Resurrection of ssireum, traditional Korean wrestling

Korea Ssireum Association is holding a tournament during the Lunar New Year holidays in Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province from Wednesday to Monday, with the organizers expecting more spectators than usual on the back of the recent resurgence in popularity of Korean traditional wrestling. 　“We have been holding a ssireum tournament during the Lunar New Year holidays every year in different cities of Korea. Last year the stadium in Jeongeup was nearly full and we are expecting more this

CultureJan. 23, 2020

YG denies rumors of G-Dragon’s concert in China

K-pop powerhouse YG Entertainment on Wednesday warned fans about fake tickets for K-pop band Big Bang’s leader G-Dragon’s rumored concert in China.In an official statement, YG said it has spotted fake news about G-Dragon’s supposed concert in China on several online websites, including WeChat, a widely used social media platform in China. While G-Dragon will not perform in a concert in China, the company said that some people have received preorders for the tickets.“All i

PerformanceJan. 23, 2020

Year of the White Mouse heralds abundance, opportunities

Though we are well into the new year, the Year of the White Mouse truly begins with the Lunar New Year’s holiday.With Lunar New Year’s Day falling Saturday, South Korea slips into a holiday mood from Friday through Monday. According to the Chinese zodiac, there are 10 characters that symbolize the energy of the sky and 12 animals responsible for guarding the land. This year, the seventh character, Gyeong, meets the mouse guardian. Gyeong symbolizes the color white, making 2020 the Ye

CultureJan. 23, 2020

TWICE music video 'TT' hits 500m YouTube views

"TT," a 2016 music video by K-pop girl band TWICE, hit the milestone of 500 million YouTube views Thursday, the band's management agency said.The video achieved the feat Thursday morning, becoming the band's first to hit the 500 million mark, according to JYP Entertainment. It was released in October 2016 on TWICE's third EP, "TWICEcoaster: LANE1."The video initially surpassed the threshold of 300 million YouTube views in December 2017, the first K-pop song by female artists

PerformanceJan. 23, 2020

1980 Gwangju massacre focus of attention at Namsan Arts Center

The Namsan Arts Center, managed by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, released its 2020 season program Tuesday, stressing that this season’s program is about remembering the atrocities linked to the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising.The Gwangju massacre saw mass killings of civilians by the military junta led by Gen. Chun Doo-hwan in response to the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising in 1980, as the people of Gwangju called for democracy, protesting against the authoritarian regime.

PerformanceJan. 22, 2020

‘Time to Hunt’ starring SAG-winner Choi Woo-sik to screen at Berlin fest

Korean thriller “Time to Hunt” has been included in the Berlin International Film Festival’s screening lineup for this year, according to an announcement Tuesday. Marking its 70th anniversary this year, the event is considered one of the top three film festivals in the world, along with the Cannes Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival. The movie is the first Korean work to be shown in the Berlinale’s special gala section, which spotlights films of current topics and

FilmJan. 22, 2020

Billie Eilish to perform in Seoul in August

Chart-topping teenage pop icon Billie Eilish has announced the dates for her “Where Do We Go?” world tour in Asia.The Asian leg of her world tour will kick off in Seoul on Aug. 23, according to a poster posted on the singer’s social media account Monday. The singer will perform in six other cities -- Shanghai, Taipei, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Manila, and Jakarta -- between August and September.The American singer will embark on her tour in early March, starting with shows in North Ame

PerformanceJan. 22, 2020

BTS announces beginning of new world tour in April

K-pop super band BTS announced Wednesday that a new globe-trotting concert tour, "Map of the Soul," will kick off in April in Seoul.The tour is scheduled to open with four concerts on the first leg in Seoul from April 11-12 and 18-19 at Seoul Olympic Stadium and present a total of 37 performances in 17 cities across the globe in its first phase, according to Big Hit Entertainment, the management agency of BTS.The lineup of destinations includes the United States, Canada, Japan, Britain

PerformanceJan. 22, 2020

[Video] Flavor chemistry behind cocoa gastronomy

The mouth-watering sweetness that originated from cocoa serves as the main component of chocolate in the modern confectionery industry. The unique bounties of rare flavors coming from the deep brown beans are undoubtedly the magic hands behind the juicy touch. Many chocolate lovers agree -- a bite of fine chocolate can be as exquisite as a fancy truffle risotto, conveying the pleasure of tasting something truly delectable. On Jan. 10, the world’s largest chocolate festival, “Salon du

CultureJan. 22, 2020

Korean stage actors make way to Broadway, West End

Like the rest of the global entertainment industry, the musical theater scene has been paying attention to the issue of racial diversity. Backed by the movement, more Korean stage actors are making their way to overseas productions, including on Broadway and West End.While the 2020 Korea Musical Awards took place Monday, stage actors who starred in overseas musical productions -- Kim So-hyang, Kim Soo-ha, Park Young-ju and Choi Eun-sil -- shared their experiences at the Musical Global Network Co

PerformanceJan. 21, 2020

[Herald Interview] Halsey says working with BTS one of best experiences in life

Halsey, the US artist who made herself known to Korean fans after featuring on K-pop sensation BTS’ hit song “Boy With Luv” last year, remembers the collaboration as one of the best experiences in her life.In an email interview conducted ahead of her Seoul concert in May, Halsey said, “I flew to Korea to film the music video for ‘Boy With Luv’ and got to spend some time there, and see how they work, how they make music video, and how dedicated they are to danc

PerformanceJan. 21, 2020

Korean Cultural Centers introduce country's Lunar New Year traditions

Diverse cultural events will be held at Korean Cultural Centers located in countries that mark the Lunar New Year’s holiday, introducing Korea’s own Lunar New Year traditions and customs.Eighteen Korean Cultural Centers in 15 countries will organize Lunar New Year’s events, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korean Culture and Information Service announced Tuesday. The centers are operated by the Korean government. “To celebrate the Lunar New Year, Korean Cul

CultureJan. 21, 2020

Get out of house this Lunar New Year’s holiday and enjoy traditional events

Although it is tempting to stay in bed late during the long Lunar New Year’s holiday, there will be diverse traditional cultural events and opportunities that people should not miss. The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on Monday that four Joseon-era palaces in Seoul -- Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung and Changgyeonggung -- will keep their doors open throughout the four-day holiday this year.The four palaces will offer cultural experience programs for visitors. On Saturd

CultureJan. 21, 2020

BTS tweaks K-pop marketing playbook with 'Map of the Soul: 7'

Following the smartly organized, decadelong K-pop marketing formula, boy band BTS has unexceptionally heralded its new album releases with advance teaser videos and music samples during its past seven-year career.But instead of getting advance SNS hints and teasers about the band's newest song, fans of BTS were completely left in the dark until the very moment of the official release of "Black Swan" last Friday. "Black Swan" is the first BTS single pre-released from its upcom

PerformanceJan. 21, 2020

National Museum of Korea shows unique development of Finnish design

Finnish-style furniture is popular in Korea, but not many Koreans have a chance to deeply think about how the country’s designs have evolved. The exhibition “10,000 Years of Design – Man, Matter, Metamorphosis” shows how design in Finland has evolved around the country’s nature and ecosystem from the end of Ice Age when the Finnish landmass emerged. Breaking the mold of typical design exhibitions, the current exhibition at the National Museum of Korea includes artif

Arts & DesignJan. 20, 2020

Upset fans demand that Chen leave EXO

After Chen of K-pop boy band EXO announced his upcoming marriage, some fans took to streets in protest, labeling him a “betrayer” and calling on him to leave the group. Chen, whose real name is Kim Jong-dae, announced his marriage on Jan. 13, hinting that his wife-to-be is pregnant with his child. He posted a picture of a handwritten letter on a fan website, saying he has “a person whom he wants to spend the rest of his life with.”Chen also hinted at his girlfriend’

PerformanceJan. 20, 2020

'Parasite' invades Oscars race with stunning SAG award win

LOS ANGELES (AFP) -- "Parasite" shocked the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday by landing the night's top prize, a historic win which thrusts the South Korean black comedy into Oscars contention.The critical smash hit film overcame the language barrier to win outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture, the SAG equivalent of a best film Academy Award."I'm a little embarrassed feeling like we're the parasites of Hollywood now," joked actor Lee Sun-Kyun.Director Bon

FilmJan. 20, 2020

'Parasite' wins top prize from American Cinema Editors

Bong Joon-ho's sensation "Parasite" won the top prize for best edited feature film at the 70th annual ACE Eddie Awards, US media have reported.It marked the first time that a foreign language film has won the top prize in ACE Eddie Awards history. Parasite editor Yang Jin-mo said in an acceptance speech, "First of all, this all feels like a dream. I can't believe this is happening," according to Deadline Hollywood, an entertainment industry news site."It's such a huge ho

FilmJan. 19, 2020

BTS' modern art project, 'CONNECT, BTS' hits Berlin

BTS' global contemporary art initiative, "CONNECT, BTS," has landed in Berlin, the second destination following London, the band's management agency said Sunday.Big Hit said, "Rituals of Care," an exhibition of performances, kicked off at Martin-Gropius-Bau, a modern art museum in the German capital Wednesday as the second leg of the "CONNECT, BTS" art project.  The first "CONNECT, BTS" project opened at London's Serpentine Gallery Tuesday, an exhibit

PerformanceJan. 19, 2020

Interviewers outshine star guests on YouTube

The norm of interviewers having limited roles in front of the camera no longer holds true, as more South Korean interviewers are starting to shine on YouTube. Interviewer and producer Lee Eun-jae of variety show “MMTG,” a program that kicked off on SBS’ YouTube platform in February 2018, is one such example. The program, which features interviews with stars in different fields, has a separate YouTube channel with more than 40,900 subscribers as of Sunday. Lee, also known as Jae

PeopleJan. 19, 2020