[Herald Interivew] Composer and conductor Yoon Han-kyeol on why 'Grium' is 'Grium'

The year 2024 has been a whirlwind of a year for Yoon Han-kyeol, winner of the 2023 Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award. The rising conductor led the Hankyung Arte Philharmonic in all-Brahms symphony concerts in May and many other performances in Europe. Earlier this month, he debuted with the Munich Philharmonic, an unexpected opportunity that he enjoyed immensely. Then, there was his debut with the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna in August at the Salzburg Festival. Returning to the

Oct. 30, 2024

Stop-motion animation auteur wins top prize at Bucheon animation fest

This year's top prize at the 26th Bucheon International Animation Festival, one of Korea's largest animation film events, was clinched by Adam Elliot, the Oscar-winning Australian director behind "Memoir of a Snail." According to the festival's committee on Tuesday, the BIAF Grand Prize for the feature film category was awarded to Elliot for his 94-minute stop-motion animation film, which follows the story Grace. She is raised by her father Percy, who lives with parapleg

Oct. 30, 2024

Once known for heavier themes, DMZ and Pohang to get new energy through music festivals

Located on opposite ends of the country, the Demilitarized Zone and the southeastern city of Pohang are emblematic of two contrasting features of the Korean Peninsula: the tension of a frozen conflict and the prosperity of South Korea as an industrial powerhouse. The DMZ stands as a stark reminder of the Korean War, while Pohang is a bustling coastal city of about 500,000 people, whose identity is deeply intertwined with heavy industry, particularly steelmaker Posco, which was founded there in 1

Oct. 29, 2024

[From the Scene] Anti-LGBTQ+ rally exposes divide

It was almost 2 p.m., churchgoers descended on Seoul Plaza and the crowds were growing by the minute. A buoyant mood took over as a pastor announced the start of the Sunday service in the plaza, part of planned worship gatherings spanning from Gwanghwamun Square to Seoul Station, as well as around Yeouido Park. The rallies across the capital were organized by conservative Protestant groups led by the Communion of Churches in Korea, one of Korea’s four biggest ecumenical Protestant groups.

Oct. 29, 2024

[Herald Review] How musical ‘Kinky Boots’ became stronger than ever, 10 years on

When “Kinky Boots” returned in July 2022 for its fifth run, the lively musical gave audience members a much-needed chance to release their pent-up desires with cheers and shouting -- perhaps for the first time since the pandemic. In comparison, the sixth run -- which also marks the show’s 10th anniversary -- is best described as “record-breaking.” It is a record-breaking in many aspects: from audience numbers and the volume of their cheers to the number of participa

Oct. 29, 2024

Veteran actors Shin Gu, Kang Boo-ja to receive cultural merit medals

Veteran senior actors Shin Gu and Kang Boo-ja will receive the Eungwan Order of Cultural Merit, the second-highest medal, at the 2024 Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards to be held at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul on Thursday. According to the Culture Ministry and the Korea Creative Content Agency, a total of 31 celebrities including singers, actors, comedians, voice actors, screenwriters and musicians will receive awards this year. The annual awards, now in its 15th edition, are the

Oct. 28, 2024

Culture icons recognized with national medals

Author Yi Mun-yeol, 76, and theater director Kim Jeong-ok, 92, received the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit, the nation's highest honor is given to artists, on Friday. The two legendary cultural icons were honored for their contributions to literature and performing arts, respectively. Since his debut in 1979, Yi contributed to the popularization and advancement of Korean literature by crafting over 90 works spanning various themes and subjects that have garnered wide public acclaim. His w

Oct. 26, 2024

BIAF 2024 kicks off five-day run for animation lovers

The 26th Bucheon International Animation Festival, showcasing animated works from across the globe, will begin its five-day run starting this Friday afternoon. BIAF 2024 is set to kick off with an opening ceremony at 6 p.m. on Friday at the Korea Manhwa Museum in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. The opening ceremony, attended by a number of renowned animation industry officials, including Raul Garcia, the animator behind Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin," and Rhie

Oct. 25, 2024

[Well-curated] Peaceful autumn with dumplings, flower farm, garden festival

Hidden dumpling shop Mandu are Korean dumplings filled with ingredients such as seasoned minced meat, tofu and vegetables like napa cabbage and green onions. They're a classic food enjoyed by all ages, found in small eateries and street stalls across Korea. Gwi-Il Dumpling, a local gem in Geumho-dong, Seoul, offers six varieties of mandu -- meat, kimchi, shrimp, galbi (Korean marinated ribs), spicy galbi and a mix of meat and vegetables. The restaurant also serves jjinppang, steamed buns fi

Oct. 25, 2024

Salzburg Festival president highlights century-long event's strengths

The Salzburg Festival is more than a festival celebrating Mozart, although the connection between Mozart and the festival held in the city of the composer's birth continues to be strong. “I believe that Mozart plays a crucial role in the festival, but what truly sets the Salzburg Festival apart is its dedication to showcasing a diverse array of programs,” Kristina Hammer, the president of Salzburg Festival, told reporters in Seoul on Wednesday. Hammer, president of the festi

Oct. 24, 2024

[Herald Interview] Lee Seung-yoon presents his defiant world with ‘Yeok Seong’

Singer-songwriter Lee Seung-yoon, known for profound messages and intense sound, has returned with his third full-length album, "Yeok Seong," pouring out his stories into the music. “With this album, I feel like I’ve achieved everything I’ve wanted as a musician," Lee said in a group interview in Gangnam, southern Seoul, Monday. "There’s a sense of pride in realizing the songs and albums I’ve dreamed of creating since the moment I started music.&

Oct. 24, 2024

Cho Yong-pil drops 20th studio album, possibly his last

Cho Yong-pil, a living legend of the Korean music scene, has returned with his 20th full-length album, “20.” The album is composed of seven tracks, including new songs as well as songs from the project singles “Road to 20—Prelude 1” and “Road to 20—Prelude 2,” which were released in 2022 and 2023. The album spans a variety of genres, including rock, electronica and ballads. Marking the 56th anniversary of his debut this year, the 74-year-old singer

Oct. 23, 2024

[Photo News] Hanok Experience

Foreign envoys, CEOs and their family members pose for a photo during a weekend program at the Hanok Heritage House in Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon Province. Front row from left: Tourist guide Park So-young, Ignacio Montojo Salazar, husband of EU Ambassador to Korea Maria Castillo Fernandez; the ambassador; New Zealand Ambassador to Korea Dawn Bennet; Renault Korea CEO Stephane Deblaise and his wife Marie Deblaise; Fernandez's friends; Italian Ambassador Emilia Gatto and Yoon Kyung-hae, the advise

Oct. 22, 2024

[Herald Interview] 'Oldboy' to 'Oddity': Tense cinema is universal

The Irish director of horror suspense film “Oddity,” Damian McCarthy has informed his work with an appreciation for Korean cinema. “I think of Choi Min-sik when he just has explosive temper at the end of ‘Oldboy’ or anything Song Kang-ho has done, it just ... this guy's just incredible,” he said at the start of an interview with The Korea Herald, hours before attending the awards ceremony where his film was in the international feature competition at the

Oct. 22, 2024

[Herald Interview] Rising stars of Korean classical music unite in recital

On the evening of Oct. 30, rising Korean cellist Han Jae-min, who is Lotte Concert Hall's in-house artist this year, will take the stage with promising Korean pianist Park Jae-hong, and renowned Hungarian violinist Kristof Barati. The three will perform at the Han Jae-min Trio Recital at Lotte Concert Hall, featuring Rachmaninoff’s Piano Trio No. 1 “Elegy,” along with Dvorak’s Piano Trio No. 4 “Dumky,” and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in A minor “

Oct. 22, 2024

[What to play] Nostagic Korean ballads perfect for autumn

When temperatures drop and leaves begin to change color, many Koreans turn to Korean ballads, wallowing in the lonesome mood associated with falling leaves and the passing of the year close at hand. Numerous artists have continued the legacy of these nostalgia-evoking Korean ballads known for their soft vocals and sorrowful melodies. Sung Si-kyung -- 'On The Street' When talking about Korean ballads, singer Sung Si-kyung is almost always mentioned. His uniquely beautiful and expressi

Oct. 19, 2024

[Well-curated] Pokemon, 'Wes Anderson' photos and farm flowers

Pokemon Card Shop at HDC IPark Mall For those particularly passionate for Pokemon -- perhaps the digital Pokedex is already full several times over and you've already consumed 25 years of the anime -- the next format to collect them all in is cardboard. And nowhere is better than the eighth floor of HDC IPark Mall in Yongsan, central Seoul. Pokemon Card Shop, which opened in August 2023, is where Pokemon Korea -- the Korean branch of Nintendo-owned The Pokemon Co. -- beckons Pokemon fans wi

Oct. 18, 2024

Experts urge revitalization of domestic market for a second Han Kang

The revitalization of the domestic literary market and critics' activities are prerequisites for Korea to achieve its next major literary milestone, according to experts in literature Wednesday. Less than a week after Han Kang was announced the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism gathered experts -- ranging from writers to translators -- at the Literature Translation Institute of Korea in southeastern Seoul to brainstorm ways to sus

Oct. 17, 2024

[Herald Review] Poor venue management takes away chance for 'Turandot' to shine

High expectations can sometimes lead to disappointment and even anger. This was the case for some in the audience who had high expectations for the Korean premiere of renowned director Franco Zeffirelli's version of “Turandot,” Giacomo Puccini’s popular opera, known as the Arena di Verona’s “Turandot.” It wasn’t because of the production quality. As expected, it was a grand performance and its sheer scale -- featuring 200 actors, singers, chorus m

Oct. 14, 2024

[Exclusive] Louis Vuitton VIPs invited to Jeju for luxury shopping

Louis Vuitton has invited Korean VIPs on an exclusive 10-day shopping trip to the five-star JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa, starting Oct. 23, according to sources with direct knowledge of the matter. The French luxury house will pay for flights and accommodations for between 100 and 500 VIP guests, who will be asked to purchase at least one showcased item, among them the brand’s latest spring-summer 2025 collection revealed earlier this year. The sources confirmed that the event wouldn&

Oct. 13, 2024