A time capsule that global K-pop phenomenon BTS presented to President Moon Jae-in on Sept. 19 during an event marking Youth Day held at Cheong Wa Dae is now on display at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History. The box is displayed in the permanent exhibition hall located on the fifth floor of the museum. The box measures 40 centimeters in length, 30 centimeters in width and 26 centimeters in depth, according to the museum. The box is purple -- a color associated with the band and

K-pop Nov. 17, 2021

Ahead of the 47th Seoul Independent Film Festival, program committee members Huh Nam-woong and Jung Ji-hye on Wednesday recommended 17 films for viewing. Ten recommended features include “Hot in Day, Cold at Night,” directed by Park Song-yeol, which depicts the story of Young-tae and his wife, Jeong-hee, who make ends meet with part-time jobs. The film is a great example of how a minimum amount of directing and acting can be effective, according to the programmers. “The Con

Film Nov. 17, 2021

Great news for French film fans in Korea: French Cinema Week 2021, organized by the French Embassy in Seoul and the association of Korean Buyers & Distributors of Foreign Films in Korea, kicked off Monday with screenings of 40 films. The event, running through Sunday, is being held at 14 local theaters in five different cities, including Seoul, Incheon and Daejeon. This year’s French Cinema Week is held under the theme of “Save Our Cinema.” “We hope to support the

Film Nov. 15, 2021

“Perhaps Love,” a new movie directed by Cho Eun-ji and starring Oh Na-ra, offers a different take on relationships than most South Korean films. Oh’s character, Mi-ae, secretly dates Soon-mo (played by Kim Hee-won), a close friend of her ex-husband, Hyun (played by Ryoo Seung-ryo). Soon-mo, a publisher, works with Hyun, a writer struggling to overcome writer’s block. Oh explained during an interview with a group of reporters via Google Meet that she hadn’t exper

Film Nov. 12, 2021

Eternals (US) Opened Nov. 3 Action Directed by Chloe Zhao Ten superheroes, known as Eternals, have been on Earth for 7,000 years protecting humans from the threat of Deviants, a bestial and savage race that swallow humans, without revealing their identity. In 1500, the heroes killed the last of the Deviants. However, in present day, the Deviants have returned, and the Eternals have to work together to protect mankind. Ron’s Gone Wrong (US) Opened Oct. 27 Animation Directed by Jean-Phili

Film Nov. 12, 2021

The National Museum of Korea announced Thursday that it will complete classifying and examining the artworks bequeathed by the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee by 2025. The announcement came after the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Tuesday that nearly all of the works of art bequeathed Lee would be housed together at the “Lee Kun-hee Donation Hall,” which is to open in Songhyeon-dong, Seoul, in 2027. The museum added that it will transfer all the donated

Culture Nov. 11, 2021

For those looking for a moment of peace, the National Museum of Korea has prepared a therapeutic experience through a new permanent exhibition titled “A Room of Quiet Contemplation,” presenting two Pensive Bodhisattvas, which are designated as National Treasures No. 78 and No. 83. “I created this exhibition with the intention of making Pensive Bodhisattvas the iconic item of Korea,” National Museum of Korea Director General Min Byoung-chan said during a press confere

Culture Nov. 11, 2021

The Naver webtoon series “Yumi’s Cells” may be the perfect example of versatile multimedia content, with plans for it to be adapted as an animation and a musical. The animation version of the webtoon for cinematic release will be co-produced by a Naver subsidiary, Studio N, and by local animation production company Locus, which created the 2019 hit “Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs. The company is aiming to release the animation in cinemas in the first half of 2023, acco

Television Nov. 11, 2021

Joining the ranks of Korean dramas and K-pop in gaining popularity worldwide is Korean animation series “Catch! Teenieping,” which has caught on with kids around the globe. “Catch! Teenieping” topped Netflix Korea’s trending kids category four days after the launch of its first season. YouTube channel Teenieping TV, meanwhile, has over 208,000 followers. The series has been widely watched in Australia and North America, where it has ranked No. 5 and No. 9, respect

Television Nov. 9, 2021

From the relationship between divorced parents to a gay student who falls in love with a heterosexual teacher, the new rom-com film “Perhaps Love” directed by Cho Eun-ji depicts diverse human connections with a sense of humor. In making this film, actor-turned-director Cho said she focused on making it relatable to the general public. “Instead of focusing on different characters’ relationships and their unique personalities, I tried to focus on how audiences can relate

Film Nov. 8, 2021

If it were not for all the people wearing masks, it would be fair to say that multiplex theater CGV Yongsan in central Seoul was back to normal on Saturday night -- just as it used to be before COVID-19, especially in vaccine-pass auditoriums. Changes were evident at the snack bar, which had very few customers a week earlier. The theater smelled of popcorn, people were standing in front of the kiosks to buy food, and staff were shouting customer numbers at the pick-up counter. These changes we

Film Nov. 7, 2021

Ron’s Gone Wrong (US) Opened Oct. 27 Animation Directed by Jean-Philippe Vine and Sarah Smith In the future, the AI robot model B-bot is every child’s friend. Middle schooler Barney Pudowski’s deepest wish is to get a B-bot since he is the only student in the school who doesn’t own one. One day he finally gets a robot named Ron. But there seems to be something wrong with Ron, who can’t connect to the network. 　 Dune (US) Opened Oct. 20 Science fiction Directed b

Film Nov. 5, 2021

Netflix Vice President of Public Policy Dean Garfield, decked in a green tracksuit costume from the hit Netflix show “Squid Game,” entered the press conference room at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul on Thursday, accompanied by the theme song from the drama series. Garfield began his speech by talking about how Netflix is willing to invest more into creating Korean content. However, when addressing the most heated issue on paying internet service providers bandwidth usage fees,

Television Nov. 4, 2021

The 47th Seoul Independent Film Festival will be screening films mostly created since the beginning of COVID-19 last year. “The largest number of films ever were submitted this year. A total of 1,550 films were submitted,” said SIFF director Kim Dong-hyun during a press conference Wednesday. “We had the largest number of submitters last year so I thought the number would decrease this year. Especially since last year was not an easy time to make films,” Kim said. &ldq

Film Nov. 3, 2021

An exhibition that aims to bring the Insa-dong excavation site to visitors opens at the National Palace Museum of Korea in Seoul on Wednesday. The exhibition, titled “Encounter with the Brilliant Scientific Technology of the Joseon Dynasty,” displays 1,775 artifacts excavated from a site in Insa-dong, central Seoul, in June. It is organized jointly by the National Palace Museum of Korea and the Sudo Institute of Cultural Heritage, also based in Seoul. “Since many people sho

Culture Nov. 2, 2021