As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and the new academic year began online in Korea, international students expressed both satisfaction at how the situation is being handled and the anxiety of being in a foreign country away from family. “There isn’t any other country in the world I would rather be in right now. The good things are that it is being taken seriously, with rigorous testing and quarantine rules, and a culture that was preexisting in Korea when it came to the usage of ma

　 Dating apps that bar people from signing up based on appearance, education and wealth are a growing phenomenon in Korea. In order to join Amanda, one of the best-known dating apps in Korea, the applicant needs to receive an average score of three or higher out of five from 20 members of the app. The name “Amanda” is wordplay for the Korean meaning of “not meeting anyone.” 　 “We understand that there can be controversy over the nature of our app. At first, the

The Seoul City government on Friday announced that it will monitor all the 8,578 people who watched “The Phantom of the Opera” at Blue Square in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. On Tuesday, a Canadian female ballet dancer of the show was confirmed with novel coronavirus infection and another American actor in the ensemble was tested positive on Thursday. “We have the list of all the audiences and will send out text messages,” Na Baek-joo, director of Seoul City’s public healt

Double K Film & Theatre announced Thursday that its production of “Art” would close temporarily, after cast members of “Phantom of the Opera” tested positive for the new coronavirus. “As people of the performing art industry test positive with the coronavirus, for the safety of actors, staff and audience and to prevent further spread, we have decided to temporarily cancel ‘Art’ performances from April 4-12,” Double K Film & Theatre posted

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many people stuck indoors are coming up with ways to spend time at home, and for movie lovers it is an almost welcome chance to watch famous series one never had a chance to start or rewatch a favorite movie series. Two of the best-known series in cinema of the 21st century are “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001), “The Lord of the Rings: T

As COVID-19 continues to keep people apart, games that are less stressful are gaining attention and bringing people together. While most games usually have a final boss to beat, a mission to complete or a competition, driving the players to reach the end, games that have no specific goals or endings are helping people enjoy the time indoors and remain positive by simulating a virus-free virtual reality. Animal Crossing: New Horizons, for Nintendo Switch, released in Korea on March 20, is one

BTS will appear in James Corden’s “Homefest” in the latest effort of #TogetherAtHome on Tuesday. “Homefest: James Corden’s Late Late Show Special” will feature artists from all over the world performing from the safety of their homes. In addition to BTS from South Korea, artists scheduled to appear include opera singer Andrea Bocelli from Italy, Dua Lipa from London, John Legend with Billie Eilish and Finneas from LA, among others. James Corden will be hosti

As many campuses around the US shut down and went online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Korean students studying in the US started returning home in large numbers, fear of the novel coronavirus accompanying them every step of the way until they reached home in Korea to be quarantined. Students’ journeys home were strewn with many stumbling blocks, including finding seats on flights to Korea and getting to the airport. “Since my school is in St. Louis, the closes

As the new coronavirus infections continue to spread, people have been stuck indoors without physical activity for many days, if not weeks. A report by the US National Institute of Health said the virus can stay on stainless steel and plastic surfaces up to three days, leading people to avoid gyms. Trainer at Body Spectrum Kim Yu-jin, MVP winner of 2016 World Body Classic who started a one-person fitness center, shared six simple moves beginners can follow at home to help strengthen t

Reset was the theme of “365 Repeat the Year” as the new MBC drama started its 24-episode series. Beginning in the present, the characters go through life-changing tragedies that make each of them miserable. The main characters include Ji Hyung-ju, played by Lee Joon-hyuk, a detective who lost his closest teammate to a serial killer, and Shin Ga-hyeon, played by Nam Ji-hyun, a webcomic artist who is in a wheelchair due to a leg injury. Along with eight others, they are called by

Indie singer 10cm hosted a YouTube live concert on Thursday night, joining the #TogetherAtHome challenge. After watching Coldplay singer Chris Martin perform a live concert online for people stuck indoors due to the spread of coronavirus, 10cm was inspired to join the challenge, becoming the first major Korean singer to do so. 10cm performed his best-known songs, including “Stalker” and “Phonecert.” He also played Coldplay’s “Fix You” in tribute to M

Korean American actor Daniel Dae Kim, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, spoke on social media about his coronavirus testing experience and xenophobia. On Friday, Kim posted a 10-minute video on Instagram announcing that he had tested positive and spoke about violence toward Asians stemming from xenophobia. He had also tweeted on Monday against ongoing acts of racism in the US. Kim, known for his roles as Kwon Jin-soo in “Lost” and Dr. Jackson Han in “The Good Doc

The novel coronavirus pandemic is having an impact on all sports globally, but esports remains among few areas that have been relatively less scathed. As matches go online, changes in lifestyle brought about by the new coronavirus are turning into an opportunity for esports. At first, esports matches played in stadiums without an audience. However, concerns for player safety led to the postponement of leagues throughout the world as COVID-19 spread quickly across borders. But then matches resu

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is nominating high-profile people around the world to participate in WHO’s “SafeHands” challenge on Twitter, including K-pop boy band BTS. So far, 62 Twitter accounts have been targeted, with the list of nominees ranging from Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio to 17-year-old Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg. Of the 62 nominees, 15 had tweeted videos of themselves washing their hands as of Wednesday at noon. Phumzile

River of Grace Community Church in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, is alleged to have sprayed saltwater into the mouths of people attending church services on March 1 and 8, which may have contributed to the cluster infection of at least 46 people with the novel coronavirus. “It is very unfortunate. As we were reviewing the CCTV footage from River of Grace Community Church, we found that members of the congregation were sprayed saltwater into their mouths one-by-one because of misinformati

Another cluster outbreak of COVID-19 occurred near the capital, as 40 members of River of Grace Community Church in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, were newly confirmed with the novel coronavirus infection on Monday morning. Another person who came in contact with a church member was also confirmed Monday afternoon. The first patient at the church was confirmed on March 9, followed by a couple on Friday. On Saturday, one woman was confirmed and on Sunday, the head pastor and his wife, both asympt

Lim Young-woong was declared the victor on TV Chosun’s popular trot singer audition show, “Mr. Trot,” during a special live broadcast Saturday. Host Kim Seung-joo announced that Lim Young-woong took first place in the fan votes, which accounted for 30 percent of the total score, receiving 1,374,748 votes. This led to Lim, who was second after Lee Chan-won before the final fan voting, to overtake Lee and win. “Thank you to all the viewers who watched for such a long ti

Clubs in Gangnam, a posh area south of the Han River known for its thriving nightlife, decided to remain shut this week too, after some earlier announced that they would reopen as early as Wednesday, amid the novel coronavirus spread. “We are planning to advise businesses such as coin-noraebangs, clubs and cola-theques, among others, that put people in close contact like the call center -- where the latest infection outbreak took place -- to temporarily close doors,” said Seoul May

Changes to how the faithful worship were inevitable as many churches went online for Sunday services due to the spread of the novel coronavirus. Churchgoers sat in front of laptops and TV screens to watch the service, some alone, others with their families. According to Sarang Church in Seoul, one of the several megachurches in South Korea, over 40,000 people viewed the online stream last Sunday through its website and YouTube channel. “Having Sunday service online reminds us how preci

Women of ‘Parasite,’ Lee Mie-kyung make Variety’s International Women’s Impact Report 2020 The actresses who starred in the Academy Award-winning “Parasite” made Variety’s annual International Women’s Impact Report on Friday, along with CJ Group Vice Chairwoman Lee Mie-kyung. The list, which includes accomplished women in showbiz from around the globe, was released prior to International Women’s Day on March 8. The five “Parasite&rd