Watch sci-fi classics in CGV Arthouse Two epic sci-fi films -- “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968) and “Blade Runner: The Final Cut” (1982) -- are set to entertain moviegoers at 15 CGV Arthouse branches across South Korea. Screenings of the films, which started Wednesday, will run through May 9. Celebrating the beloved American films and Warner Bros’ 100th anniversary, CGV, the country’s largest multiplex operator, is offering the opportunity to experience two sci-

The Korean National Ballet is set to perform in Switzerland and Germany with its own rechoreographed version of the classical ballet “Le Corsaire” (The Pirate) in May. The company will perform at the Theatre de Beaulieu in Lausanne, Switzerland, on May 8 and at the Hessian State Theatre of Wiesbaden in Germany on May 11-12. The performances are organized to commemorate diplomatic relations between Korea and the two countries – the 60th anniversary for Switzerland, and the 140th

With the click of a button, we easily access news from the other side of the world. We may even feel that we understand the horrors of war when we witness images of bombings, destruction and refugees on our screens. However, can we truly comprehend the tragedy of war through mere fragments of videos and news reports? “Kiss,” the Seoul Metropolitan Theatre's opening play for the 2023 season, introduces the rising Chilean playwright Guillermo Calderon to Korea. The play serves as

The National Theater Company of Korea is set to stage Anton Chekhov’s posthumous work of Russian theater, “The Cherry Orchard,” at the National Theater of Korea’s Myeongdong Arts Theater from May 4 to 28. Chekhov’s final full-length play will be directed by Kim Kwang-bo, the artistic director of the NTC who has been at the helm of the state theater since 2020. Although Chekhov labeled this work as a comedy in his notes, the play is known for its realistic portrayal

A pansori adaptation of Victor Hugo’s timeless classic “Les Miserables” performed by Ip Koa Son, a pansori creative group, ended its 13-day run at Doosan Art Center’s Space 111 in Seoul on Saturday. A seamless blend of old and new, “Pansori Les Miserables” follows the general plot of the original narrative, but reconstructs it with the traditional form of pansori, in which a “sorrikkun” (vocalist) and “gosu” (drummer) lead the story. Se

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has kicked off its annual “Spring Day” program, enabling some 66,000 elementary and middle school students in Seoul to attend a free performance. The program, whose pilot program was launched in 2021, aims to provide students with opportunities to enjoy cultural performances, at the same time creating work opportunities for performing groups during the daytime. This year, the city government has expanded eligible groups to include middle school stude

South Korean novelist Han Kang of “The Vegetarian” will meet readers in the UK ahead of the publication of the English edition of the author's novel "Greek Lessons," the Korean Cultural Center in England said. Han is scheduled to attend a book talk event on Sunday at the 295-seat Purcell Room at the Southbank Center, in London. Writer and broadcaster Octavia Bright will moderate the event. The English edition of “Greek Lessons,” translated by Deborah Smith

Hop on Swiss train Imagine a quick train ride to some of the most popular sights and landmarks in Switzerland this weekend without having to leave Korea. At the Gyeongui Line Book Street in Mapo district, western Seoul, an exhibition set up inside a spacious train replica takes visitors on a taster of Switzerland's Grand Train Tour, a panoramic 1,280-kilometer route across the country. The Swiss Spring Street Festival, organized by Switzerland Tourism, showcases scenic tourist spots, from

Two artists-in-residence at the Lotte Concert Hall, pianist Lee Jin-sang and violinist Yoon So-young, will perform three sets of classical performances incorporating media art in April, June and November. Joining the pair are creative director Cha Jin-yeob, a dancer-turned-director, and media artist Hwang Sun-jeong. Since 2021, the classical music concert venue has sponsored the “In House Artist” series, a program which gives promising artists an opportunity to experiment with their

  South Korean novelist Cheon Myeong-kwan's "Whale" has been shortlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize, one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world along with the Nobel Prize in literature and the French Goncourt Prize. The British prize was established in 2005 to honor an author and translator equally for a single work of fiction translated into English. The novel, translated by Chi-Young Kim and published by Europa Editions on Jan. 19, was among six other

For South Korean director Yang Jung-ung, founder and director of theater company Yohangza, it was natural for him to return with yet another classic play. Known for reinterpreting classics with a modern touch, Yang has directed many Western classics, including Shakespeare’s “Coriolanus” and “Hamlet” and Ibsen’s “Peer Gynt.” This time, Yang draws on “Faust” the classic play written 250 years ago by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The play st

South Korean novelist Cheon Myeong-kwan's "Whale" has been shortlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize, one of the three most prestigious literary awards in the world. The British prize was established in 2005 to honor an author and translator equally for a single work of fiction translated into English. The novel, translated by Chi-young Kim and published by Europa Editions on Jan 19, was among six other works that made it to the shortlist, announced by the organizer on T

We are all destined to die someday. We often contemplate death and what might come after -- where we would go and how those left behind will carry on. “Beyond Diverse Dimensions," a participatory performance that kicked off Saturday at the LG Arts Center in Seoul, explores the unknowns of death and mourning. The show that bills itself as an "immersive sci-fi, fantasy, humanism, comedy, technical, sung-through, (perhaps) blockbuster musical" starts from the lobby. Four crew

"Pansori," or Korean traditional narrative signing, gets a youthful makeover in the third edition of the National Changgeuk Company of Korea’s pansori concert “Peerless Pansori” which will take place at the National Theater of Korea's Daloreum Theater in early May. The "Peerless Pansori" project was launched in 2021 with the aim to create opportunities for young pansori singers to explore the music and mise-en-scenes with contemporary interpretations. T

Although the reading population of Korean adults is less than half the total -- meaning over half of adults do not read a single book in a year -- unique independent bookstores are enjoying growing popularity. There were 815 independent bookstores nationwide in 2022, according to Dongneseojeom (Bookstores in Neighborhood), an independent bookstore recommendation service. It has been keeping track of the number of bookstores since 2015 in its annual trend report. The number has been steadily incr

"Becoming Wind to Survive" (working title) By Yu Ga-young Darun On April 16, 2014, Yu Ga-young, a 17-year-old student at Danwon High School recalls the day that shook the nation nine years ago. Yu is one of the 75 who survived the Sewol ferry disaster. The other 325 students did not return. “Everyone was at the cafeteria that morning, and suddenly we realized that the plates and desks were tilted,” she writes in her essay. One of her friends said, maybe it’s because t

"Hello Baby" By Kim Eui-kyung EunHaengNaMu Publishing Korea had the lowest birth rate among the OECD member states with a total fertility rate of 0.78 births in 2022, marking the lowest rate since 1970 when it was 4.53. The country continues to report more deaths than births due to its aging population in January. The government has allocated a large budget to address the issue but there is little attention given to infertile couples who desperately want children. “Hello Baby,&rd

"Takoyaki in the Undersea City" By Kim Chung-gyul Rabbit Hole What will happen when all the glaciers melt and lands are submerged? Will we be able to survive on water, or in water? A series of six short stories, titled “Takoyaki in the Undersea City,” depicts mankind who survive on water or underwater in a future dystopian world where all the lands have submerged and disappeared. “Adults were afraid of the sea,” the book says in the second story “A Dance w

To watch "Caveae," the latest production by the National Contemporary Dance Company, the audience had to enter the performance hall in an unusual way. The audience lined up in designated sections and were guided onto the stage through a passage that, on any other day, would only be used by staff members. On the dimly lit and slightly chilly stage, the dancers were already seated in the middle. The audience sat around in a seating area which was specially built for this performance, enc

The classic ballet “Don Quixote” has been re-choreographed in the hands of the Korean National Ballet's emerging choreographer. Dancer-choreographer Song Jung-bin’s adaptation of “Don Quixote” will kick off Wednesday at the Seoul Arts Center's Opera Theater in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul. The show will run until Sunday. “It started with the question, ‘Why isn’t Don Quixote the main character in the ballet piece of his own name?’&rdquo