Performing arts scene gears up for post-coronavirus era

Though no one is sure when the current coronavirus crisis will end, things will never be the same again for the performing arts scene, which has come to a near-complete halt for the past few months. 　 The global performing arts scene has suffered a major blow, as virus containment measures severely restrict gatherings in enclosed spaces. Even the most prestigious performing art venues, including Broadway in New York and the West End in London, have had to shut down. 　　 Numbers prove the impact

PerformanceJune 14, 2020

Seoul Auction to offer rare modern artworks at upcoming auction

Seoul Auction will put eight artworks by internationally acclaimed South Korean artist Lee Ufan up for auction and unveil “On the Road,” by the late modern painter Park Soo-keun, at an upcoming auction. Their combined value is around 12 billion won ($99.7 million).　 The auction, which will be held Wednesday at Seoul Auction’s Gangnam Center in southern Seoul, will feature major works from Lee, including “From Point,” “From Line,” “With Winds&rdqu

CultureJune 14, 2020

COVID-19 pushes back summer releases

South Korean films set for release this summer are rescheduling their release dates, as cluster infections of the novel coronavirus continue to spring up in the Seoul metropolitan area. Film distributor Merry Christmas announced last week that it has postponed the release of sci-fi flick “Space Sweepers” from summer to later this year, since the danger of COVID-19 infection lingers in the nation. The company stated that it is considering opening the film around the Chuseok holidays

FilmJune 14, 2020

[Eye Plus] More than just old, antique and unique

The now seldomly frequented Hwanghak-dong, near the tourist spot of Dongdaemun Design Plaza, was once an up-and-rising, sophisticated neighborhood in Seoul in the 1980s. After Seoul hosted its first Asian Games in 1986 and the Olympic Games in 1988, the country was suddenly flooded with Western culture. With the move came the surge in demand for eating out and diverse kitchenware and tableware. The Hwanghak-dong street, where sellers of kitchen appliances and furniture flocked for business,

CultureJune 13, 2020

Korea’s ‘sentimental tattoos’ trending among the young

Showing tattoos in public has long been taboo in South Korea, where there are still many negative stereotypes about inked skin. In the past, tattoos were seen as gangster symbols. Also, the deeply rooted Confucian culture discouraged people from altering the bodies they received from their parents. While tattoos are part of a subculture in this conservative country, the art form has gradually gained mainstream attention in recent years as softer and more delicate designs began appearing on th

CultureJune 13, 2020

Kim Soo-hyun returns to small screen with ‘It’s Okay to Not Be Okay’

Kim Soo-hyun is returning to the small screen for the first time in five years with tvN’s new romantic comedy series “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” set to start airing next week. The upcoming weekend series is the first television role for the 31-year-old since he was discharged from the military last July. His most recent TV credits include “The Producers” in 2015 and “My Love From the Star” in 2013. “I’ve been waiting for so long, I&rs

TelevisionJune 13, 2020

[Photo News] Harvesting peaches in Wansan

Farmers in Wansan -- a district of Jeonju, North Jeolla Province -- are working hard to harvest their fully ripe peaches, the region’s specialty.  Wansan is believed to have started growing peaches in the 1910s, when the Korean Peninsula was under imperial Japanese colonial rule. Peaches grown in greenhouses with no rain or pesticides are twice as expensive as those grown outdoors, reflecting their better quality. “Peaches are in season one week earlier than last year, si

CultureJune 13, 2020

‘Hover Lab’ reports rumor despite warning from Song Joong-ki’s agency

As rumors of Song Joong-ki dating a lawyer spread across the internet, History D&C, Song’s agency since January, issued a warning on Thursday to anyone spreading “false rumors.” “These rumors are not true,” said History D&C. “As an agency, in order to protect our artist’s precious yet basic rights, we will take legal action against people who created and spread the malicious rumor as well as those that routinely write malicious comments.&rdquo

PeopleJune 13, 2020

K-pop, K-classic team up

Collaboration is in the works between K-pop and K-classic. The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and S.M. Entertainment signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday to spread K-pop and K-classic worldwide by creating content that is not defined by a single genre. Lee Sung-soo, co-CEO of S.M. Entertainment, and Kang Eun-kyung, CEO of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, signed the memorandum, marking the first time a leading orchestra has joined hands with an entertainment company. This is also the

PerformanceJune 13, 2020

Players pay tribute to Uzi as retirement casts light on health in esports

Jian “Uzi” Zi-hao, the iconic star player of the League of Legends Pro League in China, announced his retirement June 3 due to chronic injury. He won accolades from players around the world and shed light on some of the common health problems that have plagued the industry. “As of today, LPL 0006 @UziRNG will officially retire. Uzi was not only the heart and soul of RNG, but also an icon in the esports world as a whole. From a teenager onwards he never gave up and worked as h

CultureJune 12, 2020

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Solo bingsu at Conrad Seoul Conrad Seoul’s rooftop bar Vvertigo is to launch single-serve bingsu from Monday. Typically, bingsu is shared among two to three people. However, as one-person bingsu has become the norm amid social distancing, Vvertigo is offering tropical-flavored pina colada bingsu and coffee-flavored Irish ice bingsu, adequate for a single guest. The bingsu varieties are liqour based, but can be enjoyed as non-alcohol desserts upon request. Pina colada bingsu costs 18,

FoodJune 12, 2020

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Jeongnamjin Jangheung Water Festival The Jeongnamjin Jangheung Water Festival in Jangheung, South Jeolla Province, celebrates the clean and refreshing water of the Tamjin River and Jangheung Lake. The water festival takes place in areas along the river and in the Cypress Forest Woodland, allowing festivalgoers to take part in refreshing water activities from day to night. For more information in Korean, visit festival.jangheung.go.kr. Call the travel hotline at 1330 for help in Korean, Eng

TravelJune 12, 2020

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Innocence (Korea) Opened June 10 Crime, Drama Directed by Park Sang-hyun A hotshot attorney from a big law firm, Jeong-in (Shin Hye-sun) defends her long-estranged mother Hwa-ja (Bae Jong-ok) in a murder trial. Hwa-ja, suffering from dementia, is accused of tampering with makgeolli served at her husband’s funeral, leading to the death of one of the guests. Delving into the case, Jeong-in finds suspicious signs of a scheme surrounding the town’s Mayor Chu In-hoe (Heo Joon-ho) and se

FilmJune 12, 2020

Dry-aged steak at home

Tackling the art of enjoying dry-aged steak at home was worth every sumptuous, succulent bite. The instructions given by the staff at The Porterhouse Butcher and More were straightforward. Remove the steak, a glorious almost 700 gram porterhouse that had been dry-aged for 10 weeks, from the refrigerator two hours in advance, then dress that naked hunk of meat with olive oil and salt.   Heat skillet on high heat and coat with plenty of olive oil, slide steak in and flip every minute unt

FoodJune 12, 2020

Stradeum to hold offline concert for audience of 30

Music concert hall operator Stradeum announced Thursday that it will hold the “Stage 30” concert series from June 16 to July 10 jointly with performance-planning company United Producers. The Stradeum, a 100-seat venue, will only seat 30 concertgoers to comply with social distancing guidelines. Stradeum added that everyone in the audience must go through temperature checks and wear masks. “This concert is part of the musician’s process to find ways to meet with audienc

PerformanceJune 11, 2020

Actor Ryu Seung-beom to marry Slovakian girlfriend

South Korean actor Ryu Seung-beom will tie the knot with his Slovakian girlfriend this year, his management agency said Thursday. "Ryu will soon marry his foreign girlfriend," said SEM Company. "He'd planned to have a small wedding ceremony with just family members, but it has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic." He will become a father, it added. Ryu's girlfriend, an artist living in France, is about 10 years younger than the 39-year-old actor. The couple has b

TelevisionJune 11, 2020

Interpark Songin’s filing for court receivership alarms publishers, offline bookstores

Concerns of the publishing industry and local offline bookstore owners are rising, as Interpark Songin, a retailer to small and medium-sized bookstores, announced Tuesday that it has filed for court receivership due to mounting losses. In 2017, e-commerce platform operator Interpark acquired a 56.2 percent stake in the book retailer, which at the time was under court receivership, for 4 billion won ($3.36 million). Interpark said that it has since been working hard to normalize the business

BooksJune 10, 2020

[Herald Interview] Focus on viewer empathy, attention to details spell success

Just as they did with their previous shows, including the three “Reply” series and “Prison Playbook,” producer Shin Won-ho and screenwriter Lee Woo-jung captured the hearts of viewers with likeable characters and heartwarming stories in “Hospital Playlist.” The 12-episode series racked up a 14.1 percent viewership rating on its final episode last month. “I feel relieved. While my previous works left me feeling ‘done’ with them, because &ls

TelevisionJune 10, 2020

Seoul designates 34 more overseas Sejong Korean-language institutes

South Korea has added more than 30 new state-funded Korean language institutes abroad, the government announced Wednesday, in an effort to promote the Korean language as a catalyst in the global spread of Korean culture at large. The culture ministry announced the opening of 34 more King Sejong Institutes in 30 countries across the world, including in Asia, Europe, the Americas and Africa. The countries included Laos, Vietnam, Denmark, Russia, France, Costa Rica, Ethiopia and Uganda. Of the

CultureJune 10, 2020

Actor-turned-director Jung Jin-young says directorial debut ‘Me and Me’ a sad comedy

It is not easy to truly see ourselves as we are seen in the eyes of others. The confusion stemming from the gap between the “me” I know and the “me” that others see may be overwhelming. Jung Jin-young said his first film as a director, “Me and Me,” depicts such confusion experienced by a “delicate being.” “The film can be considered a sad comedy about the loneliness of a delicate human being,” Jung said at the film’s premiere Tu

FilmJune 10, 2020