BTS launches online archive 'Armypedia' to reach out to fans

Global K-pop phenomenon BTS has launched an online archive, inspired by its dedicated fans around the world, where their fans, known as Army, can get together to record memories from the band's six-year career, the band's management agency said Friday."Armypedia" at www.armypedia.net has gone online and will officially go into operation starting on Monday to gather together BTS fans to collectively record memorable moments of the six years since BTS' debut on June 13, 2013, according to Big Hit

PerformanceFeb. 22, 2019

Tickets sell out for BLACKPINK's N. America tour

All 60,000 tickets for South Korean girl group BLACKPINK's first-ever North American tour have sold out, the group's management agency said Friday.The band is set to perform in six cities -- in Los Angeles on April 17, in Chicago on April 24, in Hamilton, Canada, on April 27, in Newark on May 1, in Atlanta on May 5 and in Fort Worth on May 8. (YG Entertainment)Sources say YG Entertainment, the group's management, is considering scheduling additional shows due to the high demand for tickets.BLACK

PerformanceFeb. 22, 2019

For six decades, diva Lee Mi-ja sings with heart

Legendary diva and singer Lee Mi-ja released a new album to celebrate the 60th anniversary of her debut. “I want to thank everyone’s parents. Without them, I would not have made it until here,” Lee said at a press conference held Thursday at the Westin Chosun Seoul.  Singer Lee Me-ja speaks during a press event held Thursday at the Westin Chosun Seoul. (Yonhap)Lee, 79, was full of emotions at the event. Though there was a chair prepared for her, she refused to sit down, saying, “It is not a day

PerformanceFeb. 21, 2019

[Graphic News] Koreans’ attendance rate of cultural and arts events tops 80% for first time

　South Koreans’ attendance of cultural and arts events has risen steadily in recent years due to higher incomes and growing interest in culture, showed a survey. 　According to the survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, the rate of public attendance of cultural and arts events was 81.5 percent between Aug. 1, 2017 and July 31, 2018.　This represented an increase of 3.2 percentage points from 78.3 percent recorded in 2016 and marked the fi

Life&CultureFeb. 21, 2019

German museum to repatriate pair of Joseon era statues to Korea

The Museum am Rothenbaum in Hamburg, Germany, will return a pair of Joseon era stone statues to South Korea, the Overseas Cultural Heritage Foundation announced Thursday.The two statues will be returned on March 19. Estimated to have been produced in the late 16th or early 17th century, the statues were initially believed to have been shipped to Germany after a German national acquired them from a local antique shop in Seoul in 1983. The museum purchased the pair in 1987. A pair of stone statues

CultureFeb. 21, 2019

‘Sun-Kissed Family’ promises story of adults through child’s eyes

The cast of “Sun-Kissed Family” emphasized that the upcoming comedy film defies expectations by straying away from the formula for Korean family flicks. “Most family films play by the book, but this one destroys the existing format and was very open sexually. It depicts things that would happen in a European country in a fun way,” said Park Hee-soon, who plays the lead role of Jun-ho, during a press conference for the film in Seoul on Monday. “Sun-Kissed Family” / Megabox Plus M The poster for “

FilmFeb. 21, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Innocent Witness (Korea) Opened Feb.13DramaDirected by Lee HanSun-ho (Jung Woo-sung) is a former human-rights lawyer who has given up on his dream of helping the little guys, in exchange for fatter paychecks. He takes on the case of an alleged murder of an old man, in which the only piece of evidence is testimony by autistic 15-year-old Ji-woo (Kim Hyang-gi), who witnessed the entire incident across the street from her window.Extreme Job (Korea)Opened Jan. 23ComedyDirected by Lee Byeong-heonA te

FilmFeb. 21, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Little Prince Lighting Festival of Petite France The Little Prince Lighting Festival of Petite France is being held at the Petite France Park in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province. Buildings and streets as well as Christmas trees have been decorated with sparkling lights. There are also events such as performances featuring marionettes and magic as well as the opportunity to experience plaster art. The festival is being held through Thursday between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.Admission fees are 10,000 for ch

TravelFeb. 21, 2019

[Weekender] How cheese transformed a poor village: The story of Imsil Cheese

Imsil-gun, a tiny rural village in North Jeolla Province, is a town that most people in South Korea have heard of and precious few have visited. For starters, a trip there via public transportation is not easy.It is secluded behind mountains and admittedly scenic rivers, crouching behind the slopes just a little over 20 kilometers from Jeonju. Stretched across 597 square kilometers of mostly farmland and home to a meager 29,160 as of 2019, it is, for the most part, but a tiny speck on the map. B

TravelFeb. 21, 2019

Hide and Seek, new, not-quite-underground bakery-deli

Hide and Seek, as its name implies, is not easy to find. Located in a half basement of a renovated house in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul, this new bakery-deli has only been open for a few months, steadily building a growing and promising repertoire of baked goods, sandwiches and salads.As the offshoot to Darling Kitchen, a restaurant located on the first and second floors of the same building, Hide and Seek is an organic expansion of Darling Kitchen’s existing baking operations. “We started with Darling

FoodFeb. 21, 2019

[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions

Staycation with pets at Vista Walkerhill Seoul　Vista Walkerhill Seoul presents the Oh My Pet package deal for guests who do not wish to leave their furry friends at home. The package deal includes a one-night-stay in the hotel’s pet-themed room. It includes a bed, pillow, table, tableware, bathrobe and towel specially designed for pets. Also, the minibar includes food and drinks for pets. The package deal is available only for pets under 15 kilograms. One pet is allowed per room, and the feed is

FoodFeb. 21, 2019

[Weekender] ‘Freshness differentiates artisanal cheese’

Where do you buy cheese? Supermarkets are the easiest option, while department stores offer more refined products. Cheese shops provide a more upscale option. What if you are searching for not just any cheese, but cheese made in a traditional way? Room for affinage, or cheese-aging process (Park Hyun-koo / The Korea Herald)Finding high quality cheese here can be a challenge, but Cho Jang-hyun may be the person you are looking for. Cho is an owner-chef and cheesemaker at Cheeseflo in Hannam-dong,

FoodFeb. 21, 2019

Haydn’s ‘Creation’ to feature wire, water tank and video mapping

Haydn’s legendary 1798 oratorio “The Creation” will be put on stage by La Fura dels Baus, an experimental theater troupe from Spain, at Art Center Incheon on March 1 and 2, offering both a musical and visual treat.The production depicts the Biblical seven days of creation with visual art installations. The soloists are lifted up in the air, then submerged in a water tank, and the choristers hold up tablet computers. Soprano Im Sun-hae speaks during a press conference held Wednesday at a restaura

PerformanceFeb. 21, 2019

Taeyeon from Girls' Generation to tour 4 Japanese cities in April

Taeyeon, a member of K-pop girl band Girls' Generation, will go on a Japanese solo concert tour in April that will take her to four major cities there, her management agency said Thursday. (S.M. Entertainment)The tour will kick off in Fukuoka on April 13 and be followed by concerts in Osaka from April 22-23. She will then move to Nagoya to perform on April 27 before wrapping up the tour with performances in Tokyo from May 9-10, according to SM Entertainment.The "Taeyeon Japan Tour 2019 ~Signal~"

PerformanceFeb. 21, 2019

[Eye Plus] Traditional Korean culture alive at King’s Street

It’s easy to spot beautiful palaces when you walk around Seoul, a city that blends modern and traditional Korean cultures. Changdeokgung, a royal palace built in 1405, is among them. Donhwanum is the main gate of Changdeokgung, the second royal palace built in 1405. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)The palace Changdeokgung viewed from above. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)Visitors clad in traditional Korean hanbok take pictures in front of Donhwamun. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)The main gate

CultureFeb. 21, 2019

Tiffany Young to release first American EP 'Lips on Lips'

Tiffany Young, a Korean-American member of K-pop band Girls' Generation, will release her first American EP, "Lips on Lips," on Thursday, her management agency said.The five-track record will hit the American music scene at midnight on Friday, according to Transparent Arts. In South Korea, the album will be available for streaming starting at 2 p.m. Thursday.(Tiffany Young Twitter)The record, a package of five songs including "Born Again," which was previously released last month, delves into a

PerformanceFeb. 21, 2019

Government rolls back ‘K-pop beauty guidelines’ following backlash

The government said Wednesday it is scrapping some of the more controversial guidelines it intended to bring diversity to the screen, following criticism from politicians and K-pop fans on suggestions of an appearance-based quota. The decision comes just days after the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family published its new guidebook on gender equality on Feb. 12, in which it urged broadcasters not to present a “monolithic beauty standard” to help tackle lookism altogether.“Most idol groups hav

TelevisionFeb. 20, 2019

YouTubers go global with CJ ENM’s DIA TV

Korean YouTubers are making their way into the global market in partnership with DIA TV, a multichannel network for online content creators affiliated with local entertainment mogul CJ ENM.According to DIA TV’s announcement Wednesday, its partner creators are carving out successful careers overseas, promoting Korea’s entertainment culture.  Korean YouTuber Banzz with Chinese internet celebrity Mizijun (DIA TV)The firm partners with creator Banzz, a major “meokbang,” or eating broadcasts, creator

PeopleFeb. 20, 2019

Artist Don Sun-pil attempts to decode subculture of miniature figures

In the contemporary art scene where everything -- installations and gallery spaces for instance -- tends to become bigger and bigger to achieve “spectacle” status, artist Don Sun-pil has brought miniature figurines of characters from cartoons, animations, games and other subculture productions into the gallery space. Don is holding a solo exhibition at Arario Museum’s underground gallery at Space, an iconic architectural gem from Kim Soo-geun in central Seoul.  Artist Don Sun-pil‘s “Next Back Do

Arts & DesignFeb. 20, 2019

BTS announces another tour of major cities in US, Europe, Japan this year

K-pop boy band BTS will carry out another concert tour of major cities in the United States, Europe and Japan starting in May, the band's management agency announced Wednesday.The "Love Yourself: Speak Yourself" tour, which came after BTS' successful, wider world tour last year, will bring the septet again to eight cities -- Los Angeles, Chicago, East Rutherford, Sao Paulo, London, Paris, Osaka and Shizuoka -- starting in May. A total of 10 concerts will be held in the eight cities, according to

PerformanceFeb. 20, 2019