Fashion is in the air: 2019 F/W Seoul Fashion Week kicks off

The catwalk shows of 2019 F/W Seoul Fashion Week kick off Wednesday at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul, introducing local designers’ creations for the fall-winter fashion.Thirty-seven fashion shows will be held in the main Seoul Collection, including 33 for designer brands such as the Miss Gee Collection, Beyond Closet, Songzio, Besfxxk, Greedilous and Dew E Dew E.Three brands collaborating with major fashion firms will also grace the stage. For example, Iise, the winner of the 2018

Arts & DesignMarch 19, 2019

52 temples recognized for excellent templestay programs

With the aim of encouraging and promoting templestay programs, the Korean Buddhist Cultural Foundation honored 52 temples across South Korea on Tuesday for their effective programs.The Korean Buddhist Cultural Foundation held an award ceremony at Jogyesa in central Seoul to recognize temples that had operated outstanding templestay programs in 2018. Templestay program (Korean Buddhist Cultural Foundation) Representatives of temples recognized for offering outstanding templestay programs in 2018

CultureMarch 19, 2019

Germany holds exhibitions, events to commemorate Bauhaus centenary

Bauhaus, the early 20th century German crafts and fine art school, will be commemorated this year through a number of special exhibitions and events around the country.According to the German National Tourist Board, the marketing theme for 2019 is celebrating the 100th year anniversary of the institute formally called the Staatliches Bauhaus, founded by Walter Gropius in Weimar in 1919. Last year‘s German tourism theme was “culinary Germany.”“We believe that Bauhaus is a crucial heritage in Germ

TravelMarch 19, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Romang’ a beautiful story, but clumsy in telling

First impressions can be deceiving, but so can second and third impressions. Sometimes a film that looks promising from its opening scene will falter, only to rally with heartfelt moments of joy and grace.Lee Chang-geun -- who took the helm of “Romang,” a romance featuring an elderly couple suffering from dementia -- did not show top-notch directing skills with his first feature film. But he delivered when it counted in the crucial moments depicting the couple’s love, care and companionship -- a

FilmMarch 19, 2019

British rock band Queen to come to South Korea

British rock band Queen will soon hold concerts in South Korea, after "Bohemian Rhapsody," a biographical film about the iconic group, reignited the group's popularity worldwide and especially here, organizers said Tuesday."Queen is going to perform in South Korea sooner or later. We'll soon release the exact date and place of the event," a PR official with AIM told Yonhap News Agency by phone. (Yonhap)On Monday, the concert agency uploaded a promotional video for the upcoming concert with the m

PerformanceMarch 19, 2019

EXO's Chen to make solo debut

Chen will begin a career as a solo artist seven years after he made his debut as a member of popular boy group EXO, his management agency said Tuesday.The singer, whose real name is Kim Jong-dae, will drop his debut solo EP, "April, and a flower," on April 1, SM Entertainment said. (SM Entertainment)Chen's work as part of EXO, which hit the K-pop scene in 2012, includes "Growl," "Overdose," "Wolf," "Ko Ko Bop," "Tempo" and "Love Shot."The 27-year-old singer also is a member of the band's subunit

PerformanceMarch 19, 2019

S. Korean cinema records highest attendance ever for February

Boosted by the huge success of the local cop comedy "Extreme Job," South Korean movie theaters attracted the highest number of admissions of all time for February, a report from a market tracker showed Tuesday.The number of admissions in local theaters was up 43.2 percent to 22.28 million last month, with sales jumping 50.3 percent to 190 billion won ($167.87 million), according to the monthly report by the Korean Film Council. (Yonhap)KOFIC attributed the bullish sales to the presence of the bo

FilmMarch 19, 2019

SHINee's Minho to debut as solo singer before joining military

Popular boy group SHINee's Minho will release his solo debut song before going into the military, his talent agency said Tuesday.According to SM Entertainment, the song titled "I'm Home" will be unveiled at 6 p.m. on March 28 as the ninth entry in Season 3 of the company's digital music release program, "Station." Minho, SM EntertainmentDebuting as a SHINee member in 2008, Minho has since released hit songs, such as "Replay," "Ring Ding Dong," "Lucifer," "Sherlock" and "Everybody.He has also bee

PerformanceMarch 19, 2019

Jang Hye-rim’s ‘Burnt Offering,’ rite of solace

Wearing dark blue-green clothes with rolled-up sleeves, seven Swedish dancers appear in a black box theater where dozens of safety helmets with headlamps are scattered around them on the gray floor. The dancers pick up seven helmets and arrange them in a line. Some call out the names of friends and family members while doing so, and others remain silent. The accompanying music recalls a Korean traditional ritual dance. The dancers laboriously perform to the music with distinctive rhythms, and th

PerformanceMarch 18, 2019

Rapper Kush receives suspended jail term for cocaine use

Rapper and producer Kim Byung-hoon, better known by his stage name Kush, was sentenced to jail for habitual use of cocaine. On Monday, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced the 35-year-old rapper to two years and six months in prison, suspended for four years, for cocaine use. Kim was also given probation, 80 hours of drug treatment and a fine of 875,000 won ($773). Kush (CJ E&M)In November and December of 2017, Kim purchased 2.5 grams of cocaine and used the drug at his home on seven occas

PerformanceMarch 18, 2019

'Burning' director honored at Asian Film Awards

South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 13th Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong on Sunday. The auteur also won the best director award at the film festival for his movie "Burning," which was selected for the Cannes Film Festival in May last year and won the best foreign film award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association in December and the Toronto Film Critics Association and the Best Foreign Language Film Award from the French Union of Film Critics

FilmMarch 18, 2019

‘Music has the magic to conquer people’

Star conductor, praised as one of the finest maestros today, is all about returning what he has received, especially to the younger generation. Maestro Gustavo Dudamel is in Seoul with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, marking the acclaimed orchestra’s 100-year anniversary. The orchestra held two concerts over the weekend and Monday’s chamber orchestra performance, featuring Korean-American violinist Esther Yoo, will conclude the Seoul tour. Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor Gustavo Dudamel speaks

PerformanceMarch 17, 2019

[Newsmaker] Police look into golf-betting allegations against Cha Tae-hyun, Kim Joon-ho

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Sunday that it was looking into allegations that TV stars Cha Tae-hyun and Kim Joon-ho had bet on a game of golf.The police agency’s special crime squad has already secured the related text messages and is currently establishing facts, it added. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s announcement came after Cha and Kim said earlier Sunday that they would step down from all shows.Cha Tae-hyun (left) and Kim Joon-ho (right) (Herald DB)In a letter released

TelevisionMarch 17, 2019

BTS' 'Idol' video tops 400 mln YouTube views

The music video for K-pop sensation BTS' song "Idol" exceeded 400 million views on YouTube on Saturday, becoming the band's seventh video to reach the milestone, the group's management agency has said.The latest achievement came seven months after the septet released the song, according to Big Hit Entertainment. (Youtube)The boy band's six other music videos that have hit the 400 million-view mark include "DNA," "Fake Love" and "Mic Drop." "DNA," a 2018 song, has garnered more than 600 million v

PerformanceMarch 17, 2019

Musical ‘Grease’ takes over catwalk at Fashion Kode with ’50s mood

Catwalks are usually graced by cold-faced models striding down the runway, but a new kind of fashion show took place Thursday -- and this time, the models were all about entertaining the audience.On Thursday the Korea Creative Content Agency, a state-funded institute that promotes and supports the country’s popular culture, kicked off Fashion Kode 2019 F/W, a three-day fashion festival at S-Factory in the Seongsu-dong neighborhood in eastern Seoul.Highlights of the event included fashion exhibit

Arts & DesignMarch 15, 2019

[Weekender] Itaewon: Present and future

Some say Itaewon has lost its soul and is now just another soulless hangout place for young Koreans. Others say the neighborhood has become safer and trendier -- suitable for a wider audience. And if you stand in the right place, you can still find the same expat-led culture thriving, they say. Whichever side one takes, the talk resembles the typical debate that erupts whenever a neighborhood gets gentrified. A less developed area with its unique characteristics and a vibrant local community get

TravelMarch 14, 2019

Kim Ho-deuk’s contemporary interpretation of traditional paintings

Artist Kim Ho-deuk is holding a solo exhibition at Hakgojae Gallery in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. The exhibition comprises some 40 pieces, ranging from abstract paintings to installation works. The exhibited works are a continuum of the artist’s exploration of new aesthetics grounded in Korea’s traditional culture.  “Mountain-Faraway" (2018) by artist Kim Ho=-deuk (Hakgojae Gallery) "Rapids" (2018) by artist Kim Ho-deuk (Hakgojae Gallery)Born in 1950, Kim is known for paintings that borrow elements

Arts & DesignMarch 14, 2019

MMCA announces finalists for 2019 Korea Artist Prize

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, on Thursday announced the four finalists for the 2019 Korea Artist Prize: Kim A-young, Park Hye-soo, Rhii Jew-yo and Hong Young-in. An exhibition of works by the four artists will open Oct. 12 and run through March 1, 2020. The winner of the annual art award will be announced before year-end, after a jury reviews the works presented at the upcoming exhibition. The four finalists were selected by a four-member jury composed of Bartomeu Ma

Arts & DesignMarch 14, 2019

[Herald Review] ‘Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage' is enraging

Apparently it’s an epidemic in South Korean cinema. The parade of pretentious characters uttering “poignant” lines to feed a film’s bloated self-importance is nothing new here.But Lee Jeong-beom’s upcoming crime film “Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage” takes it to another level, replacing character development with cliches and corny dialogue while tying in one of the biggest tragedies in the country’s recent memory to no clear point.“Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage” (Warner Bros. Korea)The film kicks off

FilmMarch 14, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Captain Marvel (US)Opened March 6Action, Adventure, Sci-fiDirected by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck 　Vers (Bree Larson), a warrior from a powerful alien race called the Kree, struggles to control her emotions and powers, trained by her commander Yon-Rogg (Jude Law). A botched rescue mission lands her on Earth, and after a narrow escape from the hostile Skrull, with which her race is at war, she embarks on a journey to find the life she’s missed out on Earth, along with her true identity as Carol Dan

FilmMarch 14, 2019