Virtual tour recaps Notre Dame history ahead of reopening

An exhibition exploring highlights of Notre Dame Cathedral’s history ahead of its reopening in December following an April 2019 fire will run through Sept. 1 at the National Palace Museum of Korea in Seoul. The exhibition, “Notre-Dame de Paris, the Augmented Exhibition: 850 Years of History and Resilience at Your Fingertips,” offers an immersive and interactive experience, explained Bruno de Sa Moreira, CEO and co-founder of Histovery, a French startup that specializes in augme

Arts & DesignJuly 1, 2024

Le Freak’s chicken burgers take diners on culinary tour

While most burger joints in Seoul pride themselves on high-quality beef patties and homemade buns, Le Freak takes a different approach as an unprecedented gourmet burger. Le Freak, which opened its first branch in Seongsu in 2019, specializes in chicken burgers. Its signature Nashville Hot Chicken Burger is a simple chicken burger filled with red cabbage coleslaw and a crispy hot-fried chicken thigh sprinkled with spicy powder -- you can choose from three different levels of spiciness. But Le Fr

FoodJune 30, 2024

Artist Aatchim turns limited vision into art with silk

Gladstone Gallery in Seoul is currently showing the first solo exhibition of emerging Korean artist Kim Jo-eun, who goes by Aatchim as her pseudonym. Aatchim explores silk as her artistic medium, often depicting compassionate scenes in which the subjects provide comfort to others with warm gestures or embraces. Aatchim channels her congenital eye condition – intermittent strabismus, a condition in which the eyes are not properly aligned -- into her artistic drive. Her visual experiences

Arts & DesignJune 30, 2024

Rainy days the time to savor 'Korean pancakes,' analysis shows

A local credit card company's analysis showed Sunday that bindaetteok and sujebi, two dishes many South Koreans associate with rainy days, actually show substantial jumps in sales when the rain pours. KB Kookmin Card analyzed public data and data it compiled from its consumers between June and August of last year, and found that bindaetteok sales on days with at least 10 millimeters of rainfall were 35 percent higher compared to other days. Bindaetteok is made of dough from ground beans wit

FoodJune 30, 2024

[Herald Interview] Korean-Japanese teen trot duo Lucky PangPang makes ambitious debut

Despite their young ages, Kim Da-hyun (15) from South Korea and Sumita Aiko (16) from Japan are remarkable singers. Both were selected as the youngest contestants, respectively, on audition programs "The Current King" in Korea and "Trot Girls Japan" in Japan, which aired from November last year to February this year. The two young singers met on MBN program "Korea-Japan King's Battle" -- which aired from April to May -- where they engaged in friendly competitio

PerformanceJune 30, 2024

[Herald Interview] Song Kang-ho says acting still a challenge

"Parasite" star Song Kang-ho, who made his drama series debut with Disney+'s 16-part historical drama "Uncle Samsik," said acting remained a challenging process for him, despite his 35-year career as one of Korea's leading actors. "Uncle Samsik" is set in turbulent 1960s South Korea, highlighted by "The April Revolution," a political uprising in April 1960, challenging the autocratic rule of the nation's first president, Syngman Rhee. The mo

TelevisionJune 30, 2024

Korea's beaches ready for summer vacationers

With South Korea’s daytime temperature rising to 33 Celsius or higher, the country's sandy beaches and open ocean are scheduled to greet summer vacationers with various festivals and water-themed activities. Gyeongpo Beach, the biggest beach along the east coast that attracts an average of 6.5 million tourists each summer, already kicked off its summer season with the Gangneung Beach Beer Festival on Saturday. Located in eastern Gangneung, Gangwon Province, the beach was visited by al

TravelJune 30, 2024

[Weekender] Traces of war, migration, otherness everywhere at Venice Biennale

VENICE, Italy -- Depending on where you live, you may or may not directly feel the effects of the world's wars in your daily life. But you will gain a stronger awareness of them walking around the Giardini in Venice, one of the main sites of the Venice Biennale, the world's oldest international art biennial. Though the Venice Biennale attracts artists, curators and art aficionados every other year -- an architecture biennale is held on alternate years -- this year feels different, with

Arts & DesignJune 29, 2024

[What to Watch] Three feel-good movies at theaters perfect for rainy season

As the country enters the monsoon season which typically lasts from late June to early August, watching feel-good, relaxing films at a cinema while there is heavy rain outside makes for a perfect weekend activity. According to the weather forecast, the rains will start his weekend and continue throughout next week and the following three movies currently playing or soon to be released at the cinema will keep you dry and put you in a tender state of mind. “Dauren’s Wedding”

FilmJune 29, 2024

Talk Talk Korea contest invites global creators

The Ministry of Culture is launching its 11th annual Talk Talk Korea contest, inviting creators worldwide to share their unique vision of Korean culture. Running from June 28 to Aug. 31, this year's competition offers prizes ranging from cutting-edge tech gadgets to an immersive Korean adventure. Under the theme "Experience the essence of Korea," participants can showcase their creativity across five categories: promo videos, arts and crafts, motion graphics, photobooks, and the f

CultureJune 28, 2024

National Academy of Arts names 2024 award winners, new members

The National Academy of Arts, South Korea's premier artists society affiliated with the Culture Ministry, announced Thursday its annual roster of honorees, celebrating both venerated masters and emerging talents across the arts spectrum. The Academy's prestigious annual award, instituted in 1955 to honor lifelong artistic contributions, recognized four individuals who have left indelible marks on Korea’s cultural landscape. Each recipient receives a grant of 50 million won ($38,0

PeopleJune 28, 2024

Folk museum to host international meeting on UN goals

An international conference will be held in Seoul next week to discuss advancing UN sustainable development goals to deliver by 2030, ranging from reducing inequality to promoting climate action. The Museums and the Sustainable Development Goals Towards 2030 gathering -- cohosted by the National Folk Museum of Korea and the International Council of Museums -- will bring together museum experts from 17 countries to look at the SDGs from five angles: partnership. people, planet, prosperity and pea

CultureJune 28, 2024

Grand Bell Film Awards to proceed this year despite crisis

Grand Bell Film Awards, the country’s oldest and once most prestigious film awards, announced its return to normalcy this year. According to the head of the Motion Pictures Association of Korea, the agency that hosts the awards, the 60th Grand Bell Film Awards will take place in December. Once regarded as the country’s top awards in cinema, the Grand Bell Film Awards has struggled to recover from a string of controversies, including over unfair selection of winners and poor event org

FilmJune 28, 2024

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul unveils summer delicacies Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul, an urban oasis nestled on the slope of Seoul’s Namsan in central Seoul, presents the “Granum Cherry House” promotion with a menu overflowing with cherries to celebrate summer at Granum. The food promotion includes cherries with corn, cherries and burrata cheese, lamb ribs and cherry salsa, cherries with chicken tortillas and much more. Guests can enjoy a main dish – bone-in stripl

CultureJune 28, 2024

[Well-curated] Treat yourself to tequila, multisensory art and rich desserts

Jose Cuervo pop-up store If you are with friends and family at Lotte World Tower in Songpa-gu, southwest Seoul, this weekend, stop by the shopping complex’s latest pop-up store, featuring tequila brand Jose Cuervo. Located on the first floor of Lotte World Tower, the Jose Cuervo pop-up store offers a gastronomic experience for visitors to take a sneak peek into Mexican culture and its famous tequila. The pop-up store invites visitors on a tour of the world’s oldest tequila distiller

CultureJune 28, 2024

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Hijacking 1971” (South Korea) Opened June 21 Crime Directed by Kim Sung-han Former fighter jet pilot Tae-in (Ha Jung-woo) co-pilots a passenger plane bound for Seoul's Gimpo International Airport from Sokcho, Gangwon Province. But soon after takeoff, an in-flight emergency breaks out as the plane is hijacked. “Inside Out 2” (US) Opened June 12 Animation Directed by Kelsey Mann A now-teenaged Riley sees her mind headquarters undergo sudden renovations to make room

FilmJune 28, 2024

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Night stroll at Sejong arboretum The Sejong National Arboretum in the central city of Sejong offers admission at half price for those visiting in the evening. Between 6 p.m. and 9:30 pm. on Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 12, visitors will find performances of gugak, traditional Korean music, and a chamber orchestra, as well as flea markets. Tickets are priced at 2,500 won for adults. The first 500 entrants will be given lanterns. Check the latest performance schedule at sjna.or.kr. S

TravelJune 28, 2024

[Herald Interview] Brand expert Kim Cheon-soo on elevating Korean culture in NY

NEW YORK -- The official opening of the Korean Center in New York on Thursday marks a significant milestone, years after the land for a larger center was purchased in 2009. It also coincides with Korean culture enjoying the global spotlight. The center houses the Korean Cultural Center, the Korea Tourism Organization, the Korea Creative Content Agency and the King Sejong Institute. After Los Angeles, Shanghai, Tokyo, Beijing and Paris, it is the sixth such place where institutions promoting Ko

CultureJune 27, 2024

Shifts in energy, technology, philosophy discussed at Global Business Forum

How diverse resources – energy, the humanities and artificial intelligence – enrich our lives and how people and the world could evolve and develop in a positive way were topics discussed at the Global Business Forum held in Seoul on Wednesday. The forum was organized by the Herald Media Group. Jeff Robinson, ambassador of Australia to the Republic of Korea, who arrived in Seoul in January, stressed that Australia’s clean energy resources are a perfect match for Korea’s c

CultureJune 27, 2024

'My Friend Kim Jong-un' 'carries message of peace,' Keum Suk Gendry-Kim says

Acclaimed graphic novelist Keum Suk Gendry-Kim urged readers not to stop at the title, as she introduced her latest book, "My Friend Kim Jong-un." Gendry-Kim attended a Korea-France dialogue at the 2024 Seoul International Book Fair, which kicked off Wednesday at Coex, Seoul, with French graphic novelist Lea Murawiec. "I know some people may stop reading because of the title, but this book actually carries a message of peace," Gendry-Kim said. The graphic novel, which will be

BooksJune 27, 2024