When she sat down to chat with The Korea Herald, Taiwanese producer and director Frankie Chen was glowing, coming straight from meeting thousands of festival attendees at an outdoor event at the Busan International Film Festival. Chen was amazed at the Korean audience’s enthusiasm for her film. In her nostalgic romance flick “Our Times,” two high school friends who each have a crush on a guy and girl dating each other work together to try and tear them apart -- only to end up falling in love wit

Film Oct. 13, 2015

The last patient here diagnosed with the Middle East respiratory syndrome was readmitted to the hospital and tested positive for the virus again after showing symptoms such as high fever, the Health and Welfare Ministry said Monday. Yang Byung-guk, the director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at an emergency press briefing Monday. (Yonhap)The 35-year-old patient, who contracted the virus while suffering from lymphoma, had left the hospital earlier this month after testin

Social Affairs Oct. 12, 2015

Georges Bizet’s “Carmen” is one of the most beloved operas, with its incredible drama and music featuring an alluring gypsy enchanting fans around the world. The timeless classic is a Korean favorite, having ranked No. 1 in a 2013 Korea National Opera survey. A lesser-known work of the French composer is set to hit the local stage this week, marking the very first time for it to be staged in Korea. The KNO will stage a production of “The Pearl Fishers,” with an international cast, at Seoul Arts

Performance Oct. 12, 2015

South Korea’s largest film festival held its closing ceremony on Saturday with “Mountain Cry” by Larry Yang after a successful presentation of films from all over the world, and particularly Asia.More than 227,000 visitors came to celebrate the Busan International Film Festival’s 20th anniversary and watched 302 movies from 75 countries. The BIFF closing ceremoy takes place at the Busan Cinema Center (Yonhap)The festival also drew hordes of the world’s most recognized stars in the film industry.

Film Oct. 11, 2015

The early segments of “The Advocate: A Missing Body” are spent introducing all the typical characters needed to put together a typical criminal law drama. Lee Sun-kyun (acclaimed for “A Hard Day”) plays Byeon Ho-seong, an unscrupulous top lawyer with an incredible 100 percent win rate. Kim Go-eun (most recently in “Memories of the Sword”) is a spunky cub prosecutor named Jin Seon-min who believes justice will always prevail. Jang Hyun-sung becomes the untouchable giant Moon Ji-hoon leading a pha

Film Oct. 11, 2015

Actors Cha Seung-won, Yoo Hae-jin and Son Ho-jun are back at Manjaedo Island in the far waters off the southwest corner of Korea for the second season of “Three Meals a Day -- Fishing Village.”The first season of “Fishing Village,“ which aired in January, was a spin-off of the original “Three Meals a Day,” starring actor Lee Seo-jin and singer-actor Ock Taecyeon. On the show, stars try to maintain a self-sufficient life in the countryside by preparing their meals from scratch.  Official poster f

Television Oct. 7, 2015

BUSAN -- According to Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, “in some ways” the world of film “is just beginning,” with many changes to the industry on the horizon. Cheryl Boone Isaacs (Yonhap)Speaking to press at the Busan International Film Festival on Tuesday ahead of a keynote speech at the film festival’s conference, Isaacs touched upon several developments in the film world that the Academy faces today.First was the issue of diversity, which the

Film Oct. 7, 2015

　　Gary　“2002”　(Loen Entertainment)　Rapper Gary of Leessang has widened his fan base with his steady role in the megahit game show “Running Man,” but his first studio-length album “2002” shows that he is first and foremost a musician.Collaborating with artists like Koonta, Jay Park, John Park, Skull and Deepflow, Gary weaves together an album that bears the hallmarks of past Leessang hits -- strong featured vocals that provide choruses to anchor down the candid, sometimes explicit lyrics that are

Performance Oct. 2, 2015

Heading out to the theaters this weekend? The Korea Herald offers a guide to what's currently playing in theaters.For a historical drama, check out "The Throne." "The Intern" offers some lighthearted fun, while "The Long Way Home" combines comedy with the emotional drama of war. "The Loft" is a thriller for those who are looking for a little more spice, and "The Martian" is a blockbuster to look forward to next week.　　The Martian (U.S.)　Opening Oct. 8　　Adventure. Directed by Ridley Scott　　When a

Film Oct. 2, 2015

After a ten-month break, JTBC‘s hugely popuar reality game show “Hidden Singer” is returning for its fourth season with singer BoA headlining the first episode.“We weren’t sure that we could come back this year,” chief producer Cho Seung-wook told press on Thursday. “But thanks to the support of those who waited for Season 4 to come back, we were able to be ready by October.”Poster for Season 4 of "Hidden Singer" (JTBC)The show, on which established singers are pitted against five fan contestant

Television Oct. 1, 2015

Korea’s largest international film festival will welcome stars from all over the globe as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.The Busan International Film Festival will kick off Thursday with a ceremony hosted by Afghan actress Marina Golbahari and Korean actor Song Kang-ho. For the gala presentations, the festival will feature visits from Japanese actress Nagasawa Masami, who appears in “Our Little Sister” and British actress Tilda Swinton, from “A Bigger Splash.” Nagasawa Masami (Toho Entertain

Film Sept. 30, 2015

Chuseok is always one of the biggest weekends of the year for box offices in Korea, and this year’s lineup of new films offers movies that can be enjoyed by anyone -- whether you’re heading to the theaters with family or friends.　　With family　Korean movies playing this weekend feature stories of families that will be easy to empathize with as you spend the long holiday with your own relatives: Historical drama “The Throne” depicts the difficulties of paternal strife, while “The Accidental Detect

Film Sept. 24, 2015

A thundering crowd of 14,000 fans greeted the classic American rock band Bon Jovi as they took to the stage in Seoul for the first time in 20 years Tuesday night.After opening the concert with “That’s What the Water Made Me” from their 2013 album “What About Now,” Bon Jovi got the crowd roaring with “You Give Love a Bad Name” from their 1986 album “Slippery When Wet,” the record that rocketed them to stardom. That song was followed up by “Born to Be My Baby,” and front man Jon Bon Jovi took a br

Performance Sept. 23, 2015

To say the year has been kind to Yoo Ah-in is quite an understatement. With two major box office hits landing back-to-back in August and September, he is undoubtedly the star of the summer.Although the 29-year-old actor has long been a familiar face to the public thanks to his successful appearance on TV shows like “Sunkyunkwan Scandal,” Yoo had not been able to make a strong impression in the film market since 2011’s “Punch.” Yoo Ah-in (Yonhap)Then came “Veteran,” directed by respected director

Film Sept. 22, 2015

A scene from "Quidam" (Mast Entertainment)Nothing short of jaw dropping, Cirque du Soleil’s performance of “Quidam” is a shining example of how a live production can both defy gravity and Murphy’s Law by making the impossible possible.Returning to Korea for the first time in eight years, the Franco-Canadian circus extraordinaire introduced itself to the Korean masses for the first time in 2007 and set a new record for performances, ranking No. 1 in ticket sales for more than nine consecutive wee

Performance Sept. 22, 2015