[Subway Stories] Old railway turns into urban park

Before the Korean War a railway connected Seoul and now North Korean city of Sinuiju, working as a main route traversing the country vertically. Eventually the two Koreas, along with railway, or Gyeongui Line, were severed, save for a section connecting Seoul and its satellite cities, known as the Gyeongui-Jungang Line. After a plan to transform the obsolete over-ground railway into an urban park launched in 2010, the park was made accessible to the general public in three phases and finally com

Nov. 27, 2022

[Photo News] UNESCO-listed historic documents

South Korea's three historic documents including Samguk Yusa, a collection of folktale and historical accounts related to the Three Kingdoms era penned by Buddhist monk Il Yeon in the year 1281, were inscribed on UNESCO’s ​Memory of the World Register for the Asia-Pacific on Saturday.

Nov. 26, 2022

[Herald Interview] German pianist Christopher Park on making connection with music

Anyone who is familiar with Korean surnames would assume that the German pianist Christopher Park has some Korean roots. And, indeed, he has. He was born to a German mother and a Korean American father in 1987, but it wasn’t until 2009 that he was able to make his first trip to South Korea. The opportunity came through a chance encounter of Park’s elementary school teacher and Pete Song, who runs a classical music production company, Pete Music, on a train in Germany in 2008. Upon he

Nov. 25, 2022

[Well-curated] High-speed thrills, cushiony pretzels and art with music

Enjoy playing racing games like Mario Kart or KartRider? At Ganghwa Luge located at Ganghwa Seaside Resort in Incheon, you can enjoy the thrill of a high-speed ride in real life. Some 50 kilometers west of Seoul, Ganghwa Luge located on the foothills of a mountain offers a spectacular view of the horizon on the West Sea. After buying tickets, make sure to pick up a safety helmet before taking the five-minute gondola ride to the starting point. Brief safety instructions are offered for first-time

Nov. 25, 2022

Cultural icons win at Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards

Korean cultural icons, including Cannes-winning director Park Chan-wook, late Korean movie star Kang Soo-youn, Cannes-winning actor Song Kang-ho, rapper Zico, idol groups aespa and Tomorrow X Together among others, were named as the winners of the 13th edition of the Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards on Thursday. The annual awards, conferred by the Korea Creative Content Agency and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, recognized individuals who created new trends in the entertainment

Nov. 24, 2022

Classical music enthusiasts the latest victims of 'piketing'

A fan of pianist Lim Yunchan took a day off from work on Nov. 16 and sat down in a PC room, hoping that the high-speed internet cafe could help her outrun the competition looking to buy tickets to a much-anticipated recital by the pianist. To prepare for the bid, she read several online posts and even signed up for a paid membership for the Seoul Art Center, where the 18-year-old pianist will take the stage on Dec. 10 for a one-time concert for about 2,400 people. As soon as the ticketing open

Nov. 23, 2022

Theater veteran discusses roots of Hallyu

Ahn Ho-sang, CEO of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, said Hallyu’s power comes from the artistic uniqueness of Korean people and fierce competition. Delivering a lecture titled "Korean Traditional Art and K-culture" at the Singaporean Ambassador's residence in Seoul on Tuesday, the theater veteran with almost four decades of experience, said Hallyu is not likely to die down soon as it is beginning to be recognized as a distinctive genre. "I think that the essenc

Nov. 23, 2022

Will Korean content get the green light in China?

The news of the release of South Korean director Hong Sang-soo’s movie “Hotel by the River” on a Chinese streaming service, the first for a Korean film in six years, was met with mixed reactions among those in the local entertainment industry on Tuesday. Since China imposed a blanket ban on Korean entertainment products as part of the economic retaliation campaign following South Korea’s decision to host a US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery on its soil in 2016

Nov. 23, 2022

When gummies, Coke and ice cream become art

To enter “Haribo World,” you'll pass through multiple gates shaped like the brand's famous gummy bears. Inside a room at the end of the passage, the signature Goldbears come alive via media art that covers the entire wall, ceiling to floor. At this exhibition, currently underway at Annyeong Insa-dong's Insa Central Museum in central Seoul, the inspiration obviously is children’s and many adults’ favorite gummy -- Haribo Goldbears. Opened in October this yea

Nov. 22, 2022

[Herald Interview] Musician Yang Bang-ean aims for another peak after marking 25th anniversary

Yang Bang-ean, a composer, pianist and producer born and based in Japan who holds Korean citizenship, frequently used the words “development” or “evolution” when answering reporters' questions on Monday. When he decided to rearrange “Echoes,” which he composed in the early 2000s, for his new album, it was because he “had to develop further this personally important piece.” The 62-year-old also said he wants daily evolution and to keep showin

Nov. 21, 2022

Hitmaker Yoon Je-kyoon moved by story of independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun and his mother

After watching the musical “Hero” 10 years ago, director Yoon Je-kyoon thought that he must turn the story into a movie someday. At the time, instead of feeling proud as a Korean, the director said the story made him feel sorry for all the sacrifices that Ahn and other independence fighters had to make for the country. It took the death of his mother to get Yoon to kicks start the musical movie project. Yoon, who created “Ode to My Father" (2014) inspired by his father&#

Nov. 21, 2022

Don Lee returns with film on how K-beauty business began

After proving his competence as both producer and lead actor in the hit movie “The Roundup,” Korean American actor Don Lee -- better known as Ma Dong-seok here -- is returning with “Men of Plastic.” Lee took part in the upcoming comedy movie about how the K-beauty business began in Apgujeong in Seoul, both actor and producer again. Apgujeong, a ward in Gangnam District, is one of South Korea's most affluent districts and home to numerous plastic surgery hospitals a

Nov. 20, 2022

[Eye plus] Connecting strings, weaving tradition

“The process attracts me more than the results,” says Kim Na-yeon a spinner and weaver of Hansan ramie fabric, which is made from the plant ramie, used to make traditional summer costumes. Ramie fabric from Hansan, South Chungcheong Province, has a long tradition that goes hundreds of years, and its production process was designated as a cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011. The making process of Hansan ramie fabric starts with making strings with parts of ramie stems to weaving the

Nov. 19, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Ditto (Korea) Opened Nov. 16 Romance Directed by Seo Eun-young Set in 1999, university student Yong (Yeo Jin-goo) has just returned to school after completing his mandatory military service. There, he meets his first love, freshman Han-sol (Kim Hye-yoon). Meanwhile, Mu-nee (Cho Yi-hyun), who lives in the present day, has a secret crush on her best guy friend (Na In-woo). On a day when a total lunar eclipse becomes visible, Yong somehow communicates with Mu-nee through a walkie-talkie. Black Pa

Nov. 19, 2022

[Well-curated] Eat imperfect veggies, play with clay and delve into the history of books

With Autumn leaves starting to fall and the air getting colder, you might be looking for a unique, indoor activity to spend during the upcoming weekend. With the day of giving thanks for harvest around the corner, let's begin with how we can appreciate 'ugly' vegetables and fruits before introducing some indoor activities that can enrich your craftsmanship and knowledge.   Perfect store for imperfect veggies and fruits For those who wish to do some grocery shopping and also enjoy some delec

Nov. 18, 2022

One whole fried chicken has more than a day's worth of calories

One whole Korean-style fried chicken contains far more calories than the daily intake recommended by the World Health Organization, industry data showed Tuesday. According to a survey of 24 products from the top 10 fried chicken franchises in Korea conducted by the Korea Consumer Agency, the calorie content of one whole fried chicken ranged from 1,554 to 3,103 kilocalories. The daily recommended calorie intake is 2,000 kcals for adult women and 2,500 kcals for men. The chicken with the highest c

Nov. 15, 2022

Web drama series set in two World Heritage sites to be released

A web drama series titled "The Untold Story" set in two UNESCO heritage sites will be released Wednesday, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration. Hahoe Folk Village and Yangdong Folk Village, the two largest and well-preserved Joseon-era villages, are the backdrops for the two series. Hahoe Folk Village in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province and Yangdong Folk Village in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province were registered as UNESCO’s World Heritage sites in 2010. Andong H

Nov. 15, 2022

No need to fly: Experience Japan in Korea

Friends and couples in kimonos take pictures on streets lit by colorful paper lanterns under the eaves of Japanese-style houses and shops. Food stalls' yakitori, takoyaki and platters of beautifully arranged sashimi tempt the appetites of passersby. At a shinto shrine, people write prayers or wishes on paper strips and bamboo plaques and hang them on wooden hooks. This corner of Dongducheon, just north of Seoul, may be a picture-perfect slice of Japan, but if you came to the same spot years

Nov. 15, 2022

New online platform KLWave aims to lead literature’s Hallyu

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea on Monday announced the launch of Korea Literature Wave, an online platform linking the country’s literature and the global market. “Even though the interest in translation and Korean literature is growing, overseas publishers do not necessarily know which works to purchase, while domestic publishers do not know to whom they can sell,” Kwak Hyo-hwan, president of the LTI Korea, said during a press conference on Monday. “We h

Nov. 14, 2022

[Feature] Trending: Audio dramas offer more room for imagination

Suspenseful music is playing in the background when a voice is heard over a walkie-talkie saying “ready to shoot.” The sound of a gun reloading is followed by quiet footsteps. Then a pop of a gun and a thump of a body falling to the ground and a window shattering. Chaos ensues with ambulance sirens blaring and cars screeching to a halt. The main character, breathing laboriously, gets into a car and drives away. A few minutes later, an echo of an explosion and bullets flying everywher

Nov. 14, 2022