[Weekender] Korea’s ‘graynaissance’ stars

It seems age really is no barrier to success nowadays. A 72-year-old Korean vlogger who clumsily tries things that her granddaughter and her generation are into is an international YouTube star, with over 900,000 subscribers to her channel. On Instagram, 75-year-old grandparents post their drawings daily for grandkids, which has eventually developed into a new career for them as artists with 387,000 followers.A 63-year-old owner of a humble eatery in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, Kim Chil-doo is n

CultureJune 7, 2019

[Weekender] At 77, silver model dreams of big show

News last month that Fenty, a luxury fashion house Rihanna launched with LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, chose 67-year-old model JoAni Johnson to represent its new collection created much buzz in the fashion world. With long, graceful silver hair, she is a model in every aspect, and the epitome of what’s been called a fashion “graynaissance”: the rise of gray-haired models to the forefront of fashion. Choi Soon-hwa may be Korea’s Johnson. At 77 years old, she strut

Arts & DesignJune 7, 2019

[Eye Plus] Seoul’s sharing bikes moving up a gear

Riding a bike in Seoul has never been easy. With spider web-like tangles of roads teeming with traffic, and pedestrian areas packed with people milling about, talking and running at different speeds, the metropolitan city is still a tough place for a bike ride. Under the city of Seoul’s green transport vision, however, two-wheelers are an increasingly common sight -- and not just as last-mile mobility, but also for recreational use. At unmanned rental hubs located at subway stations a

CultureJune 6, 2019

Paul Smith says ‘Hi’ to Seoul in exhibition showing his world

Paul Smith is a name well known around the world, but the renowned fashion designer says he never assumes that people know who he is. This, he explained, is why the exhibition “Hello, My Name is Paul Smith,” which kicked off Thursday in Seoul, is based on his character. It offers a look inside his world, encompassing his thought process, work and path toward success.  “(My personality) is very low-key, feet on the ground personality. … It is an exhibition which lit

Arts & DesignJune 6, 2019

Ancient Greek artifacts travel to Seoul

An exhibition featuring hundreds of ancient Greek artifacts is being held at Seoul Art Center’s Hangaram Art Museum. The exhibition, titled “The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great,” features some 350 artifacts gathered from 24 local museums in Greece, including the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki and the Archaeological Museum of Pella. The exhibition is designed to allow the visitor to explore the cultures of the region, from the early Aegean civiliza

Arts & DesignJune 6, 2019

[Seoul Food Alley] Trip back to ’90s: visiting ‘seagull meat alley’ in central Seoul

In all its retro glory, an alley in Seoul -- serving grilled “seagull meat” -- has risen as a popular dining spot. Though the name may indicate its location to be near a port city, “seagull meat alley” is actually situated at the heart of central Seoul, near Jongno 3-ga Station.(Video shot and edited by Lee Sun-hye /The Korea Herald) Don’ let the name galmaegisal, which could mean seagull meat in Korean, mislead you. The name refers to skirt steak, the cut

FoodJune 5, 2019

Bernard Werber visits with ‘Death’

Celebrated science-fiction writer Bernard Werber is currently visiting Korea to promote his new book, the Korean title of which translates to “Death.” The best-selling author is known for his unique style of writing that looks at society through the eyes of nonhuman entities. His novels have been successful in France, Korea and other parts of the world, including “The Ants” trilogy, “Les Micro-Humains (The Third Humanity)” and “Le Papillon des Etoiles (B

PeopleJune 5, 2019

Number of King Sejong Institutes to rise by 13 to 180

The government said Wednesday it will establish 13 new state-run King Sejong Institutes in 11 countries for foreigners wanting to learn the Korean language and culture.With the additions, the number of King Sejong Institutes, a public institution run by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to promote Korean language education and the distribution of Korean culture abroad, has increased to 180 in 60 countries worldwide, according to the ministry. The 13 new institutes were chosen from amon

CultureJune 5, 2019

Korea’s image in the eyes of the outside world

While the image of South Korean director Bong Joon-ho posing triumphantly with his Palme d’Or trophy at this year’s Cannes Film Festival is the most popular recent image of Korea on the world stage, the country’s cinema is not as well-known among foreigners as one might expect.When asked, “What Korean films have you watched?” over half the foreign respondents to a recent survey -- 51.7 percent -- said they had never seen a Korean movie. The survey, conducted between

CultureJune 4, 2019

Beyond 'looking’: British artist Gary Hume invites viewers to interact with his works

In Gary Hume’s paintings, colorful tectonic plates seamlessly flow on the glimmering aluminum surface. You see yourself reflected there too. As you move around the gallery space, they seem to shimmer a little differently.Britain’s Hume has brought his visual playground to Seoul. The artist is holding a solo exhibition at Barakat Contemporary, Barakat Gallery’s modern and contemporary art venue. It is the first-ever solo exhibition in Korea for the artist, who came to

Arts & DesignJune 4, 2019

American singer-songwriter finds ‘accidental success’ in Korea

While Hallyu, or the Korean wave, has proven to be a major force, with South Korean music and entertainment content making a buzz around the world, music travels in the opposite direction too.American singer-songwriter Jim Wolf, 39, is one example. He has found musical success in a place he never would have expected.  “I didn’t actually have a distributor to get the song here. The more I look into it, the more I don’t know how it really began,” Wolf told The Korea He

PerformanceJune 4, 2019

Park Chan-wook’s ‘The Little Drummer Girl’ to screen in Busan

A 2018 BBC and AMC TV miniseries directed by renowned Korean auteur Park Chan-wook will be screened at the Busan Cinema Center this month.According to the center’s officials, the director’s cut of “The Little Drummer Girl” will be screened at its 212-seat Cinema II from Wednesday to Saturday. Two episodes per day will be screened in order from Wednesday to Friday, and the entire six-episode series will be screened on the last day, followed by a conversation between the au

FilmJune 4, 2019

Food Safety Ministry to kick off YouTube series promoting less salt, sugar in diet

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is starting a YouTube series to encourage people to eat less salt and sugar.The series will feature cooking shows with low-salt and low-sugar recipes, as well as on-site evaluations of the salt and sugar content of packaged foods and restaurant dishes.Ahead of the series’ launch, the Food Safety Ministry held a healthy diet forum Monday.Reducing sodium and sugar intake is one of the campaigns being run by the ministry this year. From May 14 to 17, the m

FoodJune 3, 2019

Artist paints his daily life

Korean artist Kim Ji-won’s uniquely grotesque cockscomb paintings come in different colors -- exuberant red, faded gray.Kim, best known for this cockscomb painting series, is holding a solo exhibition at PKM Gallery in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, titled “Canvas Fly.” His latest exhibition consists more than 90 paintings by Kim, including representative paintings from the series focusing on cockscomb flowers -- maendeurami in Korean -- as well as other works that depict landscapes

Arts & DesignJune 3, 2019

'Parasite' to be screened with English subtitles

"Parasite," the winner of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, will be screened with English subtitles at South Korean cinemas for foreign audiences starting this week, operators said Monday.CGV, the country's largest multiplex operator, owned by retail giant CJ Group, will screen the black comedy with English subtitles from Monday at its theaters in Yongsan, Yeouido, Shinchon and four other locations in Seoul, as well as two in Gyeonggi Province. "We decided to off

FilmJune 3, 2019

Outdoor music festivals to rule summer

As the mercury rises, outdoor festivals offer a way to cool down with music. This year’s festival list is long and broad, encompassing diverse genres of music. The second edition of DMZ Peace Train Music Festival 2019 takes place Friday to Sunday. The festival, promoting peace, features local and foreign musicians performing near the Demilitarized Zone.  Pivoting around the border city of Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, stages will be set up at iconic locations such as the Goseokjeong Pav

PerformanceJune 3, 2019

'Parasite' smashes S. Korean box office

The Cannes-crowned "Parasite" smashed the weekend box office in South Korea, surpassing a cumulative 3 million admissions on the fourth day of its run, data showed Monday.Released Thursday, the flick sold 2.78 million tickets from Friday to Sunday for a total of 3.36 million, according to the data from the Korean Film Council. Directed by Bong Joon-ho and starring Song Kang-ho, the family satire won the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first South Korean tit

FilmJune 3, 2019

Q&As from BTS’ press conference at Wembley

LONDON -- BTS on Saturday (UK time) delivered a historic performance at Wembley Stadium, becoming the first South Korean band to headline London’s iconic venue.Ahead of the show, the seven bandmates -- RM, J-Hope, Jin, Suga, Jimin, Jungkook and V -- met with reporters to answer questions about their Wembley debut, their ongoing stadium world tour, the band’s collaborative projects and their thoughts on being called “the Beatles of the 21st century.”Following is a transcri

PerformanceJune 2, 2019

BTS performs at historic sold-out Wembley concert

LONDON -- BTS on Saturday (local time) made history as the first Korean band to perform at the iconic Wembley Stadium, the largest concert stage in the UK, where legendary acts like Queen, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, Beyonce and Adele have headlined. The first of two sold-out concerts was attended by 60,000 fans, who sang-along, chanted, screamed and danced throughout the performance that lasted for 150 minutes. The group performed 24 tunes, including those from its “Love You

PerformanceJune 2, 2019

Pianists, young and old, mesmerize Seoul fans

Two piano virtuosos, one young and the other more mature, struck a chord with Seoul audiences over the weekend. Yuhki Kuramoto and Sunwoo Yekwon wrapped up their nationwide tour of Korea, presenting the last edition of their tours in Seoul on Friday and Saturday, respectively. On Saturday at the Seoul Arts Center, Sunwoo, 30, stirred the audience with five encores: Robert Schumann’s “Traumerei” (Dreaming), Johannes Brahms’ Intermezzo in A Major, Schumann’s “Wi

PerformanceJune 2, 2019