'The Owl’ adds imagination to Crown Prince Sohyeon’s suspicious death

The upcoming mystery thriller “The Owl” added imagination to a record in the Annals of Joseon Dynasty about Crown Prince Sohyeon’s suspicious death. “Our film started from day blindness. I started with the idea of a protagonist with day blindness getting to witness something,” director An Tae-jin said during a press conference held at CGV Yongsan on Thursday. Day blindness is an inability to see as distinctly in bright light as in dim light. As the director develo

Nov. 11, 2022

11 maestros to fill Seoul Philharmonic's 2023 season before new artistic director joins in 2024

In 2023, a year without an artistic director, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will offer a season with a series of programs with 11 guest conductors including outgoing and incoming artistic directors. Osmo Vanska, whose term is ending this year, will continue the ‘Sibelius Cycle,’ a project to perform all of the Finish composer’s symphonies,’ until March next year, as a guest conductor. He began the project in April this year and will open SPO's next season with Sibeliu

Nov. 11, 2022

[Well-curated] Search for alien life, imagine your ideal home and get ready to be surprised by vegan fare

Alien Festival at Miryang Arirang Observatory Have you ever wondered about alien species and extraterrestrial beings? A space-themed “Alien Festival” delving into scientific experiments and extraterrestrial mysteries will kick off this weekend at Miryang Arirang Observatory located in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province. The two-day festival is packed with family-friendly games and programs which will stimulate imagination and curiosity. Inside the observatory, the entire second floor

Nov. 11, 2022

NMK explores AR museum-viewing with Naver Labs

To round out the year, the National Museum of Korea is set to host a digital museum experience event that uses augmented reality, in conjunction with Naver Lab. Titled "Exploration," the event will be held Nov. 14 to Nov. 25 and Dec. 5 to Dec. 16. Using a mobile device distributed to visitors at the entrance, guests can experience different historical-themed routes within the museum for 50 minutes. Each visitor can choose a historical period or focus on a specific type of relic. The NM

Nov. 11, 2022

[Eye Interview] Korean American director on why he followed five US politicians of Korean descent

On Thursday morning, Korean news outlets reported that New Jersey Rep. Andy Kim had just become the second Korean American to win a third term in the US House of Representatives. Along with Kim, US Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland, who is of Korean descent, won her reelection bid as the representative of Washington state's 10th District in the US midterm elections. Korean American politicians Young Kim and Michelle Steel, both of California, were in the lead and likely to secure their sea

Nov. 10, 2022

Seoul Independent Film Festival to kick off in December

The Seoul Independent Film Festival will be held from Dec. 1 to Dec. 9 at CGV Art House Apgujeong in Seoul, its organizer announced on Wednesday. “This year is our 48th festival. The Seoul Independent Film Festival has a history of providing an opportunity for audiences to meet with young directors, actors and different creators. I hope that (the audiences) are excited about it,” the festival’s director Kim Dong-hyun said at the beginning of a press conference held at the Chu

Nov. 10, 2022

‘Ditto’ presents new image of first love

Instead of the pure and innocent-looking girl with long black hair that is often featured in Korean mainstream media as a first love icon, romance film “Ditto” features a different character. The new image of first love is shown by featuring the story of an amateur first crush of university student Yong, portrayed by former child actor Yeo Jin-goo, 25, alongside Kim Hye-yoon. “Before we started shooting, I also thought of a typical image of someone’s first love -- a pur

Nov. 9, 2022

Russian pianist Elisso Virsaladze to perform Mozart and Chopin in Seoul

Elisso Virsaladze, an 80-year-old Russian pianist, is set to bring her favorite Mozart and Chopin pieces to Seoul later this month, according to Kumho Art Hall on Wednesday. On Nov. 24, she will perform Mozart’s Fantasia for Piano in C minor, K. 396, 9 Variations on “Lison dormait” for Piano in C Major, K. 264 and Rondo for Piano No. 3 in A minor, K.511 as well as Chopin’s Waltz for Piano in A minor, B. 150, Op.posth. After the intermission, she will return with Mozart&rs

Nov. 9, 2022

Gucci to fund Gyeongbokgung’s conservation projects for three years

Italian luxury brand Gucci has announced a three-year commitment to supporting the conservation and restoration of the Gyeongbokgung Palace. Gucci President and CEO Marco Bizzarri and Cultural Heritage Administration Administrator Choi Eung-chon signed an agreement Nov. 1 on cooperating on future improvement projects of multiple sites within Gyeongbokgung, said Gucci Korea in a press release issued by its PR agency. "Beauty is a constant source of inspiration for Gucci, but it also needs co

Nov. 9, 2022

Pianist Sohn Min-soo to join New England Conservatory

Sohn Min-soo, a professor and pianist, will join his alma mater, the New England Conservatory, as part of its piano faculty starting in fall 2023, the Boston-based music school announced last week. That means he will leave his current post at Korea National University of Arts, known as K-Arts, where the 45-year-old has been teaching pupils since March 2015. One of his students, Lim Yun-chan, at K-Arts became the youngest winner in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition’s history i

Nov. 9, 2022

CHA seeks to lower barriers on heritage location development

Developers may soon find obtaining permission to build in historic and cultural conservation areas easier, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration. At the government’s second regulatory reform strategy meeting held Wednesday, the CHA laid out plans to relax regulations concerning developments in areas designated for conservation and give greater authority to local governments in making decisions. Among the measures aimed at improving cultural heritage regulations are relaxing reg

Nov. 9, 2022

Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick recieves archiepiscopal pallium

A ceremony of investiture of a metropolitan archbishop with the pallium, a symbol of a special relationship with the pope, took place on Monday for the first time in South Korea. Peter Chung Soon-taick, the Archbishop of Seoul, received the archiepiscopal pallium from Apostolic Nuncio to South Korea Alfred Xuereb during a mass at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul. The pallium is a symbol of the metropolitan archbishop’s jurisdiction in his own diocese and in the other dioceses of his ecclesi

Nov. 8, 2022

Traditional sounds to fill autumn in Jeonju

A series of traditional Korean music performances will take place every Saturday until Nov. 26 at the National Intangible Heritage Center's Grand Performance Stage in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. Titled "Myeongin Homage," the performance series is being held to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the master musicians who dedicated their lives to Korean traditional sounds. Each master's successor will perform some of the best known pieces, while talks between performances w

Nov. 8, 2022

16-year-old cellist Han Jae-min takes first prize from Isang Yun Competition

Han Jae-min, a 16-year-old cellist, took home first prize from the International Isang Yun Competition on Saturday at the Tongyeong Concert Hall, South Gyeongsang Province. Earlier last week, the four finalists, including three South Korean cellists -- Han Jae-min, Joeng Woo-chan, Kim Deok-yong -- and Florian Pons from France, were announced. The finalists were required to perform one concerto with the Tongyeong Festival Orchestra led by Venezuelan conductor Christian Vasquez. Han performed Is

Nov. 6, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Andaz Seoul Gangnam holds happy hour promotion Andaz Seoul Gangnam's restaurant Jogakbo presents the "Aperitivo Paradisio - Happy Hour," which offers Mediterranean-style cuisine, along with its signature bar snacks and liquor services. The happy hour operates Monday to Friday, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Complimentary snacks include the parma ham or salmon rillettes bruschetta, while Mediterranean hummus will be served with crispy cooked squid, teppan chicken flat bread, and truffle fr

Nov. 5, 2022

Red bean dishes to soothe the soul

Autumn is in full swing, with chilly mornings and evenings, prompting people to seek nourishing food that rejuvenates and warms the body in preparation for the fast-approaching winter season. Red beans, or pat in Korean, are a popular ingredient that Koreans think of when picturing warm comfort staples. On Dongji, the day with the shortest daylight hours, Koreans traditionally eat patjuk, or red beans porridge. According to Korean folklore, the long night on Dongji awakens evil spirits and the r

Nov. 5, 2022

[Eye Plus] Splendid Dancheong, the beauty of Korean art

In the old days, Koreans were known for revering the color white. They enjoyed wearing white clothes that they thought symbolize peace. But when it came to paintings and crafts, they were all for variety. Cho Sun-hwa, a student of traditional art, is mesmerized by the use of bright, bold colors and patterns found on traditional artifacts. She sees unique beauty in Dancheong -- the traditional Korean decorative coloring on wooden buildings and artifacts for the purpose of style. A fourth-year stu

Nov. 5, 2022

[Herald Interview] Singapore's Grand Park City Hall manager foresees more automation in hotel operations

Grand Park City Hall, the flagship property of Park Hotel Group located at the heart of Singapore just a few minutes from the Central Business District, opened in 2018 after a full renovation. The hotel was one of the first hotels in Singapore to launch a mobile application that offers a seamless check-in process using facial recognition before the pandemic hit. "Travel and tourism was one of the worst-hit industries, and we are still recovering from the effects even though borders have reo

Nov. 5, 2022

'Music can also help us mourn'

Following the deadly crowd crush that occurred during Halloween celebrations, President Yoon Suk-yeol announced a weeklong national mourning period through Saturday. In response, concerts, festivals and various events have been canceled, while sports events took place as scheduled, albeit in a somewhat subdued manner. Some Korean musicians have offered a reason for why music -- especially pop music -- is halted in times of grief and mourning. "In the eyes of state institutions, art must be

Nov. 3, 2022

What Itaewon means to foreigners

Itaewon has long been a neighborhood where people can experience and enjoy a variety of international cultures. International visitors and foreign residents could feel at home in the community, while many Koreans would visit in search of an international vibe. “I don’t feel homesick very often, but when I do, there is usually something I can feel comfort in there. In Itaewon, I am just one of hundreds of foreigners and no one will pay particular attention to me. So it feels a bit

Nov. 1, 2022