‘Thousands of Mirrors’ festival to reflect world literature

The 2019 Seoul International Writers’ Festival is to take place at Dongdaemun Design Plaza from Oct. 5-13.  Launched in 2006, the previously biennial event goes annual from this year. Along with the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, which has run the event from the beginning, the Seoul Design Foundation and Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture are co-hosting the event.“I personally think that this is the new first year for the festival,” said Kim Sa-in, head of L

CultureSept. 17, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Man of Men’ is a film that shouldn’t work but does, through power of character

Director Yong Soo’s first feature film, “Man of Men,” is a film that by all accounts shouldn’t work: It is far too familiar, far too obvious and far too sappy for a movie that came out in 2019.Yet surprisingly, the buddy flick starring Sol Kyung-gu and Cho Jin-woong turns out to be pretty fun, buoyed by a mix of drama and comedy -- albeit pretty much by the book -- from the accomplished actors.The film kicks off with gangster Yeong-gi, who embezzles his boss’s money

FilmSept. 17, 2019

Seventeen explores solitude, fear in 3rd full album

K-pop boy band Seventeen on Monday dropped its third full-length album, "An Ode," a collection of dark, charismatic numbers.The 11-track album marks a sharp turnaround from the characteristic energetic, uplifting music style the band has pursued since its debut in 2015. The record is led by the main track, "Poison: Fear," an R&B dance number, heavy with booming bass sounds.The song comes with a stronger-than-ever dance performance by the mob of 13 performers clad in black

PerformanceSept. 16, 2019

[Herald Design Forum 2019] Herald Design Forum 2019 calls attention to ecology, environment

Herald Design Forum 2019 will be held Oct. 10 at Grand Hyatt Seoul, under the slogan “Do We Need Another Planet?”Internationally recognized designers, artists and scientists have been invited to discuss issues related to ecology and the environment, as well as prospects for our future at this year’s forum, now in its ninth year.Opening this year’s forum is a keynote speech by actress Gong Hyo-jin, also an environmental activist who leads a local upcycling project titled &

Arts & DesignSept. 16, 2019

Travel like a local on Jeju Island

JEJU ISLAND -- Jeju Island, a popular travel destination both for South Koreans and foreigners, has seen a surge of tourists in recent years. Accessible by an 80-minute flight from Seoul, around 15.4 million tourists visit the island each year. In fact, the Seoul-Jeju route is one of the most active flight routes anywhere in the world. As a result, Jeju residents are struggling with the drawbacks of excessive tourism. Gentrification is a serious problem on the island, where the amount of tr

TravelSept. 16, 2019

Wrapping up 1-month vacation, BTS resumes career with overseas trip

Bringing its first official vacation to an end, boy band BTS on Monday resumed its global music career by traveling away from its home country."Wrapping up its extended vacation, BTS departed overseas this morning for an engagement abroad," Big Hit Entertainment said.  The management agency did not disclose where the septet was headed, but they were reported to be on their way to film a TV reality show.Some of the members, including RM and Jimin, spotted by a local media outlet, w

PerformanceSept. 16, 2019

[Herald Interview] Yie Sun-yuul has the world at her heels

In today’s fashion scene, heels are getting lower and lower. But that doesn’t mean they’re going out of style. Rather, there’s more room to experiment with lower and thicker heels.Yie Sun-yuul, head of Yuul Yie, is all about experimenting with heels. The heels are what reflect Yuul Yie’s design philosophy.  They’re inspired by coral reefs, stones on the street, cubes or even the Arabic alphabet. Yet the overall figures are simple, consisting of circles, t

Arts & DesignSept. 15, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Yesterday,’ an unimpressive, but lovely film

For those who have someone they hold dear, how would it feel to fall in love with the same person for the first time, once again? That mixture of excitement and nervousness, followed by a rush of joy after realizing that you have stumbled upon something truly special?Director Danny Boyle’s “Yesterday,” a film about a world where the Beatles never happened, depicts that wonderful moment of the world falling in love with their astonishing music for the first time, through a feel-

FilmSept. 15, 2019

Aug. ticket sales for S. Korean movies hit 7-year low

Monthly sales figures for homegrown films tumbled to their lowest point in seven years last month on a dearth of hit titles, a report showed Saturday.Sales of tickets for South Korean movies came to 18 million in August, 4.21 million less than the monthly sales recorded in August last year, according to the Korean Film Council.It is the first August figure to fall below the 20-million level since 2012.The unusual downturn is attributable to Korean films' tepid performance this summer.Such famous

FilmSept. 14, 2019

Royal palaces, museums to offer free admission throughout Chuseok holiday

Chuseok is the traditional Korean autumn harvest celebration, similar to Thanksgiving in the United States. Many Koreans visit their hometowns for ancestral rituals and spend time with their families during the holiday. But if you're planning to spend the Chuseok holiday in Seoul, visiting royal palaces and tombs, national museums and parks in the city can be a good option. Four royal palaces in Seoul, including Deoksu Palace at the heart of the capital, will keep their doors open throughout the

CultureSept. 12, 2019

Paik Nam-june’s monumental installation at MMCA will avoid major technical changes as of now

Korea’s pioneering media artist Paik Nam-june’s monumental media work “The More The Better” will avoid major technological changes, at least for now.The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Korea on Wednesday announced that it will try to keep the prototype of “The More The Better” as long as it could.  The museum will keep most of the outdated CRT monitors, while seeking other options that will ensure both safety and function. It will replac

Arts & DesignSept. 11, 2019

[Graphic News] Bangkok world’s most visited city again

　Bangkok was the world’s most-visited city in 2018 for the fourth consecutive year, ahead of Paris and London, according to a ranking compiled by Mastercard.　Thailand’s capital hosted more than 22 million international overnight travelers, Mastercard’s latest Global Destination Cities Index shows. 　Seoul ranked No. 11 with 11.25 million visitors.　Rankings are based on the number of overnight visitors. The average Bangkok stay was 4.8 nights. (Bloomberg)

TravelSept. 11, 2019

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Autumn arrives at Grand Hilton Seoul Grand Hilton Seoul presents Happy Fallidays package for fall.The deal offers one-night stay at a mountain-view room, two glasses of fruit tea and a breakfast for two. Guests can choose the tea flavor, ranging from citron, grapefruit to Jeju hallabong.The deal also offers executive lounge benefits for happy hour, dessert bar, free rental of Cellreturn LED face masks and Nintendo Switch. Access to the indoor pool and fitness facility are complimentary.The packa

FoodSept. 11, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in Theaters this week

It Chapter Two(US)Opened Sept. 4HorrorDirected by Andy Muschietti Twenty-seven years after the Losers Club defeated Pennywise, he has returned to terrorize the town of Derry once more. Now adults, the Losers have long since gone their separate ways. However, kids are disappearing again, so Mike (Isaiah Mustafa), the only one of the group to remain in their hometown, calls the others home.Tune in for Love(Korea)Opened Aug. 28Romance, DramaDirected by Jung Ji-wooIn 1994, when singer Yoo Yeol appea

FilmSept. 11, 2019

[Eye plus] Where tradition lives on

The approaching Chuseok holiday is a time of the year that Koreans press pause in their busy day-to-day life and appreciate traditional values of their family, communities and the nation as a whole. Many families visit palaces and famous historic sites during the holiday, usually after performing ancestral rites in the morning of Chuseok, which this year falls on Friday. One of the popular destinations is Namsangol Hanok Village in central Seoul, a traditional village that shows what life was du

CultureSept. 11, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

1. Coex Aquarium hosts Chuseok eventCoex Aquarium is holding its “Follow moonlight, follow water” Chuseok event to commemorate the holidays this week, from Thursday to Sunday.As it is a Korean tradition to wish upon the full moon during Chuseok, a full moon display will be placed at the “Wish Place” zone in front of the Pirarucu tank at Amazonia World.A special underwater performance of Korean traditional games will replace the usual mermaid performance at Deep Blue Squar

TravelSept. 11, 2019

Films, performances, events to spice up Chuseok

It is called the “grand national migration,” as Koreans pack up, and set off to visit their hometowns, families, and pay respect to their ancestors during the upcoming Chuseok holidays.During the four-day holidays, one of the biggest in the nation -- commemorating the autumn harvest -- there are several events being offered to keep oneself entertained.Film distributing giants Lotte Entertainment and CJ Entertainments are clashing head-on as their heavyweight movies roll out on Wednes

CultureSept. 11, 2019

The art of silk threads, sheet metal

Yeol, the Korean Heritage Preservation Society, will hold an exhibition inspired by traditional craftsmanship at Yeol Bukchonga in the neighborhood of Bukchon, central Seoul, from Sept. 18 to Oct. 18.Since 2013, Yeol has led an annual project that supports a master artisan and a young artist, showcasing their work in an exhibition. Silk thread master Lim Keum-hee and young metal artist Kim Sang-hoon were picked this year.  Lim, an artisan with 30 years of experience, practices dahoe, the tr

Arts & DesignSept. 10, 2019

Overseas Joseon era paintings on display at National Palace Museum

Joseon era paintings that are currently in possession of institutions outside of South Korea will be revealed to the public via a special exhibition, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Tuesday. Titled “Restoring the Legacy of Korean Paintings,” the exhibition will run from Wednesday through Oct. 13 at the National Palace Museum of Korea, showcasing a total of nine paintings and three embroidery screens dating from the early Joseon era (1392–1897) to the early 20th centur

CultureSept. 10, 2019