Over 100 pieces of vintage and antique design furniture are on display at an exhibition called “Our Finest 20th Century Design Collection” at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul. The collection, which embodies the essence of modernity and originality, showcases furniture from the 1920s to the 1960s -- a period considered to be the most dynamic in design history, according to the show’s organizer, the Seoul Design Foundation. The exhibition includes several rare pieces th

Arts & Design July 28, 2022

In the face of disaster, different types of people cope differently. "Emergency Declaration," a new aviation disaster film released next month, tells a story that everyone living through the pandemic can relate to. The film follows a detective, played by Cannes-winning actor Song Kang-ho, who investigates a suspected terrorist only to find out that he has already boarded a plane. While passengers are trapped inside, those on the ground struggle to find a way to land the plane. "

Film July 26, 2022

Conductor Chung Myung-whun will return to the stage as a pianist with a chamber music ensemble as part of a nationwide tour this fall. He will be joined by four other musicians: Violinist Kim Su-yoen, a concertmaster at Konzerthausorchester Berlin; violist Kim Sara, who joined the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra as a principal viola from the 2019-20 season, cellist Song Young-hoon and double bassist Sung Min-je. Kim Su-yoen, Song and Sung have previously performed with Chung on the stage. The pi

Performance July 19, 2022

A total of 34 films are in the running for awards at the Seoul International Experimental Film and Video Festival (EXiS), which kicked off last Thursday. This year, 12 films were selected for the Korean Competition Section and 22 films for the International Competition Section from more than 1,400 submissions from 72 countries. Among the films premiering at EXiS are “Night Scene Charminar” by Gautam Valluri, which features a sleepwalker roaming around a night market in Old Hyderab

Film July 18, 2022

A special exhibition exploring Korea’s pop culture and its historical roots will open in London this September. Britain’s Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum announced Thursday the opening of “Hallyu! The Korean Wave” exhibition on Sept. 24. Supported by Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the exhibition will run through June 25, 2023. It will look at the makings of the Korean Wave through movies, dramas, music and fandom, and explore its global impa

Arts & Design July 15, 2022

The majority of visitors gave positive reviews of their Cheong Wa Dae visits, according to a survey conducted by Cultural Heritage Administration on Wednesday. About 89.1 percent of the respondents answered that they were satisfied with the visit, while 87.5 percent said they would recommend visiting the iconic site to others. More than 60 percent answered that the most satisfying point of the visit was “walking around Cheong Wa Dae grounds and appreciating its landscape.” The mos

Culture July 13, 2022

Korean blockbusters will hit local theaters this summer in diverse “immersive cinema” formats to attract more moviegoers, as COVID-19 restrictions for theaters have been lifted. Previously, special-format Imax theaters were considered the near-exclusive domain of Hollywood blockbusters such as Marvel Studios’ superhero movies. The Korean movie industry had practically shunned the format. Until recently, only six Korean commercial films had been released in the Imax format. &

Film July 12, 2022

Audio and sign language commentary programs for the visually and hearing impaired will be available for upcoming exhibitions, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea announced Monday. The museum is currently offering audio and sign language programs for “Prayer for Life: Special Exhibition of Korean Polychrome Painting” at MMCA Gwacheon, which runs through Sept. 25. The MMCA said that there will be four audio commentaries and six sign language commentaries by the

Arts & Design July 11, 2022

South Korea’s art market is estimated to mark about 532.9 billion won ($410.2 million) for the first half of 2022, according to a report by the Korea Arts Management Service last week. The six-month figure amounted to 58 percent of the annual art market size of 2021, which was 915.7 billion won. Six major art fairs held in the first half of the year showed strong growth. The total sales reached 142.9 billion won, up 165.6 percent from the previous year. The total number of visitors also

Arts & Design July 10, 2022

The government will investigate Eastar Jet Co. for false accounting data which the local budget carrier submitted to obtain approval to be an international air operator on Dec. 15, said the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Tuesday. Data previously submitted by Eastar Jet showed the company had 236.1 billion won ($181.6 million) in total capital, not reflecting its state of capital erosion. The company was in a state of complete capital erosion in 2021, according to financial s

Mobility July 5, 2022

Vietnam outpaced South Korea in terms of instant noodle consumption per capita, on the Southeast Asian country’s growing purchasing power and economic growth rate, data showed Thursday. According to Nongshim, a leading ramyeon maker in South Korea, the average Vietnamese eats about 87 servings a year while the average South Korean has 73 servings, citing 2021 data from the World Instant Noodles Association. Nepal was in third place with 55 servings per person a year. Korea topped the wor

Consumer June 30, 2022

Only a handful of people living in Seoul have discarded unused or expired medicines at designated drug take-back sites, despite a majority of people saying that they are aware of the environmental issues surrounding pharmaceutical waste. According to a report published by the Seoul Institute, 20.1 percent of respondents answered that they “never use the designated sites,” while 29.7 percent responded that they “seldom use the sites.” To be specific, the figure varied de

Social Affairs June 28, 2022

Social Affairs June 23, 2022

The police will expand its use of artificial intelligence voice recognition systems when investigating sexual crimes, the Korean National Police Agency said on Monday. The AI voice recognition system will help investigators focus on interviewing victims, as it automatically records the interview. Investigators usually write down a victim statement while interviewing at the same time. The agency plans to introduce the system to 38 police stations, the women and youth related investigation units

Social Affairs June 13, 2022

Campaign banners used for the June 1 local elections will be reborn as products such as bags and wallets according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday that it will promote a recycling project in cooperation with Seoul districts and Seoul Upcycling Plaza to reuse the campaign banners as materials for everyday products. Campaign banners used in elections are usually thrown away or burnt, causing environmental issues. They are normally made o

Social Affairs June 8, 2022