The ongoing controversy between renowned soprano Angela Gheorghiu and the organizers of Puccini's opera Tosca intensified this week after the soprano's management issued a statement claiming that an agreement had been made for no encores, a claim later denied by the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. On Wednesday, Gheorghiu’s management, Intermusica, released a statement saying, “Ms. Gheorghiu deeply regrets the circumstances that led to the incident at the Sejong Arts Center on

True American-style hamburger in Seoul Craving an authentic American-style hamburger in Seoul? Brooklyn the Burger Joint is your go-to spot. First opened in 2010 in Seorae Maeul, Seoul's French village in Seocho-gu, this American diner-style restaurant now has nine additional locations across Seoul and two in Bundang-gu, Gyeonggi Province. Brooklyn the Burger Joint stays true to the classic, authentic taste of American-style hamburgers, focusing on high-quality ingredients. The restaurant u

Flea market, busking in Jayang Through Sept. 29, a flea market will be open with booths set up by companies promoting upcycling at Jayang Station Exit Nos. 2 and 3 in Jayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu. At “Zero+Festa,” a free-admission event, interactive programs teaching how to reuse products as well as street music performances are prepared. The event will be open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, check out the website at zeroplus.or.kr. Daegu con

Grand Hyatt Seoul unveils promotion for Hannam-dong experience Grand Hyatt Seoul, located in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, presents a new promotion, “Seoul Style Getaway,” offering guests an opportunity to enjoy some of the trending spots in the upscale neighborhood of Hannam-dong. Guests are presented with a set of coupons that offer discounts and special gifts in Hannam-dong-based fashion and beauty brands, including Depound, Le Mont St Michel, Supra and more. The hotel offers a guide

“My Dearest Fu Bao” (South Korea) Opened Documentary Directed by Shim Hyung-joon Follow Fu Bao on the big screen in her last three months in Korea and see her interactions with the “Fu Bao grandpa” zookeepers, as well as the heart-touching moment when Kang Cheol-won reunites with Fu Bao three months after she is sent to China. “Alien: Romulus” (US) Opened Aug. 14 Horror/Sci-fi Directed by Fede Alvarez In 2142, a group of young space colonizers go on an

If you attend one of the two productions currently running at the National Theater of Korea, you might be surprised by the level of sexual explicitness in the performances. At the Daloreum Theater, the National Theater’s mid-sized theater with about 500 seats, the National Changgeuk Company of Korea’s adult-only production “Madam Ong” runs through Sunday. The changgeuk, or traditional Korean opera, has long been associated with themes of lust and obscenity. At the Han

Featuring Japanese heartthrob Kentaro Sakaguchi and Korean actor Lee Se-young, the upcoming Coupang Play's romance series "What Comes After Love" explores a timeless question: What happens when former lovers unexpectedly cross paths once again. "What Comes After Love" narrates the story of Choi Hong (Lee Se-young) and Aoki Jungo (Kentaro Sakaguchi), who meet again by chance five years after splitting up. The series is adapted from the novel of the same name, co-authored

The 6th edition of The Korea Herald’s Global Business Forum kicked off its three-month run in Seoul on Wednesday, with a packed agenda aimed at sparking discussion on global business trends and opportunities in an era of rapid change. The forum will convene weekly on Wednesdays, except on public holidays, for a total of 13 sessions, to facilitate knowledge exchange among global business leaders, finance experts, academics, diplomats and top civil servants. The goal is to build valuable

Singer-turned-actor Hyeri’s latest teen cheerleading flick “Victory” was embroiled in a rumor that people related to the movie have hoarded tickets to increase sales, causing production firm Mind Mark to release a statement. According to the Korea Film Council data, “Victory,” which opened in local theaters on Aug. 14, has topped the box office as of Thursday. On Tuesday and Wednesday, more than 26,000 moviegoers watched the film, placing the movie at the top of the

The 2024 Seoul Street Arts Festival will take place in downtown Seoul, across Seoul Plaza, Cheonggyecheon and Mugyo-ro areas during the three-day Chuseok holiday, from Monday to Wednesday. Over 300 artists from Korea and abroad from eight countries, including Spain, Italy and Japan will participate in this outdoor celebration, showcasing 24 programs -- including street theater, dance, circus acts, traditional performances, large-scale installations and interactive art pieces. The festival will o

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, led by music director Jaap van Zweden, is set to bring back its outdoor SPO Park Concert series next week. Taking place at Seoul Forest Park, the concerts will offer a repertoire beyond classical music, featuring music from megahit drama series “Squid Game” and K-pop songs, as well as a medley of children’s songs. The concert will open with the overture to Bernstein's operetta “Candide,” a lively and exhilarating piece that set

Netflix's "Culinary Class Wars" will be the biggest cooking survival show in Korean entertainment show history, according to the show's producers, Wednesday. "Culinary Class Wars" features cook-offs featuring 100 contestants split into two teams: the white team, composed of Korea's top chefs, and the black team, made up of little-known chefs and cooks such as local restaurant owners. The contestants will face off in multiple elimination rounds with a panel of j

In writer Kim Hye-jin’s best-selling novel, “Concerning My Daughter,” the story is told from 50-something Sang-ok’s point of view. She is a caregiver at a nursing home, and an unexpected life event occurs in which she is forced to live with her adult daughter and her daughter’s girlfriend of seven years in her rundown house. Distancing the film from the original novel, director Lee Mi-rang, who has made her directorial debut with film “Concerning My Daughter

The US listed the Old Korean Legation in Washington as a historic place eligible for federal tax breaks for preservation Monday, the first time a Korean government-owned building has received such recognition for historical significance. In a statement Wednesday, the Korea Heritage Service, the agency that filed a request for the designation in March, said the National Park Service added the building to the National Register of Historic Places -- the US government’s list of buildings, site

South Korean government on Tuesday held a commemoration of the state-designated Suicide Prevention Day, on which it commended welfare foundation employee Kim Dong-ho for his activities as a "suicide watchman" for over three years. Kim, 31, was among the 67 individuals and 23 organizations who received certificates of appreciation from the Ministry of Health and Welfare for their contribution suicide prevention. A fire safety manager for the South Jeolla branch of the Miral Welfare Foun

The Bucheon International Comics Festival, one of the largest comics events in the nation, is slated to commence its four-day run from Oct. 3 to Oct. 6, with this year's festival placing a special emphasis on fostering international exchanges in comics. The 2024 BICOF will kick off with an opening ceremony at 4 p.m., Oct, 3, at Korea Manhwa Museum in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. The ceremony will include the Bucheon Comics Awards, an event which annually honors popular Korean comics. Accordi

Before the year's end, world-renowned orchestras will come to South Korea and collaborate with two of the country’s most sought-after pianists: Cho Seong-jin and Lim Yunchan. Cho will take the stage with the Vienna Philharmonic from Austria in October and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra from Germany in November. The Vienna Philharmonic is to visit the country for a fourth consecutive year, this time under the baton of Andris Nelsons. The orchestra will hold concerts at the Seo

Netflix original film “Officer Black Belt” explores the world of probation officers -- a little covered topic in Korea -- with witty comedy and thrilling action sequences. This coming-of-age comedy action “Officer Black Belt” revolves around Lee Jung-do (Kim Woo-bin) who has exceptional martial arts skills and goes on to assist probation officer Kim Sun-min (Kim Sung-kyun). The two pair up to keep an eye on criminals wearing ankle monitors. Director Jason Kim (“Midn

The Korean content industry should seek out ways to diverse monetizing opportunities, experts told a global conference on streaming industries in Asia. Speaking at the conference titled "Korea in View" held Aug. 29, Marianne Lee, chief of content acquisition and development at streaming platform Viu, said the content industry in Korea is going through a "correction period," in which the industry is now struggling to keep up with soaring production costs, which have risen four

GWANGJU -- The 15th edition of the Gwangju Bienanle, which kicked off on Saturday in Gwangju, in Korea's southwest, presents “Pansori, a soundscape of the 21st century" as its theme, featuring 72 artists. Behind this theme of reinterpreting pansori -- a traditional Korean form of musical storytelling accompanied by a drummer -- is French curator Nicolas Bourriaud. Asia’s prestigious biennale has maintained its foundation in the "Gwangju Spirit," also known as the