It was the fear of repeating her performance in “The Shameless (2015)” that led veteran star Jeon Do-yeon to think twice before teaming up again with director Oh Seung-uk for her latest noir “Revolver.” The actress had promised him to do the film, so she pressed on, constantly reminding herself of creative ways to play the new character who, Jeon says, is ironically identified by the notion of promise. “So I pushed hard against projecting emotions, being as understa

Film Aug. 6, 2024

The annual ASEAN Trade Fair invites the public and prospective buyers to a four-day showcase of food and beverages enjoyed by the 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that starts Thursday at Coex in Seoul. The annual fair, run by the ASEAN-Korea Centre since 2009 to expand business ties, will have three spaces set up for individuals dropping by and businesses looking for partnerships with participating ASEAN companies. The Exhibition Zone will focus on sauces and desserts,

Arts & Design Aug. 5, 2024

이청청 디자이너가 이끄는 라이(LIE)가 내달 ‘2025 봄여름 서울패션위크’에서 LG디스플레이가 2022년 세계 최초로 개발한 ‘고해상도 스트레처블 디스플레이’의 시제품을 공개한다. 4일 본지 취재를 종합하면, 라이는 3일부터 닷새간 동대문디자인플라자(DDP)에서 열리는 서울패션위크의 마지막 날 디스플레이를 실제 착용한 모델들의 무대를 준비 중이다. 스트레처블 디스플레이는 늘리고, 접고, 구길 수 있는 변형이 가능한 차세대 패널로, LG디스플레이가 재작년 화면이 최대 20%가 늘어나는 12인치 고해상도 풀 컬러 패널을 세계 최초로 공개했다. 소방복 군복 등 특수복 제작이 적용분야의 하나다. 이청청 대표는 이번 쇼의 주제를 ‘Neo-Craftsmanship (新장인정신)’으로 정하고 막바지 작업 중이다. 이 대표는 “단순히 전자기기를 쇼 때만 일회성으로 ‘입었다 버리는’ 접근이 아닌 디스

한국어판 Aug. 4, 2024

The spring-summer 2025 Seoul Fashion Week, set for next month, brings to the runway something unlike anything seen since 2000 when the biannual show began: Stretchable display panels -- worn by models, who will tout them as the “next (thing) in fashion.” The designer behind this project is Lee Chung-chung, womenswear designer and founder of LIE, whose runway will be the finale of the five-day fashion week starting Sept. 3 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, with a demonstration of how panels

Arts & Design Aug. 4, 2024

Boryeong Mud Festival Time’s running out for mud wrestling and sliding at the annual mud festival in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, that runs through this Sunday. At Daecheon Beach in Boryeong, the festival has two separate zones: one for adults and teenagers and another for families with children between ages 3 and 14. The mud zones are open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and open three hours earlier on weekends. For more details and ticket pricing, visit mudfestival.or.kr.

Travel Aug. 2, 2024

Buddhism is doing all it can to make itself more relatable and relevant. An AI chatbot that reads Buddhist scriptures and gives answers to whatever questions users enter is the latest effort by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism to reach the nonreligious. The man behind this artificial technology creation is Kim Young-chan, a 26-year-old Buddhist, who landed a job as a public relations counselor for Korea’s largest Buddhist sect in June, four months after graduating from college. “I&

Culture July 31, 2024

YEONGWOL, Gangwon Province -- Luxury travel is incomplete without a stay at a high-end hotel, where the pampering includes exquisite food, decor and seclusion, while sessions for restoring mental and emotional wellness enrich the experience. All that is available at the Hanok Heritage House in Yeongwol County, Gangwon Province -- the latest example of how far entrepreneurs are willing to go when refashioning “hanok,” the traditional Korean house. The architect behind the $130 million

Travel July 27, 2024

Buddhist monks in South Korea are increasingly embracing a new role -- matchmaking. “To us, monks helping singles match up isn’t all that new. We launched a templestay program for singles in early 2012. It just hadn’t made headlines like today,” an official of the Korean Buddhist Foundation for Social Welfare said Friday. The official at the foundation, run by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, was referring to a long-running program where participants learn about tradit

Culture July 26, 2024

Seven letters written by Korean independence fighter Na Seok-ju that shed light on his plans to destroy Japan-run companies in protest of Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule are on display at the National Museum of Korea, from Friday to Oct. 9. Shown to the public for the first time, the letters, written to fellow activists in 1925, discussed how Na found it more viable to bomb Joseon Siksan Bank and the Oriental Development Company in central Seoul among other Japanese state-run businesses. On

Arts & Design July 26, 2024

Petite France in Gapyeong Petite France is a village in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, mirroring a typical French countryside landscape. Next to it is Pinocchio & DaVinci, an Italian village. Through August, visitors can watch a puppet show and a performance on a 19th-century European organ. Admission for adults is 12,000 won for the French village and 16,000 won for the Italian village. A pass for both attractions costs 19,500 won. Find out more at pfcamp.com. Sandulsori Botanical Gar

Travel July 26, 2024

The Korea Heritage Service has eased a decades-long rule that banned artworks from being taken out of the country. Under the previous rule, artworks 50 years old or more, when being considered for sale or exhibition outside Korea, were required to get agency approval over concerns valuable heritage could slip out of the country. The new enforcement decree to the Cultural Heritage Preservation and Utilization Act, effective Tuesday, has loosened the restriction, removing the review process for ar

Arts & Design July 23, 2024

The Korea Heritage Service will expand the tomb of Lee Dong-nyeong, a historic site in central Seoul that the government says needs a makeover to show proper respect for the Korean independence fighter. Lee’s family has long requested the expansion of the site at Hyochang Park in Yongsan-gu where Lee’s comrades are also buried. They argue the former independence activist deserves more space, given his role in the Korean Provisional Government in its fight against Japan’s 1910-4

Culture July 22, 2024

Water festival in Busan Water gun battles, slides and fully air-conditioned shelters -- perfect for parents to unwind while their children splash about -- are summertime attractions found at LetsRun Park in Busan. Every Saturday and Sunday through Aug. 25, performances such as magic shows will take place at the water festival. Visitors can enter at two time slots, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Check the latest at park.kra.co.kr. Petite France in Gapyeong Petite Franc

Travel July 19, 2024

The former medical quarter of Changdoekgung will be open to the public from July 17 to August 18, offering traditional summertime drinks in what the Korea Heritage Service believes could boost tours to one of the four main Joseon-era (1392-1910) palaces in Seoul. At the quarter called “yakbang,” or pharmacy in Korean, visitors will be given small cups of two drinks “jehotang,” made with Korean medicinal herbs, and the “omija” tea prepared with magnolia berries

Culture July 12, 2024

Japan’s Rising Sun flag, seen by many as an offensive symbol of Japan’s colonial rule in the 20th century, could soon face a permanent ban in Busan public spaces, alongside other symbols alluding to Japanese militarism. A council member from Korea’s second-largest city floated an ordinance that empowers the Busan mayor to remove from public view emblems associated with Japanese wartime aggression -- a period that includes Tokyo’s 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Penins

Social Affairs July 12, 2024