[Herald Interview] Gwangju mayor strengthens city's heritage to promote it globally

A native of Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, Bang Se-hwan took the office of Gwangju mayor in 2022. Asked about the characteristics of the city, Bang, who has lived in the city his whole life, stressed its history. “Gwangju has a very beautiful nature that has been maintained throughout its 1,000-year history. The city was named ‘Gwangju’ in 940 by King Taejo of Goryeo (918-1392),” Bang said during an interview with The Korea Herald on Friday at the city hall. Gwangju in Gyeon

CultureJuly 10, 2024

[Herald Interview] TIAA-owned asset manager eyes Korean investors’ appetite for alternative assets

Nuveen, the investment manager of the US Teachers Insurance Annuity Association with $1.2 trillion in assets under management, is seeking to broaden its investor base in the Korean market from big institutions to retail investors by launching funds to invest in unlisted medium-sized companies. Retail investors are now seeking unconventional opportunities in the alternative market to expand their portfolios beyond their typical investment vehicles, such as stocks and bonds. Chang Jae-ho, Nuveen&#

EconomyJuly 10, 2024

[Herald Interview] 15 years on, Uangel Voice still finds way to sing anew

An all-male six-member choir walks up to the stage and takes a deep breath, as guests are all ears for a tune that will animate a ceremony marked by many handshakes and applauses. “That’s the thrill, an adrenaline rush -- the feeling of undivided attention on the stage,” said Son Ye-bin, a baritone at Uangel Voice, a choir that has been performing since April 2009. Most of their performances since then have involved charity work, either raising funds for the marginalized or rai

PerformanceJuly 10, 2024

[Herald Interview] Director of SBS hit series 'Connection' says portraying drugs on TV was difficult

The director of SBS' hit series "Connection" said although he felt burdened to shoulder the responsibilities that came with broadcasting a TV series dealing with drugs, he wanted to explore a new territory with the series. "Connection" is a 14-episode crime thriller series that centers on Jang Jae-kyung (played by Ji Sung), a detective specializing in apprehending drug criminals, who becomes a drug addict, ensnared by an unknown perpetrator. "Connection" became

TelevisionJuly 9, 2024

[Herald Interview] Korea’s 1st American Korean lawmaker eyes key role in immigration policy

A loud, booming voice bellowed throughout the room in the National Assembly members’ office building in western Seoul. As he spoke with The Korea Herald, switching between fluent English and Korean, Rep. Ihn Yohan of the ruling People Power Party pointed to a Hanja idiom framed and hung on the wall of his office that translates as: “There is no place where more milk and honey flows than Suncheon.” The city of Suncheon, the largest in South Jeolla Province, holds a special place

PoliticsJuly 8, 2024

[Herald Interview] Illustrator’s reinterpretations of hanbok prize originality

When Wooh Na-young, a graphic designer-turned-illustrator, quit her work at an online game publisher in 2012 after a decade in the industry, she suffered an identity crisis. But she at least knew that being a game graphic designer was not fulfilling for her. “I had to find what I wanted to do or be, and hanbok caught my eyes,” Wooh said in a recent interview with The Korea Herald, explaining her love for the hanbok silhouette -- the elongated lines and broad shapes. A want for her wo

Arts & DesignJuly 7, 2024

[Herald Interview] Korean sauce maker Woomtree seeks global expansion with healthy, long-lasting ‘K-jang’

Woomtree, a Korean company specializing in manufacturing gochujang (red chili paste) and other sauces, bets big on the global expansion of long-lasting and healthy "K-sauces," unlike instant foods with fleeting popularity. "People's interest in fermented food and well-being is growing around the world, and I think Korean fermented sauces are at the center of it," said Kim Woo-taek, founder and CEO of Woomtree, during an interview with The Korea Herald at the company'

IndustryJuly 7, 2024

[Herald Interview] Kim Hee-ae says she can take on 'relaxed' acting

Veteran actor Kim Hee-ae expressed her desire to pursue more "relaxed and comfortable roles," despite her widespread acclaim for portraying charismatic women in popular works such as "The World of the Married" (2020) and "Queenmaker" (2023). "The Whirlwind" is a 12-episode series that follows the story of Park Dong-ho (played by Sul Kyung-gu), a prime minister who kills the president, believing him to be corrupt. As Park seeks to ascend to power after the

TelevisionJuly 5, 2024

[Herald Interview] Murder by design: 'The Consultant' examines dark side of corporate restructuring

The man is very good at his “job” -- crafting simple, elegant and effective solutions for “restructuring.” Not so obvious or messy, certainly nothing anyone would ever suspect as murder. The natural deaths he plans have always gone well: a medicine swapped here, a mechanism jammed there. But when his next assignment turns out to be someone he not only knows but cares about, he begins to question the role he plays in the vast, anonymous Company. This is the gripping plot o

BooksJuly 3, 2024

[Herald Interview] As pianist and now actor, Yoo Sun Hee bridges cultures

Acclaimed Italian director Nanni Moretti’s latest film, “A Brighter Tomorrow,” which competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, features a Korean-Italian interpreter. The character is not just an interpreter of languages, but also a link across cultures, introducing for instance how to drink soju. Though it’s a small role, for pianist Yoo Sun Hee, who is expanding her artistic horizons by venturing into acting with this role, it signifies what she

CultureJuly 3, 2024

[Herald Interview] INSEAD professor explores power of K-brands’ ‘identity marketing’

The recent success of Korean brands can be attributed to their knack for selling "pieces of identities" and empowering consumers with curated experiences, according to a marketing professor at French business school INSEAD. "Consumers today expect to purchase more than just products from a brand; they seek cultural and social elements. The swift execution of these elements has given rise to many successful K-brands," said David Dubois, an associate professor specializing in d

IndustryJuly 3, 2024

[Herald Interview] Vietnam's MB Bank bets big on Seoul-Hanoi ties

Vietnamese state lender MB Bank, also known as Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank, will launch a mobile app for South Korean nationals living in the country in August, seeing potential in the strengthening ties between the two countries. “Vietnamese banks are yet to offer specialized service for Koreans living in the country, making them rely on the branches of Korean banks,” MB Bank Chairman Luu Trung Thai said during an interview in Seoul on Tuesday. Luu Trung Thai was in Korea w

IndustryJuly 2, 2024

[Herald Interview] Kazakhstan keen to learn from Korean police: deputy minister

Kazakhstan is eager to learn from Korea's public and personnel administration in law enforcement, said Saitbekov Aidar, Kazakhstan’s deputy minister of internal affairs, in an interview with The Korea Herald on Thursday. Saitbekov was in Korea to attend the UN Public Service Forum in Songdo, Incheon, from June 24 to 26, an annual meeting since 2003 that gathered around 2,000 officials from about 100 countries to discuss innovations and challenges in public administration. Kazakhstan&r

Foreign AffairsJuly 2, 2024

[Herald Interview] Star producer Jung Jong-yeon wants to create different genres, IPs

With a string of hit shows such as tvN's "The Genius" and "Great Escape" series, as well as Netflix's "Devil's Plan," producer Jung Jong-yeon is seen as having popularized reality shows centered on solving puzzles and intellectual challenges. Jung has now returned with a new Netflix original reality show, "Agents of Mystery," a six-part series where celebrities, including Karina of aespa, singer John Park, actor Kim Do-hoon, comedians Lee Eu

TelevisionJuly 1, 2024

[Herald Interview] ‘Renault Grand Koleos is like Chanel’

BUSAN -- The Korean-tailored features, positioning and unique name of the Grand Koleos, the sports utility vehicle Renault Korea debuted at the 2024 Busan International Mobility Show last week, will lure Korean customers, according to the CEO of the French automaker’s local office. “This car is completely answering to a different proposal that we can give as a French brand,” said Renault Korea CEO Stephane Deblaise in an interview with the Korea Automobile Journalists Associa

MobilityJune 30, 2024

[Herald Interview] Korean-Japanese teen trot duo Lucky PangPang makes ambitious debut

Despite their young ages, Kim Da-hyun (15) from South Korea and Sumita Aiko (16) from Japan are remarkable singers. Both were selected as the youngest contestants, respectively, on audition programs "The Current King" in Korea and "Trot Girls Japan" in Japan, which aired from November last year to February this year. The two young singers met on MBN program "Korea-Japan King's Battle" -- which aired from April to May -- where they engaged in friendly competitio

PerformanceJune 30, 2024

[Herald Interview] Song Kang-ho says acting still a challenge

"Parasite" star Song Kang-ho, who made his drama series debut with Disney+'s 16-part historical drama "Uncle Samsik," said acting remained a challenging process for him, despite his 35-year career as one of Korea's leading actors. "Uncle Samsik" is set in turbulent 1960s South Korea, highlighted by "The April Revolution," a political uprising in April 1960, challenging the autocratic rule of the nation's first president, Syngman Rhee. The mo

TelevisionJune 30, 2024

[Herald Interview] Brand expert Kim Cheon-soo on elevating Korean culture in NY

NEW YORK -- The official opening of the Korean Center in New York on Thursday marks a significant milestone, years after the land for a larger center was purchased in 2009. It also coincides with Korean culture enjoying the global spotlight. The center houses the Korean Cultural Center, the Korea Tourism Organization, the Korea Creative Content Agency and the King Sejong Institute. After Los Angeles, Shanghai, Tokyo, Beijing and Paris, it is the sixth such place where institutions promoting Ko

CultureJune 27, 2024

[Herald Interview] Meet Lionesses: K-pop's first LGBTQ+ boy band on showing their true selves

Despite K-pop's global expansion, the K-pop industry and Korean society in general remain conservative in several aspects, particularly on LGBTQ+ issues. Amid this backdrop, Lionesses, K-pop's first-ever LGBTQ+ group, has shattered barriers and is sharing courage with fans and listeners. Debuting in 2021 with "Show Me Your Pride," Lionesses is a pioneering LGBTQ+ K-pop trio. Leader Damjun identifies as bisexual, Lee Marlang is gay and Kanghan is a questioning, who continues t

K-popJune 27, 2024

[Herald Interview] Jeon Do-yeon embraces complexity of Simon Stone's 'Cherry Orchard'

In a contemporary Korean adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s tragicomedy “The Cherry Orchard,” directed by Simon Stone, Cannes-winning actress Jeon Do-yeon takes on the role of Song Do-young, a reinterpretation of Lyuba Ranevsky. Acclaimed Australian director Stone has transported Chekhov’s narrative into 2024 South Korea, mirroring the original’s portrayal of a decaying aristocracy amidst societal upheaval. Clad in a trench coat, pink tracksuit and sneakers, the "tr

PerformanceJune 26, 2024