Culture Station Seoul 284’s answer to ‘Why do we travel?’

As COVID-19 has shut down travel across the globe, Culture Station Seoul 284’s “New Discovery of Travel” exhibition attempts to answer the question, “Why do we travel?” The “New Discovery of Travel,” which was scheduled for June 23 to Aug. 8, will be shown online starting from the second week of July instead, according to the organizer, as the former train station-turned-cultural space was closed down due to the spread of COVID-19. Scheduled performanc

TravelJune 23, 2020

[Museum of One’s Own] Lee Ungno Museum remembers underappreciated Korean modern artist

The following is part of a series that explores museums dedicated to the well-known Korean contemporary artists that bear their name. --Ed. When Western culture started to flood Korea in the early 1900s, many Korean artists faced a crucial question: how to apply Western art in their paintings without Korea’s painting tradition losing its cultural identity. Born in 1904, Lee Ung-no was one of the artists who agonized over this question and successfully integrated the two different cultu

Arts & DesignJune 22, 2020

Gugak performed against backdrop of Korean calligraphy show

The National Theater of Korea is collaborating with the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), featuring contemporary gugak performances held against the backdrop of Korean calligraphy. The 2020 Yeowoorak Festival, an annual festival of traditional Korean music organized by the National Theater of Korea, is to kick off on July 3, featuring 12 performances over its 23-day run. Since March, the MMCA Seoul has been hosting its first calligraphy exhibition, titled “The

PerformanceJune 22, 2020

[Video] A home transformed into a shared office for NPOs

Dongrak-ga, a shared working space in central Seoul’s Jongno, opened its doors last month, offering space that nonprofit organizations in Korea can use without paying any rent.  Dongrak-ga translates into “a place where people come together for fun,” and was originally the house of Lee Joon-yong, the honorary chair of the corporation Daelim. After his retirement, Lee announced in 2015 that all his property, estimated to be worth around 200 billion won ($165 million), wou

CultureJune 22, 2020

Portrayal of LGTBQ characters slowly evolves in K-dramas

In recent years, the portrayal of LGBTQ characters in Korean dramas has evolved, with more sexual minorities appearing as main and supporting characters in various series. Rather than shunning sexual minorities or describing them comically, as has been the case in the past, Korean dramas have begun to portray LGBTQ characters in ways that were once considered taboo in the Korean entertainment industry. In the past, LGBTQ characters rarely had major parts and appeared in dramas for no more tha

TelevisionJune 22, 2020

[Newsmaker] Culture Ministry denies plans to ask UNESCO to delist Hashima Island

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Sunday denied reports that it had planned to officially ask UNESCO to delist Japan’s historical industrial sites, including Hashima Island. In 2015, Japan had promised the center would include information on the Koreans who were forced to work at the site during that country’s 1910-45 colonial rule over Korea. Although it denied plans to take any immediate official action, the Culture Ministry added that it was currently discussing th

CultureJune 22, 2020

‘The Shaman Sorceress’ wins at Annecy animation fest

Korean director Ahn Jae-huun’s feature animation “The Shaman Sorceress” bagged the Contrechamp Jury Distinction award at the 44th Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France, Saturday. Based on a 1936 Korean novel of the same title, the film depicts the breakdown of a traditional family following a clash between shamanism and Christianity. Taking the form of an animated musical, the film features Korean singer and actor Sonya as the shaman Mohwa, who comes into con

FilmJune 22, 2020

Korean films hope to repeat Cannes success in 2020 Cannes Film Market

The 2020 Cannes Film Market, an annual marketplace where the global movie industry convenes for business opportunities, will be held online for the first time this week from Monday to Friday, featuring several Korean films attempting to follow the success of last year’s grand prize winner “Parasite” by director Bong Joon-ho. The online film market will try to mirror the offline experience by hosting online concerts, keynote talks and over 150 events, with more than 1,200 onlin

FilmJune 21, 2020

[Eye Plus] Take a stroll around 600-year-old education institute, Confucian shrine

Sitting on the northeastern side of Changgyeonggung is a Joseon-era complex where people carried out ancestral rites and nurtured the country’s leaders. “It may be difficult to believe, but there were students who actually lived and studied here around 600 years ago,” said Son Chin-woo, the 33rd director of Sungkyunkwan -- the highest educational institution of the Joseon era. Sungkyunkwan and Confucian shrine Munmyo were built in 1398 and renovated in 1869 to repair war-t

TravelJune 20, 2020

Gallery Hyundai sheds light on Korea’s experimental in 2nd part of 50th anniversary show

Gallery Hyundai, a major gallery in Korea, has unveiled the second part of the special exhibition that celebrates its 50th anniversary with a strong line-up of Korean experimental art. The second part of the exhibition which runs from June 12 to July 19 at the gallery in Jongno, central Seoul, features five artists of Korea’s experimental art -- Lee Seung-taek, Kwak Duck-jun, Park Hyun-ki, Lee Kun-yong and Lee Kang-so – who were active from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, expandi

Arts & DesignJune 20, 2020

Second show in Sejong Center’s Contemporary S project looks at fine line between art and prank

In his upcoming contemporary dance show, dancer and choreographer Kim Seol-jin offers a close look at the fine line between art and prank. Kim, who is well known for his modern dance works and has also appeared in many musicals, films and dramas, is to present his latest work at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, July 15-19. The show, “Japari,” is part of the theater’s Contemporary S project, launched last year with ballerina Kim Ju-wo

PerformanceJune 20, 2020

BTS' 'Stay Gold' sweeps global iTunes charts

  K-pop group BTS' "Stay Gold," the lead track on the upcoming Japanese album, has topped global iTunes charts in more than 80 countries, the band's management agency Big Hit Entertainment said Saturday.  The song, sung in Japanese, ranked No. 1 on the Top Songs chart in 82 countries, including the United States, Britain, Brazil and India, the company said in a release. The agency released the song prior to the official release of the full-length album.  It is yet

PerformanceJune 20, 2020

High-profile female comebacks to cap off H1 K-pop release calendar

Leading female voices in K-pop today are gearing up for comebacks later this month, closing off the first half of the K-pop industry's 2020 release calendar largely shaken up by the new coronavirus pandemic.   Solo artist Sunmi plans to make a comeback with her new single, "Pporappippam," on June 29. The song marks Sunmi's first new material in 10 months since her hit single "Lalalay" from last year. For her new song, the ex-Wonder Girls member partnered with DJ and pro

PerformanceJune 20, 2020

‘Backstreet Rookie’ draws family, rom-com inside 24-hour convenience store

Convenience stores are located at almost every corner of Seoul. Inside the small stores, stories of the most ordinary yet extraordinary everyday life take place. A new TV series “Backstreet Rookie” depicts those heartwarming stories of family, comedy and romance taking place inside the 24-hour stores.  Rom-com queen Kim You-jung stars as the lead character Jung Saet-byul of the drama -- titled “Convenience Store Saet-byul” in Korean -- who has a part-time job in t

TelevisionJune 19, 2020

[Herald Review] SPO holds in-person concert after four-month pause

Returning to the stage after a four month virus-mandated absence, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra’s reunion with its audience was full of emotion for both sides. The SPO performed “Related Giants – Mahler & Sibelius” at the Lotte Concert Hall in eastern Seoul on Thursday. It was the first time the SPO had performed in front of a live audience since February. Though the concert had been much anticipated, the concert hall was relatively empty, as the SPO limited the nu

PerformanceJune 19, 2020

[Video] A frosty summer companion to beat the heat

The summer season often triggers an irresistible whim to hop on a plane. Italy has affogato; the Philippines has halo-halo as its summer staple and Korea has patbingsu. The dessert is made of shaved ice and condensed milk with red bean paste taking center stage. A big spoon of the smooth ice texture hints that summer is imminent when it glides down your throat. This is when the scorching heat and bright sunlight have replaced the cherry blossoms of spring. Around this time of the year, Kore

CultureJune 19, 2020

CGV introduces electronic visitor registration to combat COVID-19

CGV, South Korea's largest multiplex chain, said Friday it will introduce an electronic visitor registration system based on quick response (QR) code verification technology at all of its theaters nationwide to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. CGV's announcement came after South Korea last week mandated QR code-based registration of visitors at bars, clubs and other entertainment facilities across the country, stepping up measures against COVID-19. Those facilities are required to use

FilmJune 19, 2020

Peace film fest kicks off amid rising tension with NK

Amid tightening tension on the Korean Peninsula, the second edition of the Pyeongchang International Peace Film Festival kicked off Thursday. The festival, set to run for six-days until Tuesday, is the first local film festival to take place as usual in the presence of audiences and guests since the ongoing novel coronavirus situation broke out in the nation. Though there had been one-day film awards, it is the first film festival event to be held for multiple days. “We have had our c

FilmJune 19, 2020

Hotels on brink flock to TV shopping channels for sales

Local hotels, pushed to the brink amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, are reaching out to TV shopping channels with discounted package deals. Four Points by Sheraton Seoul Namsan, a business hotel in central Seoul, will go on air on Shinsegae TV Shopping channel over the weekend, selling a package deal for 60,000 won ($49.50) The hotel is managed by local hotel brand Shinsegye Chosun Hotel under retail mogul Shinsegae. Those who purchase the deal, with more than 50 percent discount, can make a

TravelJune 19, 2020

[Eye Interview] Creating universe with small square canvases

The great disruptor. The COVID-19 pandemic has been raging around the world since the beginning of the year, claiming lives, crippling economies and laying bare the great inequalities that divide the world. The new coronavirus has directly or indirectly impacted our lives. For New York-based artist Kang Ik-joong, the lockdown has been a time for contemplation. “We don’t know where we are exactly,” Kang said during an interview with The Korea Herald on June 12 in Seoul. He ha

Arts & DesignJune 19, 2020