2024 BICOF to kick off focused on international exchanges in comics

The Bucheon International Comics Festival, one of the largest comics events in the nation, is slated to commence its four-day run from Oct. 3 to Oct. 6, with this year's festival placing a special emphasis on fostering international exchanges in comics. The 2024 BICOF will kick off with an opening ceremony at 4 p.m., Oct, 3, at Korea Manhwa Museum in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. The ceremony will include the Bucheon Comics Awards, an event which annually honors popular Korean comics. Accordi

CultureSept. 10, 2024

Cho Seong-jin, Lim Yunchan to play with world-renowned orchestras this winter in Korea

Before the year's end, world-renowned orchestras will come to South Korea and collaborate with two of the country’s most sought-after pianists: Cho Seong-jin and Lim Yunchan. Cho will take the stage with the Vienna Philharmonic from Austria in October and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra from Germany in November. The Vienna Philharmonic is to visit the country for a fourth consecutive year, this time under the baton of Andris Nelsons. The orchestra will hold concerts at the Seo

CultureSept. 10, 2024

‘Officer Black Belt’ explores world of probation officers

Netflix original film “Officer Black Belt” explores the world of probation officers -- a little covered topic in Korea -- with witty comedy and thrilling action sequences. This coming-of-age comedy action “Officer Black Belt” revolves around Lee Jung-do (Kim Woo-bin) who has exceptional martial arts skills and goes on to assist probation officer Kim Sun-min (Kim Sung-kyun). The two pair up to keep an eye on criminals wearing ankle monitors. Director Jason Kim (“Midn

FilmSept. 10, 2024

K-content industry should focus on diverse monetization opportunities: industry expert

The Korean content industry should seek out ways to diverse monetizing opportunities, experts told a global conference on streaming industries in Asia. Speaking at the conference titled "Korea in View" held Aug. 29, Marianne Lee, chief of content acquisition and development at streaming platform Viu, said the content industry in Korea is going through a "correction period," in which the industry is now struggling to keep up with soaring production costs, which have risen four

TelevisionSept. 10, 2024

Nicolas Bourriaud reinterprets Korea's pansori for audiences globally

GWANGJU -- The 15th edition of the Gwangju Bienanle, which kicked off on Saturday in Gwangju, in Korea's southwest, presents “Pansori, a soundscape of the 21st century" as its theme, featuring 72 artists. Behind this theme of reinterpreting pansori -- a traditional Korean form of musical storytelling accompanied by a drummer -- is French curator Nicolas Bourriaud. Asia’s prestigious biennale has maintained its foundation in the "Gwangju Spirit," also known as the

Arts & DesignSept. 10, 2024

South Gyeongsang Province inks deals for international, local investments

The South Gyeongsang Province government has signed multiple memorandums of understanding with international and local firms in the defense, aviation, industrial and automobile parts sectors for investments in the province's industrial zones. Delegations for the province, headed by Gov. Park Wan-su, visited European countries including Poland and Czech Republic to elicit cooperation with companies that have expanded their operations into the region. On Sept. 2 in the Polish capital Warsaw,

PeopleSept. 10, 2024

27 years later, reformed boy thief leaves 'I'm sorry' note at temple

A Buddhist monk's tolerance toward a boy who stole from a temple led the boy to become a better person, a man who had stolen from a temple's offering box 27 years ago wrote in a letter of gratitude he sent to the temple recently. Tongdosa, a temple of the Jogye Order, has revealed that its monks recently found a letter with 2 million won ($1,490) inside the temple's offering box. The letter writer identified himself as having stolen money from the temple 27 years earlier, but

PeopleSept. 10, 2024

Jung Hae-in says he felt no pressure to match ‘Veteran’ performance in ‘I, the Executioner’

Jung Hae-in of “I, the Executioner” said he didn’t feel under pressure to match up to Yoo Ah-in’s portrayal of ruthless villain Jo Tae-oh in the film’s prequel “Veteran,” despite the huge buzz Jo created in the 2015 original. Filmmaker Ryoo Seung-wan’s upcoming action blockbuster -- also known as “Veteran 2” -- picks up the story of veteran detective Seo Do-chul (Hwang Jung-min) nine years after the first installment, as he is joined by

FilmSept. 10, 2024

Taiwanese author Kevin Chen says literature liberates our souls

“I am a failed writer who wrote a novel about failure. (But) I hope that through this book, those who have failed can live a bit more freely. I want to tell them that it’s okay to cry loudly if it’s hard,” said Kevin Chen, or Chen Shih-hung, the award-winning Taiwanese author, during an interview with reporters in Seoul on Monday. Currently based in Berlin, he is also a columnist, translator and actor. Chen, visiting Korea for the first time, participated in a talk progra

BooksSept. 10, 2024

Jeju Biennale to reveal history of 'drifting'

The fourth edition of Jeju Biennale will take place across the island from Nov. 26 to Feb. 16 under the theme “The Drift of Apagi: The Way of Water, Wind and Stars,” touching on the identity of the island. Lee Jong-hoo, artistic director of the Jeju Biennale and director of Jeju Museum of Art, drew upon the “drift” theme to explore diverse aspects of the island, encompassing its culture, environment, migration and refugee history. “Jeju Biennale is relatively less

Arts & DesignSept. 9, 2024

Fredrik Backman on the power of humor to connect people

"This is a very uncomfortable situation for me," Fredrik Backman admitted candidly to reporters on Saturday. "When I leave here, I'll probably spend the next few days thinking, ‘I shouldn’t have said that,’ or, ‘That was a stupid answer.’ ... But I know I'm learning from these situations. One day, a moment like this will become a character in a book." The celebrated Swedish author of "A Man Called Ove" is currently visiting Ko

BooksSept. 9, 2024

Claudia Pineiro on literature as mirror reflecting society's shadows and struggles

Renowned authors from around the world are in Seoul for the 2024 Seoul International Writers' Festival, organized by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, which kicked off Friday. Among the distinguished guests are Argentinian author Claudia Pineiro, a 2022 International Booker Prize finalist for her novel “Elena Knows,” and Swedish novelist Fredrik Backman, best known for his global bestseller “A Man Called Ove.” Pineiro is often described as one of Argenti

BooksSept. 9, 2024

[Herald Interview] Amit Ulman’s ‘The City’ turns cult theater play into hip-hop-inspired film noir

JECHEON, North Chungcheong Province – In Amit Ulman’s “The City,” a cynical detective named Joe is visited by mysterious nightclub singer Sarah on a stormy night. Following her request to help investigate her sister’s disappearance, Joe navigates complicated and suspicious circumstances with gangs, killers and corrupt police -- as well as Sarah. While the 81-minute movie sticks to a typical film noir formula popular in the 1940s and '50s, a stylish crime flick

FilmSept. 9, 2024

Park Chan-wook receives Golden Bird Prize at Seoul International Drama Awards 2024

Auteur Park Chan-wook clinched the Golden Bird Prize at this year's Seoul International Drama Awards for his significant impact on the drama industry with "The Sympathizer," according to the awards organizing committee on Monday. Seoul International Drama Awards, hosted annually by the SDA organizing committee and the Korean Broadcasters Association since 2006, celebrates outstanding achievements in drama series from around the world. This year’s awards ceremony logged a rec

TelevisionSept. 9, 2024

Seoul Fashion Week still has work to do

For the last 24 years, Seoul Fashion Week has been the face of the fashion landscape Korea wants to project onto the fashion world -- one that is as fresh in creative aesthetics as it is powerful in demonstrating timeless beauty. Still, local designers need to be empowered with more financial as well as administrative support to help achieve the decades-old mission, fashion experts said Monday, calling for more active support from the Seoul Metropolitan Government -- the host of Seoul Fashion We

Arts & DesignSept. 9, 2024

Flower festivals around the country welcome fall

With the days getting shorter, a crisp breeze in the morning and late at night, one can feel fall is just around the corner. Fall flower events around the country are a sure sign of the arrival of autumn. Starting Friday, Hadong -- a small county in South Gyeongsang Province -- will begin its 17-day cosmos flower festival, attracting tourists with cosmos, buckwheat and other hands-on agricultural programs. This annual fall festival is the earliest fall event featuring a fall flower in South Kore

TravelSept. 9, 2024

Chin Unsuk, Lim Yunchan recordings shortlisted for Gramophone Awards

The recordings of South Korean composer Chin Unsuk and pianist Lim Yunchan have been shortlisted for the 2024 Gramophone Classical Music Awards. Their albums were among a total of 33 recordings in the 11 categories -- three per category -- shortlisted for the award. In the piano category, Lim’s two albums have made the shortlist: "Liszt: Transcendental Etudes" and his debut album "Chopin: Etudes." "The Liszt Transcendental Etudes" contains Lim’s semifi

CultureSept. 9, 2024

Diva Gheorghiu's encore interruption diminishes the magic of 'Tosca'

A well-executed production featuring top opera singers ended on a sour note. On Sunday, the audience at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul erupted in applause and cheers after tenor Kim Jae-hyung's powerful rendition of the iconic aria "E lucevan le stelle" (When the stars were brightly shining) in Puccini's "Tosca," produced by the Seoul Opera Company. Kim, also known as Alfred Kim, was onstage for his second performance as Cavaradossi, Tosca's

CultureSept. 9, 2024

[Herald Interview] Kim Myung-min takes cue from 'The Godfather' for 'Your Honor'

Veteran actor Kim Myung-min said he drew inspiration from the iconic American gangster film "The Godfather" while portraying the crime lord in the hit series "Your Honor." "Your Honor," an adaptation of the Israeli series "Kvodo," follows Judge Pan-ho (played by Son Hyun-joo), who seeks to cover up a murder committed by his son, and Gang-heon (played by Kim), a merciless crime lord who is determined to uncover the truth behind his son's murder. The se

TelevisionSept. 9, 2024

[Reporter’s Notebook] Why are so many districts in Seoul hopped up on beer fests?

With the growing trend of beer festivals across Seoul, many districts are joining the movement, with Seorim Happiness Beer Festival in Gwanak-gu and Baekmaek Festival in Gangbuk-gu having concluded their two-day events on Saturday. By the end of this year, over half of Seoul’s 25 districts will have hosted or sponsored beer festivals, reflecting a wider city initiative to boost nightlife and promote local food culture. While beer festivals have long been popular in regions with cultural ti

TravelSept. 8, 2024