“Kingdom: Ashin of the North,” directed by Kim Seong-hun, will be released July 23 as a special episode of the global Korean zombie sensation. “With the love and support from the audience, I was able to showcase this spinoff of the 'Kingdom' series,” Kim said during an online press conference held Tuesday. The director had not expected the series to develop on such a grand scale. After receiving the four-page synopsis from screenwriter Kim Eun-hee, he was surprised a

Actor Song Joong-ki is to star in the new JTBC drama “Youngest Son of Sunyang Family” (working title), the local cable channel JTBC said Tuesday. The drama is an adaptation of a web novel of the same title, and is a thriller and fantasy tale. Song will first appear as the top conglomerate Sunyang family’s personal secretary, who is put in charge of managing the family‘s financial risks and problems. Despite his devotion and loyalty to the family, the secretary, Yun H

Director Yoon Dae-won’s “Cicada” has won the second prize at the 24th Cinefondation Selection, the Cannes Film Festival announced Friday. “Cicada,” a Korean short film portraying a transgender prostitute Chang-hyun and his old friend, was invited to the Cinefondation, a category for student filmmakers. Cinefondation, established in 1998, is devoted to spotlighting new talents in the film industry. This year’s selection consisted of 17 short and medium-leng

Robert Downey Jr. is joining director Park Chan-wook’s upcoming drama “The Sympathizer,” US online entertainment trade publication Deadline reported Friday. The drama is an adaptation of Viet Tanh Nguyen’s 2016 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same title, a spy thriller work of historical fiction. The story centers around a spy from North Vietnam in the South Vietnamese army. The drama will follow the character in exile in the US, depicting the struggles of a communi

Learning about summer Korean style is only a click away from anywhere around the world. The Korean Culture and Information Service, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, announced Friday that 27 Korean Cultural Centers around the world would be offering cultural programs such as food, music and films that introduce how summer is enjoyed in Korea. The programs will be held online, complying with the respective governments’ COVID-19 guidelines, according to KOCIS, which opera

Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival The Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival is set to take place in Songpa-gu, southern Seoul, from Oct. 6 to 10. The festival celebrates the history and culture of the Baekje Kingdom’s Hanseong era, when its capital was in Seoul. Visitors can travel back in time and enjoy activities. Sponsored by Songpa-gu office and Songpa Cultural Foundation and managed by the Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival Organizing Committee, the event features folk performances, mus

Whether Korea’s tidal flats, or “gaetbeol,” make it onto UNESCO’s list of Natural World Heritage sites will be decided soon as the World Heritage Committee meeting kicks off on Friday. The committee’s 44th annual session is slated to run virtually in cooperation with UNESCO and the host country China. Separated into two groups, Cultural World Heritage and Natural World Heritage, the committee will assess the nominations and decide which sites to include on the Wo

Singer and songwriter Hahn Dae-soo will be performing at Lincoln Center’s “You Are Here” to celebrate the reopening of the center after COVID-19 swept through the US. The Korean Cultural Center New York, a Culture Ministry affiliate, was asked by Lincoln Center to recommend Korean artists for the reopening performance. Hahn Dae-soo, considered a Korean folk rock legend, was one of the artists on the list. “Hahn is an artist who truly understands New York City’s p

Responding to the worldwide popularity of Korean pop culture, Britain’s Victoria and Albert Museum will hold an exhibition titled “Hallyu! The Korean Wave” as part of its program for 2022-23, the museum announced Monday. According to V&A Museum, the exhibition seeks to showcase the global phenomenon from the rise of hallyu in the late 1990s to its popularity across the globe. “Hallyu, The Korean Wave” will spotlight hallyu’s making, dynamism, vitality an

As South Korea readies to go into a near-lockdown bracing for its worst wave yet of COVID-19 to hit, owners of restaurants, bars and other nightlife establishments are expressing worries over their chances of survival. “I heard from the news that Level 4 guidelines were under consideration two or three days ago, but I am shocked that this is really happening,” a 53-year-old Korean barbecue restaurant owner surnamed Lee in Gwanak-gu, southern Seoul, told The Korea Herald. “I

IT solutions provider IBM Korea has appointed Won Sung-shik as its new general manager, the firm said Thursday. Won replaces former CEO Song Ki-hong, who has moved to supervise IBM’s ASEAN operations and IBM Korea’s global business service. Won joined IBM Korea in 1991 and served in various divisions including hardware, marketing, global technology services and finance. He spent four years working for SK Telecom, but returned to IBK Korea to lead its business in technology, co

Twenty hydrogen taxis operating in Seoul will offer free ride for three days next week, H2Korea, a private-public think tank for the hydrogen economy, said Thursday. The event, supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the state-run Korea Automotive Technology Institute, is to promote the sustainable, eco-friendly hydrogen energy as well as the government’s efforts toward carbon neutrality. It will also mark the first-year anniversary of the Korean New Deal, Presiden

South Korean carmakers Hyundai Motor and Kia will join a global clean energy initiative and will transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050, the firms’ parent Hyundai Motor Group said Wednesday. The automakers and three other units under the group will submit applications to become members of the RE100, a global initiative of companies and institutions committed to source 100 percent of energy it needs from renewable sources by 2050. The three others are Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai W

LG Group’s material and components maker LG Innotek has been recognized for the quality of its auto parts supplied to General Motors, the company said Tuesday. The South Korean firm received the 2020 GM Supplier Quality Excellence Award, marking its fourth consecutive win dating to 2017. GM recognizes partners that meet standards of zero quality defects and strict quality control for automotive components with the award, as quality control is directly related to the safety of drivers,

Samsung Electronics said Monday it had joined hands with South Korea’s leading solar cell and module maker Hanwha Q Cells to tap the home energy solution market. According to the companies, the partnership seeks to create “zero energy homes,” that are self-sufficient for energy. While Hanwha Q Cells’ solar power modules and energy storage system would allow homeowners to produce and store electricity, Samsung Electronics’ SmartThings Energy service, an open Inte

Renault Samsung Motors’ sports utility vehicle QM6 is becoming a popular choice for drivers, being offered in three different fuel types -- gasoline, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas -- Renault Samsung said on Thursday. Originally born to serve in battlefields, SUVs were loud and prone to vibration with their larger bodies and wheels, and often diesel-centered. The South Korean unit of the French automaker Renault was one of the fast movers to prepare for the exit of diesel cars, the

South Korean builder Daewoo Engineering and Construction is making renewed efforts to enhance its safety management, it said Wednesday. Since adopting a safety-first doctrine in February, the company has rolled out various measures aimed at drastically reducing major disasters at the construction workplace. They included the establishment of a committee under the auspices of the chief financial officer to oversee the operations of safety control teams, launched at every division of the firm la

South Korea’s top automaker Hyundai Motor on Tuesday released a promotional video featuring K-pop supergroup BTS and robots, as part of efforts to reposition the company as a tech firm leading future technologies. Titled “Welcome to the Family with BTS,” the clip, which is around two and a half minutes long, was uploaded to the carmaker’s official YouTube channel. It seeks to make the field of robotics familiar to young people, by introducing Spot and Atlas of Boston Dy

The Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exhibition will take place in South Korea in 2024, the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers announced Monday. EVS, an annual event thought of as the Olympic Games of electric vehicles, is organized by the World Electric Vehicle Association to provide a platform for discussion and exchanges among automakers and researchers concerning major trends in the industry and cutting-edge technologies. The 2024 meeting will be the 34th installment of the event, sinc

The National Intelligence Service is conducting a review of cyber terrorism preparedness on the country’s energy infrastructures including electricity, gas and water supply networks, the agency announced Monday. The measure comes after the recent cyber attacks in the United States that targeted the data of the energy infrastructures and demanded payment in cryptocurrency. The NIS has already looked into the nation’s control system of water purification plants with the Ministry of