Topping off a savory meal with something sweet has become a commonplace ritual all over the world.　But long before cafes or bakeries flooded the streets of Korea, sweets were not used as desserts but rather spotlighted on their own, according to Lee Sun-mi, professor of Korean traditional cuisine at Sookmyung Women’s University’s Korean Food Institute.　 A plate of ripe persimmon and red bean paste (left) and iced yuja tea at Cafe Noshi (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)“Korean confectionaries, or

Conductor Chung Myung-whun shakes hands with Italian Ambassador to Korea Marco della Seta after receiving the Order of the Star of Italy at a ceremony held at the ambassador's residence in Seoul on Thursday. The order is conferred by the president of Italy in recognition of a person's contributions to promoting friendly ties between Italy and other countries. (Yonhap)

Korean-American star Daniel Dae Kim spoke up Wednesday regarding his departure from the long-running CBS drama “Hawaii Five-0,” reportedly due to pay inequality.　Last Friday, entertainment trade magazine Variety reported that Kim and his co-star Grace Park, a Canadian-American actress of Korean heritage, were exiting the police-action show after seven years, having failed to reach an agreement with CBS on pay equality with their white co-stars Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan.　“Though I have made

Comedian Kim Young-chul accompanied President Moon Jae-in on the presidential jet headed to Berlin for the G20 Summit.Kim Young-chul performs at a luncheon for overseas Koreans living in Berlin on Wednesday, local time. (Instagram)Kim performed at a luncheon Wednesday attended by some 200 Koreans living in Germany.Comedian Kim Young-chul (Herald Pop)Kim comically sang his recently released song “Ring Ring” but barely incited laughter from the crowd, according to reports.(doo@heraldcorp.com)

“I used to put on makeup and wear clothes with so much color. I dyed my hair every color. I wondered if the public would still like me if I took all that away,” said Lee on the inspiration behind the title of her latest album, “Black,” at a press conference in Seoul Tuesday.Lee wrote the lyrics for eight of the 10 tracks on the album. She also participated in the composition of eight songs. Lee Hyo-ri (Yonhap)Lee Hyo-ri (Yonhap)“People have always loved me for smiling and being bright,” she said

Song Joong-ki has been offered a role in “Kingdom,” an upcoming Netflix series penned by writer Kim Eun-hee.“We have made an offer to Song, but nothing has been decided for certain as of yet,” an official at the series’ production company A Story said.Song’s management agency Blossom Entertainment also said that nothing had been decided regarding the actor’s appearance in the series.Song Joong-ki (Yonhap)“Kingdom,” which will be streamed on Netflix, is an eight-episode zombie series set in the J

Polish cartoons and works by Japanese masters will color the city this month at the 21st edition of the Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival. 　The annual event, set for July 26-30 this year, will open with the Polish-English animation “Loving Vincent” and showcase, for the first time worldwide, the trilogy of films by legendary Japanese science fiction writer Keikaku Ito.　The festival, which celebrates animated films from all over the world, will take place at the SETEC convention ce

The second woman who sued K-pop singer-actor Park Yoo-chun for sexual assault was declared not guilty Wednesday of wrongful accusations against Park. 　“It is difficult to ascertain that the defendant brought a suit against (Park) based on false facts, or that she damaged his reputation,” the court announced at the end of the first trial. “It is a case where there is no evidence of the criminal counts charged,” the court said. 　The woman, surnamed Song, was charged with falsely accusing Park of s

Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo, who had repeatedly denied rumors they were dating, announced Wednesday through a joint statement written from their management agencies that they are to wed on Oct. 31. Blossom Entertainment and UAA confirmed the reports in an early morning announcement. Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo attend the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards in June, 2016. (Yonhap)“Since marriage is also between families -- as well as between individuals -- they had to be careful. ... The two had to b

Period drama “The King Loves” traces the turbulent love triangle and identity struggle involving an interracial Korean king, with two lead actors who have transitioned from careers in K-pop to acting.　The MBC drama, which premieres on July 17, stars Im Si-wan as Goryeo prince Wang Won, Korea’s first royalty of mixed heritage whose mother was the daughter of Kublai Khan, a Mongolian emperor and the founder of Yuan dynasty in China.　Girls’ Generation’s Yoona plays fictional character Eun San, the

Actress Kim Soo-hyun, known as Claudia Kim to the international audience, will be starring in the sequel to the Warner Bros. film “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.”Kim will star as a young woman introduced as an attraction at a wizarding circus, according to reports.The actress, who is fluent in English, previously starred in Hollywood films such as “The Dark Tower” (2017) and “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015). Claudia Kim (Artist’s Facebook)The film is the second flick to be based on J.

Actor Cha In-pyo will venture into Hollywood as both an actor and producer in the upcoming film “Heavenquest: A Pilgrim’s Progress.” The film is co-produced by TKC Pictures, a film production company and management agency established by Cha, and the US-based King Street Pictures.　The film, based on John Bunyan’s 1678 novel “The Pilgrim’s Progress,” is an action fantasy flick.　At its helm is rookie American director Matt Bilen. The film will begin shooting in Los Angeles and northern California.

The tvN crime thriller series “Stranger” starring Bae Doo-na and Jo Seung-woo reached a viewership of 5.1 percent Saturday.The show is receiving favorable reviews for its airtight plot, gripping sequences and strong performances.  Bae Doo-na in "Stranger" (tvN) Jo Seung-woo in "Stranger" (tvN)Jo stars as Hwang Si-mok, a cold-blooded loner prosecutor who is unable to feel emotions. Bae plays Han Yeo-jin, a passionate police investigator seeking to uncover the murder of a prosecutor. “Stranger” ai