A cultural agency took legal action against the city of Gimhae in South Gyeongsang Province for its poor management of an ancient historic site. The Cultural Heritage Administration filed a report on Wednesday against Gimhae for violations of the nation’s law on buried cultural heritage protection, based on its expert inspection of the Gusan-dong Dolmen. Earlier in August, Gimhae was under fire for mishandling the 350-metric-ton Gusan-dong Dolmen, one of the largest dolmen in the world,

World-class ballet dancer Kim Ki-min from Russia’s Mariinsky Ballet has returned for performances in Korea for the first time in four years. The principal dancer of the prestigious Russian ballet troupe will perform with 18 other dancers from international ballet companies at the “Ballet Supreme 2022” taking place at the National Theater in Seoul, from Thursday to Saturday. Current and former ballet dancers who are members of overseas companies such as the Royal Ballet of Eng

A colorful exhibition exploring the history of Korean fashion will take place in Washington, DC, this week. “Korean Fashion: From Royal Court to Runway,” supported by the Korea Foundation, is scheduled to kick off this Saturday, at the George Washington University Museum and the Textile Museum, located in the US capital. The four-month exhibition will showcase 85 pieces of clothing, introducing Korean costume and fashion of the last 125 years, from the late Joseon era to present da

A new Imax theater opened at CGV Apgujeong on Tuesday, introducing the first Imax theater in the Gangnam area of Seoul, according to CJ CGV, the country’s largest multiplex cinema chain. The company said its new Imax theater has 170 seats and five private boxes with two seats each, the first ever private boxes in an Imax theater. To mark the opening of the latest Imax theater, “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Nope” and “Bullet Train” will screen there Saturd

 Muju Firefly Festival The Muju Firefly Festival is scheduled to take place across the areas of Muju Deungnamu Stadium, North Jeolla Province, Aug. 27-Sept. 4. The Muju’s pristine environment provides a natural habitat for fireflies. Night-time programs include firefly explorations, stargazing experiences, traditional performances and concerts. Most of the programs are free, but the firefly exploration costs 15,000 won per person, with 1,200 spaces opened per day; the stargazing ex

Hunt (Korea) Opened Aug. 10 Spy-action Directed by Lee Jung-jae In the 1980s, two elite agents at the Agency of National Security Planning, Park Pyung-ho (Lee Jung-jae) and Kim Jung-do (Jung Woo-sung) chase after a North Korean spy who leaked top secret intel. The agents go head-to-head in an intense confrontation and competition to prove their loyalty for the country and their respective units. With their growing obsession to hunt down the spy, the agents start to suspect and investigate

A festival “Colorful Sanji,” jointly hosted by the Jeju Island and the Jeju Tourism Organization, is scheduled to kick off Saturday at Jeju Island’s Tamna Culture Plaza. The festival runs through Sept. 12, and the highlight is a media art exhibition which features a 30-meter giant whale installation made of three thousand model sardines. The whale display will be decorated with colorful lighting, videos and music, throughout the festival period, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Jecheon International Music & Film Festival, the only music-themed film festival in Korea, kicked off on Thursday at the Uirimji Stage of Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province. Returning to a full-scale format, the slogan of this year‘s six-day festival is “a tempo,” -- meaning “return to the original tempo” in music, signaling hopes for recovery from the pandemic. The festival opened with Polish screenwriter Bartosz Blaschke’s directorial debut “Son

Park Chan-wook’s romance-thriller “Decision to Leave” will represent South Korea at the Academy Awards next year, the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) announced Thursday. The council said it selected the Cannes-winning film as the country’s entry for best international feature film for the 95th Academy Awards, which is scheduled for March next year. The jury of five experts in the film industry explained that they considered many factors, including directorial recognition, c

Debuting this Friday, crime-thriller “A Model Family” tells an entangled story of an ordinary-looking family that gets dragged into a string of disastrous incidents after making one wrong choice. Explaining the title, director Kim Jin-woo said he wanted to look into the meaning of “family” and “model” by portraying different groups of people who are bound under the name of “family.” “When we say something is exemplary, it’s usually

A number of classical music festivals are set to take place through the month of August in Seoul. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Korea-China diplomatic relations, the Culture Ministry is holding a special concert, bringing together renowned classical musicians from Korea and China, at the Lotte Concert Hall on Aug. 24. Led by conductor Chung Chi-yong, the Korean Symphony Orchestra will open the stage with Dvorak’s Carnival Overture, Op. 92. Joined by Chinese vio

Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook and American artist Helen Pashgian have been chosen as honorees at this year’s Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) Art+Film Gala. “We are excited to recognize Park Chan-wook, whose unforgettable films never fail to show us the power of cinema,” said LACMA CEO Michael Govan in a statement last week. Park won the best director award for his latest work “Decision to Leave” at this year’s 75th Cannes Film Festival. Since the

The 19th EBS International Documentary Festival (EIDF 2022) kicks off Aug. 22 with a return to in-person ceremonies and screenings for the long-awaiting documentary fans. Under the slogan “Pitch Your Dream,” the seven-day festival will begin with an opening ceremony at EBS Space Hall in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, which will also be broadcast live on EBS 1TV, the EIDF organizing committee said during a press conference Tuesday. Chinese director Jin Haquing‘s documentary, &ldqu

A forum convening a group of noted scholars and architects for a discussion on how physical space and virtual space impact cultural communication will be held later this month in Seoul. “After the pandemic, ‘space’ is newly emerging as a place for the diverse experience of touch and smell, while a growing number of people are seeking shared spaces,” said the Corea Image Communication Institute Tuesday in announcing the 13th Cultural Communication Forum on Aug. 25 at the

An unprecedented blackout hits Central America, and people struggle to get through the crisis. A pilot suffers severe injuries from an accidental landing; an elderly lady with her grandson tries to find her daughter at a hospital; a millionaire housewife is trapped in her penthouse with her housemaid; a teenage girl’s 15th birthday party goes awry; a pastor and his daughter take advantage of the chaotic situation; a detached couple finds each other amid a solar storm. These six different

Lee Byung-hun recalled the first time he read the script for “Emergency Declaration,” during an interview with a group of local reporters on Thursday. “It was a whirlwind of tensions, like riding a roller coaster throughout. I thought, ‘This is going to be a strong movie,’” the actor said. “The first time I watched the movie, it resonated with me so deeply, perhaps because we went through a long pandemic. It wasn’t intended, but I feel like this

Cannes-winning actor Song Kang-ho is set to return with the latest airplane disaster film, “Emergency Declaration,” this week. “There are many disaster movies, in Korea and Hollywood. But when I first read the script, I was drawn to the message that ‘Emergency Declaration’ is trying to deliver to the audience,” Song said during a group interview with local reporters. “How we cope with unavoidable disasters is important. I think the film touches on what

A local summer festival in Hongcheon county, Gangwon Province, is set to kick off next week. The five-day “Hongcheon Beer Festival” will offer programs and activities running from Aug. 3 to Aug. 7. “World Wet Dance Contest,” on Aug. 5 and Aug. 6, will see more than 20 dance crews competing on a stage filled with water. The festival will be divided into four different themes -- main, healing, cooling and youth -- offering different moods and vibes for the visitors. Mus

Marvel Comics’ Korean superhero squad will take center stage in their first solo series, “Tiger Division,” set to be released on Nov. 3. Marvel announced a five-issue limited series for “Tiger Division” last week at San Diego Comic-Con. The seven Korean superheroes are: Taeguekgi, the powerful patriot with a heart of gold; White Fox, a character based on the nine-tailed fox legend; K-pop star Luna Snow; mysterious sorceress Lady Bright; street-brawling demigod Mr

Hansan: Rising Dragon (Korea) Opened July 27 War Directed by Kim Han-min In 1592, Joseon loses its capital city, Hanyang, to Japan in just 15 days after Japan invaded the country, starting a six-year war known as the Imjin War. In a series of defeats, the Korean forces are on the verge of collapse and King Sunjo flees from the capital. While the Japanese navy gathers a large-scale force around Busan, Adm. Yi Sun-sin (Park Hae-il) prepares for a battle to turn the tide of war. Minions: The