Roaring K-pop boom reverses fate of declining CDs and other tangible albums

The roaring K-pop boom in South Korea is reviving the fate of perishing CD music and other physical music record formats.Since the early 2000s, compact disc as a music distribution format has been increasingly replaced by other digital storage and distribution formats such as internet streaming. Reversing the decline, however, sales of physical albums -- mostly CDs but also tapes, LPs and Kihno -- have registered dramatic growth over the past few years since 2014 in South Korea.In 2017, the comb

PerformanceNov. 1, 2019

Frank Gehry-designed Louis Vuitton flagship store opens in Seoul

Louis Vuitton on Thursday opened its new Frank Gehry-designed flagship store in Seoul, featuring interior design by Peter Marino.The new Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul, located in Cheongdam-dong in southern Seoul, is Gehry’s first work in Korea, according to the company.The new building features Korean heritage and culture, while maintaining its architectural ties with the Louis Vuitton Foundation’s iconic building in Paris, specifically, Gehry’s large glass-and-steel sails that en

Arts & DesignNov. 1, 2019

Seoul Lantern Festival to light up city center this week

An annual lantern festival will light up the Seoul city center this week with mulberry paper lanterns in the shape of widely loved fairy-tale characters, the city government said Thursday. The 2019 Seoul Lantern Festival will kick off on Friday for a 17-day run over the Cheonggye Stream that runs through the city center, according to the city.Twenty-three mulberry paper lanterns representing well-known Korean and world fairy-tale characters, including the Little Prince, Aladdin and Alice from &q

CultureNov. 1, 2019

[Eye Plus] Silver grass waving on royal tomb of King Taejo

It’s unusual: tall silver grass covering the burial site of a king. Geonwolleng, the royal tomb of the founding King Taejo of the Joseon era (reign 1382-1398), is probably the only place in the world where one can take a glimpse into the past and enjoy the spectacular sight of silver grass waving in the autumn wind at the same time.It was his last wish, according to historians, that King Taejo wanted to have his tomb covered by silver glass brought from his home town Hamheung, now a part o

TravelNov. 1, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Terminator: Dark Fate(US)Opened Oct. 30Action, Sci-fiDirected by Tim MillerMore than two decades have passed since Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) prevented Judgment Day. Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes) is living a simple life in Mexico City when a highly advanced and deadly new Terminator -- a Rev-9 (Gabriel Luna) -- travels back through time to hunt and kill her. Dani must join forces with Grace (Mackenzie Davis), an enhanced super-soldier from the future, and Sarah Connor.Kim Ji-young, Born 1982(Kor

FilmNov. 1, 2019

Dive into diversity of Vietnamese cuisine

With restaurants in practically every city district, it’s fair to say that Vietnamese food has a firm foothold in South Korea. But while the restaurants are many, the options are not, with most serving the same dozen dishes, half of them pho. So when faced with the abundant options here, it’s hard to know where to start.An invitation from Paradise Vietnam and its Viet Deli group of restaurants gave The Korea Herald a chance to taste what Vietnam had to offer, revealing a world of fre

FoodNov. 1, 2019

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Italian beer night at Park Hyatt SeoulPark Hyatt Seoul’s Italian restaurant Cornerstone presents the Italian Craft Beer Flights promotion, featuring three varieties of beer from craft beer brewery Barley.On offer are Barley’s signature beers Friska, Macca Meda and Tuvi Tuvi, made from a unique blend of fruits and herbs. Served with a selection of four pairing dishes -- sausage with grilled vegetables, potato fries with truffle oil and assorted Italian antipasti, grilled chicken and p

FoodNov. 1, 2019

[Weekender] What to wear for winter fashion

Ultra-long down parkas were the king of winter coats here in the past few years, but a warmer winter looks set to bring new styles. According to industry insiders and fashion experts, we will be seeing a lot of fleece jackets and short puffers instead. Fleece is all the rage Fleece, shearling, sherpa or pile, whatever they are called, those warm, snuggly jackets that were once ridiculed as “dad fashion” are the hottest item in the local fashion scene right now.  At Discov

Arts & DesignNov. 1, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals and sights across Korea

Chrysanthemum Exhibition of the Garden of Morning CalmVisitors to the chrysanthemum festival can enjoy the blazing fall foliage of nearby Chungnyeongsan and the golden waves created by the pine trees, as well as the myriad fully bloomed chrysanthemums covering just about every corner of the 330,000-square-meter outdoor garden. The festival runs through Nov. 24 and is open to visitors of all ages.For more information in Korean, English, Japanese or Chinese, visit http://www.morningcalm.co.kr.Seou

TravelNov. 1, 2019

[Weekender] The lure of leggings

Fashionable women in Korea, like their peers elsewhere, are in love with leggings -- and they don’t just wear them to the gym. Leggings’ ascent to casual wear, as described by the dictionary-defined term athleisure, has been a global phenomenon. Seoul, never too far behind a global fad, is fast catching up. Yet, in this country, where revealing, skin-tight and outlandish clothes were once almost certain to invite stares of disapproval, the propriety of leggings as streetwear is a con

Arts & DesignNov. 1, 2019

BTS joins lineup of 2019 MAMA in Nagoya

K-pop supergroup BTS has joined the lineup of the 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards scheduled for December in Japan's Nagoya, the music channel said Thursday.Mnet Japan disclosed the news through its Twitter account as it released information on ticket sales.The 2019 MAMA is scheduled to be a one-day event on Dec. 4 at the 30,000-seat Nagoya Dome.BTS has taken home the top MAMA prize for three years in a row through last year.Besides BTS, the 2019 MAMA lineup also includes GOT7, Monsta X, SEVENTEEN,

PerformanceOct. 31, 2019

[Herald Interview] ‘Cave’ recalls Thai soccer team rescue – with those actually there

　BUSAN -- “The Cave” debuted at the Busan International Film Festival on Oct. 5, becoming the first feature film released to portray the awe-inspiring events that had taken place just some 15 months prior in Chiang Rai, Thailand. 　The world watched on and was ultimately uplifted by the story of a soccer team of a dozen teenage boys and their 25-year-old coach surviving in a flooded cave for 18 days, before all were rescued alive and well through a complicated scuba relay extraction.&

FilmOct. 31, 2019

Philadelphia Orchestra and Cho Seong-jin to perform in Seoul

The Philadelphia Orchestra is to go on the stage at the Seoul Arts Center on Nov. 10, under the baton of the music director Yannick Nezet-Seguin and featuring pianist Cho Seong-jin. The highly acclaimed orchestra, which had been led by Eugene Ormandy for some 40 years, is counted in artistic stature among the Big Five orchestras in the US, along with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra.The program for Nov. 10 features Rachmaninoff’s Piano Co

PerformanceOct. 31, 2019

For modern ballet master, flick of hair can be dance movement

Ballet Preljocaj, a dance company led by legendary French choreographer Angelin Preljocaj, is in Korea with “La Fresque,” also known as “The Painting on the Wall.” The company will perform the 2016 modern ballet piece that takes its motif from an old Chinese tale at the LG Arts Center in southern Seoul from Friday to Sunday, followed by more performances in Busan and Daejeon.  The story revolves around a man who visits an old temple and falls in love with a long-hair

PerformanceOct. 31, 2019

[Herald Interview] Aging with grace, musical ‘Aida’ begins final run Nov. 13

When “Aida” landed in Korea in 2005, musicals were not as popular as they are now, talent not as abundant and licensed local productions of hit Broadway shows not as big a business. Fourteen years, 732 performances and 730,000 audience members later, anticipation for the musical’s final run -- to kick off Nov. 13 at Blue Square Interpark Hall in central Seoul -- is running high. It runs through Feb. 23, 2020.“It’s pretty amazing to think that it was almost 15 years

CultureOct. 31, 2019

BLACKPINK's 'As If It's Your Last' tops 700m YouTube views

The music video of K-pop girl band BLACKPINK's "As If It's Your Last" hit the milestone of 700 million YouTube views Thursday.The music video, released in June 2017, surpassed the 700 million threshold early Thursday morning, according to the band's label, YG Entertainment.  The feat made "As If It's Your Last" the four-piece girl band's third music video to achieve the 700-million-view record, following "Ddu-du Ddu-du" and "Boombaya," making BLACKPIN

PerformanceOct. 31, 2019

Bill proposed to offer anti-cyberbullying education programs

A South Korean lawmaker has proposed a revised bill aimed at promoting positive online messages and countering cyberbullying through education programs in schools and workplaces. Rep. Kim Su-min of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party said she has drafted a proposal to amend the Framework Act on National Informatization in a way that would introduce “sunfull” (referring to positive comments) education programs at a press conference held at the National Assembly on Tuesday. “T

PeopleOct. 30, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful’ a flawed, but entertaining piece

“The Divine Move 2: The Wrathful” is flamboyant, preposterous and exaggerated, taking viewers on a wild ride. Directed by Lee Khan and starring Kwon Sang-woo, the sequel to the “The Divine Move” (2014) -- about high-stakes gambling via the game of Go -- has an obvious premise and plot as well as one-dimensional characters. But it manages to provide fun and action.The film starts by tracing the footsteps of a boy who was abandoned by everything in the world. He stumbles ac

FilmOct. 30, 2019

Park Chan-kyong’s ‘Gathering’ explores what museum can become

Park Chan-kyong’s solo exhibition “Gathering” is an exhibition that explores what art museums can become in the contemporary world with constant man-made disasters.On Saturday, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art kicked off a solo exhibition of Park, who has been selected as sixth artist of the MMCA Hyundai Motor Series, a 10-year series of solo exhibitions featuring prominent Korean artists, sponsored by Hyundai Motor. “What art language can be possible af

Arts & DesignOct. 30, 2019

Arts Center Incheon celebrates first anniversary

Arts Center Incheon in Songdo International City will celebrate its one-year anniversary on Nov. 16. Since opening last year, the center’s concert hall -- a mix of shoebox and vineyard styles -- has been praised for its exceptional acoustics.  The center was originally envisioned to house a concert hall, a museum and an opera house. But only the concert hall has been completed. While the center has secured land for construction, its plans have not been finalized due to financial issue

PerformanceOct. 30, 2019