[Exclusive] LACMA admits it needs further research on donated Korean paintings

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art acknowledged further research is needed on the authenticity of some modern Korean paintings donated by Drs. Chester and Cameron C. Chang, according to the Galleries Association of Korea on Wednesday. The museum's acknowledgment came in response to a letter that questioned the authenticity of four paintings at the museum’s exhibition “Korean Treasures from the Chester and Cameron Chang Collection” attributed to Korean modern artists Park

Arts & DesignMay 22, 2024

Korean National Opera to premier Korngold's 'Die tote Stadt'

The Korean National Opera is set to premier "Die tote Stadt" at the Opera Theater of the Seoul Arts Center from Thursday to Sunday. Based on Georges Rodenbach's novel "Bruges-la-Morte," the opera was composed by Erich Korngold at the age of 23 and premiered in 1920. The KNO explained the Korean premiere of "Die tote Stadt" is known for its extreme difficulty, demanding high notes and stamina from singers. The role of Paul requires sustained singing with high B

CultureMay 22, 2024

Renowned poet Shin Kyung-rim of 'Nongmu' dies

Shin Kyung-rim, a prominent figure in Korean poetry and author of the works "Nongmu" (Farmers' Dance) and "A Poor Love Song," died Wednesday, sources in the literary community said. He was 88. He passed away at the National Cancer Center in Goyang, in the northwestern suburbs of Seoul, after a battle with cancer. Considering the high status of the deceased and his works in Korean modern poetry and literary circles, his funeral is planned to be organized by major literary

BooksMay 22, 2024

Edvard Munch's lithographs, paintings in Seoul reveal deep emotions

Norwegian painter Edvard Munch is one of the most acclaimed artists in modern art history – his popularly known painting “The Scream” reveals the abyss of a human’s emotions. Many of his works reveal death, loneliness, desperation and love, which the artist explored his whole life. Some 140 works by Edvard Munch are on show at the exhibition titled “Edvard Munch: Beyond the Scream” which opens at the Seoul Arts Center on Wednesday, including the lithograph of

Arts & DesignMay 21, 2024

SM, Hybe’s investment in game business still questioned

Hybe and SM Entertainment have revealed their plans to launch new game content using K-pop bands’ intellectual property (IP) this year, but questions are still being raised over the games' chances of success. SM Entertainment said last month it is developing a mobile phone game tentatively titled “SM Game Station” in collaboration with Kakao Games, which will be available to the public in the second half of this year. A local game developer Com2us is also set to release a

CultureMay 21, 2024

'High School Mystery Club 3' producer aimed to address societal issues

The director of "High School Mystery Club 3," a popular Korean mystery reality show series, aimed to address current societal issues by incorporating such themes into a mystery reality show. "Considering the genre of 'High School Mystery Club,' the show must deal with subject matter related to crimes and I did not want to create a program which lightly and humorously dealt with the matter," said Im Soo-jung, the producer of "High School Mystery Club 3," du

TelevisionMay 21, 2024

National Museum of Korean Literature set to open doors in 2026

The National Museum of Korean Literature broke ground Monday at Gijachon Neighborhood Park, in Eunpyeong-gu, northern Seoul, five years after the plan for the museum was announced in 2019. The museum, located in Jingwan-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, at the foot of Bukhansan National Park, will have a total floor area of 14,993 square meters and a site area of 13,248 square meters. The building with two underground floors and two above-ground floors is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2026. T

BooksMay 21, 2024

[Herald Interview] TikTok, K-pop are evolving together: TikTok exec

In the globalization of K-pop, TikTok has played a very large role. “People used to listen to music by playing CDs or tuning into the radio, and with the advent of MTV and YouTube, it became the era of watching music through video media such as music video," said You Kyung-cheol, head of TikTok’s artist and label partnership, artist services in Northeast Asia. "Then, TikTok ushered in an era where people don't just consume music passively but actively participate in it

IndustryMay 21, 2024

Women in 50s take stage by storm in hit musical 'Spring, Again'

The musical “Spring, Again,” produced by the Seoul Metropolitan Musical Theatre, holds significant meaning for its actors, most of whom are women in midlife. It’s a rare production that features women in their 50s as its main characters. In developing the piece, the creative team observed their conversation during workshops and incorporated it into the work, making it a devised theater. As a result, the story is a familiar one to both the actors and the audience, the four actor

CultureMay 21, 2024

Ryoo Seung-wan’s ‘I, The Executioner’ premieres at Cannes Film Festival

South Korean filmmaker Ryoo Seung-wan’s new action blockbuster “I, The Executioner” premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on Monday. The 77th edition of the film festival kicked off Wednesday last week and runs through Saturday. “I, The Executioner,” also known as “Veteran 2” here, is a sequel to the 2015 hit blockbuster “Veteran” which attracted 13.41 million viewers. The movie is the only Korean film that has been invited to the offici

FilmMay 21, 2024

7 contemporary Korean dance groups to tour Hungary, US

Seven Korean dance groups are scheduled to tour Budapest and the US from Tuesday to June 16. The tour will cover four cities: Budapest in Hungary, Seattle, Hudson Valley and Manhattan in the United States, starting with the 11th International Monodance Festival held at the Bethlen Theater in Budapest on Tuesday. On June 2, the "Seoul-Mate Korea Dance Festival" will be showcased at the Stissing Center for Arts and Culture in Hudson Valley, New York, and at the Cosmopolitan Club in Manha

PerformanceMay 20, 2024

Bucheon Fantastic Film Fest to revisit Son Ye-jin’s career

The 28th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival is holding a special exhibition on celebrated South Korean actor Son Ye-jin. She is the sixth actor to have a retrospective exhibition at BIFAN. Other luminaries in the Korean film industry such as actors Choi Min-sik, Jeon Do-yeon, Jung Woo-sung, Kim Hye-soo and Sol Kyung-ku have been previously highlighted in BIFAN exhibitions. The 28th BIFAN kicks off July 4 and runs through July 14. Titled “Unrivaled Son Ye-jin” (direct trans

FilmMay 20, 2024

Sejong Center's Sync Next aims to attract new audiences

The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, one of the country’s best-known performing arts centers, is bringing back Sync Next 2024, the name for its program this summer, to contemplate the future of art and to “synchronize” with the audience, which is always “ahead.” “Art has always strived and transformed desperately to connect with its audience in every era. Artists have endured immense suffering to gain audiences, and art has continuously evolved to meet

CultureMay 20, 2024

Hermes celebrates craftsmanship

An exhibition shedding light on a culture of commitment to “exceptional craftsmanship” that powers Hermes is taking place in Seoul, as artisans demonstrate in person how the French luxury house has come to embody “know-how” and “creativity." At “Hermes in the Making,” 11 artisans -- all from France with one exception from Switzerland who works on watches -- offer a glimpse of their craft processes involving leather, silk, porcelain and gemstones, wi

Arts & DesignMay 20, 2024

'The Glory' screenwriter Kim Eun-sook returns with new Netflix series

Top Korean screenwriter Kim Eun-sook will return with a new romance series featuring Kim Woo-bin and Bae Suzy. Netflix will stream the 12-part fantasy romantic comedy series "All The Love You Wish For," (working title) starring Kim Woo-bin, Bae Suzy, Ahn Eun-jin and Noh Sang-Hyun, according to the global streaming service Monday. The series is helmed by Lee Byoung-heon, who directed the Netflix comedy series "Chicken Nugget" (2024), "Extreme Job" (2019) and JTBC rom

TelevisionMay 20, 2024

[Music in drama] Timeless songs central to success of 'Hospital Playlist'

Stories about family love, friendship and humanity never grow old and there is no better place to witness them than in hospitals. The tvN series “Hospital Playlist” takes place in a university teaching hospital where fierce battles of life and death take place, depicting the lives of five doctors who have been friends for 20 years and the stories of their patients. The series is renowned for its depiction of the heartwarming struggles of the doctors and its excellent reinterpretation

TelevisionMay 20, 2024

Actors involved in past controversies return first via streaming service originals

South Korean actors who have been involved in controversies or facing charges are returning to the screen via streaming services, where they face less scrutiny and regulations. These comebacks can serve as tests to gauge the timing of their official comebacks, according to critics, Sunday. Actor Bae Sung-woo, who has been suspended from appearing on broadcast channels such as KBS and MBC for driving under the influence in November 2020, appears on the Netflix original series "The 8 Show,&qu

TelevisionMay 19, 2024

Explore different Annlees, 'Make a Wish' at Buk-Seoul Museum of Art

In 1999, French artists Philippe Parreno and Pierre Huyghe purchased the copyright of a Japanese character they found in a manga catalog for about $400 at that time. The two artists named the character "Annlee." For the next three years, Annlee was given diverse identities through some 30 paintings, sculptures, videos, books and music by 20 artists. These works were put together in Zurich in 2002 at the exhibition, “No Ghost Just a Shell.” The project was later collected by

Arts & DesignMay 19, 2024

Pupils to gather in Seoul, Tokyo to celebrate Janos Starker's 100th birthday in July

In celebration of late cellist Janos Starker’s 100th birthday and his legacy, two of Starker’s students, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi and Yang Sung-won, who both went on to have successful careers, will bring together more than 20 of Starker’s pupils and their pupils for a festival in Seoul and Tokyo in July. Japanese cellist Tsutsumi, president of Suntory Hall in Toyko and a professor, and South Korea's Yang, the artistic director of Music in PyeongChang and also a professor, joined

CultureMay 19, 2024

[Herald Interview] Byun Yo-han's 'unlikable' character is result of calculated acting

Actor Byun Yo-han, whose appearance in “The Book of Fish” (2021) and “Hansan: Rising Dragon” (2022) left the audience with resonating, serious acting, has returned to the silver screen with an unlikable, somewhat perverted character in “Following.” The mystery thriller centers on a real estate agent named Gu Jeong-tae (Byun), who has a strange if not perverse habit of peeping into other people’s lives. Whether it’s a person living next door or a cl

FilmMay 18, 2024