[Herald Interview] Malaysian TikToker bridges Korean culture, language for global audiences

Nura Ezzatie, a 32-year-old TikTok content creator from Malaysia, speaks fluent Korean even though she has never lived in Korea. Now others -- like the 189,300 followers of her TikTok channel @nuraezzatie -- can learn practical Korean skills from her videos. Ezzatie’s journey into the world of Korean language and culture started with her love for K-pop boy band Super Junior. “In 2010, I decided to learn Korean because I wanted to understand the variety shows that Super Junior was on.

June 10, 2024

[Herald Review] Lim Yunchan electrifies with 'Pictures at an exhibition'

Kicking off his much-anticipated recital tour in South Korea, pianist Lim Yunchan on Friday dispersed any concerns about his change in repertoire only about six weeks ago. He was originally supposed to perform Chopin’s Etudes, from his debut album with Decca, along with Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words in E major, Op. 19-1, and Songs Without Words in D major, Op. 85-4, followed by Tchaikovsky's "The Seasons," Op. 37b. With the release of the album in April, many of h

June 9, 2024

Korea Heritage Agency to adopt AI chatbot

The Korea Heritage Agency will start integrating artificial intelligence to streamline its internal work process through a chatbot service, it said Sunday. The change comes after the agency, which helps the Korea Heritage Service with heritage management, became the recipient of government funding of up to 200 million won ($145,000) this year. The agency said the fund will be used to streamline the way information is accessed. “Chatbots will boost our productivity and they can be utilized

June 9, 2024

Seventeen becomes highest-ranked K-pop artist on Billboard Japan’s Mid-Year Chart

Popular K-pop boy band Seventeen of Pledis Entertainment became the highest-ranked K-pop artist on Billboard Japan Hot Albums Mid-Year Chart 2024 announced on Thursday. According to Billboard Japan, the boy band’s hit album, “17 is Right Here,” released on April 29, came in at No. 2 on the Hot Albums chart, which ranks top albums by the artist’s physical record sales and downloads combined. It is the highest ranking achieved by a K-pop artist. Seventeen also ranked No.

June 7, 2024

Soprano Sumi Jo demonstrates fusion of art, technology at Innovate Korea

DAEJEON -- At Innovate Korea 2024 on Wednesday, jointly hosted by Herald Media Group, Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) and the National Research Council of Science and Technology, celebrated soprano Sumi Jo sang “Dome Epais (The Flower Song),” a duet song from Leo Delibes’ opera Lakme. Her duet partner was an artificial intelligence-generated voice modeled on her own voice. As Jo performed “Lascia ch'io pianga,” AI technology analyze

June 7, 2024

G-Dragon to pioneer AI, metaverse integration in K-pop

DAEJEON -- Singer G-Dragon, best known as a member of Big Bang and an icon of K-pop, explained how he looks to pioneering the new field of "Enter-Tech" -- combining entertainment and technology -- as he prepares for the future of K-pop with artificial intelligence, at a forum on the campus of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. Speaking at Innovate Korea, jointly hosted by Herald Media Group, KAIST and the National Research Council of Science & Technology, Wedne

June 7, 2024

Webtoons from Korean distributors dominate Best Webcomic nominees at Eisner Awards

Webtoons published by Korean webtoon distributors dominated the Best Webcomic category nominees at this year's Eisner Awards, which are considered the equivalent of the Academy Awards for the comic industry. Eisner Awards annually recognizes outstanding cartoon works in 32 categories at Comic-Con International in San Diego, California. The awards ceremony is regarded one of the most prestigious for comic books in North America. Amid a surge in popularity for webtoons, this year, four out

June 7, 2024

Faker makes history again with Hall of Legends induction

South Korean esports legend Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, an undisputed superstar in the world of competitive gaming, etched his name as the first-ever inductee to the Hall of Legends at The Shilla Seoul in Jung-gu, central Seoul, Thursday. “With his mastery of League of Legends, Faker inspired millions of esports fans across the globe and brought numerous contributions to the sport. We sincerely congratulate Faker for this stunning achievement and hope for great performances in the

June 7, 2024

[Well-curated] Playful animated characters, street dance fest

Even in bustling Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Seoul, you can feel a peaceful rural sensibility if you find the right place. Follow narrow and winding alleys and you will find just such a mood at a tiny shop named Kohukku Market. Named "Kohukku," which means "happiness" in Japanese, the store sells character antiques and vintage items related to Japanese animation from the '80s and' 90s. This tiny, one-room shop is filled with a variety of items from dolls, key rings, vintage

June 7, 2024

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Grand Hyatt Seoul adds new design to outdoor pool Grand Hyatt Seoul, located in Yongsan, central Seoul, has opened its outdoor swimming pool featuring Bottega Veneta’s iconic foulard intreccio design until Sept. 22. The swimming pool, located at the hotel’s GL floor, is available to all guests. Holidaymakers can enjoy the scenic views of Namsan and quench their thirst with cool draft beer alongside snacks prepared by the hotel’s chefs. Reservations are available online via Gran

June 7, 2024

SM Founder Lee Soo-man might be returning to K-pop

K-pop mogul Lee Soo-man, the SM Entertainment founder who left the company last year, may be returning to the K-pop scene. Lee’s environmental, social and corporate governance management consulting company, Blooming Grace, filed a trademark application for A20 Entertainment on May 3, according to Korean Intellectual Property Office records. The trademark for A20 Entertainment falls under the category including businesses for entertainment, video game devices, advertising and more. The trad

June 6, 2024

G-Dragon appointed professor at KAIST

K-pop singer G-Dragon of Big Bang was named a visiting professor of the department of mechanical engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), on Wednesday. The singer‘s appointment is aimed at expanding the global competitiveness of Korean culture by incorporating the latest science and technology developed at KAIST into K-content, according to KAIST. “I am honored to be a visiting professor at KAIST, a school that produces many scientific geniuses

June 5, 2024

J-Hope of BTS wins first prize in military presentation contest

BTS member J-Hope, who is currently serving in the military, won the top prize in an Army presentation contest with his honest speech about his experience as a soldier. J-Hope, whose real name is Jung Ho-seok, participated in the competition held under the theme “2024 Strong Warrior, Army” at the War Memorial of Korea, Wednesday. About 170 soldiers and civilian workers attended the event that commemorates the month of patriots and veterans in Korea. J-Hope delivered a speech about

June 5, 2024

Is Middle East land of opportunity for K-pop?

K-pop powerhouses such as Hybe and SM Entertainment have recently shown increasing interest in the music market of the Middle East. Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk last week met with United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss possible cooperation in K-pop ventures, upon his request. SM Entertainment, led by its founder and former chief producer Lee Soo-man, got its feet in the door early, signing a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture to

June 4, 2024

AI restores lost music by King Sejong

The latest technology and ancient music came together at the "Reviving 600-year-old Korean Music with Artificial Intelligence" (direct translation) seminar Sunday, demonstrating how generative artificial intelligence can restore lost ancient music. According to the records, King Sejong (1397-1450) composed a large work of music, "Bongnaeui," which includes three scores: "Yeomillak," "Chihwapyeong" and "Chwipunghyeong." Among the three, "Yeom

June 4, 2024

Seoul Opera aims to expand reach with outdoor performances

Seoul Metropolitan Opera will present “Cavalleria Rusticana,” its second outdoor performance following last year’s successful “Carmen.” From June 11 to 12, the city opera company will stage the 80-minute opera by Italian composer Pietro Mascagni at Gwanghwamun Square, chosen for its short length and familiar music. "This will appeal to audiences who are not familiar with opera but (still) want to experience an opera. We hope this encourages people to see an ope

June 4, 2024

Inspection to add prehistoric carvings of Bangucheon to UNESCO list completed

UNESCO wrapped up a three-month review of the petroglyphs at Bangucheon, a stream in Ulsan, initiating the final step in deciding whether to list the prehistoric rock carvings as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to the Korea Heritage Service on Monday, an official with the International Council on Monuments and Sites, which advises UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, last week completed a five-day on-site inspection of the carvings, capping the monthslong review initiated by ICOMOS i

June 3, 2024

[Herald Interview] Met Orchestra to showcase its strength in first Korea tour

The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra is making its debut in South Korea this month. The resident orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, founded in 1883, the same year the Metropolitan Opera House opened, is s currently under the direction of Yannick Nezet-Seguin, who has been leading the orchestra as the music director since the 2018-19 season. Throughout its history, the orchestra has been led by renowned conductors such as Arturo Toscanini, Gustav Mahler, Bruno Walter and James Levine,

June 3, 2024

Applications open for CJ-Fulbright Music Award

CJ Cultural Foundation said Monday it is seeking applicants for its scholarship program titled the CJ-Fulbright Music Award, which aims to assist students in pursuing master's and doctoral degrees in popular music at US graduate schools. From Monday until July 7, South Korean citizens who hold a bachelor's degree or are on track to receive one by February 2025 can apply for CJ-Fulbright Music Award through the official website of the CJ Cultural Foundation. Applicants are also required

June 3, 2024

[Better Together] Where anyone who loves LG Twins is welcome

Kim Yong-ki, a passionate, 31-year-old LG Twins fan who has been heading to Jamsil Baseball Stadium -- the home turf for the Twins -- in Songpa-gu, southeastern Seoul, every baseball season since 2011, started watching baseball games with total strangers in 2023. He knew nothing about them, but that was not a problem as long as they were LG Twins fans. “‘LG Eopsineun Motsara’ -- meaning ‘No LG, no life’ in Korean -- is a live baseball game-watching crew whose member

June 1, 2024