[Media Art Now] Yaloo’s mythical spectacle accommodates transhuman species

At first glance, Yaloo’s work is none other than an immersive spectacle in a baroque style. You may feel this way when you encounter her projections mapped onto media facades at a department store or at an airport, but more so when it takes the form of an audiovisual and architectural installation that seems to be a large organism in its entirety. And soon after, you will realize that the very sensorial captivation of her work unveils a densely-knitted narrative of a fictional universe in

Arts & DesignJune 13, 2024

Yunmin of Touched makes history with 9 wins on ‘King of Masked Singers’

Yunmin, the lead vocalist of the prominent South Korean band Touched, has made a significant mark on “King of Masked Singers” by achieving nine consecutive wins, a milestone not seen in nine years. “King of Masked Singers,” which has been airing on MBC since 2015, is a singing competition where singers and celebrities wear masks, leaving behind their careers and fame to compete solely based on their voice and singing ability. Yunmin maintained her top position from mid-Ja

CultureJune 13, 2024

Son Heung-min is S. Koreans' favorite sports star: survey

The athlete most beloved by South Koreans is men's national soccer team captain Son Heung-min, a recent poll by Gallup Korea showed, while the late former President Roh Moo-hyun topped the list of favorite political leaders. The survey, conducted with 1,777 people aged 13 and above in March and April, released the first part of results on South Koreans' favorite things across 50 categories. The first leg of the survey included favorite president, entrepreneur, novelist and sports star,

PeopleJune 13, 2024

Literary giants from France, India, Ireland nominated for Pak Kyongni Prize

Three writers -- Sylvie Germain from France, Amitav Ghosh from India and John Banville from Ireland -- have been nominated for the 13th Pak Kyongni Prize, according to the award’s organizer, Toji Cultural Foundation, on Wednesday. The judging committee conducted a review of writers from around the world over eight months starting in October last year and narrowed down this year's candidates to three. Germain debuted with "The Book of Nights" (1985) to great acclaim, winning

BooksJune 13, 2024

Canneseries-invited 'TAROT' will tell stories of people attempting to defy fate

Structured within a unique omnibus format, horror flick "TAROT" will tell the stories of individuals who try to challenge their destinies, the director said Wednesday. Produced by Studio X+U, "TAROT" is originally an omnibus drama series consisting of seven episodes. The series follows the stories of individuals who face ominous events predicted by tarot cards. For the movie version, three episodes from the series -- "Do You Believe in Santa?," "Going Home"

FilmJune 13, 2024

Bucheon film fest unveils 2024 lineup

BUCHEON, South Korea -- The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) on Wednesday unveiled the list of movies to be screened at this year's edition, with "Love Lies Bleeding" selected as the opening film and "Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In" chosen as the closing film. In addition to that, the annual film fest, a celebration of genre films from around the world, will showcase 255 short and feature films from around the world. The opening film, "Lo

FilmJune 12, 2024

Ko Eun-kyung, the visionary behind the emergence of model-turned-actors

In today's Korean fashion scene, the trajectory of models diverges significantly from their overseas counterparts. Korean models undergo rigorous training from the outset, coached at specialized fashion model academies to not only excel on the runway but also to showcase talents in acting, dancing, or singing, reminiscent of K-pop trainees. At the forefront of this innovative approach stands Ko Eun-kyung, the CEO of Kplus. She founded the company as a model management agency in 2008 and s

CultureJune 12, 2024

Landscape architect behind Seonyudo gets retrospective at MMCA

South Korea’s landscape architect Jung Young-sun is a pioneer -- she spent half a century exploring landscape practice since the 1970s, when the country's focus was still on rapid economic and industrial recovery from the Korean War. The debut retrospective exhibition by Korea's first female landscape architect at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea titled “Jung Youngsun: For All That Breathes On Earth” shows 60 projects through 500 archival mate

Arts & DesignJune 12, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'Jellyfish' playwright discusses authenticity of disabled portrayals

The preproduction showcase of "Jellyfish," starring actors with disabilities at Seoul's Modu Art Theater in late May, was different in many ways. From the outset, it set itself apart with an unconventional beginning where the cast and creative team gathered on stage in a small circle, introduced themselves and engaged in a quick chanting game to check on each other’s mental and physical states before the performance. The play was presented in a relaxed style, with dim lighti

PerformanceJune 12, 2024

Actor speaks out on ‘Burning Sun’ scandal rumor

Go Joon-hee once again expressed feelings of unfairness and denied involvement in the Burning Sun scandal that resurfaced after the BBC released a related documentary on May 19. The actor, known for her roles in 2015 film "Intimate Enemies" and 2019 thriller TV series "Possessed," on Tuesday appeared as a guest on the YouTube show “Don’t Forget Your Breakfast,” where she said, “I don’t even know where Burning Sun is at and I have never been the

CultureJune 12, 2024

[Herald Review] Son Suk-ku’s 13-minute-long ‘Night Fishing’ a dynamic one-man show

South Korean actor Son Suk-ku’s upcoming film, “Night Fishing,” is a sci-fi thriller short with a running time of 12 minutes and 59 seconds. The number of cameras used for this short film is seven, all of which are built-in cameras integrated into an electric car. The movie, which unfolds a story from the car’s point of view, revolves around an anonymous agent (Son) who is on a mission to track down an unidentified creature flying in the sky. As the sun sets, he lies in w

FilmJune 12, 2024

BTS' Jin first in group to complete military service

Jin of K-pop phenomenon BTS was discharged from his one year and six months of military service, Hybe said, Wednesday. Other BTS members took time off to go meet and congratulate Jin at the Recruit Training Battalion of the Army 5th Infantry Division in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province. All BTS members except Suga were there to welcome Jin's return to civilian life in Yeoncheon, with RM, J-Hope, V, Jungkook and Jimin greeting him warmly. RM, serving in the military band, performed the group&rsq

CultureJune 12, 2024

[New Book] Sequel to ‘I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki’ hits UK shelves

The sequel to the bestselling therapy memoir "I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki" hit the shelves in the UK last week, on June 6, with a US release slated for August. Titled "I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki," the new volume continues the raw and honest conversations between essayist Baek Se-hee and her psychiatrist. International Booker Prize- shortlisted Anton Hur translated the text. Building on the first book, which captured readers with its candid

BooksJune 12, 2024

Folk museum eyes turning Korean traditions relatable

Making Korean traditions more relatable and accessible to children is what the National Folk Museum of Korea plans to do this year, the new director of the state-run museum said Wednesday. Jang Sang-hoon, the NFMK director, said in the second half of the year, special exhibitions will take place on “kkokdu,” the traditional Korean wooden figurines used on biers, and on coffee, a drink that marks 140 years of use in Korea this year. “We intend to have those exhibitions explore s

CultureJune 12, 2024

[Herald Review] Propaganda play turns into absurdist black comedy

Playwright Cha Beom-seok's "Hwal Hwa San," which premiered in 1974, was a work of political propaganda inspired by the real-life figure Kim Myung-soon, a model example of the Saemaul Undong movement. In bringing the play back to the stage after almost half a century, director Yoon Han-sol was intrigued by the question of how a 50-year-old propaganda play could resonate with a contemporary audience. Rather than adapt or alter the script, he chose to add twists in directing through

PerformanceJune 11, 2024

National Theater Company revives legendary Cha Beom-seok's 'Hwal Hwa San'

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of renowned playwright Cha Beom-seok's birth, the National Theater Company of Korea is staging "Hwal Hwa San." Directly translated to "active volcano," the play is set in a small rural village in North Gyeongsang Province during the late 1960s. It follows the story of Jeong-sook (played by Kang Min-ji), the daughter-in-law of the Lee family. Despite their noble lineage, the family teeters on the brink of ruin due to mounting debts. Jeong

PerformanceJune 11, 2024

Gregor Hildebrandt's new works at Perrotin composed of musical elements

A free-standing colorful column on display outside the Perrotin Gallery in Seoul may appear to be a stack of shells, but it is a pile of vinyl records that serves as Berlin-based artist Gregor Hildebrandt's new work. The columns of painted vinyl records, which Hildebrandt has long used as a signature material, are stacked on top of each other as an homage to the great classic of modern sculpture, “Endless Column” by Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957). The colors he painted the reco

Arts & DesignJune 11, 2024

21st Music in PyeongChang to offer spiritual link to Beethoven

Music in PyeongChang, an annual music festival held in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, will take place under the theme of "Ludwig!" from July 24 to Aug. 3, the festival's artistic director, Yang Sung-won, announced Tuesday. Expressing his goal to create a program that can have the last impact on young visitors as the fourth artistic director of the 21-year-old festival, Yang said that this year the music festival aims to offer a "spiritual link" to Beethoven, by showc

CultureJune 11, 2024

Latest discovery shows stone columns at Baekje temple

The signature Buddhist temple from the Baekje Kingdom (18 BC to 660 AD) used split stones for column bases, the Buyeo National Cultural Heritage Research Institute said Tuesday, citing its latest find. This contradicts previous findings on Baekje Kingdom temple construction, which had thought that only soil bases were used for columns. The state-run think tank said its monthslong excavations at Geumdang, the central hall at the Mireuksa temple complex in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, revealed th

CultureJune 11, 2024

Seongsu Pass offers discounts for foreign travelers

South Korean inbound tourism service platform Creatrip has launched the “Seongsu Pass” online voucher for foreign travelers eager to explore the trendy area of Seongsu-dong in eastern Seoul. Seongsu-dong is one of the three beloved travel destinations in the capital among travelers, behind only shopping district Myeong-dong and nightlife district Hongdae, according to the Korea Tourism Organization. The Seongsu Pass, launched earlier this month, offers foreign tourists the opportunit

TravelJune 11, 2024