Top musical acts vie for top honors at 9th Korea Musical Awards

Competition at the 9th Korea Musical Awards will be fierce, with musical big-names Kim Jun-su, Jo Jung-suk, Michael Lee, Yoo Jun-sang, Lim Gyu-hyung and Hong Kwang-ho eyeing the award for best male actor. The Korea Musical Theater Association unveiled the nominees for the awards, slated for January next year, during a press conference held at the Artist House in Seoul on Monday. A total of 81 musical productions were considered for the nominations. In the grand prize category are "Gloomy

Dec. 16, 2024

‘May 1980 saved December 2024’: DP floor leader invokes Han Kang to persuade lawmakers

As South Korean lawmakers prepared to vote for a second time on impeaching President Yoon Suk Yeol, questions posed by this year's winner of the Nobel Prize in literature, Han Kang, took center stage -- “Can the present save the past? Can the living save the dead?” During Saturday's plenary session at the National Assembly, Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, referenced Han Kang’s Dec. 7 lecture as he presented the case for impeaching Preside

Dec. 15, 2024

KBS orchestra to round out year with Pietari Inkinen

Pietari Inkinen, the KBS Symphony Orchestra’s ninth music director, is set to bid farewell with the last regular concerts of the year set to take place on Dec. 21 at Lotte Concert Hall and Dec. 24 at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall. The Finish conductor and violinist will conclude his three-year tenure, with a program featuring Beethoven's “Choral Fantasy” and “Symphony No. 9.” Beethoven’s “Choral Fantasy in C minor, Op. 80” is a unique wor

Dec. 15, 2024

Upside down and back in time

A Taste of Britain in Seoul Tucked away in an Euljiro alley, where old buildings, high-rise towers, and a variety of eateries coexist, there’s a cozy, inviting space that’s easy to miss if you’re not paying attention. Follow a small, modest sign, climb a narrow staircase, and you’ll find yourself in

Dec. 13, 2024

Nine in 10 Koreans use streaming platforms, with YouTube dominating

Nearly nine in 10 Koreans have used over-the-top video platforms in the past year, according to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency, Thursday. The survey revealed that 4,495 of the 5,033 survey respondents, or 89.3 percent, reported using OTT platforms in the past year. Among these platforms, YouTube had the highest rate of usage, reportedly viewed by 84.9 percent of respondents. Among subscription platforms, Netflix led the way

Dec. 13, 2024

From protest songs to K-pop, generations unite through ‘protest playlist’

Nationwide protests calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment have brought a notable change from previous demonstrations: a connection across generations through music. Recent protests have seen a wide range of music transcending generational boundaries. Shared through platforms like YouTube and X, the so-called "protest playlist" includes everything from K-pop hits beloved by younger Koreans, to traditional protest songs that were the anthems of the democratization moveme

Dec. 12, 2024

Global Biz Forum discusses perspectives on how to spread happiness, navigate challenges

Sean, best known as one half of hip-hop duo Jinusean, as well as Lee Hee-bum, minister of commerce, industry and energy from 2003 to 2006 and currently the chair of Booyoung Group, shared their perspectives on navigating global and local challenges at the Global Business Forum on Wednesday. The GBF, organized by The Korea Herald, serves as a platform for experts from various fields, including business leaders, diplomats and public figures. The forum convenes weekly to foster insightful discussio

Dec. 12, 2024

Nobel Prize winner Han Kang hopes 'Human Acts' will be access road to understanding Gwangju uprising

Han Kang, this year's laureate of the Nobel Prize in literature, hopes her novel "Human Acts" will be an access road to understanding the May 18, 1980, pro-democracy people's uprising in Gwangju to many people. "I was all the more cautious since this novel depicts a real incident," the South Korean author said during a meeting with Korean reporters at a publishing house in Stockholm on Wednesday (local time). "I hoped this book would be something like an access

Dec. 12, 2024

[Herald Gallery] Serenity 24-002-007

Gallery Joeun in Yongsan-gu is hosting a solo exhibition by Seong YeonHwa (born 1986) through Jan. 4, 2025. This marks the artist’s 9th solo exhibition, featuring 25 new works centered on the theme of “identity.” The pieces reinterpret traditional Korean hanji paper and calligraphy into a unique sculptural language, capturing the harmony of lines and surfaces that connect the past and present, as well as the energy of spontaneous brushstrokes. Seong’s artistic world

Dec. 11, 2024

Chung Myung-whun’s featured violinist Lee Soo-been strives for consistent greatness

Violinist Lee Soo-been, who is set to take the stage with One Korea Orchestra under the baton of Chung Myung-whun on Sunday, said she is looking forward to collaborating with the maestro for the first time in 11 years. The 24-year-old recalled her first performance with him in 2013 for a Children‘s

Dec. 11, 2024

Hue for the year ahead? It's Mocha Mousse

The Pantone Color Institute, which has declared a Color of the Year since 2000, has chosen "Mocha Mousse" for 2025 -- a shade that evokes a sense of comfort and warmth. The institute explained that the hue for the year ahead is "an evocative soft brown that transports our senses into the pleasure and deliciousness it inspires" that could create a comfortable environment for those wanting respite from life's daily demands. The Pantone Color Institute is a US-based consu

Dec. 11, 2024

Ock Joo-hyun and Frank Wildhorn: Soulful composer meets his soulful singer in ‘Mata Hari’

K-pop idol-turned-musical actor Ock Joo-hyun has experienced events that made her wonder, “Can something like this really happen?” “That was the case with MERS, and later with COVID-19,” she noted. “When the entire nation is shaken, the arts are always hit the hardest. In a way, it’s only natural be

Dec. 10, 2024

Explore 'everyday luxury' at Craft Trend Fair 2024

The 19th edition of the Craft Trend Fair will kick off Thursday at Coex in southern Seoul, shedding light on "everyday luxury," from luxury goods crafted by artisans to items of everyday use. The four-day event, which will be held under the theme "Extraordinary Objects that Shine in My Life," is organized by Kang Jae-young, the artistic director of the 2023 Cheongju Craft Biennale. Some 280 exhibitors, including international and overseas galleries and related craft institu

Dec. 10, 2024

Violinist Sarah Chang excited about long winter recital in Korea

Violinist Sarah Chang, who will celebrate the 35th anniversary of her debut next month, is marking the occasion with a long winter recital in South Korea. She kicks off the 13-city tour on the day of her 43rd birthday, Tuesday, in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, wrapping it up on Dec. 29 in Seoul. Bringing back her winter performances in South Korea after five years, Chang said she is delighted to once again enjoy the year-end festivities with Korean audiences. “For this tour, I’ll be v

Dec. 9, 2024

[Herald Gallery] Information

At the Kukje Gallery in Jongno-gu, Seoul, a solo exhibition of Bill Viola (1951–2024), titled “Moving Stillness,” is being held until Jan. 26. This exhibition highlights the artistic world of Bill Viola, a pioneer of video art, showcasing seven of his video installations and works. Notably, the piece “Moving Stillness: Mount Rainier,” displayed in Exhibition Hall K3, explores themes of change, balance and the passage of time. Through the shimmering movement of water

Dec. 9, 2024