[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil(Korea)Opened May 15Crime, ActionDirected by Lee Won-taeA notorious gangster Jang Dong-soo (Ma Dong-seok) narrowly survives a random attack by a serial killer, and sets out to bring justice to his attacker in his own way: by brutally murdering him. At the same time, a cop Jung Tae-suk (Kim Mu-yeol) seeks to arrest the killer. The two men join forces to form the most unorthodox and perilous team, which will break down the moment they locate Kang.Miss & Mrs. Cop

FilmMay 24, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland Rose FestivalLaunched in 1985, the long-running Everland Rose Festival opens every year in May. This year it continues until June 16. With a 20,000-square-meter rose garden, visitors can see various kinds of flowers while enjoying the amusement park.It is held inside Everland, South Korea’s largest theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and is open to visitors of all ages.To find out more about the event, including admission fees and how to get there, visit the homepage at everl

TravelMay 24, 2019

[Herald Interview] Chef puts faith in gimbap

For chef Kim Rock-hun, gimbap is the perfect meal for the times. A roll of rice, vegetables and other ingredients wrapped tightly in a seaweed laver sheet, gimbap is tasty and healthy. Typically served in bite-sized slices, it is convenient to pack and eat on the move. “It is ‘slow fast food,’ filled with healthy ingredients. Can there be a better meal?” Kim, 49, said during an interview at his cooking studio in Dogok-dong, southern Seoul.  The only problem, a

FoodMay 24, 2019

[Weekender] Border-area tourism on the rise

One of the last vestiges of the Cold War, the Demilitarized Zone is often described as the world’s most heavily fortified border. But it is also a tourist magnet, attracting 1.2 million visitors annually. From the bustling metropolis of Seoul, tour buses take hundreds of foreign and local tourists to security-related tourism spots on a daily basis -- from Imjingak, a family-friendly theme park that serves as a starting point for border-area tourism, to the historic truce village of Panmunj

TravelMay 24, 2019

[Weekender] An eerie reminder of precarious peace at DMZ Peace Trail

Don’t take the Gangbyeonbuk highway during rush hours in Seoul.That was what I screamed in my mind as the bus took the road fare more traveled, an agonizingly slow path eastward, toward Gangwon Province, where the government recently decided to open a new section of the Demilitarized Zone to civilians.The DMZ Peace Trail in Cheorwon County, Gangwon Province, some 90 kilometers from the capital, is the second of the project located at the inter-Korean border, which the authorities hope will

TravelMay 23, 2019

[Graphic News] ‘Avengers: Endgame’ becomes most-viewed foreign film in S. Korea

　 “Avengers: Endgame” became the most-watched foreign film in South Korean history, with 13.4 million admissions, its distributor said.　The latest Marvel superhero flick set the record at around noon on Sunday, Walt Disney Company Korea said based on a real-time box-office tally from the Korean Film Council.　The previous No. 1 was “Avatar” (2009), which sold 13.30 million tickets from 2009 to 2010.

Life&CultureMay 23, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘A Boy and Sungreen,’ a pleasant and loveable coming-of-age story

Director Ahn Ju-young’s first feature film is not a masterpiece, yet it has a strange appeal to it.The narrative and the plot are a bit plain, and I felt like Ahn dropped the ball a bit in the climax, but it is well-cast, the two leads are fantastic and work extremely well together and the tone of the film is adorable. The small-budget film is getting barely any exposure, and without any big names and standout effects will likely drown rather quickly in sea of blockbuster films. But I feel

FilmMay 23, 2019

Director Bong Joon-ho: stairs are a key metaphor in ‘Parasite’

CANNES, France -- South Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho said Wednesday that stairs serve as a key metaphor for hierarchical social status and materialism in his Cannes-nominated black comedy “Parasite.” “Nearly 90 percent of the story takes place in a big house, the home of the rich family. It has a vertical structure -- second floor, first floor and basement,” the director said at an official press conference for the 72nd Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. &ldqu

FilmMay 22, 2019

[Seoul Food Alley] Chicken stew alley with fishy vibe in Dongdaemun

Seoul’s alleys are filled with eateries specializing in particular dishes. The Korea Herald takes you on a foodie trip to narrow alleys where decades-old establishments beckon diners with their secret recipes, often handed down through generations. -- Ed.Hidden among massive shopping malls, the back alleys of Dongdaemun are filled with old eateries that have been serving spicy meals for decades. Tucked away near Pyounghwa Market, the wholesale market for clothing, is a meter-wide alley serving c

FoodMay 22, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Aladdin’ remake is OK, but not enchanting

Watching the trailer of the “Aladdin,” 2019 remake of the beloved 1992 Disney animation, I thought it would be either be fantastic or a steaming pile of disappointment. To my surprise, it was neither. The Guy Ritchie film had its fun moments, and was an absolute joy to the eyes. Its characters were likeable, but the flick had some clunky storytelling moments and did not really capture the wonder and magic of the original.  “Aladdin” / Walt Disney Co. Korea“Street rat” Aladdin (Mena Massoud) is a

FilmMay 22, 2019

Swinging times in the DMZ

You can ride on a swing in the Demilitarized Zone along the border between the two Koreas, and it’s even a three-seater. Danish artist group Superflex’s two-swing set from their 2017 large-scale installation “One Two Three Swing!” has been installed at Dora observatory situated at the northernmost point of the DMZ, in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. Tourists and soldiers visiting Dora observatory were swinging under blue-clear sky on Tuesday. Taking pictures of them was Jak

Arts & DesignMay 22, 2019

Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' receives standing ovation at Cannes

South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" has premiered at the Cannes International Film Festival Tuesday (local time), with the director getting an eight-minute standing ovation.The new movie from the "Snowpiercer" and "Okja" director tells the story of a poor family becoming obsessed with a rich one after their son gets a job as a tutor for the wealthy family. Renowned actor Song Kang-ho stars in the film, along with Lee Sun-kyun and Cho Yeo-jeong.  Th

FilmMay 22, 2019

City needs ‘room to breathe,’ architect says

The rooftop of the Sewoon Sangga, the 50-plus-year-old shopping complex in central Seoul, offers a unique panorama of Seoul.From the northern side of this mega-structure you get a view that spans from the mountain Bugaksan to the Confucian shrine Jongmyo. There is also a clear view of Namsan Tower from the southern side. The western side offers a skyline that connects Euljiro 1-ga with the gates Gwanghwamun and Namdaemun, while clusters of low-rise traditional markets can be seen to the east. A

CultureMay 21, 2019

Returning to original job, Super Junior Kyuhyun feels at home

Completing his two-year mandatory military service and coming back to show business, Super Junior's Kyuhyun feels happy to be at home and do a labor of love."I can't believe I've returned to the original place where I used to be," Kyuhyun, 31, said in a recent interview with Yonhap News Agency. "The night before my last day of duty, I couldn't sleep. I was excited that I was on the verge of resuming my dream. I'm happy to come back to my career."The youngest member of the 14-year-old boy band, w

TelevisionMay 21, 2019

BTS wraps up US tour, drawing 320,000 fans

Global K-pop sensation BTS has drawn some 320,000 spectators on the U.S. leg of its world concert tour "Love Yourself: Speak Yourself," its management agency said Monday.BTS wrapped up the US edition of its global stadium tour with the final stop at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, over the weekend, according to Big Hit Entertainment. BTS at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on May 18, 2019. (Photo: Big Hit Entertainment)After opening with performances to sellout crowds at Rose B

PerformanceMay 21, 2019

‘The Island of the Colorblind’ looks at relationships in contemporary world

Manon de Boer’s video work “Bella, Maia and Nick” shows three teenagers playing instruments in a room with an ocean view. Without any intention to create harmony, they make different sounds with classical instruments. The camera watches the three together, though they sound dissonant combined.This work by the Dutch artist living in Brussels explores how individuals learn how to live together, said Kim Hae-ju, deputy director of the Art Sonje Center.  Artist Ursula Biemann and architect Paulo Tav

Arts & DesignMay 20, 2019

After a successful debut, Kang shoots for fun in ‘Long Live the King’

Kang Yoon-sung’s first feature film, “The Outlaws” from 2017, was a bit cliched but had fantastic characters and great action. That was enough to hype up expectations for the director’s next film, “Long Live the King,” set for release June 19.Like his previous movie, the upcoming flick also stars gangsters, but it has a completely different tone. “I aimed to make a fun film above all else. ... It’s about a mob boss becoming a hero of Mokpo through a certain incident, and his life getting overtur

FilmMay 20, 2019

[Book review] Entertainment news reporter says BTS opened up new paradigm for K-pop

A veteran entertainment news reporter with almost 20 years of experience has written a book about K-pop boy band BTS and its global success. In “BTS K-pop,” Herald Business reporter Seo Byung-ki analyzes what has come to be called BTS syndrome. “There are already around 10 books that deal with the BTS syndrome. Many of them, written by professors, take a philosophical view on BTS’ narrative structure, fandom or communication. I thought my book should have a different approach, so I did what I co

BooksMay 20, 2019

Kim Go-eun cast in new drama series by star screenwriter

Actress Kim Go-eun has been cast in a new drama series by star screenwriter Kim Eun-sook, the series' production company said Monday.Kim will take on two different roles, as a detective in the present and a criminal in the past, in the fantasy romance series, tentatively named "The King: Permanent Monarch," according to Hwa & Dam Pictures. Actor Lee Min-ho has been cast as the male lead for the drama.(Yonhap)It will be Kim's second time working with Kim Eun-sook following the hit drama "Guardian

TelevisionMay 20, 2019

Netherlands wins Eurovision as Madonna dancers spark flag controversy

The Netherlands won the 2019 Eurovision song contest early Sunday at a show in the seaside Israeli city of Tel Aviv that featured a performance from Madonna, plenty of glitz and some controversy.The oh-so-glamorous and famously kitschy finale gave Israel a chance to showcase its credentials as a culturally progressive nation, but politics lurked in the background as pro-Palestinian activists called for a boycott. Duncan Laurence of the Netherlands celebrates after winning the 2019 Eurovision Son

PerformanceMay 19, 2019