JeongSeon Forum 2020 kicks off, spotlighting sustainable Earth, balanced life

In commemoration of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics’ second anniversary, JeongSeon Forum 2020 will kick off its three-day run Thursday at High1 Grand Hotel Convention Tower in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province. JeongSeon Forum 2020, hosted by the Gangwon Provincial Government and Gangwon Convention & Visitors Bureau, will serve as a venue where the international community and its global citizens discuss the Earth and human beings’ coexistence, under the theme of “Sustainable Ea

CultureAug. 19, 2020

MMCA venues to shut down again as COVID-19 escalates

　Three venues of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) -- Seoul, Gwacheon and Deoksugung -- will temporarily close, starting Wednesday, as the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic began to escalate again in the metropolitan area. 　“We have decided to close for now and will gauge the timing to reopen again,” Tiffany Yun, deputy director of communication and media team at MMCA, told The Korea Herald. 　MMCA’s Cheongju venue in North Chungcheong Provin

CultureAug. 18, 2020

[Feature] Will shutting down comments section curb abuses online?

The country’s three major online portals -- Naver, Kakao and Nate -- announced earlier this month that they were temporarily closing the comments sections under their sports articles until they could come up with a system to protect athletes from abusive language. “Comments that target particular players, defaming their reputation and degrading them, continue,” Naver said on Aug. 7. “We acknowledge that the malicious comments and the pain suffered by the athletes is at

CultureAug. 18, 2020

‘Space Sweepers’ is not the usual sci-fi hero blockbuster

It is being touted as Korea’s first original space blockbuster, but “Space Sweepers” does not show glamorous heroes on cutting-edge spaceships saving the universe. Instead, you get space laborers collecting dangerous trash and fighting enemies in their struggle to survive. Ahead of the film’s release on Sept. 23, director Jo Sung-hee and cast members Song Joong-ki, Kim Tae-ri, Jin Seon-kyu and Yoo Hai-jin attended a preview press conference in Seoul on Tuesday. The even

FilmAug. 18, 2020

SPO member contracts COVID-19, taught student related to church infection cluster

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra canceled its concerts slated for this week, after one of its members tested positive for COVID-19. The member contracted the virus after giving private lessons to a Seoul Arts High School student related to the Sarang Jeil Church virus outbreak. According to the SPO, the orchestra member was tested for the virus on Saturday, after being informed of having come in close contact with a person who had contracted the virus. The following day, the member was confir

PerformanceAug. 17, 2020

‘The Golden Holiday’ release delayed as COVID-19 resurges

As COVID-19 cases surge, the release of “The Golden Holiday,” which was scheduled to hit the screens Wednesday, has been delayed until further notice. The announcement came just two days before the scheduled premiere date, making it the first major film to have its release delayed since June. “As the social distancing level is raised and concern about infection clusters in our society rises, we decided that the release of a new movie and gathering audiences in theaters could

FilmAug. 17, 2020

[Herald Interview] Osgemeos invites visitors to their dream, ‘You Are My Guest’

Meaning “The Twins” in Portuguese, Osgemeos is a Brazilian artist duo and brothers, Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo, whose graffiti works are internationally renowned. Having started out as graffiti artists, their art world of fantasies and dreams now encompasses paintings, video art and sculptures. At the pair’s first solo exhibition in Korea, “Osgemeos: You Are My Guest,” the artist duo invites visitors to their world dream. Upon entering the exhibition hall, &ld

Arts & DesignAug. 17, 2020

Culture sector scrambles as COVID-19 cases soar again

With the government having imposed stringent health measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 on Saturday, the culture sector is scrambling to adjust. As transmission of the virus in the Seoul metropolitan area continues at a fast rate, the social distancing plan for the capital area was raised a notch to Level 2 on Saturday. All private and public indoor gatherings are restricted to 50 people and outdoor gatherings to 100. Musicals are offering ticket refunds without charging a commission.

PerformanceAug. 17, 2020

Ssak 3 bids farewell, Refund Expedition says hello

Superstar trio Ssak 3 bid farewell to fans, as the group wrapped up its three-month project on Saturday’s episode of MBC’s “Hangout With Yoo.” During the Saturday, the trio of entertainer Yoo Jae-seok and singers Lee Hyo-ri and Rain thanked fans and each other while also expressing regret at not being able to meet fans in-person because of the coronavirus situation. “We actually formed Ssak 3 to meet all the people here, but we couldn’t. That’s why our

TelevisionAug. 17, 2020

[67th Anniversary Special] Pandemic changes paradigm for museums, galleries

If you are an art lover, you might have been overwhelmed by the recent flood of online content that museums and galleries have posted on their websites or social media platforms. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, almost all museums were forced to close temporarily. Thus began their efforts to enhance online content, offering virtual exhibitions, online streaming services and online access to material from their archives about their collection and research. “Museums, museum profes

Arts & DesignAug. 16, 2020

Closed road reborn as world’s longest box car race track

A road on a closed national highway in Hoengseong, Gangwon Province, reopened as Hoengseong Luge, a 2.4-kilometer-long track for racing unmotorized carts down -- also known as luge in korea. Hoengseong invested 2.7 billion won ($2.3 million) in crafting the tourist destination out of part of the National Route 42, which is closed. It is the first such track in South Korea to be constructed and operated under a local government. A recent investigation done by Korea Consumer Agency showed that

TravelAug. 16, 2020

Secondhand stuff gains popularity amid COVID-19 pandemic

Digital businesses dealing in used goods are enjoying sharp growth in South Korea, as coronavirus fears have influenced consumer preference in favor of online secondhand stores over other e-commerce platforms. Market research conducted by Nielsen Korean Click showed that a quarter of domestic smartphone users -- approximately 10 million people -- use secondhand market services. Competitive services including Carrot Market, Bunjang and Joonggo Nara are expanding rapidly as they tar

CultureAug. 16, 2020

[67th Anniversary Special] ‘Wanderlust gene’: Travel during COVID-19

The show must go on, and so must travel. While the COVID-19 pandemic has changed everyone’s life one way or another, one of the sectors that has been hit the hardest is the tourism industry. The tourism industry around the world has been crippled by the virus. According to the UN World Tourism Organization, 96 percent of the planet’s destinations have imposed travel restrictions, either completely or partially closing their borders. Though international travel is off the table f

TravelAug. 15, 2020

Chimaek clampdown cuts Gangwon beach trash

The popular pairing of fried chicken and beer -- known locally as chimaek -- can be eaten almost anywhere in Korea, but east coast beaches have become an exception. Under government guidelines issued for disease control, Gangwon Province imposed an administrative order on eight of its provincial beaches last month to restrict gatherings and ban eating outdoors at nighttime. Announcements warning that visitors are barred from eating there from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., and that those who violate the r

TravelAug. 15, 2020

Asia Culture Center prepares to light up the night with 5-month exhibition

The Asia Culture Center, an international arts and cultural exchange organization based in Gwangju, announced Friday that it will be hosting a multimedia art project titled the Hall of Night Light, designed to illuminate the night sky through a range of light shows and interactive art installations from August 15 to December 31. Throughout the event, the center will transform into a colorful playground packed full of interactive multimedia art pieces, and feature dazzling light shows which w

Arts & DesignAug. 14, 2020

‘The New Mutants’ to hit theaters in Sept.

Walt Disney Co. Korea on Thursday confirmed that Marvel’s horror-superhero film “The New Mutants” will hit theaters in South Korea next month. The distributor has not announced the specific release date. “The New Mutants” was scheduled to open here in April this year, but was forced to postpone the plan due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. An extension of the “X-Men” franchise, “The New Mutants” is about young mutants, involving c

FilmAug. 14, 2020

D’strict expands into art industry with collective art unit

Design company d’strict, which gained global attention in May with its immersive video art installation “Wave” at Coex K-pop Square, has launched a media artist unit “a-strict,” and is showcasing its first exhibition at Kukje Gallery, a commercial gallery in central Seoul. The commercial design company’s a’strict is a loose group of artistic creators from both inside and outside the company. The members are freely formed based on an art project, said

Arts & DesignAug. 14, 2020

Gyeongbokgung to open up at night

The Cultural Heritage Administration on Friday announced that it will open Gyeongbokgung to visitors in the evening from Sept. 2 to Dec. 4. During this time, the palace will accept up to 4,500 nighttime visitors per day from 7 p.m to 9:30 p.m. The palace is closed on Tuesdays. The CHA added that it will sell 2,500 tickets online, while selling 2,000 tickets on-site. The online tickets can be booked on portal giant Naver’s Booking platform. Before entering the site, people who made res

TravelAug. 14, 2020

'Peninsula’ racks up $48m in 15 countries, tops global box office

Less than a month since the Korean zombie flick opened locally on July 15, “Peninsula” is topping box offices worldwide. According to the film’s local distributor Next Entertainment World on Friday, the zombie blockbuster has exceeded $48 million in sales at box offices in more than 15 countries. In Taiwan, where the film opened the same day as it did in South Korea, the film racked up almost $11 million in sales, the best output achieved by any movie in the country this ye

FilmAug. 14, 2020

S. Korean crime thriller sold to 56 overseas markets

The South Korean crime thriller "Deliver Us From Evil" has been sold to more than 50 overseas markets, according to its distributor on Friday. The film, which has topped the local box office since its release on Aug. 5, was sold to 56 countries and territories, including the United States, Germany, Taiwan and Hong Kong, according to CJ Entertainment. With the movie hitting Taiwanese screens this Wednesday, the distributor said it is in talks with its counterparts to fix the release

FilmAug. 14, 2020