Leading voices in the Korean film industry will gather at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building on Wednesday to seek their rights as content creators, the Directors Guild of Korea said Friday. Five acclaimed directors will discuss the issue of revising the Copyright Act, and call for fair remuneration and guarantee of directors’ rights, the statement said. The current copyright law stipulates that the rights to cinematographic works “shall be presumed to have been tr

Film Aug. 26, 2022

Busan International Film Festival on Friday unveiled 12 films for the “Korea Cinema Today-Vision” section, a section dedicated to discovering the latest independent films and emerging Korean directors. First or second full-length films by the selected Korean filmmakers will be premiered at the section. This year’s selection ranges from drama, silent film to stop-motion animation and thriller, exploring the directors’ different approaches to their subject and filmmaking.

Film Aug. 26, 2022

Physical space is as important as ever in the post-pandemic era contrary to suggestions that virtual space would largely eliminate physical space, according to experts. A group of noted scholars and architects discussed the meaning of space and its impact on cultural communication in the pandemic era at the 2022 Culture Communication Forum on Thursday. The 13th edition of the forum, organized by the Corea Image Communication Institute, was held at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in Yongsan-gu, central

Arts & Design Aug. 25, 2022

In modern society where people try to pursue almost everything virtually, it is easy to forget that architecture can provide a space for emotional stability and inspiration, beyond its practical use. “No matter how advanced the technology gets, humans remain ‘irrational’ and ‘imperfect’ beings who live with emotions and memories,” said Tadao Ando, a Japanese architect who won the 1995 Pritzker Prize. “I believe architecture has unchanging values that a

Arts & Design Aug. 24, 2022

An outdoor park along the Han River has been turned into an exhibition stage for sculptures. The 2022 Hangang Sculpture Project, jointly organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and K-Sculpture, an organization promoting Korean sculptors and their works, kicked off Saturday at Ttukseom Hangang Park.   Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Youn Young-dal, chairman of Crown-Haitai and K-Sculpture, attended the opening ceremony. Some 1,100 sculptures are on display, harmonizing with the riverside

Arts & Design Aug. 24, 2022

After two pandemic-ridden years of online and scaled-back performances, the country‘s biggest jazz festival is set to return in October. The three-day Jarasum Jazz Festival will kick off on Oct. 1 on Jara Island, Gyeonggi Province, with 19 international performers and 13 Korean acts participating in the jazz-filled program. The 19th edition of the festival will open with singer Kim Hyun-chul, four-member keyboard band Hardpiano, jazz trio Winter To Spring and newcomers jazz vocalist Cho

Performance Aug. 23, 2022

The Hangang Space-out Competition is returning to the banks of the Han River after a two-year break. The Sept. 4 event will crown a champion who can remain the “most stable” while staring into space for 90 minutes. The competition, hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in collaboration with the event’s founder, Woopsyang, aims to show people the relaxing value of doing nothing, challenging the idea that spacing out is a waste of time. This year, in particular, par

Culture Aug. 22, 2022

Eleven hiking trails along the Demilitarized Zone, which separates the two Koreas, will open to the public next month. DMZ Peace Trail routes in 10 regions -- Ganghwado, Gimpo, Goyang, Paju, Yeoncheon, Cheorwon, Hwacheon, Yanggu, Inje and Goseong -- will be fully open from Sept. 13 to December, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Goseong has two trails. Online reservations start Tuesday. Each trail has different dates and time slots available, with a maximum of 20 people

Travel Aug. 22, 2022

Tickets for the performance by London Symphony Orchestra and pianist Cho Seong-jin at LG Arts Center on Oct. 13 will go on sale Sept. 1. The concert was originally planned as an invitation-only event, marking the reopening of LG Arts Center Seoul at its new location in Magok-dong, southwestern Seoul. In announcing the switch to making all of the theater’s seats available on its website Wednesday, the center said that all proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to support young art

Performance Aug. 21, 2022

Herald Artday, a subsidiary of Herald Corp., donated part of the proceeds from the 2022 Charity Auction to the Korean Youth Diaspora Project to support young overseas ethnic Koreans. The Korean Youth Diaspora Project was launched earlier this year by the Godowon Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to youth mentoring; the Blue Tree Foundation, a nongovernmental organization working against school violence; and The Korea Herald. The three organizations signed a memorandum in March to s

Arts & Design Aug. 21, 2022

A cultural agency took legal action against the city of Gimhae in South Gyeongsang Province for its poor management of an ancient historic site. The Cultural Heritage Administration filed a report on Wednesday against Gimhae for violations of the nation’s law on buried cultural heritage protection, based on its expert inspection of the Gusan-dong Dolmen. Earlier in August, Gimhae was under fire for mishandling the 350-metric-ton Gusan-dong Dolmen, one of the largest dolmen in the world,

Culture Aug. 18, 2022

World-class ballet dancer Kim Ki-min from Russia’s Mariinsky Ballet has returned for performances in Korea for the first time in four years. The principal dancer of the prestigious Russian ballet troupe will perform with 18 other dancers from international ballet companies at the “Ballet Supreme 2022” taking place at the National Theater in Seoul, from Thursday to Saturday. Current and former ballet dancers who are members of overseas companies such as the Royal Ballet of Eng

Performance Aug. 17, 2022

A colorful exhibition exploring the history of Korean fashion will take place in Washington, DC, this week. “Korean Fashion: From Royal Court to Runway,” supported by the Korea Foundation, is scheduled to kick off this Saturday, at the George Washington University Museum and the Textile Museum, located in the US capital. The four-month exhibition will showcase 85 pieces of clothing, introducing Korean costume and fashion of the last 125 years, from the late Joseon era to present da

Arts & Design Aug. 17, 2022

A new Imax theater opened at CGV Apgujeong on Tuesday, introducing the first Imax theater in the Gangnam area of Seoul, according to CJ CGV, the country’s largest multiplex cinema chain. The company said its new Imax theater has 170 seats and five private boxes with two seats each, the first ever private boxes in an Imax theater. To mark the opening of the latest Imax theater, “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Nope” and “Bullet Train” will screen there Saturd

Film Aug. 16, 2022

 Muju Firefly Festival The Muju Firefly Festival is scheduled to take place across the areas of Muju Deungnamu Stadium, North Jeolla Province, Aug. 27-Sept. 4. The Muju’s pristine environment provides a natural habitat for fireflies. Night-time programs include firefly explorations, stargazing experiences, traditional performances and concerts. Most of the programs are free, but the firefly exploration costs 15,000 won per person, with 1,200 spaces opened per day; the stargazing ex

Travel Aug. 13, 2022