In 'Dark Nuns,' Song Hye-kyo finds freedom in measured horror

Small screen goddess ventures into supernatural thriller with measured swagger With a slight smile forming, Song Hye-Kyo says, "I'm actually more of a realist, so not really into the supernatural stuff." "I did try tarot though," she adds. The observation comes with her characteristic nonchalance as she sits in a quiet cafe in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, her silhouette emanating an understated elegance that feels less calculated than innate. This sense of earned confidence, born of decades of experie

Jan. 22, 2025

Busan Agu, traditional seafood gem in heart of Sinsa-dong

Neighborhood staple since 1980 Nestled in the trendy, bustling neighborhood of Sinsa-dong in Seoul, Busan Agu has been a staple of seafood lovers for more than 45 years. Known for its signature dish, agwi jjim,or braised monkfish with bean sprouts and slathered in spicy seasoning, the restaurant has garnered a loyal following despite the neighborhood's transformation into a hub of modern and often experimental dining. Busan Agu stands out for its ordinary interior, which contrasts sharply with t

Jan. 22, 2025

'Unsuk Chin Edition' wins 2025 ICMA contemporary music category

'With six large-scale works spanning two decades of her output, this edition is also the most comprehensive and faithful portrait of one of the essential musical authors of the first quarter of the 21st century,' ICMA writes. The "Unsuk Chin Edition," a comprehensive recording of works by Korean composer Chin Unsuk performed by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, has won the 2025 International Classical Music Award in the category for contemporary music. The ICMA jury praised the recording for "c

Jan. 22, 2025

Passports for Korean heritage site tours soar in popularity

250,000 passports to be available this year Passports that can be stamped at historical sites in Korea are more popular than ever, prompting the Korea Heritage Service to issue a total of 250,000 passports this year, double the number available last year. The government agency said applications for the passports will open online at the Korea Heritage Agency website at 2 p.m. on the 10th and 20th of each month, starting February. Applications for each session will close when 10,000 passports have

Jan. 22, 2025

Korea seeks to host first UNESCO meeting in 2026

Heritage agency to enhance protection of natural heritage in 2025 The Korean government is planning to host an annual UNESCO meeting on world heritage next year, the Korea Heritage Service said, announcing other major initiatives set to begin this year. The Korea Heritage Service, the agency in charge of heritage management, believes that convening a meeting of the 21-member World Heritage Committee to discuss how best to manage artifacts around the world would boost the global profile of Korea,

Jan. 22, 2025

Hit webtoon 'Stagtown' to be made into film

Naver Webtoon rides wave of popular big-screen adaptations Popular horror series "Stagtown" will be expanding from phone screens to the big screen with its own live-action adaptation, Naver Webtoon announced Wednesday. "Stagtown" was discovered through Naver Webtoon’s global amateur creator platform, Canvas. Since its official 2021 serialization on the company's English-language platform Webtoon, the series gained significant popularity in North America, surpassing 18 million views. The story fo

Jan. 22, 2025

Behind new works: Where does inspiration come from?

ARKO's selections inspired by true events, novels, movies, reflecting deep contemplation on artists, forms of art For 17 years, Arts Council Korea, a government-funded organization dedicated to fostering artistic creativity and cultural exchange, has served as a platform showcasing new works of performing arts headlined under ARKO Selection. Starting this month, 31 productions will be staged at venues across Seoul throughout the year, presenting fresh perspectives and innovation. The second batc

Jan. 22, 2025

[Herald Gallery] Reflective III

Seojung Art Seoul, located in Gangnam-gu, is hosting the two-person exhibition, "Earth, Consuming Myth," featuring Gee Song (born 1980) and Dakyo Oh (born 1991). The exhibition highlights Oh’s focus on the energy drawn from nature, such as soil and sand, alongside Song’s continued surrealistic works, which overlap and rearrange images of architecture and natural objects. The two artists organically intersect in exploring the significance of "earth" as a symbolic marker of both life’s origins and

Jan. 22, 2025

Seoul's ambitious ballet gamble

Sejong Center for the Performing Arts 2025 lineup features largest-ever in-house productions Seoul Metropolitan Ballet, established last year as Korea's first and only public contemporary ballet company, enters its second year with an ambitious goal: establishing itself as a cornerstone of contemporary ballet on the global stage. “The greatest challenge over the past year was building the company’s own repertoire,” said Ahn Ho-sang, CEO of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, during a pres

Jan. 22, 2025

Celebrate Seollal with traditional games at amusement parks

Amusement parks across Korea offer festive activities and discounts for the Lunar New Year holiday Amusement parks in Korea are preparing a variety of events to celebrate the Lunar New Year holiday Seollal. Seoul Land announced Tuesday that it will host the "Jijigo Bokgo Alley Playground" event in the park's Samchulli Hill area from Jan. 25 to 30. In this nostalgic alley, guests can enjoy photo zones wearing retro costumes and play traditional games such as ttakji-chigi (paper tile flipping) and

Jan. 22, 2025

Director Hong Sang-soo's latest makes sixth straight Berlinale run

South Korean arthouse icon Hong Sang-soo's latest feature "What Does Nature Say to You" will compete at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, which opens Feb. 13 in Berlin. This is Hong's sixth consecutive Berlinale nomination. The auteur has had a notable presence at Berlinale. "On the Beach at Night Alone" earned Kim Min-hee Best Actress in 2017, "The Woman Who Ran" won Best Director in 2020, "Introduction" received Best Screenplay in 2021, "The Novelist's Film" claimed the Grand Jury P

Jan. 22, 2025

SeMA director Choi Eun-ju looks beyond Seoul

Seoul's city-run museum to hold exhibition in Abu Dhabi in May Seoul Museum of Art Director Choi Eun-ju has been a trailblazer as a curator and museum director. As soon as she came into office at the museum run by the city of Seoul two years ago, she thought of where the 36-year-old museum was in the history of Korean contemporary art. “As a director, you have to set a direction for the museum," Choi told The Korea Herald on Monday at Seoul Museum of Art. “Let’s say Seoul Museum of Art, there sh

Jan. 21, 2025

G-Dragon, star producer to work on solo entertainment show

'Infinite Challenge' veterans reunite on show to air on MBC, Disney+ K-pop icon G-Dragon is set to shine in his first-ever solo entertainment show, "Good Day," a high-octane variety show with a star-studded guest roster that includes K-pop girl group aespa, actors Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Go-eun as well as celebrity chef Ahn Sung-jae. It is to be helmed by star producer Kim Tae-ho, known for his long-standing collaborations with G-Dragon on "Infinite Challenge," including memorable appearances in th

Jan. 21, 2025

Decade of bridging cultures: ACC unveils ambitious anniversary lineup

National institute to offer much-anticipated exhibitions, performances to mark 10th year “I wasn’t there in Gwangju” on May 18, 1980. This is a true statement for most people, whether they weren't yet born or have only heard secondhand about the Gwangju Democratic Uprising -- the pro-democracy movement that was brutally put down by the military -- through the novel "Human Acts" by Han Kang, last year's winner of the Nobel Prize in literature. Aiming to bridge that temporal gap, an interactive pe

Jan. 21, 2025

'The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call,' adrenaline-charged twist on medical genre

Director emphasizes fictional nature of medical drama series amid doctors' strike Ju Ji-hoon, known for his lead roles in K-drama juggernauts like Disney+'s "Light Shop" and Netflix's "Kingdom," will step into scrubs to play a heroic doctor battling life-or-death crises in his latest venture, "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call." Adapted from a massively popular webtoon, the series follows the story of genius surgeon Kang-hyuk (Ju) as he navigates pulse-pounding emergencies. Speaking Tuesday at a p

Jan. 21, 2025