Popular non-verbal show “Nanta” will close one of its exclusive theaters in central Seoul as the number of Chinese tour groups, its main customers, plummeted due to a diplomatic feud between Seoul and Beijing over a US anti-missile system, its production company said Tuesday.PMC Production said it will close the Chungjeongno theater, one of four “Nanta” theaters in the country, at the end of this year.The theater has been heavily used by Chinese tour groups. (PMC Production)“We‘ve notified the b

Words that are created to reflect on specific cultural facets not easily translated

'Hangeul Cultural Festival 2017' features exhibitions, performances and contests

The 44th LA Korean Festival is set to take place from Thursday through Sunday at the Seoul International Park in Los Angeles, California. The yearly free festival celebrates the ‘Korean wave’ known as Hallyu. The organizing Los Angeles Korean Festival Foundation emphasized that the event not only showcases Korean culture but also provides an arena for various cultures within LA to come together. Over 300,000 people are anticipated to come to this year’s event. During the four days, the visitors

Putting behind the 10-day holiday, South Koreans are flocking back to the capital city of Seoul on Monday from their respite at provincial hometowns and overseas vacation spots. The extended holiday, which started on Sept. 30, is set to end on Monday. Workers and students return to workplaces and schools on Tuesday.Seoul Station and Yongsan Station, the main train stations linking the capital city with local areas, are busy with foot traffic of people returning to Seoul, Monday.A record number o

From Jay-Z and Eminem to Kendrick Lamar, the biggest names in hip-hop rap in English – naturally, given that the genre was born in the US. And as most Korean rappers cite American influence, their style inevitably reflects this, with a lot of their lyrics either being in English or using English words. But a few are resisting the temptation, writing rhymes exclusively in Korean.“If hip-hop music starts from wanting to express oneself as he or she is, I thought it was only natural that a Korean w

Unregulated content in internet broadcasting grabs viewers, but some stray into criminal territory

With a wave of films, television series and art shows championing "gender fluidity" -- and catwalks awash with "gender neutral" models and clothes -- the old dividing line between the sexes is being increasingly called into question.But as the blurring of boundaries has gone from the margins to being a progressive cause, the political temperature of the debate has risen sharply.Gender fluidity has become a hot-button issue in the culture wars between liberals and conservatives, often reduced to

The Japanese publisher of Nagasaki-born Kazuo Ishiguro said Friday it would republish eight of the British author's books in translation, reporting "a huge number of orders" after he won the Nobel Literature Prize.Ishiguro left Japan when he was five and moved to Britain, only returning to visit his native land as an adult three decades later.Japan had been pinning its hopes on its best-known novelist Haruki Murakami to win the Nobel Prize but eagerly claimed a link to the  British winner with J

Listening to K-pop through digital media is no longer enough for many K-pop fans, as they are now demanding contact, either direct or indirect, with the stars in real life. Catering to those needs, major Korean agencies have been establishing multimedia complexes where fans can indulge in K-pop in ways other than music.  G-Dragon appears on a promotion video of Jeju Shinhwa Wolrd (Jeju Shinhwa World)At the forefront of this new K-pop business is YG Entertainment, which is preparing to launch a t

Long Chuseok holiday a perfect time to explore artists’ interpretation of history

Historic palaces in Seoul, one of the core tourism sites in the capital city, are seriously lacking in the number of staff in charge of interpretation. Only 12 staff were able to offer foreign language services at Gyeongbokgung, where more than 2.8 million tourists visited in 2016, Cultural Heritage Administration data released Monday indicated.  Gyeongbokgung (Yonhap)Changdeokgung, where 532,000 people stopped by in the same year, had 16 staff. Deoksugung and Changgyeonggung, with roughly 278,0

Designer Damyeon is concerned about future of traditional dress as hanbok are increasingly sidelined as novelty wear, seen mainly on dramas or in rental shops in exaggerated form

With a long Chuseok holiday starting this Saturday, it’s almost certain that roads and highways will be jam-packed with honking cars. Rather than stress out sitting in crawling traffic, there is another option for a getaway: Hop on the subway, roam around Seoul and visit places you’ve never been. For your convenience, The Korea Herald has sorted Seoul attractions that are reachable by subway.K-pop hot spots  K-Live (Korea Tourism Organization)For fans of K-pop, there are spots around Seoul where