Shim Eun-kyung wins another best actress prize at Japanese film festival

Korean actress Shim Eun-kyung, 26, on Sunday received the best actress award at the 34th Takasaki Film Festival held in Japan, for her role in the upcoming film “Blue Hour.” This is the second award she has won in Japan this month. On March 6, she became the first Korean to win the best actress award at the 43rd Japan Academy Film Prize Awards for her role in “The Journalist.” Shim played journalist Yoshioka Erika, who digs into a political scandal. Directed by Yuko Ha

FilmMarch 24, 2020

Coronavirus pandemic halts overseas shoots of Korean movies

The coronavirus pandemic is affecting the production of films in South Korea as on-location filming schedules have been canceled due to widening travel bans worldwide. The production team of the crime movie "Bogota," starring Song Joon-ki, has decided to stop shooting at a location in Colombia and return to South Korea. "We've made the decision in consideration of the safety of the cast and crew," said an official from the film's local distributor, Megabox Plus M, last wee

FilmMarch 24, 2020

MBC’s ‘365 Repeat the Year’ starts time slip adventure

Reset was the theme of “365 Repeat the Year” as the new MBC drama started its 24-episode series. Beginning in the present, the characters go through life-changing tragedies that make each of them miserable. The main characters include Ji Hyung-ju, played by Lee Joon-hyuk, a detective who lost his closest teammate to a serial killer, and Shin Ga-hyeon, played by Nam Ji-hyun, a webcomic artist who is in a wheelchair due to a leg injury. Along with eight others, they are called by

TelevisionMarch 24, 2020

S. Korean daily box office drops to record low on Monday

The daily number of moviegoers in South Korea dropped to a record low out of fear of the novel coronavirus, data showed Tuesday. According to the data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), 25,873 people went to cinemas on Monday, the smallest daily figure since January 2004 when KOFIC started to compile local box office data. Due to the outbreak of the infectious COVID-19 virus, local movie theaters have been struggling with a sharp drop in ticket sales. A daily average of 64,000 people saw

FilmMarch 24, 2020

OCN’s ‘Rugal’ dabbles in biotech action

Known for its action thriller dramas, cable channel OCN is expanding its horizon of genres with an upcoming sci-fi thriller “Rugal.” Based on a popular webcomic of the same title, “Rugal” is an action hero series revolving around a special organization of people whose body parts have been reformed and strengthened through biotechnology. Named Rugal, the organization fights against the country’s biggest and most notorious terrorist group Argos. “‘Rugal

TelevisionMarch 23, 2020

Uigwe transcriptions by French researcher discovered in French museum

The Overseas Korean Culture Heritage Foundation has found transcriptions of Uigwe -- the royal protocol of the Joseon era -- at the National Museum of Asian Arts-Guimet in France. The books were created by French researcher Henri Chevalier and cover two Uigwe -- Heonjong Daewang Gukjang Dogam Uigwe and Hyohyeon Wanghu Gukjang Dogam Uigwe, which consist of 10 and six books, respectively. Heonjong Daewang Gukjang Dogam Uigwe records the state funeral ceremony held after King Heongjong died in

CultureMarch 23, 2020

Nam Hwa-yeon showcases artworks inspired by legendary, controversial dancer

A lack of information about legendary Korean dancer Choi Seung-hee (1911-1968) allowed Nam Hwa-yeon to come up with her own interpretations of Choi’s historic achievements for the solo exhibition “Mind Stream.” The interdisciplinary artist created artworks that range from media art to sculptures based on her research about the dancer. Nam represented Korea at the 2019 Venice Biennale 2019, along with Siren Eun Young Jung and Jane Jin Kaisen. Not many materials remain in Sou

Arts & DesignMarch 23, 2020

10cm holds first #TogetherAtHome concert in Korea

Indie singer 10cm hosted a YouTube live concert on Thursday night, joining the #TogetherAtHome challenge. After watching Coldplay singer Chris Martin perform a live concert online for people stuck indoors due to the spread of coronavirus, 10cm was inspired to join the challenge, becoming the first major Korean singer to do so. 10cm performed his best-known songs, including “Stalker” and “Phonecert.” He also played Coldplay’s “Fix You” in tribute to M

PerformanceMarch 23, 2020

National Library of Korea introduces enhanced online service amid coronavirus spread

The National Library of Korea started providing its enhanced online service Digital Collection on Monday. “Digital Collection provides selected content curated by experts from different fields who also wrote commentaries. We hope that this cultural content can help people who are having a difficult time due to the delay of the new school semester and social distancing,” a National Library of Korea official said in a statement. The service can be accessed via the National Library

CultureMarch 23, 2020

Netflix to exclusively release ‘Time to Hunt’

  The film “Time to Hunt” will be released next month exclusively through video streaming platform Netflix, the film’s distributor Little Big Pictures said Monday. Originally slated to be released late last month, the film’s opening had been indefinitely postponed due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. This marks the first time Netflix is exclusively releasing a film originally scheduled for a theatrical release. “Considering the danger of the COVID-19

FilmMarch 23, 2020

Overcoming virus scare with fiercer fears

Virus fears are not just present in reality, but also on the big screen. American director Steven Soderbergh’s 2011 film “Contagion” portrays the spread of a deadly virus. The details -- from the outbreak of the virus to the symptoms and even the wickedness of humankind amid the chaos -- seem almost prophetic considering what was to come in nine years. Maybe it is the desire to put the invisible culprit threatening and constraining us inside our homes in front of our eyes, o

FilmMarch 22, 2020

Performing arts scene staggers under virus pandemic

While Monday marks a month since the COVID-19 alert level was raised to “red,” the national health crisis is pushing the local performing arts scene to the edge. According to the Korea Performing Arts Box Office Information System, managed by the Korea Arts Management Service affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, roughly 70 productions opened in March as of Sunday. In February, around 380 shows opened. Moreover, data shows that performing arts ticket sales

PerformanceMarch 22, 2020

Feeling uneasy at home

Kim Yong-chul, a university graduate, has spent most of his time at home applying for jobs and studying for tests since late last year. But as the novel coronavirus has hit the country, in a crisis so far extending some two months, he has started to feel uneasy staying with his family at home for nearly 24 hours a day. “My father is working from home for over a month now, and it has become stressful for me to stay at home, even having three meals all together every day” Kim said. &

CultureMarch 22, 2020

Daniel Dae Kim addresses xenophobia after testing positive for coronavirus

Korean American actor Daniel Dae Kim, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, spoke on social media about his coronavirus testing experience and xenophobia. On Friday, Kim posted a 10-minute video on Instagram announcing that he had tested positive and spoke about violence toward Asians stemming from xenophobia. He had also tweeted on Monday against ongoing acts of racism in the US. Kim, known for his roles as Kwon Jin-soo in “Lost” and Dr. Jackson Han in “The Good Doc

PeopleMarch 20, 2020

NK media outlets criticize Seoul’s plan to jointly seek UNESCO listing of DMZ

North Korea’s media outlets criticized the Cultural Heritage Administration’s plan to seek UNESCO listing of the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas jointly with North Korea, according to local news outlets on Friday. The response from the North Korean news outlets came after the CHA on March 11 announced having the DMZ recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of its projects for 2020. The CHA said it intended to submit a tentative list to UNESCO in conjunction with

CultureMarch 20, 2020

[Newsmaker] Protestant church groups hope to normalize activities starting April 6

Mainstream Protestant church groups -- the National Council of Churches in Korea and the United Christian Churches of Korea -- apologized to the public on Thursday for the COVID-19 clusters that formed at churches. The statement also said the organizations hoped to normalize group activities and worship services from April 6. The joint statement followed an increase in the number of novel coronavirus clusters in South Korea this week among those attending Protestant church services. As of Fr

CultureMarch 20, 2020

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Dreamer (Korea) Opened March 19 Drama, Crime Directed by Cho Sung-bin North Korean defector Geun-su (Hong Geun-taek) struggles to settle in capitalist South Korean society, while searching for the brother he was separated from during their escape from the communist regime. Ji-hyuk (Cha Ji-hyun), an ex-convict and deliveryman, finds out Geun-su is involved in drug dealing. Desperate to flee the country for a new life, Ji-hyuk persuades Geun-su to steal a bag of methamphetamine and make big mone

FilmMarch 20, 2020

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Scrumptious breakfast at Andaz Seoul Gangnam Andaz Seoul Gangnam presents the “Mini Break, Mighty Breakfast” promotion until May 31, for guests planning a spring vacation. 　 The promotion allows guests to enjoy a scrumptious breakfast after a relaxing night at the hotel at a discount price of 10,000 won per adult. The regular breakfast fee is 44,000 won per person. Due to the COVID-19 situation, the buffet-style breakfast has been changed to a set menu or a la carte breakfast, a

FoodMarch 20, 2020

Rock musician celebrates record 30th year as radio host

Rock musician and radio show host Bae Chul-soo celebrated his 30th year as the host of a popular pop music radio show on Thursday, making himself the longest-sitting host of a radio program in Korean entertainment history. Since his first day hosting the evening radio show "Music Camp" by MBC on March 19, 1990, as a flourishing, rebellious 37-year-old rock musician, Bae has matured into a widely trusted, gray-haired show host over the past 30 years. His established status also lande

PerformanceMarch 19, 2020

How virus pandemic is changing entertainment scene

With television show producers are forced to come up with new production formats amid the prolonged coronavirus pandemic, the local entertainment scene is seeing changes. Originally an outdoor quiz show conducted with people on the streets, tvN’s “Yoo Quiz on the Block” has brought the talks inside. In the two latest episodes of the show, the program featured people soldiering through their daily lives amid the virus outbreak, connecting with them through video calls. Popular

TelevisionMarch 19, 2020