Sopranist Samuel Marino gives Handel a Korean myth

When Samuel Marino read the Korean folk tale of Princess Bari — a royal daughter abandoned at birth who years later crosses into the underworld to save the parents who cast her out — he thought of Handel. "The connection between Handel and Bari is simply this: being left behind," Marino said in an interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul on Aug. 14, hours before his first rehearsal for an upcoming concert. "Handel wrote so many operas about characters like that — abandoned. So when I read the st

2026-08-20 10:35:30:00

Has Hallyu peaked? After 30 years, Korea’s cultural wave faces a reckoning

The Korean Wave, or Hallyu, is usually dated to 1997, when Chinese state broadcaster CCTV aired the Korean drama "What is Love" (1991-92), an unlikely hit that is often credited as the phenomenon's starting point. Almost three decades later, the industry that emerged from it has become one of Korea’s most closely watched exports, with dramas, K-pop, webtoons and games driving revenue growth and global success, and spilling over into related industries such as tourism, beauty, food and fashion. T

2026-08-15 16:00:00:00

Singer Lee So-eun debuts as script writer for family musical 'Battery Mommy'

Singer-turned-lawyer Lee So-eun will make her debut as a scriptwriter with "Battery Mommy," a sequel to the hit production "Battery Daddy," set to premiere in January 2027. The musical, produced by NHN Link, continues the storyline of its predecessor, this time centering on the role of mothers within a family. The production combines fantasy and realistic elements and is built around themes of courage and family love. Lee, who debuted as a singer in 1997 before becoming a lawyer, wrote the scrip

2026-08-14 15:17:08:00

Baby Shark Boy returns as K-pop singer

The child performer featured in YouTube's most-viewed video of all time, known as Baby Shark Boy in Korea, is set to make his K-pop debut on Aug. 20, according to The Pinkfong Company. The global family entertainment company behind Pinkfong and Baby Shark announced Monday that "Baby Shark Boy" will release his first digital single, "WAVE," a Korean-language track with lyrics he co-wrote himself, featuring Joohoney of K-pop group Monsta X. Baby Shark Boy, whose real name is Park Geon-roung, 17,

2026-08-10 15:18:45:00

Korea Football Association's 'sex bribery' scandal spreads through int'l football community

Controversy over the Korea Football Association's alleged sexual bribery of foreign referees has spread beyond South Korea's borders just a day after the KFA issued a public apology over the growing furor. The Japan Football Association confirmed Sunday it is investigating four Japanese referees who are allegedly among the recipients. Kyodo News reported Sunday that the JFA is looking into the four officials and intends to disclose its findings once the inquiry is complete. The allegations trace

2026-08-09 18:02:24:00

Blackpink's 10th anniversary overshadowed by fan backlash, apologies

Blackpink marked 10 years since its debut Saturday, reuniting to meet fans and go live online — but the celebration also came with repeated apologies over how the anniversary was handled. YG Entertainment first announced the event Thursday — just two days before the anniversary — saying it would hold an in-person gathering "somewhere in Seoul" for 40 paying Weverse members. The announcement did not confirm which members would attend, adding the caveat that only those "available by schedule" woul

2026-08-09 11:39:15:00

A Korean conductor's first time on a Korean podium

Cho Noori did not set out to become a conductor. She trained as a concert pianist — achieving competition wins, going to the top of her class at Dankook University, then winning the Kumho Prize, one of Korea's most competitive classical prizes. The switch came almost by accident, during a piano master's program in Germany, when a required conducting class put a baton in her hand. What she felt — that music could come from a gesture instead of her hands on the keys — reset the direction of her ca

2026-08-08 16:00:00:00

Dream Festival gives 350 young dreams one stage

A girl from Yeongdeok, North Gyeongsang Province, joined her local dance troupe because she wanted to grow taller. On Thursday evening, she stood on a stage at Alpensia Resort in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, telling a crowd of strangers-turned-castmates that she now dreams of becoming a modern dance artist. She was one of roughly 350 children and teenagers who filled the Music Tent that night, having traveled from every corner of the country and met each other for the first time only days earl

2026-08-07 17:02:31:00

Festival of dreams

About 350 children and teenagers took the stage together Thursday at the Music Tent in Alpensia Resort, Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, for "Our Harmony," a concert held as part of the 2026 Dream Festival. The performers came from 18 local Dream Arts Troupe programs around the country — five Dream Orchestra ensembles and 13 Dream Dance Troupe groups — brought together for a three-day orchestra and dance camp running through Friday. The Dream Arts Troupe program provides free orchestra, dance and

2026-08-07 14:32:27:00

40 million tourists, new multipurpose domes among Culture Ministry's new goals

South Korea's Culture Ministry set an ambitious new target for inbound tourism in a presidential briefing Wednesday, and confirmed it is moving on a long-discussed domed arena for K-pop concerts and sports. The ministry now expects to reach its previous target of 30 million annual visitors a year earlier than its 2029 deadline, and set a new long-term target of 40 million. It expects 23 million visitors this year after arrivals rose 21 percent in the first half of 2026. The ministry's broader se

2026-08-05 17:00:17:00