Ashfall (Korea) Opened Dec. 19 Drama, Action Directed by Lee Hae-jun, Kim Byeong-seo Paektusan, the highest mountain on the Korean Peninsula and a dormant volcano, comes out of its slumber and undergoes the biggest eruption in recorded history. South Korean operative Capt. Jo In-chang (Ha Jung-woo) and North Korean spy Lee Jun-pyeong (Lee Byung-hun) are sent on a covert operation to save the...

“Forbidden Dream” is a period piece about King Sejong of Joseon and his inventor Jang Yeong-sil that focuses on the personal relationship between the two that share a dream. Han Suk-kyu, playing King Sejong for the second time in his career, said he approached the role by looking at how he was brought up. “I thought a lot about how his mother would have been, because parents have immense influe...

Of all the retro K-pop stars of the 1990s reemerging in recent years, Yang Joon-il is perhaps the least expected. For one thing, not many people liked him even back then. But the 50-year-old Korean-American returned to the country Friday after a decades-long hiatus, set to hold his first fan meeting event over 30 years after debuting in 1991. The event “A gift by Yang Joon-il” will be held on De...

Coex Aquarium announced this week the birth of a baby Humboldt penguin, marking the first time a Korean facility has succeeded in natural breeding for a fourth straight generation. The newly born bird was the fourth generation from 20 Humboldt penguins the aquarium acquired in 2008, and was revealed to the public for the first time Wednesday. Officials at the aquarium noted that natural breedin...

Little Prince Starlight Festival of Petite France (1) The sixth Little Prince Starlight Festival of Petite France will be held at the Petite France Park in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, until Feb. 29. The annual festival is inspired by the southern French town of Montpellier. In addition to beautiful lighting at night, another highlight is the 30-meter light tunnel installed next to a round stru...

Frozen 2 (US) Opened Nov. 27 Animation, Adventure, Comedy Directed by Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee Anna (Kristen Bell), Elsa (Idina Menzel), Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), Olaf (Josh Gad) and Sven leave Arendelle to travel to an ancient forest in an enchanted land. They set out to find the origin of Elsa’s powers in order to save their kingdom. Jumanji: The Next Level (US) Opened Dec. 11 Action,...

South Korean cinema has always been strong on drama, but it has never really managed to produce a decent big-budget disaster film. “Exit” earlier this year was a pleasant surprise, but it was more of an action-comedy hybrid than a disaster film. “Ashfall” is not a masterpiece by any standard, but directors Lee Hae-jun and Kim Byeong-seo managed to create a decent disaster film that is up to stan...

Oscar Wilde once said, “A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.” These words echo through the story of King Sejong of Joseon and his trusted inventor Jang Yeong-sil, who aspired to that which was beyond the realm of their reality, and believed in their dreams despite what the world said. Director Hur Jin-...

Music, aesthetics and other aspects of Korean culture will be the main features of the 10th Korea Grand Sale, its organizers said Tuesday. The Visit Korea Committee announced the details of the annual event, which runs Jan. 16 through Feb. 29 and offers benefits and cultural opportunities to foreign visitors. The focal point of next year’s event will be the special five-point promotion of “K-po...

Director Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” has been short-listed for the Oscar for best international feature film, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Monday. The Palme d’Or-winning black comedy has now advanced to the next round of voting in the category -- formerly known as foreign language film -- to compete with nine other films: the “The Painted Bird” by Vaclav Marhoul from t...

‘Aida’ bids farewell, ‘Mamma Mia!’ returns and ‘Jamie’ gets Asian premiere With the year winding to a close, local production companies and theaters have been announcing the musicals set for the stage next year, with lineups including licensed international hits and locally brewed shows alike. Last month, Seensee Company launched a local production of “Aida,” which will continue through Feb. 23...

[Honestly, Choi Jeong-yeol’s “Start-up” is a film that I would’ve loved to like. The film had such loveable characters and felt so likeable, yet both the narrative and comedy kept falling short. Perhaps the best way to describe it is that it is a poor-man’s version of “Exit,” a 2019 action comedy which blended just a hint of drama with three tablespoons of suspense, two cups of laughter, awesome...

Frozen 2 (US) Opened Nov. 27 Animation, Adventure, Comedy Directed by Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee Anna (Kristen Bell), Elsa (Idina Menzel), Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), Olaf (Josh Gad) and Sven leave Arendelle to travel to an ancient forest in an enchanted land. They set out to find the origin of Elsa’s powers in order to save their kingdom. Jumanji: The Next Level (US) Opened Dec. 11 Action,...

Former President Park Chung-hee, a man who ruled over South Korea with an iron fist for 18 years, is a highly divisive figure in the country’s history. So is his right-hand man and eventual assassin, Kim Jae-gyu. The upcoming film “The Man Standing Next,” starring Lee Byung-hun and directed by Woo Min-ho, offers what its creators say is a faithful depiction of the 40 days leading up to the presi...

Little Prince Starlight Festival of Petite France The sixth Little Prince Starlight Festival of Petite France will be held at the Petite France Park in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, until Feb. 29. The annual festival is inspired by the southern French town of Montpellier. In addition to lighting decorations at night, one highlight is the 30-meter-long light tunnel installed next to a round struc...