[Herald Interview] Yoo Ah-in talks about being alive

Yoo Ah-in says the main theme of his life these days is being relaxed, and his acting as Jun-woo in the upcoming thriller film “#Alive” also comes in line with this relatively new attitude towards life. “(Jun-woo) Is a not-so-special guy who is pushed to the most extreme situation in the film, and I wanted to show his emotional changes rhythmically and naturally. Personally, the essence in acting Jun-woo was making him seem comfortable and loveable to the viewers. I wished pe

FilmJune 19, 2020

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Unique bingsu at Grand Hyatt Seoul Grand Hyatt Seoul’s lobby lounge cafe Gallery will serve mango basil Champagne bingsu from July 1 to Aug. 31. Mango basil Champagne bingsu features shaved milk ice topped with mango, along with basil Champagne sherbet made with more than 40 percent Champagne. Mango puree, condensed milk and red beans are served along with the bingsu. The bingsu costs 40,000 won and will be available daily from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Staycation at Park Hyatt Seoul

FoodJune 19, 2020

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Night of Ganghwa & Heritage Story Organized by the Ganghwa County Office and Incheon Tourism Organization, Night of Ganghwa & Heritage Story offers eight different programs to visitors, introducing the cultural heritage of Ganghwa. The festival, held Sept. 11-12 at the Yongheunggung Palace Park in Ganghwa, Incheon, west of Seoul, involves traditional art performances, a media facade and a parade, along with hands-on experiences for visitors of all age. Call the travel hotline at 1330

TravelJune 19, 2020

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Baseball Girl (Korea) Opened June 18 Drama Directed by Choi Yun-tae The only female baseball player in the nation and on her high school team, Soo-in (Lee Joo-young) pitches a 130-kph fastball. She strives to make it on a professional team, but everyone around her doubts her dream. Watching her fighting a lonely challenge, the team’s new coach Choi (Lee Joon-hyuk) tells Soo-in that her goal is impossible not because of her gender, but because of her physical limits and suggests a new str

FilmJune 19, 2020

Abstract painter Choi Wook-kyung's pop art influence, experimentation revisited

South Korean painter Choi Wook-kyung (1940-1985) in a sense represented a unique amalgamation of abstract expressionism of her home country and the United States. In an era when the field was dominated by political and populist art, Choi dug deeper into the realm of abstract expressionism after studying the works of Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko and Robert Motherwell in America, leaving behind a legacy of signaling timely intercultural exchange between South Korea and the US. Choi, whose hal

Arts & DesignJune 18, 2020

Harry Chun shows how refugees strive to carry on their lives

South Korea is one of the few countries where ordinary people do not encounter refugee issues in their ordinary lives. Many people easily neglect the issues of how refugees around the world are desperately struggling to secure their lives -- although Koreans were once refugees during the Korean War in the early 1950s. Independent photographer Harry Chun, who is now based in Korea, reminds us of how refugees on the other sides of the world are striving during the most devastating moments in

Arts & DesignJune 17, 2020

Lee Je-hoon to star in Naver’s first audio cinema

Actor Lee Je-hoon will feature in the newly launched audio cinema content from local internet giant Naver. Lee’s agency Saram Entertainment on Wednesday said Lee will be starring in the aural film “Falling Asleep Beside You” (translated title) set to launch on Naver’s audio streaming platform Audio Clip. Lee will be teaming up with actress Yoo In-na to the play the lead roles in the project. In the romance story -- which is based on the web novel of the same name by

FilmJune 17, 2020

Strange as fiction: Imaginary explosion in Kaesong treated in 2017 film 'Steel Rain'

As fearful as it may be, the conflict between the two Koreas has become one of the most tried-and-true subject matters of recent South Korean tentpole films, capturing the imagination of the people living under the constant possibility of war between the divided nations. And while most of these projects tend to strive for historical authenticity, seldom do real-world incidents, such as Tuesday's blowup of an inter-Korean office building in the Kaesong Industrial Complex, eerily echo fictional

FilmJune 17, 2020

Nolan’s time travel epic ‘Tenet’ to hit theaters in July

Warner Bros. Korea confirmed on Wednesday that “Tenet,” the latest feature from the acclaimed director Christopher Nolan, will open in local cinemas around the end of July. “Tenet” is a sci-fi action thriller about a team of spies who set out on a time-bending mission to prevent another world war. Actors David Washington and Robert Pattinson will star in the espionage flick. Michael Caine, who has appeared in five of Nolan’s films, and Kenneth Branagh from the aut

FilmJune 17, 2020

Clara Jumi Kang, Son Yeol-eum to go on Korean tour in September

Violinist Clara Jumi Kang and pianist Son Yeol-eum are to embark on a tour of South Korea in September. The seven-city tour will run Sept. 2-10 and take them to Jeju, Suwon, Goyang, Daegu and more. It will mark the two virtuosos’ first performances together in four years. Having attended the Korea National University of Arts together, the two debuted as a duo at Carnegie Hall in New York in 2012. They held a national tour in 2013, followed by another in 2016 celebrating the release

PerformanceJune 17, 2020

'Peninsula’ takes post-zombie apocalypse to another level

The zombies do not roam, they run -- in a massive pack, streaking across a ravaged land that has turned into a huge ground of destruction in a post-apocalyptic world four years since the epidemic broke out. Likewise, everything about “Peninsula” will be faster and fiercer compared to the original “Train to Busan,” according to the director of both films, Yeon Sang-ho. While the uninfected protagonists from the “Train to Busan” could do nothing but run from t

FilmJune 16, 2020

Korean zombies will make you feel ‘#Alive’

While most zombie genres take up half the time explaining about the behavioral patterns of the walking dead and the protagonists trying to find the source of the disease and cure, “#Alive” wastes no time in any such elements and jumps straight into survival itself. “I hope the audience can just revel in it. Rather than trying to get a message from the story, I wish they’d get a strong feeling of ‘being alive,’ the value and feeling of gratitude in just being

FilmJune 16, 2020

Offline performance to mark 70th anniversary of war to be held in Jeonju

The Cultural Heritage Administration will hold an offline in-person performance to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War. While many events and concerts to mark the war here are set to take place online due to the ongoing spread of COVID-19, the CHA will hold the offline concert at its National Intangible Heritage Center’s concert hall in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, on June 24. This performance’s main theme will be about Koreans coming together and becoming united throu

CultureJune 16, 2020

[Herald Interview] Violinist to go on music journey with Bach, Ysaye

A violinist will perform the solo repertoires of Bach and Ysaye, to take the audience on a “music trip” to Europe in July. Violinist Lim Ji-young, 25, will present the unaccompanied violin sonatas by Bach and Ysaye at central Seoul’s Seoul Anglican Cathedral on July 1 and the Seosomun Shrine History Museum on July 11. Lim rose to stardom in the classical music scene as the first Korean violinist to win the 2015 Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, Belgium. Since then,

PerformanceJune 16, 2020

[Herald Interview] Vegan kimchi seasoning captures global palate

While hot sauces like Tabasco and Sriracha have captured the international palate with a spicy kick, kimchi seasoning is likewise poised to earn its place in the culinary scene. With kimchi being a staple of Korean cuisine, food entrepreneur An Tae-yang, better known as Sun An, hopes to entertain the global palate with kimchi-flavored sauces. An, the CEO of Food Culture Lab, launched a kimchi seasoning mix in 2019.  An was the head of a Korean food franchise based in the Philippines, bu

FoodJune 16, 2020

Essay contest underway to improve image of Korea abroad

The Academy of Korean Studies, a state-run research and educational institute located in Gyeonggi Province, is awaiting submissions for the Understanding Korea 2020 Contest Call for Essays. The deadline for essays is set for July 31. “Promoting correct understanding of Korea is necessary nowadays, as Korea is increasingly gathering more global attention for its outstanding response to COVID-19. For that reason, we will listen to and utilize the stories of those who have more objecti

CultureJune 16, 2020

With fewer new films to show, cinemas turn to alternative content

Cinemas have introduced several new films since the start of June, but Korean multiplex operators continue to occupy empty screens with an assortment of alternative cultural content. Starting from June 22, major cinema operator Megabox will kick off this year’s “Popcorn Classic” program, an introductory lecture series on classic hobbies and interests, the company announced. The program began in 2017 under the Megabox curation brand “Classic Society.” According to

FilmJune 15, 2020

'Gwanghwamun Arirang' stands tall in heart of Seoul

The masterpiece “Gwanghwamun Arirang” created by internationally acclaimed artist Kang Ik-joong to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War was unveiled on Monday at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, central Seoul. The opening ceremony was attended by former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo; Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun; Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Sam-Duck; Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha; an

Arts & DesignJune 15, 2020

[Museum of One’s Own] Uijae Museum of Korean Art strives to keep Korean literati paintings intact

The following is part of a series that explores museums dedicated to Korea’s well-known contemporary artists that bear their name. --Ed. If you walk up Mudeungsan in Gwangju, you will encounter the Uijae Museum of Korean Art, which sits on the mountain slope and blends in harmoniously with the scenery.  The museum is dedicated to Huh Baek-lyun, the master of Korean literati painting who also went by the pseudonym Uijae. Huh is known as Korea’s last modern literati painter.&n

Arts & DesignJune 15, 2020

Concert, exhibitions among events to mark 70th anniversary of war

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Monday that its affiliated institutions will hold several events to mark the 70th anniversary of the war that began on June 25, 1950, when North Korea invaded the South. The National Theater of Korea on Wednesday will hold a concert at Lotte Concert Hall and perform music about war and peace to mark the special day from 8 p.m. Due to the COVID-19, the concert will be held without audiences and will air the performance through the online ch

CultureJune 15, 2020