Busan night festival to kick off Saturday

Next week is a big week for Busan. Not only will some of the biggest film stars grace the red carpet for the Busan International Film Festival, another glitzy festival -- "Busan Starry Night Festa" -- that is being held for the first time will light up the port city. Major tourist destinations across Busan will come alive with films, live performances and tasty refreshments, starting Saturday to Nov. 13, welcoming both domestic and foreign tourists to enjoy the fall evening out in th

Oct. 1, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul showcases Autumn Teppanyaki Selection Tamayura, the luxury Japanese dining destination at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul, greets autumn with an authentic set-course teppanyaki menu. The highlight of the epicurean eight-course dinner is the main dish of Korean Woorungchan hanwoo beef tenderloin, grilled to perfection on an iron hotplate. Autumn pine mushroom shabu-shabu showcases Tamayura’s signature plating, evoking Biwa, Japan’s biggest lake, offering a feast for th

Oct. 1, 2022

[Interactive] Iconic university festivals return after COVID-19 hiatus

Sept. 30, 2022

New SAC president vows to focus on 'pure art' like opera and ballet

The new president of the Seoul Arts Center on Thursday unveiled plans to focus on “pure art," such as opera and ballet, as the organization seeks to return to its original goals. Chang Hyoung-joon, who was appointed in June as the 17th president of South Korea’s top art complex by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, "The Opera Theater, which was built as an opera and ballet theater, will regain its original position by presenting pure art works centered on op

Sept. 29, 2022

[Herald Interview] ‘Hansik is ready for a world invasion’

Having starred in various food-related TV shows, Fabrizio Ferrari -- more widely known as either “Italy Fabri” or “Fabri Chef” -- continues to expand his range as a chef who promotes “hansik,” or Korean cuisine. Though hansik has yet to become well-known in his home country of Italy, the 43-year-old star chef believes that it’s a matter of time before people set their eyes on Korean gastronomy. “Ranging from the rich history to the unique techniq

Sept. 29, 2022

Seoul Street Arts Festival to fill streets with artistic imagination

The Seoul Street Arts Festival is scheduled to return to the streets of Seoul this weekend. The three-day festival will kick off on Friday around the areas of Seoul Plaza in front of Seoul City Hall, the Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway and Mugyo Road in Jung-gu, and Nodeul Island. A total of 30 different art troupes will perform at the annual festival, under the theme of “Distance Between Us,” aiming to narrow the distance between people with a festival filled with artistic imagination

Sept. 29, 2022

K-Music Festival in London to offer rich Korean flavor beyond K-pop

The 9th edition of K-Music Festival, hosted by the Korean Cultural Centre UK, is set to bring an experience beyond K-pop with a lineup of artists that use traditional Korean music to find new sounds during the eight-week event. K-Music 2022 will kick off Oct. 5 with a joint concert by Dal:um and ReMidas at the Barbican Centre in London. Dal:um, a musical duo featuring gayageum player Ha Su-yean and geomungo player Hwang Hye-young, made their London debut at the Purcell Room last year. This time,

Sept. 28, 2022

Seoul Gourmet Week presents 100 restaurants for epicures

The 2022 Seoul Gourmet Week is set to kick off Friday, aiming to introduce Seoul's unique and diverse culinary culture. During the seven-day period, 100 restaurants in the city selected by a team of 20 food experts, will be offering special menus and benefits. The complete list of participating restaurants is available on the Seoul Gourmet Week's official website, which includes brief introductions to each restaurant's signature dishes, including plant-based options. This weekend,

Sept. 28, 2022

National Gugak Center to unveils cantatas of 'Jongmyo Jeryeak,' 'Arirang'

The National Gugak Center, a state-supported organization that aims to foster Korean traditional music, is set to perform a set of cantatas featuring Korea’s "Jongmyo Jeryeak" and "Arirang." The concert, conducted by Lee Yong-tak, the artistic director of the Contemporary Gugak Orchestra, will present a harmonious sound created by 123 performers. The first part, which will run for 45 minutes, will premiere a new rearrangement of "Jongmyo Jeryeak" by Suwon Un

Sept. 27, 2022

[Herald Interview] Im Chang-jung on learning from "mistake of his life"

Actor Im Chang-jung's worst nightmare came true when he returned to the musical stage for the first time in 10 years: He forgot his lines. Im, who played the role of Daniel in the musical "Mrs. Doubtfire," called it the "mistake of his life" over and over again during an interview with reporters on Thursday. “I’d never made that kind of mistake in my life. Forgetting an entire line of a scene. I felt terribly sorry for the audience and still think about h

Sept. 26, 2022

Royal Culture Festival unveils drop-in events

The fall edition of the Royal Culture Festival, Oct. 1 to 9, has announced a list of programs that can be enjoyed on site without reservations. At Gyeongbokgung, from Oct. 4 to 7, a small-scale performance, "Stroll Around the Palace at Noon," will commence at 12 p.m. The show consists of a puppet play with a live gugak music performance. Traditional tea will be served to those in attendance. A library will be set up at Gyeongbokgung's Jibokjae, King Gojong’s private study th

Sept. 26, 2022

[Visual History of Korea] Changdeokgung, the Plan B palace for Joseon royals

When Joseon Kings needed a backup office, just in case their main palace was burned down by an angry mob. When it happened in 1592, Changdeokgung was there. It has been the backup palace for the past 600 years. Yi Bang-won, the fifth son of the founding father of Joseon, and the father of King Sejong the Great, built the Changdeokgung complex in 1405 because Gyeongbokgung, the main palace that was used as an administrative court, royal residential court and official audience court, was tainted b

Sept. 24, 2022

Korean street toast: Delightful bite on the go

Most travelers seek out popular restaurants while visiting a foreign country. But spontaneous ventures to street vendors can leave a lasting impression, if one finds the right place. From ordering food at crowded outdoor vendors to enjoying small talk with the staff before the menu is served, the unique cultural codes of the city are easily captured through the experience. Gilgeori toast, or Korean street toast, is one of the main street food menus for commuters who want to grab a quick breakfas

Sept. 24, 2022

[Scholars and Their Spaces] Die the death of hero: Korean spirit and K-wave

The hiring system of Goguryeo is called "sunbae," meaning a man of high character. It enabled people to become government officials regardless of their status or class. It was also the parent to the system of “Hwarang,” or warriors, in the Silla Kingdom. Hwarang cultivated morality with each other through communal life. They enjoyed singing and making music together while walking in the mountains and valleys, fully enjoying nature and training the body as well. It was also

Sept. 24, 2022

[Photo News] Jeju Haenyeo Festival

A group of haenyeo, female divers with age-old ocean harvesting skills, marches in a parade to celebrate the 15th Jeju Haenyeo Festival that kicked off on Saturday in Jeju Island. The two-day event has resumed after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandmic. (Yonhap)

Sept. 24, 2022

Miryang Arirang Festival marks 10th anniversary of 'Arirang' on UNESCO heritage list

Miryang Arirang Festival, the top cultural festival in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, kicked off on Thursday, making its return after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. The 64th edition of the festival marks the 10th anniversary of the enlisting of Korean folk song "Arirang" on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. There are several variations of "Arirang," usually prefixed by the place of origin. Under the theme “Connecting Miryang Arir

Sept. 23, 2022

[Well-curated] Give in to sweet cravings, sample regional dishes and work it all off in laser survival game

Paju doughnut shop for your fill of sweet treats With its vividly colored container-like building painted in pink and mint and decorated all around, eye-catching neon sign and giant ice cream cone sculpture by the entrance, the Malddong Donut in Paju Gyeonggi Province, is hard to miss. Located some 4-kilometers north of the Paju Book City complex, the store, which opened late last year, has customers waiting in line from the moment it opens at 8:30 a.m. Malddong Donut is a destination bakery, wh

Sept. 23, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Grand Hyatt Seoul's Paris Bar reopens The Paris Bar, a speakeasy bar located downstairs from the Grand Hyatt Seoul lobby, reopens Friday. The bar offers carefully selected French labels, ranging from a wide assortment of French wines and exceptional natural wines to a limited selection of whiskey and cognac. Alongside original French liquors, Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Brut, an exclusive Champagne only available at Hyatt properties in Korea, can be experienced. Cocktails including classic Fren

Sept. 23, 2022

Can 'Crash Landing on You' musical repeat success of original TV drama?

The musical version of "Crash Landing On You," based on the 2019 megahit TV series of the same title, was unveiled Friday. The musical features familiar names from both the TV and theater scenes in the iconic lead roles of Ri Jung-hyuk and Yoon Se-ri. Lee Jang-woo, Lee Kyu-hyung and Min Woo-hyuk take the role of Ri, the North Korean officer, while Im Hye-young, Kim Ryeo-won and Na Ha-na portray Yoon, the heiress to a South Korean conglomerate. The actors and the creative team alike s

Sept. 21, 2022

Emerging pianist, lifelong Bach specialist and more set to visit Korea this year

Evgeni Koroliov, Alim Beisembayev, Andras Schiff, Francois-Frederic Guy, Igor Levit and Eric Lu. These are pianists who are set to perform in South Korea later this year, offering a wide-ranging repertoire by Bach, Beethoven and Chopin, among others. Russian pianist Evgeni Koroliov, known as a specialist in the Bach keyboard repertoire, will take the stage with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra on Friday for an all-Bach concert. The program consists of Bach Concerto for 3 Harpsichords in D mino

Sept. 21, 2022