[Herald Interview] Can Korea develop its own wine country?

Despite winemakers’ efforts to introduce high-quality Korean wines to the wider public, European and Old World wines still dominate the scene here. Enter sommelier Jung Ha-bong, the director of wine at JW Marriott Seoul, who hopes to give Korean wines a competitive edge. Also known as Lucas Jung, he is vice president of the Korea International Sommelier Association. The hotel’s buffet restaurant Flavors drew up a new list of Korean wines in August, in addition to the usual list

FoodAug. 27, 2019

[Herald Design Forum 2019] A brief overview of Herald Design Forum 2019

Herald Design Forum 2019 will be held Oct. 10 at Grand Hyatt Seoul, under the slogan “Do We Need Another Planet?”The forum, now in its ninth year, will invite internationally recognized designers, artists and scientists to discuss issues related to ecology and the environment, as well as prospects for our future.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 “Super Magic Fact

Arts & DesignAug. 26, 2019

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma hopes to bring peace to Korea

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma is to perform near the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas during his stay in Seoul for The Bach Project.The cellist, 64, will perform J.S. Bach’s six cello suites for solo cello at the Olympic Park in Jamsil, eastern Seoul, as part of Credia Park Concert. The unaccompanied cello suites are iconic pieces that fully explore the instrument. The Olympic Park performance is a part of Ma’s The Bach Project, which began in August, aiming to raise awareness of

PerformanceAug. 26, 2019

BTS' Japanese fan meeting plans called into question amid Seoul-Tokyo rows

Having enthralled some 210,000 fans with the Japanese edition in July of its "Love Yourself: Speak Yourself" world tour, K-pop super band BTS returned home to a hero's welcome for its feat of bringing the peoples of South Korea and Japan together despite the countries' deteriorating diplomatic ties. When the septet announced last week plans for another set of fan meetings in Japan, however, the response among their Korean fans were sharply divided, with many angry fans demanding Big Hi

PerformanceAug. 26, 2019

[Eye Plus] Money talks

Much like Korea’s tumultuous modern history, its currency, the won, has had its fair share of ups and downs. Part of the story can be found at the Bank of Korea Money Museum, located at the former BOK building with over 20,000 Korean and foreign banknotes, coins and tokens. On display are some historic forms of currency from the Korean Peninsula accompanied by their stories, such as the only legal coin of the Joseon era (1392-1910), Sangpyeong Tongbo. The economy of the Joseon er

CultureAug. 26, 2019

Buddhist activities to be offered at Insa-dong cultural festival

The Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism, an affiliate of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, is offering a variety of events connected with its Templestay program at this week’s 32nd Insadong International Culture Expo. The annual event takes place Aug. 29 to Sept. 2 on the main street of Insa-dong, central Seoul, where vendors in the area will showcase the traditional appeal of the historic district. During the expo, the Buddhist institution will operate a booth from 1 to 5 p.m. every

CultureAug. 25, 2019

Record numbers: BTS hits milestone with 2nd Gold record in US

BTS has added more accolades to its already impressive resume, becoming the first South Korean act to win two Gold certifications in the US market with its “Map of the Soul: Persona” album.Recent data from the Recording Industry Association of America confirmed that the boy band’s sixth EP had received Gold certification as of Aug. 22, a little over four months after its April 12 release. The RIAA grants recognition to albums based on the number of sales: 500,000 or more for Go

PerformanceAug. 25, 2019

Culture, tourism ministers of S. Korea, China, Japan to meet in Incheon next week

Culture and tourism ministers of South Korea, China and Japan will hold their annual meeting in Incheon, west of Seoul, next week, the South Korean culture ministry said Saturday.Culture Ministers Park Yang-woo of South Korea and Luo Shugang of China, as well as Japan's Masahiko Shibayama and Keiichi Ishii, in charge of the country's culture and tourism ministries, respectively, will gather in Incheon for the three-day event set to kick off Thursday, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports

CultureAug. 24, 2019

MMCA initiates new art project with Hyundai Motor

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Korea announced Friday it has started “Project #” to promote new artists.  Starting this year, it will annually select two art teams and provide them with financial support for exhibitions until 2023. Each team will be given 30 million won ($24,790) by Hyundai Motor for exhibitions, while the MMCA will provide studios at its residency in Chang-dong for six months and exhibition space at the museum’s main branch in Seoul

Arts & DesignAug. 23, 2019

BTS propels Big Hit to near top of entertainment industry in H1

Big Hit Entertainment, home to K-pop superstars BTS, has revealed its larger-than-expected revenue for the first half of 2019, proving itself to be a great potential game changer in the industry. The unlisted company said Wednesday it posted a record 200.1 billion won ($166.5 billion) in sales for the first six months of the year, which is just 14 billion won shy of the sales it generated for all of 2018.Its first-half operating profit reached 39.1 billion won, which compares with a full-year pr

PerformanceAug. 23, 2019

[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions

Customized cocktails at Park Hyatt SeoulPark Hyatt Seoul’s premium vinyl music bar, Timber House, is offering a series of cocktail promotions until the end of September. Each promotion runs for three weeks: Summer Tropical from Aug. 1-21, Traditional Korean from Aug. 22 to Sept. 11 and Refreshing & Relaxing from Sept. 12-30. Welcome dishes will be served, including pickled cherry, Gouda cheese and banana creme brule. Guests can ask bartenders to create customized cocktails. Each cockta

FoodAug. 23, 2019

[Herald Interview] Behind Korea’s first shamanism museum, a folklorist’s lifelong devotion

At first, it seemed the museum was in the wrong place. Traditional wooden architecture standing smack in the middle of a new residential town, the Museum of Shamanism appears out of place among the towering apartment buildings around it. It has no space even for a parking lot. Ironically, though, this might be the location most befitting a building dedicated to shamanism -- which, despite being deeply ingrained in Korean society, is dismissed by many as a backward relic of the past and demonized

CultureAug. 23, 2019

[Weekender] Vegan bakeries gaining traction in Seoul

Vegan bakeries started to emerge in Seoul just a couple of years ago. 　Eschewing the usual wheat, butter, yeast, milk and eggs, vegan bakeries create their goods with alternative ingredients such as soy milk, brown rice or coconut oil. In addition to vegans, these shops attract people with food allergies or atopic diseases, mothers of newborns and customers simply seeking healthy alternatives. The Korea Herald checked out four of the most talked-about shops in Seoul. Yummyyomil “

FoodAug. 23, 2019

[Weekender] Going vegan on the face

The vegan way of life is not limited to diet or eating but encompasses the full spectrum of a person’s life choices, including things like skin care and cosmetics. With more consumers opposing animal testing and the use of animal-derived ingredients, a number of vegan beauty brands have popped up in recent years.To qualify as vegan, a cosmetics maker must not use any animal products or by-products. Animal testing is out of the question too. South Korea, a country that is keen on keeping up

Arts & DesignAug. 23, 2019

[Weekender] Korea’s vegan scene, through eyes of an expat

The following is a Korea Herald copy editor’s personal account of her encounters with the local vegan community. The writer, a vegan since the early 1990s, has lived in Korea for more than 15 years. -- Ed. It was Aug. 7, three days before “A Piece of Vegan Festival” at Seoul Innovation Park in Eunpyeong, northwestern Seoul. One of the organizers, Kang So-yang, posted a picture of the venue on Facebook. Some rooms still had signs left behind by the previous occupants, reading &l

CultureAug. 23, 2019

To things that we find ambivalent, inconsistent

Confusion has recently followed after the relocation of “Mona Lisa,” as it created bottlenecks of visitors coming to see Leonardo da Vinci’s most widely known masterpiece. To what end do people toil all the way to see the artwork? Why is it that “Mona Lisa” gets the spotlight while masterpieces by Peter Paul Rubens that hang on the wall behind it do not get attention they rightfully deserve?Local artist Kim Hong-shik’s works shown at Gallery Su’s exhibit

Arts & DesignAug. 22, 2019

'Parasite' selected as S. Korea's Oscar contender

The Cannes-winning film "Parasite" by renowned auteur Bong Joon-ho has been selected as South Korea's entry to the best international feature film category at the upcoming Academy Awards.The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) said Thursday that it picked Bong's black comedy film to compete for an Oscar nomination for best foreign film next year.The state-run council said it chose "Parasite" for its Palme d'Or achievement at this year's Cannes Film Festival, the worldwide reputation

FilmAug. 22, 2019

[Herald Review] 'Tune In for Love' a mediocre film with familiar tune, but has heart

We’ve seen this before, literally. Ever since “Architecture 101” stole the hearts of many who spent their youth in the 1990s, romance dramas riding on wistful ’90s nostalgia have popped up every few years.“Tune In for Love,” directed by Jung Ji-woo, is nothing special and has glaring flaws in its somewhat clunky storytelling. Despite its familiarity -- if you are a child of the ’90s -- it does send you back to the good ol’ days, which is always a w

FilmAug. 22, 2019

New young adult English novel to recount devastation of Japanese wartime sexual slavery

A young adult novel on Japan's wartime sexual slavery, which was recently translated into English, will hit the shelves in the United States and other countries this year to recount the devastation of the Japanese wartime atrocity, according to its publisher Thursday.The 248-page novel, "Trampled Blossoms: What They Stole from Grandma," written by Moon Young-sook and translated by David Carruth, will go on sale at the US online bookseller Amazon and through other global circulation cha

BooksAug. 22, 2019

Gyeongbokgung to open its gates for autumn nights

Gyeongbokgung Palace will invite visitors to enjoy its grounds at night this coming autumn, opening its gates between 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. from mid-September until early November.According to Cultural Heritage Administration, the annual nighttime special tours of the Joseon-era palace will take begin Sept. 12 -- during the Chuseok Holidays -- and will conclude on Nov. 6. The hours will be extended from the usual 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., but only up to 4,500 people a day will be able to visit the pal

TravelAug. 22, 2019