Yoo-na (E Som) and Sim Bo-ram (Park Hye-soo) -- have been working at their company for eight years. Though they’re all good at their jobs, they lack college diplomas and are constantly passed over for promotions. Then the company announces the start of an English class, promising that employees who attain scores of 600 or higher will be offered promo

FilmOct. 30, 2020

[Herald Interview] ‘Our model is to continue to invest in journalism’

Seoul will become the de facto Asian headquarters for the New York Times with the relocation of its Asia digital hub from Hong Kong to South Korea, according to Stephen Dunbar-Johnson, international president of the New York Times. The move, announced in July after China passed the new National Security Law in June that threatened the safety of reporters in Hong Kong, is expected to be completed by the middle of next year, Dunbar-Johnson said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Thursday a

CultureOct. 29, 2020

[Herald Interview] Are you up for 24 hours of nonstop classical music?

Only classical music can enlighten us, according to pianist-turned-producer Park Chang-soo. The veteran pianist heads The House Concert, a production company that plans small salon concerts. This weekend, classical music will run from 5 p.m. on Friday to 5 p.m. on Saturday at the recording studio Yul Haus in southern Seoul, as The House Concert presents the third edition of its “24hours Project.” “I want the audience to enjoy the essence of classical music, which forms th

PerformanceOct. 29, 2020

Seoul Fashion Week gives everyone a front seat

The 2021 spring-summer Seoul Fashion Week ended Sunday, attracting some 670,000 views of the runway videos. Korea’s largest fashion show kicked off on Oct. 20, live-streaming the runway show of Miss Gee Collection, womenswear brand headed by the veteran designer Gee Choon-hee who was named the honorary designer of the year. Miss Gee Collection has participated in Seoul Fashion Week for the past 20 years. The live digital runway was viewed by more than 20,000 people online, according to

Arts & DesignOct. 29, 2020

In a year of uncertainties, ‘The Nutcracker’ may leave you nostalgic

Though 2020 has brought unprecedented changes to the performing arts scene, including the world of ballet, “The Nutcracker” will wrap up the year as it does every year. The holiday tradition of enjoying Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece “The Nutcracker” in the Christmas season will continue despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Universal Ballet will go onstage with “The Nutcracker” Dec. 18-30 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in central Seoul

PerformanceOct. 28, 2020

Architectural drawings with AR technology show history of industrialization in Korea

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art unveiled its inaugural MMCA Cheongju Project 2020 at its Cheongju venue, titled “Kwon Minho: Clouded Breath.” The artist combines architectural drawings with media technology to convey the narrative of South Korea’s industrialization. Kwon Min-ho, who “tells” the story of Korea’s economic history through imaginative large-scale drawings that resemble an architect’s blueprints, was the first artist to

Arts & DesignOct. 28, 2020

SBS drama ‘Delayed Justice’ sends message of hope

Actor Kwon Sang-woo returns to the small screen as a public defender in SBS’ new drama “Delayed Justice.” The Korean title for the new drama literally translates to “Fly, Stream Dragon” and is derived from a Korean idiom meaning a dragon born in a stream, similar to the expression “rags to riches.” Kwon takes on the role of Park Tae-yong, a lawyer who comes from humble origins with only a high school diploma. He partners with journalist Park Sam-soo,

TelevisionOct. 28, 2020

Culture Ministry awards recognize efforts to raise awareness about gender equality

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Wednesday recognized cultural figures, groups and content that helped raise awareness about gender equality in South Korean society. Artist Jung Jung-yeob was honored for her works spotlighting the lives and labor of Korean women, which had long been overlooked in the arts. She is best known for her painting “The First Supper,” a response to Leonardo da Vinci’s 1490s painting “The Last Supper.” In her painting, the m

CultureOct. 28, 2020

Social critic and journalist Rhee Yeung-hui remembered in 10th anniversary with two books

Changbi Publishers announced the publication of two books commemorating the 10th anniversary of the death of Rhee Yeung-hui in a press conference on Tuesday. “Serving the Truth,” a critical biography of Rhee by Kwon Tae-sun, and a selection of Rhee’s literary work, “For Those That Think and Resist” by Baek Young-seo and Choi Young-muk, examine the life of the journalist and scholar and his legacy. Rhee was a journalist and an outspoken social critic who was not a

BooksOct. 27, 2020

Gong Yoo, Park Bo-gum team up in film about first human clone ‘Seobok’

Actor Gong Yoo is returning to the big screen with Park Bo-gum in “Seobok,” a film about the first human clone, The upcoming film which is set to be released in December will draw the bromance between the two main characters played by Gong Yoo and Park. “The director told us to use Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise’s relationship in ‘Rain Man’ as our reference. In the movie, Seo-bok is constantly curious, seeing the real world for the first time, and Ki-hun bec

FilmOct. 27, 2020

Local OTT platform Wavve features movies for two French film festivals

A selection of French films began screening on local over-the-top platform Wavve on Tuesday, in conjunction with two French film festivals. The first French film festival, running from Tuesday to Nov. 4, is being held jointly with the Institut Francais in Seoul. Nine French movies recommended by Korean film director Ryoo Seung-wan, including comedy “Redoubtable,” written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius, will be presented. Ryoo, who made his directorial debut in 2000, is known

FilmOct. 27, 2020

Kurosawa: I didn't need great courage to make film on Japan's wartime crime

Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa said Monday that it didn't take a great deal of courage to make his Venice-winning film that directly deals with his country's wartime atrocities. "It didn't require strong determination or bravery," the prolific director said in an official press conference for "Wife of a Spy" at the 25th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). "I just thought I have to tell the story based on historical facts." The winner of best director at

FilmOct. 26, 2020

Income disparity in entertainment industry on the rise

The income gap among artists in the entertainment industry in Korea has widened over the past several years with the disparity among singers the most stark, surpassing that among actors and models, government figures showed. The total annual income of 63 singers in Korea – the top 1 percent of singers in Korea in terms of earnings -- recorded 217 billion won ($192.2 million) in 2018, accounting for 53 percent of the total income of singers, according to the document submitted by the Nati

CultureOct. 26, 2020

Mukbang star Tzuyang returns with two videos after a 2-month break

Popular mukbang, or “eating show,” YouTuber Tzuyang uploaded videos on Friday and Sunday, the first of 10 promised while announcing her retirement in August. The videos titled “Yokji Island 1” and “Yokji Island 2” showed Tzuyang, who has 2.64 million subscribers, eating large portions of ramen, kimbap and cow intestine at Yokjido, South Gyeongsang Province. Known for her big appetite, Tzuyang ate 9.4 kg of cow intestine in the second video and said that she s

CultureOct. 26, 2020

‘Wishing Dance’ to kick-start SIDance festival

The 23rd Seoul International Dance Festival, SIDance for short, will be held online Nov. 6-22, presenting local and overseas dance programs across various genres. As has been the case with most festivals this year, SIDance, organized by the Seoul section of the UNESCO-based International Dance Council, will be held online, streaming dance performances on its official website as well as its channels on Naver TV and YouTube. The festival will be led by Lee Jong-ho, its founder and artistic di

PerformanceOct. 26, 2020

Kevin Laurence O’Rourke dies at 81

Kevin Laurence O’Rourke, a trailblazer of Korean literature translation, passed away Friday at the age of 81. O’Rourke, who has translated more than 2,000 Korean literary works into English, was a leading foreign figure in the Korean literature scene. According to Kyung Hee University, O’Rourke was born in Ireland in 1939. He became a Catholic priest in 1963. The following year, he started to serve as an assistant priest at Soyangro Catholic Church in Chuncheon, Gangwon Pr

PeopleOct. 25, 2020

Kim Tschang-yeul’s spirituality rings through waterdrops

The paintings of water drops by Kim Tschang-yeul are familiar both home and abroad, but how the artist began to associate water drops with text is not so widely known. Gallery Hyundai, a major commercial art gallery in Korea that has a special relationship with the 90-year-old artist, sheds light on that history through an exhibition dedicated to the artist. “The Path” is an exhibition that shows how Kim highlights his personality through the painting series that combines text a

Arts & DesignOct. 25, 2020

SAC to stream short-form plays

Adjusting to the times of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul will stream short-form plays under the Play Clips project. The Seoul Arts Center is to launch Play Clips as a part of its Sac on Screen project which brings performing arts to the virtual stage through online screening. Play Clips will introduce plays, divided into five- to six-minute-long videos. The art center said it hopes to suggest a new paradigm of performing arts for the younger generation who enjoy

PerformanceOct. 25, 2020