[Graphic News] Performing arts market improves

　South Korea’s performing arts market rebounded in 2017, apparently reflecting greater political and social stability after the presidential election in May that year, officials said.　According to data released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Arts Management Service, the nation’s performing arts market grew 8.7 percent from the previous year to 813.2 billion won ($721 million) last year.　It is the first time that the domestic performing arts market has exceeded 800 b

Life&CultureDec. 17, 2018

Celebrate holidays with panache at museums, galleries

It is that time of the year. “All I Want for Christmas” plays seemingly on repeat and Santa decorations are in every window. The year has almost come to an end. For those tired of the same old alcohol-infused yearend gatherings, museums and galleries are offering a more cultured alternative to celebrating the year that was.Why not grab a beer next to Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain?” An 8-meter tall “Bearbrick” -- the collectible Japanese toy -- might give you a hug. Or just bring some art home by pu

Arts & DesignDec. 17, 2018

Epic Games Korea denies gun powder use, wishes Seolhyun quick recovery

Epic Games Korea, the host of Fortnite Korea Open 2018, confirmed in a statement Monday that gun powder had not been used during AOA’s performance at the event, after the group’s member Seolhyun left the stage in the middle of the performance because she felt faint. The company also wished Seolhyun a quick recovery.Seolhyun’s management agency FNC Entertainment had initially blamed the singer’s dizziness and retching on the heavy use of gunpowder. However, fans had criticized the agency for not

PerformanceDec. 17, 2018

Photographer’s journey highlights beauty of Korean porcelains

Photographer Koo Bohn-chang is holding a solo exhibition featuring his photographs of traditional Korean porcelains at the newly opened Kukje Gallery’s Busan branch located in a factory-turned-cultural center, F1936.“HA 05-1” by photographer Koo Bohn-chang (Courtesy of the artist)The photographer’s journey tracing the nation’s traditional porcelains spans some three decades. “One day, I came across with this picture of a Korean moon jar and a foreigner sitting right next to it. I wondered how su

Arts & DesignDec. 17, 2018

Korea seeks to build K-pop arena in Seoul

South Korea said Monday that it will push to build a K-pop arena in Seoul as part of a broader effort to attract more foreign tourists and create jobs in the cultural sector.The Ministry of Economy and Finance said the project worth about 500 billion won ($442 million) in Changdong, northeastern Seoul, could be financed by private companies, though it did not provide any details.The move comes as K-pop, which mostly features choreographed dances by boy and girl groups, has gained ground not only

CultureDec. 17, 2018

'Bohemian Rhapsody' reclaims box office throne with nearly 8m admissions

"Bohemian Rhapsody" reclaimed the top spot on the weekend box office chart in its eighth weekend in South Korean theaters.The Queen biopic, which stars Rami Malek as legendary frontman Freddie Mercury, sold 553,807 tickets from Friday to Sunday, data from the Korean Film Council showed Monday. The film's cumulative audience reached 7.94 million.(20th Century FOX Korea)After debuting at No. 2, the movie first topped the chart in its fourth weekend. It fell to second place after the release of the

FilmDec. 17, 2018

[Photo News] BTS wins big at 2018 MAMA in Hong Kong

BTS took home what is regarded as the highest honors of the evening on the third and final night of the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards in Hong Kong: artist and album of the year. BTS delivers a thank-you speech at the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards in Hong Kong (CJ ENM) BTS after winning `Album of the Year` at 2018 MAMA in Hong Kong (CJ ENM) BTS delivers a thank-you speech at the 2018 MAMA in Hong Kong (CJ ENM) Leader RM speaks on behalf of the group at MAMA in Hong Kong on Friday (CJ ENM)“Love Your

PerformanceDec. 16, 2018

The Weeknd rocks Seoul with exhilarating, nonstop performance

As part of the Hyundai Card Culture Project, The Weeknd held his first concert in Korea at Gocheok Skydome in Seoul on Saturday.Even before the show’s 7 p.m. start, the huge dome was already jam-packed with some 24,000 people waiting for the world’s leading R&B artist. Canadian R&B artist The Weeknd performs at Gocheok Skydome in Seoul on Saturday. (Hyundai Card)The Weeknd kicked off the concert with “Pray for Me” from blockbuster film “Black Panther.” Though it was the first among his performan

PerformanceDec. 16, 2018

Diverse spectrum of contemporary life captured at MMCA

(This article was originally published in The Korea Herald's paper on Oct. 23)A large-scale photo exhibition with the ambitious goal of recording our time on this Earth opened at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Gwacheon branch Thursday, featuring 300 works by 135 artists from 43 countries. “Civilization: The Way We Live Now,” co-produced by the MMCA and the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, offers a broad view of contemporary civilization, just a few decades old,

Arts & DesignDec. 16, 2018

[Herald Review] ‘The Drug King’ has strong acting by Song, but not much more

“The Drug King” is not a flop by any means. On the contrary, it is probably one of the better South Korean films of the year.But when you have masterful Song Kang-ho as the protagonist, plus the brilliance of Bae Doo-na, Jo Jung-suk, Lee Sung-min and so many other talented actors and let it all go to waste, that just doesn’t cut it.Woo Min-ho’s upcoming crime drama about a 1970s drug lord is funny, visually impressive and well-acted by the always-dependable Song, but it suffers from a weak story

FilmDec. 16, 2018

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Mermaid performances at Coex AquariumCoex Aquarium is holding underwater mermaid-themed performances to mark the Christmas holiday season. Divers dressed in Santa and mermaid outfits perform with sea life, including 20,000 sardines. The shows are held at 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and at 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays. There are no performances on Mondays.The Christmas-themed performances will be held until Dec. 25, after which a new version with a different theme will be

TravelDec. 16, 2018

Government rolls out 3-year plan to boost creative content market

The government on Thursday announced a plan to strengthen the country’s creative content market by creating an ideal environment for creators, investing in state-of-the-art content and supporting the export of content by 2022.Officials highlighted that most local companies in the creative content market are small in size and suffer from a lack of funding, infrastructure and manpower. To address these issues, the government seeks to increase investment in the sector from 350 billion won ($311 mil

CultureDec. 16, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Default(Korea)Opened Nov. 28DramaDirected by Choi Kook-heeAs the 1997 financial crisis hits Korea, Bank of Korea analyst Han Shi-hyeon (Kim Hye-soo) warns senior government officials. But her call for immediate action and the need to alert the public falls on deaf ears, as the high-ranking officials are more focused on covering up everything. Meanwhile, investment consultant Yun Jeong-hak (Yoo Ah-in) looks to make money off the crumbling economy.Door Lock(Korea) Opened Dec. 5Thriller, DramaDirec

FilmDec. 16, 2018

BTS' 'Fake Love' surpasses 400M YouTube views

The music video of K-pop boy band BTS' global hit song "Fake Love" has achieved the milestone of getting 400 million YouTube views, their management agency said Sunday.The artistically charged "Fake Love" music video, released in May, achieved the feat Saturday afternoon, Big Hit Entertainment said.  (Yonhap)The song was the main track of the BTS album "Love Yourself: Tear," with which BTS rewrote K-pop history. The album landed atop the Billboard 200 chart about a week after its release, making

PerformanceDec. 16, 2018

MMCA’s Yun Hyong-keun exhibition goes to 2019 Venice Biennale

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Yun Hyong-keun exhibition will travel to the Fortuny Museum in Venice to coincide with the 2019 Venice Biennale, the MMCA announced Friday. The MMCA added that the signing of the contract with the Fortuny Museum took place Tuesday. Yun’s retrospective is set to kick off May 11 next year at the gothic style building in central Venice, but the opening day of the exhibition could change according to the biennale’s schedule. An installation view o

Arts & DesignDec. 14, 2018

Return to the past with modern twist at Seoul Design Festival

“Newtro” has emerged as a trend in the fashion and design industries here. A combination of “new” and “retro,” the concept mixes trends of the past with fresh interpretations. And an ongoing event rides on that wave. The Seoul Design Festival taking place at the Coex Convention and Exhibition Center in southern Seoul caters to those who want to swing back to the 1980s or 1990s, with a new, creative twist.  (Seoul Design Festival)The festival’s overall theme is “Young Retro: Design Reversing Back

Arts & DesignDec. 14, 2018

'Cannabis Port’: Reddit user’s Seoul map shows districts in colorful English names

A map of the South Korean capital showing the districts’ names in English is garnering attenetion across online communities.The post was uploaded to social aggregator Reddit by user nanain_melons in November, and has since been shared on websites like Bestiz and MLB Park.The map gave Mapo the English name “Cannabis Port,” as the word “Ma” can mean “cannabis” and “Po” can refer to ports. (Reddit user nanain_melons)Yongsan was written as “Dragon Mountain,” which on par with the actual meaning, as

TravelDec. 14, 2018

Vivaldi Park introduces winter packages for foreign guests

Vivaldi Park, the resort complex of Daemyung Group, said it is launching packages for foreign visitors in Korea for the snow-covered season.This includes the one-day ski package and Snowy Land package that offers something for both children and adults.The one-day package is for those seeking to briefly enjoy the slopes on either skis or a snowboard. It includes a free shuttle bus between Seoul and the resort, a lift pass from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the rental of equipment along with parka and

TravelDec. 14, 2018

[Eye Plus] Time stops at way stations

For South Koreans living in a country where the old is compulsively replaced with the new, finding a place that no longer serves its original purpose but has maintained its true form is a venture. Still, there are unexpected nooks in and near bustling Seoul where time seems to go very slow, allowing you to quietly evoke past memories. These are way stations.Way stations are relatively small train stations, set apart by the absence of a stationmaster and the lack of passengers. As time went by, n

CultureDec. 13, 2018