[Herald Review] 'Parasyte: The Grey,' run-of-the-mill monster horror series that lacks charm of original manga

"Parasyte: The Grey," the ambitiously re-imagined series by star director Yeon Sang-ho, is a run-of-the-mill monster horror show that fails to capture the charm and essence of the original manga. The 6-part Netflix original series follows the story of Jung Soo-in (Jung So-nee) as she is partially turned into a monster after an alien species called the Parasytes invade Earth. The series is set in the universe of the popular Japanese manga series "Parasyte," but completely de

TelevisionMarch 27, 2024

[Herald Interview] Making the jump from corps de ballet to swan

A new swan is scheduled to grace the stage, as the Korean National Ballet presents “Swan Lake” at the LG Arts Center in Seoul from Wednesday to Sunday. On Friday, ballerina An Su-yeon, a member of the corps de ballet, will take center stage, making her debut as the iconic Odette and Odile. It's a highly unusual and bold move to cast a dancer in the corps de ballet, the lowest in the ballet company's ranking system, to take the lead role in “Swan Lake.” Such cast

PerformanceMarch 26, 2024

[Herald Interview] Seoul Auction continues to show Korean art in Asia -- and beyond

When Seoul Auction held its inaugural auction in Hong Kong in 2008, there was only a “single goal” in mind -- to herald Korean art to the global art scene, introducing it to new collectors in Asia. For the past 16 years, the resolve has remained firm for Korea’s leading auction house. On Monday, at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, the auction house kicked off a preview of its "Contemporary Art Sale” scheduled to take place in Seoul at 3 p.m., Friday. “We have put in so m

Arts & DesignMarch 26, 2024

'Parasyte: The Grey' explores coexistence, nature of ties between individuals and organizations

Director Yeon Sang-ho, known for hit thriller series "Hellbound" and groundbreaking zombie flick "Train to Busan," said he aimed to explore the true meaning of coexistence and dynamics between individuals and organizations in "Parasyte: The Grey," his latest Netflix original series. "Parasyte: The Grey" narrates the story of Jung Soo-in (Jeon So-nee), who is partially turned into a monster by an alien species that falls to Earth from outer space. Seol Gang

TelevisionMarch 26, 2024

Changdeokgung nighttime tours with royal court music to be held in April

Tickets for Changdeokgung nighttime tours featuring a performance of “gugak,” or traditional Korean music, taking place April 3-6 went on sale online Tuesday. There will be two tours daily, at 6:30 p.m. and 6:40 p.m., each limited to 15 people, starting with a look inside Huijeong Hall and ending at Daejo Hall, where musicians from the National Gugak Center will give a 30-minute performance. The tours end at 8 p.m. “The musicians will perform royal court music on traditional st

CultureMarch 26, 2024

[Herald Interview] For breaker Lee Jae-bum, 'Notre-Dame de Paris' is home

Breakdancer Lee Jae-bum came across the musical “Notre-Dame de Paris” by accident 17 years ago, but now Lee says the French musical feels like home. Lee had been participating in a breakdance competition when someone approached him to join "this musical called 'Notre-Dame de Paris.'" That someone turned out to be Wayne Fowke, the artistic director who brought the French musical to the Korean stage. At first, Lee wasn’t interested because he had little unders

CultureMarch 26, 2024

[New on the scene] Director Kim Hee-jin compelled by stories of marginalized

In her 2010 short indie film “A Brand New Journey,” Kim depicts the agony of a middle school student whose parents can’t afford the money for a school trip. Although the boy finds a way to save up money for the trip by taking on a part-time job, he is harassed by the tyrannical shop owner who doesn't pay him. “I was attracted to the stories of marginalized people, whether I met them in my personal life or in books. So it was natural for me to shed light on the lives

FilmMarch 26, 2024

[Latest Read] Hwang Bo-reum welcomes readers to 'Hyunam-dong Bookshop' with healing dose of books

At some point in their lives, many people pause and ask, “Is this the life I wanted?” We find ourselves overwhelmed by work, experiencing burnout as professional obligations overshadow personal lives. This critical juncture prompts introspection -- a moment to reassess one's life and ask if this path is truly what I wanted. Hwang Bo-reum's bestselling novel, "Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop" begins with Yeong-ju, who is burnt out. She leaves behind her old lif

BooksMarch 25, 2024

Tongyeong International Music Festival’s composer-in-residence Peter Eotvos dies

Hungarian composer and conductor Peter Eotvos, who was named the composer-in-residence for the 2024 Tongyeong International Music Festival, has passed away in Budapest at the age of 80, the TIMF said Monday. An internationally acclaimed composer whose works were inspired by Zoltan Kodaly, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Pierre Boulez, Eotvos' ties with Tongyeong run deep. Having composed the opera "Golden Dragon" for the 2017 TIMF, he was invited to compose for the 2020 edition of TIMF.

PerformanceMarch 25, 2024

Asia’s top chefs share their recipes, techniques in Seoul

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024 held the first #50BestTalks event since the pandemic in Seoul on Monday, led by gastronomic experts from Asia who touched on various topics from their recipes to fermentation techniques. Created in 2002, the world’s prestigious international gastronomic event kicked off this year’s edition in Seoul on Saturday. The five-day event, joined by 1,000 industry insiders, ends Tuesday with an awards ceremony where the list of this year’s top 50 re

FoodMarch 25, 2024

How once-beloved actress Kim Sae-ron fell from grace

“We have no idea what Ms. Kim Sae-ron’s intent is with this action," actor Kim Soo-hyun's agency Gold Medalist said as it denied dating rumors between the two Kims. The rumor was sparked early Sunday when the 23-year-old actress revealed on Instagram a photo of her and Kim Soo-hyun, which the agency explained had been taken years before when the two had the same agency. Kim Sae-ron has yet to explain why she posted the photo on social media before the crack of dawn, or why

PeopleMarch 25, 2024

[Exclusive] April 16 event in Boston to mark Goryeo relics’ repatriation

A repatriation ceremony will take place on April 16 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston after which two Korean Buddhist monks will bring back to Korea long-sought 14th-century Buddhist religious relics. The arrangement is the latest development following an agreement last month between the museum and the Korean representatives from the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, once the owner of the relics, and the Cultural Heritage Administration, the government agency handling the matter. “The cerem

CultureMarch 25, 2024

Japanese the largest group of inbound travelers to Busan in 2023

While the number of overseas travelers to Busan rebounded to 67.7 percent of pre-pandemic levels last year, Japanese visitors topped the number of inbound travelers to Busan in 2023. A total of 344,537 Japanese tourists visited South Korea's second-largest city, accounting for almost 53 percent of total inbound travelers -- 1,820,057 -- to the city, according to data compiled by the city government and Busan Tourism Organization. On Sunday the city announced that Taiwanese and American trav

TravelMarch 25, 2024

More reality shows exploring divorce are on their way

South Korean broadcasters are rolling out new shows about divorce among real-life couples following a wave of successful reality shows that previously explored the same theme. The Maeil Broadcasting Network said it has decided to regularly broadcast "Decision to Divorce" starting in April following the show's successful pilot season of five episodes that aired from January to February. "Decision to Divorce" features couples going through difficult times in their marri

TelevisionMarch 25, 2024

Korean pop culture icons spotlighted at ComplexCon’s Asia debut

HONG KONG -- ComplexCon, an event that showcases urban culture, music and art, made its Asian debut in Hong Kong this weekend, showcasing an array of Asian pop personalities, including K-pop group BlackPink, singer Jay Park and Korean gamer Faker. In a collaboration between Blackpink and TM/KK, referring to Takashi Murakami, a Japanese contemporary artist, and Kaikai Kiki, Murakami's art production and management company, Blackpink-TM/KK-branded items such as light sticks were featured at

CultureMarch 24, 2024

Ian Cheng's thought-provoking AI-based art on show at Gladstone Gallery

American artist Ian Cheng has returned to Seoul with his recent simulation work, “Thousand Lives,” at Gladstone Gallery, two years after his first solo museum exhibition at the Leeum Museum of Art, where he showcased the integration of art and artificial intelligence. Upon entering the gallery, visitors encounter what appears to be a video game screen showing a turtle named “Thousand” wandering around a messy room. As visitors move closer to the screen and lean down, the

Arts & DesignMarch 24, 2024

[Music in drama] A silver lining in a tale of vengeance

Even in the darkest and the most brutal stories, there is often a silver lining. In a drama full of hatred and malice, soft melodies playing in the background show that there is still some good in the world. "The Glory," one of the most successful K-drama series of 2023, depicts the meticulous journey of a woman as she exacts revenge on the gang members who tormented her at school. Moon Dong-eun, who was subjected to all kinds of violence imaginable, including physical torture, sexual

TelevisionMarch 24, 2024

Late cold snap leaves blossom festivals without blooms

One of South Korea’s iconic cherry blossom festivals, opened Saturday in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, but the cherry blossoms were still days away from coming into full bloom. According to a Changwon City official, the city moved up the opening date for its cherry blossom festival, Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, believing the mild winter might cause flowers to bloom early. But, the lack of sunny days and a cold snap in early March deterred the cherry blossoms from flowering. The town&#

TravelMarch 24, 2024

'Exhuma' first movie this year to attract 10m moviegoers

Occult flick "Exhuma" on Sunday became the first movie to surpass 10 million in ticket sales this year, having reached the milestone on its 32nd day in theaters, according to Showbox, the film's distributor. The movie is the first to exceed the 10 million mark in ticket sales since "12.12: The Day," a historical drama about a military coup in 1979, which achieved the milestone on Dec. 24 last year. Since its premiere in theaters on Feb. 22, "Exhuma" has remaine

FilmMarch 24, 2024

Agency denies Kim Sae-ron, Kim Soo-hyun dating rumours

Rumors that South Korean actors Kim Sae-ron and Kim Soo-hyun are dating, which began circulating following a post uploaded on the former's social media account, are untrue, said the agency representing Kim Soo-hyun, Sunday. "The current rumors of Kim Soo-hyun's romantic involvement (with Kim Sae-ron) are groundless. The photos circulating online seem to have been taken during the time Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Sae-ron were signed with the same agency in the past, and the intention behi

TelevisionMarch 24, 2024