Women, female relationships and political intrigue were the hallmarks of Korean cinema this year. A number of films that delved into the world of the occult, driven by unfathomable forces of evil, also stood out in a year that saw the return of some of Korea’s most renowned directors, including Park Chan-wook and Na Hong-jin, who each added significant pieces to their idiosyncratic oeuvre. Spotlight on women  Kim Tae-ri (left), Kim Min-hee star in "The Handmaiden." (CJ Entertainment)Kim Ha-neul

French image analysis firm Lumiere Technology strongly refuted the Korean prosecution’s announcement that “Beautiful Woman” is an authentic piece by late artist Chun Kyung-ja.“It is deeply disturbing to see our professional and expert opinion -- which is based on painstaking, detailed and thorough investigations -- on the artwork of Chun Kyung-ja thus ignored and unequivocally criticized without credible or scientific evidence,” the firm’s CEO Jean Penicaut said in a statement released Wednesday

Korean celebrities Kim Soo-hyun, Jun Ji-hyun, Song Joong-ki and Yoona were selected as Hallyu stars to look out for in 2017 in a survey conducted by Chinese media outlets. In a joint survey by Chinese newspaper People’s Daily and Korea’s Customers Council, an additional 10 Hallyu stars, including boy bands EXO, Big Bang and NCT Dream, were picked as the most anticipated stars of 2017. Some 307,520 people participated in the survey. Actor Song Joong-ki (Blossom Entertainment)  Actor Kim Soo-hyun

Kim Woo-bin is known for putting a lot of thought into his roles.In the past, he would make a list of 100 questions he wanted to ask his characters, imagining their stories. More recently, he’s taken to picking out fragrances that best suit his character, the 27-year-old actor told The Korea Herald at a cafe in northern Seoul on Monday.“When filming ‘Master,’ director Jo Eui-seok said he would know when I walked past him because of a distinctive scent,” said Kim, who was wearing a comfortable da

Prosecutors announced Monday that “Beautiful Woman” was painted by the late Korean artist Chun Kyung-ja, ending a 25-year controversy over the authenticity of the work which the artist had denied creating.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office conducted a nearly five-month investigation into the authenticity of the painting after Chun’s family sued several officials at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, which stores the piece, alleging infringement of copyright la

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story “ seemed suspicious on paper, like any film saddled with the dreaded “spinoff” label. For a while all the odds looked stacked against it too -- reshoots, script changes and a director in Gareth Edwards whose last blockbuster “Godzilla” had visual flair but no humanity, not to mention the fact that the film would be asking us to learn a dozen new characters with strange names, none of which were Skywalker or Solo. And of course as with any franchise there’s that ever

Will You Be There(Korea)Opened Dec. 14Drama. Directed by Hong Ji-youngScrupulous pediatric surgeon Han Soo-hyun (Kim Yoon-seok) is transported back in time to meet his 20-something self (Byun Yo-han) when he swallows a mysterious vial of gold pills he received as a gift for curing a child in a remote African village. He tries to guide his younger self not to make the same mistakes and change the course of his and his loved ones’ livesPandora(Korea)Opened Dec. 7Drama, thriller. Directed by Park J

Mystic Entertainment announced the details of Korean pop diva Uhm Jung-hwa’s new album, “The Cloud Dream of the Nine,” on Friday. The songstress is returning to the stage for the first time since her 2008 digital single “D.I.S.C.O Part 2.” The album’s promotion will kick off with four promotional images, two preview videos and five series of interviews with Uhm’s acquaintances, including actor Jung Woo-sung. The album’s nine tracks will each tell the story of a dream. Four songs will be released

What happens when two strangers find themselves stranded in a spaceship headed for another planet? They fall in love. At least that is what happens in romantic sci-fi flick “Passengers,” which comes to theaters in Korea on Jan. 5.“I thought the script was very original, the concept and the idea, so grand in scale,” said Chris Pratt during a press conference held Friday in western Seoul. “But I don’t know what I would do in that situation,” he said. “Life is meaningless if you can’t share it with

When reality TV show “We Got Married” first aired in 2008, many viewers enjoyed watching celebrity couples engage in a blissful, albeit simulated, marriage onscreen. Others, however, questioned the show’s authenticity, wondering if it was scripted.Producers Huh Hahng and Kim Sun-young responded -- as they have to such skepticism over the years -- that there is “absolutely no script that is delivered to the cast,” at a media interview Wednesday at the MBC headquarters in Seoul. The show is in its

In upcoming political thriller “The King,” Zo In-sung returns to the big screen as ambitious prosecutor Tae-soo, who yearns to wield absolute power.To rise to the top, Tae-soo teams up with Han Kang-sik, played by Jung Woo-sung, a kingmaker who is the real decision-maker behind the country’s politics. “I thought it was very brave,” said Jung at a Thursday press conference in southern Seoul, regarding the film’s resemblance to Korea’s current scandal surrounding President Park Geun-hye and her in

Lee Byung-hun may portray a boxer for his next role, attempting another radical transformation in his prolific acting career. Though he has yet to officially sign on, Lee is working out the specifics to star in Choi Sung-hyun’s “Only That is My World” (unofficial title) for his next project, a local entertainment outlet reported Wednesday.Lee will be playing bygone boxer Jo-ha whose younger brother Jin-tae is a piano virtuoso. The film will tell a story of reconciliation between the brothers and

TV drama “Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim” is leading ratings by an overwhelming gap, scoring 23.8 percent of viewership for its Tuesday episode, according to Nielsen Korea.The show is set in a rural hospital and features quirky genius doctor Kim, played by Han Suk-kyu, accompanied by young, passionate doctors Kang Dong-joo, played by Yoo Yeon-seok, and Yoon Seo-jung, played by Seo Hyun-jin.A scene from “Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim” (SBS)The SBS show’s ratings surpass those of dramas airing in the

After almost two decades of strict censorship under the authoritarian Park Chung-hee regime, Korean cinema began producing heavily political movies following the country’s democratization in the 1980s. While some saw film as a device of pure artistic expression, a large chunk of filmmakers viewed the medium as “the most powerful political and social weapon,” according to “Korean Cinema after Liberation,” a study by Hallym University’s professor Park Seung-hyun.　Countless films have since satiriz

Hong Seung-pyo, CEO of the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, has high hopes of revamping the bleak demilitarized zone into a tourism destination. This year, Hong established an ecological tourism zone and held concerts, exhibitions and educational programs by the inter-Korean border. One of the province’s tourism success stories is at Camp Greaves, the US Army base set up at the DMZ following the Korean Armistice Agreement of 1953 and closed down in 1997. It was reopened for tourists in 2013, and w

Various artists“The Hamilton Mixtape”(Atlantic)Long before President-elect Donald Trump took on the cultural juggernaut that is “Hamilton” and made it front-page news, creator Lin-Manuel Miranda had been looking for a way to expand the musical’s influence beyond Broadway.With “The Hamilton Mixtape” (Atlantic), which Miranda says is the first of at least two, he and a star-studded cast of collaborators ranging from The Roots to Sia and Miguel employ a variety of strategies to bring the show’s mus

Pandora(Korea)Opened Dec. 7Drama, thriller. Directed by Park Jung-wooA 6.1 magnitude earthquake hits the western coastal town of Wolchon-ri in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant. The earthquake causes fissures in the plant’s pipes, exposing the surrounding areas to radiation. The government and the president (Kim Myoung-min) fumble with the crisis, while the lives of the plant’s workers are in great danger.La La Land(US)Opened Dec. 7Drama, musical. Directed by Damien ChazelleMia (Emma Stone)

In relationships, and in music, it’s all about the timing. So Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land” is the perfect marriage of style and story -- a good old fashioned musical about the ups and downs of one love story that struggles to stay in tempo. It’s also a sealed-with-a-kiss love letter to the city where it’s set, and the unabashed dreamers who inhabit the environs of Los Angeles.Written and directed by “Whiplash” wunderkind filmmaker Chazelle, “La La Land” is a meticulously crafted and choreograp

Herald Design, a subsidiary of The Korea Herald’s publisher Herald Corp., is holding an online Christmas market until Dec. 18. In collaboration with a number of craft brands, the online market is offering an eclectic collection of items perfect for gifting to family, friends and acquaintances. There’s an array of items available for the holiday season, from soy candles, mobile phone cases, planners and stickers to interior ornaments, pajamas and more, all handmade by artisanal designers.  Many o

The latest eating-related trends in Korea highlight the value of “alone” time. More people are now dining out or drinking solo than ever before and “meokbang” videos -- watching others eat -- continue to attract a huge audience. In the drama series “Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories,” however, a motley crew of night owls -- on-duty policemen, transvestites, bar waitresses, businessmen working overtime -- flock to a tiny restaurant that only opens after dark, to eat together. Located in a hidden corn