[Herald Review] ‘The Sherlock’ combines magic and musical theater

Famed local magician Choi Hyun-woo is presenting his latest stage production, “The Sherlock: Gravity 503,” a magic show with a live musical flair and a dash of unscripted comedy. Choi, 37, was the first Asian winner of the Originality Award at the International Federation of Magic Societies’ 2009 World Championship of Magic -- the world’s largest magic competition -- and was also selected as the youngest judge at the federation’s 2012 championships. Choi first launched his series of live magic p

PerformanceDec. 7, 2015

Korea, Japan seek to register records of Joseon goodwill missions on UNESCO list

South Korea and Japan plan to submit a joint application to register about 200-300 documents recording the “Joseon Tongsinsa” from 1607-1811 on the UNESCO Memory of the World list by March next year, the Busan Cultural Foundation said Monday. The updated documentary heritage list will be finalized by July or August 2017. A reenactment of Joseon Tongsinsa at a festival in Busan (Korea Tourism Organization)Joseon Tongsinsa refers to the series of diplomatic goodwill missions that the Joseon era (1

CultureDec. 7, 2015

Lang Lang to tackle Tchaikovsky, Bach and Chopin in Seoul recital

Pianist Lang Lang (Mast Media)Following his concert in Busan on Sunday night, world-renowned pianist Lang Lang is gearing up for his Korea tour’s final performance with a solo recital at the Seoul Arts Center on Tuesday night. Lang Lang’s performances this month mark the pianist’s first solo concert in the country in five years. The pianist is slated to play Tchaikovsky’s “The Seasons,” Bach’s Italian concerto “BWV 971” and Chopin’s “4 Scherzos.” Lang Lang’s first taste of classical music stardo

PerformanceDec. 6, 2015

How pianist Kim Sun-wook recreated Beethoven’s sonatas

In recording his album of Beethoven sonatas, released last month, pianist Kim Sun-wook wanted to create a sound of “complexity,” he told reporters Friday.Nine years since he entered the international spotlight at the 2006 Leeds Competition as the youngest and first Asian winner, Kim, now 27, married and with a reputation as something of a Beethoven expert in Korea, has grown more mature and confident in his music.“In your late 20s, your tastes and opinions become more certain. I’m still working

PerformanceDec. 6, 2015

Independent and art-house films opening this week

This week, small Korean indie films are trying to get a head start at the box office before blockbuster-scale films like “The Himalayas” and “The Tiger” hit the screens. Three films -- a documentary, psychopath thriller and youth drama -- will each try to attract niche audience members when they open simultaneously on Dec. 10.  The Korea Herald offers a brief guide for those looking for something a little different on the silver screen.The Anxious Day OutDocumentary. Directed by Kim Cheol-min　“T

FilmDec. 6, 2015

Grotesque exposure of human condition

A figure, half-woman, half-bird, sits helplessly as if she has failed at several attempts to fly. She lacks feathers, except for the colorful few on her back.Artist Sohn Jung-hee stands behind the “Debutantes: 7 Sins” series displayed at Hakgojae Gallery in Seoul, Dec. 4.　(Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald)For artist Sohn Jung-hee, the ceramic sculpture “Siren” embodies the conflict between the public and the private selves of modern people.  “It can describe an office worker, or someone like me, w

CultureDec. 6, 2015

[Eye] Being a responsible man

Men in uniform were the objects of pure admiration for Kang Sin-myeong, South Korea’s police chief, who now commands more than 140,000 police forces across the country. Recalling his childhood when money, not his grades, was an issue for him to enter prestigious universities in the capital city of Seoul, Kang said he may have been destined to become an officer. He was offered to study at the Korean National Police University, an elite school established to nurture young police officers with four

PeopleDec. 4, 2015

Daegu jorim (braised cod fish)

Braised fish is very popular in Korean cuisine. It’s made with just about any fish. I used cod fish in this recipe. Cod is a white fish that has silky texture and sweet, delicate flavor. Typically, chunks of white radish, onion, and chili peppers are also added. Boil the sauce with the radish and aromatic vegetables until the radish turns soft. Then, add the fish to the thickened sauce that is full of flavors. It’s the perfect sweet and savory combination, with just enough heat from gochujang an

FoodDec. 4, 2015

[Around the Hotels] Grand Hyatt Incheon introduces year-end signature dishes

Grand Hyatt Incheon introduces year-end signature dishes　Restaurant 8, located on the first floor of the East Tower of Grand Hyatt Incheon, has launched the “Signature Menu of the Year” until Dec. 31.  　The course includes five dishes from around the world which were the most popular from Restaurant 8’s “Journey” promotion, which took place throughout the year.　The main dish is the black chicken soup, originally presented during the summer, to give guests strength in the freezing winter. Strawbe

FoodDec. 4, 2015

[Travel Bits] Korea to see increase in cruise tour

　Jecheon, Muju, Tongyeong -- 2016 travel destinations　Korea has chosen Jecheon City in North Chungcheong Province, Muju County in North Jeolla Province and Tongyeong City in South Gyeongsang Province as the country’s main travel destinations in 2016.　The Korea Tourism Organization said that it will work with the two cities and the county to develop and promote tourism programs for local and overseas tourists.　The move is in line with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s efforts to boost

TravelDec. 4, 2015

Weekend Box Office Guide: Dec. 5-6

Here's our weekly update on what films to catch at the theaters this weekend.Love Guide for Dumpees (Korea)Opened Dec. 3Romantic comedy. Directed by Ha Ki-ho　Jeong-hun (Yoon Kye-sang) pretends to be cool as he goes to his ex-girlfriend’s wedding, but it doesn’t last long. He ends up getting drunk and taking a girl (Han Ye-ri) home, who turns out to be the ex-girlfriend of the groom. They reach an agreement to console each other’s heartbreak as “friends with benefits,” but they end up developing

FilmDec. 4, 2015

Roy Kim lays down guitar for 3rd album

Singer-songwriter Roy Kim is going without his trademark guitar for his third studio-length album “The Great Dipper.”“I didn’t put down (the guitar) on purpose,” Kim said at a press showcase held at the Hyundai Card Understage in Seoul on Thursday. “After my second album, I was arranging my new songs and realized that many of them sounded better with piano rather than guitar.”“I also have been receiving positive responses to the ballads I’ve been singing on drama soundtracks, so I decided to try

PerformanceDec. 4, 2015

[Herald Interview] Yoon Kye-sang on playing the ordinary man

As a member of the sensationally popular band g.o.d, whose success peaked in the early 2000s, Yoon Kye-sang seems anything but ordinary. Yet somehow, ordinary is what many say he does best in his acting, which started after leaving the idol group in 2004.“It’s because of my ordinary looks, and my ordinary body,” Yoon said at a group interview at a Seoul cafe on Tuesday. Yoon is good-looking, but in the scruffy boy-next-door way that lends him authenticity when he plays unglamorous but likeable r

FilmDec. 3, 2015

Design fuses with technology for product innovation

Alongside advancements in technology, modern design is expanding in its scope and boundaries while evolving to meet consumer needs and lifestyles.　As the fusion of technology and design has given way to innovative products, Herald Corp. is showcasing five tech-savvy creations by Korean start-ups at the Herald Design Tech booth at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul until Sunday.Visitors to the Herald Design Tech booth inside DDP in Seoul learn about Spiki, a plastic recording device resembling a Po

Arts & DesignDec. 3, 2015

[Herald Review] Shed tears, be enthralled by ‘Les Miserables’

Let others rise. To take our place. Until the Earth is free -- hear the words of one of the longest running productions in musical history, Les Miserables, which has found its way back onto the local stage.  The Korean-language production made its premiere in 2012 and sparked a craze that led to more than 40 million viewers flocking to the theater to experience the musical that won four awards at the 19th annual Korean Musical Awards in 2013. A scene from the Korean reproduction of the musical “

PerformanceDec. 3, 2015

Creative, eye-catching goods available at Seoul Design Market

A silicon lamp resembling traditional Korean pottery, a ceramic pot designed to naturally amplify the sound of a smartphone inserted next to the plant and “bandoms” -- rubber bands shaped and packaged like, you guessed it, condoms.　These are some of the creative items and crafts produced by young, independent designers on display at the second annual Seoul Design Market, which is being held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul until Sunday.Visitors look at products at Seoul Design Market in Dongd

Arts & DesignDec. 3, 2015

A different look at Korea’s economic miracle

The Spirit of Korean Development by Sang-young Rhyu(Yonsei University Press)　There has been much debate surrounding the analysis of the economic success and political transformation of South Korea. However, the interest of this book does not lie in the tangible factors behind its development. What is puzzling to non-Koreans is the intangible factors that enabled tangible factors to work together and thereby enable development. In other words, this book offers an explanation for Korea’s miraculou

BooksDec. 3, 2015

OCA photo book receives printing award

Kim Min-jae is a veteran sports photographer who has covered many international sporting events, including the Asian Games and Olympic Games, for more than 30 years.  Photographer Kim Min-jae (Courtesy of Kim Min-jae)The experience has led him to settle in Kuwait at the invitation of Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, president of the Olympic Council of Asia and the Association of National Olympic Committees. Kim, who started his career with the South Korean Ministry of Sports in the 1980s, now wor

BooksDec. 3, 2015

[Herald Interview] Korean-Canadian director readies for Korean debut

“In Her Place,” the sophomore feature-length presentation by Korean-Canadian director Albert Shin, has been making its way through the international film festival circuit after premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival last year. Along the way, it has picked up awards at the Montreal Festival du Nouveau Cinema, the Taipei Film Festival and the Abu Dhabi Film Festival. Ironically, the one place that Shin, 31, had not been to show the movie was where it was filmed: Korea.He finally got

FilmDec. 3, 2015

Korean tug-of-war game added to UNESCO list

A traditional Korean tug-of-war folk game had its name added to UNESCO’s intangible heritage list Wednesday, jointly with three other Asian countries with similar traditions. Tugging rituals and games, proposed by South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines, gained status as UNESCO-recognized traditions of humanity during the 10th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage held in Windhoek, the capital of southwest African country Namibia. 

CultureDec. 2, 2015