Poet Kim Hye-soon elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Acclaimed South Korean poet Kim Hye-soon has been elected as an International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Kim was named among eight new members in the Literature section of the Academy's Humanities and Arts division, part of this year's incoming class of 248 new members. The 69-year-old poet is the first Korean writer to be elected to the Academy's literature section. Korean American novelist Lee Chang-rae and poet Choi Don-mee were previously inducted as member

April 28, 2025

Interview: Minho embraces intimacy of stage in ‘Rendezvous’

For Choi Minho, stepping onto the theater stage was not about hiding behind a character — it was a deliberate choice to reveal himself more fully. "I wanted to show more of myself without hiding," said singer-actor Choi, who recently returned to the theater for his second play. After making his theatrical debut last year in "Waiting for Waiting for Godot," the SHINee member is back in the spotlight, this time starring in the romantic comedy "Rendezvous." Like his first project, "Rendezvous" is a

April 27, 2025

ABT marks GS Arts Center's grand opening with 'tasting menu' from contemporary to classic

The American Ballet Theatre will mark the opening of the GS Arts Center in Seoul with a sweeping program of classical and contemporary works, highlighting the company’s wide-ranging mixed repertoire and artistic versatility. ABT has brought a company of 104 members, including 70 dancers — 16 of whom are principal dancers — to Korea for this highly anticipated engagement. The lineup also includes five Korean dancers: principal dancers Seo Hee and Ahn Joo-won, soloists Han Sung-woo and Park Sun-mi

April 25, 2025

Kim Young-ha returns with most intimate work yet

Star literary writer Kim Young-ha of “I Have the Right to Destroy Myself,” “Black Flower” and “Diary of a Murderer” has returned with his most “personal” work to date: a memoir-style essay collection titled “One Life Only.” This is Kim's first essay collection in six years, since “Reasons for Travel,” which sold more than 600,000 copies here. Drawn from and heavily revised from his 2024 subscription email newsletter “Young-ha’s Weather” (which can also be interpreted as “Below Freezing”), the co

April 24, 2025

Han Kang's latest 'Light and Thread' brings meditative reflections on life while tending small garden

The latest books by Han Kang, last year's Nobel Prize in literature winner, will be released today, her first publication since winning the prize. "Light and Thread" is a collection of meditative essays with five poems that takes its name from her Nobel lecture, delivered Dec. 7 at the Swedish Academy in Stockholm. The lecture starts the slim volume. The 172-page collection was available for preorder starting Wednesday and will be released in bookstores beginning Thursday, according to Moonji Pu

April 23, 2025

'We are our bravest when we love': Cyrano reimagined through coming-of-age 'The Ballads for Roxanne'

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, "The Ballads for Roxanne," a Korean adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s "Cyrano de Bergerac," is being staged at the National Theater Company of Korea’s Myeongdong Theater through this Sunday. Directed by Seo Chung-sik, the production breathes new life into the beloved classic -- this time, through the eyes of Roxanne, the woman at the center of Cyrano’s affections and the pursuit of many male characters. While the original play is famed for its swashbuckling poet Cy

April 22, 2025

Seoul Outdoor Library opens Wednesday with new programs

Seoul Metropolitan Library will reopen its iconic outdoor reading program, the Seoul Outdoor Library, on Wednesday, marking the start of a new season and celebrating World Book and Copyright Day. The Gwanghwamun Plaza and Cheonggye Stream locations will welcome visitors Wednesday, while the Seoul Plaza library will open May 4. This year, the three outdoor libraries will operate on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The schedule will be split into two phases: the first from April to June and the sec

April 22, 2025

Why actor Park Jeong-min became a publisher and put audiobook first

Actor Park Jeong-min has introduced a new initiative as the head of his publishing company Muze, aiming to make literature more accessible to readers with visual impairments. The project, titled the “Listening Novel Project,” launched with the release of Kim Keum-hee’s new full-length novel "First Summer, Wanju" as an audiobook. Departing from the conventional practice of releasing print editions first, the audiobook version was completed and distributed ahead of the print release. On April 4, c

April 18, 2025

Two ‘Hedda Gabler’ productions in May: Lee Hye-young, Lee Young-ae star in separate stage revivals

This spring, theatergoers will witness a rare theatrical coincidence: two productions of "Hedda Gabler," both starring major stars, are opening just one day apart. The National Theater Company of Korea will revive "Hedda Gabler" at Myeongdong Theater for the first time in 13 years, beginning May 8. The play was a critical and commercial success when it premiered in Korea in 2012, with Lee Hye-young’s portrayal of the title role earning her best actress honors at both the 5th Korea Theater Awards

April 18, 2025

Interview: Prince in progress, Jeon Min-chul finds his own Albrecht

Ballerino Jeon Min-chul is on the cusp of a major career leap. In June, he will join the Mariinsky Ballet -- only the second Korean to do so after Kim Ki-min. Before that, he takes the final stage this week in Korea in two sold-out performances of "Giselle" with Universal Ballet's principal dancer Hong Hyang-gee, on Friday and Sunday. This is his second full-length ballet after Solor in "La Bayadere" last September. “Giselle was the very first ballet I ever saw, actually,” Jeon said in a separat

April 17, 2025