[Herald Interview] ‘Daily Dose of Sunshine’ director, actor say drama consoled them

Netflix original series “Daily Dose of Sunshine,” set in a psychiatric ward, has quickly spread by word of mouth since its Nov. 3 release, with many viewers praising the 12-episode series. As of Wednesday, the TV drama ranked fourth on the non-English top 10 TV chart for Netflix. It was listed among the top 10 shows in 28 regions, according to Netflix. Unlike other successful medical dramas like “Behind the White Tower” (2007), “Dr. Romantic” (2016) and &ldquo

TelevisionNov. 15, 2023

[Herald Interview] Korean team wins James Dyson Award with ‘hands-free’ IV drip

A group of Korean university students has won the top honors at The James Dyson Award, an international engineering competition for young innovators, with their unique invention -- a “hands-free” intravenous drip device. The award was launched by The James Dyson Foundation, an international charity of Sir James Dyson, the founder and chief engineer of the UK appliance giant, in 2005. The billionaire inventor handpicks the award winners every year. This is the first time that a Korean

IndustryNov. 15, 2023

[Herald Interview] UAE economy minister urges to expand business partnerships

United Arab Emirates Economy Minister Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri said he hopes to see more partnerships forged between companies from the UAE and South Korea based on the solid ties built between the two governments. "We need to see more work that happens and more announcements of agreements between companies," Al Marri said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Nov. 9. “Now, the government-to-government relationship is at the highest," the minister said, underscoring the

Foreign AffairsNov. 14, 2023

[Herald Interview] Inaugural meeting maps UNC 2.0 amid shifting security dynamics

More than 70 years have passed since the United Nations Command was forged to assist South Korea in repelling North Korea's invasion in 1950. The collective security establishment within the UN serves as the backbone of the security of the Korean Peninsula. But the time has come to discuss ways to renew its mission, which continues today amid rapidly changing security dynamics, according to the South Korean Defense Ministry, which hosted the inaugural defense ministerial meeting of UNC memb

DefenseNov. 14, 2023

[Herald Interview] Singer-songwriter Oohyo keeps her distance

Singer-songwriter Oohyo hopes to maintain a “safe distance” between music and her personal life to make relatable songs for those who tune into her songs. “I want to tell a good story through music at a safe distance. By keeping a safe distance, I mean that I want to convey an abstract but easily relatable story instead of sharing my personal experiences. I want my music to remind one of a good story,” said Oohyo in her interview with The Korea Herald. Nine years into her

K-popNov. 11, 2023

[Herald Interview] Kiss of Life continues to describe different aspects of freedom through music

Kiss of Life say they were born to be artists. Not only do they love producing music, singing and dancing, but they are also good at it. “We also have a common interest in spreading positive energy with our musical talents. We love music and we are happiest when performing on stage,” said Belle, the main vocalist of Kiss of Life. Just five months into its debut, the band has already won public recognition for its unique music style, as well as dancing and vocal talents. “We wer

K-popNov. 10, 2023

[Herald Interview] Korean 'changgeuk' meets Peking opera

The National Changgeuk Company of Korea is making a grand return to the stage with one of its most most unconventional repertoires, "Farewell My Concubine.” Premiered in the spring of 2019 and met with sold-out shows during its fall run, this "changgeuk" is a blend of traditional Korean and Peking operas, brought to life through the collaborative efforts of creative teams from Korea and Taiwan. Set in the turbulent Spring and Autumn Period in ancient China, "Farewell My

PerformanceNov. 9, 2023

[Herald Interview] South Carolina joins race to lure Korean battery makers

Amid intensifying competition among US states to attract Korean battery makers' job-creating production bases, South Carolina and its largest metropolitan region, Charleston, have put their hats in the ring to seek possible business opportunities riding high on the boom in vehicles fueled by the new energy source. “We’ve discussed potential partnerships with (some of the) Korean battery manufacturers like LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI and SK On,” said Joseph Affsprung, g

MobilityNov. 9, 2023

[Herald Interview] Through memories, Bora Jin pens ode to grandfather and Busan

Memories may fade with time, but the genuine emotions within the memories persist, Bora Jin, an author and winner of the 2022 New Korean Voice Prize, said about her debut novel, “A Prescription for You From Memory Care.” The award was launched by the New York-based Barbara J. Zitwer Agency in collaboration with the Charm Agency in Seoul to discover new voices in the Korean literary scene. After Jin's win a year ago, the book was published in August. The inspiration for the novel

BooksNov. 7, 2023

[Herald Interview] Korea-Georgia FTA, way forward to win-win diplomacy: deputy minister

A Korea-Georgia free trade agreement would bring substantial benefits for Korea and Georgia, Genadi Arveladze, the Caucasus nation's deputy minister of economy and sustainable development, told The Korea Herald on Friday, as Georgia and Korea embarked on negotiations for a comprehensive free trade agreement. “The agreement would not only help expand trade and investment but also provide a comprehensive institutional framework for a wide range of bilateral cooperation,” Arveladze

Foreign AffairsNov. 7, 2023

[Herald Interview] Merck seeks growth with Korean chipmakers

The global semiconductor industry is struggling to make ends meet amid sluggish demand and price decreases, but German technology firm Merck sees Korea, the home of the world's two largest memory chip producers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, still an attractive destination for business. “The leading players in the industry that are investing the most amount in new capacity, our Korean customers are at the top of that list. Making sure that we are continuing to engage with the leadi

TechnologyNov. 2, 2023

[Herald Interview] Journey to find her voice has brought Vittoria Yeo to peak performance

When Ji-won Yeo took to the stage in the title role for Bellini's opera "Norma" on Oct. 26, she might have been nervous. After all, despite performing just about every major role possible overseas, it was the 43-year-old's first lead role in her motherland. But the South Korean soprano, better known overseas as Vittoria Yeo, proved why she has been only taking main roles since her debut despite some doubts earlier in her career. When she decided to go study abroad in 2005,

CultureOct. 31, 2023

[Herald Interview] Korean Cultural Center in Madrid aims to extend, expand Korean culture in Spain

MADRID -- With the flourishing popularity of Korean culture, now is the time to contemplate its sustainability and expansion, according to the newly appointed director of the Korean Cultural Center in Madrid. Shin Jae-kwang, who took on the role in September, sat down with The Korea Herald for an interview at the Korean Cultural Center in Madrid on Oct. 19. He expressed his hope to not only extend the influence of K-pop and K-drama, but also to broaden the scope of Hallyu to encompass various cu

CultureOct. 30, 2023

[Herald Interview] Swiss collector Uli Sigg sees contemporary Korean art as part of global mainstream

To Swiss art collector, businessperson and former diplomat Uli Sigg, who is known for having an extensive private collection of contemporary Chinese art, collecting art in a meaningful way allows one to understand a society, and collectors supporting artists and museums enables them to develop and function better. “The most important quality a collector has to build is to find a focus that will distinguish a collection from a mere accumulation of works. I collect artworks as I find this th

Arts & DesignOct. 30, 2023

[Herald Interview] Chung Ji-young sheds light on society's forgotten in 'The Boys'

According to filmmaker Chung Ji-young, “The Boys” was originally titled “Accusation,” a stronger and more straightforward title to level accusations against authority. “Changing the title to ‘The Boys’ had to do with the message I wanted to tell through the film. I wanted to show how those with power and authority approach the isolated, poor young boys, and how ordinary people like us don’t even care about those groups of minorities,” directo

FilmOct. 30, 2023

[Herald Interview] Pleasantly surprised

Having recently made her Netflix debut in nine-part romance series “Doona!” singer and actor Suzy shared how she was blown away upon learning that the show ranked No. 6 globally among the streaming service’s TV shows. Suzy had not anticipated such global interest, feeling the show was largely based on Korean culture and so would be familiar mostly to Koreans. “I personally thought that Korean viewers would be the only ones who could easily empathize with most of the scene

TelevisionOct. 30, 2023

[Herald Interview] Hyundai Motor takes step-by-step approach in Japan

YOKOHAMA, JAPAN -- South Korea’s leading automaker Hyundai Motor aims to expand its presence in Japan with patience as the market is known for its tough-to-enter nature due to the overwhelming dominance of the country’s homegrown brands such as Honda, Nissan and Toyota. “Since we started taking orders in May last year and began to deliver cars in August, we have sold over 700 vehicles as of August this year,” said Cho Won-sang, CEO of Hyundai Mobility Japan, in an intervi

MobilityOct. 29, 2023

[Herald Interview] Saudi Arabia seeks to engage with world through Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale

How do we live in changing times is a question that the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, which runs Feb. 20 through May 24 in Saudi Arabia, seeks to ask. Taking place at the historic town of Diriyah, just outside the capital Riyadh and home to the UNESCO World Heritage site of At-Turaif, the biennale will feature 92 artists from 43 countries, including 30 artists from the Gulf region, according to a press release issued by the biennale Wednesday. “We face climate change, political tensio

CultureOct. 25, 2023

[Herald Interview] Kim Gi-hoon shows love for Hvorostovsky, Korean art songs at upcoming recital

In June 2021, South Korean baritone Kim Gi-hoon, who hails from the remote town of Gokseong, South Jeolla Province, made his name known to the world when he won the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition held in the UK. Such prestigious competition was not something new to him. In 2019, he received not one, but two second prizes from the International Tchaikovsky Competition and Placido Domingo's Operalia. Great opportunities ensued following the wins, but then came the pandemic that c

PerformanceOct. 25, 2023

[Herald Interview] 'All countries responsible' for victim support in Gaza Strip, says Iranian envoy

Iranian Ambassador to Korea Saeed Koozechi expressed deep concern over the Israel-Palestine conflict and its devastating impact on civilian populations, calling for the international community to support victims of the crisis in the Gaza Strip. “All countries are officially responsible for supporting the victims of these conflicts,” said Koozechi in an interview with The Korea Herald. With the rising number of casualties, Koozechi stressed that the global community should to play an

PoliticsOct. 23, 2023