Herald Interview In series
A series of in-depth interviews.
#Interview
# In-depth
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Herald Interview In series
A series of in-depth interviews.
Would you like to subscribe?
Korea’s crypto outflows reflect product gap, not stablecoin gap: First Digital CEO
South Korea needs more than a won-denominated stablecoin to keep digital asset activity onshore, as more investors seek a wider range of products unavailable at home, according to Vincent Chok, CEO and co-founder of stablecoin issuer First Digital. "The starting point is the demand for the products themselves," Chok said in a recent written interview with The Korea Herald. First Digital is a digital asset financial services firm and the issuer of FDUSD, a dollar-backed stablecoin that sits among
Aug. 18, 2026 - 17:51:28
Frieze Seoul helped unite Korea's art scene. Now it's looking to Asia
Frieze House Seoul, Frieze's recently opened permanent gallery space in Jung-gu, serves as the art fair's year-round base in the city beyond its annual event. Ahead of the fifth edition of Frieze Seoul that kicks off on Sept. 2, it will host exhibitions presented by New York’s Paula Cooper Gallery and Japanese gallery Yumekoubou. The space recently concluded a relay exhibition series organized with Korean galleries. Patrick Lee, director of Frieze Seoul, wants the house to reflect Frieze's origi
Aug. 13, 2026 - 17:30:53
Beyond the avatar: Meet virtual idol Mumune
When The Korea Herald logged on for its first-ever interview with a virtual idol, the usual pre-interview rituals remained the same. There was a scheduled video call, a brief greeting and questions about a new release. The only difference was that the artist waiting on the other side of the screen introduced herself as a 206-year-old witch from a sun-scorched desert. Appearing as a Live2D avatar via Discord, Mumune spoke with the bright, easygoing confidence of any rookie K-pop artist promoting
Aug. 10, 2026 - 09:00:00
Investors unlikely to go 'all-in' even if Kospi rally resumes: Bloomberg analyst
South Korean investors are unlikely to repeat excessive leverage use after experiencing a severe unwinding of leveraged positions — even if the benchmark Kospi resumes its rally, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst said. Rena Kwok, a senior credit analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, projected leveraging would not be as "severe" as the first half of this year, even if the market regains its upward momentum, in a recent online interview with The Korea Herald. "Some investors were overly bullish and to
Aug. 9, 2026 - 15:01:28
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
Aug. 8, 2026 - 16:00:00
AI boom raises patent stakes for Korean chipmakers
The artificial intelligence chip boom is opening a new legal front for South Korean chipmakers, with Samsung Electronics and SK hynix facing a US class action alleging they coordinated cuts in conventional DRAM supply while shifting capacity toward more profitable high-bandwidth memory. The lawsuit, which also names US memory chipmaker Micron Technology, claims the companies’ production decisions constrained conventional DRAM supply and drove up prices. John Quinn, founder and chairman of US lit
Aug. 4, 2026 - 11:25:56
Choi Jae-rim is building self-esteem, onstage and off
Choi Jae-rim, one of the most sought-after actors in Korean musical theater, plays 109, the self-esteem cell in "Yumi's Cells," a new musical based on the hit webtoon. The role was built from scratch for the stage, with no counterpart in the original webtoon — and it's the cell he wishes everyone had. Why wish that on everyone? Because in his own definition, self-esteem isn't just self-belief; it's belief backed by evidence. "You keep a clear, objective eye on reality while never losing faith in
July 31, 2026 - 14:05:14
So Ji-sub on 'Agent Kim Reactivated' breakout, being called Korea's Liam Neeson
"Agent Kim Reactivated" was a summer phenomenon few in the industry saw coming. The 10-episode series wrapped its run on July 25, with ratings peaking at a nationwide series-high of 23.1 percent, according to Nielsen Korea. The dramatic surge cemented the project as one of Korea's defining television hits of the year — with veteran star So Ji-sub anchoring the show's massive breakout as a long-established name among the country's blue-chip action leads. Playing the titular Kim, a former special
July 31, 2026 - 13:51:05
They counted themselves out. Deutsche Oper Berlin did not
Kim Geon, Choi Young and Roh Min-hyung have a lot in common. All three stand over 180 centimeters and all three are around 30. All three are classical singers — Kim a baritone, Roh and Choi basses. And all three, at some point, concluded they were not good enough. Kim graduated from Seoul National University without having sung a paid operatic role. Studying abroad was the assumed next step, but when he added up rent, utilities and a phone bill in a foreign city, he could not see how to make it
July 30, 2026 - 15:55:41
Butoh dancer Yang Jong-ye summons the unknown self we hide
Inside every person, Yang Jong-ye believes, lies a house with countless rooms. One is left untouched, sealed beneath layers of dust and cobwebs. Behind its door waits another self — one we have hidden even from ourselves. With her latest award-winning piece, "Summoning the Unknown X," choreographer and butoh dancer Yang opens that door. The work, which won the grand prize at this year's SAI Dance Festival in Tokyo, excavates the contradictions buried beneath ordinary life, confronting the self t
July 30, 2026 - 13:44:33
Paris Opera Ballet's Yun Seo-hoo finds her own color in dance and life
Every summer, South Korea's ballet calendar turns into something of a homecoming. As ballet companies pause for their summer breaks, Korean dancers working overseas return home for gala performances, giving audiences a chance to see artists whose careers have taken them abroad. This year, one long-awaited return stands out: Yun Seo-hoo. Nearly a decade after Korean audiences last saw her as a promising young dancer, the 27-year-old returns home as a sujet of the Paris Opera Ballet, a soloist ran
July 30, 2026 - 07:00:00
Lee Dong-wook returns from the dead
The dead uncle is back. As South Korean action series continue to exert dominance over the summer television scene, Disney+ is doubling down on one of its critically lauded properties. Riding the momentum of recent global juggernauts — including "Teach You a Lesson," which clinched the title of Netflix’s most-watched Korean drama for the first half of 2026, and "Agent Kim Reactivated" — the second season of "A Shop for Killers" premiered Wednesday with a narrative pivot: Lee Dong-wook’s deceased
July 28, 2026 - 11:35:59
Young K turns inward on his most personal solo album yet
After spending the past decade giving his all as part of K-pop boy band Day6, singer-songwriter Young K says it is finally time to turn his attention toward Kang Young-hyun, the person behind the artist. That process lies at the heart of his second LP, “Youngest.” Arriving two years and 10 months after his first album, “Letters with notes,” the 15-track release captures not only Young K’s broad musical range, but also a period of self-examination in which he began confronting emotions and parts
July 27, 2026 - 08:00:00
Aging Korea must put prevention first: GSK Korea chief
As South Korea grapples with the realities of becoming a super-aged society, healthcare systems should evolve beyond treating illnesses and place greater emphasis on preventing them before they occur, says Gunnar Riediger, general manager of GSK Korea. “I think the good thing is that people are living longer. This is great news,” Riediger said in an interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul last week. "Now what is probably the most relevant element in that respect? It's not only about living more
July 27, 2026 - 06:00:00
Tiffany Young has done everything in K-pop. Building a musical from scratch still scares her
Over nearly two decades, Tiffany Young has performed as a member of Girls' Generation, its sub-unit TaeTiSeo, and as a soloist. She has mastered the three-minute pop stage and made her own music. In 2011, she made her foray into musical theater with "Fame," then established herself as a stage actor, appearing in "Chicago" for two seasons in 2021 and 2024. But stepping into an original production made her nervous, she said during an interview on Tuesday. That production is "Yumi's Cells," a new m
July 25, 2026 - 16:00:00
