[Video] [Seoul Food Alley] Street for petite yet fiery octopus

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.Jjukkumi Street in Yongdu-dong, central Seoul (Lee So-jung/The Korea Herald)Yongdu-dong is not a well-known area of Seoul -- not even for local residents of the capital. It is not a tourist destination and it is certainly no hip neighborhood. Non

FoodApril 17, 2019

UN greenlights equipment into NK for relics excavation

A United Nations panel has approved a temporary waiver for a series of economic sanctions against North Korea, in a move that will allow Seoul to bring equipment to the North for a joint inter-Korean excavation of the ancient palace site of Manwoldae in the communist state.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday confirmed that the UN Security Council committee for sanctions against the North had granted a waiver of the sanctions.The detailed list of equipment that would be allowed to be broug

CultureApril 17, 2019

‘Tracking Down the Steel Container’ looks at apartments, a microcosm of Korean society

A decent apartment in Seoul has long been a symbol of middle-class success. Apartment ownership is also a measure by which social strata are divided.Based on Kim Yoon-young’s novel by the same title, “Tracking Down the Steel Container” is a drama that tackles the divide, as well as how people look at poverty -- and at people living in public housing in particular.  A scene from “Tracking Down the Steel Container” (DAC)The drama unfolds in Suseo-dong, Gangnam-gu, a wealthy district at the souther

PerformanceApril 16, 2019

S. Korean photographer wins Pulitzer Prize

Reuters' South Korean photographer Kim Kyung-hoon won a Pulitzer Prize on Tuesday for his work on Central American migrants.According to the website of the Pulitzer Prizes, photography staff of Reuters, including Kim, Loren Elliott and Lucy Nicholson were named the winner of the breaking news photography award.(Yonhap)They took images of a caravan of Central American migrants heading to the US border in November last year."For a vivid and startling visual narrative of the urgency, desperation an

PeopleApril 16, 2019

BTS on course to take 3rd No. 1 on Billboard 200 with 'Map of Soul: Persona'

Global K-pop sensation BTS is on its way to score its third No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart with their latest, staggeringly popular new record, which was released last week, Billboard's official website showed Tuesday."Industry forecasters suggest the set, which was released on April 12, could earn between 200,000 and 225,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending April 18," Billboard said in a posting uploaded on Monday (U.S. time), reporting that the septet is "bound for

PerformanceApril 16, 2019

Jeju Island gets Southeast Asian media attention

In March, Southeast Asian media flocked to Jeju Island on multiple occasions. One was a visit by Malaysian singer Wany Hasrita to film her new music video. During a five-day stay in mid-March, videographers captured the beauty of the island, including the canola flowers of Sanbangsan, Seopjikoji and Woljeongri Beach. In the video the singer wore hanbok, traditional Korean clothing, rented from a local shop called Miya’s Closet. Net.TV Indonesia crew members pose for photos in hanbok. (The Planet

TravelApril 15, 2019

Grey Youth Choir to perform on Carnegie Hall main stage

The Grey Youth Choir, a leading senior choir from South Korea, will perform at New York’s Carnegie Hall on May 6 at the invitation of the Korea-US Choir Festival for the 100th anniversary of the March 1st Independence Movement. Grey Youth ChoirThe Grey Youth Choir, headed by Hunet Chairman Kwon Dae-wook, will stand on the Isaac Stern Auditorium, the main stage of Carnegie Hall with 2,804 seats, presenting Korean traditional folk songs such as “Arirang,” “Milyang Arirang” and “Saeya Saeya Parang

PeopleApril 15, 2019

‘Avengers: Endgame’ to be culmination of MCU

The name of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 22nd film certainly does it justice, as the studio’s chief Kevin Feige stressed that “Avengers: Endgame” would be what the world’s largest superhero franchise had been building up to over the past 11 years.“This film is the endgame. This film is the culmination of the 22 films that we’ve made up to this point,” Feige said at a press conference in Seoul on Monday. Attending the event were directors Anthony and Joe Russo, producer Trinh Tran and cast members

FilmApril 15, 2019

Five years after tragedy, films deal with Sewol

The 2014 sinking of the Sewol ferry left more than 300 dead or missing, exposed irregularities in society and scarred the nation. There have been documentaries and independent films about the tragedy as well as many tribute songs, but using it as a subject in popular culture has remained an unspoken taboo.This is about to change, as two films talking about Sewol opened in March and April: “Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage” by Lee Jeong-beom and “Birthday” by Lee Jong-eon, respectively.The two films d

FilmApril 15, 2019

BTS to perform with Halsey during Billboard Music Awards

K-pop superstars BTS will perform their new song, "Boy With Luv," with Halsey during the 2019 Billboard Music Awards next month, the band's management agency said Monday."During the 2019 Billboard Music Awards on May 1, BTS will stage their first-ever collaboration performance with world-class singer Halsey," Big Hit Entertainment said.  BTS and Halsey (Instagram)Last week, BTS world-premiered the main track of their new album, "Map of the Soul: Persona," as a musical guest on American late nigh

PerformanceApril 15, 2019

Exhibition compares two 20th century traditional landscape masters

Korea‘s ink-and-wash paintings have faced many challenges in the 20th century, threatened by influence from Japan’s colonial rule and the influx of Western culture.Lee Sang-beom and Byeon Gwan-sik were leading artists, who sought to reinvent Korea’s traditional painting and succeed the master painters of Joseon era such as Gyeomjae, Danwon and Owon. Now they are being featured side by side at Gallery Hyundai, giving visitors an opportunity to view and compare their works. “Forest Covered in Thic

Arts & DesignApril 14, 2019

BTS' 'Boy With Luv' becomes fastest video ever to top 100 mln YouTube views

The video of massively popular boy band BTS's new song has surpassed 100 million views on YouTube at the fastest pace ever.The music video for "Boy With Luv," the main track off the group's latest album, "Map of the Soul: Persona," released Friday at 6 p.m., topped 100 million views at about 7:37 a.m. Sunday, according to the band's management agency, Big Hit Entertainment. (Youtube)BTS achieved the milestone 37 hours and 37 minutes after the video was uploaded to the global video sharing servic

PerformanceApril 14, 2019

Different festival to rock Jisan this year

The preliminary lineup for the 2019 Jisan Rock Festival, slated to take place from July 26 to 28, was announced Friday, including some of the most prominent bands here. Guckkastens, Monni, Galaxy Express and Huckleberry Finn are some of the names announced by the organizers. The second lineup, including major foreign musicians, will be revealed May 3. The festival will be held at Jisan Forest Resort in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, an hour’s drive southwest of Seoul.This year marks the first editio

PerformanceApril 12, 2019

[Photo News] Korea colored in pink with cherry blossoms

Spring has finally arrived in Korea, with cherry blossoms forming pink clouds above streets. The Yeouido area in western Seoul is a popular destination for enjoying cherry blossoms, especially Yunjung-ro, a 1.7-kilometer road lined with cherry trees. The annual Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival attracts a large number of visitors each year. (Yonhap) (Yonhap) (Yonhap)Another must-visit spot is Seoul Forest in Seongsu-dong, eastern Seoul. Though it is not as densely populated with cherry trees as Ye

TravelApril 12, 2019

BTS' new album featuring Halsey, Ed Sheeran hits world music scene

K-pop band BTS' new album featuring two high-profile pop stars, Halsey and Ed Sheeran, will hit the world music scene Friday, revealing the band's stories of love, self and the outside world."Map of the Soul: Persona," poised for release on major online music stores Friday evening (Korean time), is the opener of BTS' new "Map of the Soul" album series following their two-year-long "Love Yourself" album trilogy that won two No. 1s on the Billboard 200 album chart.Having recorded sensational disco

PerformanceApril 12, 2019

Emma Stone plays BTS fangirl in SNL teasers

Hollywood actress Emma Stone acted a BTS fangirl in a Saturday Night Live promo video for the episode she will be hosting.(SNL)SNL released on Thursday on its YouTube channel a teaser clip featuring the actress and cast member Cecily Strong surrounded by the seven bandmates, welcoming the members, and at the same time, going crazy over them. (SNL YouTube)In another clip released the day before, the actress is featured along with other female guests of the episode as excited fans of the K-pop sen

PerformanceApril 12, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Birthday(Korea)Opened April 3DramaDirected by Lee Jeong-eonJeong-il (Sol Kyung-gu), Sun-nam (Jeon Do-yeon) and their daughter Ye-sol (Kim Bo-min) have to cope with life without Su-ho (Yoon Chan-Young), as the boy died in the 2014 Sewol tragedy. On Su-ho’s birthday, the family and friends gather to share special memories of Su-ho.Shazam!(US)Opened April 3Action, Adventure, Comedy Directed by David F. SandbergBilly Batson (Asher Angel/Zachary Levi) has trouble adjusting to his new foster home beca

FilmApril 12, 2019

[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions

Italian tapas night at Park Hyatt Seoul Park Hyatt Seoul’s Italian restaurant Cornerstone presents a “Italian Tapas Bar” promotion.The promotion centers around chicchetti, an Italian practice of serving small snacks or side dishes similar to Spanish tapas. Two plates of chicchetti can be ordered at 34,000 won, three at 48,000 won and four at 58,000 won. If a diner orders four plates of chicchetti, two glasses of Italian rose sparkling wine will be provided. Other varieties of Italian wine can be

FoodApril 12, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland Tulip Festival (1)Everland is hosting its Tulip Festival until April 28 to mark the onset of spring. Its themed garden features sculptures and paths adorned with beautiful spring flowers. There is also a photo zone featuring the 26-meter-tall Flower Magic Tower. As night falls, visitors can enjoy the LED Musical Rose Garden with light-emitting diode roses of various colors, accompanied by music.Refer to the official website, www.everland.com, for more information in Korean, English, Jap

TravelApril 12, 2019

[Herald Interview] The agent behind Korea's global literary growth

If you are living outside Korea and happened to have just finished your first volume of Korean fiction, the chances are that the book you’ve read was brought to you by literary agent Joseph Lee and his partners around the world. Specializing in foreign rights of Korean titles, both fiction and nonfiction, Lee, 54, has a pretty impressive list of clients, including Shin Kyung-sook, the author of the 2011 New York Times best-seller “Please Look After Mom,” and Han Kang, the author of the 2016 Man

PeopleApril 12, 2019