Outdoor concert returns to Olympic Park with top-notch lineup

The Credia Park Concert, the first full-scale outdoor classical music concert launched in Korea in 2010, returns in September after five years, running from Sept. 6 to 8 at the Olympic Park 88 Garden in southeastern Seoul. The concert on Sept. 6, titled "Forest of Music," features pianist Yuhki Kuramoto, violinist Danny Koo and Fortena, a group of four tenors along with Korea Coop Orchestra led by Kim Sung-zin. On the second day of the Park Concert, "Disney in Concert” will

CultureJune 27, 2024

New type of Silla tomb discovered in Gyeongju

Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery in the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom (57 BC-AD 935) that challenges long-held assumptions about early Korean burial practices. The Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage announced Wednesday that two newly excavated tombs in the Jjoksaem district of Gyeongju represent a previously unknown burial type for the era. Gyeongju is known for its numerous ancient royal tombs and exquisite artifacts. Jjoksaem, where Silla’

CultureJune 26, 2024

42 years in the making, monumental Buddhist encyclopedia completed

In May 1982, Ven. Jikwan, then 50 years old, knelt in prayer at Gyeongguksa, a Buddhist temple nestled in the foothills of Seoul's Bukhan Mountain. The monk, dean of Buddhist studies at Korea’s largest Buddhist university and highly respected for his scholarly demeanor, had a grand ambition: make Buddhism’s extensive history accessible to ordinary people, in plain Korean. "After all these years, I begin to write an encyclopedia," he prayed. "May the eight guardian

CultureJune 26, 2024

Son Woong-jung at book signing event amid child abuse allegations

Son Woong-jung, director of the SON Soccer Academy and father of South Korea national soccer team captain Son Heung-min, attended the Seoul International Book Fair on Wednesday for a book signing event. Earlier in the day, news broke that Son and two coaches at his soccer academy had been accused of verbally and physically abusing a youth athlete, according to the police. Son appeared as scheduled at the Munhakdonge Publishing's booth in Coex around 3 p.m. As Son arrived at the signing even

BooksJune 26, 2024

Black's unchallenged reign in Korean wardrobes confirmed in poll

In South Korean wardrobes, one color dominates: black. The timeless hue continues its reign as the most popular clothing color among Koreans, maintaining its top spot for 20 years now, according to a recent poll by Gallup Korea. In the poll of 1,777 Korean nationals aged 13 or older, 34 percent of male and 17 percent of female respondents named it their top choice. The preference for black was most solid among men in their teens to 30s, with nearly 40 percent choosing it as their favorite colo

CultureJune 26, 2024

[Herald Review] 'Cherry Orchard': The story of 'lovely mess of a family'

In Simon Stone’s Korean take on Anton Chekhov’s classic “The Cherry Orchard,” the world-renowned director shifts the setting to contemporary Seoul. Here, aristocratic siblings Lyuba Ranevsky and Leonid Gayev have become heirs to a crumbling chaebol family named Do-young (Jeon Do-yeon) and Jae-young (Son Sang-gyu). The Song family business is on the brink of bankruptcy, but Jae-young is inept and Do-young is in denial. Enter Hwang Doo-sik (Park Hae-soo), a modern incarnati

PerformanceJune 26, 2024

[Herald Interview] Jeon Do-yeon embraces complexity of Simon Stone's 'Cherry Orchard'

In a contemporary Korean adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s tragicomedy “The Cherry Orchard,” directed by Simon Stone, Cannes-winning actress Jeon Do-yeon takes on the role of Song Do-young, a reinterpretation of Lyuba Ranevsky. Acclaimed Australian director Stone has transported Chekhov’s narrative into 2024 South Korea, mirroring the original’s portrayal of a decaying aristocracy amidst societal upheaval. Clad in a trench coat, pink tracksuit and sneakers, the "tr

PerformanceJune 26, 2024

Hallyu guru Sam Richards attributes K-content's success to Korean values

The sense of community embedded in Korean culture is the power behind the popularity of Korean cultural content worldwide, sociologist Sam Richards emphasized during a lecture at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul on Tuesday. The award-winning Pennsylvania State University professor discussed the foundations of Korean content penetrating the world under the theme of “Korea’s Characteristics and Values,” which was held as a program of Sungkyun-Asian Humanities Academy at Sungkyunk

PeopleJune 26, 2024

A Korean 'Mrs. Doubtfire'? Jo Jung-suk stars in comedy 'Pilot'

Actor Jo Jung-suk, who led the 2019 action comedy “Exit” has returned with comedy flick “Pilot.” In the upcoming movie, appears as Han Jang-mi, a female pilot. The trailer showing Jo dressed up as a female pilot and wearing colorful makeup quickly went viral upon its release Monday. In the film, Jo plays Jung-woo, a retired pilot who disguises himself as a woman – Jang-mi – to get re-employed. The 43-year-old actor said he referenced Robin Williams’ 1993

FilmJune 26, 2024

[Herald Interview] Lee Je-hoon reflected on his youth while filming 'Escape'

Actor Lee Je-hoon, 39, said that he identified with his role as a North Korean soldier defecting to South Korea, reflecting on his fervent aspirations to achieve his dreams in his youth. In "Escape," an action flick set to hit theaters on July 3, Lee plays the main lead role of Gyu-nam, a North Korean soldier who sets up a plan to cross the border to South Korea with dreams of leading a free life. According to Lee, "Escape" was one of the most difficult projects in his 18-yea

FilmJune 26, 2024

National Dance Company invites us to dreamlike reveries

The National Dance Company of Korea is set to present alternating performances of "Sinsun" and "Mongyudowonmu" from Thursday to Sunday at the National Theater of Korea's Daloreum Theater. "Sinsun" will be performed on Thursday and Saturday, while "Mongyudowonmu" will be performed on Friday and Sunday. Having originally premiered as a double bill in 2022, both productions have been expanded into 60-minute performances. "Sinsun" portrays the p

PerformanceJune 25, 2024

Winners of CICI's New Korea Ideas competition revealed

A proposal inspired by the aesthetic beauty of Hangeul won the top prize in a competition of new ideas to represent Korea, organized by the Corea Image Communication Institute as part of its 15th Culture Communication Forum, held at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, Monday. Also at the event, an AI-generated image of a Korean person wearing a blend of traditional and modern clothing won the grand prize in the Korea Image Created by AI Contest. The winners were selected through online voting by the forum pa

CultureJune 25, 2024

Only six Korean films score 1m admissions in first half of 2024

Despite the success of blockbuster films “Exhuma” and “The Roundup: Punishment” in the first half of this year, the majority of Korean films have struggled, with only six managing to surpass 1 million in admissions. According to Korean Film Council data, six films -- "Exhuma,” “The Roundup: Punishment,” “The Birth of Korea,” “Citizen of a Kind,” “Following” and “Alienoid: Return to the Future” -- had a

FilmJune 25, 2024

Qatar shows its collection of video art, cinema in Venice

VENICE, Italy -- Built in 1565, Palazzo Franchetti overlooking the Grand Canal, the main waterway of Venice, is a splendid piece of Gothic architecture, including a beautiful garden. The building has turned into a very different space to coincide with the 60th Venice Biennale from April to November for the exhibition, “Your Ghosts Are Mine: Expanded Cinemas, Amplified Voices,” which takes people to explore the Arab world, Africa and South Asia through film and video works by filmmake

Arts & DesignJune 25, 2024

'The Whirlwind' embraces timeless appeal of well-made classics

Netflix's "The Whirlwind" will honor classic storytelling by remaining faithful to the script of a seasoned screenwriter, said the director, Tuesday. "The Whirlwind" is a 12-part series that tells the story of Park Dong-ho (played by Sul Kyung-gu), the prime minister of South Korea who, believing the president to be unfit to lead the country, kills him. Finance Minister Jung Soo-jin (played by Kim Hee-ae) tries to stop Park as he seeks to grab power after the president&#

TelevisionJune 25, 2024

Westlife concert in Korea postponed to November

Irish pop band Westlife's concert has been postponed to November. According to Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort, Westlife, initially scheduled to perform “The Hits Tour” in Korea at the Incheon Inspire Arena on July 6-7, will now hold one concert, on Nov. 23. The band last performed in Korea in October 2011 as part of its "Gravity Tour." Tickets for Westlife’s concert in Korea, which were sold through pre-booking, will be automatically canceled and full refun

PerformanceJune 25, 2024

Choi Goen wins 2024 Artist Award at Frieze Seoul

Korean installation artist Choi Goen has won the 2024 Artist Award and her work will be on display at the fair's venue at Coex in southern Seoul, Frieze Seoul announced Monday. The third edition of the global art fair is to be held from Sept. 4 to 7 at Coex, bringing together some 110 galleries from across the globe. The global art fair takes place in collaboration with the country’s homegrown international art fair, Kiaf Seoul. “The award enables an emerging or mid-career artis

Arts & DesignJune 24, 2024

Trendy 'gugak' festival 'Yeowoorak' spotlights artists

The iconic summer "gugak," or traditional Korean music, festival "Yeowoorak" is back from July 4 to 27, marking its 15th edition. Derived from the Korean phrase "Here is our music," Yeowoorak is the National Theater of Korea's flagship summer festival, showcasing musicians who explore and experiment with gugak. Since its inception in 2010, the festival has attracted over 77,000 people to the National Theater of Korea on Namsan. In the previous editions, Yeowoor

PerformanceJune 24, 2024

Indie filmmakers obtain help finding distributors with First Link

The Korean Film Council is accepting applications, starting July 1, for a support initiative to connect indie filmmakers with distributors, the state-run agency said Monday. Now in its fourth year, the First Link program aims to bridge the gap between artistic creation and commercial release in the country's vibrant independent cinema scene. While Korean arthouse cinema has garnered international acclaim, with works like "Breathless" (2008) and "House of Hummingbird" (20

FilmJune 24, 2024

Songzio returns to womenswear at Paris Fashion Week

South Korean avant-garde menswear brand Songzio unveiled a womenswear collection for the first time in 25 years at the Spring-Summer 2025 Paris Men’s Fashion Week. The collection revealed Friday was titled “Bright Star” in reference to the North Star, an enduring source of inspiration and a symbol of a hopeful future. Each creation was pieced together using asymmetric geometric shapes for vibrant and youthful exuberance, Songzio said. Such unfettered self-expression by youth, S

Arts & DesignJune 24, 2024