Singer-songwriter Lucid Fall, known for his beautiful melodies and simple yet stirring lyrics, says that he long ago made a promise with himself that he would release one studio-length album at least once every two years.“For me, an album is not only a chance to release new music, but a personal history,” he said in a press conference at the office of his label Antenna Music on Tuesday. “What have I done over the last two years? What experiences have I had? Which artists have influenced my music

Performance Dec. 17, 2015

This is the second installment in a three-part series featuring athletes who help people transform their lives. – Ed.　In November 2010, Lim Gye-sook received the call of a lifetime from KT Sports, the sports unit of KT, Korea’s largest telecom, asking her to come back to the sport of women’s field hockey.KT Sports wasn’t asking Lim to grab her hockey stick again and play on the field, but to lead a team of 11 young female players to victory.Lim was apprehensive, as her glory days in the sport we

More Sports Dec. 16, 2015

During the holidays, the hustle and bustle of Seoul make the city far from a winter wonderland. People shuffle down Gangnam sidewalks in single file, get swept into the swarms of people in Myeong-dong, or squeeze into cable cars on the way up to Namsan Tower. In restaurants, couples are likely to bump elbows with those dining at the next table. For those looking for a way to stay in Seoul yet get away from the maddening crowds for a romantic night out, The Korea Herald offers some ideas. Cine de

Culture Dec. 16, 2015

Eight male celebrities of varying age, background, and experience with animals are rolling up their sleeves to take care of other people’s pets in the new JTBC entertainment show “Mari & I.”“It’s a story about communication between animals and people,” producer Kim No-eun told press at the Stanford Hotel Seoul on Tuesday. “Since they can’t speak to each other, they have to express themselves with their bodies and hearts. I think our viewers will get to see a very different side to our cast membe

Television Dec. 16, 2015

Six-member girl group Laboum has returned to the stage with a retro pop song called “Aalow Aalow.” Their new two-track single comes eight months after “Sugar Sugar,” a long hiatus considering that they had promoted three tracks -- “Pit a Pat,” “What About You” and “Sugar Sugar” -- between their debut in November 2014 and March.“During the break, we really felt how precious each performance was,” member Yulhee told The Korea Herald on Monday at the offices of NH EMG, the group’s label.The long br

Performance Dec. 15, 2015

 Home to heavyweight hip-hop names like Verbal Jint and San E, hip-hop and rhythm and blues label Brand New Music has set itself apart from big K-pop production agencies with its free-spirited style.So perhaps it should come as no surprise the agency’s annual year-end concert “Brand New Year” held Saturday at the KBS Sports World in Seoul was more of a club party than a concert. Security was minimal and the standing crowd was nearly within arm’s reach of the stage. Audience members roamed around

Performance Dec. 14, 2015

Heading to the movies this weekend? The Korea Herald provides a guide to what's playing on the big screen.Legend (U.K.)Opened Dec. 10　Action. Directed by Brian Helgeland　Tom Hardy plays Ronald and Reggie Kray, identical twin gangsters who ruled the East End of London during the 1960s. “Legend” shows how the two brothers built their criminal empire, touching upon their internal struggles as well as their run from the detective Nipper Read (Christopher Eccleston).　Timing (Korea)Opened Dec. 10　Anim

Film Dec. 11, 2015

The Korean Pavilion at this year’s 56th International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale attracted over 360,000 visitors May 6 and Nov. 22, more than double the figure from the previous art edition in 2013.Its site-specific seven-channel video installation without any dialogue that portrayed a possible life in the future drew interest from viewers and critics.At a symposium Wednesday at Artist’s House in Jongno-gu, Seoul, held to evaluate the results of this year’s exhibition, everyone seemed

Performance Dec. 10, 2015

“New World” screenwriter and director Park Hoon-jung brings his brooding, solemn style to “The Tiger,” which uses the rough terrain of Mount Jirisan and the weathered face of veteran actor Choi Min-sik to unfold the story of “Joseon’s last tiger.” The film is a technical triumph. Thanks to the reunion of the production staff from “New World,” the actors give strong performances, the music is stirring, the lensing is carefully controlled and, most importantly, the computer-generated tiger turned

Film Dec. 9, 2015

Lee Seok-hoon’s “The Himalayas” is one of the most anticipated films of the year, bringing together “Ode to My Father” director JK Youn as producer and star actor Hwang Jung-min (“Ode to My Father,” “Veteran”) to recreate the true story of mountaineer Uhm Hong-gil.So it may come as a surprise that, compared to other mountain-climbing films like Hollywood’s “Everest,” which came out earlier this year, “The Himalayas” is decidedly less dramatic. That may be because of director Lee’s hope that the

Film Dec. 9, 2015

Veteran actor Namgung Won was honored with the lifetime achievement award at the fifth Shin Young Kyun Arts & Culture Foundation Artist of the Year Awards ceremony held at the Seoul Press Center Tuesday.Namgung has been a key figure in the Korean movie industry, starring in over 300 films and winning dozens of honors, including a Blue Dragon Award. He played an instrumental role in spearheading the Korean film boom of the 1960s and 1970s and, following his retirement from acting in 2002, has bee

People Dec. 8, 2015

The day before the opening of South African artist William Kentridge’s solo exhibition “Peripheral Thinking” at the Seoul branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, everything was in disarray. Kentridge’s silhouette cutouts, used in his animation works, hung on spots of the wall that would not conventionally be considered exhibition space. There was a cacophony of sounds, some musical and some not, quietly but consistently playing in a ringing jumble throughout the halls. Ligh

Performance Dec. 7, 2015

In recording his album of Beethoven sonatas, released last month, pianist Kim Sun-wook wanted to create a sound of “complexity,” he told reporters Friday.Nine years since he entered the international spotlight at the 2006 Leeds Competition as the youngest and first Asian winner, Kim, now 27, married and with a reputation as something of a Beethoven expert in Korea, has grown more mature and confident in his music.“In your late 20s, your tastes and opinions become more certain. I’m still working

Performance Dec. 6, 2015