More and more top Korean movie stars are opting for TV dramas mainly due to the prolonged difficult situation the local film industry has been going through since COVID-19 broke out early last year. Not only movie stars that occasionally have been making the switch to TV shows, but also those who had been appearing only on the big screen for years are making the switch. In December last year, veteran actor Hwang Jung-min, star of multiple megahit films like “Ode to My Father” and

Kang Eun-kyung stepped down from her role as president of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra on Sunday, after a three-year tenure. After the Seoul mayoral by-election, which will take place on April 7, a seven-member committee tasked with appointing a new head will be formed. The committee consists of two recommended by the Seoul city government, two by SPO’s board of directors and three by the Seoul Metropolitan Council. The new CEO of the orchestra is expected to be appointed before the

Chaos Walking (US) Opened Feb. 24 Action Directed by Doug Liman In a not-too-distant future, there is a planet called “New World” where only men live and all living creatures can hear each other‘s thoughts in a stream of images, words and sounds called Noise. One day, Todd Hewitt (Tom Holland) discovers Viola (Daisy Ridley), who crashed into the planet. The two start questioning the dystopian world and make plans to escape from it. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (UK) Re

Culture Minister Hwang Hee on Thursday said it is important to inject money into developing cultural infrastructure here during a press conference. He raised putting money into renovating 266 local cultural and arts centers, which are currently only being used for small local events or holding training sessions for reserve forces, into a place that artists can actually perform as one of the example projects the ministry is reviewing. “Currently it is difficult to present any performanc

South Korean actor Han Ye-ri said she feels a bit nervous hearing Korean audiences’ response to her upcoming US film “Minari” as it does not have a clear plot sequence consisting of a beginning, a middle and an end. “This movie did not take the easy way of making a provocative story,” Han told reporters during a joint media interview on Tuesday, conducted via Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather, “Minari” calmly presents a universal and relatable

How to make kimchi: First, soak vegetables -- usually cabbage -- in a salty brine. Then make a spicy paste with different ingredients such as chili powder, garlic, ginger, sugar, and fish sauce. Finally, rinse, drain the cabbage and add the spicy paste. Making kimchi at home is, for the most part, a laborious process, but that hasn’t stopped more and more foreigners from making their own jars of the spicy fermented cabbage dish at home rather than buying them at supermarkets. Many of t

Film director Jero Yun’s “Fighter”, which has been invited to compete at the 71st Berlin Film Festival, will be released in local theaters on March 18. “Fighter” depicts the story of North Korean refugee Jin-ah (Lim Seong-mi) who is always exhausted from her part-time jobs. One day, Jin-ah discovers boxing and finds meaning to her life through the sport. Yun’s new movie was invited to compete in the Generation 14plus category at the Berlinale, which is a c

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we lost the traditional moviegoing experience. But even before the virus, lines stopped forming at ticket booths and printed movie tickets became a thing of the past as e-tickets replaced them. Cinemagoers could simply present their smartphone screens to show their tickets. Yet on Jan. 27, people lined up in front of the ticket booths at local Megabox branches to get limited-edition tickets for the Japanese animation “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train.” Me

An eight-panel folding screen from the Joseon era depicting hunting scenes have been put on display from Thursday at the National Palace Museum of Korea, according to the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation. The folding screen was purchased at an auction in the US last September, according to the CHA. The paintings on the folding screen mainly feature a Qing Dynasty emperor enjoying hunting. The item is from the late 18th century when produc

Korean startup SmartStudy co-founder and CFO Lee Seung-gyu on Thursday shared the secrets behind its character Baby Shark’s global success during an event held by Corea Image Communication Institute at the residence of the New Zealand ambassador. SmartStudy is known for its popular animated characters Pinkfong and Baby Shark. Its YouTube channel has more than 8.92 million subscribers. On Nov 2 last year, the Korean startup’s English version of the “Baby Shark Dance” vi

New Year Blues (Korea) Opened Feb. 10 Romance, Comedy Directed by Hong Ji-young Four couples go through their own various struggles during seven days before New Year’s Day. Paralympic athlete trainer Hyo-young (Yoo In-na), who wants to get divorced, asks for a week of personal protection from police officer Ji-ho (Kim Kang-woo), who has been divorced for four years. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (UK) Reopened Feb. 10 Action, Fantasy Directed by Mike Newell Harry Potter (Daniel Ra

“Lost Face 1895,” a musical performance film, will soon be coming to 40 CGV cinemas across the country starting Feb. 24. The film is created and distributed by the Seoul Performing Arts Company under the Culture Ministry. “Abroad, a number of musical performances were recorded to be made into films, such as the UK National Theater’s NT Live and the US Metropolitan Opera Live. But this has not been tried much in Korea,” SPAC President Yoo Hee-sung said during a pr

Two Korean independent films -- “Fighter” directed by Jero Yun and “Short Vacation” directed by Kwon Min-pyo and Seo Han-sol -- have been chosen to compete at the 71st Berlin Film Festival. According to the distributor Indiestory for “Fighter”, the movie was invited to compete in the Generation 14plus category at the Berlinale. “Fighter” which is set to be released here in March, depicts the story of a woman Jin-ah (Lim Seong-mi) who finds the

With Spotify’s new launch into Korea, the music streaming platform hopes it can spearhead change in how Koreans listen to and discover music with more personalized curations. In an interview with The Korea Herald, Managing Director of Spotify Korea David Park said he hopes users can find joy from discovering new music through the platform’s curating algorithm, instead of relying solely on music chart rankings. “It’s been only a week since we launched the platform and w

“Night in Paradise” by director Park Hoon-jung is set to be released on Netflix on April 9. In announcing the release date Tuesday, Netflix said the film would be available to stream in 190 countries. Starring actors Eom Tae-goo, Cha Seung-won and Jeon Yeo-been, the film depicts a story of a man who becomes a target of an organized crime group and a woman who sees no hope in life. Actor Lee Ki-young and Park Ho-san also star in Park’s new crime film. “Night in Paradis

Visiting theaters in Daehangno Sunday, new Culture Minister Hwang Hee suggested testing audiences with rapid coronavirus tests, as part of measures to prop up the hard-hit sector. Hwang suggested establishing two temporary centers in the art neighborhood for rapid polymerase chain reaction testing, which is currently under review by authorities. If the audiences can be tested right before using the facilities, the theaters would be able to operate without the one-seat-apart social distancing r

Award-winning director Hong Sang-soo’s 25th feature film, “Introduction,” will be part of the competition section at the 71st Berlin Film Festival. “We are delighted to welcome one of the most ingenious writers in the film industry again. Director Hong Sang-soo’s work presents great joy and challenge to the audience,” Berlin Film Festival Executive Chairman Carlo Umberto Chatrian said in a statement. “Director Hong’s work deepens the understandi

With the rise of US social media app Clubhouse, Korean celebrities also quickly hopped on the trend to socialize with their celebrity acquaintances as well as fans. Developed by California-based startup Alpha Exploration, the buzzy app is a new type of social network based on voice. The platform allows users to start and join its unique group chat room. Creators of the room and few others that are chosen by the creators can talk freely in this conversation room, while others listen. These li

Films that aim to refresh moviegoers who are exhausted by the pandemic are dominating the screens during the Lunar New Year holiday, widely known as Seollal. The Disney-Pixar animated film “Soul,” which opened Jan. 20 and became the first movie of 2021to reach more than 1.2 million viewers here, comforts viewers with its colorful images, its music, and its hopeful and relatable message. “Soul” follows schoolteacher Joe, who dreams of becoming a jazz musician. One day,

Spotify aims to grow the Korean music industry pie, rather than taking rivals’ share, the company’s Korea chief said Monday. Speaking at an online press conference held a week after the launch of its services in Korea, Spotify Korea Managing Director David Park introduced two services -- Spotify for Artists and Spotify Podcast -- that can help local content creators to grow. Spotify for Artists is a service that connects artists with their fans. Once the artist is registered t