[Well-curated] Hop on over to high-end stationery store, Hangang dog pool and DDP new media exhibit

Point of View The Hyundai Seoul, the biggest department store in Seoul, has everything there is for anyone to spend their precious weekend. Visitors can enjoy almost 13 football fields filled with with sports facilities, contemporary retail, luxury brands, restaurants, an in-door garden and more. And of course, the department store offers a cool summer getaway with abundant air conditioning. For those who prefer to hand-write things on paper, stationery shop Point of View is one of the must-vi

CultureSept. 8, 2023

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Yulbom Botanical Garden Impatiens Flower Season, Gwangju The Impatiens Flower Festival, which kicked off on July 31, will run through Sept. 10 at Yulbom Botanical Garden in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. Flower lovers can enjoy both impatiens and sunpatiens flowers spread around the 66,000 square meter areas. As there are plenty of benches and bedsteads, visitors can relax and enjoy their break to the fullest. Visitors can dye their fingernails orange using impatiens flowers as well. Other hands-on

TravelSept. 8, 2023

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

L'Escape Hotel launches ‘Fall in Alberta, Canada: Tasteful Journey’ L’Escape Hotel offers the “Fall in Alberta, Canada: Tasteful Journey” package through Oct. 9. The package includes one-night's stay with dinner for two at the hotel’s restaurant, Palais de Chine. The menu at Palais de Chine consists of barbecue beef ribs, beef dim sum and cucumber salad with garlic sauce, using ingredients from western Canada province Alberta. The package prices st

FoodSept. 8, 2023

[Box office] Movies in theaters this week

“Sleep” (South Korea) Opened Sept. 6 Mystery/Thriller Directed by Jason Yu A pregnant Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi) finds out her husband Hyun-soo (Lee Sun-kyun) starts exhibiting strange behaviors while asleep. Overcome with anxiety that he may cause danger to the family, Soo-jin goes to great lengths to protect them and their baby. “Oppenheimer” (US) Opened Aug. 15 Drama/Thriller Directed by Christopher Nolan Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer is appointed to lead the top-secret

FilmSept. 8, 2023

Frieze alludes to helping Kiaf’s overseas expansion

Frieze hinted it is willing to cooperate with the Galleries Association of Korea if it asks for help in expanding its presence overseas. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday at Coex in southern Seoul, Frieze CEO Simon Fox and Frieze Seoul’s director Patrick Lee said, “We would always be delighted to activate Frieze with Kiaf throughout the year.” In 2022, the London-based organizer and Seoul’s leading art fair Kiaf Seoul signed a five-year partnership in a bid to en

Arts & DesignSept. 7, 2023

Art performance invites 100 participants to read newspapers on stage

Sung Neung-kyung, a 79-year-old conceptual artist known for his ongoing exploration of various mediums of communication like newspapers and photography, organized a unique performance art event on Wednesday. Sung invited a hundred foreigners to join him on stage at L'espace etnah's Lightroom Seoul hall in eastern Seoul, for a collective art performance project, where they jointly read newspapers aloud as a group performance. The Korea Herald newspapers were used for English-readers, al

PerformanceSept. 7, 2023

[Herald Interview] From his fingertips, composer and conductor Choi Jae-hyuck brings music to life

Choi Jae-hyuck, winner of the first prize in composition at the Geneva International Music Competition in 2017, is set to unveil his first organ concerto next month. Choi has been working on the piece since 2020 when he first came up with the idea to create an organ piece, after feeling captivated by the instrument. "I spent one year redoing the first page several times. After that it got easier," Choi told reporters during an interview on Tuesday. Part of the challenge stems from the

CultureSept. 7, 2023

[Herald Interview] Magical goblin twins set out on whimsical adventure

In Seoul, a 601-year-old goblin twin finds itself embarking on an unexpected Halloween adventure in New York City. The enchanting tale is brought to life in the children’s book “Goblin Twins,” written by Frances Cha and illustrated by the New York Times bestseller Jaime Kim. The book just hit the shelves Tuesday, and is published worldwide in English by Crown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books. Best known for her critically acclaimed debu

BooksSept. 7, 2023

[Herald Interview] Frieze CEO sees permeating local cultural scene as key to fair's success

As the date for the second edition of Frieze Seoul approached, museums and galleries in Seoul unveiled their plans to ensure the fair becomes the highlight of the year. At the same time, galleries and global auctioneers are exploring opportunities to establish permanent spaces within the city. “I was absolutely overwhelmed by the enthusiasm that everybody in Seoul has for Frieze Seoul, and of course for Kiaf Seoul, by the number of events that are happening around the city. It is not somet

PeopleSept. 7, 2023

Explore depths of history during 'Byeongsan Seowon Stay' in Andong

ANDONG, North Gyeongsang Province – Andong is renowned not only for its hanok, but also for its neo-Confucian academies, called "seowon," which draw visitors year after year. As a special program open to the public during the World Heritage Festival period, the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation unveiled "Byeongsan Seowon Stay," an overnight program that will be offered from Friday to Sept. 17 by reservation. The unique program o

TravelSept. 7, 2023

tvN's ‘The Sword of Aramun’ to revamp original series

"The Sword of Aramun," a fantasy series on tvN, aspires to achieve success as a sequel, featuring numerous changes compared to its original project, "Arthdal Chronicles" (2019). “I think it is safe to say that everything -- apart from Kim Ok-bin and myself, has changed,” said Jang Dong-gun, who played one of main characters and kingpin Tagon in “Arthdal Chronicles,” during a press conference on Tuesday. “I was concerned about feeling unfamiliar w

TelevisionSept. 7, 2023

London East Asia Film Festival to retrospect auteur Chung Ji-young’s works

The 2023 London East Asia Film Festival will cover the 40-year career of auteur Chung Ji-young, introducing his eight representative films to European audiences next month. The eighth edition of the festival will celebrate the director's career spanning across decades and retrospect his filmography, making it the first such event covering Chung’s works. LEAFF said the special exhibition will be part of the major section during the 12-day event. Chung will attend to introduce his works

FilmSept. 7, 2023

[Herald Interview] 'Making harmony is the same' both for Korean and Western classsical music: Year Ja-kyung

South Korean conductor Year Ja-kyung recently ventured into a new sphere of music when she took the baton for the National Orchestra of Korea, a musical ensemble that specializes in traditional Korean music, on Sept. 1. Year was the inaugural artist in NOK's "Discovery," a series that delves into traditional Korean orchestral masterpieces from the perspective of accomplished conductors who have built their own unique musical worlds. "I realized gugak has become something quit

PerformanceSept. 7, 2023

'Grimento' explores shadows of school bullying through contemporary dance

A heavy sense of suspense hangs in the air. While everyone remains seated upright in their chairs, their gazes fixed straight ahead, one figure alone brazenly perches on a desk, scanning the room like a predator. He then reclines in the chair. With a casual flick of his arm, the other chairs collapse. He continues to contort his body with an impending threat. Titled “Grimento,” a contemporary dance performance is set to wrap up this year’s 12-part Sejong Center’s summer c

PerformanceSept. 6, 2023

13th-century mother-of-pearl lacquered box returns to Korea

An approximately 800-year-old Goryeo-era "najeonchilgi," a lacquered box with an inlaid mother-of-pearl chrysanthemum and scroll design, was repatriated to Korea from Japan in July, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced at a press conference on Wednesday. Studies indicate that the box dates back to the 13th century and represents one of fewer than 20 extant pieces of Goryeo-era lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl found worldwide. Currently, the National Museum of Korea hol

CultureSept. 6, 2023

[From the Scene] Frieze Seoul cementing presence as Asian art hub

Frieze Seoul 2023 and Kiaf Seoul 2023 opened Wednesday in a calmer mood compared to last year when Frieze Seoul first launched, nonetheless attracting more collectors from Asia than before, showing signs that the city is cementing its position as an art hub in Asia. Unlike last year, a meters-long line was not seen on the first day of Frieze Seoul 2023 at Coex, southern Seoul, on Wednesday, as the organizer divided up the time slots for visitors to enter. The fair, together with Kiaf Seoul, la

Arts & DesignSept. 6, 2023

[Korean Artists of Note] Artist Woo Hannah faces constant battle with herself as artist

When artist Woo Hannah entered a new phase of her life in her mid-30s, she felt she could finally talk about femininity -- a topic she had long felt cautious about touching on. “I recently began to notice changes in my body, maybe last year. I was busy at the time and one day I was completely out of energy. I thought ‘Okay, this is no joke,’” Woo said at her studio in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul on Aug. 18. Woo, who won the inaugural artist award at Frieze Seoul in August, unveile

Arts & DesignSept. 6, 2023

Digital artist Krista Kim on Zen and healing through art, technology

Korean-Canadian artist Krista Kim seeks to evoke a sense of tranquility in her work, which she creates through the use of digital technologies. Whether viewed on a smartphone or through virtual reality goggles, the vibrant gradients Kim presents have a relaxing effect, akin to basking among the cherry blossoms. Kim captures images of lights, manipulating them using software and crafting minimalistic still images. At times, she transforms these into gradations. Her pursuit of portraying a sense

PeopleSept. 6, 2023

[Herald Interview] Chronicling KMA graduates' war in Vietnam: 'From Hill 92 to Nui Hon Ba'

The Vietnam War officially ended on April 30, 1975. From September 1964, when the South Korean government began to deploy its troops to Vietnam, to March 1973, when it completely withdrew them, the Korean Army fought alongside the US military and allied forces for over eight and a half years. Many young Koreans lost their lives. The same was true for officers who graduated from the Korea Military Academy. Their turbulent wartime experiences have been chronicled in English by Chung Youn-son, a re

BooksSept. 6, 2023

Kang Ha-neul, Jung So-min reunite as couple with amnesia in ‘30 Days’

Actors Kang Ha-neul and Jung So-min have reunited in upcoming romantic comedy “30 Days” as a couple with amnesia going through a comical divorce. "30 Days" revolves around Jung-yeol (Kang), an intelligent lawyer, and his wife Nara (Jung), who works in the film industry as a passionate producer. Despite their initial cute, idyllic newlywed life, the quirks that made them fall in love with each other eventually drive nerdy Jung-yeol and quick-tempered Nara apart. They agree t

FilmSept. 6, 2023