Park Shin-hye says ‘Call’ a never-before-seen mystery thriller

Actress Park Shin-hye will be returning to the big screen for the first time in three years with “Call,” a movie she describes as the tensest and fiercest among those in which she has acted. “There are stories that stimulate my imagination as I read on. They make me wonder how alike or different those imaginations will be when the stories are actualized on the set,” Park said at a press conference in Seoul on Monday. Park exclaimed she got goosebumps just reading the s

FilmFeb. 17, 2020

“Crash Landing on You” ends with tvN’s highest ratings yet

“Crash Landing on You,” tvN’s Saturday-Sunday drama, came to an end Sunday, breaking its own viewership record and scoring the highest ratings for any tvN drama. The final episode of the 16-part romantic comedy starring Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin saw its ratings peak at 24.1 percent, with the average viewer ratings for the whole series standing at 21.7 percent, according to Nielsen Korea. It set a record for the South Korean drama powerhouse tvN. Previously, “Guardian: T

TelevisionFeb. 17, 2020

With fist bumps, Osmo Vanska signals SPO’s ‘Resurrection’

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra kicked off a new beginning over the weekend with Mahler’s symphony “Resurrection,” under the baton of new music director Osmo Vanska. Vanska, 67, was appointed as SPO music director last May. On Friday and Saturday, the Finnish conductor held his inaugural concerts at the Lotte Concert Hall in eastern Seoul, presenting Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 in C minor “Resurrection.”   From the very start, the maestro was bold. Instead

PerformanceFeb. 17, 2020

Culture Ministry to inject W50b toward loans for tourism businesses hit by COVID-19 outbreak

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Monday announced that it will inject 50 billion won ($42.3 million) to provide loans without collateral to small and medium-sized companies involved in tourism, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. “We hope that providing prompt and practical emergency financial assistance will help those suffering in the tourism industry due to the spread of COVID-19 recover and revitalize management fast,” ministry official Choi Jae-won sai

TravelFeb. 17, 2020

Esports league plays to empty stadium

Two weeks have passed since the 2020 League of Legends Champions Korea Spring season started without spectators as a precaution against the spread of novel coronavirus. At LoL Park in Jongno, Seoul, on Sunday, masks were distributed to players and staff entering the arena, as temperatures were measured and hands sanitized. Referees wore masks and gloves, while the 400 seats in the arena had posted notices prohibiting sitting. Coaches did not shake hands after the pick-and-ban phase as had be

CultureFeb. 17, 2020

Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho returns home to hero's welcome

  South Korean film director Bong Joon-ho made a triumphant return home on Sunday after capturing four Oscar titles, including best picture for his black comedy thriller "Parasite." "Thanks to so many of you for greeting me, despite the cold weather," Bong told hundreds of reporters, photographers and fans that were waiting for the director at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. "I'm also so sorry for having bothered you many times since the Cannes

FilmFeb. 16, 2020

[Newsmaker] News presenter Lim Hyun-ju reignites bra-free debate

News presenter Lim Hyun-ju has reignited debate on going braless after appearing on an MBC documentary on Thursday. In the program “Series M -- Do We Need to Wear Bras” (unofficial translation), Lim went bra-free for a day. She prepared for and did a live television show without wearing a bra, and shared how she felt about it afterward. On Sunday, Lim said people had left hateful comments on her Instagram account after she shared more information and her feelings about the exper

TelevisionFeb. 16, 2020

Behind successful students, there were slaves

“Sungkyunkwan National Academy and Its Surrounding Village, Banchon,” an exhibition running at the Seoul Museum of History, shows Koreans’ obsession with education, which dates back to the Joseon period (1392 to 1910). The first part of the exhibition showcases the lives of elite students of Sungkyunkwan National Academy, which served as both as a center of higher education and a symbol of Neo-Confucian culture. The academy trained around 200 top students from around the cou

CultureFeb. 16, 2020

Concerts for all daughters of the world

Kang Eun-il’s upcoming concerts seek to remind all daughters that they are precious. The artistic director of Seoul Donwhamun Traditional Theater is a renowned player of haegeum, a traditional Korean two-string instrument. She is also recognized for her crossover music featuring haegeum. On Saturday and Sunday, Kang will present five new original works in concerts titled “Ancient Futures: Stories of My Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother” at Arko Arts Theater in Seou

PerformanceFeb. 16, 2020

Seohyun to face her deepest pain in ‘Hello, Dracula’

Singer-turned-actor Seohyun of Girls Generation is returing to the small screen with JTBC’s new short drama series “Hello, Dracula,” which is slated to air this week. Despite the title, the two-part series is not a fantasy thriller about vampires. It is a realistic but warm story about people of different generations who face their deepest fears to take the next step in their lives. The new drama is an omnibus set comprising of three stories each revolving around different c

TelevisionFeb. 14, 2020

Bong Joon-ho's detailed directing works behind the scene

Even before Bong Joon-ho grabbed four Oscars, including best picture and best director, for his black comedy masterpiece "Parasite," the South Korean auteur was not a new kid on the block. With seven features on his directorial career, including "Parasite," he has earned a nickname of "Bongtail" at home and abroad, a combination of his family name and the English word "detail." Even though he mentioned several times in interviews that he does not like t

FilmFeb. 14, 2020

'Parasite' soundtrack album shares an Oscar bump

While the South Korean film "Parasite"'s historic Oscar triumph gives the film a bump at international box offices, its soundtrack album is also benefiting from the boost. Streaming of the "Parasite" album skyrocketed 11 fold on Monday on local online streaming service Genie Music, compared with the previous day, according to Genie. On Sunday (US time), the satirical thriller became the first non-English language film to take best picture, the main award, in the Academy's

FilmFeb. 14, 2020

[Eye Plus] Hop aboard ‘Hotel Express 284’

The former Seoul Station building -- now Culture Station Seoul 284 -- has been transformed into a hotel complex for an exhibition. With the building symbolic of Korea’s shift to modernity, the exhibition “Hotel Express 284,” organized by the Korea Craft & Design Foundation, highlights the venue as a place where voyages start.  Foreigners flooded into Seoul after the opening of ports in thelate 19th century. Their need for accommodation marked the beginning of hot

Arts & DesignFeb. 14, 2020

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Little Women (US) Opened Feb. 12 Drama, romance Directed by Greta Gerwig In the years following the Civil War, burgeoning author Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) lives in New York, while her sister Amy (Florence Pugh) studies painting in Paris. Their oldest sister, Meg (Emma Watson), is married to a schoolteacher, while Beth (Eliza Scanlen) develops a devastating illness that brings the family back together. Jo looks back on the four siblings’ Massachusetts childhoods and the events that helped

FilmFeb. 14, 2020

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Strawberry desserts at Mayfield Hotel With spring just around the corner, Mayfield Hotel’s Royal Mile presents the Strawberry Afternoon Tea set until April 30. The set features eight berry-themed desserts, such as tiramisu, tarte, macarons, sandwiches and scones. Guests will also be offered two different varieties of Tavalon tea. Priced at 53,000 won, the set will be available daily from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information or reservations, call Royal Mile at (02) 2660-9050. Swe

FoodFeb. 14, 2020

[Travel Bits] Festivals and sights across Korea

Jindo Miracle Sea Road Festival The Jindo Miracle Sea Road Festival will be held April 8-11. The island in South Jeolla Province is known for its indigenous Jindo dogs. The Jindo Miracle Sea Road is a 40-meter-wide, 2.8-kilometer-long path connecting two separate islands. It only appears for approximately an hour during extremely low tides. Open to visitors of all ages, the festival draws over 500,000 visitors every year. Admission is free. For more information in Korean, English, Japan

TravelFeb. 14, 2020

[Herald Interview] Web-serial writer Lee Nak-joon juggles three jobs

Lee Nak-joon, 35, balances three jobs -- web-serial writer, YouTuber and ear, nose and throat specialist. “At first I did not have much problems. I write fast. It usually takes around an hour and a half for me to write one episode (for my daily update). For YouTube, I only spent around 15 minutes shooting a video that is around 10 minutes,” Lee said in an interview with The Korea Herald. It became tougher to manage last year after his web serial “Trauma Center: Golden Hour&

PeopleFeb. 14, 2020

Moon to meet Bong Joon-ho at Cheong Wa Dae next week

President Moon Jae-in has invited Bong Joon-ho, director of the film "Parasite," to Cheong Wa Dae next week in celebration and recognition of his Oscar honors, an aide to Moon said Thursday. The president plans to hold a luncheon meeting with Bong on Feb. 20 with related details yet to be fixed, including whether the cast of the dark comedy and thriller movie about social problems from the gap between rich and poor will attend as well, according to the official who requested anonymity

FilmFeb. 13, 2020

[Graphic News] Trending ‘Parasite’ filming locations after Oscar wins

　Locations that appeared in director Bong Joon-ho’s masterpiece “Parasite” are trending, with fans visiting the venues in celebration of the film’s historic Oscar wins. - Where “Parasite” begins Doijissal Supermarket Address: 32, Songijeong-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul Hours of Operation: 8:30 a.m.-12:30 a.m. daily Directions: Subway Line Nos. 2 & 5, Exit No. 6 of Chungjeongno Station, walk 10 minutes - Stairs connecting to President Park’s house Stair

CultureFeb. 13, 2020

[Herald Interview] Floating festival in middle of ocean

Though walking on water may not be possible, dancing on water is -- if you board the cruise music festival “It’s the Ship” this summer in Busan. The festival is a four-day-long journey of Electronic Dance Music party, held on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean. This summer, for the first time, it will sail the waters off the shores of South Korea, Aug. 28-31, making a round trip to Fukuoka, Japan. Launched in Singapore 2014 by an event management company, Livescape Gr

PerformanceFeb. 13, 2020