Kim Yun-jin to star in US play penned by Korean playwright

Kim Yun-jin will foray onto the stage in the US with the play “Wild Goose Dreams.” 　“There is not only the one-dimensional everyday of Korean society but a deep reflection on everyday people and their love stories,” said Kim about the upcoming play.　“There’s a theme that the American audience can relate to as well. That’s what I like about it. I chose it right away,” she said.　The play is set in Seoul and centers on Yoo Nan-hee, a woman who has defected from North Korea. Through an online dating

July 21, 2017

[Photo] Boryeong mud fest around the corner

An annual international mud festival will open in the South Korean city of Boryeong on Friday under the slogan of "Let's Go to Boryeong and Play with Mud!," an official on the event's organizing committee said Wednesday."The 2017 Boryeong Mud Festival will open for a 10-day run at Daecheon Beach in the namesake city, 190km south of Seoul, on Friday," the official said. (Yonhap)Launched in 1998, the festival has developed into a top international summer event with its mud flats attracting many to

July 20, 2017

Queer film festival addresses pressing issues of Korea’s LGBT community

On Thursday afternoon, the 17th Korea Queer Film Festival kicks off, the latest event in a monthlong program organized as part of the Korea Queer Culture Festival.Saturday’s gay pride parade proved a massive success, drawing a record 85,000 people to Seoul Plaza. The turnout apparently shows Korea becoming more understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, and the organizers hope to build on that.From left to right: Holic and Ha-re stand outside the Korea Herald building

July 19, 2017

Madonna asks court to block love letter auction

Madonna asked a judge Tuesday to block an auction of memorabilia including a breakup letter from rapper Tupac Shakur, saying the intimate items were stolen by her former friend.The pop superstar filed a motion with a New York court a day before auction house Gotta Have Rock and Roll was set to start taking bids for more than 100 items, with Tupac's letter expected to fetch as much as $400,000. In this July 11, 2017 file photo, Madonna, left, sits with her adopted children David, Stella and Mercy

July 19, 2017

Everland amusement park remains top tourist attraction for locals, foreigners

Everland Resort, an amusement facility equipped with a water park and a zoo, was the No. 1 destination for local and foreign visitors last year, South Korea's tourism agency said Wednesday.According to the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, 6.96 million people visited the amusement park in Yongin, just south of Seoul, in 2016. It marks the second year in a row that Everland took the top ranking, although the number of visitors was down 6.2 percent. October was the most popular month for the pa

July 19, 2017

[Herald Review] Minor touch-ups, familiar formula make for major fun in 'Cats'

If you happen to walk around central Seoul late in the evening and come across seemingly-possessed chants of “Jellicles do and Jellicles can,” keep calm and carry on because the odds are that there are some people who had just caught the feline fever from the ever-infectious “Cats.” A scene from “Cats” (Clip Service)One of the most beloved foreign-based musicals in the country opened last Tuesday at Haeoreum Theater of the National Theater of Korea to kick off the musical’s Asia tour for this ye

July 16, 2017

[Video] Ongals pave way for new type of comedy

The beauty of the Ongals’ performance is in not understanding a single word they say. “Four rather large grown men are dressed like a baby and babble like them. With kids, we have to watch closely to see if they are hungry or sick. Likewise, the audience tends to focus more to see what we’re up to when we’re performing,” said Cho Jun-woo, the leader of Korean comedy performance team Ongals.Ongals -- named after Korean word “Ongali” meaning babbling -- resemble rosy-cheeked infants in colorful cl

July 14, 2017

[Weekender] Anglers go mobile for fishing

Mobile apps are expanding into fishing. More Korean hobbyists are using smartphone apps to minimize trouble and maximize fun while out angling. Not only do the apps make access to information easier, they also allow anglers to carry less in their bags and do more. App users can make reservations at fishing pedestals, find where to fish, remotely check the fishing conditions in real time and even digitally measure their catches and put them online to compete with other anglers.For a hobby convent

July 14, 2017

[Weekender] Fishing cafes hook young Koreans

With a growing number of Koreans in their 20s and 30s seeking alternative places to spend time together indoor fishing holes, known as “fishing cafes,” are gowing in popularity. A 22-year-old student surnamed Kim is one of those looking for a new way of passing time. Tired of the same old movies, restaurants and cafes, she chose a fishing cafe as a new place to entertain herself. Around 50 fishing cafes are located at university areas in Seoul, allowing the young to delve into a new source of en

July 14, 2017

[Weekender] Fishing widening its net in Korea

South Koreans have diversified their leisure activities in the years since the five-day workweek system was introduced in 2004. The increased leisure time is fueling the growth of various industries, and fishing is one of the key beneficiaries. Fishing was usually associated with Korean men, who dreamed of owning a framed photo of themselves holding a big catch. Indeed, fishing had been regarded as a conventional pastime among retirees and a narrow group of devotees, most of whom were men.The si

July 14, 2017

[Weekender] Online comunities help Koreans go fishing

South Koreans have long enjoyed fishing as a hobby. But the public notion about the pastime is that it’s for the elderly or those who have a lot of free time. Things are changing, though, as a growing number of online fishing communities are catering to Koreans in their 20s and 30s -- a group willing to go for a new hobby to relieve their stress. FMC members enjoy fishing at Gimpo fishery (Kang Pan-soo/FMC)Lee Ji-ah is a case in point. “I used to be easily swayed by unwanted thoughts before I st

July 14, 2017

Bucheon film fest kicks off with big lineup of Korean works

The 21st Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival kicked off Thursday with a lineup that reflects its location and status as South Korea's largest genre film festival.Of the 289 feature and short films being screened from July 13 to 23, 109 come from South Korea, underscoring the festival's vital role as a platform for the local film industry. The number of South Korea titles was up greatly from 65 last year, while the size of the entire lineup remained almost unchanged from previous years.

July 13, 2017

Seoulites enjoy Understand Avenue: Seoul Forest’s new hot spot

Understand Avenue, a new eye-catching shipping container complex, is attracting locals and tourists alike to Seongdong in eastern Seoul. Reminiscent of Konkuk University’s Common Ground, South Korea’s first and the world’s largest shipping container shopping mall Understand Avenue is made of 116 recycled containers and has more than just shops and restaurants. The complex serves as a creative public cultural space that aims to support teenagers, mothers, artists, local vendors and social entrepr

July 12, 2017

25,000 fill Gocheok Dome to attend Gracias concert

The 2017 Gracias Special Concert, a cultural festival, opened at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul at 7 p.m., Sunday, with a record 25,000 people in attendance.Attendees included ambassadors, youth ministers, university presidents from 40 nations across the globe and 3,000 domestic and foreign youths.The concert, presented by the International Youth Fellowship in celebration of the 2017 World Culture Camp, took place as a free performance for the people of Seoul and comprised various programs such a

July 11, 2017

Technology brings art closer to life

A wall-sized version of a Joseon-era painting welcomes those setting foot in the Google pop-up museum at the National Museum of Korea. But the painting has been magnified in unusually high definition, capturing details too minute for the human eye to capture.Take a few more steps and you will come across “a museum view” of world landmarks -- a virtual reality viewer that creates an illusion of the user being in other places.  Children use VR technology in a hands-on program at Google pop-up muse

July 11, 2017

[Seoul Saunter] Dongdaemun, where old books and new ideas coexist

Seoul is a vibrant megalopolis with modern high-rises crowding the city’s major arteries. Nestled among the gleaming buildings are maze-like alleys that appear to have escaped the passage of time. The Korea Herald explores the many nooks and crannies of Seoul, proclaimed the capital of Joseon in 1392, that reveal a multifaceted city. - Ed. The Dongdaemun district in northern central Seoul is a bustling area where two very different types of commerce exist. 　 The used bookstore street lines Cheon

July 10, 2017

IYF World Minister of Youth Forum held to enhance deep-thinking among youth

The seventh World Minister of Youth Forum, hosted by the International Youth Fellowship and sponsored by Busan Metropolitan City and Korea Tourism Organization, was held on Thursday at the Nurimaru APEC House in Busan.Many domestic and overseas figures, including former Prime Minister Lee Su-seong and over 20 education and youth ministers and vice-ministers from 21 countries such as Paraguay, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, and Fiji, participated to seek out various measures to enhance deep-thinking among

July 9, 2017

Korea, Iran commemorate 1,300 years of cultural exchange

South Korea kicked off a weeklong event in Tehran on Monday, promoting Korea’s traditional culture, in commemoration of the two countries’ millenniumlong relationship built along the Silk Road.This year has been the designated the year of South Korea-Iran cultural exchange, to mark the 55th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. However, cultural exchanges between Seoul and Tehran go back much farther, back to the time of the Silla Kingdom and the Persian Empire.  National Orc

July 4, 2017

2017 IYF World Culture Camp kicks off

The opening ceremony of the 2017 World Culture Camp -- held with 4,000 domestic and foreign youths and public figures -- was held Sunday at a special stage on Haeundae beach in Busan.About 40,000 people attended the ceremony for the event, which marks its 20th anniversary and will be from July 2-13. The annual event is hosted each July by the International Youth Fellowship.  The opening ceremony for the 2017 World Culture Camp is held in Busan on Sunday. (IYF)Busan Mayor Seo Byeong-su and other

July 3, 2017

Thinking about life through death

Journeying through life, people constantly ponder over life and death, how they can find meaning in life and how to be at peace when it all comes to an end.US photographer Andrew George challenges people to ask themselves such questions about life by capturing the faces of 20 men and women on their deathbeds for his photo exhibition “Right, Before I Die.”“People misunderstand the project and think it’s about death. In truth, it’s really about life,” he said, during the exhibition’s opening cerem

July 2, 2017